Chapter 9) Emmeryn

Chrom's injury finally heals, and we make our way towards our destination: Castle Plegia, where Emmeryn is said to be. Flavia and Basilio catch up with us along the way, and they spend a lot of time with Chrom and Robin, focusing on the crazy plan to save Emmeryn, and the others captured at Ylisstol.

I focus on helping Frederick keep the army running smoothly. There wasn't really much else I could do, at this point.

"So, apparently, you four haven't eaten since lunch yesterday." I gave Chrom, Robin, Flavia, and Basilio my most unamused look as I stepped into the 'War Council Tent' where all four of them blinked at me slowly. "You didn't even sleep, did you?" I scolded, purposely setting the tray of food on their map in the center of the table they were all learning over. "And… gods above, you guys haven't cleaned in here either!" The entire tent was filled with discarded papers, pens, and waterskins. "Honestly, everyone… I fail to see how any plan you make will work if the four of you are too damned tired and hungry to do anything."

"Oh, we're fine, little miss," Basilio replied, waving off my lecture. I fixed him with my sternest stare, and had the pleasure of watching him squirm in his seat. "We… uh… know our limits?"

"You and Flavia might, Basilio, thanks to your extensive experience, but I can guarantee you that Chrom, who tried to practice drills while he still had a hole in his chest, and Robin, who only really has the experience of a few months thanks to amnesia, do not." I frowned, and turned my stare to the two of them. They squirmed as well. "Speaking of which. Chrom, you missed your checkup with Lissa, and she's most vexed with both you and Robin. Expect pranks."

"...War and Death, any reason we don't just send her at Gangrel?" Basilio slumped in his chair, grumbling. "One minute is all she'd need."

"Unfortunately, Gangrel will likely gut me before that minute, so you best continue with whatever plan you have." I moved the bowls of soup closer to the four of them, as well as spoons, and poured them some mugs of mint tea. "I'm certain it runs off of audacity and 'no one is stupid enough to do this', whatever it is."

"You know your brother well," Flavia laughed. She gave me a thankful smile and tucked into her soup with a gusto. "Oh, this is a green soup, isn't it? Feroxi?"

"It is," I confirmed, smiling slightly. "We had an excess in spinach that was about to go bad, as well as leeks, so I made some. I didn't have any nutmeg, though."

"You made this?" Flavia's eyes sparkled before they narrowed on Chrom. "This isn't fair. One sibling is the best damn tactician I've ever seen, and the other cooks amazing Feroxi soups! Share, damn it!"

"You're getting some now," Chrom cheekily pointed out with a giant grin. Flavia simply groaned. "Though, this soup really is good, Kestrel."

"It's super delicious," Robin added. He frowned when I gave him a weird look. "Did I… not compliment you on your food before losing my memories?" His frown deepened when I shook my head. "I guess I was used to the amazingness."

"That's right! You used to get this all the time!" Basilio laughed. He also dug in, and I smiled, gladdened that they liked it. I'd been a bit worried, since it had been a while since I'd made this soup, and Flavia and Basilio were Feroxi. "Beautiful lady making amazing food for you always! You've a devil's luck there!"

"...You remember she's my twin sister, right?" Robin's eyes narrowed. "Right?"

"Doesn't mean you're not lucky. Just, you know, not as lucky as, say, Chrom here!" Basilio laughed again, and Chrom actually choked on his soup. Robin thumped him on the back to help clear the resulting cough. "What do you think, Flavia?"

"I think Chrom needs to make sure I don't steal them away," Flavia instantly retorted. She sipped her tea, and I was startled to see she'd already devoured all her soup! "I'd love a good tactician, and I'm always up for adding a talented female warrior to my army. Especially a former mercenary, like myself."

"Oh, brother, are you planning on adopting her?"

"Maybe. She's adorable. Both of them are." Flavia's eyes sparkled again. "Hmm…"

"Uh oh." Basilio gave us a deadly serious look. "Kestrel, Robin, hide."

"Khan Flavia, no matter what you scheme, my sister and I have no intentions of leaving Chrom and Ylisse, especially given these trying times," Robin firmly declared. He smiled warmly, and I noted with amusement how Chrom blushed a bright red. "Speaking of which…"

"Don't talk tactics over your food," I scolded, gently bopping him on the head. He made a face anyway. "You'll give yourself indigestion."

"But…" He sighed as I leveled a stern look on him again. "Can we at least get Basilio's information? He got a spy report?"

"Oh, fine." I rolled my eyes, and refilled Flavia's tea. "Basilio?"

