The downpour outside the moving convoy pounded hard on the cloth and on the soldiers outside, but not one wanted to take shelter as they were on the run from King Gangrel, but also to distance themselves from Emm, her death hitting all of them, even the newer members that never learned more about her than the others as Alexander clenched his teeth in binding his hands, his mind telling him that he allowed Amirg free for a moment and it damaged his body badly because he was ill-trained in controlling the power yet. He finished and flexed, the pain subtle, but it was just a lingering ache than a burn now as he looked out, his companions there who watched being the new girl who remained silent and Christian as his pride and image was damaged as well, he fail like the others in saving the Exalt as he started. "Alex, this was never your fault..."
"It's hard to feel that it isn't my fault that we failed." He looked down and opened his hand, bandages hiding the flesh under gauze and cloth. "I had the full plan, how we would have rescued her with the Riders freed, how we broke the honor guard positioned there where all the details I had collected from scouts and spies alike, but..." The hand gripped into a fist as he rested it down. "The possibility that Plegia itself has learned a way to control the Risen is a dire wrench in the plans, Phila is likely to be suffering more from this than any of us." He jumped out as his boots started to plow through the rain-dredged ground, Christian following with the mage between them, neither of the duo attempting to hurt her and she looked more at ease closer to Alex as he continued. "For now... we leave Plegia through a opening by Khan Basilio..." Christian didn't press it before he headed to the front, Alexander himself seeing the effect of the key members that he came to know. Chrom's face was a twist of terror, pain, and restraint, holding it together for now, but he was suffering, Lissa was openly sobbed against Maribelle's embrace, Gaius lightly guiding her horse as she tried to comfort the Princess, Fredrick was the hardest as the rain poured over his whole frame, a guardian statue in the weathering cold, but he knew that some of the water falling from his face was not just the rain, Emm's influence was powerful and full of impact on all of them, Alex wondering how deeply it is rooted in, pausing in his observation by a tug and he turned to face the mage, the rain soaking her, but she chose to say something to him in light of the sadden mood.
"Please... understand something..." She wanted to say something about him, a title or a name, but she couldn't as she continued, walking beside him. "Nothing would have stopped him from killing her, but the act that she made and that... being dealing out a judgement upon all there, many Plegians would feel the reaction being far from war with a country, instead it being their own in the face of the mad desires of Gangrel." Alex nodded as she slid a finger up to her face before it turned into a hand. "I... I don't know how to approach you, so I thought that maybe, saying what's on my mind at the gates was perhaps the only way I can say such a thing without being viewed... abnormal." Alex nodded as he rested a hand on her back, she glancing to him as he spoke.
"Maybe, but in my eyes, there can never be certainties, it shouldn't be written to say one thing when I can try to change it." He pulled back and she looked needy for a longer touch. "Keep close, you may have the least reason to stay with us, but I will ensure that you are not rejected without a reason." After a moment, she nodded as Alexander looked forward, soon dashing as Basilio started to sprint with the rest of the company behind him. he catching up in seconds as the burly warrior shouted.
"Hurry! There should be carriages waiting just through the ravine!" Chrom was quiet and Alex understood, but he had to yell to get him out of the trance.
"Chrom, please!" The prince growled, clearly thinking of paying Gangrel back deeply, but for the time being, he had to withdraw with them.
"I'm... I'm coming."
"Quickly! We're almost... Huh? Damn!" Two Barbarians rushed out in a Plegian force as the rest started to mobilize, maybe one of the border patrols that made it, but were able to catch the Shepherds due to knowledge with the land. "Plegians! I knew it couldn't be that easy... They're right in our way! We must fight!" The parties formed once more as they readied for battle, before they could, the Berserker commander called out, a gruff man, but with a hidden look of remorse for the members.
"Ylisseans! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!" Basilio scoffed as he countered in the shout.
"Surrender? Sorry, I'm not familiar with the word."
"Emmeryn would not have wished for this to come to bloodshed." It was a bold move, to use Emm's name to keep from proceeding in bloodshed, but it was too fresh of a wound as Chrom yelled.
"Don't speak her name!" Alex could see the look as the commander spoke.
