The world was a blur.

Soldiers and Risen clashed in the middle of the square even as the Leviathan clambered out of the water behind us, its mouth unleashing a hellish scream that sounded more human than monster. It was like the wails of a baby, lost and all alone. Images of our child came to the forefront of my mind even as I sliced and cut through Risen with Sol, not stopping for an instant as magic, arrows and bolts flew through the air like fire and metal birds. Oddly enough, that was comforting. It was much easier to look at than the monstrosity behind us.

However, clearly, we couldn't disregard it forever, especially not with it meandering its way towards us. Chunks of buildings were thrown as if they were nothing but softballs to it. I saw a man be crushed under a pile of rubble, along with the Risen he was fighting. A Pegasus Knight's head was caved in by a stray brick, and her Pegasus went berserk.

The world was chaos, and in the end, it remained that way.

The Deadlord that summoned the Leviathan was gone, escaping atop her ebon Pegasus and leaving us with the mess she created.

I took cover behind a building even as we pushed the Risen away from us. Robin came up behind me, with Chrom not too far behind. Bits and pieces of broken masonry and stone came crumbling down on either side of us as the Pegasus Knights scrambled, and our troops continued their push, led on by other Shepherds despite the monster in our midst. I let out a harsh breath, wiping my forehead but being careful not to cut myself with Sol.

"Well, that happened," I summed up, chuckling to myself, "Guess those legends were true, huh?"

"Not surprising, really," Chrom replied, the Exalted Falchion close to his side, "That thing is massive!"

"Yeah but you've got the Falchion," I pointed out, "You should be able to just conk it into submission with that thing, right?"

"Yeah, and be destroyed in the process," Chrom hissed, "It could work, but I'd need to get close, and I have a feeling one of those things' tentacles would tear me apart long before I do so."

"Are you both forgetting that I had a plan for this?" Robin asked pointedly, lightly glaring at us. "Chrom, either we try our luck with the crystal clearly glowing in its forehead, or we get you as close as we possibly can while avoiding those tendrils so you can kill it with Falchion. That monstrosity is draconic in nature, I'm sure. And the only thing maneuverable enough to get past it are the Pegasus Knights."

I looked up, seeing the Pegasus Knights begin to come together. Like a flock of birds, they banded together.

"Hard to remember plans when we're in the middle of a giant-ass battle, Robin!" I gritted my teeth. "But that's better than anything I would've come up with."

"Of course it is; you're not the tactician here!" He snarled, raising his arms and wildly flailing them to get the Pegasus Knights' attention.

"I may not be a tactician but I do have eyes, and you look like an actual robin right now." I rasped back.

Chrom chuckled to himself but quickly followed Robin's lead.

The Pegasus Knights descended, with Phila at the head. Sumia and Cordelia were flanked by them, and as Robin and Chrom went to speak with Phila in particular, I rushed to Cordelia's side. She dismounted, and in the next moment we embraced. It was quick but reassuring. Just enough to ground both of us in the moment. I let out a sigh as we parted.

"Gods, Alex," Cordelia breathed out, "I thought for a moment, with that giant explosion-!"

"I'm fine," I waved off, "It'll take more than a little bit of magic to take me down. Looks like we're moving on with Robin's plan."

Cordelia nodded, regarding the white-haired tactician warily. "I trust him enough for that. His plans have never led us astray, at least, whatever I think about the man himself."

I smirked, "See? He ain't that bad, Cordy. You just gotta give him a chance."

"Perhaps when this battle is over with, I will do just that," Cordelia beckoned me over to Aurora. "Now, come. We need to distract that thing while Lord Chrom deals the finishing blow."

"Yeah, right," I replied, following her before remembering the lance on my back. "Cordy, wait a sec."

"Yes? Wait a moment," Cordelia turned to me and saw the lance I was withdrawing from my back. "No, it couldn't be! Alex, is that…?"

"Would you believe me if I said I found your parents while fighting through the city?" I asked, holding the gold and red lance in my hand, "Well, your father in particular told me a lotta things, most of which I'm not gonna tell you until later; too much bullshit going on. But he gave me this. A family heirloom, right?"

Cordelia lightly grasped at the lance, nearly trembling as she held it in her hands. "Alex, this lance has been in our family for generations. Er, supposedly, at least. My father used to tell me stories about it, how it was used in countless battles to defend Ylisse from all sorts of unsavory characters. To have it in my hands now… It's hard to describe."

