Chapter 15) Rescue Mission

The ambiguity surrounding the whole situation of the Davros hung over our heads as we continued on. I couldn't bring myself to ask anyone else's opinion; I couldn't bring myself to ask Marcus if he manipulated them as I suspected.

We are almost to Missur, where our limited information says Cecilia is. But our information also tells us that Revolutionaries and Bern's own army are converging at an old castle where we suspect Cecilia to be.

I could only hope that things wouldn't fall apart in front of us, again.

It was bad. We could tell that as soon as we landed. Etrurian and Bernese flag flapped proudly in the breeze as the castle in the distance was frequently obscured by wyvern wings and fire spells. In the chaos, we managed a mostly silent landing, but that wasn't going to last much longer.

"General Roy, Lady Irene." Tate swooped down to land in front of us. Roy raised a hand to protect his eyes from kicked up dirt, but I held steady. I was already mounted. "As near as I can tell, Mage General Cecilia is still fighting," she reported. Roy and I exchanged a relieved look. She was still alive. "However, it's clear that they're done playing." There were a very large number of troops. "We face cavalry, wyverns, and ballista, among other things." It wasn't her job to give a map and numbers; that went to others in her unit, and they reported to Elphin who was already setting up an overarching strategy to the fight.

I bit my lip as I thought. We had only an eighth of our force. One eighth of our force, which was already 'small' compared to Etrura and Bern anyway, had to break through Etruria to the north and Bern to the east, in order to make it to the castle. This was insane. Logically, we couldn't do it.

But if we held back, then we would have to watch Etrurian and Bernese forces eradicate Cecilia and all of her fellows. We would be forced to watch them kidnap or kill Guinevere.

"We have to go forward," Roy whispered, summarizing it all. His eyes wavered in pain. "Surely, though, Miss Cecilia will be able to last a while?"

"Assuming she has been fighting even half as many days as we had to travel, then she will, by no means, be at her best," I replied. I hated that I could think so clearly right now. My friend, my elder sister, was in danger, and yet, here I was, listing off all the reasons why she was likely going to die before we could reach her. "Not even going into how its doubtful she and her followers have had a decent amount of food, sleep, or water in days, she is likely at half strength at most. Her magic will be weakened due to haziness in mind and weakness in body. The weakness in body will make her less skilled, less accurate, and slow her speed. Her defenses have never been high, since she can't wear heavy armor, and I doubt she will have the mental aptitude to resist magic. We could go on luck, but she's likely used up a lifetime's allotment just lasting this long."

"Irene…"

"But it still stands, and we're here." I looked down on him. "Whatever you decide, Roy, I am with you. If you choose to stay back, I will calm the soldiers with you. If you choose to charge, I will apologize to the survivors alongside you."

"…" Roy closed his eyes, and debated. When he opened them again, his eyes were certain. "We will charge."

"Then we will give them a fight to remember." I looked back up to Tate. "You okay with this?"

"Lady Irene, I am a mercenary in your employ and, more importantly, I chose to be here," Tate replied. Her face was calm, cold even, but her eyes were warm. "What do you need?"

"Get me…" No, I was going to change my plan mid-thought. There was something Zealot had said that would be useful now. More to the point, I refused to play by the rules of war Etruria and Bern set. If I did, we would lose. We would die. Their might was overwhelming. But you didn't need might when you could pull a well-placed trick. "Get me Wuotan, and have him test every one of your fliers who is willing to wield a tome."

"…You're going to recreate the old magical fliers."

"If there are any in the group who are capable and willing, then yes." I smiled slowly. "Wyverns have poor resistance."

"I'll be right back." She took off in a flurry of feathers.

"So, here's to reviving the army of old," Roy whispered. The wind gusted, and he glanced up at me. "Anything on the wind."

I closed my eyes to listen better. "I hear reassurances," I murmured. I could hear Dad and Uncle Hector. I could hear Oswin. I thought I could hear even Aunt Ninian. "They are not warning us away." But, still, there was one 'voice' I couldn't shake. I could barely hear it, and I might have been imagining. "Let's gather and prepare."

But I thought I heard Mom. It must have just been me wanting a little more reassurance, though. There's no reason to hear her on the wind.

We focused on breaking through the west. Aside from some token forces to harass and distract them, we left the north alone. Both Elphin and I agreed as soon as we heard that Perceval was leading the northern Etrurian troops. There was no way we were getting close. We knew he was skilled… and we didn't want to run the risk of an accidental arrow killing him before we had a chance to convince him to come with us.

Elphin and I thought about having him go to Perceval directly, but decided it was too dangerous. So long as he lived, so long as we lived, we could recruit Perceval later.

At some point while we were fighting on the big bridge, I noticed something that made my hands shake. I could see the castle easily. There were no magical attacks flashing. There didn't seem to be any fighting at all. I could only think of one reason for that. The castle had fallen; Cecilia had fallen. Were we too late? Was I going to have to watch another member of my 'family' bleed out under my fingertips?

I closed my eyes, despite how dangerous it was to do so on the battlefield, and listened to the wind. But the wind didn't bring me any reassurances. Instead, it gusted from…

"I want a group of soldiers to return to the rear!" I shouted, bringing my eyes open again. I didn't like how the wind nudged me back. "Enemy reinforcements might appear there, and there is only a handful of guards there!" There was some shuffling about, and a decent sized group retreated. "Everyone else, continue forward!" We had to break through before Bern reorganized its forces and blocked us at the end. For now, there were only those we could trample, and wyvern knights that harassed our flanks and heads. Thankfully, Klein and those of his archers who came with us managed to seize the ballista, allowing Tate's fliers to fly unimpeded.

I had been surprised how many of hers had leapt at the chance to use magic while flying. Tate herself had been among them. When I glanced up, I could see her casting fireballs with surprising ease, burning the wyvern knights clear out of their saddles.

