The quiet sound of pages being shuffled echoed in the barracks as Ricken with Miriel were reading books, being otherwise completely silent. Vaike was playing with his ax, throwing in the air haphazardly, yet he was always able to catch it by its handle. Lon'qu was sharpening his blade, the whetstone gliding along the surface of his blade. Sumia was doing flower fortunes while mumbling intangible words and Gauis was teaching Donnel how to play some sort of card game with Stahl always chiming in.
"Damn it." Exclaimed Sully while punching the table in the main hall after their loss at the hands of the Plegians who were currently overtaking the western part of the city. Morality in the barracks was rather low and they couldn't sleep or relax, even if they were told to.
"It'll be alright Sully, I'm sure Robin will be able to come up with a strategy or something once they come back from the council." Reassured Stahl with a smile, although people could tell it was slightly forced.
"I'm fine, just all of this waiting is making me restless. How am I supposed to hit the hay when the Plegians are banging at our doorsteps right now?" Sully asked incredulously.
"Perhaps a small cup of tea could help you ease your troubles, milady?" Virion offered who was sitting with a saucer and a cup filled with his favorite blend and quietly sipping his tea.
"I drink ale, Ruffles. Not some grass juice. And I can't get drunk when we could get called to arms at any time." Sully rebuked while crossing her arms and staring at the philanderer.
Suddenly they could hear a door opening with Radko coming inside the main hall soon after. He looked tired to say the least as his shoulders sagged, eyes barely open. He looked around with purpose until his eyes landed on Virion.
"Virion? Do you have spare shaving equipment?" He asked, taking Virion by surprise.
"Of course I do, you can use mine inside the bathing room." He answered with some flourish and Radko gave a thankful smile before disappearing inside the quarters of the barracks, out of earshot.
"So, are we going to ignore the big wyvern in the room or what?" Gaius asked suddenly and nobody wanted to answer since most knew what was Gaius referring to.
"I think we won't be able to go off much since from the looks of things, Radko seems to be completely oblivious to his situation." Virion eventually answered.
"But he is going to see himself in the mirror and I think his reaction is going to be anything but positive," Gaius said while eyeing his hand and putting one card on a pile and Donnel groaned lightly, taking a few cards from an extra pile.
"What even happened in that fight?" Sully asked "He went with Robin to deal with that thing only to come back with white hair of all things and everything else is seemingly fine.".
"You have sparred with him a few times right, Sully? Were you able to talk to him a little?" Asked Stahl and Sully nodded.
"Yeah, but getting something out of him is like shaking off a hairy rug even before his new mop."
"I can imagine," Gaius agreed. He then turned to Panne who was leaning on the wall, completely silent, "Hey Whiskers, you have like a strong sense of smell, right?".
He earned a glare from Panne before silently nodding, prompting Gaius to continue.
"Well, does he smell any different?" He asked and Panne was silent for a few moments before answering with her eyes closed "No man-spawn, his smell hasn't changed in the slightest, it only grew stronger.".
The rest slumped after Panne's answer, making the main hall silent before another person came inside the barracks which was Robin who needed some necessary belongings with her for the council.
Without saying a word she left for her office and soon came back with everything she needed and waited outside for Radko who soon came right after. The Shepherds were hoping Radko would pick up on his sudden change in appearance, yet it looked like he was almost purposefully ignoring it.
He spared a glance at the Shepherds before he reached the entrance where Robin was waiting for him and both left towards the castle.
"So, he just stays ignorant, is that it?" Sully hissed, but Virion shook his head with a smirk in place.
"No, my dear Sully, for have you spotted the sudden shift in his posture?" Virion asked with a flourish while Sully just raised an eyebrow with a "Huh?".
"I have seen this many times and I can confidently say that Radko-." Before Virion could finish however, another set of people entered the barracks, being Maribelle and Lissa. They accumulated visible sweat from helping in the healing tents and Lissa slumped on a chair, breathing a long sigh.
"I will get some towels for us, just wait here, Lissa," Maribelle said and left for the bathroom.
"Did we interrupt the conversation?" Lissa asked, seeing many Shepherds eyeing their sudden arrival.
"Yeah, trying to figure out Radko's new mop change," Vaike answered while still playing with his ax and Lissa perked up.
"Oh, you mean that. I've seen him in the medical tent, but he didn't seem to be fazed by it all." Lissa answered while putting her finger on her chin, coming to the same conclusion as Virion,
"So, I might as well ignore it too, because if it didn't bother him, why should it bother me? He looks kind of like Robin right now." She giggled her answer while having some suggestive thoughts about the duo and smirking.
"Yeah, maybe we are looking into this too much more than we should, he did have some white hair before. Maybe his dye just worn off during the fight." Stahl said with a sigh while bringing a chair and joined the card game Gaius and Donnel were playing. Maribelle soon arrived with her towels, but she had one more item in hand.
"Say Virion, you own a small pocket mirror, am I correct?" Maribelle suddenly asked while giving Lissa one towel for her to wipe herself with and Virion was a little surprised but gave Maribelle a nod.
"Because I found this on the ground, shattered." She held up a broken small mirror and gave it to Virion for inspection.
"My, I don't even remember breaking my mirror…" Virion trailed off before his face became serious again realizing who probably used his mirror just a few moments ago.
"No, it looks like Radko was just as surprised at the sudden change of his hair pigment just as we are." Virion concluded to the surprise of the rest.
"Wait, really?" Lissa exclaimed.
"Yes, whenever Radko asked for anything from me, he handled my every possession with care. For him to drop my mirror means he was shocked by his hair color. His sudden change in posture is the result of that as well." Virion elaborated somberly.
"I don't know about you, Ruffles, but I think most of us haven't been living in the mansion, unlike you or Popsicle, nor are good at reading people." Gaius elaborated, making Virion put his hand on his chest with a flourish.
"Why I shall educate you all on how Radko is now putting on the mask of professionalism. Even though he found out about his sudden change, he perseveres and puts other problems before his." Virion explained before his face darkened "But doing that is extremely unhealthy too." and Maribelle nodded to that.
"I concur with Virion. It can bring some… unpleasant side-effects,"
"Such as?" Sully asked.
"Exhaustion and neglection of one's own health, amongst other things," Maribelle said grimly.
"Well, I reckon' we just need to keep sir Radko in tip-top shape, right?" Donnel suddenly suggested "'Sides, I couldn't talk with 'em at all, but he doesn't look like a bad person.".
"No, he isn't. He is just reserved," Lissa agreed, she then glared at Sully and Vaike "I wonder whose fault that is.".
"Well, excuse me for trying to make things better and get to know him," Vaike defended himself and Lissa only sighed.
The quiet shuffle of cards and parchment filled the air yet again as the conversation died out. The few times anyone said anything was either just grunts of annoyance or excitement from the trio playing cards or the occasional "Interesting." from either Miriel or Ricken.