I overlapped one of Cordelia's hands with my own, "No time better than now to use it then, right? We got a giant dragon dastard back there."

Cordelia looked down at the lance again. Resolutely, she nodded, "I think you're right about that."

"Besides, it really does complete your look, you know," I continued, taking a step back and smiling, "You really do look the part of a knight paragon! Naga, that armor is gorgeous on you."

Cordelia blushed, turning away. She couldn't hide her own smile from me, though. "How can you just say these things in the middle of a battle!?"

"I probably shouldn't be," I admitted sheepishly before looking at Aurora. "We should really get going, though."

"Hah, agreed!" Cordelia straightened herself out, mounting. "Climb on."

"Oh, this is gonna be fun. I can tell," I muttered to myself.


Chrom needed to get as close as possible to the Leviathan so he could plunge the Exalted Falchion and put an end to the beast's suffering. Problem was, there was no way we were going to get close to it on foot. Obviously; the thing was hunched over, its gaping maw close to the ground. The tendrils on its back constantly writhed and slammed into each other and nearby buildings, making a sneak attack from behind difficult without getting clobbered. The only option was a coordinated and precise assault from above, with the Pegasus Knights running interference and Chrom and Sumia ready to bring down the full might of Falchion against the beast's body.

The biggest dangers were still the thing's head and tentacles, but with us in the sky, being far more maneuverable than we ever were on the ground, we stood a chance.

At least, that's what I told myself as we soared through the air. Cordelia was laser-focused on the objective, swinging around the monster as it finally noticed the annoying flies buzzing around its head. It looked up, standing on its hind legs for a moment and snarling. The sound traveled far, a testament to its size as it shook its massive body wildly, the tendrils on its body flailing about in the air. The Pegasus Knights avoided it at that time, swerving and ducking in between the mounds of slimy flesh as they slammed into adjacent buildings and streets.

I couldn't hear anything over the roaring air in my ears, but I knew what we had to do. We had to make it angry. Furious. Keep its full attention on us. To that end, Cordelia bade Aurora to fly through the thing's tentacles. I held onto Sol for dear life as I swung it forward, hearing the sickening 'squelch' of my sword cutting through the Leviathan's spongy flesh. Other Pegasus Knights followed as the beast let loose an ungodly roar from its maw, clawing and swinging wildly with its front legs as it stood up again.

One Pegasus Knight was brave enough to fly right in front of the beast's forehead, and take a swipe at the glowing red gem ingrained there. She merely grazed it, but the Leviathan recoiled as if it had been slapped. Moments later, though it returned to its feral rage, perhaps even angrier than before.

All to ensure Chrom had a clear shot. I hoped it was worth it.

"Welp, we certainly fucking pissed it off now!" I shouted, looking down at Sol to see it covered in mucky goo.

That's gonna take forever to get out. Goddamnit!

I had priorities and promptly shut my inner voice up.

The Leviathan was suitably enraged, and by Naga, did it act the part. It threw around its limbs in a temper tantrum, its tentacles slamming into buildings so hard it injured itself; some of them straight-up fell off, never to be replaced.

I saw a light, then. The light of the Exalted Falchion as it soared through the sky atop Sumia's Pegasus. It was like watching a shooting star, against the black of the sky. It struck forward, ready to take the first blow against the Leviathan.

In an instant, the Leviathan froze and swerved its head in the direction of Chrom and Sumia. I saw them turn instead of going forward as its mouth gaped open. A sound unlike anything I'd ever heard before pierced through the air, rattling my eardrums and causing Aurora to whinny below us. A beam of energy shot out of the Leviathan's mouth, just missing Chrom and Sumia as the steadily lost altitude in the city streets. I didn't see them after that.

My heart stopped in my chest. A single word loosed from my lips, barely above a whisper.

"What?"

The beam of energy only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to scatter us. The Pegasus Knights that remained, seemingly looked for places to land. For some, it was forced. The Leviathan's tentacles took advantage of the short daze as we attempted to get our bearings. Several Knights were slammed into the ground, turning into piles of gory mush.

"Commander Phila!" I heard Cordelia scream. I looked over, seeing the white-haired Falcon Knight be unceremoniously battered by a tendril. I saw her Pegasus seemingly snap in half as they careened through the air, crashing through a building.

We're fucked.

That thought shot through my mind as I leaned closer to Cordelia, making sure my voice was heard, "We need to land, now!"

"What about them!?" Cordelia snapped back. "Prince Chrom!? Commander Phila!? All of them!?"

