After that short mess on the isle was sorted out, Alex sorted through more of the documents and seeing if more of the ships were prepared, but the process was sluggish on the account of the funds lacking some and the Marauders had not been about for the reason that several aspiring members had headed over into the southern section of the continent to join some 'enterprising' bands of mercenaries for a bigger amount of money, the Tactician rubbing his brow before he stood up and walked out of the tent, peering over to see what could be seen before he spotted the ongoing skirmish happening. The two factions were the Stonewall Knights, stubborn armored forces that have a rep of being unable to be moved from a location, while the other were the Riders of Dawn, swift and trained cavalry soldiers that often claim to be the spear that pierces anything, even the night.
"How did this come to be...?" He shook his head as he peered over the rousing forces before he zoomed in on a young man, the problem about him and his role with the Stonewall company was that he possessed fur, light armor, and a nervous look on his face, a Taguel, a tuff of hair on the front pointing out who the father could be, a frown forming on his jaw as he mused. "I wonder..."
"What is it, Sir?" Noire arrived with Severa and Lucina behind her as Alex turned to her, Severa wore a look of suppressed fear to his presence and Lucina had a hand ready for action, both clearly having been either told or had seen Alex go all-rage in the desert. "I-I didn't want to say anything... but they were concerned about... how you did that..."
"It's fine, though I may need to unleash my rage again." The trio looked scared before Alex offered the telescope, they looking at each other before Noire picked it up and viewed through it to see what Alex was pointing at.
"H-Hey, that's Yarne!"
"What!?" Lucina spoke up as Severa followed it up.
"No way!" The two looked as well as Severa scowled. "That idiot... survival my butt, he is going to get himself killed down there."
"I would like some detail behind this 'Yarne', is he part of your band?" Alex asked and Lucina nodded as Severa fumed with Noire trying to either calm her down or meekly speak.
"Yarne is the son of Panne, but since she died protecting him, he had instilled into himself that he is the last of his kind and wants to avoid any conflict whatsoever."
"Hard to think that when you have..."
"Sir Alex..." Lucina stopped Alex as she mused. "Are you... telling me that... in this timeline, you have located more Taguel!?" The other two looked at Alex in disbelief as he glanced between them before huffing.
"It's true, the Hierarch had made a personal movement to spare a decent three, maybe four warrens from the Ylissean Purges, sitting them in the frozen tundra of Regna Ferox, Panne herself had gone up there and returned frostbitten, but smiling end to end."
"I heard that." The girls jumped as Alex turned to Panne strolling on up as she spoke. "I hope you are not spreading rumors about me, are you?"
"Not my fault that Fredrick now enjoys the taste of fresh bear everyday." Panne chuckled as the girls watched it happen. Alexander frowned before he spoke. "Panne, I am going to need you with me when we advance on the village."
She hummed before asked with folded arms. "Can I ask why?"
"Your son is a coward..." Silence filled the air as Lucina quickly spoke.
"M-Miss Panne! He didn't mean anything by that, just..."
"My son... a coward...?" Panne started to bare her teeth and Alex offered the scope, the Taguel snatching it to see before the material looked to be suffering from the crushing force. "I am going... to kill him..."
"Chrom doesn't even need to know right now, besides I want to investigate the rumors that the Marauders are settling in here, so in your rage-filled state, can I ask you to spare a few for some details?"
"That..." Panne breathed as she remarked, the girls breathing easy as well at the sudden switch back to their peace. "That is a good plan, though..." Panne smiled as she looked to Alex with a raised brow. "Shouldn't you be resting and not wanting to tear apart a few mercenaries?"
"Tharja IS going to scold me for leaving her on short notice again, she even warned me that she WILL hex the daylight out of me." Alexander hummed as he continued. "But rescuing a boneheaded coward outweighs the threat, besides, I think I have a positive effect on her as such..."
"It's a wonder why she is just aglow at times..." Panne mused as Alex shrugged before both got serious. "Well now, let us introduce ourselves to the local man-spawn, I will show them that none can outlast a Taguel."
"And I am certain that armor alone will not save their lives, now then, let's do so, Panne." She transformed and Alex leapt on before she bounded down the hill, Chrom rushing over as he yelped.
"Where's Alexander!?" The three turned before pointing in terror as Chrom groaned. "Not again..."
"I take it this usually happens nowadays?" Lucina asked and Chrom nodded before he reached for Falchion and gripped it as he strode on back to Frederick, to tell him his wife is going on a rampage with Alexander at the helm...
Diplomacy fell short as both sides called out. "Stick 'em full'a holes, boys!"
"Time to fertilize the fields, soldiers!" Many surged out as Alexander spoke as the pair stomped onto the field.
