Chapter 22) Father and Son

After resting in Duessel's estates, we march on Lekikya itself. Selena remains behind at the estate, as well as other Grado soldiers who cannot bring themselves to attack their beloved capital. The rest fall into our ranks, and swear themselves to the cause. Today, we would end this war. Today, we would learn what happened.

I just hoped… it was a truth we could actually bear.

Unlike with Zada and Ivroria, we didn't have anyone sneak into Lekikya. No, instead, we rode up as obvious as possible and then sent Seth as a messenger, asking Vigarde to surrender. Why Seth? Besides being one of the most recognizable people in the army, if things went wrong, we were all certain Seth could fight his way out with minimal support. Why send a messenger and not be sneaky? I was told the reason was because we were a very large army and Vigarde already knew we were coming. I wasn't sure why that meant we couldn't send people ahead to mess with things and tilt the odds in our favor, but the decision was made and acted upon before I even knew about it, so all I could do was quietly wonder why.

"It doesn't look like the city has changed much," Eirika murmured. Because we had to wait for Seth to return, everyone was in 'alert-relaxation' where we were all prepared but we were doing our best to not burn too much energy. As a result, I ended up with Eirika and Ephraim at the edge of our camp, sitting on the grass and staring at the city. "It looks like it did when we were last here."

"And how it looked every time we visited," Ephraim agreed quietly. He was brushing and braiding my hair, mostly because he needed something to occupy his hands. And it wasn't like my hair didn't need a good brushing anyway. "Almost feels like we could walk on up and…"

"And Lyon would be in the courtyard, waiting for us. Vigarde would be nearby with a small, soft smile." Eirika smiled fondly, giggling a bit. "And then we'd run around causing all sorts of trouble as we caught up."

"And then it was straight to lessons." Ephraim laughed. "Studying the lance with Duessel… history with Lyon…"

"You getting yelled at by Father McGregor."

"Hey!" He huffed while Eirika snickered. I simply smiled, not quite sure what to say or do in this sort of situation. "Never imagined that we'd come here armed for battle."

"Same here…" Eirika's cheer faded. "I hope Lyon knows that we…"

"We'll tell him. Among all the other things we have to tell him."

"Of course."

"Oh, I didn't think people would be here…" We glanced over, and saw Myrrh and Saleh had joined us. I teasingly poked Eirika when I noticed how she immediately got a dopey little smile on her face at the sight of Saleh, and she made a face at me. "I'm sorry to interrupt," Myrrh mumbled, looking down. Saleh rested a hand on her back. "I wanted to see the city."

"You're not bothering us," Eirika reassured, waving them over. After a moment, both did join us, though they didn't sit. "We're just looking at the city too. Did you want to get a view of the potential battlefield?"

"No, but…" Myrrh looked to Ephraim, who was almost done braid my hair, based on where his hands were against my back. I couldn't really look to check. "Um… are you certain you don't want me to fight? I can..."

"Innes and I want to keep you and your power hidden for a while longer, until we know a bit more about what's going on," Ephraim explained. He draped the finished braid over my shoulder and kissed my temple before turning to actually look at Myrrh. "If a cyclops is fielded, we'll be counting on you, and if we get overwhelmed, we'll be counting on you."

"Basically, you're our winning ace, Myrrh," I added, standing up so that I could pull her into a hug. I knew how much she wanted to help. "And you're officially one of the guards for the infirmary, so if the infirmary gets in danger, we're counting on you to protect the healers and the injured."

"Exactly." Ephraim grinned. "Besides, we don't know if this battle will head inside the castle or not, and… well, many of Grado's buildings are big to let in wyverns, but…"

"Oh, right," Myrrh mumbled. She blushed a bit in embarrassment, but smiled shyly. "Okay. I understand." She nodded a bit, and then looked over to the city, her eyes narrowed. "...I was right, Saleh. It is there. A broad pit of darkness, waiting to drag people deep into its abyss… it's there in that castle. I'm certain of it."

"Then perhaps we really will get some answers at last," Saleh murmured, frowning a bit. He brought up his hand, and a flicker of magic danced around his fingers. "The air here is heavy with lingering power. Some great ritual was performed here, something equal to the ceremony that blessed the Sacred Stones."

"Really?" Eirika asked, looking intrigued. And worried. "Will it interfere with anyone's magic?"

"It shouldn't. But it does make the elemental spirits afraid, and that does not speak well for what happened here." Saleh shook his head, and returned to his normal stoic expression. "I fear that the answers we seek will not be ones easy to hear."

"But we'll have them, and then we'll know how to proceed."

"That is an admirable way of viewing it, Eirika." Saleh smiled slightly at her, and Eirika beamed back. Myrrh, Ephraim, and I all shared knowing looks; Ephraim and I then smirked, while Myrrh giggled. "Regardless, you three were busy, so...

"Whoops! Myrrh, Emma, need you to move!" We both immediately moved at the warning, with me nearly falling on my ass and Myrrh jumping and crashing into Saleh, nearly knocking him onto Eirika by complete accident. Sadly, I didn't have time to tease about that, though, as Tana landed next to us and dismounted. "Sorry, by the time I realized you were in the path, it was too late to change directory," Tana explained, smiling sheepishly. She then winked at me, forcing a cheerfulness that warned me to prepare myself for creepy things. "All clear for now. You're up!"

"Got it, Tana," I replied, winking at her too. And a knowing smile telling her that I got the silent message. "When you're done with your report, go cheer up Cormag. He's been broodier than Innes."

"Oh, ugh, that's a serious condition right there!" Tana laughed, relaxing. "Leave it to me!"

"Of course!" I hugged and kissed everyone's cheeks before rushing off to where Brynhildr was resting to do our patrol.

Because we had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on, or what would happen, regular aerial patrols were set up with every flier doing a shift or two. Innes, meanwhile, tried to get as much information he could from his spies, but apparently infiltration was rough. A few spies had actually been caught in the days before we arrived, and the bodies set on display made it all too clear that we had to be cautious. Even if that meant not gathering as much information. Dead people told no tales, after all.