"If we don't land, soon we'll be the only ones who haven't!" I snarled back, "And that thing's not gonna just let us fly around after what we did! Please, Cordelia, goddamnit, land!"

Cordelia bowed her head, shielding her eyes from view. It didn't go unnoticed from me how she closed in on Phila's crash site. I let her. Hers was definitely the worst I'd seen. For all we knew, Chrom and Sumia were alright; they didn't get destroyed by the monster's legs or seared by its magical beam. I had a feeling they'd be good for the moment if a bit rattled.

We landed amidst rubble as the Leviathan continued its rampage. Aurora whinnied as we came to a stop, and Cordelia dismounted, nearly taking me along with her.

"Cordelia!" I called, nearly crashing to the floor as I attempted to get off Aurora as well. I saw her, making her way to the building Phila landed out, "Cordelia, I'm sorry, but-!"

"Don't apologize, Alex! You were right!" She turned around swiftly, wiping at her forehead. Or was it at her eyes? "We needed to land! I just… Gods, we need to make sure they're okay! Phila and Prince Chrom and Sumia and the rest! What a disaster!"

"We didn't know it could breathe… whatever the fuck that shit was," I groaned, walking up beside her. "I agree with you, though. We need to find them. And, well, look where we are! Phila landed just in here, right? We both saw it."

"Gods," Cordelia whispered to herself, "Please, Commander, please be alive."

I wasn't holding my breath for that. That may've seemed callous, but people didn't just walk off being shunted through several layers of stone and wood. Not unless you were part of the Exalted bloodline.

We pulled through the ruined building, seeing Phila crash path. It was not pretty; her Pegasus had been splattered across the walls, leaving only a barely recognizable corpse behind, with feathers from its wings blowing gently in the wind. I readied Sol, just in case. My poor sword may have been covered in disgusting ichor, but that didn't mean it still couldn't cut true. At least, I hope it didn't.

"Commander!" Cordelia called, her lance clattering to the floor as she surged forward. I followed her path and winced.

Phila would not survive. Even if she was alive, she wouldn't be for much longer. Her right arm had been torn off at the shoulder blade, leaving nothing in its place. Her armor had been battered, destroyed in most places leaving gouges in her flesh. A small stream of blood fled from the corner of her mouth. Her eyes focused on us, and I looked away.

"Cordelia…" Her voice was nothing but a dry whisper. "I should have known you would come for me."

"Of course! You're our leader! I couldn't just… just leave you like this!" Cordelia knelt beside her, placing a hand on Phila's midsection. "Gods, you are… We need to get you a healer, now. Alex! We need-!"

"There is no surviving this, Cordelia," Phila interrupted, her voice rising just a small bit. "These wounds are too grievous for anyone to survive. To be denied the right to even see the Halidom restored is…" I swore I heard her sniffle. Phila, sniffle. I turned around entirely, but that didn't mean I couldn't hear what was said. I wasn't going to leave them alone, not with the Leviathan still out and about. "It is almost too great a burden."

"Nonsense! Stop talking like that, Commander!" Cordelia pleaded, her voice nearly breaking entirely, "Y-You can't just leave like this! Not when we were so close! Not because of a single miscalculation! You need to-!"

"Cordelia," Phila interrupted once more. She laid her hand on Cordelia's. "Please, peace."

"But you're… I can't let you die. Not again. I can't let this happen again!" Cordelia cried.

I nearly felt myself break right then and there as well. Not only because of Phila's words but because of Cordelia's voice. I knew exactly what she was thinking of. Something that haunted her ever since I knew her.

"Your knight-sisters…" Phila whispered, "Your knight-sisters would be proud of you, Cordelia."

"C-Commander?" Cordelia gasped.

"Their sacrifice was not in vain. And neither is mine," Phila continued, her voice growing quieter still, "Your talents were always above others of your age. You were smart, smarter than most. And now, the woman I see before me is one I can be proud to say that I trained. That I molded. You are an exemplar, on par if not greater than those who came before."

Cordelia was speechless. I turned back around to see her face pale as a sheet as her mouth hung open.

"I can think of no better successor," Phila raised her hand and reached underneath her broken breastplate. She pulled out a necklace, carefully unleashing it from around her neck. It was a thing of beauty; a solid gold circle, with wings engraved in the precious metal. "Should you accept it, I would gladly grant you my title. Flight-Commander of Ylisse."