"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom. But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same, forgo the presence of such a being in the wake of it. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can." Before Frederick could say something, Christian beat him to it as he returned volley.
"How can we possibly trust you after what your monstrous king has done? I think we shall take our chances with weapons in hand, to the last man, I am sorry." The Berserker nodded as he raised his axe.
"I suspected you would say as much. So be it, Prince Chrom. I shall endeavor to grant you a swift and dignified end." All the forces formed up and readied themselves, the commander scoffing at the thieves that sought to rob the tombs of the dead for their own plunder, something that Alexander himself could accept either, there was a time and place, they would be among the dead in this battle as he turned to his members that joined him.
"Fight those that wish to fight, give them the choice of retreating or fighting, let's not lose our minds." The members looked at one another in confusion as there had to be rage filling the ranks, but Alex kept a level head as they charged in, the first thief they found quickly dropping his loot and attempted to dash for it, but Alex snatched him and spoke. "Are you going to fight or retreat?"
"Re-Retreat, sir!" Alex hummed as he released the thief, dropping to his knees in the mud as he bowed to him. "How can I serve you, Milord!?" A hand rested on the youth as Alex spoke.
"I will not stop your looting, but this is hardly the site for such, head for Ylisse and seek out the Tactician to the Prince, he will have use for you there." The young boy nodded as he dashed away as Alex stood and continued on the path, the soldiers low in morale, but they stood as fighters, serving under this General with trust and loyalty that they couldn't turn tail, Alex himself understood as his group made an effort to ease their minds to either continue the fight or find him in Ylisse, the rest were filled with anger, rage that Amirg sadly mused about it.
"The gravest emotion, grief in loss, I see that humans are so prone to emotions that they can do the greatest evil or the brightest of good in the face of the world, the Ylissian family having been crippled for the time."
'Yes, I just hope that we can remedy their souls, free them from the pain.' The battle made its way up the ravines and toward the General as he shouted who he was and what is needed to get past him.
"I am General Mustafa of Plegia. If you wish to keep your lives, then you must win them!" Chrom did not yield as he struck with rage and with anger in his heart as he slashed and blocked with focused will, but he was only the lesser as he only bested Mustafa with the aid of Fredrick as he was pierced through the right side, blood pouring down as he spoke. "Well done, Ylisseans... Hrrggh! Please... spare my men..." Chrom raised his blade to the dying man, but a short moment of contact with Alex brought him back to his senses as he looked at his friend, the tactician speaking with the Dark Mage behind him.
"Leave the fates of these men and women that surrendered to my hands, there doesn't need to be any more blood spilled this day, let me and my friend bury the dead, we wouldn't be long." Chrom didn't say anything as he sheathed the Falchion and headed to one of the wagons that Basilio had set up, his aide being a very lovely Dancer that Christian looked head over heels for when the tactician snapped. "Should I leave you with the Dancer for the time being, Mercenary?"
After a pause, he shook his head as he spoke. "No, we will first bury the dead here, then we will go." Alex nodded and turned to the remaining twenty members, soldiers that surrendered beforehand or gave up once their commander was struck down, the bandaged hand sweeping out as he commanded.
"Any of you that can lift, bring the dead here and help set up grave markers for those that fell, to give them the proper rites instead of letting the rain and mud drown them away." Including their leader, thirty to forty Plegians lost their lives there in the cold, but were buried under the dry patches of a rock overhang, each one praying to give them peace before a Wyvern Rider, the same one who bantered with Mustafa and a soldier, approached Alexander and bent to his knee.
"What is your command, Sirs?" Alex nodded as he commanded.
"After informing those families affect, head for the Halidom and seek out the Tactician, he will use your skills and talents for better, he may not hold the same level of trust and loyalty as Mustafa had with all of you, but also deliver his family from this wasteland, they must know that he died as a honorable soldier." All nodded before they departed, scattering to the winds as the duo boarded the last wagon, the Dark Mage waiting for them before Christian got on and motioned the horses to action, Alexander tilting his head down in remorse as the Dark Mage watched him, the first steps of affection for the young tactician until they could speak on even equal terms, their names given to hers, the name of Tharja...