"It's not much," Basilio instantly warned. He ate a little more of his soup before continuing. "Mostly, it's a confirmation of what we know. Exalt Emmeryn will be executed tomorrow, on the marrow."

"The marrow?" Chrom repeated with a frown. He sipped his own tea, his bowl empty. "The hell does that mean?"

"Not sure. We'll find out tomorrow."

"They mean that she'll be executed on Grima's bones," I answered, feeling unsettled. I didn't like being so close to Grima's corpse. "It'll make more sense when you see them, but it means she'll be executed on Grima's bones. Based on location, I'd guess the ribs." I squirmed as they continued staring at me. "Listen to your history stories. Grima was huge, okay?"

"Surely not that big, right?" Robin asked. His jaw dropped when I nodded. "He was?" I nodded again. "Oh, holy shit, how the hell did they kill him in the past?"

"Well, things tend to die when you stab them enough times, no matter how big they are." I made myself smile. "But really, the new information is that you have a location, so to speak."

"True," Chrom confirmed. He grinned at Robin. "So far, you've been perfectly correct, Robin."

"Yes, but tomorrow will be the true test," Robin replied softly. He nursed his own mint tea. All of them were done eating. "We can't be careless…"

"Oh, stop with the false modesty," Flavia complained. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Chin up. Your thinking got us this far. Your plan is risky, but not overly so, considering what we're accomplishing. The danger is great, but the prize is well worth it."

"She's right, Robin," Chrom added. He slung an arm around Robin's shoulders. "We'll get through this, and we'll be trading stories with Emm by this time tomorrow. Or, well, getting lectured for recklessness. I'm sure she's got a bunch to yell at us for."

"Speaking of things to yell at you for…" I began, using that as a lead-in. "Lissa? Robin, you may go with him." I paused, thinking rapidly. "Actually, no, Flavia, go with both of them. I don't trust either of them right now."

Chrom and Robin tried to complain, but Flavia's laughter drowned them out as she escorted them to the healers. I set about cleaning up the plates, balancing them on the tray, and Basilio, surprisingly, helped me with it. But as he did, I noticed the serious look on his face, and realized he still had more to say.

"I've word from Olivia," he whispered to me. He didn't look up from cleaning at all. "Thanks to her connections with various traveling troupes, she's secured us a bunch of carriages and will wait for us in the ravines near Midmire."

"...An escape route," I summarized. I set the last of the mugs on the tray and looked at him. "You don't think this will work."

"Oh, no, I think it will. I also hope it will. But you don't get to be my age in Ferox without coming up with backup plans. I've a bad feeling Robin hasn't learned that part yet." He laughed, but it sounded hollow compared to his normal ones. "It's one thing to stand your ground when it's just your life on the line. If that was the case, I wouldn't bother. But we've got a lot of people depending on us. I make the plans."

"Right…" I made myself smile. "Thank you, Basilio. You'll forgive me for hoping we won't need it, right?"

"Of course. I'm hoping the same, and so is Olivia." He grinned, and this time, his laugh sounded normal. "The soup was fantastic."

"I'm glad." I just hoped it wouldn't be everyone's last meal. "I'll get these back to the kitchens."

Tomorrow, the operation's success or failure was decided. I didn't much like this calm before the storm.

"There are a lot of people here to see Exalt Emmeryn die," Gaius mumbled. He and I were hiding in the crowd, hoods of our cloaks up, waiting for the signal from Robin to begin the operation. "Holy shit, there are a lot of people. Pickpockets must be making a killing today."

"Provided that they're not watching the 'show' themselves," I muttered. I winced as someone jostled me, and I looked up, trying to see what I could above people's heads. From here, I saw a stage that Gangrel likely was going to stand on, and, if I looked much higher, I could see Emmeryn. She was on the highest rib of Grima, knelt with her hands clasped together, all alone. It was hard to see her expression or anything from here. "They might let people go."

"Gods, this is messed up. What's with these dragon bones again?"

"Grima." I felt almost lightheaded, being so close. "The bones are literally Grima's body."

"...How freaking huge was this thing?"

"Clearly, large enough that a human can stand on one of its ribs comfortably." I laughed hollowly. "They say that the First Exalt was smaller than one of its eyes, you know."

"One of its eyes?"

"It's called the damned Fell Dragon. What's creepier than multiple eyes?" There was a commotion starting from the front, and I tensed. "Gangrel's here."

"Well, Falcon, we'd better get ready." He tensed too, shaking slightly. So much of this required good timing. If the timing was off, even a little… "Oh, hell, he's a damn clown, isn't he?"

"Don't take it for stupidity. That's what got Emmeryn in this mess."

"Point."