"There's a wyvern that's broken off from the rest!" The shout made me hunt for the wyvern in question and I realized that was… a bit incorrect. Based on where they were, I doubted they had even been with the rest. At best, they had used the grouping as a shield to get farther out.

My heart stopped when I saw the rider. Miredy. I thought she might have a passenger, but from this angle, I was uncertain. But that didn't matter. The point was that I knew her, and I now had to make a decision. Did I shoot her down? Did I order her taken out?

I rode a little away from my group, shifting Rienfleche so that it caught the light. Miredy's head instantly turned towards to it, and I saw her eyes narrow. She could see me. I could tell she was making a decision too, but what, I couldn't say. Whatever it was, she nodded, and changed her flight path to come straight for me.

I thought a little longer, and then decided to wait. I remembered how, when we last met, she had hoped we would meet 'peacefully'. I remembered how she had been kind enough to hold me as I trembled. I could be kind enough to wait.

I was glad I did. Miredy did, in fact, have a passenger and, more importantly, it was one of the two people I had been desperately worried about. "Guinevere!" I yelped, reaching out automatically. Guinevere took my hands, and then lunged to hug me, nearly dragging me out of the saddle. "Whoa, hold on, let's not fall!"

"Sorry!" Guinevere laughed. But it was a broken sort of laugh, the laugh of someone who found sanctuary when they thought all hope was gone. "Ah, here, Miredy, let me get off…"

I dismounted too, and gave her a better hug. "It's good to see you." I pulled away and looked to Miredy, smiling at her. "It's good to see you too."

"You as well, Lady Irene," Miredy replied. There was pain in her eyes, but also resolution. I understood right then what had happened: she chose Guinevere over Bern. "Is the red haired boy running up General Roy?"

"Yes," I confirmed, without even having to turn around. I glanced down as he slowed to a stop, and bowed to Guinevere and Miredy both. "So formal."

"It's not proper to for a general to spontaneously hug people on the battlefield," Roy answered, dignifiedly. Still, his smile was warm and boyish. "I am relieved to see you are safe, Princess Guinevere."

"It was a near thing," Guinevere replied. She shuddered, hugging herself as if to keep warm. "We were in Aquelia when it fell. All of the bodies… I never want to see a person's intestines outside of their body again." Oh, that painted such a lovely picture. "Then, of course, we've been stuck here. Cecilia did what she could, but she's been flagging…" I hated being right. "Of course, my brother had to come himself." …What?!

"King Zephiel is here?"

"Yes." She shook her head, and I finally understood why she thought all hope was lost. "Thankfully, he… does not have the Fire Emblem." She hesitated before touching the necklace she kept hidden, through her collar. "I still wear it. I don't think it ever occurred to him that Miredy might be more loyal to me than him, than to Bern."

"Oh, I'm sure it occurred to him," Miredy drawled. She looked rather exasperated. "I didn't hide it." Guinevere smiled sheepishly, and I wondered if they had a brief argument about it before their flight. "I don't think it occurred to him that I might love you more than I fear him, though." In her eyes, I could see another sentence: 'I don't think he thought I would pick you over Galle'. "Regardless, Zephiel fought her, but didn't kill her." Cecilia was alive then?! "It was a bad injury, though, and if we don't hurry, though, I'm sure she'll wish he had. Narcian is here, and he's mad about some humiliation."

"Oh, wondrous day, I get to turn Narcian into my new quiver," I deadpanned. It sparked a laugh out of everyone. "Miredy, for right now, can you take Guinevere to Elphin. You can't miss him. He's an androgynous looking man with long blonde hair in a braid, and he's probably bent over a map of the area. He's taken over as strategist for the army, and I think is stationed next to where we had Elen set up an infirmary." Elen, however, was our only healer in this situation. Most of the healers in the group had been on the second ship, because of the injured.

"I'll be glad to see her." Miredy held out her hand, and Guinevere mounted up behind her easily. "What should I do afterwards?"

"Since we don't have the time to explain to everyone that you're not an enemy, just stay close to the infirmary and help with the injured this battle." I glanced at Roy, who nodded. He had been thinking the same thing. "Wuotan is the only other guard there. You can't miss him either. He's a mage… fighter… person."

"You all are breaking the rules." Her grin, however, told me how much she cared about that. "We'll be off. Stay safe."

"We'll try." I shifted back to give Miredy's wyvern room, and watched her launch off, flying towards the back of the line. "Send a messenger so that the others in the back don't freak out too much."

"Yeah, sounds good," Roy murmured. He breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled up at me. "Well, that's one part of our goal." Yes, it was. "We need to-"

"We've cleared the bridge!" Roy and I both whirled at that particular shout. It was true, though. Bernese soldiers were desperately trying to push our forces back, but we were clear.

Roy automatically started running back to the front. I mounted up and ordered a messenger to run back and inform Elphin before riding forward with some other cavalry. I had to jump over an enemy soldier to get off the bridge, but it worked. We were clear. We had a straight shot to the castle.

However, as I rode towards it, shouting orders, my horse did the strangest thing. She suddenly reared, giving me no time to prepare. With a yell, I tumbled out of the saddle, startled. Never, ever, had she reared on me before. Never had she reared, and then ran.

But a spark of lightning blackened and charred the grass where she had been and I realized what had happened. She had reared, because it was the only way she and I could survive whatever attacked. She had only been trying to protect me, as she was trained to do.

As I stood, I learned what the 'whatever' had been. Zephiel. He was here, ready to fight.

"I thought I saw you," he murmured. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver and aimed it at his neck. "Goodness, when did you all arrive?"

"Ask your dead," I deadpanned, shifting back to get a bit of distance between us. Everyone else was busy with their own fights. "Why come after me? I'm not the general."