Suddenly, they heard a loud bank from the entrance to the barracks as Chrom stormed into the main hall, a snarl plastered on his face. He wordlessly went towards his room, with Frederick following him soon after. Having no idea what happened, Lissa went to check the doors, spotting both Radko and Robin soon as well.
Everyone got inside and Radko went to Sumia straight away, startling her once he put his hand on her shoulder and stopping her from demolishing the poor flowers.
"Could you go comfort Chrom?" He asked, his expression unreadable "He needs it right now.".
She was startled and became a little red by Radko's suggestion that she of all people should go and comfort Chrom, but then she determinedly nodded. Although she had no clue as to why Chrom bolted to his room like that.
She left to meet him while the rest stayed inside the main hall, waiting for some news about their current situation.
"So? How did it go?" Stahl asked the duo and Robin's head slumped.
"It could have gone better and the orders we were given are… not to Chrom's liking."
"And what are those?" Sully pressed.
"We are to leave Ylisstol and meet the reinforcements Flavia sent since they are more than a day's march away from the capital." Robin relayed, but her expression darkened "But something tells me when we meet with the Feroxi, Ylisstol will be already conquered.".
Gasps with several grunts filled the air before silence came back while the sound of fluttering pages was heard from Miriel, who was engrossed in her read.
"Are you taking the piss!?" Sully shouted, eyebrows knitted together.
"You think I am happy about it!?" Robin shot back "But Emmeryn demanded that we, the Shepherds, go with Chrom as his guard. She said 'We need to make sure the Fire Emblem doesn't fall into Gangrel's hands.' and will give it to us when we leave.".
"When we leave?" Vaike parroted.
"Yes," Robin answered, "Since the Plegians weren't able to expand their control over the city because of the Risen they send, we will sneak through the north gate to get to the Feroxi as soon as possible.".
As much as many of the Shepherds wanted to argue, none of them wanted to oppose orders from Emmeryn, making some either click their tongues or slumped their heads.
"We leave as soon as we are able, so pack up everything you need. We meet at the northern gate that leads to the lower level. Don't be late." Robin ordered while aiming for her office with a few Shepherds followed suit into their rooms to get ready.
Radko was about to leave as well if he wasn't stopped by Virion with a hand on his shoulder.
"Friend, do you not have anything to say?" Virion said. Radko turned around to face Virion, his expression downcast.
"No, I don't. Don't question my sudden change in appearance, Virion. I am still me and we have more important matters to attend to." He said with a whisper while gently sweeping Virion's hand away. Radko went inside his room to get things packed, leaving behind the rest of the Shepherds inside the main hall.
Virion sighed while turning to the rest who haven't left yet.
"So, a cold shoulder is what he gives us," Vaike said with a huff.
"As much as I don't like Radko's approach, he is right about us having different priorities." Maribelle reluctantly agreed, prompting the rest of the Shepherds to start packing as well.
Usually, the Shepherds would normally be eager or somewhat fast in their packing, yet they couldn't find the drive nor the enthusiasm.
Chrom being among them.
He punched his desk once more with a bang while writing utensils hopped from the impact, ink almost spilling at the table. He had the urge to scream in frustration because of Emmeryn forcing him to leave Ylisstol with that accursed golden shield.
While leaving her behind.
He heard a gentle knock on the door of his room and a groan escaped his lips.
"Frederick, I told you to not let anyone in," Chrom said.
The doors screeched open nonetheless, revealing Sumia on the other side, hugging the doors.
"Um, Captain? Can I come in?" She asked with a gentle voice and Chrom's head snapped towards the door, surprised to see her.
"Sumia?" He said "Yes, of course, come in.".
As she entered the room she didn't immediately talk about why she came as she eyed Chrom who looked haggard, the messy mop on his head and slumped eyelids being the first things Sumia noticed.
"So, what do you need?" Chrom lightly pressed.
"I wanted to ask if everything is alright?" Sumia asked and that made Chrom breathe a sigh.
"Did you hear from Robin what our orders are?" Chrom said.
"No, Radko told me to come here to make sure you are alright," Sumia said while bringing both her arms together.
"I see," Chrom looked away.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sumia asked and Chrom sighed again, but then divulged into what happened in the council and what their orders were before he took a seat at his bed.
"And now we have to leave the city while I leave Emm behind." He growled while bringing his hands to his face. Sumia took a seat right next to him and took one of Chrom's hands.
"Then we have no time to waste." Sumia suddenly said, completely throwing Chrom for a loop.
"What?"
"Well, if we hurry up then we will be able to get back to Ylisstol as soon as possible, right?" Sumia said, earning a bewildered look from Chrom.
"Well, yes, but…" Chrom said but then got interrupted.
"No buts. We need to get a move on, Captain! Or do you want the Plegians to ransack our beloved Ylisstol before the Feroxi arrive?" Sumia pressed and his eyes widened slightly.
"When you say it like that, we really have no time to lose, huh?" Chrom said with a chuckle.
"Exactly!" Sumia beamed "Now come, Captain, we can't make the others wait!" She bolted towards her room, forgetting to close the door behind her when Frederick peeked into the room.
"Milord?" He prompted.
"Get your stuff, Frederick. We leave as soon as possible." Chrom said, making Frederick's lips curve upwards slightly.
"Very well." And both began packing for the imminent march. Shepherds were scurrying about, getting their necessities packed before aiming for the moving towards their meeting spot. Among the first people who were done was Radko, who was now in the northern gate, waiting for the rest to come.
A caravan was already waiting for them and he threw his bags inside it, not caring if they took up more space than necessary.
He looked at the stars that were visible in the night sky. He felt sleepy, being some time since he took a nap. The people at the war council were extremely uninteresting to listen to which made it hard for Radko to not fall asleep during it, since he had nothing to contribute.
Hearing footsteps coming from behind him, he turned around, hoping it would be one of the Shepherds, only to found someone else.
A woman with long red hair that reached her thighs and pale skin, light white armor adorned her with a short red dress underneath with white accents and knee-high red leather boots. Her face was sharp yet delicate at the same time, not unlike Sumia.
She went inside the wagon to pack her things only to let out a small groan filled with irritation.
"How can somebody just throw their bags like this, it's wasting space." She muttered but was still heard by Radko, making him sigh. After some time inside the carriage, shuffling the bags to make more space for more upcoming luggage, she jumped out before coming back to her pegasus, seemingly doing something with it. Radko barely noticed the creature and a mixture of awe and contemplation surged through him once he set his eyes on it.
"You have been staring for some time now." Said the woman in red, a neutral expression on her face.
"I have never seen a pegasus up close. Excuse my curiosity." Radko curtly replied, redirecting his sight towards the night sky.
"Are you part of the Shepherds? Because if not then I would kindly implore you to leave." She said in a leveled voice.
"I, in fact, am part of the Shepherds. Not long after the fight in the arena of Regna Ferox." Radko answered.
