Chapter III – Fragmented Emblem

It simultaneously felt like an eternity and like no time at all as the fire spell came at me. It couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds, but every single one was filled with anxiety.

In an instant, the flame magic hit my chest, burning through my robes and searing its way through my clothing to my bare chest. I could feel that I had been burned, likely very badly, considering that I could still feel it at all. It wasn't the first time I had been injured in battle, and I knew that when there was this much adrenaline flowing through my veins, only a serious wound could still give me that familiar stinging sensation.

I collapsed on my hands and knees. It was totally involuntary, I could barely feel my limbs. That was no weak fire magic, that was for sure. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the mages in front of me reacting, presumably taking down the dark flier that had attacked me. In another moment, the respite granted to me by my nerves ended, and my every sense filled with total agony.

"ARGH!" I cried out. I winced in pain and fell down completely. As I sat on the ground, paralyzed by the overwhelming burning in my chest, Lissa and Maribelle were by my side. They were near me the whole time, but somehow the seconds it took them to make it to my side felt like forever.

"Robin, darling, are you alright?" Maribelle frantically asked as she readied her staff. Lissa cleared away the burnt patches of clothing from my chest as Maribelle pressed her staff against the wound. It was cool to the touch, but the feeling of her healing magic sent a strange warmth through me.

"F-fine, I think," I barely managed as I panted. The feeling was more like exhaustion than pain. I couldn't bring myself to move, though I didn't think I'd be able to overpower the combined strength of the healers holding me down regardless. Lissa walked behind me and I tried to turn my head to see what she was doing, but Maribelle placed her hand firmly on my jaw.

"No, no, you stay right here," she said caringly. "If you move too much, you'll disrupt the healing spell."

"The V-Voice, is she o-okay?" I asked in a weak voice. Maribelle maintained her focus on the burn wound as she answered.

"She's fine, darling. You blocked the spell entirely," she assured, her worried expression unchanged, "though I wish you would have had a better idea than just throwing yourself in front of the spell."

"I h-had no choice," I said guiltily. She looked genuinely concerned. Were my injuries that severe?

"Well don't worry yourself about her for now. The others are all fawning over her as we speak," she said. I could hear what sounded like a little contempt in her voice.

"Robin, are you feeling alright?" Chrom said from behind me as he walked into view with Lissa by his side. Lissa still looked worried, but Chrom didn't look alarmed at all.

"My Lord! Whilst you were obsessing over that so-called oracle, your tactician very nearly suffered a grave injury," Maribelle lectured. Chrom could barely contain his laughter.

"Peace, Maribelle," Chrom chuckled. "I was watching you from afar, and I know when Robin is truly in danger. The only concern I see on his face is concern for what's going on behind him."

I smiled. Chrom knew me so well, though this still didn't seem to sit well with Maribelle. With fire in her eyes, I could see her bite back the urge to scold him even more.

"I'm doing fine, thank you, Chrom," I said, my voice finally regaining its strength. Chrom, Lissa, and Maribelle had one thing in common: they were all members of highborn families. Chrom was the prince regent of Ylisse. He had taken over the throne after the former Exalt died. The last Exalt was his older sister, Emmeryn. She was an advocate for peace and diplomacy, no matter what it cost her. Chrom had idolized Emmeryn, and was devastated by her death. He confided in me once that he worried he did not live up to her ideals. In light of this, he refused to formally take up the title of Exalt. Even though he did not officially hold the title of Exalt, he was still the leader of our country.

Lissa was his younger sister. Both Lissa and Chrom were laid back individuals, but Chrom knew when to cast aside that relaxed demeanor and be more mature. Lissa despised seriousness, so she never attended council meetings or thought much about pressing leadership matters. That's not to say that Chrom was all seriousness either. He was often criticized for not being cautious enough when it came to his rule over Ylisse. Chrom still tried to follow Emmeryn's advice that she had given while she was alive, so he focused more on winning the hearts of his people than protecting the security of his throne. Fortunately, we had Frederick to take care of all the seriousness, a duty that he was more than happy to fulfill at any time, or rather, all the time.