"I saw you first." Roy had bright red hair that I could see out of the corner of my eye. "I was curious to see if you grew any since Araphan."

"Who knows?" This was eerie. "But I hope you weren't expecting fear." I glared. "I wasn't afraid of you at Araphan, and I am not afraid of you now." I certainly was angrier though. "Get out of my way and go back to your game. I want to reach Cecilia before your Wyvern General gets his hands on her."

"He's already inside the castle, so you might want to run." The very casual way he dismissed my concern made my blood boil. "If she still clings to life. She wasn't worth a killing blow."

"Or you couldn't manage it." I nodded to his shoulder, remembering how it had bled. "Thanks to the injury Uncle Hector inflicted."

"I managed to kill Katri just fine, so I doubt she was any harder." …What was…? "Oh, did you cling to some hope that you'd find your mother? An impossible dream. I cut off her head with this very sword." He shifted his stance, clearly prepped to attack. "Shall I do the same for you?"

"…Lying…" I shook my head violently and snarled as I shifted my aim from his neck to his head. Rienfleche buzzed against my palm. "You're lying. I know this trick. Outsiders lie all the time to shake their opponent's resolve."

"Come now; I wouldn't lie to a Sacaean." He almost sounded hurt that I would even suggest it, but he mostly sounded like he was mocking me. "I hold a great respect for Sacaeans."

"Liar." I had to make myself keep from shooting. If I shot too soon, then I was dead. I doubted he would spare me this time. "Someone with respect wouldn't have massacred Bulgar."

"Preposterous. I did that because I respect Sacaeans. My troops would have never have won against them if I hadn't initiated such an attack." This… this bastard! "Even doing so, and taking advantage of the weaker will and fear of another tribe's leader, it's hard to call that a victory. I understand that Rath was mostly responsible for that."

"Keep my father's name out of your filthy mouth." I couldn't believe him! "While you're at it, stop trying to bullshit a virtue out of your sadism. I'm not a sycophant clinging to your cape."

"No, you are an enemy, and one I should apparently fear." His eyes narrowed. "It is your choice if you want to live in denial, but do not fret. You won't have to live long with that choice." Lightning crackled along his blade. "I have been told it was a mistake, letting you live in Araphan." I thought of the words Guinevere said that day, so long ago. Had she spat that out him? Had someone else? "I shall rectify that mistake. You may ask Katri whether or not I am telling the truth when you see her in heaven."

"I won't, because Mom is alive." The air was sparking. It was hard to breath. "Someone like you would not have had the balls to kill her, not when you spent so much time keeping her healthy."

"Well, perhaps I found the ruthlessness instead." He shifted and I tensed. He was going to swing. I would only have one-

Fast. He was fast. He was far faster than I expected. I jumped back as soon as I could, but I still caught a glancing bow, and the lightning scorching my arm, obliterated my arrow.

I fell back on my ass, my legs not working quite right, and Zephiel loomed over me. I glared at him as he prepared to swing again. This time, he would not miss. This time, he would kill me. But I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me afraid. If it was my time to go to Mother Earth's meadows, I would not be afraid.

"IRENE!" Everything stilled as blood flew, and it took me several blinks to realize what happened.

I wasn't dying. I hadn't been hit a second time. Zephiel hadn't suddenly been hit with some fatal blow, like it would be in the stories. Though, he looked just as surprised as I did as he also figured out what had happened.

Roy had stepped in front of me. Roy had brought up his rapier in a vain attempt to block Zephiel's blood. Roy's rapier shattered like a twig. Roy had been hit straight on, the sword biting deep. Roy's blood shot through the air as he fell back.

Roy's head hit my leg as he gasped for air, hand weakly twisting in the grass as if that could tether him to life. Roy's torso was blasted open, redder than his hair, from left shoulder to right hip. Roy was… Roy was…!

"Roy!" I screamed. I couldn't do anything else. "Roy!" No. No, no, no, no, no. You couldn't take Roy from me, Mother Earth! You took my dad and my tribe; you couldn't take him! "Roy!" But there was so much blood. There was so much blood already, and my medicinal pack was with my horse, too far away. "Roy!"

"Well, that was… unexpected." Zephiel's calm voice was like ice water on my head. "I was planning on killing him today, but after you, Irene," he continued as I slowly looked up at him. He was splattered with Roy's blood, but he didn't seem to care at all. "I suppose the young man has never heard of 'ladies first'."

"You…!" I lunged forward, wrapping my hands around his throat. He barely even shifted back; I must be light as a feather compared to him, especially in that armor. "You will not!" But you didn't need weight to kill. The windpipe was fragile, frail. It took less pressure to bend a bow to crush it. "I will not let you…!"

"Things like this are why this war exists." His breath was ragged, but he wasn't stopped me. He had his blade angled towards my back, but he was just letting me strangle him. "Jealous, vanity, greed, pride… people fight over such rubbish in all nations. The world must be liberated from-"

"Don't give me that bullshit!" I could see bruises purpling under my hand. Why wasn't he stopping me? "As if anyone would believe such a stupid reason!"

"Ah, yes, you're too smart to believe my every word. So then, would you like another?" He suddenly smiled, and it looked vicious. "Would you more believe that I wish to end the age of man? Return the land to dragons?" He leaned forward slightly, voice soft as if he was telling a big secret. "Humans are so filthy, aren't they? They flock to those in power, do not think twice about betraying trusted allies, and you give one an overinflated ego, and look how he treats his supposed lesser? Look to the horrors Etruria, land of the Saint, holy land, committed in the Isles. Look to what my own soldiers did to Sacae, to Bulgar."

"That was on your orders!"

"One word, and they were in a fervor, ready to wipe out everything your people were, are, and could be, just because Bern hates outsiders as much as the plains, but for reasons relating to pureness and arrogance instead of wariness and hurt." He laughed; it sounded breathy. "Such madness. When will it ever end?"