"I see, your name must be Radko then?" The pegasus knight stated and Radko raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know my name?" He asked.
"The word about you has spread a little after your miraculous find of that traitorous hierarch." The pegasus knight answered "Also, I thought that your coat being unique was an exaggeration, but now I can see why. It certainly looks foreign.".
Radko hummed, "I guess that saves me the trouble. That leaves only your introduction then, Lady…" Radko waited for the woman to finish.
"Cordelia, and I am part of the pegasus knight escort that will make sure you safely reach the Feroxian army." She said curtly.
"I see, I heard Phila mentioning something about that in the council…" Radko trailed off, not knowing how to continue the conversation while Cordelia worked on her pegasus.
"Pardon me for asking, but you don't look like a fighter." Cordelia said, sizing Radko from top to bottom "You look more of the type to sit in a court.".
"You are not the only one to say that, nor won't be the last probably." Radko answered, arms crossed, "I can assure you that I can handle myself in a battle. I have been in a few of those already." he then looked at Cordelia's pegasus.
"Tell me, how does it feel to fly?" Radko suddenly asked.
"What?" Cordelia said, bewildered by the question. Radko stayed silent, hoping Cordelia would answer anyway.
"Well, it feels like everything that would chain you to the ground suddenly isn't there anymore. The wind roaring into your ears is amazing, seeing everything from high above is mesmerizing and the freedom is almost addictive." She then looked at her pegasus with pride "And I got her to thank for it.".
A small chuckle escaped Radko's lips, yet the mirth it should hold wasn't there "I can see why it would be so enthralling, I wish I could do the same.".
"What is stopping you, then?" Cordelia asked and Radko's face dropped.
"Mostly myself," Radko responded, leaving the conversation there. Soon enough more Shepherds and pegasus knights filled the place, preparing for the march through the infested lower level of the city.
Once they were fully assembled with the small honor guard of pegasus knights to give the Shepherds the necessary boost in their ranks, Emmeryn appeared with her own guard. She walked with grace until she reached Chrom and this was the first time many people saw the Fire Emblem in all of its glory.
Or what glory it had left.
The shield was made from gold, but the age of the artifact was visible with how worn the color was. Markings were etched on it with five holes arranged in a pentagon shape, seemingly for gems similar to the one on the top hole which was the only one present out of the five, gleaming in weak white light.
"So, this is the Fire Emblem?" Robin asked nobody in particular, eyeing the shield in Emmeryn's hands.
"Yes, and it is the relic King Gangrel is so adamant about obtaining." Emmeryn said, "It has a long history of conflict and strife not just between humans and dragons. Its power was lost to time with the only way of unlocking it is through a certain ritual which is why it must not fall into his hands.".
"But why does this shield have to go with us and not you?" Chrom's breath hitched slightly, trying to hold his anger at bay.
"Chrom, you know I have to stay with the people. If they found out I left them, it wouldn't bode well." Emmeryn said with the shake of her head, "I sincerely hope you can come with Flavia to help us send Gangrel back to Plegia in time.".
"But why is this shield so important? Ylisse needs you more than this hunk of gold metal." Chrom said while looking down on the golden shield and earned a stern glare from his sister.
"No, this relic must not fall to Gangrel's hands. As much as I want to see peace between our nations, I wouldn't trust Gangrel with this relic." Emmeryn said while giving Chrom the shield, although he took it reluctantly.
"Hopefully that shield will protect you better than me," Emmeryn said with a smile.
"Wait!" Lissa exclaimed after forcing herself through the Shepherds "Let me stay here with you!".
"No." Emmeryn immediately shut her down, making Lissa slump her head "Chrom will be able to protect you more than I would ever will.".
"That… That's not fair." Lissa said, sniffing. Emmeryn patted her head.
"Everything will be fine, I know you will come in time." Emmeryn then turned to Robin "Please, keep them safe for me, Robin.".
"Of course, your Grace. I will do everything in my power to do so." Robin said while bowing.
"Thank you," Emmeryn said with a smile before turning back to Chrom "Chrom, would you mind if I talked with one of your Shepherds for some time?".
Chrom was surprised at first before nodding "Of course, but I would rather if we leave immediately so we won't keep you waiting.".
"Don't worry, it won't take long," Emmeryn said "Radko, would you mind?".
The look on a lot of the Shepherds' faces wasn't lost on Chrom because he had one as well. Radko was also surprised why Emmeryn would want to speak with him, but he eventually appeared in the front, bowing to her once he was fully visible.
"You want to speak with me, your Grace?" Radko said.
"Yes, come with me," Emmeryn said while leaving the Shepherds with Radko in tow.
"Milord, we should leave, Radko will be able to catch up with us on a pegasus," Frederick said, always being by Chrom's side.
"Yeah, Shepherds! March!" Chrom shouted and with affirmative grunts and weapons at the ready, they went on their way towards the Feroxi army, leaving a single pegasus knight behind.
Reaching a place not far from the entrance to the lower level, Emmeryn, Radko and the guard reached a place where it would be adequate to talk to each other without anyone eavesdropping. She sighed as she hoped to have this conversation somewhere more private.
"Please leave us for now and make sure nobody is nearby," Emmeryn commanded with a leveled tone and the guards bowed before giving Emmeryn and Radko the privacy she wanted.
"Can I ask why would you bring us here, your Grace?" Radko asked.
"You can drop the act now, Radko. We should have enough privacy." Emmeryn said, but Radko's eyes flickered with guilt.
"I can't, not right now at least," Radko replied, surprising Emmeryn.
"What?"
"If I would drop the act then I don't know if I would hold myself together from everything that is happening, your Grace. It has been a wild journey so far and I deeply apologize." Radko said while bowing and Emmeryn's eyes widened.
"Does it have to do with your sudden change in appearance?" Emmeryn asked and Radko nodded.
"It is one of the many reasons why, but I won't divulge any further, you wished to speak with me about something, correct?" Radko said.
"Always straight to the point, I have to say that differentiating between you and Adrian is almost impossible with how you look now." Emmeryn sighed and Radko's mask almost broke from mentioning that name, but he held on.
"This… Adrian, you are speaking about, is it the one you referred to back in our teatime?" Radko asked, trying to sound as level as possible.
"Yes, although I don't know much about him. He kept a lot of things to himself, but he was always welcomed here inside our castle." Emmeryn said, smiling, and looking at the sky "He was friends with Chrom when both were young, and usually came to visit with one of my many mentors during my reign.".
"But it has been around six years since he came last time and there were no signs of him anywhere when I sent searching parties for him." Emmeryn's head slumped, "So, I thought the worst happened to him." she then eyed Radko with an inviting smile "Until now.".
Radko's breath hitched for some reason. He knew he had no connections to Emmeryn, only via his knowledge, and yet why did it feel like his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
"I am sorry, your Grace, but your assumption on me being Adrian is unfounded." Radko eventually replied through his ache. Emmeryn's smile faltered, the hand around his heart tightened its grip.