All were quiet in the halls of Regna Ferox as Alex rubbed his head in regret. "All that... For nothing..." Lissa was sitting in a lone chair facing the blazing fire as she cried, a blanket wrapped around her from one of the more gentle staff in remorse for her as she murmured Emm's name with Fredrick staring out of the close window to Lissa and tilted his head down in the same regret.
"I should have died before allowing the exalt to be captured. I have failed as a knight..." Flavia and Basilio were more aggressive as they both angerly yelled at each other.
"So what now, oaf?"
"Don't look to me—I'm not in charge!"
"Ugh... I picked a fine time to regain the full throne..." Alexander looked back to the falling snow at the makeshift camp of the joint forces as the Khans offered a small fort to house everyone for the time being. His hand gripped once more and he raised it, opening it again in a flex before he looked to Chrom, glancing between the points before he spoke, standing up as he walked over to the Prince.
"Chrom, I'm... I'm so sorry. My plan just wasn't enough." The blue-haired prince looked at him, having been given a few to relive himself for his grief and he still had tear stains after three days straight.
"You did your best, Alex." He stared back into the fire that he was looking at recently as he continued. "...You have my thanks. It's my own failures that haunt me now. Gods, I was just so powerless!"
"It's not your fault either, Chrom." He cupped his face as Alex rested a hand on his shoulder.
"...She did it for me, Alex. So that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of either choice, she chose for me. She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save her people..." Alexander didn't let it beat him down, realizing that the Halidom will be done in if their new ruler didn't straighten up, this was greater than a simple mission for the Shepherds and he would be damned if he didn't get sense back into Chrom as he moved to his side and spoke, his hand still on its place.
"Chrom... Listen to me. Look at me." Even if he didn't react, Alex just continued as he started. "I was powerless once, too, remember?" He was without memory, without meaning, but with joining with the Shepherds and learning more about himself with his friend, he felt the power erupt in his soul and he vowed to focus it in his eyes. "And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together... maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side." The members there listened as Alex continued, his hand slightly turning Chrom as he pressed on. "You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can."
"And what if I can't? What if I'm not worthy of her ideals?" A good question, but there was room for him to learn where his skills were meant to be and where he can give the people hope. "Alex, what if I drag you down with me?" Alexander didn't need to say more as Christian joined the chat, leaning against the chair that Chrom was sitting in, the shift evident enough for both of them to turn to him.
"If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are. And if we all just fall down, well, that's what friends are for, isn't it, to get you standing once again?"
"That's right." Nowi shouted as she cheered. "I wouldn't be even here if not for you." Tharja was next as she stood by Alex's side.
"You gave me your trust and now you have mine. ...For the time being."
"Were you unworthy, I would have left long ago." Lon'qu spoke up as he straightened up from his place against the wall.
"It took great courage and charisma to unite all of us. ...I knew I possessed such talents, but clearly you do as well!" A number of people shook their heads to Virion's claim, but that was beside the point as Ricken was next to snap Chrom out of it.
"Yeah. We all look up to you! You're like a hero to us." Chrom started to look better as he looked about, standing up for the first time in a while as he thanked all that spoke on his behalf.
"Thank you, everyone. Your words mean more than you could know. My Shepherds... My warriors..." His face changed as resolve filled him once more. "There is work to be done. Gangrel must be stopped so that peace can once again reign in Ylisse. Will you help me?" Lissa was the first speak as she finally had enough of crying her eyes out.
"You can count me in! I'm tired of crying all the time! It's time to start punchin' stuff!" She stood up with Maribelle speaking as well.
"Hear, hear, darling! Our people have suffered enough."
"Gladly would I fight and die for House Ylisse!" Stahl spoke with a smile as Sully scuffed for some payback.
"Gladly would I fight and KILL those dastards for House Ylisse!"
Libra was the same as he nodded. "Our hearts echo yours, sire." Sumia shared in the belief as she stood up as well.
"I will be the the unbreakable shield by your side!"
"I'm with you, too! You know. Just in case anyone... Hello?" Kellam didn't need anyone to tell him that he was involved as Alex nodded to him and the rest joined.
"Teach is here and class is in session!"
