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Dark Horizons

The journey back to Pherae seemed to drag on forever for Nils. The incessant clopping of hooves in dirt as Lyn, Kent, and Sain ferried Nils, Fa, and Idunn would have probably driven Nils crazy had he not already been so thoroughly preoccupied with his own thoughts.

The elder in Arcadia had insisted on spending time with Nils while they had been visiting. At first, the request seemed to be borne from simple curiosity, yet once the temple gates had shut behind Lyn, Kent, and Sain after they left, the tone had shifted drastically. The elder had been looking upon Nils with critical eyes and peppered the boy with questions about the events that had happened at Dread Isle.

How many of those mages were there?

Did Nils know who they were?

What did they do to Roy? To Nils?

How many did Nils kill? Did he kill them all?

What did they want?

Nils flinched as he recalled the questions that had been thrown his way. There had been so many questions that he shrunk considerably in the elder's presence. Only with Sophia's gentle interjection had the elder halted his barrage.

Apologies had been uttered, though they fell on deaf ears. Nils wanted nothing more to do with the place, nor the elder. He had already felt guilty enough, and having to recall those events—his failures, he thought—felt like rubbing salt in a wound that was still far too fresh. This had only been exacerbated by his frustrations with the man who had been so overbearing and intrusive—the elder had no right to be so critical, given how little contact he even wanted to have with the rest of the world.

What room did he have to be so concerned if he could not be bothered to help?

Before Nils could even realize it, a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. His fingers knitted into his scarf as he stared at Kent's back with a hardened gaze.

"You alright there, kid?" Kent asked as he spared a quick glance over his shoulder. "That was a pretty hefty sigh."

Nils flicked his eyes up towards Kent before returning his attention back to a small scratch in Kent's armor. "Yeah… I'm fine. Sorry."

Deciding to drop the question, Kent hummed and looked forward again.

Idunn quietly watched Nils from behind Lyn. His uncertainty and aggravation were palpable, and though she said nothing, she reached her soul out to his in understanding.

After three days of travel, they finally arrived back in Pherae; thankfully it was still midday when they approached the manor, and the guards at the gates were quick to allow the group back in. Word had already been sent to Eliwood that they had returned, and as they were dismounting their horses, Eliwood came out to them with Lilina and Wolt at his side.

"You've returned safely," Eliwood said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you back."

Nils hopped off Kent's horse and looked towards Idunn as she gracefully stepped down onto the grass. Upon seeing Idunn, Lilina and Wolt both tensed in surprise.

"Idunn?" Lilina questioned, which drew the manakete's attention. Lilina smiled at her as soon as their eyes met. "It is you! It's been so long!"

Idunn remained quiet for a few moments before she nodded in acknowledgement. "… You… are taller," she observed.

Heat rose to Lilina's cheeks as she laughed a little. "W-well, it has been a few years…" she responded. "It's nice to see you again."

"Idunn…?" Eliwood mused to himself as he cupped his chin. Lyn walked over towards him as he was still thinking, and she tapped his shoulder.

"Eliwood," she said. "We need to talk."

"Sounds like you have something important to share… as do I," Eliwood responded with a nod. "Let's all head inside. Wolt, Lilina, please join us as well."

The Marquess was quick to lead the group inside the manor, and to the main hall where all the papers were still spread across the table—though now they looked significantly more organized. Nils' eyes trailed across all his scrawling and notes, and he noticed someone else's handwriting on some of the parchments. Eliwood must have been writing down his thoughts as he was going over all the diagrams.

A cough from Eliwood as he cleared his throat drew the attention of the room. He glanced around at his company and a small smile graced his features.

"Well… welcome back to Pherae. I see that you've brought along a friend… albeit an unexpected one," he said. "Idunn… I believe this is the first time we have ever truly met."

Idunn tilted her head in a slow nod.

"Idunn agreed to come with us and assist," Lyn explained. "But the rest of Arcadia? We aren't going to be getting their help."

At this, Eliwood grimaced. "Is that so…"

"It's okay, though!" Fa said as her wings fluttered. "Idunn is really, really strong, so we'll be okay!"

Eliwood certainly appreciated the sprightly manakete's enthusiasm, but he still found himself questioning. With a quick glance to Nils, he silently asked for reassurance.

Nils' gaze shifted uncomfortably, though after a moment, he nodded. Idunn was the most powerful dragon in existence, without question, so having her help was like having the power of an entire flight of dragons by their side.

"She is very powerful," Lilina chimed in with a smile. "It's been a couple years, but I remember the day we battled like it was yesterday…"

"Yeah," Wolt mumbled. "Especially seeing Roy fight her. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before… needless to say, I'm real glad we're on her good side now…"

Idunn had no response. Eliwood simply nodded, seemingly satisfied with the opinions that were provided.

"… Well, with that out of the way… Eliwood, what was this important information you had for us?" Lyn asked.

A small hum escaped Eliwood's lips as he put his knuckles to his lips. "Well, Wolt would be the one more equipped to answer that than me. Wolt?"