For that reason, when Brynhildr and I flew over the city, we stayed very high, well out of reach of even a ballistae, just in case. However, when I looked down, I noticed just what had unnerved Tana. The city… it appeared empty. There were no soldiers patrolling the streets. There were no civilians milling about the market. Hell, there weren't even monsters lumbering about. The only activity was at the castle itself, and even then, it was difficult to see just what sort of 'activity' it was. I barely caught sight of Seth in the courtyard, clearly waiting, and he glanced up just in time to see me. After a moment, he shook his head, silently saying that no one had greeted him, and I nodded in return, making a note to include that in my report. Then I did another sweep over the city to see what I saw. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

So, still feeling unnerved, I decided to do something very risky and very stupid, especially since I knew how cautious we had to be. I decided to have Brynhildr fly in close to the castle so that I could look through the windows and see if I actually saw anything. Just something that told me the castle was still alive. The first few windows yielded nothing, even showing how the halls and paintings on the walls were dusty. But the fifth window I checked did give me a person: Lyon.

Even better, he quickly opened the window to talk to me. "You… it's Emma, right?" he asked softly. Just as before, his tone and demeanor reminded me of a ghost. "Eirika's friend."

"That I am, and this is Brynhildr, the wyvern who decided to steal me," I joked in return, gesturing to Brynhildr. Brynhildr crooned and Lyon actually laughed. "About time I saw someone alive. I was getting worried."

"Seth is outside, isn't he? I thought I saw him." Lyon grimaced. "The soldiers are preparing for a battle. I don't think they'll move out today, but…"

"No chance of surrender, huh? Damn." I sighed, frustrated. That would be too convenient. However, I did have one bit of luck. Lyon was literally right here. "Hey, Lyon?" I wondered how to ask this, but then decided to just be blunt. "Your father. He's like… a corpse puppet, isn't he? Or corrupted by something?"

"Huh?" His jaw dropped, and he squirmed. "You… you know about…?"

"Orson was my brother-in-law, so we knew about..." My throat closed up. It was hard to talk about either of them. "Well…"

"Then his wife was…" His eyes filled with tears and he covered his mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Both of them deserved far better."

"That describes a lot of people, but I appreciate the sympathy." I closed my eyes to regain my calm and then nodded. "Oh, whatever, here." I reached out to him, but he leaned away, shaking his head. "No? I promise that I'm a good rider."

"I'm sure you're an excellent rider. But I know I can help Ephraim and Eirika better while here. And I need to…" A conflicted look flicked across his face, almost too fast to see. "I have to do everything I can for them.

"But…" I tried to think of an argument, but Brynhildr growled in warning. She sensed something and that meant we had to move. I had no time. Damn it. "Anything you want me to pass on?"

"...Please… please tell Eirika and Ephraim that I will always be their friend and I am so, so sorry for all of this." He smiled, but this time, it wasn't gentle. This time, it looked broken. As broken as Orson's smile, when we learned Monica would die. "And please tell Duessel and Selena that they must protect the people."

"If you keep talking like you're going to die, I'm going to drag you over the saddle." I scowled at him, irritated. "I mean it."

"Sorry, it's just… I managed evacuations, but I don't…" He gestured vaguely before shrugging. "I don't know where…"

"Ah, I was wondering." I sighed, but nodded. After hesitating, I urged Brynhildr a little closer and leaned down to kiss his forehead. He seemed stunned by the gesture. "Hold on, Lyon. I know this has to be painful, but…"

"Please, save my father." He looked up at me entreatingly. "Save my country. I am far too weak to do both."

"That's because you're alone, silly." I smiled at him. "The only way we've all made it this far has been because we pulled our strength together."

"I wish I had recognized that earlier."

"There's still time, Lyon. You'll see."

Brynhildr darted high in the skies, above the lowest clouds, and I looked down to see Lyon watching me. I made sure to wave before flying back over the city, doing one last check before returning. However, an unsettled feeling fell over me, like a pillow trying to suffocate me. I simultaneously felt like I just made the worst and best decision, and I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Other than dread.

Gods, what was going on?

I delivered my report and Lyon's message. Surprisingly, I wasn't scolded for being reckless, which was really odd because most people jumped on me when that happened. Instead, Seth was called back and the last preparations were made. Then, just after dawn, we invaded Lekikya in order to end the 'War with Grado' at last.

Cormag and I were paired together, at his request. There had been no sign of any generals, but that didn't mean they weren't hiding in the shadows. Cormag wanted someone willing to hit him over the head if he was being stupid, and we all knew I was willing to do such things. So, we stayed close together, prioritizing taking out Grado's wyvern force. I wondered just how many Glen knew. I wondered just how many Glen had fought beside. I knew better to ask, though. After all, whatever the actual numerical value, I knew the answer was 'too many'.

"There's far less wyverns than I thought there would be," Cormag murmured at some point, when we finally had a bit of a breather. Despite the aching in my arms and back and the numbness of my legs and ass all screaming we'd been fighting for days, the sun wasn't even at its highest point yet. "Where the hell are they?"

"Maybe wherever Valter is?" I suggested, wiping the sweat off my face. I then checked my quiver, counting arrows. I still had quite a few, thankfully. "Or Riev?"

"No clue why they wouldn't be here at the capital. Unless…" Cormag's eyes narrowed. I glanced around to check the surroundings, but the skies were filled with pegasus knights, and there was no danger from below. "Unless they're giving it up?"

"That doesn't seem smart."

"It doesn't. But if the true purpose of the war is the Stones, as Natasha said, then what purpose does the capital actually serve?" His grip on his lance tightened and Genarog growled in annoyance. "If they can make it to Rausten, then what we've done here is meaningless."

"Renais's Sacred Stone is with us." But I did have to admit he had a point. And there was another question. There were no monsters. Despite the boat and Taizel, there were no monsters here. And I doubted we'd somehow killed all of them in those two locations. "But I suppose that would explain why they'd leave a significant force here, if your theory is true."