"You didn't exactly help matters!"

"I proved my point." His eyes flicked to something behind me. "Ah, Idenn, are you ready now?" Who was he-?

…Pain. Pain, pain, and more pain. I dropped like a rock, crashing to my side and I curled up in a ball to try and escape. I thought I heard someone whimper. I thought it might be me.

"Idenn, it normally does not take you so long."

My blood was boiling. It was not an exaggeration. My blood was boiling. I could see the steam coming out of my injuries. It hurt. Father Sky, it hurt! Make it stop!

"Her quintessence is strange." Quiet voice. Quiet, emotionless voice. Feminine. Who? "It burns, but in the fire is a light that fractures the future." Who was this? What was this? "I must be slow, or I will lose it all when it scorches my hand."

"Is it as powerful as the records in the Archives suggest?"

"More. A war dragon made with this quintessence will be far stronger." However, even as the feminine voice said the words, the pain abruptly stopped. "Oh." Slowly, very slowly, I opened my eyes and I tried to focus on just who the woman was. All I could see was that strange, cloaked person again, the same one from Araphan, with an arrow sprouting from her chest. "Master, what should I do?"

"Tug the arrow out." That would only exacerbate the injury though… "It seems some other pests managed to make their way here," Zephiel murmured, shifting to go on the attack. "Etruria's Archery General and a gaggle of pegasus knights, among others."

"Understood." Just like that, she ripped the arrow out, the blood pouring down her chest. She didn't even seem to care. "What do I do with the arrow?"

"Just drop it. A broken arrow is worthless."

"Understood." She dropped it, just like Zephiel ordered. It wasn't that far from me… "Shall I call the dragons?"

"No, I want them to continue to Arcadia." Where was that? "Just stand back, Idenn. I need the exercise."

It wasn't until I heard the shrieks of pain that everything finally processed. Zephiel was killing my friends. Zephiel was killing the army I had, all on his own. That Idenn girl… she was… something that didn't matter, actually. She didn't even move as magic crashed into her, as she bled, just because that was what she was ordered. She was a doll, as much of a doll as the dragon we killed back in the Isles.

But Zephiel had… Zephiel was…!

"General Klein! Captain Tate!"

Zephiel was killing them… and I wasn't armed… I was helpless…

"Lady Lilina! Lord Lugh!"

But that broken arrow was within reach. I just had to… I just had to…

"Master Elphin!"

I just had to grab the arrow and pick myself up…

"I won't let you kill them, Zephiel! I will not let you, brother!"

"I told you I would only forgive you once, dear sister."

I just had to…!

With all the strength I had, I snagged the arrow and pushed myself up. That girl, Idenn, looked to me, but she registered nothing as I stood, swaying and wobbling.

"What happened to the brother who gave me the fox? What happened to the brother who comforted me when I cried? What did I do to make him go away!?"

"You didn't do anything, Guinevere. Know that much, at least, before you join Mother and Mom."

No. That was not allowed. You would not take more from me, Zephiel!

I lurched forward. It was clumsy, stumbling. My attack was more of a flail. But that broken arrow, that arrow he had dismissed, cut deep into the back of his neck, and the blood, for some reason, started turning black as it streamed down.

As he shouted, more from surprise than anything, I somehow managed to snatch up Rienfleche, next to Roy's body and slick with Roy's blood, and I aimed that broken arrow at his head with shaking hands, and shakier vision. He looked more stunned than anything as he turned to face me. Behind him, I could see a crying and staring Guinevere, and a bleeding Elphin. I could not see anyone else. Were they…?

"…I can see why she told me I made a mistake," he whispered. The surprise turned to something that almost looked like 'impressed'. "I can see why she smiled like she had won." Who was the 'she'? "But that's the last of your strength, isn't it? Born from a feeble, worthless desire to protect." He gestured, and my eyes flicked to the side; I only saw bodies and blood. Who was…? Was anyone…? "Eckesachs was the second divine weapon forged. Weakest in might at the Scouring, but it had no costs to its power and, unlike them, its power has barely weakened these past thousand years." That made it the strongest now. "Only the Sword of Seals exceeds its might now." What was that? "So…" He shifted, ready to attack. Ready to kill. "Shall we?" He shifted again, clearly prepping for a killing swing.

"I won't let you!" A fireball dropped then and I turned to see Lilina, battered and bleeding, unable to open an eye because of the blood on her face, and coughing up a lung. But her eye blazed with fury as she made herself stand. "You will not win!" she shouted, as she threw another fireball. Zephiel cut it in half. "We will not let you!"

Arrows fired. Magic rained. Lances and axes were thrown. They were small things, but it was clear what the message was. 'We are not beaten yet!'

"You're nothing but a human, and we killed a dragon! Don't think you can beat us with borrowed power!"

"What a pretty little speech," Zephiel murmured. He turned to face her, and I noticed the veins in his neck were turning black. He didn't seem to notice or care. "I can see why you are the darling of Lycia." Lilina's response was only to glare. "Fine. You can follow your friend first, then."

Before anyone could move, he swung, and lighting jumped from the blade. It shattered the air as it screamed towards Lilina, who only closed her eye and waited for the end.

But just before it hit, there was the sound of water suddenly freezing, and then… there was a barrier. A barrier of ice erupted in front of Lilina, protecting her from harm. I thought it was some new magic trick, but she looked just as started as the rest of us. So, what was…?

"Don't… touch her…" Startled, I whirled, and could only gape as I realized that Roy was standing. He staggered and teetered, something glinting at his chest. It took me a second to realize that was his blood, his frozen blood. "Don't touch… any of them…" Roy continued, biting out the words through what had to be massive pain. But when he looked up, all I saw… all I saw was anger. I saw anger, and a dragon's eyes. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" A blizzard erupted, devouring the battlefield. But it didn't freeze me. It didn't freeze any of our soldiers.