All heads turned to Wolt, and the young sniper rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Oh. Uh, well, right," he lowered his arm from his hair and lowered his voice. "Yesterday morning, Lilina and I were walking the fields just outside of the manor. Everything seemed alright, but… well, there was this strange shadow that darted by behind the tree line."

Lyn furrowed her brow in concern. "A shadow?"

"Yes," Wolt responded with a nod. "It definitely looked like a person. Since it was so early and so close to the manor, I asked Lilina to go back to get Alen or Lance, while I gave chase. But… well, I didn't see anything after searching. And I searched for a while. When Lilina brought back Alen and Lance, all four of us searched the forest, but didn't see a soul."

Kent rubbed his chin with a grumble. "Well it's not like someone could just up and disappear. Are you sure you saw something?"

A vigorous nod was all Wolt could give before Lilina spoke, "There was no mistaking it. I saw it too. When we were searching the forest, even though we didn't find anyone… I felt very uncomfortable. It was like we were being watched."

"Well, it is not uncommon to feel paranoia in such a situation…" Lyn mused. "But it is concerning nonetheless—I agree."

"As do I," Eliwood said. "Because of this… well, I apologize. Lyn, Kent, Sain—would you be willing to help one more time? My only request is if you could stay a little while longer and assist us in potentially finding the source of this mysterious shadow."

"Eliwood," Lyn started with a smile, "We would be more than happy to help. You do not need to apologize."

"Yeah," Sain added as he put his hands behind his head. "Besides, this means we could probably teach those other guys a thing or two. Alen and Lance, were they?"

"Those are their names, yes," Eliwood confirmed with a chuckle. "Thank you, you three. It means a lot to me that you would be willing to stay a little longer."

"I don't think we could return home without seeing your kid come back first, anyway," Kent said. "At least, I couldn't."

After a moment of consideration, Eliwood turned to Lilina. "Lilina, would you be able to take Fa and Idunn back to the Dragon's Gate in the garden?"

"Of course!" Lilina smiled happily and put her hands together. "Fa, Idunn, I'll show you the way. Though Fa should already know where we're going…"

Fa's wings fluttered as she nodded. "Yes, yes! Fa remembers! Let's go!"

"… And Wolt, would you be willing to take Kent and Sain to Alen and Lance? The five of you should be able to cover a lot of ground, trying to track down any clues…" Eliwood added.

With a nod, Wolt motioned to Kent and Sain for them to follow him. "We'll get going so we have as much daylight as possible to search."

As those six filed out of the room, Lyn's brow raised as she crossed her arms under her chest. By that point, it was only her, Nils, and Eliwood left. Nils glanced between the two of them before settling his gaze on Eliwood, who still clearly had something on his mind.

"And I'm going to assume you needed to speak with us…" Lyn mused, to which Eliwood nodded.

"… You would assume correctly. Lyn, Nils, there's been something bothering me as of late. It happened while you were away in Arcadia," Eliwood began. After a moment of tense silence, he let out a sigh and threaded his fingers in his hair.

"Eliwood… you look like you haven't slept a wink in days," Lyn said. "What is it?"

There was another moment of uncomfortable silence before Eliwood allowed yet another sigh to escape his lips as he lowered his hand from his hair. The brick floor below them seemed to have drawn his interest as he contemplated something.

"… This whole situation… it has me very concerned," he grumbled. Lyn and Nils exchanged glances at his verbiage.

"Did you see something as well?" Lyn asked, to which Eliwood only shook his head.

"No. That… isn't it. It's something different," he responded before raising his gaze back up to a hallway to their left. His brows were furrowed as he stared down the length of the hall. Nils remembered it as the way to Eliwood's chambers.

Lyn shifted on her feet as she rested her hand on her hip. Her gaze followed Eliwood's, and she squinted. "What is it, then?"

After a pregnant pause, Eliwood spoke. "The Durandal."

Nils grew cold at the mention of that sword, and Lyn seemed surprised. The room was awfully silent, aside from the crackling of the lamps hanging on the walls.

Finally, Lyn broke the silence. "The Durandal?" she asked. "… Eliwood… what about it? Didn't it get laid back to rest?"

"It… did, after we defeated Nergal, yes. However, when Roy headed the war against Bern, well…" Eliwood looked to the papers on the table as he recalled the events of Roy's campaign, "The Durandal had been stolen from its resting place by some thieves. Roy had been able to locate it again, and after he found the Binding Blade and defeated Zephiel, he brought the Durandal back to me. I had been opposed to it at first, but Roy claimed he did it so that it wouldn't be stolen again... with that in mind, I agreed to keep it here in Pherae for a time. It's currently hanging on a wall in my chambers."

"Okay… so, you have the Durandal," Lyn said. "But what about it?"

Nils could sense Eliwood's nerves as the Marquess stared down at the papers; his emotions had been building steadily as the conversation progressed, which made Nils uncomfortable. Especially considering the subject matter…

The Durandal. That sword. Nils was unsure if that blade was a blessing or a curse.