"I hope we at least learn the truth of what happened to the Emperor here. For Selena and Duessel." The pain in his eyes said 'for me, too'. "There's many questions, but if we can at least get that answered…"

"I think that'll be good for many people." I looked down again, surveying the city. Our forces were holding their own well, from what I could tell, with the frontline pushing forward. In fact, I could see our cavalry punch straight through the enemies front lines from here. "Seth is proving his reputation is well-deserved."

"Seth's reputation freaking downplays his skill." Cormag sounded so done, and I laughed. "He offered me a place in Renais."

"Tana offered you a place in Frelia too, didn't she?" I smiled and bumped my shoulder against his. "You're going to have a lot of options when this all settles."

"For now, I just want to make it through." He sighed, and I nodded, understanding. "Oh, there's Duessel…"

"Where?" I looked down and he pointed to show me where to look. "Seems Duessel's reputation is also well deserved."

"Always has been." He smiled, proud, and then he laughed, shaking his head. "Listen to us, gossiping like wives at a market."

"We're recovering our strength. We've been fighting for a long while." Still, I did do a 'proper' survey, looking for threats. "Does Grado not have ballistae?"

"Of course not. The only other country with an aerial unit is Frelia, so the ballistae would be more likely to hit us."

"...Right, that was a dumb question." I sighed. "I'm tired."

"And there's still a long way to go before we can sleep." He ruffled my hair and I nodded. "So, where to?"

"Best thing from here…" I frowned, thinking. "I think we should fly ahead of the line and start hit and run tactics if the enemy wyvern knights are dealt with. What do you think?" Brynhildr and Genarog, amusingly, both growled in agreement. "Well, we know what they think."

"And I think the same." Cormag nodded and rolled his shoulders to loosen them up for the next round of fighting. "Let's go."

"Right above you."

Both of us burst forward, easily flying past the frontlines. Once we were a good distance away, we began our assault, with Cormag diving and me supporting with my arrows. When I ran out of arrows, I had Brynhildr drop down into the middle of the fray to rip enemies to shreds with teeth and claws and I stole a quiver to use. Or, well, Colm stole one for me. Perhaps because of Neimi, but Colm seemed to make it his duty nowadays to making sure all archers had plenty of arrows. I made a mental note to cook up some of his favorite dishes when I got a chance and then Brynhildr launched herself back into the air so that I could cover Cormag again.

And so, the battle continued, all the way to the very gates of the castle. The streets were flooded from all the blood, and some alleys were dammed up by broken corpses. The smell of death slowly meandered up, heavy with all the souls of the people who'd died, and overwhelmed even the smell of smoke and burning meat. And, though I knew we did our best to be careful, the city itself was cracking. Some houses went up in flames from missed spells on either side. Some streets were demolished from thunder spells or missed strikes. Windows were shattered, the shards actually being used as weapons for the desperate.

When near the gates of the castle, Cormag and I flew around, making sure no one was trapped, before returning to our hit and run tactics. However, as we swooped down, we noticed that Duessel was off his horse, for some reason, and was fighting someone, a man with long purple-grey hair who wore heavy armor and wielded a fierce spear. Cormag's sharp breath was what told me who exactly the opponent was. This… this was Emperor Vigarde. He was on the field, and Duessel was…

"I am sorry for this, your majesty," Duessel said to Vigarde as they fought. Vigarde didn't twitch, even with Duessel's lance went right past his eye. "But I know this is what I must do, for your sake as well as mine." The two clashed and jumped apart. Duessel was fighting back tears; Vigarde was emotionless. "This is the path I decided my loyalty would take. Making sure you didn't hurt the land and people you love."

Those last words caused a reaction. A flicker of some sort of emotion appeared in Vigarde's eyes and he stumbled back, lance falling to his side. However, when Duessel attempted to push forward, to end the fight right then and there, a barrage of fire and thunder magic battered him. Duessel screamed in pain, and the area around him ignited from the magic. And though I was terrified for Duessel, I kept my attention of Vigarde, who stared at the flames. It was hard to see any sort of emotion, between the distance and the smoke, but I thought I saw his mouth move. I thought he said, or mouthed, 'Duessel…'. But I wasn't sure.

And I didn't have time to think on it. Next to me, Cormag was frozen, no doubt rattled by the last few seconds. "Go to him!" I snapped, half-pushing Cormag. He looked at me with wide eyes. "Go! I'll get the mages!" I already could see where most of them were, on a rooftop not far away. "But if you do something stupid, Brynhildr is going to bite you."

"...Same to you!" he retorted. The words had no heat, though, because he smiled. "You know how sharp Genarog's bite is."

"Yeah, yeah, go on!" A couple weeks ago, I never would've thought either of us could joke about that first meeting. But here we were. "See you later!"

"Yes, later!" Genarog darted straight for where Duessel was, neither looking back.

Brynhildr, meanwhile, immediately pulled a sharp turn, one that actually flipped her up and around to make it harder for her to be targeted. She took up a zigzagged trajectory to the roof for the same reason, and slammed down, cracking the roof under her weight. The squelching sound told me she'd landed on at least one.

"Hello, I hope you made your wills," I hissed to the remaining mages, sitting back in the saddle. Brynhildr shrieked in fury and rose up to spread her wings wide, showing off her full size. No few of the mages blanched. "You just pissed off a wyvern, after all."

I didn't even have to pull out an arrow. Brynhildr took care of them all, their fear slowing them down. The ones she didn't bite in half or rend into pieces were thrown off the building, dying in splats. I'd be sick over it later, but for right now, there was too much going on. Far, far too much. This was definitely one of our more chaotic battles. That was for sure.

"Vigarde!" Somehow or another, Vigarde had ended up near the building I was on, and Ephraim had pushed his way through the chaos to confront him. He wasn't mounted, though. I wondered where his horse was. Maybe wherever Duessel's had gone. "Vigarde, please, tell me what is going on!" he demanded, glaring and readying his lance. Vigarde's only response was blankness and settling into his own stance. "So, you really have lost your senses… and you're too far to tell me how, huh? Very well, then!"