"C-Commander! That honor is not mine to have! Not yet! I can't accept this," Cordelia replied hysterically.

"You do not have to," Phila conceded, "But there is still a monster out there. Both here and at our capital. The Pegasus Knights of Ylisse cannot continue without a leader. One to guide them and protect the Exalted line with all of their might," Phila wheezed, "They have not always been kind to you, I know. Your hazing at the hands of your comrades, the jeering remarks I heard about you while our campaign in Valm raged on… I know that even I was not always kind on you. But even then, you weathered it all. You command with a grace only matched by other Commanders at their height. I can think of no one better to pass this torch onto."

"I…" Cordelia swallowed as I moved closer. "A-As you command, Commander. If you would pass this onto me, I will bear it gladly."

Phila coughed, but I saw the smile that finally graced her lips, "I knew you were capable, Cordelia. I always knew. Take it."

Cordelia gently pulled the necklace from Phila grasp, and the Flight-Commander's hand fell limply to the ground.

"Wherever you go, Cordelia, we shall be with you. Be the woman your knight-sisters knew you could be," Phila spat out, her head slowly hanging low. "Wherever you go… we shall always be… with you…"

The light faded from Phila's eyes, and Cordelia held onto nothing but a corpse. I knelt down beside her, placing a hand on Cordelia's shoulder. I wasn't as close to Phila as Cordelia had been, but that didn't mean I couldn't help her. Cordelia sat there silently, holding the necklace Phila gave her. She grasped it harshly in her hands for a moment, a few quiet sobs escaping her as I slowly wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Cordy," I said quietly, my head held low in small reverence. "I'm sorry."

"P-Phila made it clear that this might happen," Cordelia stammered, wiping at her eyes, "I knew, but I prayed it would not come true. Gods! But I can't stop to mourn. Not now. Alex, we need to get going. Find Prince Chrom and Sumia."

"Agreed," I replied, standing up while helping her do the same, "For what it's worth, Cordelia, I'll always be here. I'll always support you."

Cordelia looked at me and gave me a small, strained smile. "I know you are, Alex. And know that I will always be grateful."

I sheathed Sol, cringing as I heard the squelching sound it made as I did so. I picked up Cordelia's lance and handed it back to her, "Also, maybe don't drop this."

"As if I would ever lose it," Cordelia lightly chided, walking past me. "Let's go. We need to find Prince Chrom and Sumia, as well as the other Pegasus Knights."


We flew through the ruined streets, just barely below the buildings so that the rampaging Leviathan didn't see us. Making our way towards where we saw Chrom and Sumia land, I could see other Pegasus Knights flitting between buildings, heading to the very same place we were.

As good as a rendezvous point as any, I guess.

Soon enough, we found them, huddled behind a building. Chrom was wiping his forehead, Exalted Falchion at his side. Sumia was tending to her Pegasus, who seemed to have an injured wing. The staff she held glowed green, a contrast to the darkness that had become near-suffocating. Other Pegasus Knights gathered around the royal couple, clearly regrouping. But with no leader to guide them, they'd be as useful as cats trying to herd sheep.

As we landed, I saw Robin stalk his way out of the shadows and into the gloomy light. He let out a sigh as he saw us, and sped-walk towards us.

"Thank Naga you two are safe!" He exclaimed, "For a moment I was beginning to think that thing got you!"

I rubbed the back of my head, momentary exhaustion making itself known to me, "It'll take a lot more than a surprise attack like that to take us down, Robin."

"Well, yes, of course. Er," Robin coughed, "Of course I knew that. Still, I couldn't help but worry," Robin brows furrowed before he closed his eyes and began massaging his temples. "Gods, I can't believe I… It's a dragon, I should have known it would've had a breath attack. But looking at it, I assumed it was some sort of necrodragon, and those could not breathe anything, let alone a beam of pure magic."

I shrugged, "Doesn't matter now. We still need to destroy it."

Robin sighed and nodded. "Yes, of course. Where's Phila? Did you happen to see her?"

"I… regret to inform you that Commander Phila is dead," Cordelia said, walking up beside me. "She was killed by the Leviathan just after it used its breath attack."

Robin's mouth was held agape, and the murmurings of the Pegasus Knights around us did not go unnoticed by me. Chrom's head perked up as he moved towards us. "Phila is… she's dead?"

Cordelia nodded, her lips pursed. "Yes, my prince. And she passed on her duty to me." She held up the necklace Phila gave her just before she died. It glimmered in the small light available. "I am Flight-Commander, should you allow it."