"But…" Radko continued while looking away "If you know anything about him then I would gladly lend an ear.".
That made her smile brighten again.
"You are looking for him as well?"
"Yes, you could intrepid it like that," Radko replied.
"But I sadly don't know much about him, the only concrete information I have on him is that his homeland is Valm." Radko's eyes widened.
"Valm?" He parroted.
"Yes, that was something I caught when I was accidentally eavesdropping on one of his conversations with one of my mentors. Although I don't know from which part he hails from." Emmeryn pondered.
"No, that is enough." Radko said, bringing her attention back to him, a small smile on his lips "That is all I needed to hear, really. I had nothing to go off of when I started looking for Adrian. Thank you for at least giving me a lead.".
"I am glad I was able to help somehow, but it saddens me you aren't the boy I thought I found. Forgive me for assuming so." Emmeryn said while bowing slightly.
"No apologies needed, your Grace." Radko said bringing one hand to eye level, his heart feeling extremely tight "Now, is there anything else you wanted to talk about? Because if not I should get back to the Shepherds as quickly as possible."
"Yes, you are free to go, Cordelia!" Emmeryn shouted and after a few seconds of waiting, a pegasus landed near them with grace, revealing the woman Radko stumbled into when he came first to their meeting place.
"Cordelia will take you to the Shepherds and will keep you safe, she is quite the prodigy in combat, from what I have heard from Phila," Emmeryn said while eyeing the pegasus and its rider.
"Your Grace." Cordelia bowed once she dismounted.
"Cordelia, please take Radko to the Shepherds," Emmeryn commanded and Cordelia nodded.
"Of course, Radko, come with me, we have no time to waste." Cordelia urged, but before he mounted the pegasus with her help, he opened his tome before a small ice shard appeared in his hand and it formed itself into a shape of a familiar lion he always kept with him, the size of a pebble.
"Here, Emmeryn," He gave it to her as it fell in her hands. The lion radiated with cold, yet the warmth of the gesture overshadowed it.
"Can I know why you give me such a gift?" Emmeryn asked with a smile.
"It is a promise. A promise that I will save you when the time comes." Radko said resolutely, much to the bewilderment of both people present.
"I…" Emmeryn tried to find words, but Radko beat her to it with a smile "I know you don't understand, but I will not break that promise."
With how resolute he sounded, he would have thought that it could ease the knot inside his stomach, but it got thicker instead. It was almost too hard to breathe for him. He turned to Cordelia.
"Let's go, Cordelia, I kept you waiting for long enough." He said, bringing the pegasus knight out of her trance "Show me what it means to fly.".
"O-Of course, let's be on our way," After helping Radko mount the pegasus who was not happy about the extra luggage Radko brought, it eventually calmed down and it was ready to take flight.
"Please, keep my siblings safe," Emmeryn said before they took off towards the Shepherds. Once they were gone, Emmeryn looked at her newly acquired token from Radko. She tentatively reached inside the robes to dig out a piece of jewelry she got some time ago from Adrian and her eyes widened.
The lions looked identical.
She clutched both of them tightly, the tips of her fingers turning white.
"Adrian…" Were her only words as she looked up upon the nightly sky, spotting the pegasus flying to the north.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The march towards the northern gate was filled with Risen for the Shepherds to deal with, the reeking boxes still emitted their purple smoke for the Risen to form, some of them being dead soldiers who died during the initial attack.
Even though individual Risen weren't a threat, they still heavily outnumbered the Shepherds, even with the help of the pegasus knights. That didn't stop them from charging through the crowded streets.
Soon after clearing their way towards the northern gate, leading outside Ylisstol that wasn't guarded by not a single Plegian, they escaped the lower level and were now on their way towards the Feroxian army.
Radko and Cordelia soon reached the Shepherds without a hitch and met them in their camp as the morning was on the horizon, but everyone was tired and had no energy to spare, many still being inside their tents to regain as much energy as possible.
Yet Radko couldn't sleep a wink.
With how things were going and if Robin's prediction of Ylisstol falling before they came back to reclaim it, then it looked like the world was steering back to its original course, much to Radko's annoyance.
One time he tried to change the story, but nothing came out of it, he could argue he just made things worse. Maybe he will be able to correct his mistake by helping Emmeryn. Saving her from her exe…
"Stop it, I don't even know if things will come down to that…" Radko said to himself.
Just because you don't know doesn't mean you can't assume. Gangrel will do everything in his power to kill Emmeryn in front of his people. We know at least that much.
"Yes, but not until I hear it from a scout then I won't jump to conclusions. I meant it when I said I would save her and being ahead of myself won't help me." Radko shook his head.
"Hey, Popsicle, it's your turn for the watch!" Gaius suddenly bellowed, making Radko groan.
"I'm coming." Radko stood up from his bedroll and changed into his battle clothes, his coat, gloves, spear, and tome.
Aren't you overpreparing a little?
"No, with Plegians being everywhere, there is no such thing as being overprepared." Radko rebuked and left his tent. Finding a path through a thick forest, he found a spot for his watch. With all the trees surrounding him and an early sun rising, there was a light fog forming, blocking his view while the rays of light tried to pierce the fog.
He opened his tome, still keeping its pale blue cover after so much use it has seen so far. Cycling through the pages, finding individual traced spells inside, he found the one that stuck out like a sore thumb.
Ignis.
"Just why am I able to use this? Am I forgetting something?" Radko pondered, but still came blank.
It is a skill only Robin could have, true, but I think we already know why. We should ponder on how instead.
Radko was surprised at first that he would already know that and as if a switch clicked inside Radko's head, he finally connected the metaphorical dots.
"The blood transfusion…" The words spilled out without thought "But that still doesn't explain why I had that sickness.".
I am surprised we were able to survive the process, it was extremely painful to deal with.
Radko hummed, ripping a strand of hair from his scalp and inspecting the completely white strand. You could mistake it for a blond, but those times were long gone since Radko had that hair color.
"I always wanted to know what I would look like with completely white hair, but I didn't want it to be permanent." Radko pondered.
I'd say we look very old. We can only hope that the rest of our body hair won't be white as well.
Radko snorted "As far as I could tell, no, thankfully not.".
He then looked back at the spell in his tome before giving it an experimental flick and a small purple flame enveloped his right hand. Again, it didn't burn, it only looked disturbing in Radko's eyes while lighting the area around him.
"I hate the fact that it could become useful. If only it didn't come with a whole slew of different problems." Radko clenched his fist.
I implore you to talk with Robin at least because she does have more experience using it than us. These flames are dangerous, but she can help us make use of them to our benefit.
"If only it were that easy. I have a feeling that if I went to her and talked about it, she would interrogate me for more knowledge I possess." Said Radko while clicking his tongue "And sating her curiosity is probably impossible at this point.".
I can't force you, but avoiding the problem will not become an option sooner or later. Be prepared for that.
