Chapter 7 – The Wings of Pyrrhus

The scream of a Pegasus is a terrible thing, Ike thought to himself as the shrill cry tore through his ears like a nail through wood. Although Elincia's last minute deviation had spared them a full impact, Ike watched as the keen claws of Molu managed to rake into the flank of the pegasus, ripping jagged red streaks down his thigh as the bounding hulk billowed past them.

"Ike, are you okay?!" Elincia yelled as she directed the wounded steed away from the cathedral, "How's Dalidion?"

"I'm fine," Ike responded as he quickly surveyed the wound. Although it looked severe, the gashes did not appear to be deep, and the bleeding was slow. "It's not great, but I think she'll be all right until we can treat her."

"Good. Where is that thing?"

Ike scanned the skies, and quickly found what he was looking for, since it was no longer making any attempt to conceal itself. "It's behind us, coming in fast from above!"

In response, Elincia guided Dalidion into an upward curve. Behind them, their attacker leveled off his descent and pushed toward his prey with primal elegance, its abnormally long tail flicking like an angry serpent behind it.

Suddenly Ike became aware of a growing commotion. Looking down into the streets, he saw that the aerial pursuit had shaken many of the people out of their hazy stupor, now shouting and gesturing loudly toward the sky. But Ike couldn't think about them as he squeezed the palm of his hand against the hilt of his sword. He couldn't even think about Navina, how she had baited the trap and he had hopped right into it like a rabbit into a wolf's jaws. He couldn't think about what he would like to do the next time he saw her, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't even think about the anxiety chewing at his gut at the thought that his friends could be in danger at this very moment and he couldn't help them. Maddening as it was, he had to focus everything on his own survival if anything else was to ever matter again.

"Do you think you can strike it with your sword?" Elincia asked.

"Maybe, but it's going to be difficult given our current position. Is there any way you can get behind him?"

"I can try." With that, she swerved Dalidion around to the right in a sharp curve in an attempt to turn the tables, but Molu, using what appeared to be a bare minimum of effort, slid off his current trajectory and followed them. Elincia repeated the maneuver again and again, even attempting to twirl around buildings, feinting one direction and going another. But their pursuer stuck to them as if bound by a leash and with each failed move was closing in on them, until Ike was sure he could feel steaming puffs of breath pressing into the back of his neck. "This isn't working. Do you have any other ideas?"

She was silent for a flashing of a second before she responded. "The only thing I can think of right now is a roll. Do you think you can handle it?"

Ike swallowed. Ike had seen her perform the maneuver before, and it had made him dizzy thinking about it. "Are you sure that's the only option?"

"I'm open to any ideas you may have."

Ike couldn't think of any at the moment. "Talk about being between a cat and a hard place," he muttered. "Let's do it." If I can face down a maddened goddess, I can handle this, he thought to himself.

"I know you may be tempted to close your eyes, Ike. But you must keep them open, and have your sword ready to strike."

"I understand."

"I know I'm asking a lot. But just press your legs tight, and hold on to me. Ready? Here we go!"

With those words Ike's world hurled sharply upward and around, until for a brief moment the jutting landscape of Sienne became the sky and the flickering fires stars in this strange new heaven. It was as if a giant hand had just tipped the world over, and the only thing keeping him from drifting off into this exotic new reality was his grip on Dalidion. He held his breath as it felt like his insides were rearranging themselves, the urge to close his eyes against all these new sensations almost irresistible. Just when he thought he could take no more and was about to go flying off through the air, the sharp skills of Elincia quickly brought the world back to normal as Ike forced his senses back into focus and prepared himself to strike at the unsuspecting backside of the enemy.

But with startling realization he found himself staring again at the ferocious visage of his foe barreling towards the pegasus. Elincia quickly veered off to the left, allowing Ike only a harried swing at the wing of Molu, who emitted a furious growl as the whistling steel tore through the delicate flesh. The beast, momentarily stunned, slowly lost altitude as it glided downward.

"Now, Elincia, spin around and we can finish this!" Ike yelled euphorically. Elincia was silent as she considered the creature for a moment, her lips pursed. Finally, she spun Dalidion around and veered towards the dragging form. However, as they neared the fluttering mass, the feline creature emitted a stinging shriek that sent Dalidion into a frenzy of commotion up and as far away from the sound as his wings could carry him, leaving a startled Ike and Elincia battling just to remain seated on the terrorized mount.