The two began fighting, but I looked away, paying attention to the nearby roofs for more mages. I sighted a couple and sniped them, and shot a few more as they attempted to climb up. I thought about taking to the skies to check on Cormag, but Brynhildr's breath was labored, showing that she was reaching her limits, so instead, I opted to remain on the roof and instead keep on sniping who I could see. Doing what I could.

A startling loud clang, however, startled me out of my 'meditative stance' and I looked down to see Ephraim and Vigarde still fighting. Except the 'clang' had been Ephraim knocking Vigarde's spear to the side to open up his guard. Then, quickly as you please, Ephraim caught Vigarde clear across the throat, what would normally be a killing blow. However, the absolutely nauseating smell that erupted from the wound proved that Vigarde had died a long time ago. He was like Monica, a corpse-puppet. However, unlike Monica, Vigarde kept moving, possibly because the 'wound' wasn't that deep. And since Ephraim had reeled back from the smell, Vigarde easily disarmed him, the lance glinting as it spun away, and knocked Ephraim to the ground.

Time slowed when I realized that Vigarde was moving for a killing blow and that I didn't have a good angle to even attempt to stop him. Instinctively, I covered my face, even as Brynhildr lunged forward, unwilling to watch Vigarde kill Ephraim. I felt my heart stop and my stomach drop at the sound of stone shattering. It was only when Brynhildr stopped moving, landed on the ground, that I made myself bring my shaking hands down, scared of what I would see.

To my surprise, though, I didn't see a dead Ephraim. Instead, I saw Vigarde standing over a shocked, lightly bleeding Ephraim, with his lance having cracked the stones right by Ephraim. The angle showed that Vigarde had… had diverted the strike at the very last second.

"Eph… raim…" Vigarde shakily bit out. His voice rattled, like a marble in a tin can, and there was something unnatural to it, completely unlike Monica's voice had been. Though perhaps that was because of the hole in his neck. "Please…"

"Vigarde!" Ephraim yelped, standing and reaching out to him. But Vigarde shook his head and stumbled back. The lance scraped against the stone-covered ground. "Vigarde, what is…?"

"Don't… have time…" His face contorted in pain, and I realized he was fighting something off. Perhaps the magic? "No… time… my fault… all of this… because of… my pride…"

"Vigarde?"

"Please… please save Lyon!" His body jerked about, like someone pulled sharply on his 'strings'. But the passion and desperation in his voice… it made my heart ache. "Please save my son! Save him from what my pride inflicted on him!" It made my heart ache because despite the struggle of his earlier words, these ones came so easily. "I know… I know he can be saved still… I know, because I can push this off still…!"

"Of course I'll save Lyon! He's my best friend!" Ephraim reached out to Vigarde again, but Vigarde stumbled back further, convulsing and groaning in pain. "Vigarde!"

"I am… so sorry for this…" Vigarde's arm sharply rose, and it trembled, the lance's tip swinging forward and back. The puppeteer was trying to control Vigarde, trying to make him kill Ephraim again, but Vigarde resisted. "I am so sorry… to leave you with this mess… my stupid pride… it doomed everything…"

"Vigarde!"

"But I'm glad… I could apologize…" Vigarde's face suddenly lit up with a bright and warm smile. A fatherly sort of smile. The smile that Cormag knew from his memory, the smile that Selena had fought for. That expression… it belonged to the emperor beloved by all of his people, respected by all of his knights. "Thank you… Ephraim… pass on my apologies… to everyone… especially Lyon…"

Before anyone could react, before anyone could say anything, Vigarde shoved his lance straight into his own head. It cracked open like a melon, blood and matter flying everywhere, and his body crumpled like a rag doll, heavy armor clanging on the ground like a death knell. Ephraim just stared, still-outstretched hand trembling as he tried to process what the hell just happened. I hesitated a bit before unbuckling myself and dismounting from Brynhildr to hug him. He leaned against me stiffly for a moment before slowly clinging to my arm. Brynhildr moved behind us, wings outstretched to shield us from the world while Ephraim tried to figure out how to react and I gave him what comfort I could.

Coagulated, sticky blood slowly dribbled out of Vigarde's broken corpse at our feet, his last words lingering on the wind. What was left of his face was still smiling.

With Vigarde dead, the battle slowly winded down. Though it was a victory, everyone remained alert. We had no idea what tricks were still there, and the lack of monsters here felt suspicion, especially after Taizel. So, we patrolled the grounds and castle carefully, going over every area at least three times. Just in case.

"I think this is the same area I saw Lyon," I noted softly, walking with Ephraim. He and I were assigned to patrolling this part of the castle, both of us moving slowly so that we could react more quickly to anything. "It's certainly dusty enough." I shifted my quiver to be a little more comfortable. Despite being on-foot, I decided to use my bow in case I needed range. Normally, I'd be outside, riding Brynhildr, but Eirika had specifically asked me to stay near Ephraim during these patrols because she could tell he was out of it. "Is it normally this dusty?" Of course, anyone probably could've noticed how out of it Ephraim was because of how tense and silent he was. "Ephraim?" Which I found understandable. But Eirika had wanted me near to keep him out of such a mood. "Hmm…" So, after a moment, I skipped up to his side and kissed his cheek, right by the mouth. And giggled when he squeaked and turned red. "Paying attention now?"

"Er… well, now you've just made what little mind I have stop," Ephraim retorted, scowling a bit. It quickly softened for a fond smile, though, and I grinned back. "You would think I'd be used to that, given how beautiful you are."

"...For someone who claims he's bad at flirting…!" I looked away, trying in vain to hide my own blush, and he chuckled. "Ugh… anyway, did you hear me? About Lyon?"

"I did. My mind immediately tried to remember what was in this area." He pointed to a set of doors not far from us. "I think one of the study rooms for the mages is right here, actually?"

"Good place to start, then." However, neither of us rushed ahead. Instead, we continued our slow, cautious pace, and glanced at each other before checking the door.