"Thank you, I forgot how useful you are when I am in a bind," Radko said with a smile.
That's why I am here, but what will you do after the war ends?
"Adrian. I need to find out everything about him, and Emmeryn gave me a lead I needed." Radko said.
Agreed, but now we have other matters to attend to. Such as getting back to the camp and making sure people aren't looking for us. Somehow our conversation took as long as our entire shift.
Radko nodded, flicked his hand to get rid of the purple flames, and stuffed his tome inside his holster. He was ready to leave if he didn't hear footsteps from behind him, slowly picking up in speed. Turning around to find the source of the noise while trying to spot anything in the fog only to find Marth, charging straight ahead with her Falchion at the ready and gleaming.
"Shit! Hey, I need your help right now because dealing with that hot-headed princess is not something I want right now!" Radko shouted inside his head.
With pleasure.
Radko immediately went for his spear, blocking Marth's strike with the shaft of the spear and sending small vibrations from the impact.
"So you finally revealed yourself, Sir Adrian. I should have expected you to be a good liar, but never did I think you would dye your hair. Even you have to face the truth someday!" Marth bellowed as she continued her assault, Radko trying his best to fend her off "And I shall deliver it to you!".
Marth attacked with another lunge, the tip of the blade aiming for Radko's heart, only for him to redirect her stab. The sword glided against the shaft of the spear, letting Radko kick Marth away to gain some distance, allowing him to start his own lunges.
One of them was about slice through Marth's shoulder as she got ready to defend herself with her blade. Radko stopped short, making Marth block a lunge that never came while he backed off, giving him enough time to cast a quick prison spell, trapping Marth inside an ice cage.
Marth gritted her teeth and started bashing her sword against the ice, denting it by a small fraction. She was surprised that the ice didn't break. Last time she was able to shatter Radko's spear with little effort.
"And here I thought we would find ourselves without the edges of our weapons at each other's throats," Radko said with a sigh.
She looked at Radko with a snarl "Why have you not killed me yet? You have the perfect opportunity.".
"That may be true, but I don't think I would be able to meet Chrom in the eyes if I killed you here," Radko said and Marth's eyes widened slightly before she glared at Radko.
"I and Chrom have no correlation."
"That's where you are wrong, Marth, and don't think I will free you from this prison any time soon, you are way too eager to kill me without thought. The talk we had in Ylisstol seemed to have gone over your head." Radko said while putting his tome and spear away.
"I told you we have nothing to speak about, traitor." Marth hissed.
"You keep calling me a traitor, but never gave me a reason. Is it truly justice and truth when you only know one side of the story without hearing the other?" Radko asked.
Just don't mention anything about her being from the future, somehow I have the feeling she would kill us on the spot if anything. You almost blew it by mentioning Chrom.
"True, but if we won't broaden the subject then we will be left on an impasse. She is imprisoned, for now, so she isn't a threat." Radko argued and he heard a metaphorical sigh from his other self.
Fine, but be at least a little tactful.
"No promises."
"I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you, Sir Adrian," Marth said, and Radko gave her a dull look.
"You are a tough nut to crack, but that is to be expected. Say, how is Cynthia doing?"
And now you have reminded me why I don't let you take over.
If Marth's eyes weren't wide before, they were certainly now.
"What? How do you..."
"Simple, do you think Adrian from this time would be able to guess who your sister is? Would it be just a lucky guess? Or something else?" Radko continued nonchalantly as Marth's legs began to shake. She pointed her sword through the cage, yet her hands shook as well.
"Enough! You know nothing!" She yelled, fear etching in her voice from the unknown Radko brought.
You… Can you just stop there? The girl looks like she could fall on her rear any second.
"Not yet."
"Then how about your real name, Marth? I have to say that taking the name of the famous Hero-king is rather generic. Wouldn't something like Lucina sound better?" Radko finished and upon hearing that name, Marth's legs gave out.
"No… That's not..." She tried to form a sentence but couldn't.
Okay, that's enough!
Radko backpedaled slightly, clutching his head from a small headache before looking back at Marth, or rather, Lucina. Her eyes were wide as saucers and as she weakly held the Falchion she stared at Radko who clicked his tongue.
"Look at what you did! She is just a teenager playing hero and here you are literally breaking her!" Radko bereted.
You told me to deal with her and I did as you asked.
"As if! You pretty much ruined our chances with her now!" Radko shouted in his mind before breathing a sigh, calming himself and completely ignoring his other self before slowly reaching Lucina.
"S-Stay away!" She said desperately, quickly tightening her grip on Falchion and pointed it at Radko.
"N-No, just, listen to me, Lucina, let me explain myself," Radko said, also desperately, taking Lucina by surprise.
"What is this!? Some sort of elaborated joke!? You went from this all-knowing demon to a scarred child in an instant!" She said.
"Just shut up and listen to me, you hot-headed princess!" Radko yelled, shutting down any protests from Lucina, making her hand with the Falchion go limp.
"Just, listen to me, okay? Can you at least do that?" Radko asked as gently as possible, but Lucina wasn't having it.
"You are trying to deceive me, is that it?" She said, trying to sound defiant, although there was a slight crack in her voice.
"I am not. Look, I am sorry for what I said, but I can assure you there is a reason as to why I know your name. Will you give me a chance to explain myself?" Radko asked, hoping to reach Lucina while shattering the prison around her, yet she didn't move from her slumped position.
"Do I even have a choice?" Lucina asked weakly.
"Not if you don't want to be left in the dark," Radko reasoned and Lucina eventually stood up, hoisting herself up with her blade. She looked at it before locking eyes with Radko, thinking she would see the same piercing blue eyes as she remembered them, but his were pleading instead.
She sheathed her blade reluctantly, never leaving Radko out of her sight.
"Make it quick," Lucina eventually said and Radko was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief after what felt like an eternity.
"Oh thank god. Okay, it began with…" As Radko divulged into his side of the story, explaining to Lucina how he came to Ylisse, who he truly was and why he probably looked a lot like this Adrian a lot of people were mistaking him for.
She took it with a grain of salt.
"How can I believe you when you have no concrete evidence? Knowing my name or my sister's is not enough." Lucina said with her arms crossed.
"You were shadowing the Shepherds so far, right?" Lucina gave Radko a nod "Then you probably have heard about the hierarch's betrayal, something you didn't know about, but I did. It was me who snuffed him out.".
"I see… but that still doesn't give me the reason to believe your story. For all I know, you could be some sort of a skilled detective." Lucina said and Radko had to resist the urge to groan.
"Why is she being so difficult?" Radko pondered.
I told you to be direct.
"You have no room to talk. Go away." Radko dismissed his other-self.
"No, Lucina, I am not a man of thousand skills and perks." Radko sighed "Why can't you just believe me? I feel like we should have some sort of kinship with you being from the future and me being from a different world entirely.".
"How do the two even relate?" Lucina asked incredulously.