By the time Elincia got him settled, they were high over Begnion. Elincia looked behind her. "Ike, are you okay?"

"I'll let you know as soon as my stomach gets out of my throat," Ike responded, legs buried in Dalidion' flank, scanning the air around him closely. Where did it go?

"I'm sorry, I had no idea that thing was so intelligent. It anticipated what I was doing and countered it. I've never heard of any kind of mount that can do that, and so quickly too."

"Is it a laguz?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so, at least not any that I've ever heard of."

"I've never heard any animal noise like that before. What was it?"

"I don't know what to call it, but it makes a wyvern sound like a songbird. But at least you managed to wound it."

"Not by much. I was only able to wing it, so to speak. I'd be willing to bet it's still got barrels of fight left in it."

She scratched her forehead anxiously. "The main problem is that shriek. If we can't get near it, we can't defeat it."

"I don't suppose you could ask Dalidion to stick her hoofs in her ears?", he asked sardonically as he maintained his downward surveillance.

"No, but maybe…" With that she began ripping at the fabric of her shirt.

"What are you doing?" Ike gasped, his eyes wide.

"The next best thing," she answered as she rolled up the two pieces of material and stuffed them into her pegasus' ears. She then tied a long strip around the elongated head of Dalidion, securing the cloths in place. "I'm sorry," she whispered to her steed as she did it, "but maybe this will help you put up with that thing so we can take care of it."

Ike nodded approvingly. "Good idea. Now if only we could do something about how damned smart it is."

"We just need to show that we're smarter. Anyway, we should probably get back down there. Without us to toy with, it may look for other targets."

"I don't get it. Why didn't it just come up here after us?"

"Perhaps that nick you gave it was more effective than you thought." She looked back at Dalidion's wound, which had stopped bleeding. "Just a little longer," Elincia cooed as she guided the pegasus back downward, "I promise I'll make it better."

Their tense forms sliced back down through the cool night air, eyes alert for any trace of the creature. They glided past the looming form of the Tower of Ashera, shadows mingling with moonlight over its reeling heights as Ike thought back to the epic struggle he had been locked in only hours before. By the goddess, I haven't even had a chance to sleep since then, he thought to himself as he rubbed his aching muscles. He studied the tower, idly wondering what would become of it now that Ashera had been defeated. Before he had a chance to think about it, his eyes detected a slight movement. A shadow, separated from the others in a patch of luminescence, seemed to be moving. As he scrutinized it he realized that the dark form was a crouched mass of muscle, preparing to pounce.

"There! It's on the Tower! Elincia cast a rapid glance to where he was gesturing, and looked in horrified fascination as Molu, crouched on the side of the tower like a menacing statue, sprung forth with a terrible thrust, streaming toward them, like a hawk diving for a hapless salmon.

"Where the did this thing learn all these freaking tricks?"

"I don't know, but he just gave me an idea for one of my own."

"What are we going to do? It's too strong and massive for a headlong attack, and even with the plugs I don't think Dalidion will put up with that shriek for very long."

"Then we need a way to distract it, and hit it fast."

"Maybe we should have brought Soren. I know he would have one right about now."

She hastily made a survey of the city below. "There, that ought to do the trick."

"What will do what trick? What are you planning?"

"No time to explain, just brace yourself and do what I say."

"Ok, but why…"

"Just do it, now!" Before Ike knew what was happening they were sinking into a deep dive toward the city.

"What're you doing? You're not planning another roll, are you?"

She did not answer him, for what she was about to do required every bit of her concentration. Ike, glimpsing the look on her face, clapped his mouth shut and tightened the grip on his sword. Molu did not flinch, but continued his deadly trajectory toward his prey, heated saliva flicking off pointed fangs as he closed inexorably in on his prey.

Elincia swooped toward one of the tall, narrowing structures that had up to recently been the home of Senator Valtome. At the summit of the palace was a small shrine of sorts, where the she and the empress had once been entertained by the duplicitous official. It was small and intimate, fitting neatly over the entire rooftop. Four strong, elegant pillars supported a curved covering on which a small statue was perched. Although made in the image of the goddess Ashera, in a move worthy of his soaring vanity Valtome had the facial features chiseled to resemble his. Pushing aside a sudden feeling of revulsion, she directed Dalidion to the right of it, picking up speed on an apparent collision course with another structure beyond. Ike steadied himself and said nothing.