The murmurings of the Pegasus Knights around us grew in intensity, and I snarled. "Alright, all of you. Don't think I don't hear you! You have something to say? Then say it! Cowards! The lot of you!"

That shut them up, many of them shrinking back as I glared at them.

"Are you sure you are ready for this, Cordelia?" Chrom asked seriously, looking over to make sure the Leviathan hadn't noticed us. "This is not a duty I'd give lightly. Especially during a time like this."

"I am ready, my prince," Cordelia bowed her head. "In the interest of time, I would like to forgo the usual ceremony until the war has been won but, know this," Cordelia paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I hereby swear to uphold the values afforded to all knights who serve the Exalted family. From this day forward, I will lead the Pegasus Knights of Ylisse to glorious victory."

"Very well," Chrom intoned, Falchion's tip lightly planted in the ground. "Then I grant you the position of Flight-Commander of Ylisse, Cordelia. I have faith that you will be a great leader. Perhaps even the greatest."

"Thank you, my lord," Cordelia raised her head, all the while I was standing by trying to keep a grin off my face. "Let my first action as Flight-Commander be the destruction of the Leviathan."

"…We could always try again, I suppose," Robin theorized, adopting his usual thinking pose. "Sumia's Pegasus will be fully healed in a moment. Now that we know the Leviathan's full capabilities, all we need to do is make sure we finish it quickly before it has a chance to use its power again."

"Yeah, but if we don't then next time it won't miss," I muttered, "I'm just saying, Robin, we need to find a better way."

"I have a plan if you would like to hear it, Robin," Cordelia asked.

Robin sighed, "You are Flight-Commander now, Cordelia. Your words can overrule mine. You don't even need to tell me this if you don't want to."

"I do," She replied, her brows furrowed in determination. "It would not bode well to keep secrets among the army, would it?"

Robin's lips pursed as he looked down at his feet. "No, I suppose it would not."

Cordelia turned her head to regard her new subordinates, "While we were fighting the Leviathan, I noticed one of you passed by its face, striking at the gem in its forehead. When you did so, the creature recoiled. If there is one thing I remember about dragons, it is that they require the use of a dragonstone in order to transform between their human form and dragon one. I suspect that the gem is this beast's dragonstone, and should we destroy it, it will fall."

"Miss Cordelia," One of the Pegasus Knights piped up, a young one with short, light blue hair, "With all due respect, but that sounds like suicide! The monster could easily snap its jaws and kill us! And if not, then it will surely do so with that magic!"

"That is why we must move swiftly," Cordelia replied evenly, planting the butt of her lance on the ground. "You are correct, however; it is likely we would die trying to perform such a task. That is why we must strike at its eyes. If one of us flies past and cuts them, the creature will be blinded, and it will not see us when we break the source of its power."

There was a little bit of murmuring, but that stopped when I stood beside Cordelia. I looked at Robin, who considered her plan before walking forward and holding out his hand. "A good, if risky, plan, Cordelia."

Cordelia looked down at Robin's presented hand. For a moment I thought she was going to be petty and leave him hanging, but she didn't. She took his hand and shook it, "I may not be a tactician myself, Robin. This is really just your plan, with my own additions."

Robin nodded, "Maybe so, but it is clear that I have a lot to learn when trying to plan an attack on a giant monster, huh?"

Cordelia laughed, "Yes, I should think so. Perhaps that is something you should work on our way to Ylisstol?"

I crossed my arms, letting out a sigh of relief before hearing the blaring sound of the Leviathan roaring in the distance. "Naga, please, I hope our troops are out of the city by now."

Robin clapped his hands, turning to the Pegasus Knights. "You heard your Commander. It is time we put an end to this monstrosity, once and for all! To avenge the fallen!"


Avenge the fallen, we would. Phila would not die in vain.

It took us only a few moments to get everything prepared. Chrom and Sumia would be joining us, though they would likely be taking a passive role unless it turned out that only the Falchion could kill the Leviathan. Robin himself went to go check in on our troops, to make sure they hadn't been caught by the creature. When we were up in the air again, we instantly charged forward again. The sky was filled with the sound of beating wings and hooves against the wind.