"You'd be surprised just how much, but that is beside the point. You," Radko pointed at her "Will come with me to the camp.".
"What!?" Lucina shouted "No! I can't reveal myself to the Shepherds now!".
"I didn't say anything about revealing. You said that I, or at least Adrian, is a traitor, then wouldn't it be better if you just stayed with us for now? You can keep a close eye on me while being helpful to the Shepherds. Besides, a few extra hands are always welcomed." Radko said while pointing to the general direction of their camp.
"You… you bring a valid point," Lucina relented "But I don't want to mess with the timeli-."
"Oh spare me that 'messing with the timeline' junk, everything is fucked up already with me being here anyway. Also, if you think you would disappear by changing this timeline then you haven't heard about the multiverse theory." Radko rebuked.
"Multi-what?" Lucina said, completely bewildered.
"A talk for another time. Now come, I was here long enough for them to be looking for me." Radko said before going back inside their camp, a yawn escaping from his lips.
"This was tiring on so many levels," He thought, bringing his hand on his face, looking up.
Yes, I am inclined to agree, but shouldn't you check if she is following you?
"She will if she knows what's good for her." Radko thought before looking back, hoping to find Lucina behind him.
Only to spot no one.
"Oh for fuck sake!" Radko yelled "That little runt!".
Next time, keep a close eye on her instead of the other way around.
"Don't you sass me! You made things almost irreparable between us!"
But I didn't, I just simply sped up the process a little.
Radko scoffed "Sure, like I am going to believe that.".
Believe what you will but you should go back to the camp immediately. We can't spend time searching for Lucina now, she will be nearby regardless.
"Yes, yes, whatever," Radko said dismissively before reaching the camp, being alive with activity. He spotted Robin, giving orders while having a small bowl of soup in her left hand before she found Radko.
"Oh, Radko, we were looking for you. Where were you? Your shift ended a while ago." Robin asked before taking a small sip.
Not going to let me take over?
"Shut it, as if I let you after what happened with Lucina."
"I got sidetracked a little because Marth of all people found me again," Radko said, taking Robin by surprise.
"And?" Robin pressed, being a little concerned.
"And she tried to kill me, again," Robin frowned "But I was able to persuade her somewhat and I have hoped she would have gone with me here to the camp, only to escape again.".
Robin sighed from relief "Well, at least you aren't hurt.".
"Not hurt, but tired as fuck." Radko said, making Robin raise an eyebrow.
"I thought you weren't one for swearing," She said, trying to bring a smile out of Radko and he snorted.
"I am too tired to care."
"Fine, I guess I could pull a few strings and let you doze off inside the wagon," Robin said after another sip.
"Frederick wouldn't let me either way and vulneraries are a good pick-me-up anyway," Radko argued, shaking his head.
"Radko, if I see you somewhere other than inside the wagon sleeping or spot you chugging vulneraries for energy and not cuts then Frederick will be the least of your worries," Robin said with a glare, surprising Radko.
"Where did that come from?"
"Don't think I don't notice the little things you do for me, just take this as my way of paying back and making sure all of the Shepherds are battle-ready," Robin said, drinking the last of her soup before giving the empty bowl to Radko.
"Also get something to eat, we leave in half an hour. I'll have a spot in the wagon ready for you." Radko was bewildered, to say the least, before giving Robin a thankful smile.
"I guess I don't have a say in this, do I?" He asked.
"No," Robin curtly replied with a small smirk and left to continue giving orders.
Well, look at that, you are becoming friends. I'd say you could talk to her about anything at this point if she is going out of her way just for you.
Radko smiled "I guess I could, huh?."
He looked at his newly obtained bowl and went to the mess tent to get something to eat.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The sound of swirling white wine inside a cup filled the white-haired individual's ears before taking a sip and tasting the flavors. The bottle he found in one of the emptied bars called Roseanne Extra-Dry late harvest was the only one that sparked his curiosity among the trashy tasteless waters these humans call alcohol.
"Hmm, bitter, yet sweet at the tip of the tongue all the while being silky smooth and a hint of apple helps it bring the flavors together." He said, twirling the wine again while basking in the pale-golden hue, the view of the city Ylisstol behind it. The bottle rested in an ice bucket, keeping it cool at a perfect temperature.
Sitting on the walls of Ylisstol, a sudden portal made of darkness appeared close behind him, and emerging from it was another white-haired person, this one being a distinctive female figure in a large coat.
"Of course I would find you here, Ansikt." She said with the same power behind her voice as the white-haired lad, although it was filled with exasperation.
"You sound like I am hard to find," Ansikt said with bemusement "Do not worry, I am making sure the plan is running smoothly.".
"Are you not going to call me your mistress?" She asked, also amused, while looking at Ylisstol.
"I made sure nobody is around. Besides, we both know it is just an act." Ansikt said dismissively.
"Can I offer you a glass of decent vintage, Grima?" He whipped another glass for Grima, only for her to cross her arms.
"You know I despise everything these worms make, you are the only one I can withstand."
"I think I am more dragon than human at this point and you see me drink it safely. I assure you, it is decent enough for our sharp tongues." He said while pouring a cup for Grima to take who grabbed it after a brief moment before taking a sip. The alcoholic liquid invaded her tongue and immediately thought she would have to spit it out, only to taste its interesting flavors that didn't seem to bother her.
"Hmm, it always surprises me how easily you can convince me. I have to give the worms credit. If their sweet sacrifices weren't so filling then this could have sated my hunger." She then turned the cup into ash with her purple flames "But it doesn't.".
"Figures, life essence was always the best resource, no matter what you try to replace it with." Ansikt contemplated.
"Why are you here? We can both see everything from the eyes of the Risen yet here you are when we have more pressing matters to attend to." Grima asked, annoyed she had to deal with Ansikt's antics again.
"No we don't, Grima," He corrected, making Grima sneer "Not until this war becomes a blood bath and they let us gather power we are next to useless in our forms right now. The jump through that time-portal drained us both."He then glared at Grima "You then tried to abruptly possess a vessel who wasn't ready at all, making the progress even slower.".
"You dare!?" Grima seethed and Ansikt glared back.
"Is this how you talk to your other half? Face it, you could have doomed our return if that possession killed her off." Grima still had a sneer but looked away with a scoff making Ansikt sigh.
"But if you mean preparation wise then we still have a few strings to pull in Valm, which I openly admit, I was trying to avoid," Ansikt steered the conversation and Grima shook her head, even though the slight snarl was still present.
"I will have that covered personally. That worm, what was his name? Exitus?"
"Excellus."
"Details, an insect with a name is still an insect. He is incompetent, but he will serve his purpose well enough." Grima said.
"Speaking of incompetence, I still do not get why we should keep Validar alive," Ansikt said while bringing a sphere that shined a brilliant purple color, much like a gem would "He failed his mission miserably, and yet you granted him mercy, which is rather unlike you.".