"How much you pay Gregor? Hee hee haw! Gregor make joke! ...Why you look at Gregor like that?" Gregor's sense of morale wasn't the best, but it was something as Panne was next.
"Your sister earned my respect. The last taguel shall champion her."
"You have grown strong, milord." Fredrick stated as he nodded with interest. "I may have set a poor example as a knight... but I swear to you, I shall die before any more exalted blood is spilled!"
"...Thank you all. Truly. You honor me with your fealty. I will not falter again." He then started to shout as he increased the belief and morale in his way. "We shall answer this outrage! The Mad King must be stopped!"
"Right! It's time for ol' Gangrel to get a dose of his own vulnerary! The whole of the Feroxi army is yours to send crashing against him!" Flavia cheered with Basilio chuckling to the increase as well.
"Har! You young folk—your passions run so hot! If I had any gray hairs, you would've singed 'em right off. In other words, count me in!" The Dancer was next as she joined the party in the main room.
"I'd like to go too, if I may. The exalt did me a kindness once." Chrom raised a brow as he inquire to that.
"She did?"
"Y-yes, sire. It would honor me to have a part in giving her justice! Although all I can do is dance... And I'm not so skilled at that, if we're being honest..." Basilio said otherwise as he stood behind her with a laugh.
"She's too modest! Olivia is a Feroxi treasure. You won't meet a finer dancer in all the realms! Her moves inspire soldiers to work twice as hard! You'll do well to bring her along, Commander." Christian got an elbow to the gut from Alex whose look told him that he had to behave himself.
Chrom was taken by surprise as he asked why the change in title. "'Commander'? What happened to 'boy'?"
"You've earned your way up from that name, I think. Now, where were we? Oh yes! I was just about to start cracking skulls! Flavia will lead me and the other Feroxi in a head-on assault. That should buy you enough time to take down Gangrel. Hear that, boy! You get the fun part!" Chrom tried to inquire, but Basilio was too much in the lead for it. "You and Alexander have my every confidence. You're a born leader, and he has a knack of guiding troops to victory with minor injures. You both have some growing to do yet, but I can already see you'll grow tall." Chrom smiled as he thanked the mighty warrior.
"Thanks, Basilio."
"All right, enough talk. It's time to raise some hell!"
"Right." Basilio slammed his knuckles as he continued, the morale greatly boosted to a limit that Alex alone could never aspire in people.
"Let's get to it, then! Gangrel may try to hit us while we're still licking our wounds."
"Let him try. This time, I'm ready to dethrone the Mad King, once and for all." All scattered to the tents and cabins in the fort to get ready, Alex himself getting to work with the reports and documents that were stockpiling his table, pausing before he even touched the first sheet to see it... empty.
"What the...?" It was true that he sent spies and scouts out once he arrived to keep an eye on the formation of Plegia's forces, but that was a problem, a new color was added to the forces and this 'lime green' was filing elsewhere and in GREAT numbers, he was almost tempted to say that half of the whole army had snapped out of their murderous senses and saw the world in a different light, but that needed to be discussed later when actual evidence proves it so, rifling through the pages to see what can be and his mind took it all in, looking for any loops in the reports and messages. He got so into it that he nearly missed something, pausing for a moment to realize that he was messing with his coat as if he was burning up. "Why is it...?" He peered about as he sought out what was causing the intense feeling, but none of his candles had done such a thing, there was no one projecting a fire to do it either, at least close enough to make him burn, and the possibility of a enchantment was likely, but it felt... "Nevermind, I think I better take a stroll before all this." Donning his coat once more and walking out, he wandered the camp of tents to see what was going on with the increased morale to deal with the Mad King, his mind debating the likeliness of a rebel faction within Plegia's lands as slim, he had seen the devotion of the soldiers at the gates, but he also had to take into thought the way that Mustafa's men reacted, some fearful, some loyal to the end, but there was a severe shift in behavior, one that Alexander had to take into understanding as he strolled past an active party, Christian somehow roped in with a drunken Vaike as he spotted the Tactician and called out.