Maribelle was also a highborn woman, though her station was lower than that of Chrom and Lissa. Of course, you couldn't tell that by looking at her. She behaved like a true noble and much more properly than Chrom or Lissa did. Maribelle was the sort of person to tell you how to walk, talk, and look at the world around you. It was honestly a bit overbearing at times, but I knew she meant well. She was best friends with Lissa, but we had come to be close friends too. We often spent time together teaching each other about the ways of our worlds, as hers and mine were truly a world apart. She taught me how to act like a proper nobleman and I taught her how commoners interacted. Believe it or not, she was genuinely interested in how to speak slang like an average person. Though she'd never be caught dead speaking improperly, so sometimes I wondered if she just feigned interest for my sake.

Maribelle restrained herself from making anymore comments toward Chrom and focused on healing me. I was starting to feel better. The sight of my charred clothing was still shocking to me, but the pain was subsiding.

"Hello there. I hope you're not grievously wounded," said a soft, gentle voice. I looked up and behind Maribelle stood the Voice, finally having fully woken. The woman knelt down and took my hand into her own. She was soft to the touch and her entire body looked divine. I had to wonder if any human woman could look as radiant as she did.

"I'm doing fine. Did you get hit?" I asked, looking up to meet her emerald green eyes. She looked away for a moment and looked as if she… smiled? Her countenance returned to normal when she met my gaze again.

"No, no I'm fine, thank you," she said. "I'm quite sure we are unacquainted. My name is Tiki."

"T-Tiki? It's v-very nice to meet you, Tiki," I looked away from her. Any sense of confidence I had felt disappeared in an instant. Here was a divine oracle, speaking to me as if we even lived in the same world. I was just a commoner and her station even made Chrom look like a peasant. "My name is R-Robin."

Her expression softened again into a smile. This time she didn't look away. "It's a pleasure, Robin," she said and my eyes found hers again. "Might I offer my profound gratitude and apology? Had I not been so slow performing the rite, I wouldn't have been in harm's way. Without your quick action, I would surely be seriously injured."

"Oh, it's n-nothing. You were in trouble, and I couldn't let anything bad happen to the V-Voice," I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I replied. She seemed a little disappointed at my comment, but only for a moment. She returned to a lighter smile before I had time to ask her if I had said something wrong. Regardless, seeing her upset by my words hurt a little.

"Yes, well, your actions were very heroic. Please do not discount them. Many would not act as you have," she said and gently released my hand to turn to Chrom. "Lord Chrom, I believe you possess the Binding Shield. Is this correct?" Chrom looked confused.

"The Binding Shield? I'm afraid no-" he started to say, but was interrupted by Lucina.

"The Fire Emblem, Father. The Binding Shield is an antiquated name for it," Lucina spoke up.

"Oh, yes, forgive me. I sometimes refer to it by its old name out of habit," Tiki said. Chrom's face lit up.

"Oh, of course, no problem! I have it right here," he moved to take the Fire Emblem off his armor.

"Mmm. The Emblem is incomplete, Lord Chrom. Where are the other gemstones?" Tiki asked.

"Other gemstones? I've never known there were more than just the one," he indicated to the gemstone placed at the top of the Fire Emblem.

"The Fire Emblem has long contained five gemstones. One was entrusted to me centuries ago. I assumed that the Ylissean royal family possessed the remainder of them," Tiki said.

"Centuries ago? I'm afraid I've never heard about them. Can you tell us why they were separated? Maybe that'll help us figure out where they are," Chrom requested.

"Very well. The Fire Emblem, as I'm sure you are aware, is an object that holds extraordinary power," Tiki began. Lucina chimed in.

"It can awaken Naga's power, but it also has more nefarious uses," Lucina said.

Tiki nodded. "Correct. Some would use the Emblem for destruction, but without all five gemstones, the more advanced uses of the object cannot be carried out," she explained. "As such, I took the Starsphere, referred to now as Azure, and kept it myself to ensure that the Emblem would not be used except to stave off an hour of darkness for humanity."

"Perhaps others had the same idea? There is no recorded history in Ylisse of the gemstones," Lucina asked curiously.

"I… hope that they are safe. Though the Shield must be fully assembled to achieve its greatest power, each stone has power of its own and could be dangerous in the wrong hands," Tiki said with a sparkle of fear in her eyes.