It opened without a sound, leading into a large room that looked almost like any other study I'd seen. There were tables and chairs and various books scattered about. It had no windows, lit by candles, but it was otherwise a rather unremarkable room. The most notable thing about it was… was that Lyon was leaning against one of the tables, reading a book. Ephraim immediately relaxed, and I almost did. But when Lyon looked up, I froze. Because something was different. Something was wrong. The way he held himself… the look in his eyes… they were all completely different from the Lyon I spoke to before. That Lyon had been like a ghost, as he had been in Jehanna Hall. This Lyon was something more… honestly, the dread pooling in my stomach was similar to the feeling I got when I knew Valter was around. But even worse.

"Hello, Ephraim," Lyon greeted. "I've been waiting for you." He smiled warmly, yet there was something off about it. It was 'warm' in the same way a humid day was 'warm'. "Looks like you defeated my father." Lyon set his book down on the table, and straightened. Unease flooded me when I saw how 'smooth' his movements were. It went straight past 'graceful' and into 'unnatural'. "I thought you might. You've always been the strongest."

"That's…" Ephraim began, a little hesitantly. "Well, considering what I saw, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised you're saying that about your father." Still, Ephraim smiled back, and regarded Lyon fondly. "But finally. Finally, I found you. Come on." Ephraim held out his hand to Lyon. "We should talk about what's been going on, and how we can rebuild the peace. And catch up. There's a thousand things I need to tell you."

"What a coincidence. There's many things I need to tell you as well. I…" Lyon suddenly grimaced in pain, coughing and clutching his chest. But he shook his head when Ephraim tried to take a step forward. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

"Huh?" Ephraim frowned. His hand pulled back slightly, hesitant now. "What do you mean?"

"I will make the world Grado's… no, my plaything!" Lyon's eyes sparked with elation and he smirked. I instinctively drew an arrow, far past unnerved now. This wasn't… this was not the person I talked to earlier. They had the same face, answered to the same name, but this sort of difference was far too much to account for just 'talking to different people'. "I've been planning this for a long while. Why else would I befriend you and Eirika? I needed to know how best to attack Renais. Take out the center, and then it's so easy to funnel people into traps."

"Lyon, what are you talking about?" Ephraim glared, tensing up from fury. Now his hand was a fist at his side. "That's not-"

"And thanks to the two of you, I learned all that I needed to know!" Lyon's smirk grew, and I swore I saw madness in it. "While you feigned compassion and friendship for me, I did the same! While you scorned me and my weakness…"

"What?!" Ephraim's anger shattered for shock. "What? No, never! We never-!"

"And then, I set my plan in motion. I replaced my useless father, and began destroying Renais." Lyon leaned forward slightly. "I killed your father, you know?" Ephraim reeled back from the 'blow' the words inflicted. "It was so funny. He was so weak, and yet he tried so hard…!"

Lyon laughed. Ephraim snapped something. I, however, gasped at the words, confused. After all, I remembered that conversation I'd overheard. This Lyon made it sound like he'd done it for fun, but I remembered Syrene telling Seth that Lyon had tried to heal Fado, and only killed him when it proved impossible. And I supposed it was possible Lyon had tortured Fado and was trying to heal him for more torture, but I felt like you wouldn't mercy-kill someone if you planned something like that. And all of that… all of that just solidified my feeling.

So, in one smooth motion, I drew back the arrow and fired, striking his shoulder. "I don't know who you are, but you're not Lyon," I whispered cooly, drawing another arrow. Lyon yelped and staggered back, clutching at his shoulder. "Who are you?"

"You…" Lyon hissed, snarling at me. Blood seeped through his fingers. "Bah… desert folk are so troublesome." He rolled his eyes and I frowned, not quite understanding why he'd say that. Sure, it was a shot at my very obvious Jehannan heritage, but the exasperation in his tone was weird, considering how Jehanna hadn't really resisted Grado well. "But it doesn't matter. No one is strong enough to stop me now. Not even you, Ephraim." He turned his attention back to Ephraim, who stared in shock. "There's only two left, you know? Two more stones… I've almost beaten you, finally. Finally, I've almost matched you…!" He laughed, low and dark. "Try to make it to me, Ephraim. If you do, I'll grant you the honor of dying by my hand." He smirked again. "Like father, like son, huh?"

He disappeared suddenly, in a whirlwind of purple magic. However, I noticed that, unlike with Jehanna Hall… this magic was darker. It was a darker purple. A much darker purple. And that… that just seemed weird to me. I didn't know much about magic, mind, but...

"What… what the hell was that?!" Ephraim snapped, finally unfreezing. He kicked a table for good measure, pacing about in frustration. "Lyon, what the hell was that?! None of that is true, and I damn well know it!" He glared at the ground, trembling from quiet fury. "I know it! It's not… none of it is…!"

"Ephraim…" I began, relaxing and returning my arrow to my quiver. I thought about telling him to calm down, but… well, I was certain such a thing couldn't be done. So much had been thrown at him. "I…" So, here I was, helpless because I had no idea how to comfort him. I didn't know what to do.

"I thought we'd get answers, but it seems there's only more questions!" He growled a couple more things under his breath, and I stood there awkwardly. "You looked confused rather than shocked."

"Pardon?" It took a second to realize that he was addressing me. "What do you mean?"

"When Lyon brought up killing my father." He turned to look at me, but his face was expressionless now. "You looked confused. Not shocked."

"Oh. Ah…" I looked away, feeling awkward. "I might've heard something before."

"And you didn't think I should hear it?!" Ephraim's angry voice shocked me into looking at him again, and I felt like I'd been punched when I saw him glaring at me. "You didn't think that it was important to share how my father died?!"

"I overheard the information ages ago!" Hurt as I was, I snapped right on back, bristling. "Go scream at Seth if you're wondering why you're in the damn dark! He's the one Syrene told, damn it!" Plus it was Frelia's spies who had the information, so why the hell did Innes not say anything?!

"Seth always hides Father's secrets! It took him ages to tell Eirika and myself about the importance of our bracelets!" Distantly, I knew he had a point there. "But you knew and didn't say anything!"

"What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do? Just waltz up and go 'oh, hey, your father was tortured to death for information and your best friend mercy-killed him?!" And now I was furious. "You must think really low of me if you think my sense of tact is that bad!"

