Note: One thing I've been contemplating ever since I started working on Crocodile Tears was a separate story that depicts Lyn's first encounter with Ghiaccio and follows the characters of Blazing Blade as well as the events that transpired at the lake. Of course, it has the same issue as Crocodile Tears in that anyone who has already read most of Jade will know exactly how it ends.

Let me know if that idea sounds appealing. I won't start working on it until after Jade's completion though because unlike Crocodile Tears, this will most likely be a full-length story.

Mani Katti

Yvo watched as Robin dug through the cabinets in Ghiaccio's kitchen. The kitchen was cluttered with old pots and pans that appeared to have not been used in years. Only a small section of the kitchen appeared to still be in use as well as a fraction of the dishes.

The elf released a loud yawn just to remind the others that he was still waiting. When neither of them bothered to respond, Yvo decided to make his impatience a little more obvious.

"Sometime today would be great."

"I know that map is in here somewhere," Ghiaccio proclaimed.

Neither Yvo nor Robin were totally convinced by his theory. Robin glanced down to all of the items that had been scattered across the moldy floor. Rusty pots and cutlery littered the area. An impressive mess had been made over the course of the last hour of searching yet there was still no sign of the map in question.

"I had it all drawn out," Ghiaccio complained. "Robin, you helped me write down our plans for the journey ahead so where the hell is it!?"

"I have no idea," Robin replied without a trace of emotion in his cold voice.

Ghiaccio noticed his change in behavior earlier, and despite the fact that he appeared to be acting normally again, Ghiaccio still looked upon him with suspicion.

"Well, I could have sworn we left it in here," Ghiaccio insisted. "Am I just crazy or what?"

Robin suddenly pulled a piece of black cloth from the cabinet and held it up into the light for Yvo and Ghiaccio to see.

In confusion, Ghiaccio tilted his head at the curious item. "That ain't our map," Ghiaccio snapped. "What is that thing, anyway?"

Robin wrapped the cloth around his eyes, immediately reminding Ghiaccio of its previous use.

"Why do we still have that," Ghiaccio sneered. "Trash that shit, man."

Robin tossed the blindfold over his shoulder and resumed his searching. Yvo sat back and observed only for a short time before he grew bored with watching this human throw various objects around the room nearly hitting him with a few of them in the process.

The elf looked up at the filthy window above Robin. His eyes quickly widened when he noticed a strange rustling in some of the brush that lined the edge of Ghiaccio's expansive yard.

"What's that over there?"

Robin rose to his feet in response to the elf's question.

"What's what," asked Ghiaccio.

"By the tree line. I'm seeing movement."

The duo narrowed their eyes simultaneously and stared at the window, observing the outside world. Surely enough, Yvo was not making it up as there was some minor movement in the foliage outside. Both Robin and Ghiaccio wondered how Yvo was able to see it in the first place as they would never have noticed without being told where to look.

Ghiaccio flickered his tongue in the air to scan for any new scents. He then began rattling his tail as he whispered into Robin's ear. "Where's your wife right now, Rob?"

A detail that Ghiaccio was both intrigued and shocked by when he first heard it. While he had met many strange people in his time, the thought that there would be at least one person who would marry a stalker genuinely surprised him.

"She and Rhajat did indeed go down that way. I believe they were heading to the tree houses, but they said they would not return for awhile."

Yvo giggled at Robin's vague answer. "Yeah? Well, did they say that awhile ago or what?"

"Why not just go and see what's causing all that commotion," Robin proposed, already bored of the issue at hand.

"No," Ghiaccio retorted. "Let's hang back for now. Just be sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

An intimidating mansion loomed high over Ricken. It's creepy and decrepit appearance made him all the more nervous about approaching it. He hid in the brush, watching the property for any signs of inhabitants that might be living there.

It definitely looked abandoned. Glowing vines stretched across the walls. On top of all the overgrowth, there were other clear indicators that the manor had not been tended to in years. Despite all of that, Ricken still did not dare step out into the open.

He stared intently at the property just as he had been doing for the past two hours. Ricken debated with himself if he should take up another vantage point, but just as he was about to start his search for a new hiding spot, he heard a voice behind him. The boy jumped at the sound of it.

"See anything yet?"