Then suddenly, as they were just about to soar past the shrine, Elincia veered Dalidion sharply toward the left, straight towards the center of the pillars. "Elincia! Ike cried out as they careened toward the tight space between the pillars, "We're not going to make it through!"

But Elincia had shifted into a zone of pure feeling where only a desperate pressure in her stomach, the slippery grip of her hand against the pliant reins, and the heat flooding her limbs registered as she directed Dalidion with the fluidity of water tumbling into a glass. From somewhere almost outside herself she heard herself yell at Ike to duck, as with another quick signal from her his outstretched wings contracted against his frame as he coasted with harrowing agility through the snug space of the shrine.

As they slid through the columns, she felt the tips of her hair prickle as the tips grazed against the smoothness of the roof. In less than the span of a breath they were through, continuing their inexorable intercept trajectory with the wall of the neighboring tower. Dalidion's wings once again stretched to their impressive wingspan as from behind her came the sound of something heavy crushing heavily against stone, followed by a loud, frustrated roar. But her brain barely registered it, and it merely trickled together with a vague tightness in her stomach and the incoherent cries of someone telling her to turn. Who was that? She knew, but in the surreal nebula that separated their worlds she couldn't tell.

But then through it all she felt herself once again leading Dalidion, pulling up, up, upwards as she watched the stony blur of the wall pass by in front of her as if it was sliding into the ground. At last they soared past it into the shrouding night sky, where she once again veered her steed into a curving backwards arc. This one lasted longer as she knew it must, giving Elincia time to ponder in unbelieving captivation this dreamlike view of the world. She had done this so many times before, but this time it was different. The images, the colors, invaded her brain and pierced her senses in a way they never had. In this brief yet eternal effusion of sensation, her eyes fixed onto the pompous face of the hideously malformed statue, and through the nearly nauseating blend of wonder and fatigue invading her being, she could swear that the statue twisted its lips in wicked amusement, into the smile of a dying man who sees a spear pointed at the back of his killer. But then the moment was over as Dalidion righted himself, allowing Elincia to discern through overwhelmed yet heightened senses the twisting form of Molu as he struggled to free his wings from the rubble of two of the pillars, made more difficult by the wound Ike had inflicted. The shrine, deprived of a key part of its support, teetered precariously on its remaining supports.

"Now Ike! Elincia yelled as she pressed her course has close as she could to the side struggling beast. Ike, shaking off the last of the euphoric terror that had gripped him, readied his sword. Molu, who just suddenly seemed to realize his predicament, opened his mouth as to release another shriek. As the pegasus slung past the shrine, his nostrils filled with the smell of sweat-drenched fur, Ike slashed his sword deeply into the beast's side as a scream bellowed from deep inside the enraged beast.

Elincia slowed as they cleared the structure, steering around in a half circle to study the scene behind them. The dark mass that was Molu thrashing about blindly, shaking the shrine in its maddened, pain-drenched rage until finally the remaining pillars broke apart and fell away, causing the intrically carved roof to shudder and collapse, dumping its crumbling weight over the writhing creature.

Ike watched as the fractured statue slid off the debris, tumbling off the edge and crashing into the street below. He looked back to the now still form sprawled languidly among the powdery rubble, a cloud of rubble shrouding the scene. "Is it dead?" Ike asked, giving form to the question that was floating between them

"It seems to be," Elincia muttered as she fluttered around the beast, still maintaining a healthy distance from what had proved to be a fearsome opponent. Her gaze drifted to the sad, drooping shadow of the tail swaying gently in the breeze. She shook her head. "Why did it have to come to this? It seems like such a waste, such a magnificent creature…"

Before she could finish the brief eulogy for the defeated foe, the tail suddenly shot up as if it had been stung by a bee, wrapping itself around Dalidion's front right leg. Surprised, Dalidion tried to pull away instinctively in response to the restrictive grip, but to no avail. Slowly, the massive trunk of the beast stirred to life, pushing itself upward through the burying rubble, its entire left side a sheen of blood. The animal lifted up its head, glaring toward them with a look of triumphant fury.