Finally, Eliwood spoke, though his tone was quiet. "Not once have I been tempted to wield that blade since it was brought back here," he began, and his lips pursed momentarily before he continued. "… Not until last night. The Durandal beckoned to me for the first time since I laid it to rest over twenty-three years ago."

The room grew cold, and Nils' fingers trembled slightly as he swallowed the lump in his throat. The idea of the Durandal's awakening worried him greatly.

After all, the last time the Durandal beckoned to Eliwood, he had ended up killing Ninian.

Eliwood had looked to Nils and could tell exactly where his mind had drifted. "This is why I am nervous to have this blade here. However… I cannot ignore that call. Which is what has me worried," Eliwood said.

"… You think something's coming, don't you?" Lyn asked.

"Yes," Eliwood responded. "Whatever that… figure… is, that Wolt and Lilina saw… it speaks trouble. I am certain of it."

Lyn hummed as she tapped her cheek in thought. "If this is the case, then I will certainly stay until after Roy returns—there are no doubts now. I would rather you have our help if something bad does befall Pherae during your search for Roy."

Lyn's words calmed Eliwood. "Lyn… thank you," he said, the relief evident in his tone. "You do not realize just how grateful I am for your help."

"It's no problem," she said with a smile. "It's almost a little like old times."

Eliwood returned the smile with a nod.

Nils, on the other hand, remained silent. He had been unable to find any of the right words since they returned to Pherae, though with the conversation at hand, he realized he was running out of time to speak his mind.

"… Eliwood," he mumbled, his voice coming across a bit more uneasy than he had hoped for it to.

The attentions of both Eliwood and Lyn turned to Nils, and Eliwood's expression dropped at Nils' tone. "Yes, Nils?"

Having their undivided attention made Nils almost too nervous to speak. Since when had he become so unsure of himself? He scrunched his nose at his own lack of backbone. He must have been silent for a long time—Eliwood gently asked him again what was on his mind before Nils finally found the power to speak.

"… The mages," Nils said.

Eliwood immediately bristled. "What do you mean?"

Nils shook his head as memories of that fight on Dread Isle replayed in his mind. "Back on Dread Isle… after I pushed Roy into the Dragon's Gate, I fought those mages off. By the time the fight was done, they were all dead… except… one of them was unaccounted for."

Both Lyn and Eliwood were alarmed—this had been news to them both, Eliwood included. Nils had kept it to himself the entire time that he had been back in Pherae, and now he felt a little guilty for not opening up sooner.

"I wasn't sure where the mage went," Nils said as he chewed the inside of his lip. "At first I thought one of them ran through the Dragon's Gate, and panicked. But… when I looked over all their bodies, they were all human…"

"… So you think this might be that mage that's still unaccounted for," Eliwood responded, having immediately understood what Nils was getting at.

Nils hesitated, but nodded. "I think it's… possible."

"The implications of this are very serious," Eliwood said sternly. "The only reason I can think of that the mage would come here… would be because of the new Dragon's Gate we are building."

The three of them remained silent as Eliwood contemplated the situation at hand. His wrinkles deepened as he narrowed his eyes at the papers laid across the table once more.

"… Nils," Eliwood said as he stared at a sketch of the Dragon's Gate on the parchment before him, "Are you absolutely certain that the other mage did not go through the Dragon's Gate?"

The question hung in the air as Nils lowered his own gaze to the parchment. "… No, I'm not sure. During the fight, I had been blinded by fire, so I couldn't see for a long time."

Eliwood nodded in understanding. "… Then realistically, both possibilities are still on the table. The mage could have gone through the gate, or they could be here."

Nils seemed unsure. "The only way they could have gone through the Dragon's Gate would be—"

"—if they were a dragon, yes," Eliwood finished. "Even though the ones you killed were human, that doesn't mean they all were. Especially if you had been blinded…"

Nils remained quiet as he balled his fists. Eliwood was right—Nils honestly was unsure at this point. Even though Nils had not seen where the other mage went, surely he would have felt their presence as they retreated, right? He exhaled in frustration.

Lyn frowned as she crossed her arms once again. "Well, regardless of whether they went through the Dragon's Gate or stayed here, we do have a potential problem on our hands. We do not know who they are or what they might want. If they stayed here, and this shadow is them, then we will certainly have an issue here. However… if they went through the gate, then this means they could potentially be stuck with Roy as well."

Neither Eliwood nor Nils had even considered that possibility, and they both quickly looked to Lyn with grievous expressions. Lyn only shook her head with a long sigh.

"Roy… I certainly hope he will be okay out there until we are able to return him safely home," she muttered.

"… I will only hope that they were sent to different worlds entirely," Eliwood said quietly. "My son can hold his own in a fight—not just a fight, a war—but these people seem to have a plan far too nefarious for my own comfort, especially considering that they waited until Roy arrived to see Nils before they appeared…"

Once again, Nils found himself unable to speak. Something about this whole situation was wrong, though he was unable to put his finger on what. Though he realized, perhaps unfortunately, that he would find out in due time.