"Good people of Plegia!" Gangrel boomed as he stepped out on the stage, waving his arms to make sure he was seen. The crowd cheered his arrival and then quieted instantly, shifting eagerly. "Welcome! Welcome, one and all, to this delightful occasion!" He gestured grandly to where Emmeryn knelt, and the crowd hissed in seething hatred. "Yes, I know. Look upon her, the witch-queen of Ylisse! Successor to her murderous father, inheritor of his self-righteousness! Look upon her, and see how small and useless she really is!"

The crowd booed and jeered in cacophonous unison. A few brave souls even tried to throw things at her, but they fell almost hilariously short. Gaius and I remained tense, hoping no one would notice we weren't among the insulters.

"Ah, your anticipation electrifies the air!" Gangrel slowly paced his stage, looking on everyone with a slow, eager smile. The effect made it seem like he was locking eyes with everyone. "Yes, we all remember Ylisse's crimes! We remember how their soldiers ravaged our homes, raped and slaughtered our people! We remember how they torched our capital, and massacred all in their path. We remember how their 'Holy Swordsman', the Demon of Blades, the Reaper of War, Death's Bride… We remember how she purged our fair city, and butchered our royal family, right down to the babes in arms!" He stopped in the middle of the stage and threw his arms up and out. "Shall we have the witch-queen answer for those crimes at last? Here? Now? Today?"

The crowd's roar of approval nearly deafened me, and actually made the loose stones on the ground rattle. The roar soon united into a single, fury filled chant: 'Kill her! Kill her! KILL HER! KILL HER!' Louder and louder, it grew, and the people punched the air in time with the words, stomping their feet to add more force to the words. 'KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!'

"YEEEEESSS….!" Gangrel laughed, clenching his outstretched hands into fists, grinning like a madman. His eyes lit up, like this was simply a show. "Yes! We shall finally have our justice! We shall finally put our people's ghosts to rest! Today, we burn out the infection once and for all!" He whirled to look towards where Emmeryn was, cape whipping about with the force. "Executioner!" A burly looking fighter stepped up behind Emmeryn then, axe already raised. "Bring down your axe and free our people at last!"

Gaius and I stiffened, hands falling for our swords. The crowd held its breath in anticipation as the executioner stepped a little closer… axe going a little higher… Emmeryn bowing her head, still in prayer… sunlight shining right on her, lighting up her golden hair…

"Flavia!" Robin's sharp call pierced through the tension, freezing everything. "If you will?"

"On it!" Flavia replied. I couldn't see her, but I knew she was either perfectly focused or smirking. Or both. "HAAAH!" A handaxe flew gracefully over everyone's heads and hit the executioner square in the face, sending them flying off the rib.

I had no idea if the sudden silence was because of the attack itself, or the sheer knowledge that Flavia was strong enough to snipe a person, half-hidden by a hostage, with a handaxe. I knew she was riding with Sumia so that she didn't have to throw it up, just over, but still. That was some distance!

"Please, get to safety!" I called, pushing the people closest to me towards some nearby buildings. They looked at me in shock. "I know; you hate me. But that doesn't mean we want you dead!" I continued pushing them to relative safety. "Come on! Move!"

"...You're making a distinction between soldier and civilian?" one asked. An older woman, one who might've been my age during the last war, who looked dubious. "Ylisse does that now?"

"You're not the same person you were fifteen years ago, right? Is it so shocking that others change as well?" I made a point to get her behind a defensive wall, and nudged some shaking children at her. "We're sorry we have to launch the attack now, but this is the only chance we have to save Emmeryn. So, Gaius and I are trying to get all those who don't want to fight to safety, on Chrom's orders."

"...Prince Chrom… wants to make sure civilians aren't caught up." She scoffed, but there was a slight smile to her face. "Well, where the hell did he get those sorts of morals?"

"Emmeryn. Emmeryn, and a desire to not repeat his father's mistakes." I reached into my pack and pulled out a little sweet, courtesy of Gaius, to pass to the scared children. "Here. You may check it, of course. I'd be surprised if you didn't. But, we thought the children might be easier to keep calm if they had some sugar to occupy them."

"...You're Plegian. I can tell by your eyes." Her own eyes narrowed. "But… you're with Ylisse."

"Well, I'm sure as hell am not with Gangrel, considering what he allows. I don't see why you all freak out over Ylisse's crimes, and then go about doing the same thing to them. You can call it 'justice', but honestly, isn't 'justice' supposed to make you feel better?" I shook my head, deciding that I'd rambled too much. Now wasn't the time for philosophical discussion. "Stay here, and seriously, don't move. It'll be easier to make sure you're not caught in the crossfire if you're in one place."