Ricken twirled around to face this newcomer. He instantly recognized the pot sitting on his head and lowered his guard. "Oh, Donnel. You frightened me."

Donnel bowed his head apologetically. "Ah! Didn't mean to scare ya. Sorry, Ricken."

The mage titled his head when he heard footsteps coming from somewhere behind Donnel. Ricken peered past Donnel and spotted another familiar figure emerging from the poorly lit woods.

"Maribelle? Is that you?"

"I am, I am," a feminine voice replied. Maribelle stepped into the light of a nearby column of glowing vines and gave Ricken a rather pompous smile. She then took a look around as if searching for something. "Say, where might Cordelia be? I fear I have not seen her since we arrived at this strange mansion."

"Oh," Donnel replied. "She went 'round to the front to see if anybody's home."

"She did what," Ricken exclaimed in a panic. "I thought we agreed not to do that! We should stay hidden if people do live around here! I don't want to end up like those bodies we saw in that creek bed."

Donnel shuttered at the thought of those strange corpses they had encountered in what appeared to be a mass grave which was suspiciously close to this creepy mansion. He remembered counting five corpses in total which was more than enough to make his skin crawl and his heart recoil in disgust.

"Come on," Ricken ordered. "We need to find her."

He stood up out of the brush, no longer caring if he was spotted. He bolted from his hiding spot without saying another word. Donnel and Maribelle wasted no time and promptly chased after him.

It took long enough but finally, Lon'qu had regained full control of his body. He forced himself to his feet. He looked around only to find himself alone. Knowing the other Shepherds were just on the other side of that terrible hill, he took his sweet time in regrouping with them.

He spent a few minutes stumbling about until he was able to fully regain his sense of coordination, but the disorientation quickly passed. He turned and knelt down before Lyn's corpse which had yet to be moved.

Lon'qu realized that her body was practically frozen in place. With some effort, he was able to break her body free from the cold frost that bound her to the tree. He laid her down on the ground and observed her lifeless body with a pained expression.

Slowly, he rose to his feet and approached the other two bodies. He stared down at Anna's bleeding corpse in confusion. He remembered listening to what she said. She acted so differently than the Anna he knew. Her behavior made no sense to him, but neither did the forest as a whole.

Lon'qu then gave a mournful glance to Basilio's body. Flavia loomed over it, not even paying attention to him. For as long as he had been paralyzed, she did not move. She had at least stopped screaming in grief, but her silent demeanor was still just as upsetting.

In a hope to at least get a response from her, he spoke out in a cautious tone. "Ma'am. What are we to do now?"

There was a moment of silence. Flavia did not so much as look up from his body. To his surprise, she did speak and it was exactly the response he both expected and hoped for.

"We retaliate. Retribution is the only way his soul will find peace."

Lon'qu recalled the brief time when the Shepherds had presumed Basilio dead in Valm. His memories of the event were as vague as everything else, but he did not remember Flavia ever behaving in such a way even then. She was acting just as enigmatically as Anna did in her final moments. Nobody seemed to be truly acting like themselves as of late.

"Then retaliation it is," Lon'qu agreed flatly. "Damn the serpent and the traitors. They'll all meet the same fate. A bloody impalement on my blade."

"Not if I can behead them first," Flavia snapped back while she tightly gripped her axe.

The thought gave Lon'qu an idea. He held up his sword. A Killing Edge that had proved useful to him up until recently. He then glanced down at Lyn's sword which rested on the ground. It had been unmoved ever since its wielder was cut down.

Lon'qu could not think of a more genuinely poetic way to kill the one responsible for all of this mayhem than to do it with that blade.

He gave his sword one final inspection before throwing it to the ground. He then approached the orphaned sword and picked it up. Immediately, he could feel something odd about it. A strange power exuded from the blade. It was not overwhelming at all. It was extremely weak and hard to notice, but it was indeed there.

Part of that strange aura almost felt like the owner herself. He could sense her presence. Just a little bit of warmth that festered within a shell of frost. Lon'qu held it just above the ground, contemplating its aura.

In that moment, he felt a soft breathing against the back of his neck. An icy hand rested on his right shoulder. He jolted awake from his deep but brief recollection and span himself around. There was nothing behind him.

Nothing but the remains of the dead and the cold traces of their restlessness.