"After everything else you've bluntly stated? Like how hated I was by my own people? Or how my father was dead?" And he had more points there. "That's where you draw the line?"

"Well, maybe if you actually spent some damn time with me, it might've actually come up!" I shouldn't have said that. I knew I shouldn't have. It was unfair. It was more than unfair. "But no! You're always working! Spending so much time with your paperwork that you might as well court and marry it!"

"That is not-!"

"King Ephraim! Lady Emma!" A soldier burst in then, cutting the argument short. They blinked in confusion, no doubt sensing the tense air. "Um… King Joshua states that they found a prisoner in the dungeons and that you should meet them downstairs," they reported, saluting hesitantly. I looked down at the ground to avoid looking at them. "Um…"

"Understood," Ephraim replied, his words terse. He walked right on past me, not even pretending to offer his hand to me or anything. "Show me."

"Y-yes, sir!" The soldier glanced at me worriedly, but bowed and led Ephraim out the door.

As soon as they were out of sight, I found myself tearing up, though I stubbornly refused to cry. I refused to cry over… over such an ass of a man! Even one I loved very much… Ah, how did this even happen? Had I messed up? Was this my fault? I had no idea. But I did feel like he shouldn't have yelled at me for it. He never yelled…

Still struggling to not cry, I picked up the book Lyon had been reading, holding it up to read the title. I frowned when I saw it was a history of the war with the Demon King. That seemed… almost too appropriate. Especially when I remembered that journal that Lyon had apparently left for Eirika, way back at the castle in Ivroria.

What the hell was going on?

Thankfully, everything was so busy that no one noticed how… awkward Ephraim and I were with each other when I finally joined the group downstairs, in a room by the infirmary. It helped that I hung back, staying near the door while everyone else (Joshua, Eirika, Ephraim, Innes, and L'arachel) clustered around the table where the lone prisoner sat, a man wearing hooded dark robes who looked almost unnaturally thin.

"So, if you can feel your health deteriorating, you should talk to L'arachel," Joshua explained, sounding like this was the tail end of a very long summary of things. He leaned against the wall next to the table, eyes narrowed. "So, who are you?"

"Such odd questions for executioners, but based on that explanation, it seems you aren't the ones to kill me," the man murmured. He then shrugged, and bowed his head. "My name is Knoll. Until recently, I was one of Grado's top researchers in arcane matters."

"And how did you end up in the cell, slated for execution?"

"Well, I was accused of being a traitor. Traitors tend to be put on the chopping block. Or the 'be eviscerated by dark magic' block as the case likely would've been." He spoke calmly, like none of it mattered. "One of the healers who treated me was a cleric here in the local temple, yes? The one with blonde hair?"

"Natasha, yes."

"Then you should know that already." He shrugged again. "That's all."

"If that's the case, then you know what's going on?" Ephraim asked quietly. He and Eirika stood side-by-side, right in front of Knoll. Only L'arachel and Innes sat at the table with Knoll, truthfully. "Please, tell us. We have quite a few questions, you see."

"I imagine so…" Knoll murmured. He studied all the gathered royals carefully, before sighing, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Very well. I will tell you what bits I do know. However, you will not thank me for it. You may even curse me."

"You might be surprised."

"I doubt it." Knoll closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Let's see… it all began… I suppose it's been a year now. It's been almost a year since this war started, after all." The absent words left me unsettled. A year. Just a year. It felt like lifetimes. "Well, no, it probably truly began earlier, with the Foresight."

"Foresight?" Innes repeated. He glanced at L'arachel, who shrugged. "What do you mean by that? I'm assuming we're not talking about predicting the future."

"No, I speak of the magical ability, where there is no prediction," Knoll explained, opening his eyes again. There was a glimmer, a faint glimmer, of excitement in them. "It is the ability to actually see the future. Typically, one is simply born with the ability, but we researchers, headed by Prince Lyon, discovered a way for anyone to read the ripples of time."

"Why…?"

"To see disasters before they occur. To know where something will occur, when it will occur, and be able to minimize damages. It worked time and again…" The glimmer faded from Knoll's eyes. "However, one day, we saw a disaster on a scale we had never seen. One that would be… difficult to minimize."

"That sounds horrible…" L'arachel murmured. Her eyes were sympathetic, and she even smiled. "What was it?"

"An earthquake," Knoll answered dully. His eyes unfocused, and I thought he might be remembering what he had 'seen'. "But the word is far, far too tame. It would topple entire cities, swallow acres of farmland. The earth's hot blood for ravage the lands. Roads would be obliterated. Large swatches of forest disappearing below the earth. And that isn't going into things such landslides, avalanches, mudslides, flooding, fires…"

"That…" L'arachel's voice shook, but she wasn't the only one who was shaken. Everyone's eyes were wide. "Oh gods…"

"Precisely. Utter devastation. And worse, the people who didn't die immediately suffered the horror of slow death by starvation and suffocation. Trapped under buildings, sealed off from rescue..." Knoll closed his eyes again. "In short, we saw the complete and utter destruction of Grado. We all panicked, seeing that. We didn't know what to do. We tried and tried again to disprove what we had seen but…"

"But you weren't able to?" Eirika finished, her voice very small. She clung to Ephraim's arm and he leaned on her. "It was always the same?"

"Yes, it was," Knoll confirmed. He coughed a bit, and L'arachel immediately got him some water. "Thank you…" He took a sip and sighed, opening his eyes again. "Prince Lyon informed his father as soon as possible. I do not know the full conversation there, but I…" Knoll hesitated before looking right at Ephraim and Eirika. "I believe he wished to ask you all for help. Evacuations, emergency trade, that sort of thing."

"We would've helped!" Eirika's voice cracked a bit from the force. "We would've!"

"I know. I know, because of how much Prince Lyon loved you and Prince… King Ephraim. And he knew it too." Knoll sighed. "However, Emperor Vigarde told him to keep quiet. Keep it secret. Grado would handle it alone."

"But that's…"

"And I remember how Prince Lyon's voice shook when he told me about it. How ashamed he felt, because asking for help was simply another sign of his 'weakness'."