"He is useless without a purpose which is why he is trapped there." Grima pointed at the purple sphere "But that purpose will come, and he will be needed.".
"Care to share your masterful plan with me? Because I can become a Plegian king for you if the situation calls for it." Ansikt offered and Grima scoffed, both gestures were filled with mirth.
"I know you would do an 'excellent' job, but we need to keep ourselves hidden from the human eyes for now who aren't our followers. You already showed yourself to that brat so make sure that won't happen again." Ansikt eyes became malicious blue when Grima mentioned 'that' certain person.
"He is a wild card and I needed to take repercussions to make sure we have him under control." Ansikt justified himself, "As to why I am here, well, the eyes of the Risen is a point of view I rather don't use. They are walking corpses who only try to imitate sight, after all, and it has been some time since I have seen a one-sided battle like this one with my own eyes." He began to laugh "It is almost precious how they try to prevent the inevitable.".
Grima began to smile a sinister grin "Just like our return.".
Ansikt mirrored her grin "Yes, just like our return.".
"Say, what about that brat? What do you have in store for him when you have let him find you?" Grima's grin didn't falter and Ansikt cackled, almost echoing even when there was nothing for the sound to bounce off of.
"Something that will turn what he always used for his benefit against him, and he will break because of it." He looked back at Grima with a deadly face-splitting smile "And then, well, let's just say we will have two wolves inside their flock of sheep instead of one.".
"My, how enthralling," Grima said.
"But I think having two wolves might be a bit too much, you need only one wolf to hunt a flock, after all. So, I took some actions accordingly." Ansikt pointed to the white cloud hanging over a small patch of ground several miles in the north "His ride shall be a one that never ends.".
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"Hey! Why does Radko get to ride inside the carriage!?" Said Lissa with an annoyed tone, sending the wagon a mean glare.
"Because he got attacked in the woods, Lissa. I'd say that is a good enough excuse as any." Chrom said, also looking at the wagon.
"You doing alright, friend?" Chrom asked with a raised voice and the only response was light snoring coming from the carriage, making Chrom smile.
"I guess I will take that as a yes."
"I have blisters the size of melons and you tell me that isn't a good enough excuse?" Lissa said with crossed arms.
"Milady, as much as I would gladly help you with your predicament, it will strengthen you, beca-." Frederick didn't get to finish.
"Because every experience makes us stronger, no matter how much we enjoy it. Yes, Frederick, I get it." Lissa huffed and Frederick's lips curved slightly upward.
"I am glad you have taken my lesson to heart, milady." He said, ignoring the sarcasm in Lissa's response.
"Say, Frederick, any news on this fog situation?" Chrom steered the conversation, making Frederick perk up.
"No milord. The pegasus knights are trying their best to find a route through this dense mist, but they weren't able to spot any routes that would lead us through it." Frederick said, looking left to right to inspect the fog.
"Make sure that everyone has someone to pair up with, Frederick. We don't want to lose anyone out here." Chrom ordered and Frederick bowed before leaving the siblings alone.
"What is up with this fog? Shouldn't it have cleared a while ago?" Lissa pondered, barely able to see a few meters in front of her.
"It should have. Something tells me this fog isn't natural," Robin said, appearing next to Lissa who got spooked, jumping up a few inches.
"Robin, don't do that to me! You scared me to death!" Lissa exclaimed, red from embarrassment, and Robin smiled smugly.
"A small payback for that frog, but back to the fog. I have gathered the Shepherds with Frederick so that everyone can see each other." Robin gestured to their small battalion behind her.
"Good," Chrom said "Let's stick close together, I will call down the pegasus knights." Chrom put two fingers inside his mouth and whistled three times, their version of a signal. He waited for a little and urged everyone to stay quiet so they could hear a response.
The only thing that could have been heard were leaves rattling in the slight wind, as they patiently waited for the signal but it took way too much time to respond. He tried to whistle again but to avail, making Chrom tense up.
"Damn it! Everyone, get your weapons ready!" He shouted and everyone got into a position, forming a circle. Howling wyverns echoed in the forest before a woman shouted from pain with a neighing horse, and then a loud thud vibrated through the ground. The Shepherds tensed and Chrom urged to move towards the sound.
The dampness of the air made the Shepherds accumulate more sweat than was necessary, the atmosphere getting tenser and some were even exhaling vapor from their mouths as the day got colder with each passing hour.
The end of fall was drawing near.
Another thud with the same sounds as before reached their ears before Robin spoke up.
"We are probably surrounded by Plegians right now, keep your guard up."
"Of course, don't make any hasty-." Before Chrom finished, he spotted a silhouette inside the dense mist the size of a horse. Soon after came Cordelia on her pegasus, battered and bruised. She tried to dismount her steed only to be barely able to stand on her two legs.
"Cordelia!" Sumia yelled, immediately bolting towards her friend to give the support she needed "Are you alright!?".
"We… were attacked by the Plegian wyvern riders… Prince Chrom, they are swarming in the west, we need to… hurry up the northeast." She said between hisses of pain, clutching her bleeding shoulder while still trying to lean on Sumia.
"Lissa, Maribelle!" Robin shouted and both immediately went to treat Cordelia's injuries.
"Somebody, guide the pegasus for Cordelia and get a move on! We ride to the northeast!" Robin ordered and everybody quickly picked up the pace, charging through the mist. The howling of wyverns seemed to go away, only a small echo of them from far away before they came to an abrupt stop.
"Why are you leaving so soon? We still have so much work to do." Spoke a voice of a haggard man, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere.
"We don't care about anything you say, show yourself!" Chrom bellowed into the emptiness that was the fog.
"But of course, prince Chrom, please forgive my rudeness. My name is Chalard, High Priest of the Grimleal religion." A figure stepped out from the fog, a lean old man with many wrinkles on his face and a tight grey cap that completely covered his hair. Purple robes were present on him with many markings indicating his religion.
"What does a dog of Grima want on Ylissian soil?" Frederick questioned, voice filled with venom not usually found on the stoic knight.
"There is no need to rush, for you see, the messenger of our god graced us with his presence and he demanded an item from us that you, prince Chrom, seemed to have in your possession," Chalard said while throwing his hands into the air as if trying to grasp something intangible.
"The Fire Emblem stays with me, and no Grimleal will pry it from my hands for as long as I live," Chrom resolutely stated, the shield being strapped on his left hand.
"But of course, the great sacred relic of the-" Chrom began to ignore the old man's banter and focused his attention on Robin instead.
"Robin, have you assessed our situation yet?" Chrom whispered impatiently.
"Not yet. It seems this Chalard person is quite the conversationalist. Buy us little more time, Chrom." Robin answered, her eyes darting from place to place before addressing Miriel.
"Fine, just make it quick," Chrom nodded.
"-but if you are so uneager to give it to us then how about a different trade?" Chalard said.
"A different trade?" Chrom parroted.