I moved away from her and continued working with Gaius to get people to safer parts of the area. Thankfully, no one else tried to make any snarky comments, probably because the sounds of battle started clanging through the air and made them far more glad that someone was taking charge. A few gave me weird looks, but I ignored them, continuing to clear out the area.

That is, until one, a little kid, snagged my sleeve. "Miss, you're helping the lady up there, right?" they asked. I hesitantly nodded. "Grandmama doesn't like her for some reason, but she looks nice. So… uh…" They pointed up, and I noticed that another person was making their way towards Emmeryn. "You… need to hurry?"

"Thank you," I whispered. I bent down to kiss the top of their head, smiling as they giggled. "Get to safety quickly, okay?" I nudged them towards the crowd. "And… keep your eyes closed."

"So that I don't see scary things?" They nodded. "Okay." They smiled and darted into the crowd. I watched them briefly, making sure they didn't get trampled, before running for the nearby building. Plegia's buildings were old, very old, and most were actually designed to be climbed, to make it easier to actually get onto the bones of Grima for formal ceremonies. Even with that knowledge, it still took me a bit to figure out a path up, and my arms ached from the climb. A couple of times, I had to jump from one ledge to another, and one heart-stopping time, I actually slipped, barely catching myself. My gloves ripped a bit as I struggled to keep myself from falling, and I made the mistake of looking down, realizing just how high I really was. Everyone looked comically small, like little miniatures, and it was all too easy to realize how bad a fall from here would be. If the impact didn't kill you instantly, you'd wished it had.

I made myself look back up, focusing on the climb, and I made it, slowly, onto the 'rib'. As I found my footing, though, I realized the person 'going for Emmeryn' wasn't actually going after her. Aversa simply stood there, between Emmeryn and me, holding a dark magic tome and smirking.

"Ah, pretty little princess…" she purred, smiling slowly. I realized with horror that she'd baited me. Somehow, she'd known I was down there, and she'd known I'd climb up here if there appeared to be a threat to Emmeryn. "It is my greatest pleasure to see you've returned home."

"This isn't home," I whispered. I unsheathed my sword, even though I knew she'd have a huge advantage in this fight, and not just because I knew she… was stronger. She was also a magic user, meaning she had less of a chance of falling off. I, as a sword user… "Oh, fuck you." She not only baited me, but she also set me up for failure.

"Now, darling, if you really want to, you need only to ask politely~" She brought her hand up and her tome glowed. "But first… I think someone else holds claim first…"

She blasted me with magic before I could do a damn thing. I ducked under and opened my mouth to neutralize her magic, only to get hit with another blast, one that made my vision blacken briefly and nearly sent me flying off the damn rib. My sword went flying, flipping end over end before disappearing below. I scraped up my shoulder badly and as I struggled to stand, I got hit again. I tried to figure out how she cast so quickly, before I remembered her extensive tattoos. Made with the same ink tomes were written in, they shortened casting times in exchange for pain. Knowing my father as I did, it was entirely possible he cursed her to dull her sense of pain.

That said, there was a lot of power for this, and the casting was faster than I'd ever seen. I wondered if she was Shadowgifted, like Mom. It would certainly explain why my father would take her in.

"You know… I expected more of a fight," Aversa drawled, after a fourth attack hit me and sent me crashing onto my back. "Princess of the Grimleal… daughter of Grima… yet you're not putting up that much of a fight at all." I struggled to stand up, but she casually walked over and kicked me in the stomach before stomping on my chest. I coughed and struggled to breath as she casually leaned forward, pinning me on my back. Her heel was right on my sternum and I wondered if she'd break it. "You're the one Grima wants as his right hand, his precious 'daughter', yet you can't even hold your own against me? Really?"

"Well, you do have an advantage over me," I coughed. I managed to grin up at her, mostly because I only really had one way to 'insult' her at this point. "I mean… you're so much older than-" I gasped in pain as she suddenly, viciously, stomped on me again. "Gah…"

"I'm not allowed to kill you, but I have to wonder if you might be a little more compliant if you're missing a few limbs." Her voice dropped to a hiss, and I had a feeling her age was a bit of a nerve. "Maybe an eye? They're such a dull, drab color, after all. An ugly muddy brown. You got it from your mother, along with the filthy red hair."

"Hate to break it to you, but I really don't care much about how I look, so long as I don't look like my father." I glanced to the side, wondering if there was something near, somehow, that I could use. However, I noticed something else that intrigued me; I had a clear shot on Gangrel from here, as he laughed and ordered his soldiers. "But there is something I got from him that you keep forgetting about." I smiled and brought up my shaking hand, my arm trembling as aching pain shot through it. "Ut incenderent tenebris in vobis benedictio." She shrieked, jerking back, and she dropped her tome as she clawed at her own skin. It hit me in the face, but I didn't care as I sat up, her tome falling into my lap. "You forgot that as Grima's 'daughter', I can curse with only my blood."