It froze the Bernese soldiers, though. They fell to the ground and shattered into thousands of pieces, as if they had been sculptures the whole time.

"What is this?!" I glanced back and saw Narcian stumble out of the castle, cloak up to feebly protect him from the ice. "Your Majesty, is this some new weapon of ours?" he asked. Absently, I aimed and shot, catching him in the shoulder. "Not you again!" Ha, he hadn't even looked to confirm it was me.

"No, this isn't something of ours," Zephiel murmured. Eckesachs's lightning protected him from the ice, but it was clear the fight was finally getting to him. The poison probably helped. I could think of no other reason why his blood was turning black, at least. "What is this?"

"Draconic Awakening." That was Idenn, and I almost thought there was something in her face. It wasn't quite an emotion, but it was closer than anything I had seen before. "Three-quarter dragons, half-dragons, and quarter-dragons who cannot transform can tap into their draconic heritage if they are at death's door," she continued. My thoughts, however, clunked to a stop. That would mean… "His dragon relative is strong. This power is vast, and the power is enough to save his life. That was not the case for many during the Scouring." Her eyes narrowed. "…Another comes. Someone Jahn is afraid of. Master…"

"…Perhaps it is a mistake, but the scholar in me cannot help but see what this will do." Zephiel relaxed. "Idenn, warp us away, and drop Narcian off in the desert. He can fly home. I need to deal with this poison before it kills me."

There was a squawk of protest and a flash of magic, and then… they were all gone. All three were gone, and the blizzard faded away.

What just…? Oh, forget that! I didn't care! They needed to get to healers and I needed to get to Cecilia!

I made to step towards the castle, but I only stumbled and started to fall. Someone, however, caught me. "You need to get to the healers," they whispered. I thought the voice was Wuotan's. "You are looking for your friend, yes? I will head inside and get her. I seem to be one of the few unwounded." Oh… "Focus on staying conscious. The second ship arrived not long ago, along with most of the healers." Finally… "You all just got very, very lucky."

I think I figured that part out for myself, thanks.

Zephiel did a number on us. No one could be fully healed; there were too many injuries and not enough staves. We made ends meet with bandages and medicinal herbs, but it was clear that we were paying dearly for deciding to charge when we did.

The survivors from Cecilia's group, however, were grateful and shared all they had. Guinevere was safe. Cecilia was alive. So, the price was higher that anticipated, but we still got our objectives completed. That was, itself, a victory.

"I seemed to have made a fool of myself in front of you all," Cecilia murmured. She was set up in a bed in 'my' tent. Klein was with us. Roy and Lilina were absent, despite their wishes. Roy's injuries were extensive, including some very bad frostbite. Lilina also had frostbite; that ice shield had also snagged her leg. Both were on bedrest. "All of you are so injured as well…"

"You didn't exactly escape injury yourself, Cecilia," Klein pointed out. He had some bad injuries, but since they would not kill or cripple him, he was dealing with bandages, like me. I could tell he hurt, though, just by how stiffly he stood by the bed. There had been only one chair and he insisted I take it. "Have you gotten a verdict on it?"

"Yes…" She sighed. "I should be grateful to keep my life, but I am horribly frustrated. I have to be healed in stages, like most of you, but due to the placement of the injury…" It was a mirror to the injury that almost killed Roy, but more expansive because the lightning had conducted through her armor, and exacerbated the damage. It was difficult to say if her armor helped or hindered her; without her armor, the blow might have just killed her. "And due to the poor condition my body is in…" She had skipped meals to feed her soldiers. It wasn't the smartest of moves, but her alternative had been watching them starve. "I am at half strength, at best, and will be for quite some time. If I use my full power, I'll just make things worse."

"Yeah, most of us are praying we don't run into battles for a small while." There was, surprisingly, some nearby villages willing to put us up while we waited for the rest of our ships, and replenish our supplies. Most of our 'market budget' was going to staves, but even then, it wouldn't be until tomorrow the healers would have the strength to use them. "I can't shoot a bow until the injury on my arm is healed for the same reason."

"Did I thank you for coming to my rescue?" I asked, turning to face him. Klein had been the one to shoot the arrow that disrupted Idenn's concentration. "I did, right?"

"You did," Klein confirmed. His eyes looked very dark. "Besides, even if you didn't, Sue thanked me enough." Sue had been terrified and livid about all the injuries that happened in her absence. Sin declared that I was never going ahead of him again. Clarine, Rutger, and Deke made similar declarations. "I'm peeved Perceval just left, though."

"What else could he do, though?" Cecilia whispered. Her eyes were warm and forgiving, and I thought she should be at least a little mad at him, even if he was understandable. "If he charged, he might have come to save me, placing the lives of all his soldiers in danger. Not to mention King Mordred."

"You really should be mad."

"It's hard to be mad at someone who killed Etrurians and Bernese alike to make sure I could get to Princess Guinevere." That… did sound like him. "He made a point to hug me too, and had me promise to stay alive." That… also sounded like him. "Besides, well, you two know why I find it hard to be mad."

"You're in love with him, have been for years, understand him far too well, and won't say a word about your feelings." Klein rolled his eyes. "I still think you can be mad." So did I. "You should get on fixing that last one also."

"I might if someone else does." Cecilia's smile was perfectly sweet, even as Klein scowled. "Regardless…" She turned her attention to me. "Irene, how are you doing?"

"I'm forbidden to doing practically everything the next couple of days," I sighed. According to the healers, by all rights, I should be dead, but it was still enough to be frustrating. "I guess there's something to that saying of scions of Hanover."

"You lot are impossible to kill without a lot of hard work," Cecilia laughed, cheering up. However, the thought just made me think of something else. "Irene, what is it?"