The Leviathan noticed us again, its face scrunching with frustration as it roared at us. Its tentacles flailed wildly, missing every last one of us. We began our assault in earnest, cutting at the beast as it swung its appendages wildly, attempting to swat us out of the air like annoying flies. We'd learned our lesson from the last time, however, and not one of the Pegasus Knights fell. In fact, it was almost like they were acting as one entity; their attacks were more coordinated than before, more precise. When one attacked, another would do the same somewhere else, just to keep the beast from going for both as it flailed around in anger.

After that, there was only one more thing left for us to do, and as Cordelia flew Aurora close to the beast's face, she readied her lance.

We flew right by the monster's face, and Cordelia's lance struck true. The sound of mushy flesh being sprayed across metal rang in my ears as the lance pierced the Leviathan's right eye. The thing screamed, clawing at the wound before staring up at us furiously. I could see the gathering power in its mouth, and watched as Cordelia calmly plunged forward again. I readied Sol.

The beam of magic flew just past us, sailing into the sky and piercing the dark clouds themselves, revealing the sun just behind them. It shined on us as dove forward, and I stabbed Sol forward just as we passed its face again. I felt the resistance as my sword cleaved through the monster's remaining eye, cringed as I felt its slimy flesh fly against my arm and sword again, and smirked when I heard it scream again, just as we passed its face.

It was completely blind. The Leviathan roared and shouted furiously, going so far as to use its own body to writhe against the buildings that it could no longer see. The Pegasus Knights flew back, allowing it to believe it was still being attacked as Cordelia and I flew up high, just above the thing's forehead. The gem there glowed menacingly, completely vulnerable.

In a moment of clarity and silence, Cordelia looked behind towards me. "Are you ready, love?"

I let out a breath, forgetting all about how high we were or the monster below us. All I did was stare into her sunrise-colored eyes, and I knew everything would be alright, "You know I am, Cordy. Don't break a leg."

She smirked as I kept in a scream when we plunged down. The wind screeched past us as Cordelia loosed herself from Aurora's saddle, her lance pointed directly at the monster's weak point just as it let loose one final scream. Hastily, I grabbed Aurora's reigns and pulled upward, and surprisingly the Pegasus obeyed, calmly leveling out.

I saw Cordelia plunge her lance directly into the Leviathan's forehead, completely shattering its dragonstone as the roar it had let loose a moment prior slowly turned into a whimper. The tentacles on its back stilled as if they realized something was wrong. Slowly, the Leviathan fell forward, its body falling apart as it did so as Cordelia yanked her lance free and fell forward with it, just narrowly stopping herself from slamming into the ground as she rolled.

In that moment, as she stood outlined by the massive beast she'd just slain, and I felt as if I'd fallen in love with her all over again. Aurora had long come to a stop, and I let go of her reigns and practically jumped off her. Cordelia stood there, breathing heavily, sweat forming on her brow as I ran forward. She barely noticed me before I was upon her.

"You did it!" I exclaimed happily, wrapping my arms around her hips and lifting her up. I spun around as I laughed, "You did it! You gorgeous, beautiful woman, you did it!"

"A-Alex!" Cordelia gasped, her lance dropping to the floor as she held on for dear life, "T-This is hardly the appropriate time to be-!"

"Oh, c'mon, like we ever care about that!" I interrupted, slowly letting her down and hugging her fiercely. "Naga, I'm absolutely blessed to be engaged to a woman like you!"

"G-Gods, Alex!" Cordelia squirmed before sighing and hugging me back. "If the other knights see us like this, we'll be jeered and laughed at."

"Let them. I love you," I hugged her just a bit tighter.

I could practically feel the blush on Cordelia's face as she murmured, happily, "I love you, too."

We separated suddenly when the Leviathan's corpse let loose a sound somewhere between a squeal and a sigh. I drew Sol again, and Cordelia picked up her lance quickly, glaring at what remained of the monster's corpse. What we saw shook me to the core.

The Leviathan's corpse had turned translucent, smoky almost, and purple. Within, I saw a figure. Humanoid, reaching out to us. A harsh whisper reached my ears, causing me to shiver.

"Thank… you…"

The figure fell, and the corpse and all within it simply vanished into smoke. The smog blew into the sky, catching the rays of the newly released sun in its wake.


Our troops had made it out in time, along with the civilians who were still trapped within the city when we arrived.

Of course, the city itself was in a ruinous state. It was already wrecked when we arrived, but with the Leviathan's rampage, it was almost nothing but a smoking ruin. Almost. There was something there to build upon, at least, and with a good portion of the citizenry surviving, I had no doubt in my mind that the mixing pot of Ylisse would one day attain its former glory.