I tore a page out of her tome and threw it over the side before using the page to cast it. The power pulsed through me, pain following, and I grit my teeth as lightning flew from my hands and struck at Gangrel. Unfortunately, I couldn't fully control the spell, and Gangrel was a dodgy and lucky fellow, so most of it missed, but his screech of pain told me I managed a good enough hit anyway. Which was good, because even if I hadn't thrown the tome, I doubted I could manage a second strike with that tome, even with my blood tie to Grima.

Aversa was definitely Shadowgifted if she used this tome as her normal weapon. Only Shadowgifted individuals could control dark magic better than Robin and me.

A cheer went up shortly after, and I grinned as I saw Phila and the other formerly captured Ylissean pegasus knights fly onto the field. Basilio's job during all of this had been to liberate the captured soldiers, and they certainly succeeded. We had no idea just why they'd also captured the pegasi, but we weren't exactly going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I waved at a few and tried to turn my attention to Emmeryn, intending on limping over and helping her onto a pegasus. But, as I did, I noticed that Aversa was still between Emmeryn and me, with Emmeryn too distracted by everything to look my way.

Aversa panted heavily, the breaths a little high-pitched. Her neck and chest were bloody from where she'd dug into her own skin to try and escape the pain I'd inflicted. Tears clung to her cheeks, and her eyes were narrowed into a vicious glare. If looks could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over. I really would.

"You lot really don't play fair," she hissed, teetering a bit as she stepped towards me. However, she smirked, eyes glinting viciously. "Fortunately, though, neither do I." She snapped her fingers, and black light sparked and blossomed, swirling around her and flying up into the air. I watched them slowly, recognizing them absently as a 'message spell', but wondered just what sort of message she could be sending, and to whom.

Then something pulsed through me, like a burning hot dagger sliding straight into my spine. I gasped from the pain, too light of a word but the only one I had, and buckled, struggling to breath as the pain crawled all the way through me, one tiny claw at a time. The Brand on my back felt almost alive, squirming and stretching to reach the 'claws'. Tears ran down my face, and I choked on nothing, rolling onto my side and digging into the bone in a desperate attempt to somehow escape.

"Oh, hello there, my darling, darling 'queen'. I've missed you dearly." A voice echoed deep in my head. Smug. Powerful. Vaguely familiar on two separate levels. "Alas, you're too far away for me to claim you. What a shame." Bright red eyes filled my vision. Pools of blood, far too old to be human. "That thread of fate will have to be mended another day. Now, I have to fix what that detestable 'light' tried to snip. So annoying." A shadowy figure looming over me, blocking out the sun. Blocking out all the light. "I don't know what she thinks her stubbornness will do. Her father was far more stubborn, and he is my ever faithful servant." A low, dark chuckle. "My 'king'... and I shan't let him go. Not for long. Just like you. You think you can fly, but I'm always here. Fate… can never be changed."

The pain ebbed away, slowly, and I continued coughing, choking now on my own spit as I focused on breathing. Focused on the present. I shakily tried to pick myself up, wincing as I noticed I'd bloodied my fingers. I slipped a few times before standing on my shaking legs. That was when I heard the screams and thought to look over the battlefield, wondering what the hell was going on. I froze when I saw Risen, a whole army of them, had appeared out of nowhere. And the majority of them… were archers.

The screams were the sounds of the pegasus knights falling from the sudden undead army.

"Don't you see how foolish it is to fight?" Aversa's smug voice seemed so far away as I watched them all fall. I watched little crimson blotches bloom on the ground below, far too small for the lives they represented. "You thought you escaped fate? Fate doesn't like that," she laughed. I sensed her slink up behind me, and she wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I was reminded of Emmeryn's, and felt cold, because I knew this hug wasn't given to comfort. It was simply to mock me. It was probably why she'd let me stand up in the first place. "Why don't you just accept it? It's so much easier, right?" She kissed the top of my head in an almost-sisterly fashion. "Come with me. I know some people who will be so very happy to see you."

She tugged me back, and I almost went with her, feeling so much like the doll I was 'supposed' to be. But a shout made me look up, and I saw Phila hadn't fallen yet. She dodged arrows gracefully, like a dancer really, and got in close, though the arrowed blocked her from reaching Emmeryn. Her eyes darted about, and she and Emmeryn were discussing something. I wondered what it was, wondered what they were saying. They sounded too far away; their words were only mush. But I saw Phila's eyes flick to me, and I saw Emmeryn glance back to me, and I figured it out.