"Fie, if I'd have known," Say'ri interjected from behind the crowd, who were all quietly listening to the discussion at hand. She stepped forward.

"What is it, Say'ri?" Tiki asked her bodyguard.

"Milady, Vert was in safekeeping by Chon'sin for generations. It was just stolen by Walhart's lieutenant before I met you."

"I… see."

"Well, you said you have one of the gemstones, don't you, Tiki?" I asked her.

"Yes," she turned to Chrom and Lucina. "You must take it now, Lord Chrom. The combined power of Azure and Argent, the stone you possess, should be sufficient to help you acquire one of the other stones." She handed him the blue gemstone.

"Understood, Lady Tiki, but where does this gemstone go in the Emblem?" Chrom asked.

"The blue flame orb, wielding the power of the starry heavens," Tiki said to no one in particular, leaving everyone around looking confused. She pointed to the top right alcove in the Emblem and Chrom placed it in. The Emblem seemed to surge with power for a moment.

"It is done. The Emblem now possesses a great power it did not previously," Tiki said as she closed her eyes in thought. "The combined might of Argent and Azure will secure your victory against anyone who wields Sable."

"Sable? Is that another one of the gemstones?" queried Lucina.

"Yes. I know not where the gem is, but I know that it could be considered the most dangerous of the stones. Exercise caution against anyone who possesses it," Tiki said with a fierce look toward us.

"But the two we have can beat it?" Chrom remembered.

"Yes, but the fight will still not be easy. Argent is the antithesis of Sable. Light and darkness, as it were. Possessing Azure enables a far greater attack against the powers of Sable," she explained.

"What about the other stones? What are they like?" I asked. Tiki met my eyes again. It felt oddly warm every time she did.

"The stone that was guarded by Say'ri's people, Vert, wields the power of the earth," Tiki continued. "Say'ri has told me about this Walhart fellow. If he is aware of the legend, he may very well seek to harness the full power of Vert to collect the other gemstones."

"So we need to find the lieutenant who took it and retrieve Vert from him as soon as possible," I concluded. "Do you remember who it was, Say'ri?"

"Aye, it was the mustachioed one," Say'ri recalled.

"Cervantes…" I grumbled.

"He probably had it with him when we fought him last, the dastard," Chrom said.

"Have you met him on the field of battle before?" Tiki inquired.

"Yes, we have, at the Mila Tree. We were there to find you. We hadn't realized you'd moved here," I told her.

"Milords, might I suggest something?" Frederick interjected.

"Go ahead, Frederick," Chrom nodded.

"Cervantes' forces suffered a grim defeat at the Mila Tree, but the man lives. I expect he will recover and rally his armies to serve as the vanguard to defend Valm Castle."

I turned to Frederick. "So you think we'll find him on the way to the castle?"

"I believe so, Robin."

"Nay, I ken that the southern dynasts will be between here and Walhart's castle," Say'ri said. "They still fight for Walhart, sirs, but I don't think Cervantes would join them."

"You're probably right. Cervantes didn't have a good relationship with Yen'fay, right?" I asked Say'ri.

"Not at all, Sir Robin. Walhart's forces, and thus Cervantes' forces, view themselves as far superior to the dynasts that were led by Yen'fay. The dynasts mostly allied themselves with the Conqueror out of selfish interest."

"Now that your brother is… no longer their leader, don't you think that the dynasts might change sides?" I minced my words. Say'ri's brother, Yen'fay, had been killed in battle. He had chosen the wrong side, but for Say'ri to have killed him herself still extracted a great toll on her.

"That is beyond my ken, sir, but I expect not," I sighed as she spoke. "Walhart's armies still outnumber the Shepherds by a large margin."

"Right, and I expect their training, organization, and supply chains to be far superior as well," I grimaced.

"That is very likely," Frederick said. "Common opinion throughout the villages we've visited is that the Conqueror's headquarters division alone has fifty thousand men at the least."

"Gods, if you combine the forces of his officers with his own, that's easily a hundred thousand men," Chrom said, his eyes widening.

"And adding in the dynasts, that could bring them over half a million assuming the best," I said.

"Aye, but the southern dynasts are much more a collection of conscripts than professional soldiers," Say'ri mentioned.