"Panne, start cutting down the cavalry, your speed is far greater than their steeds. I have my magic primed for the knights!"
"Spare my son from his punishment, I will crack down on his cowardice after a decent amount has seen death at my fangs!" Alex nodded as he jumped, landing as she sped off into the forest, the sounds of shouts and howls filling the place as Alex started.
"If neither can accept living beside another in these trying times, then BOTH must go!" To this, Elfires blazed from his palms and tore through the armored ranks as they cried out to the pain, Alex sparing none as his companion return, sliding to a stop before she reverted back and smelled the air, getting the scent of her blood.
"That scent... It smells like..." She reared and bound, Alex clearing the path for her as she slide and snatched Yarne like a able hunter. "You there!"
"Gyah!" Yarne rolled out of the swift snatch and held up his hands in defense. "Wh-what do you want?"
"You are a Taguel."
"Yah, well so are-" He stopped before he gasped. "GODS! M-Mother?!"
"Indeed?" Yarne stammered as he breathed in disbelief.
"Gah, you nearly gave me heart failure! I'd given up on EVER finding you!" Panne rolled her eyes as the foes just slipped into disarray. "You wouldn't believe how dangerous it is here. All these swords and brigands..." He shivered a bit as he started again. "Anyway, I've found you. That makes the trip back in time more than worth it." Panne sighed as she spoke.
"So you did come with that man-spawn Lucina, did you?" He nodded as Panne started for a reason. "Hmm... Explain to me why my son consorts with common thugs?"
"Huh?" To this, Panne pointed to the dying mass of knights and riders that entered the village and Yarne stammered in surprise. "H-hey, I didn't have a choice in the matter! You were nowhere to be found, and roaming around alone is a recipe for... extinction." Panne groaned as she could understand his view point, she was, after all, the only Taguel until she had found family up in Regna Ferox. "I'd figure I'd be safe if I took up with some strong allies, and so I..." Safe was not the word for it as Panne felt her anger simmer under her skin and it showed with parts of her fur sticking up as Yarne paused in fear. "Wait, are you angry? Because you look kind of ang—" Panne did just that as she scolded him.
"OF COURSE I AM ANGRY!" He flinched as Panne continued her rant. "No son of mine will survive by taking the path of the coward! You're coming with me, I'm going to teach you some Taguel pride, starting right now!" He yelped as she dragged him into the battle as Alex blasted through the lines to the generals who were still at arms with the other.
"You'll never stop the unending march of the Riders of Dawn!"
"You'll never breach the impenetrable forces of the Stonewall Knights!"
"I'll send your fat men and their fat-man armor sailing through the sky!"
"Horse and rider both will be red smears across our shields!"
"Both of you will be silent!" Alex howled as he conjured Elthunder to his palms now. "I will no longer listen to the rants of headstrong mules of brigands!" He blasted two more bolts at the leaders as the General was shocked to death while the Paladin reared his horse as he charged for Yarne and Panne.
"Die, Stonewalls!" Panne and Yarne looked just in time to see the incoming threat and Panne nearly transformed to fight before Alex roared.
"YOU WILL NOT HARM THAT FAMILY!" With exact aim, the upper torso flew off with a blast of lightning as the horse bolted with the remaining portion, the man barely stammering out a reply before he died as the brigands nearly rioting before the Shepherds crashed in and shut them all down.
The battle came to an uneasy end as Chrom mused, glad that Alex was more for stopping the blood feud with a small pair, but he didn't like the fact that Alex stole another conflict before any of the Shepherds could stop him as Frederick rode up to him. "The fighting is over, Milord. That should spare the villages from any further damage." Chrom nodded as he pondered the events that transpired.
"Good. Thought I still don't understand why they had to fight in the first place."
"Competition, Milord." Frederick answered with a solemn look about the whole thing, even the fact that some of the Marauders were found among the surviving members, Alex was very ticked that he whispered some things to Tharja and she seemed delighted before heading off and soon returning with a chuckle that scared the captive fools. "A sad consequence of this war. Farm the land, and your fields are pillaged. Open a shop, and your goods are stolen. It's little wonder men take up steel and become mercenaries. ...Or worse. There's only so much gold to go around, and so they fight for dominance."
"Seems they'll continue to do so until it's safe to be a farmer or merchant again. All the more reason for us to end things as quickly as possible." The Great Knight nodded as he spoke again.
"Well put, Milord. Shall we be on our way?" Chrom nodded as the leader of the villagers came over and spoke up with a large toll of gold, some of the villagers spiteful of how the battle ended, but they quieted to Alex's glance as he didn't like budding rebels for thugs.
"We're relieved to be rid of the lot of 'em! No better than brigands, they were. You have our thanks, sir. Please accept this."