Ike knew the hard, unyielding look in the creature's eyes, seeing it all too often on the battlefield. An enemy, wounded beyond hope, summoning up all the life and strength remaining to him to strike one final blow at his seemingly victorious opponent, his only remaining thought to rip the life away from the victor so that he might have company as he hurtled down into the abyss.

"Elincia, we need to get away from here, now! He screamed as he swung his blade toward the tail, which was just out of reach. "Use your sword!"

Elincia, who had been putting her efforts behind those of Dalidion in trying to rip free of the exasperating pull of the creature's tail, realized that her efforts were futile. She drew out Amiti with a sharp yet reluctant yank.

But suddenly, there was no more time as with final, defiant lunge the predator hurled himself at them.

Whether what happened next was the result of sheer instinct on Dalidion's part or some unconscious signal by Elincia was never ascertained, but at the last second Dalidion drooped down just enough so that Molu, instead of crashing into the two passengers, was now on an unalterable course directly over them.

Ike released his grip on Elincia as he doubled the grip on his sword and drove it into the beast, but in his position he only managed to strike its hindquarters as its torso flew over Elincia. She could feel the intense, fading heat of the creature's body as it surged in over them, its massive paw making an enfeebled swipe towards her as drops of blood splatted in her hair. She dodged it, and it clanked harmlessly against the armored pad of her shoulder as she plunged her sword upward into the creature's chest and pierced through its slowing yet still beating heart in a swift, agonizing thrust.

The creature let out a gurgling growl and slumped downward past the Pegasus in the finality of death. It was then that Elincia felt a sharp tug on her shoulder, and saw with horrified realization that the creature's claws had become entangled in her shoulder plate. She grabbed the paw in a vain attempt to detach it. But the effort was in vain, and all she could do was listen to Ike scream as he made a failed attempt to grab her as she was pulled over the side with the slipping carcass.

Elincia still gripped the paw as she found herself cupped by the soaring weightless feeling of the open mantle of air for an instant before the irresistible tug of the earth below grabbed her and began pulling her downward. Suddenly, there was a sharp jerk, and she struggled to retain her tenuous hold on the limp arm of the creature as she struggled to orient herself. She looked upward only to be greeted by the deadly snarl of Molu.

But the angry glare was fixed and unmoving, the final, defiant roar it seemed about to unleash trapped forever in its throat. As she clung fixedly to the dangling paw she looked beyond the permanently snarling visage towards the labored neighing of Dalidion, where Ike was clinging desperately to the tail of the creature. Teeth clenched, skin pulled tight against strained muscles, Ike grasped the prickly fur with a savage, desperate strength. "Elincia! Can you climb up?"

She attempted to ascend, but felt her hold slip on the blood-drenched fur before slipping back down precariously close to the tip, her hand scraping against the lethal sharpness of a claw. "The fur is too slick, it's all I can do to hold on!"

He heard Dalidion whinny, and noticed for the first time the shimmering sheen of sweat glistening over the white body of the pegasus. The animal was exhausted after the struggle, and looked to be on the brink of collapse. And now there was all this extra weight…

Arms blazing with pain, Ike considered his options. Could he hold this with one hand, and attempt to land the Pegasus with the other? The answer to that was a resounding no; he could feel his grip slipping even now as he called upon every last ounce of the strength remaining to him just to keep his grip on the massive hulk. Besides, it would take an unfathomable amount of luck to land the Pegasus even with both his hands free. But if he let go of Molu…Ike looked down below him. At this distance from the ground, there was little to no possibility of survival. No, No, NO! he screamed to himself, shaking his head violently, that was not even an option.

Was it?

Dalidion let out another feeble protest, and under him Ike felt the Pegasus begin to tremble. Ike tore through his brain for a solution, but as usual he was short on time with a mind fuddled by fatigue. He gazed down at Elincia, clasping the leg of the creature as if it was the hand of a long-lost friend, showing no trace of the fear he knew she had to be feeling. Suddenly, he knew with wrenching clarity what he had to do.

"I'm sorry," he whispered down to her.

She blinked rapidly. "You're sorry? What are you…"

He cast away the motionless hulk of Molu.