"We're getting a little carried away here," I called out. "The dynasts might still ally with us, so it's just a matter of proving that we are mightier than Walhart's own forces."

"You're right. The Ylissean forces are led by the best army in the land," Chrom looked to his men, "that's all of you, Shepherds!"

"I beg to differ, Chrom," came a voice from the crowd. Flavia stepped out, looking as proud as ever. "The Feroxi are a part of your forces, and everyone knows we're the finest damn army in the world!"

Chrom laughed. "Yes, yes, of course. How silly of me."

"She has a point, though. If we can rally the Feroxi to support us in the charge against Walhart, we might persuade the dynasts to change allegiances," I thought out loud.

Flavia was the reigning Khan of Regna Ferox, Ylisse's neighbor to the north. Unlike Ylisse that was led by a peace loving Exalt, the Feroxi were a warrior people. They fought for sport. They fought to resolve conflict. Fighting was a part of their culture. I had heard rumors that they descended from barbarians, but I didn't dare ask Flavia or Lon'qu if that was true. We had gained an alliance with them two years earlier in the war against the Mad King Gangrel.

That war was one I could never forget. Gangrel was once the King of Plegia, our western neighbor. Their nation was known by many to be a theocracy that worshiped Grima. Why anyone would worship Grima was beyond me, but that wasn't why we fought them. Those brutes were the reason that Emmeryn was gone. Gangrel had a deep hatred for Ylisse and its royal house. Because of his hatred, he made attempts to instigate war by sending small bands of brigands into our country and Regna Ferox.

It came to a head one day when Plegian bandits raided Themis, a dukedom in Ylisse. The very same Themis that Maribelle hailed from. Gangrel's men kidnapped Maribelle and intended to use her as a bargaining chip, given that she was the daughter of the Duke of Themis. She was rescued by force after a failed attempt by Emmeryn to parley with Gangrel.

Later, Lucina, whose identity and origin we did not yet know, warned us that Emmeryn would be assassinated. We managed to thwart the attempt on her life, but only temporarily. Gangrel led an invasion of the capital city of Ylisstol and when Emmeryn returned with the Ylissean Royal Pegasus Knights to support the people, Gangrel's forces arrested her.

The final stand came at Plegia Castle, where Emmeryn was kept prisoner awaiting her public summary execution. The Shepherds arrived with the Royal Pegasus Knights to rescue her, but our attempt failed. The pegasus knights lost their lives, except for Sumia and Cordelia of course, and… Gods, it was just so hard to think about. Gangrel refused to release Emmeryn unless we gave him the Fire Emblem. Chrom was considering doing it, since at that time we didn't know the significance of the Emblem, but before Chrom could make his choice, Emmeryn smiled and made the choice for him. She knew that the Emblem was too important to give to the deranged King Gangrel, so she threw herself off the ledge overlooking all of us. Her last moments were spent in selfless service of others, just like her entire life up to that point.

After that, a terrible war broke out. Chrom fearlessly commanded the Ylissean troops, driven entirely by rage and a desire to avenge his sister. Emmeryn's sacrifice and the Ylissean resolve shattered the Plegian army from the inside. The Mad King's forces deserted him except for his most loyal men. The Shepherds attacked Gangrel's final few in the border wastes between Regna Ferox and Plegia. Chrom himself was able to avenge Emmeryn by killing Gangrel, ending the war between Ylisse and Plegia.

Regna Ferox and Ylisse remained allies after that war. Unlike Ylisse, Regna Ferox actually had two Khans. Flavia was the East Khan, while Basilio had been the West Khan. The legendary warriors had a close friendship, almost like brother and sister. But Basilio had lost his life recently when he faced off one on one against Walhart. Regna Ferox had not yet selected a new West Khan, since Flavia had been the superior Khan anyway in terms of authority.

"Right. I'll get the Feroxi armies to meet us before we reach the dynasts," Flavia said firmly.

"Lady Tiki, what about the last gemstone? You mentioned Argent, Azure, Vert, and Sable. Aren't there five?" Lissa asked.

"That's right. The last one is called Gules. Its location is also unknown to me, sadly, but it wields the power of life," Tiki said.