"Hey, you want to drink up on the last day of freedom?" Alexander sighed and shook his head as the Mercenary shrugged. "Oh well, more for me!" The brown-haired merc went back to guzzling as his teal-haired friend of strategy continued on to some place to clear his mind, pausing to look behind a bit before he resumed, the week drawing to a close, but in that short time, he noticed an increase of... attention, someone was actively stalking him and he had to know why, even with the recent rouse in belief. He wondered if it was a spy, a bandit, or just a Shepherd trying to get his attention, but couldn't as he entered the makeshift barracks that the company had set up for small meetings and chats, the sight abysmal from the one in Ylisstol, but he forgave it as the Khans told him that it was emptied out recently from a number of decaying weapons, a stockpile that had to be remade for the war, but he paused here as he looked around, shifting his feet as he walked slowly about, sharply pausing to hear it, the click of heels on wood, a metallic click and he knew of one person who wore such footwear, but why was she stalking him right now, the thought of a spy would fit, but she had been isolated and away in her tent or wandering... close by to where he was.
"Tharja?" Alexander spoke as he whipped about, searching the dim lighting of the barracks as he continued. "...Are you following me?" The silence hung over the room before she answered.
"...Maybe." He straightened up as she stepped out, book hung low as she trailed a hand on a stack of crates, her figure just as lit as his as he furrowed his brow to the coy response, did she think he was dumb or something?
"Maybe?!, I've seen you hiding behind tents and wagons all week!" He bit back as that sounded hostile and she has yet to prove an enemy, the silent woman that he approached and spoke to at Emm's death was seen right here as he stood his ground, but she closed the gap slowly, her book hand still down instead of covering over her upper torso before she stopped, a hand raised up as she was inches and rested her hand on the tunic that Alex wore and... smoothed over it in a slow motion.
"So, you finally noticed... my love." Alexander paused from the scold, she just... was she in love with him, when!?
Alex couldn't help sounding like a fool as he inquired to her meaning. "Sorry, what? My... love?" If he wasn't already in close to someone, he would have facepalmed himself as she continued the movement, clearly it was more than just an idle confession, she really found herself in him, deeply in love if not madly, what did he do to attract such a person?
"Oh yes, I realized it the first moment we locked eyes. 'He isn't like the others', I thought. 'He's the one I've been looking for'!" He could see something akin to... fear welling in her eyes, was she afraid, was she scared for this feeling that he had on her and he lightly groaned as the movement halted with the fingernails digging into the fabric. To ease up on the presence and the bit of pain, he lightly took her hand and removed it as he continued, releasing the hand as it slowly flopped to her side with her other hand raised with the book.
"Riiiiiiight. Well, um, thank you? ...I guess?" He took a step back to give some room between them, luckily to not knock anything over as he was never versed in romance and Amirg was rather silent about it, though a notion of a light chuckle had crosses his mind as he internally scowled to the trolling spirit.
But the distance was closed once more without regard, but she stayed her hand this time as she spoke. "That's why I've been watching your every... single... move." That shy look faded to confidence and resolve, to prove herself in his eyes. "Yesterday, you read two books and part of a third." Alex recalled, he was looking into methods of dealing with regret and stress and stopped short in the third when he felt it was enough to mourn, it was Lissa and Chrom suffering the worse which made him feel bad about it. "You snacked on an apple. And last night, you turned over twelve times in your sleep... Well above average." With that detail, she could have killed him, she knew his routine and where he would be, but if so, she wouldn't be playing the love-struck woman and instead ensure that any detail that she shared was not repeated for others, nor would she get too close to him for such a plan.
His reply was a lot worse as he nearly shouted in panic, not realizing that he was actually taken by her detail of him in the past hour or day. "You've been watching me sleep?!" He grimaced as her face dropped, clearly such hurt by his words as she spoke, her bangs darkening over her face.
"I thought you'd be grateful." Alex sighed as he answered.
"No, I think 'disturbed' is more the word." He rubbed the back of his neck and her face looked up to him as she listened, his reaction a bad one as he asked, turning his eyes for a moment with his next sentence. "You mean to tell me, you've been following me every day since we met?" Tharja paused as she shuffled in place, clearly wanting to turn the chat elsewhere, but she couldn't as she answered.