Cordelia stood at the front door of this ominous mansion. She knocked on its rotting surface and waited for a response. A good portion of the property proved itself to be derelict, but there were certain things she had noticed on her journey to the front door which led her to believe the manor was not totally abandoned.

She glanced through some of the windows and noticed the interior. It was dark inside. Not a single light was on, but she could still see signs that the place was being used. The inside seemed to be far more orderly. Oddly enough, some rooms appeared as though they had been maintained while others were left to rot away.

The whole place was rather suspicious and she was eager to get to the bottom of this mystery. Despite everything she had seen thus far; from alien plants to an old battlefield and a much more recently created mass grave, she genuinely hoped someone was home. Someone who could shed some light on this strange forest.

To her surprise, the door slowly opened after a brief period of waiting. It sounded off with an unsettling creaking sound. Anticipation swelled within her as she waited to see who had come to answer.

A cold shiver ran down her spine when she noticed a shadowy figure standing in the darkness of the mansion's entrance hall. All she could see were a pair of wide, intrigued eyes, and a set of grinning teeth that glimmered under the turquoise light from outside. It was an insane smile. She instantly regretted her decision upon seeing this odd person.

Before she could muster the courage to introduce herself, the person hidden in the shadows spoke out to her.

"What can I do for ya, ma'am?"

Another voice called out from somewhere within the depths of the mansion. The voice clearly belonged to a man. It was bombastic and aggressive. A far cry from the eerie sound of the first man's voice.

"Yvo! Who's there!? Is it Tharja!?"

Cordelia widened her eyes. A name she recognized. Suddenly, she felt a little bit more comfortable about speaking to this person.

"My name is Cordelia. I'm a Shepherd serving only under House Ylisse. I'm sorry to be a bother, but my friends and I appear to be lost. Can you tell us where we are and how to get back to Ylisstol? I would be most grateful for your time."

The man at the door turned away from her and shouted at the unseen denizens of the manor. "Hey, Gio! She says her name is Cordelia! Know anyone by that name!?"

Footsteps sounded off from inside. The man at the door stepped aside as another figure stepped out into the light. Cordelia instantly recognized him with that elaborate robe and head of silver hair.

"Robin," Cordelia gasped.

"Good day to you," Robin stated. "What brings you to our abode?"

She noticed the serpent wrapped around his neck and immediately took a step back. She had never seen such a reptile. A snake with cobalt scales and icy blue eyes. A black rattle could be seen at the tip of his tail. Another clear indicator that the snake was obviously venomous and yet Robin was still wearing it like a scarf.

The viper stared at Cordelia. Examining her from head to toe and then turned his head back around to face Robin.

"You know this person?"

Cordelia's eyes widened in horror. The serpent obviously spoke. It did not even speak in a hiss. His words were as clear as day.

Ignoring Cordelia's astonishment, Robin met the snake's glare and nodded his head. "Ghiaccio, this is Cordelia. She was one of the better Pegasus Knights that served under Chrom and me."

"I see," Ghiaccio stated with growing interest. "So, what do you want?"

Cordelia appeared genuinely confused by the question due to the sheer fact that Robin was standing right there, staring at her as if all were normal and mundane. Nothing was normal about this forest so why was he looking at her with such a bored frown.

"Well, I was hoping to find a way out of this strange forest. I had no idea you were here too, Robin. You see, I'm traveling with Maribelle, Donnel, and Ricken. We all found ourselves waking up next to each other, face down on the ground. I cannot for the life of me remember how we got here. Do you know anything about what's happening here? Where are Chrom and the others? How do we get back home from here?"

"There is no way home," Robin flatly muttered. "You're better off just giving up and making this place your new home."

With that, Robin turned his back to her. Just when he was about to retreat into the darkness of the manor, Cordelia grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Wait! You cannot be serious! Are you not at all concerned about any of this?"

As Robin twirled around to face her once again, Cordelia lowered her arm and backed off. There was something wrong here. She had not spent but a couple minutes with him and she could already see that something terribly wrong was at play here. Aside from Robin's uncharacteristic aloofness, she could not quite place what else was going on despite its obvious results.

"Cordelia," a voice called out to her left. Cordelia and Robin both glanced in the direction of the voice where they spotted three familiar individuals running up to her.

The trio simultaneously froze in place upon seeing Robin standing in the doorway, coldly staring back at them.