"You're very kind. Thank you." Chrom took it back to the convoy as the Shepherds stayed a bit longer to keep any hostile tension to a bare minimum, not that they should be too worried about such upset fools as Yarne had disappeared among the convoy before Panne appeared behind him and spoke.
"You."
"Gyah!" Yarne jumped as he got some space between him and his mother as he answered back in surprise. "Y-you scared me! Don't go sneaking up behind people! You'll give them whiplash..."
"What is your name?" Panne narrowed her eyes as Yarne shifted before he answered.
"Yarne. Don't you remember? You're the one who gave it to me." She breathed easy, she had believed that Alex may have fooled her some just to rescue another Taguel, but the gods smiled on him as she felt that surge of maternal protection and determination for the young man as she spoke.
"...So you truly are my child?"
"Um, I'm a taguel, right? I kind of have to be." Panne rolled her eyes as she replied back.
"I suppose blood does not lie. I am pleased to see you, my son. You represent a renewed hope for our race." Yarne hummed as he lightly shrugged.
"No pressure there..."
"You are living proof that man and taguel can coexist." She knew that they could already, after all, Alex has been more than supportive when he shared the details and pointed her in the direction of the Warrens with the Hierarch's word, the Taguel people proud and hearty with their existence beside the Feroxians, all knowing who they are and protected them as such.
"Hey, I didn't do anything special. I was just born." He looked to her as he continued. "You're the one who proved all that bridging-the-gap stuff. You're the one who married a human." He rubbed the back of his head as he spoke. "Er, thanks for doing that, by the way. Even if I can't take credit for it, I'm proud of my heritage."
Panne chuckled as she drew her son into her embrace. "It gladdens me to see my son value pride... May you keep it always." He returned the hug as she continued. "Now, knowing our tactician, we will make for around the continent, you may even meet your relatives." Yarne was agape as Panne just smiled and headed off to find Frederick again before Yarne took off in exclaim.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN RELATIVES!?"
Alex sorted through more of the documents before the door slid to the side and Alex paused as Tharja walked in, a smile alight as he spoke. "Why, hello there."
"As coy with your greeting with me as always." Tharja chuckled before that smile fell and she spoke as she drew closer. "When I heard that you had gone headfirst into such a sorry excuse of feuds, I don't know if I should have been angry at you for not listening to my warning or relieved that you didn't get hurt one bit."
"I know." Alex answered as he pushed away from the desk and Tharja took the invitation to sit on his lap and lean in on him as he continued. "I'm glad to have helped stifle the conflict, but I had energy to burn and I didn't want you to get hurt because of me, my friendship with Chrom came first beforehand, but my love for you holds a firmer place in my soul."
"Always with the honeyed words..."
"Are they honeyed if they are true to my eyes?" Alex asked as he kissed her cheek and she hummed into it and settled in as Alex continued. "I will not ask how well Noire is, you have your lessons to give, don't you?"
"Not today, you already stole the limelight from our Exalt, so I will settle for keeping you to myself for the next few days." Alex raised a brow as Tharja looked up and trailed a hand over his face in a longing manner. "You are not telling me anything and... I don't know... Noire, Lucina, even that girl of Cordelia's are afraid of you, I don't care what the Exalt's daughter or the emotionally hurt girl fear from you, but Noire is a sweet girl, she was not meant to stand against this 'cursed' future on her own."
"And you believe...?"
"I only believe what I can see and what I can feel, not rumors and half-lies, so show me..." Tharja twisted and looped her arms around Alex's neck and looked at him with her intense eyes. "You are not Grima, not one bit."
"That's up for debate." Tharja paused as Alex's mouth didn't move before his right arm seemed to glow before the two were divided by a large serpent rising between them. "I am not, but I am, Tharja, He is me while I am him, but not." Tharja's first reaction was going to be a escape of shock, but she couldn't help herself as she extended a free hand and ran it over the scaly glow of the being between them before she spoke.
"Such... power and presence... but it is not an overflowing power of dread or despair, I feel the hum of a heart filled with hope, a being beyond that has given another chance for us mortal lives." She released as Amirg flew about, her eyes wide in surprise before she felt a familiar grip and she returned to hugging Alex as he spoke.
"It's okay, it's a lot to take in, but I am still me, Amirg is no different, just give him a chance and don't see him as a great being, view him as a part of me."
Tharja paused before she nearly started to laugh. "Part...? He is a god in his own right and I am...?!"
"Tharja, my wife, the woman I married and intend to love until the end." He kissed her forehead and she just snuggled closer as Amirg rest on them both, a warm embrace around them as she mouthed one more sentence.
"Stay with me, please... No meetings this time, just a day..."
"I'll make it a week, we have time." Alex replied as Amirg rested there before fading back into Alex, but their embrace was just the same...