When we found the others again, Cordelia was the talk of what remained of the town, so to speak. Sumia glomped her when we finally found them, gathering just outside of Warreth's walls.

"Gods, Cordelia! You were amazing!" Sumia gushed as Cordelia looked to me for help. Help that would never come, unfortunately for her.

"Er, yes, sure I was. Please, Sumia, can we-?" Cordelia was interrupted and nearly choked when Sumia hugged her tighter.

"Oh hush! As if they will care if the queen hugs her best friend!" Sumia replied, releasing Cordelia a moment later. "Besides, you should be hearing what they're saying about you!"

"Not something good, I imagine," Cordelia murmured.

I chuckled beside her. "Give yourself more credit, Cordy. You saved the day. Hell, you saved the entire city! That's gotta count for something."

"He's right!" Sumia agreed, "You know what they're calling you? The Savior of Warreth! Hehe! The Savior of Warreth and Hero of Khadein. Gods, you two have made names for yourselves, huh?"

"The Savior of…?" Cordelia placed a hand against her chest, attempting to catch her breath, "I-If that is what they see me as, then who am I to argue?"

"I'd call you daft if you did," I smirked. "You deserve it, Cordy. You did good today."

Cordelia gave me a small smile. "I don't think I could have done it without you at my side, love. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to truly thank you for that."

My smirk turned into a genuine smile as I brought my hand up and cupped her cheek, "You don't need to, Cordy. I'd do it a thousand times over without any thanks."

"You two are the cutest couple I've ever seen, you know that right?" Sumia squealed. "It's like something out of those old romance novels! Minus the naughty bits, I suppose. Then again, I heard a lot of-"

"Sumia, not another word!" Cordelia warned.

"Oh, come on, Cordelia! I'm only teasing!" Sumia giggled. "Besides, I think it's sweet."

"I told you," I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "I said we should've been quieter."

"That is hardly my fault! Maybe if you weren't so… so…!" Cordelia's face became a shade of red I didn't think was possible. I swore I saw steam blowing out of her ears. "Gods, you are both insufferable! Absolutely insufferable!" She crossed her arms and turned around. "I am never talking to either of you ever again."

"That's a promise you know you can't keep," I chuckled, smirking smugly.

Cordelia stood defiant for a moment before sighing. "You're right. I can't leave a handsome face like that alone, I suppose."

I was about to say something else when I saw Robin steadily approaching us, his expression grim. I felt my smile falter as he got closer. Cordelia noticed it too, raising a brow as the tactician stood in front of us.

"Oh, Robin," Sumia greeted. "Is… Is something wrong? You look pale. Er, that is, paler than usual. Not that that's a bad thing but- I'll stop talking now."

My brows furrowed as I saw Robin visibly swallow. "I-I'm afraid I have some bad news. Very bad news. I know it isn't what anyone wants to hear, not after the harrowing day we have had, but I cannot just let you go on without knowing."

"Robin, spit it out. What's wrong?" I asked bluntly.

Robin looked down, avoiding our gazes, "I regret to say that we cannot find Severa, Gerome, or Yarne. Most of our troops who aren't confirmed dead are accounted for except for those three."

I felt my heart sink into my stomach, and my veins turn to ice.

"Robin, they could just be in the city still," Cordelia supplied, though her voice sounded shaky. "Do not say what I think you are about to say. Don't you dare."

Robin shook his head. "I won't. That was what we knew until just moments ago." Robin took a deep breath, "I got a report just after the Leviathan was defeated that a band of Risen were hurrying through the forests north, towards Ylisstol. That Deadlord we encountered, Alex? I-I think it must have caught them by surprise while they were fighting in the city's right-hand districts. They were captured."

"No," I said instantly, "You're wrong."

"Alex, they are still alive, and when we storm Ylisstol we can save them-!" I pushed past Robin, leaving Cordelia and Sumia behind, "Alex, wait! Please!"

"If she's captured then I'll save her," I growled. "I'll charge their little fucking band and get her back. You can't stop me."

"Yes I can!" Robin replied, speeding in front of me and pushing me back by my shoulders. "You will accomplish nothing by charging in headfirst! It would be suicide!"

"And do what?" I asked rhetorically, "Leave Severa and the other two with Grima for two weeks? Never, Robin. I am not going to just let her sit there, with Grima doing whatever the fuck he wants to her. I'm going. Get the fuck out of my way if you know what's good for you!"