"…Have you heard anything about Mom?" Zephiel was lying. He had to be lying. It was all that made sense. He had been taking care of her, so why would he suddenly kill her? He had to have been lying.

"Aunt Katri?" She bit her lip. "Not really. I mean; I saw her in Aquelia."

"You did?!" She was there?!

"Yes." She nodded. "I managed to get Guinevere out because she distracted some soldiers, faking something with her leg. They all panicked and prioritized her health over chasing down some running people in cloaks." There. That was more proof. The soldiers wouldn't have done that if Zephiel hadn't ordered it. "She smiled and waved when I glanced back. She looked fine."

"I see." My hands were shaking.

"Don't worry." Cecilia's hands covered mine, even though I knew it had to hurt her to move even that much. "We'll go rescue her. Liberate Eturia and rescue Aunt Katri. Doesn't that sound like a plan?"

"Yes…" A sound outside, however, startled me. "Who's there?!" I whirled to my feet, glaring at the tent flap. "You have to the count of three before I start throwing things."

"I advise listening," Klein added when there was no reply. "We're all a little tense at the moment."

"I'm sorry…" A voice I didn't know mumbled the words. A girl I didn't know stepped through the tent. I was certainly I'd at least know if there was a girl in our army who had purple hair literally dragging on the ground. "I was just… um…" she mumbled, fiddling with her hands.

"Sofia, have you joined up with the army?" Cecilia asked sweetly. It kept up when Klein and I looked at her. "Her name is Sofia. She was in the same cell as me, a prisoner Zephiel dragged with him when he arrived." Was that so? "She tended to my injuries as best as she could, and kept Narcian from even finding the cell we were in." She did what?

"I just… manipulated… the shadows…" She brought up a tome. "I am… bad at human magic… still… but I am good… with dragon magic…" She was…? "My name… is Sofia…" She spoke so slowly. "I wanted… to check on Cecilia."

"Thank you. I'm doing well."

"Good…" Her eyes flicked over to me. "A light… in the dark…" I froze at the words. "You shine bright… like a white wolf in the sun… unafraid of the storm, unafraid of the future." U-um… "I'm sorry." She ducked her head. "I… see some things…" I… oh!

"You have Foresight?" I asked softly. Sofia glanced up timidly and smiled slightly. "Ah, it's probably not just that… Foresight and Insight?"

"Yes, I have both." She brought her head up fully again. "It is… rare to have both… but I do… It gives me visions randomly… I got caught… because I had one while running…" Was that so? "The leader of the army… the boy with fire in his spirit, ice in his blood… the quarter dragon who Awakened…"

"You mean Roy." I heard a noise of surprise, but didn't focus on it. There were still so many questions. "He's resting in his tent, but I can take you to him."

"Thank you…" She waited patiently as I waved goodbye to Klein and Cecilia, and followed me silently as we left.

We set up camp just outside one of the villages, worried about straining their resources too much. But they were certainly a cheerful group. It seemed like Cecilia had gone out of her way to befriend them, so now, they were more than willing to help us. It was clever, and really helpful right now. There were so many wounded that even basic camp chores couldn't be done.

But it was still set up like normal, so it didn't take long at all to reach Roy's tent. He was alone, resting in his bed, but he sat up and smiled when he saw me. "Irene!" he greeted cheerfully. "How are you?"

"I'm much better than you at the moment," I retorted. I crouched down to hug him. "…Don't do that again."

"Do what again?"

"Don't be a human shield again." That moment… that moment was going to haunt me forever. I really understood why Aunt Serra still had nightmares of the time Mom shielded her from an arrow. I understood why Aunt Nino once told me that one of the worst memories she had was when Mom shielded her from a brutal punch. "Promise me."

"But-"

"Promise me."

"…Okay." His voice wavered. "I'm sorry. I just got scared. I didn't want to lose anyone else."

"I know. But remember, I am the same." I let go of him, and sat by him on the bed. "Anyway, this is Sofia." I gestured to her, urging her to sit in the lone chair in the room. "She helped Cecilia, and wanted to speak with you."

"Oh, hello!" Roy beamed at her. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted… to check on you…" she whispered. She was a kind girl, wasn't she? "Draconic Awakening… is hard on the body…"

"I seem to be doing well," Roy murmured. He held up his hand, though, and a bit of blue light flickered in his palm. "I can do things like this now, though. Somehow."

"You are… related to an ice dragon…" She hovered her hand over the light, nodding. "Yes, ice… so with Awakening… you gained their ice powers… without needing a tome… you can conjure and manipulate ice… until the day you die…" Was that so? "They must have been strong… you have more power than me… despite being quarter to my half."

"Half?" Roy looked startled. "You're half dragon?"

"Yes." She nodded, bringing her hands to her lap. "My home… Arcadia… is in the east… in the Nabata desert…" She bowed her head. "We try to stay hidden… but Bern found us… they learned, through their Archives, that dragons live in Arcadia…"

"Dragons?" Roy glanced at me, but I shrugged. I was just as shocked. "There are still dragons?"

"Yes… some who fled to the desert… to escape the war… some who fled… when it ended… dragons and humans… who wished to live together, as they had been… that is Arcadia." She smiled sweetly. "It is… our hope… for the future…" She bowed suddenly. "Please… I know you are hurting… I know your army is injured… but please… can you help my village?"

"Dragons need our help?" I asked softly. I made sure to pitch my voice so that she knew I wasn't refusing.

"Many cannot transform… their bodies are too injured by the loss of magic in the world…" Was that so? "Lady Fiona can… but she is reaching the end of her life…" Fiona? That couldn't be the same Miss Fiona we knew, could it? "Fae is only a child… she does not even understand death…" She shook her head, still bowed. "Igrene is our Guardian, but she is… only one person. And Bern… is sending its dragons…"

"I see." I glanced at Roy. "Once again, your call. I will point out that unless we all want to sail again, and risk running into the navy, we'll have to brave the desert or brave the mountains to reach the 'main' part of the continent."