Emmeryn was begging Phila to get me. Because that's just how she was. Emmeryn had noticed me, at some point, and knew I was in danger. She wouldn't leave me alone in danger.

Phila was begging Emmeryn to come with her, so that she could come back for me. Or, else, she was trying to figure out a way to get us both. She wouldn't leave Emmeryn in danger.

I… had to get myself out of this situation. Because there was no way Phila would get both of us. In this situation, she might not even be able to get one of us. But if Emmeryn was to have any sort of chance, I needed to save myself.

"...I suppose running is pointless," I whispered. I slowly reached up and clutched Aversa's arm, as if I was accepting the embrace. But, really, I was just getting a good grip on her sleeve. "But, well, I'm not quite out of options yet." I dug my nails in, and she squeaked in surprise. "And I can survive things a little better than you!"

I twisted, and purposely slipped off the edge, taking Aversa off with me. Almost immediately, she yelped and screamed a few words in Old Plegian. Dark magic scattered from her hand, and before long, I saw a pitch-black pegasus swoop below us, summoned by another basic calling spell. She struggled to get me off of her, but I held on, so when we landed 'on' her pegasus, she was my crash cushion. I swung my legs just out of the way of her resulting show of vomit, since I kind of landed on her stomach, and waited until I was a little closer to the ground before jumping down. It didn't take long; the pegasus didn't really know how to adapt to two people landing hard on it. So, I jumped off and rolled when I hit to bleed off momentum and try to not break anything. I ended up rolling a bit more than I'd wanted, though, since my injuries protested all the exercise, and I scraped up my side badly. But I could still push myself up. I could still walk. I was alive. I was alive, and in a situation where I could get myself to safety. Emmeryn and Phila didn't have to worry about me.

I stumbled back, vision greying as the pain flooded me. I looked around, and then had to flatten myself to the ground as arrows flew right over my head. I jerked my head up to see that Phila was their target, and as I pushed myself up, I saw her dodge them all effortlessly before darting close to Emmeryn, one arm outstretched towards her. Her eyes narrowed with determination, and though more arrows flew by, none seemed even close to reaching her as her hands brushed against Emmeryn's arm, ready to snatch her, to take her to safety.

But then there was a flicker of dark magic in the corner of my eye. Red-black flames wrapped around one arrow. Deep, echoing laughter thundered through my skull again. And the arrow's trajectory bent. It bent, so that instead of flying harmlessly under Phila's arm where it should have gone… it thudded up and under her breastplate, for a perfect lung-heart shot.

The air itself stilled from the shock of the blow l and I swore I heard her gasp of pain because of it. Still, she struggled to stay aloft, to reach Emmeryn and get her on the pegasus. But all her strength faded with the arrow and she slipped off her pegasus and fell. Two eternities later, more red-black flamed arrows ripped through her pegasus's wings, sending it into a freefall too. Pure white feathers trailed after them both and the silence stretched on and on. Until their bodies hit the ground with a horrifying splat, bloodied feathers scattering on the wind, blood droplets splattering against the rough walls and streaming down the stairs.

I stumbled over to the blood, automatically, and I nearly gagged at… everything. She'd splattered. There was no other way to describe it. She and her pegasus had splattered. Red and pink everywhere. Barely resembling any sort of anything but… paste. Red and pink paste with little bits of cloth and feathers.

I limped a little closer and knelt down beside what remained, a strange ringing-roar in my ears blocking out all sounds. Blocking out everything except what was right in front of me. I poked at them, and wondered if I was looking for a pulse, or hoping there wasn't one. I didn't want them dead, not like that. But if they were alive… gods, I couldn't imagine the pain they'd be in.

Something wet fell on my head. I looked up slowly, thinking that there was some other pegasus knight bleeding or, worse, a sign that I really needed to get out of the way since another was falling. But there was no pegasus knight. There was only Emmeryn, her tears glittering in the sun, her jaw clenched to keep her crying quiet.

"Oh, thank the gods. You're okay." Flavia suddenly appeared behind me, and she lifted me up, attempting to drag me away from Phila's remains. I tripped over my own feet, though, so she focused more on steadying me. "Okay, all Shepherds accounted for, thanks to that Libra fellow and that Tharja girl," she muttered. She was splattered with blood and sweat and the hand on my arm trembled. "So, at least we didn't lose you two."

"What's going on?" I whispered slowly, fighting to process everything. The ringing-roar in my ears died, but I caught only silence. Not even the Risen were firing arrows anymore. "I… stopped paying attention when Phila fell." I hadn't been in time. I should've saved myself sooner. I should've fought harder.