"As if wanting help for a natural disaster is weak!" Ephraim snapped. He winced and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Please…"

"I warned you," Knoll reminded. He took another sip of water and nodded. "It was a few weeks after that… a few afterwards, Emperor Vigarde collapsed. And died."

"You knew that? No one else…"

"I knew because as soon as it happened, the very second, Prince Lyon fell into despair. He was devastated, and all of his insecurities broke him. And in that despair, he turned to the research he and I did together." He smiled slightly, wanly. "The Sacred Stone's power and its ability to heal. He wondered if he might be able to bring his father back from death itself, if he moved quick enough."

"Wait, Lyon was the one…?" Uneasiness settled over us like a shroud. We had… we had assumed that Lyon had simply accepted an offer, like Orson. We hadn't… and that made me remember his apology to me. How he'd nearly cried about Monica and... "He…"

"He had always been enthusiastic about using the Stone's power. He hoped its abilities would help save lives. And, in desperation, born from despair and self-loathing, he pursued it too quickly, too ardently…" Knoll closed his eyes. Eirika and Ephraim both winced, hinting that they'd known about the research. "I didn't see the deed done, mind. When I arrived, he had already done it. And the Fire Emblem had split into two. The Sacred Stone and the Dark Stone. I watched Prince Lyon destroy the Sacred Stone myself."

"That can't…" Again, uneasiness settled over everyone. "Lyon… why…?"

"After that, Emperor Vigarde ordered the invasion of Renais at Prince Lyon's behest. When Father McGregor grew suspicious, Prince Lyon had him executed." I thought of Natasha and the warning she gave us, so long ago. "I was labeled a traitor and sentenced to be executed. Tomorrow." Knoll opened his eyes again and looked at each of the royals. All of them were some degree of shocked, horrified, and saddened. "He frightens me now. Prince Lyon… he's transformed. He's no longer the kind and gentle prince I admired and swore to follow. He's something else." He picked up his water again, and this time, took a longer sip. "That's all the truths I know. That's all that I witnessed. I hope you learned what you wanted."

I decided that was all I needed to hear, and that it was time for me to leave. As I did, though, I saw Eirika's expression crumple and quickly rushed to her side and led her out, ignoring everyone else. I held onto her as she began to sob quietly, and I asked around until I found the room designated for her, the guest room she always used when visiting Grado. There, I held her as she sobbed and wailed for the misery and heartbreak her friend suffered. The misery and heartbreak they hadn't known about because Lyon had been told to suffer in silence.

I understood why Vigarde thought this was all his fault now. If he'd let Lyon tell others… if he hadn't lived up to his title of 'Silent Emperor' to the point of not sharing his own suffering and worries… if he hadn't accidentally taught Lyon that suffering in silence was the way to be strong… then maybe, just maybe, this could've been avoided.

Eirika ended up passing out while crying, so I wiped her face and tucked her in before leaving briefly to get her some light foods and teas to eat and drink later. And wrote a note telling her to just rest, because I'd handle her normal duties for the day. And I wasn't the only one who decided to do so. Tana and L'arachel also had figured Eirika would need to rest after today, and so, we split up the duties between the three of us. I got the lion's share, because I didn't have other duties to do, and mostly left the more diplomacy related stuff to them while I handled everything else. It was difficult, and I wasn't used to it, but I managed well enough that no one complained or anything. Still, it was a relief to be done. I didn't know how Eirika did stuff like that every day. Not at all.

But even that relief didn't really lift my mood as I re-entered the castle. Knoll had wanted to show us the temple where the Fire Emblem had once rested, and we had discovered that Grado's Sacred Twins, the Axe Garm and the Dark Tome Gleipnir, were still there, completely untouched, meaning we got even more weapons to be used against the monsters. A good thing, except it was a solemn reminder that there was still quite a long way to go for this campaign. And, of course, Ephraim had been in the group, since it had been the royals plus me being awkwardly there, which meant that Ephraim and I had done our best to not talk to each other without seeming obvious about it.

Just… ugh… I was so damn mad at him! And I was hurt. But I also felt guilty for snapping back, because I knew he was emotionally distraught. Today had been a hell of a day, and he'd gone from fighting Vigarde to that conversation with Lyon and finding out who killed his father in literally the worst way possible. And I knew I'd said things that I shouldn't have said too. I mean… gods, that barb about not spending time with me… I knew he had a lot of work. He was the leader of an army, and was a king. There was a lot he had to do, and I was one of the people who had pushed for him to not run away or get lazy about such duties. That I, of all people, would shout that at him… that had been unreasonable at best. And, worse, I… I didn't know what to do. I'd never really argued like that with someone, and Monica and Orson had never argued from what I saw. Did he still love me? I still loved him. Was it over or was this just a little setback? I had no idea, and honestly, I was too awkward and too scared to even think about asking someone about it.

Growling to myself over how idiotic I was being, I shook my head and changed my path from 'my room' to 'nearby balcony' to get some wind on my face. I actually thought about going to the stables to ride Brynhildr, but she needed to rest after the battle. So, instead, I leaned against the railing, thinking of that conversation with Lyon. Those differences… Selena had mentioned 'mood swings' so intense that it was like he was a different person, but that had seemed beyond that. I could agree with Knoll about how he had 'transformed' into something different, but that didn't explain what I had seen just yesterday. What I'd seen in Jehanna Hall.

Then there was what Knoll had told us. How Lyon had been the one to bring back his father, not just accepted some sort of bargain or whatever. It certainly made sense when considering his apology to Eirika back at Jehanna Hall. But that made me wonder just… how. The only being known to be able to do such things was…

A horrible thought occurred to me then, one that hit me like a stone to the head. And though I tried to dismiss it, I couldn't. Instead, I thought of how Lyon had mentioned Magvel being his 'plaything'. I thought of him mentioning the stones, and how Knoll said that Lyon had destroyed Grado's. I thought of what L'arachel had mentioned when we were at Bethroen. About how the Demon King's soul needed a place to stay…

"Emma?" Saleh's voice nearly made me shriek, and I whirled to see him standing right behind me. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you," he murmured, bowing his head slightly. "I simply saw you and..."