"Why yes, the messenger of our god also demanded one more item, or should I rather say, a person, from us that is also by your side, prince Chrom." He said and Chrom became even warier.
"I can't see why anyone from my crew would be so important to you that your 'messenger' would send you to Ylisse," Chrom said and Chalard smiled.
"Oh, but there is, young prince. Here is the part of the deal, we will leave you unharmed and let you pass to your Feroxian allies," Chalard formed a face-splitting grin while pointing with his grubby finger "And you give us the person who is currently inside 'that' carriage.".
Lissa, who was now by Chrom's side after nursing Cordelia back to health, looked in the direction Chalard was pointing before gasping.
"B-But that's-!" Lissa didn't get to finish before her mouth got shut by Chrom's hand. Chrom shook his head before looking back at Chalard.
"Is there a reason why are you pointing to a carriage made for transporting everything other than people?" Chrom questioned.
"The messenger told us where he is and he demanded we retrieve what he desires," Chalard answered, making Chrom scowl.
"Why?"
"We do not question the words of our lord, we only act. Now, give him to us, if not the shield." Chalard said, stretching one hand out.
"You must imagine me as an insane man if you think I would agree to any of your deplorable deals," Chrom said defiantly, grasping Falchion tightly.
"Prince, there is no reason to not accept our deal. You are surrounded by Grima's faithful, wouldn't it be a smarter decision to sacrifice one for the many?" Chalard said with his grin still present.
Chrom looked back to check if Robin was ready with anything she cooked up and once they locked eyes, she nodded.
"Sacrificing one for the many means you only have to find a way save the one being sacrificed as well," Chrom said, looking back at Chalard before shouting "But if it does come down to that then I think we all would rather fight our way out than sacrificing one of our friends to the Grimleal!".
"Miriel! Now!" Robin yelled and then from the center of the circle Shepherds made, a giant fire pillar emerged from the ground, raising the temperature of the place to summer levels of hot. Thanks to the sudden shift, the fog was starting to dissipate, revealing the group of Grimleal around the Shepherds.
"Charge!" Chrom commanded before all of the Shepherds collapsed into the unprepared forces of the Grimleal hiding inside the forest. Blood was everywhere and every single drop came from the religious fanatics with only small burns and cuts from some of the spells the mages could have fired before being killed as well.
Once they dealt with their opposition, a ragged tome was on the ground for Chrom to pick up, bloodied and worn. The red mark of a hand trying to grasp the book was plastered on it like if it was a lifeline for one of the killed mages, yet Chrom felt not a single ounce of regret.
"These people don't deserve mercy." Chrom thought.
"Where in Grima's name are the wyvern riders!?" Shouted Chalard, frantically looking into the sky, hoping to find the group of wyverns, but when Chrom followed Chalard's sight, he found not a single soldier in the air.
Seeing that they had no wyvern riders to deal with, for reasons unknown, Chrom dropped the tome and then charged towards the last member, Chalard, who had a face of pure fear. He fished out a dark satchel and spilled out a dark powder-like substance before engulfing Chalard completely in white light.
He brought a hand to block the harsh light and once the light was gone, so was the priest as well, leaving charred runes on the ground.
"Damn, he escaped," Chrom said, mostly to himself, because he didn't expect to get an answer but he got one from Robin.
"That doesn't matter, Chrom. Come on, we need to get these bodies into a pyre, we don't want them to come back as Risen. Besides, something tells me he will be the least of our worries." She said before starting to order the Shepherds to gather the bodies of both the mages while trying to find the rest of the pegasus knights.
All of the bodies were set before Miriel set them on fire, a similar pillar of flame that got them out of their bind. The smell of burned skin and muscle permeated the air, a smell Chrom and the veteran Shepherds were well accustomed while some like Ricken or Donnel had to leave.
"The only pegasus knight who survived is Cordelia, so I'd say let her stay with us for now. At least Sumia will be able to help her. She will probably be traumatized by her squad dying." Robin said to Chrom the damage report.
Chrom clenched his fists tightly, the leather screeching in protest and eyes glued on the pyre. A soft hand clad in metal tried to make him ease his grip. Chrom looked to his right side, spotting Sumia, also looking at the pyre.
"Were they your friends?" Chrom eventually asked and Sumia shook her head.
"Hardly, but seeing them be among the pile of bodies makes me nauseous," Crackling of skin and leather filled the silence. The sight of bodies being burned was something disturbing and mesmerizing at the same time for Chrom as he kept looking.
"Come, Captain. We need to leave." Sumia urged lightly and Chrom nodded, making their way towards the front, seeing Radko up with Robin discussing something that made Radko grit his teeth.
"Oh, hello Chrom," Radko said once he spotted Chrom while he saw Robin give Radko a glare for some reason but decided to ignore it.
"I am glad to see you up and about again. Did you get caught up on what happened?" Chrom asked and Radko nodded.
"Robin filled me in and I am so sorry for my arrogance, I shoul-." Robin punched him before he could finish, earning a grunt from him.
"I'll stop you right there and say that those were your orders and you just followed them so don't even think about blaming yourself," Robin bereted and Radko mumbled something about pots and the color black for some reason.
Chrom smiled at the interaction between them before turning to Radko with a question that was plaguing him.
"Radko, do you have any idea why the Grimleal are looking for you?" He asked, taking Radko by surprise.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah, so, any ideas why?" Chrom pressed and Radko brought a hand to his chin before scowling.
"No, I can't think of any. Not right now at least, sorry." Radko eventually said.
"I see…" Chrom replied, having a distant look on his face.
"We can think about that later. Come on, we finally can see again and we shouldn't keep both Flavia and Emmeryn waiting." Robin urged.
With a few grunts of affirmation, they resumed their stride towards the Feroxian army. Soon after they left the place, only faint a sound of footsteps in the distance, a portal made from darkness appeared, Ansikt coming out of it.
He inspected the bloodied forest, a small scowl appearing on his face.
"So, you chose to resist…" Ansikt's eyes locked to the tracks the Shepherds left behind along with a single pile of ashes slowly getting picked up by the wind "A poor choice of action in my opinion.".
AN: Well, did you miss me, people? I hope you did because I. AM. BACK! (again). And my renewed vigor is strong and hopefully will last long.
Anyway, hope you like this chapter and our introduction to the second Radko. Hopefully, I did a decent job on how the second Radko works. If he feels a little asshole-ish then that means I am doing a good job, also Grimleal and Ansikt.
Also, for those who haven't read my profile, I made a small colab with Sakura and Ghep, writers of Shattered Songs of Faith and Detachment respectively. The story is about our Sis going to a bar and 'enjoy' each other's company.
It's on AO3 named A Detachment from the Shattered Path (how original, I know), so if you have time spare, give it a read! It's been a blast creating it with the two and if you want more content like that then just kudoing the work will work just fine.
Also, shameless plug to Fanfiction Treehouse discord server: gg/9XG3U7a
Have a great day, guys.
God's speed.