"Gangrel is demanding the Emblem for Emmeryn, and he won't let anyone but Chrom make the decision." She tried to tug me away again, but I tripped over my feet again. I felt like my body wasn't even mine, except I knew it was. I still felt pain. "Damn, you look as rough as Robin…"

"How is he? How is…?"

"Pained, wounded, and reeling from how everything went from 'within acceptable' to 'worst possible scenario' in half a second." She slung my arm around her shoulders and tried to help me walk. It worked a little better this time, but I still had no real control over my feet. "Do you mind me carrying you?"

"No, it's probably the only way to ensure we actually get out of being open targets." I heard Gangrel laugh, and looked up to see he was back on the stage, bleeding and singed, but grinning like a maniac. "Oh, hell, Chrom just agreed." I couldn't see him, but I knew that's what he did. That was the only reason why Gangrel would be laughing now.

"Well, no shit." She crouched down to let me climb onto her back. "Stupid family treasure for a life? It's a no brain-"

"Wait a moment!" Emmeryn suddenly called, making Flavia leap to her feet and me jump. Tears still clung to her face, but her expression was serene and her voice was even. "Please, can we-?"

"Silence!" Gangrel snapped, whirling to face her. He snarled up at her, hatred and anger apparent in his growl. "You will be-"

"I. Will. Not." Emmeryn's eyes narrowed slightly. "Not yet, at least. Is there truly no hope that you will listen to reason?"

"Not more of this sanctimonious babble!" Gangrel groaned, rolling his eyes. I wondered how the others were reacting. Probably more shock. None of this really felt real. "No, I think not! I want to listen is the thunk of arrows and the splat as you hit the ground, like your pathetic pegasus knight there!" He pointed to Phila's remains for emphasis. "I want you to prepare to meet your maker! Unless someone wants to give me the Emblem, now!"

"...I see she was correct." Emmeryn's voice was very calm. Strangely calm even, considering everything. "I know you. I know you better than you think. A ruler must take on the will of their people, the wishes and the hopes. I strove for the peace my people longed for, and you took on your people's desire for revenge. But you are blinded by that obsession, just as I was blinded by my single-mindedness."

"Oh, blah, blah-"

"I would ask you to behave as a king, not a jester, for the first time in your life, King Gangrel." Emmeryn's voice remained even and calm. I heard Chrom call her name, but she ignored him. Her attention was solely on Gangrel, and he did not look comfortable with that. "Though I am blind, I did my best to listen. And thanks to that I know. I know the real reason why you seek the Emblem, even if you yourself do not."

"Will you do me a favor and shut the f-"

"You are ill-suited to be a king, Gangrel." She smiled then, a slow and regal smile. "But fear not. My next words, and actions, are not for you. You may ignore me now." She turned then, and looked out over everything. Her smile warmed slightly, and I knew she was looking at Chrom. Then her eyes fell on me, and I saw her mouth something. It took me a few seconds to figure it out, and when I did, my blood went cold.

'I am the Queen. Keep him safe.'

"People of Plegia, please, listen to me!" Emmeryn's voice carried easily on the wind. I saw a few civilians poke out from their shelters. I wondered how that lady and that kid were. "I ask, nay, beg, that you hear the truth of my words! I know that I failed you as I failed so many, but please, know I speak true! " She turned her smile onto all of them. Not her polite, serene 'Exalt' smile. It was her real smile. "War will win you nothing but sadness and pain! Surely, the past has shown you that!" She held out her hands, just a little, in a welcoming gesture. "You must free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance! For yourselves and for your future! Do what you can, what you must!" Her smile grew, but I saw the fear in her eyes. The fear, the pain… yet also the love, the determination. The drive to protect. "And I shall do what I must! For you, and for my people!"

That was a lie. Or, rather, that was just an excuse. In her eyes, I saw the real reason why she was doing this, and I saw it because I knew, thanks to that smile, that she wasn't being the 'Exalt'. She was just being 'Emmeryn', and she was just doing what she wanted, for once in her life. She wanted to protect Chrom, as he had saved her so many times. And, in this situation, there was only one way to do it.

Someone pushed past me. It took me a blink to realize it was Chrom, rushing pointlessly for her. I chased after him, tripping a couple of times as I tried to remember how to move my legs, but managing it nonetheless. Though Flavia called for us both, I kept on running and kept my gaze up, watching Emmeryn. She looked over everyone, her smile fading back for her serious mask. She smiled slightly, bitterly, as if saying 'was I wrong? Oh well.'. She looked down, closing her eyes as if laughing at herself, before opening them again, eyes serious. She was back to being the Exalt.