"It's… it's fine," I reassured, pressing a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart. And trying to not be embarrassed. "Just been a long day."

"It has." He joined me by the railing, looking out over the view. A nice view, now that I was paying attention. You could see all the farmlands, even though it was night. "I just visited Eirika. She's very grateful to you."

"I feel like I should tease you, but today has been far too much of a hell for me to do that." I did still smirk a little and, to my delight, he rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing you brought her that same drink you brought me, after we retook Ivroria."

"I did. I thought she could use the comfort, especially after what she told me just what Master Knoll had revealed." He glanced at me and I had a bad feeling that he hadn't stopped to talk just to gossip. He'd noticed something about my demeanor. "So…"

"So, how's Duessel?" That had to be the most obvious attempt at redirection ever. "I haven't been able to get to the infirmary."

"Wounded terribly, but he'll recover. I worry for his mental health, but learning that it was someone controlling Vigarde seems to have done quite a bit to lift the burden of 'turning traitor' on him." Saleh fell silent, and I tried to not wince. The conversation turned right back to where… "Lady Myrrh says that the source of the darkness has moved northward."

"Has it?" Damn, I'd kind of hoped it had stayed right here. Then I'd be wrong. Then… "Well, that's a little… um…"

"You know." He looked right at me, and I flinched away. "You know what the answer to all of this is. You heard the same information that I did. Considering how lucky you can be when it comes to eavesdropping, you've probably heard more."

"We don't know anything." The words felt like lead in my mouth, thudding to the ground as I dropped my head. I didn't… I didn't want to be right. "There could still be things we don't know. Things that..."

"There could be. And I hope that is the case. Because if we're right…" He trailed off, not wanting to speak the words for fear of them being true. But I could complete the thought. If we were right… if I was right… then Lyon was the vessel for the Demon King. "I fear there is more tragedy to come."

"Latona survived."

"She did. And, if we're lucky, we can replicate that success. Hopefully." He sighed and rubbed his temple. "I dare not think of what will happen if…"

"Politically, it'll be messy. Personally, it'll be worse." I looked up at the stars, watching them sparkle. They just made me angry. "Hey, gods! Supposedly, you like people like me, so help us out a little! Hasn't there been enough death? You're overworking the God of Death and the Queen-Goddess of the Dead, you know!"

"I used to think people who yelled at gods were fools, but I understand the feeling all too clearly now." He smiled bitterly and I shrugged, smiling wryly in return. I didn't see how it could hurt at this point. "This journey has reminded me that there is always more to learn."

"Like falling in love and how to court someone?" I had to tease, and it was worth his scowl and blush. "Yes, I know. Totally inappropriate. But it was too easy of an opening."

"It's very easy to see how you're half-Jehannan."

"Thank you~!" I giggled, but soon let myself become serious again. "Something I don't get about all of this, though, is Knoll." I glanced at him. "We made it very clear we were here and going to attack. If Lyon was trying to hide what happened, then why…?"

"Why did he not go ahead and kill him? I agree; that is odd." Saleh frowned. "Not to mention leaving Grado's Sacred Twins where they could easily be found…"

"Yeah, why not hide them?" It could be that 'Lyon' didn't think they were a threat, but considering they had been crafted to fight the Demon King… "I think he's still there. Still fighting."

"If so, then perhaps there is a chance. Maybe." Saleh sighed and shook his head. "Ah, we're just going in circles. It might be a good idea to rest. The war with Grado is done, but Magvel isn't safe yet."

"Yeah…" I sighed and pushed myself off the railing. "Okay, time to find Joshua and tease him silly about Natasha. That's always fun. Want to come along?"

"Knowing the Jehannans, they're probably all grouped together, so… yes, actually." Saleh chuckled. "I think this is a situation that calls for a drink."

"You drink alcohol?"

"Never have before, actually. But, again…" He shrugged. "Always more to learn and this day has taught me just why the phrase 'I need a drink' exists."

"I hear you." I had to laugh. "Let's find them, then. If they are all together, then we know we can have a nice little fun time to pretend today didn't happen."

"Agreed."

Saleh was right. Gerik and Tethys had made a nice big room for all the Jehannans to hang out in, so we just joined in with the 'party'. Saleh stuck close to Marisa during the night, mostly because she helped him safely try alcohols, and I stayed near Joshua and Natasha to tease them silly. It was exactly what I needed. Especially when I saw Ephraim poke his head in, and both of us looked away from each other, pretending we hadn't seen each other.

Got a war going on, was dealing with the possibility that Lyon was doomed, and here I was in the middle of an argument with my boyfriend. Gods, I was just freaking brilliant, huh?

No one joined again. Knoll might, but he's in the middle of getting treatment, so we'll see.

Author's notes: So, I made quite a few changes here. One, while Lyon does feature in the opening cutscene, none of the playable cast talks to him. Two, this is an indoor map in-game. Three, Vigarde says absolutely nothing to the playable cast. Duessel asking forgiveness from Vigarde is based off his in-game boss convo with Vigarde. Similar to Ephraim demanding answers from Vigarde, though of course, in-game, this takes place prior to Ephraim figuring out anything and in-story, it's after, so it's a bit different. No one in-game figures out the connection between Lyon and the Demon King yet at this point of the story, but since they're operating with a bit more knowledge, I figured it would make sense for a couple to put the pieces together.

The conversation with Lyon after the battle occurs in game, though 'Lyon' (really 'evil Lyon' which you can tell in-game thanks to the sprite difference) leaves because he's 'too weak' or something, but I figured him getting 'shot' was just as good of an excuse. (Wonder if anyone guessed that overheard conversation way back in the very first interlude of the story would show up again like this? Heehee~)

In-game, this would be the map where you'd recruit Rennac, and his recruitment is the same as in Eirika's route. Either pay 10000 by talking to him with Eirika or talk to him with L'arachel for a free recruitment. The massive earthquake that hits Grado in the future comes from Knoll's supports with Duessel and Natasha

Next Chapter - Interlude, Moonstone