"Yes, and if that is the case, then I see no reason why we cannot help her along the way," Roy answered easily. He smiled when Sofia looked up again. "But, do you mind answering something for me?"

"If I can…" she whispered. Her smile was so sweet and so relieved. "What is it…?"

"…Do you know the name 'Ninian'?" Roy's face was serious. "If I truly have dragon blood, logically, it would have to come from my mother." That was true. Uncle Eliwood's lineage was traceable all the way back to Elijah, first lord of Pherae, and his lady, Alice. But Aunt Ninian's background was unknown. It had caused some friction in the early years of her marriage, from what I understood.

"I do not…" Sofia bit her lip. "But twenty years ago… the Dragon's Gate was open…" Twenty years ago… "She might have… come from there… I do not know…"

I remembered something then. I remembered the missing pages in Mom's logbook. Was that what happened? Was that the secret?

"I'm going to leave to check something out," I told them. They both looked to me, and I smiled. "Well, I suppose I have many things to research. We will have to cross the entire desert, after all." I stood and waved them goodbye. "You two chat a bit more, okay?" I left before they could answer me.

I had a lot to think about.

I focused on duties first. Preparing for a trek through the desert was going to be rough, even with a healthy army, and we were a very weakened one. I expected more protests when I brought it up, but most just accepted it. I wasn't sure if they were just too tired, believed in Roy, or just didn't want to spend who knows how long on boats again.

When all that was done, though, I retrieved Mom's logbook from my things and hunted down the one person I thought would know what the hell was going on, and be willing to tell me: Marcus. It took a while to find him. I almost thought he might have been hiding.

"Marcus?" I called when I finally did find him. Of course, I was a little startled at what I found him doing. "Are you… skipping rocks?"

"It's a good way to keep my wrist from hurting," Marcus explained. He was good at it too; the one he threw skipped six times. "So, what is it, Lady Irene?" He turned to face me, eyes concerned. "You really should be resting."

"I had a question." I brought up Mom's logbook, and his eyes flickered with pain. "I don't know how widespread it is in the army, but most of us leaders, the ones here at least, know that Roy experienced something called 'Draconic Awakening'. That means he has dragon's blood."

"…Yes."

"You knew."

"Yes."

"You knew, because Uncle Eliwood accidentally killed Aunt Ninian twenty years ago with Durandel."

"Yes." He bowed his head. "Is it in the logbook?"

"The dragon part isn't." I opened it up to show him. "It skips. It struck me as odd on the ship, but now, it makes some sense. Mom was hiding that Aunt Ninian was a dragon."

"Lady Ninian was half dragon, yes." Oh, yes, that made sense. Sofia had said he was 'quarter'. "She was one capable of transforming, though. Something happened after she let herself be taken captive. I never learned what. But it forced her into her dragon form, and in that form, she had only one desire: to see Lord Eliwood."

"Uncle Eliwood, not knowing that the dragon was a friend, or really anything but an enemy, cut down the dragon." I thought of what Wuotan said. "Though, I suppose Durandel could have 'demanded' it."

"Yes." He hesitated before continuing. "She didn't want him to know. Lord Roy. She didn't want him to know."

"Why?"

"This is a world for humans. She worried what others might say, do, if they learned he was part dragon, if she was part dragon." Marcus shrugged. "He couldn't transform. There were only a few traits that might suggest the heritage." I thought of how he didn't like heat, and how he could tolerate the cold with ease. I thought of how high his endurance was, even as a little boy. "She thought it would be best for him. She never mentioned a Draconic Awakening, though…."

"That could be because she didn't know." Marcus and I both jumped as Wuotan walked up, smiling sheepishly. "My apologies," he murmured. "But I was napping in the tree there." He pointed for good measure, and I noticed the branches were very good for hiding. "I eavesdropped on accident."

"I think it's a testament to my age that I didn't know you were here," Marcus grumbled. His eyes were very fierce. "Wuotan, I know you are a scholar, but not one word of this to anyone."

"Of course, though I do not think you will really be able to hide Lord Roy's awakened ice powers. He made quite the show." The blizzard… "Still, from what I hear, it gives the army even more hope."

"Does it?"

"Fight power with power. Unlike the war dragons, Lord Roy does not need to 'transform' in order to use his magic. He simply has to learn how to use it." That reminded me of something.

"I thought Roy was poor with magic, though," I whispered. I remembered Cecilia telling me about it, as she prepared lessons plans for Roy and Lilina. "He didn't really have an aptitude."

"According to the records, dragon magic and human magic have similarities, but are fundamentally different," Wuotan explained. I thought of Sofia, and realized her words made a lot more sense now. "He has no talent for human magic, but now that he's Awakened, he will have quite the aptitude for ice magic, and it will be something the land has not seen in 1000 years." That was…

"If people start worshiping Roy, I'm going to tell baby stories." I didn't want him to have that pressure. He had enough going on. "I really am."

"You should do so anyway. Don't make the same mistake the Legendary Heroes made. They let the army distance themselves out of fear and awe, after all." Mmm… "But, regardless, there are records, actually, of a 'Ninian' living during the Scouring." Was that so? "Tell me, Marcus, did she have a younger brother named 'Nils'?"

"Yes, she does," Marcus answered slowly. He looked startled. "There are seriously records?"

"There are records of everything if you know where to look. I also know that the reason why Zephiel's blood was turning black was because a demon dragon's blood is poisonous to humans." Was that so? …That confirmed my suspicion then. That emotionless girl was the terrifying demon dragon of legend. Something seemed 'off' though, different from the legends. "Regardless, she did?"

"Ah, yes." He nodded. "At the end of the Campaign, though, Lord Nils went through the Gate, and shut it from the other side, to ensure that no one could tempt young dragon children through again and cause havoc here."