"Life? What sort of powers does that offer, Milady?" Frederick asked.

"Ooh, ooh! Can you create greenery and animals with it?" Lissa jumped excitedly.

"Hah! As if a divine gem would do something boring like that," Flavia retorted. "It's obviously used to create those armies of Risen, isn't it?"

Tiki paused for a moment. "No, neither of those things." The others gasped. "The power finds its source in Naga, and even she does not possess the power to create new living things. And as for those, what was it, Risen?"

"Yes, the Risen are the creatures who attacked you," I said.

"Those creatures were not created by something so pure as the Fire Emblem's power. They can only be created by something much more sinister, though perhaps Sable could be used to enhance the dark magic that is necessary," she said.

"Oh, I see," I said.

"Well then, what does it do?" asked Lissa eagerly.

"Gules could be used to grow the life force that exists already within an individual. In simpler terms, it could be used to heal someone who has suffered grave injuries," Tiki elaborated.

"Well it's a real shame we don't have it then," I sighed.

"Fear not, Robin," she continued. She actually remembered my name! Why did that feel so good? "Now that I have regained my power, I should be able to aid in locating the gemstones. I confess, however, that I am not ready to do so as yet. It may take some time."

"Oh, that's alright. We've managed without them for so long, what's a little longer?" Lissa said.

"Very true," I added. "I just hope that Walhart doesn't have it."

"Gods, I hope not," Chrom winced.

"Well in that case, let's get a move on. We need to be ready to meet the Feroxi forces, so it's best if we get moving toward the dynasts now," I suggested.

"You're right. Come on, Shepherds! Get ready to move out," Chrom ordered.

As we walked off, I lingered a little bit and considered talking to Tiki. I didn't know what to say, but it felt like I should say something more to her. But before I could think of anything, she spoke first.

"I-I wasn't sure at first, but now I am certain," she said, anxiety clear in her voice.

"Huh?" I walked toward her.

She looked up at me and met my eyes once more, but this time her gaze was a mixture of her familiar warmth and an icy chill.

"You have power… like mine."

Chapter III Author's Note:

Hello, readers! I'm glad to have you all on board for this story. I'd like to touch on a few things now that you've read the exposition chapters for this work. If you would please allow me a few more moments of your time:

Keen eyed fans of Fire Emblem will notice that the story so far has not been told exactly as Fire Emblem Awakening goes. That is intentional. This story is meant for people who are new to the series, people who are hardcore veterans of Fire Emblem, and everyone in between. As such, the story is only based on Fire Emblem Awakening. While the basic framework of the story will remain the same, and the characters will remain the same, there will be lots of new, original events that are not found in the games. My intention is to remain as faithful to canon as possible while doing this, though, so don't think that there won't be Easter eggs thrown in often!

You may have noticed that the long sections of Robin's thoughts not punctuated by dialogue are meant to explain background information for the story. I want fans of all backgrounds to be able to enjoy this work, so I have been careful to explain the entire backstory so that no one is confused just because they haven't played the game. I know that all the characters / history have not been explained yet. They will continue to be elaborated on in more detail as we go on.

This story is a fantasy-adventure novel just as much as it is a romance novel. Robin and Tiki's relationship will be a main focus of the story, but so too will the problem of Grima. If you're more of a fan of the romance and not so much of the adventure, or vice versa, then know that both will be fully fleshed out as we go on through the story. I hope that the story piques your interest consistently, no matter what you're here for. Of course, any comments / reviews are welcome so that I can know what to work on for future chapters.

This will be a long work. A very long work. It will last months, if not closer to a year (though that's sort of an upper limit as of right now). I am a student about to go into a semester of college soon, so a schedule is not something I can guarantee. My goal is to upload at least once a week, but that may change if my other obligations become too much. Rest assured, I will not abandon this project until the final epilogue is published for your enjoyment (and maybe not even then)! I plan on writing bonus content as well, but that sort of thing is far in the future from now.

Those who follow this work or have favorited it, thank you very much for your support. It warms my heart to see people enjoying my content, and it also motivates me to work hard to get the next chapter out! I hope you've enjoyed The Duality of the Emblem so far, and I can't wait for you all to read the next chapter when it is released.