"...Yes." The simple word filled Alex with fear, no, it was something else, he was surprised by her commitment, but also... He realized that he missed several days of meals in grief and it was coming back to hurt.
"I suddenly feel very ill." He breathed as he sat down, kicking himself on the issue now hitting him, but she looked... a bit happier as she walked over, kneeling down and laying her book on the floor as she spoke.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you." He felt those hands slip into his own as she continued. "...Veeery good care."
He didn't want to reject her and hurt her badly, that could lead to a bad case problem for him as he mused, not removing his hands from her grip as he spoke. "Coming from a normal friend, I'd probably be happy to hear that..." But what part of their company was normal, they were now host to a Manakete of all things! Did he see himself loving one of those village girls for an easy settle, the idea was absurd to think of even as he continued. "But somehow when you say it, it's not quite so comforting..." Was he really going to do that, gain her heart and shatter it before it can bloom to a true treasure, the hand leaving him and she stood up, but she hummed as she asked.
"Is that what you want, Alex?" He looked up to those same silvery-brown, filled with wonderment in inquiring his tastes, no sign of pain in those orbs as she continued. "Someone... 'normal'?" Alexander pondered the same question, what type of woman would he himself love in the end, would he have such a thing going on.
"Well, I... suppose?" Alex spoke with a rub of his jaw, looking over her as he felt more at peace with her for some reason, was it the split moment between them or the lingering emotion that she showed? "That's to say-" A hand raised up as Tharja answered in her eyes.
"All I needed to hear." With that, she dashed out and disappeared, faster than how Alex himself could bring himself to move at the moment.
"Wait, Tharja! Stay here!" He extended a hand, but it flopped down as he groaned. "...Where I can see you!" But the falling snow and its silence filled the void as he moaned in worry. "Oh gods, this will not end well..." He sprung off the chair and charged out, surveying the layout and dashing about to find her to keep her from doing something crazy, but he could find no hair or hide of her anywhere in the camp, his shoulder falling in regret as he felt guilty over the treatment that he just gave her, she was likely crying her eyes out over his lack of care behind a tree or something as he returned to his tent, knife coming out and started to crave a piece of wood to ease his mind. Sadly, Amirg chimed in with a small chuckle in the craving and Alex found himself craving without pause as the spirit spoke.
"Admit it, you are smitten with her." Alex lightly sighed as he countered.
"And what do you plan I say to her, I broke her heart and I know that I am not some hopeless romantic to go chasing after her when she just doesn't want me involved."
"What happened to the child that changed me and gave me a proper place in his body instead of just a host, you are much more bolder than this."
"I don't know, Amirg, I feel different, but my memories of the past are still faded, missing... gone."
"Sure, sure... now stop whittling your girlfriend and think of a battle plan with the new information." Alexander paused as he lifted the carving, a statuette of Tharja as if she was smiling, gleeful to his act of making it before he slipped it into his coat, in one of the interior pockets and started to work once more, but his mind was filled with his guilt and Tharja that he welcomed the sound of someone entering, he turning to be greeted by Chrom as he spoke, the tension easing as he inquired.
"Hey, Chrom, what can I do for you today?" Without pause, he plopped himself in a chair and ran a hand over his face.
"Alex... I need help." Alex leaned forward as Chrom started. "Before we entered the desert... there was an issue with a few... posters, commissioned by Fredrick." Alex straightened up as he knew what Chrom was talking about, the motivational poster of him and his... glory, so that explains why there was such a thing in his tent, Fredrick must have wanted to promote morale and trust among the company, oh how the titan, upon his pillar, is suddenly toppled with something so insane. "Now, naturally, we have to dismiss this and move on, but I really, REALLY don't like the fact that I have learned that several Shepherds have taken the posters and even now, make a joke out of it."
"Well, I'll start compiling the list of who could be doing this, the real criminals in this force." Chrom nodded and he departed out, Alex huffing as he realized that Christian's profiteering way with his small cabal of allies was coming to a halt, though he made a note to leave Lissa's and Sumia's copies alone, they laugh or admire them too much to rid them of the posters yet, they still needed something to stand by for a bit...