She walked to the edge slowly, steps purposeful and head held high. Chrom slipped on some loose rocks as he ran as hard and fast as he could. I followed him closely, still watching Emmeryn. Her eyes looked over everything again, and her eyes wavered. Her hands shook as she brought her hands together, as if in prayer. Maybe she was praying for this to work. Maybe she was praying that we'd make it out of here safely.

Chrom reached out to her, even though it was fruitless. I continued to watch Emmeryn. She looked down at the two of us and smiled. She mouthed some words, and though I couldn't make it out, her eyes told me what she said anyway. 'I love you. I'm sorry.'

Time slowed as she leaned forward. Time slowed as she fell. Her hair whipped behind her as she plummeted towards the ground. Her robes billowed. The sunlight focused on her, highlighting the gold in her hair and in her clothes. She still smiled. She smiled and closed her eyes as she got closer and closer to the ground…

TWHUMP!

...Silence… silence… more silence… I slowed to a stop. Chrom stumbled forward a few more steps before collapsing to his knees, a distance away from where Emmeryn impacted. The blood already pooled under her, staining her clothes crimson, little ribbons of scarlet seeping through her golden hair. The incline to the ground made the blood run, small little streams branching off into the various cracks in the stone.

...Silence. Silence. More silence. No one said anything. No one moved. No one even breathed. We all just stared. We stared, not quite comprehending what Emmeryn just did. We stared, watching the blood grow larger and larger. We stared, trying to connect all the pieces and come up with some sort of reaction. Any sort of reaction.

Lissa's heart breaking, ear splitting scream broke the silence. It broke the silence, and started my own tears as I watched Chrom curl into himself and whisper a single, shaking word: 'Emm...'

Maniacal laughter jolted me from my distant sadness, and I jerked my head up to see Gangrel was… he was laughing and clapping, like this was the end of some theater show. "Well now!" he cackled, nearly doubled over from the force. "How disgustingly noble! And so lovely of a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing, but that was so beautiful!" He reached up and wiped at the corner of his eye. "Ah, look! It even made me shed a tear! I've never see a fall so graceful! I simply must do something to make sure I can remember such a beautiful moment!" He pretended to think for a moment, completely oblivious to the seething hatred and anger building, and then snapped his fingers. "I know! We'll gather up her body and put it on display! Her face must be a terrible mess, but it's not like she was a beauty anyway! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

There was some roar of rage. It was impossible to figure out the source. Maybe it was all the Shepherds. Maybe it was just myself, my own anger trying to break free through the shock. But then there was Basilio's voice rising above the roar, ordering a retreat, followed by Flavia's, and all the shock faded for a single thing. Emmeryn's last request to me had been to keep Chrom safe. I… had to.

So, I walked over to him and crouched down, resting my hands on his shoulder and back. "Chrom, we have to leave," I whispered. I shook him, but he didn't react. "Chrom, we have to leave." He still didn't react, so I went for a different tactic. "Chrom, if we don't leave now, the Shepherds are going to die." That finally got me a reaction, though it was just to look up at me with a dry-eyed, but utterly lost look. He was too hurt to cry. I knew that instantly. "We need to leave."

"But… her body…" Chrom croaked. He looked back towards it. The blood still trickled away from her body. "I… I need to…"

"...Lissa is going to die if we don't leave now. We can get her body later." I managed to pull him to his feet. But he still didn't move. "Come on. Please, Chrom?"

"But…" He reached for the body, and he stepped forward. "I…"

"For me?" I shrugged helplessly when he looked back at me. "I've tried the Shepherds, I've tried Lissa… I know you won't leave for yourself. Will you for me?"

"..." His expression crumpled, though he still didn't cry. Instead, he nodded and let me lead him away. I held onto his hand tightly, too scared to let go, as we joined the others and ran as fast as we could.

As we did, I noticed there was a distinct lack of arrows, and took a single glance back, wondering why. When I did, I noticed… I noticed there weren't any Risen anymore. Instead, I saw soldiers in their places, with fallen pieces of armor and weapons hinting that the Risen hadn't just miraculously 'disappeared'. Instead, they'd been destroyed, and now, the Plegian soldiers… let us go. They were letting us escape from here, though I had no doubts that we'd have pursuers, in time. They were giving us the only chance they could, even though they could kill us all, right here, and get their full vengeance. They could destroy it all, right now, but they didn't. They let us leave instead.

I knew… if Emmeryn could just talk to them… they'd see her sincerity… I knew it...

Next Chapter - Don't Say Her Name