"Then, I believe she is the same one in that record," Wuotan murmured. He looked thoughtful, and strangely sad. "It would explain why Lord Roy has such a high aptitude as well. That Ninian was the eldest child of Aenir." That was the Queen of the Ice Dragons he mentioned in his story. "He inherited Aenir's power through his mother."

"And she did not warn?"

"As I mentioned, she might not have known. She was a half-dragon who could transform and, more importantly, the last record of her 'here' states she was around ten. You don't tell ten year olds things like this." He shrugged. "Perhaps it was never mentioned in the land across the Gate either. It's impossible to really know." That was true. "Still, it is a good thing."

"Is it?" I asked. I could still see the blood flying. I could still feel his head on my leg, hear him gasping for air. "He nearly died."

"Not that part," Wuotan immediately dismissed. I still scowled. "It is a power that he inherited, but is also his own. Whatever he does with it, it will be his own, not his father's, who he is most compared to." Oh, that's what he meant. Roy was rarely compared to Aunt Ninian. This was a strength that was hers, yes, but also his. "I think, in time, it will help with his confidence." That would be nice. "I think it will also inspire the rest of you to become stronger."

"I think getting our asses handed to us would do that anyway." Even working together, Zephiel had… "Damn that weapon of his."

"A child broken by the world, a genius shunned by the one he most wanted praise from, and unable to see the strengths he inherited from the people he loved." He was also a liar. He was a very big liar. "Wielding a borrowed blade, and using borrowed power in order to see out his dream."

"Why did Hartmut get the special weapon that didn't lose strength?"

"If you are talking of the Sword of Seals, he got it because dragons attacked and he didn't want to lose more family, so he gambled his life for the chance to save them." What was the Sword of Seals?! "If you talk of the blade Zephiel wields, though, then the answer is simple."

"It was given to him by the smith, yes, yes."

"No, no." He smiled as I stared. "The Smith Martin gave that blade to another. She gave it to Hartmut after a revelation made him worry he would not be able to wield the Sword of Seals to its full strength."

"She?"

"The Lady Hildegarde." …THAT WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN THE LEGENDS! "She was the original owner of the gem that would become the Fire Emblem, as well." That… was never mentioned either?

"Why are two important things of Bern tied to the Lady Hildegarde?"

"That is truly a question. There is another as well." Wuotan's smile had so many secrets in it. "Ask Princess Guinevere about the necklace you wear. Not the carved wolf, but the other one that you keep hidden under your shirt." Why should I ask Guinevere about something I got from Mom? "Though, in my opinion, you must get to bed, Lady Irene. You had your quintessence ripped from your wounds, and suffered bad injuries on top of that." But…

"I must agree, Lady Irene," Marcus instantly replied. There was very real fear in his eyes. "Lord Elbert died because of that." He did? Was that in the logbook? "Please, if only for this old man's sake, head to bed."

I sighed, and nodded, giving up. But my mind continued to spin with questions. I had a feeling Wuotan was trying to tell me something, and I also had a feeling that it might explain why Zephiel made a point to come after me, and not just because he felt like 'rectifying a mistake'.

But Wuotan wanted me to make my own conclusion first, so that I did not reject and ignore it. That, at least, was the only conclusion I could draw.

Notes on Miredy

· A skilled and renowned knight of Bern, Captain of Guinevere's guards. Devoted to Guinevere to the point that, when forced to choose, she chose her over Bern, despite having a great love for her country (and despite having family and a lover who are tied to Bern as well).

· Strong and, while slower than a pegasus, she's faster than you would expect. Much faster than you'd expect.

· She's also CLEVER. She smuggled Guinevere out, on her wyvern, while the castle was under siege, and Zephiel was right there, without taking a single injury.

· Her affinity is Dark, like Dad's. No wonder I like her.

I had meant to talk to her and Guinevere after the battle, but my injuries prevent that. I'll make an effort to talk to her in the next few days.

Author's note: In game, this is Chapter 13. So, we have our first wyvern rider, and Cecilia, and Guinevere has returned, and yes, I changed a lot in this chapter. In game, Zephiel is the 'boss' for a turn or two before it switches to Narcian. From there, it switches to Flaer. Here, I kept it to just Zephiel, and just had the group fight him for a few 'turns'. Think of it like fighting the boss of a survive chapter, and just barely making it through the final turn.

In the FE6 manga, around this chapter, Al, the main character, accidentally grabs the Fire Emblem, which triggers a 'promotion' for him because he's half-dragon, and this leads to a subplot that I'm not going into. Here, though, Roy is quarter-dragon, and Draconic Awakening is something I established in Thief' Legacy. Roy also has… well… one of the latest promotions ever. In a game that is about 22/31 chapters (the second number is including paralogues), Roy promotes at the end of chapter 21 or 21x. Meaning that if you get the 'bad ending', you have one chapter with a promoted Roy and if you get the good/true endings, you have four. Now, while this is technically the same as your 'main lord' in FE7 (I think it's five chapters in Eliwood's story and six in Hector's), it's balanced by being able to promote your other two lords at earlier points: 24E/26H and 26xE/28xH (I think). It's still ridiculous. It's also tied with receiving the Sword of Seals, which isn't fun character-development wise. So, Roy gets 'two' promotions, and this is the first: gaining Ninian's ice powers.

I also decided to feature Idenn more, as she and Jahn are basically non-entities for most of the story, and bringing up a plot point mentioned in Thief's Legacy. Also bring in Zephiel's motivations. And give an explanation for Cecilia's less than steller in-game stats: she's recovering from her very bad injury and poor physical condition.

Next Chapter – Interlude, Sands and Moons (Yes, more interludes; the game does a lot of jumps between chapters and also, I'm not looking forward the in-game Chapter 14)