"Alex, please! Peace!" Robin pleaded, pushing me back farther. "If you go, you will die! Would you rather they drag your corpse in front of her as they cart her to Ylisstol!? Please, stay! You are not the only one whose child has been captured!"

I roared, pushing Robin back as I breathed hard and heavily. "What the fuck do you know, Robin!? How dare you! How fucking dare you! What do you know about her!? About me!? I will not let her become some dragon's plaything! We both know what he does to those in the palm of his hand! Hell, I know it better than most!"

"Alex! What about the Severa you left behind? What about Cordelia!? What would they-!?" Robin's mouth shut as I moved closer, my iron hand pulled back.

"Don't you fucking dare, Robin! I will fuck you up! Nobody fucks with me or my family! Nobody!"

"Alex!" Someone screamed behind me. My head shot around to see Cordelia's horrified expression, glaring back at me.

All of sudden, the world became clear. I turned back around to see Robin staring at me passively. I felt heavy, wrong, stupid. Everything I shouldn't have been in that moment.

Robin raised his hand and grasped my still raised iron one. Slowly, he lowered it for me. Gently, he grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me until my heels hit a log, and I sat down. My breaths came out ragged, broken.

"Sit down," Robin ordered, "Let me make something clear: I do not blame you for that outburst. Perhaps I shouldn't have been as harsh. I know how you operate, and I am sorry. But look at her," Robin gestured to Cordelia, who stood nearby, waiting, "and remember that you are not the only one who lost their child. Yarne and Gerome are gone too. Take a moment. Gather yourself. They will not be in Grima's clutches for long; we will be marching within the day as well. We may even catch up to them as we do so. Just remember that." Robin stood up, looking to Cordelia, "He is all yours."

He walked off, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Sumia had left, perhaps because Cordelia asked her to. Cordelia herself sat down next to me.

"Alex," Cordelia began, softly, "We will get her back."

I sniffled. "I know, Cordy. I know. I was just- I didn't mean to be that way. It just came out; I couldn't control it. I was-!"

I felt Cordelia's arms wrap around my right, "It's okay."

"How?" I asked, near hysterically, "How can it be okay? I'm- God, Cordy, look at me." I raised my left arm, gesturing to my body even though I was covered in armor, "You've seen how I look under this. I'm nothing but a walking mound of scar tissue. And my head ain't much better. I just wanted us to get through this. All four of us. I know what Grima can do to people. Look at what he did to me! I'm a soldier, through and through, and I hate it." I wiped at my eyes with my left hand, "I just want to live with you. To live with all of you. To have a future worth living in. But the longer we stay like this, the more I think all that's gonna be left of me is a soldier with no war to fight. No battles to be won. What then? What will become of me? What use will I be?"

"Alex, look at me," Cordelia ordered. Like a good dog, I obeyed. Her eyes were harsh, yet understanding. "Stop acting like you carry this burden alone. Stop acting like you are the only one affected by this war. Robin was right about that. I love you, Alex, but sometimes you can be incredibly dense."

"Naga, don't I know it," I muttered.

"I didn't mean it like that! I- Gods, this is coming out wrong," Cordelia sighed before cupping both my cheeks, "She is my daughter too, Alex, and the one thing I want to do right now is go out there on Aurora and find her and bring her home. But I know that is suicide. And in the end, my life is not mine to give away. Not for a foolish purpose such as that."

"We'll get her back," I repeated to myself, bringing my left hand up and placing it on her hip. "We will, right? We will."

"Of course we will. We'll storm Ylisstol and turn over every rock and building if we must," Cordelia affirmed, "But we will do it together, with the help of our friends and armies. Severa is a strong girl; she will survive. And we will do everything in our power to help her when we get her back."

I took a deep breath, shakily. "Okay," I said quietly, slowly removing myself from her. "I'm sorry. I'm good now." I stood up, "Well, we'd best get ready, then. Robin said we'll be leaving tomorrow morning, right? Best get to it."

Cordelia nodded, standing up alongside me, "The final battle is about to begin," She sighed, "We're almost through this, love."

My lips thinned. "Yeah, and when it's over, we can finally start our new life."

We walked, hand in hand, with the freed sun above us.

We're coming, sweetheart.


Dear God, we're heading straight towards that ending. God help you all. Chapter 71 is already done and it ain't pretty.

Special thanks to Stormtide_Leviathan and TheBobcat18 for beta reading this chapter. Gave me a vibecheck and I passed, thank the Lord.

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