Ghiaccio grinned at the sight of these new, fresh faces. A cluster of people had delivered themselves to his door and he would use and abuse them accordingly.

"Well, this is a surprise," the serpent stated in an unnaturally friendly tone. "Why don't you all come inside? We can discuss things there."

The group took up their seats in the dining room with Robin and Ghiaccio sitting at the head of the table. Yvo stood with his back against the wall behind them.

Ghiaccio did most of the talking. He explained the situation Robin, Tharja, and Rhajat were in as well as what they had been doing with his time, although, he did leave out certain details.

It was when he began talking about their encounters with Chrom when Robin became thoroughly lost. It would have been easy enough to just leave that part out, especially if Ghiaccio wanted to entice them into joining their cause, but Ghiaccio clearly thought otherwise.

"Yeah, it was a real shame what happened to Chrom," Ghiaccio proclaimed, his words filled with manufactured regret.

Cordelia was the first to say anything the moment that name was mentioned. "Chrom!? What happened!? Where is he?"

"He betrayed his fellow Shepherds," Ghiaccio explained. "There's a reason Robin and I work alone now. The forest got to him. Drove him insane. He got two of his own killed and is still pushing his remaining followers to their limits even as we speak."

"Huh," Donnel interrupted. "Chrom? Gone mad? That don't make a lick of sense, snake."

"It's true," Robin confirmed. He did not want to say too much as he had no idea where Ghiaccio new narrative was going to lead, but he had his guesses.

Ghiaccio gave them a sorrowful nod. "He couldn't find his daughters. We told him that he could stay with us, but he just went crazy over it all. He became delusional and forgetful. Eventually, he began turning on what little support he had left. He got two of his own killed and he even attacked an innocent bystander. He plucked out one of her eyes and gutted her with Falchion. At that point, we had to kick him out."

"What he did to Anna and Basilio was unforgivable," Robin agreed. "They died because of him and I refused to fall for the same fate. We all hated ourselves for casting him and his few remaining followers to the wilds, but there was no other option. I hate to say it as he was my greatest friend, but Chrom has betrayed us all. Frederick, Lissa, Gregor, Virion, Kellam, Cherche, and Vaike all supported him in this matter."

No one responded at first. Maribelle, Donnel, and Ricken all silently stared at the table. They did not want to believe it, but they could hardly consider Robin a bad source of information, and if their brilliant tactician was agreeing with the story this serpent gave them then it was not something they could simply ignore.

Cordelia was the first to say anything. Oddly enough, she seemed rather optimistic about the dark tale she had just heard. "Clearly, Sumia has failed to keep him sane," she stated in disappointment. "No matter. When we find him, I'll be the one to help him."

Ghiaccio found this reaction intriguing. The woman's eyes were filled with aspiration, and that just so happened to be Ghiaccio's favorite tool.

"Look, I know this is probably a lot to take in," Ghiaccio continued, ignoring Cordelia's odd response, for now. "And I understand if you don't believe us, but we do need your help. You see, Robin and I are about to begin a search for something I've lost. We need to travel up north and we're going to need all the help we can get."

"I'm in," Ricken announced. The mage in the inconveniently large hat did not need to hear another word to be convinced.

"Indeed," Maribelle agreed. "Of course we will help you. It would be inconceivable to otherwise after all we have suffered through as one."

While Donnel did not disagree with either Ricken or Maribelle, he was rather shocked by how quickly the serpent was able to change the topic.

"What about Chrom," the boy inquired grimly. "We gonna just let him be?"

"We can't do anything about that right now," Ghiaccio insisted. "We have no idea where he and the others are at. For now, let's just stay focused on the task at hand. Try to relax for now because we're leaving at the end of the day."

"What exactly are you searching for," asked Maribelle.

"Something I've lost," Ghiaccio repeated. "Something that I'll risk my life if it means I can obtain it again."

Ghiaccio then ducked his head down and murmured to himself. He spoke in a tone so quiet, only Robin could pick up on it.

"And I'll risk your lives all the same."

Note: I had been waiting to find the right moment to introduce a few more characters. I had originally thought about adding a couple more to Chrom's side, but then I realized how small Ghiaccio's team was in comparison so I decided to kick this next section of the story off by adding a few more traitors to the mix.