"What!?" Chrom shouted at the scout who was still breathing heavily after relaying his message. He kept one knee on the ground, his head downcast to try and ignore the piercing gaze he was receiving from the prince.
"As I said, Ylisstol has fallen," He repeated. The words, although quiet, were heard by the council again.
"I heard you! I want to know how!" Chrom demanded but got shut down by Basilio immediately.
"Boy, control your anger, you're embarrassing yourself. Never blame a messenger for relaying information," He said sternly, making Chrom growl in anger but didn't say anything else.
"Do you have anything else to report, soldier?" Flavia asked, and he nodded while also steadying his breath. He got up from his position and faced Flavia fully.
"Yes, the entirety of the Plegia army is marching back towards their nation," He said, taking the entire council back.
"Wait, they are just leaving Ylisstol without stationing any troops there?" Robin asked, striking a thinking position, though was still baffled.
"Not a single soldier was left behind, milady. I haven't heard much, but presumably, the Exalt sacrificed herself for the city. They have her as a hostage, and King Gangrel has announced her execution within the moon to the whole city.".
Chrom's eyes widen. This outcome was extremely similar to what Radko said back inside Ylisstol, like a bad fortune coming true. He brought a chair to sit on before burying his face inside his hands, making the rest in the council concerned.
Flavia nodded to the scout, dismissing him away before her eyes landed on the slumped prince and his tactician.
"Chrom, I know this is very hard for you, but you have to pull yourself together," Robin said while Chrom mumbled a few words that nobody could pick up on.
"Prince, you have to speak up a bit. I thought you like to speak plainly in my presence," Flavia said, crossing her arms and unimpressed by Chrom's behavior.
"It's just like Radko said," He said barely above a whisper, but was heard nonetheless.
"What does Flavia's boy have to do with anything we are trying to discuss here?" Basilio pressed, before Robin's eyes widened as well.
"Wait, do tell me he-!?" She was caught off by the gaze Chrom gave her before a slow methodical nod was his answer.
"Oh gods, he knew about that too," Was all Robin said, but the two khans were completely out of the loop.
"You two had kept spouting pointless words that have no value to this meeting. If you are so unwilling to take back your nation then we might as well take it for ourselves," Flavia threatened, but she got a stern glare from the prince.
"Frederick," Chrom called out, and the knight appeared behind the curtains of the second entrance to the tent.
"Yes, milord?" He prompted.
"Get Radko here as soon as possible. He needs to be here for this," He commanded and the knight wordlessly left the room with a bow.
"Again, why is that boy so important?" Basilio repeated himself.
"You will understand once Radko comes here," He said vaguely with Robin soon following up.
"He should be the one to tell you what he knows, as he understands it the best out of all of us. We should plan out the next course of action with him in mind," The visible confusion on both khans was getting on their nerves.
"Start spilling the beans, kids. We don't have time for your little secrecy with the Plegians running with the boy's sister in chains," Basilio urged the two, but Robin shook her head. She put her hands on the table, a resolute expression on her face.
"Everything will make sense once he comes. We have a clear advantage with him."
"What, is he some sort of a bargaining chip by being a lost prince or something? As far as I know, that boy is anything but that," Basilio rebuked. Flavia remained silent, letting Basilio vent, though it didn't last long.
Frederick came back faster than anyone could have expected, and soon enough, Radko was behind him as well. If it weren't for the coat he was wearing, the khans would think he was a different person with his new mop.
"I didn't know you were one to dye your hair," Flavia remarked, but Radko shook his head.
"That is a story for another time, you called me for a reason, right Chrom?" He dismissed Flavia's question while looking at Chrom who stood from his chair, leaning on the war table.
"Yes, and the news are dire, friend," Chrom began, but Radko beat him to it.
"Ylisstol has fallen, I have heard over the other side," He said, making Chrom scowl.
"Yes, and worst of all, they have my sister as a hostage," He turned to Radko with a pleading look "Please, you have to tell us everything you know.".
Radko eyed the two khans for a second before locking eyes with Chrom again.
"Do they know?"
"No, but it would be better if they did," Chrom said and Radko sighed, bringing one hand to hide his face inside his palm.
"You know the fewer people know about it, the better, right?" Radko reasoned, but Chrom shot him down "Radko, they are going to kill my sister! The last thing I will do is to waste your knowledge. You already told me what would happen, but now, it is happening. We need to know everything, and the khans need to know as well."
Radko closed his eyes for a second before eyeing the khans again, both were impatient if their crossed arms weren't an indication.
"I know this might sound unbelievable to you, but I know the future, to some extent," He said to the khans plainly, both of which looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"Boy, did you grow a tumor while you were in Ylisse? This is no time for japes," Flavia said disappointedly.
"Do I look like I was trying to jape?" He shot back with crossed arms as well "Let me give you an example then. Why do you think I didn't let anyone enter the team for your crowning tournament before the Shepherds arrived, Flavia?".
"Kid, you are playing with fire right now with where you are derailing this conversation," Flavia said in a low voice, but Radko didn't back down.
"I did it so Chrom would get his alliance, I was just a failsafe to make sure nobody came to compete with the spot. But since I was the champion, I needed to improvise a little," He explained.
"So, you are saying that the tournament was rigged from the start because of you?" Basilio asked with a passive voice.
"Not just me, Marth was there as well. I just didn't expect her to actively try to kill me," Radko said, locking eyes with Basilio "Because you recruited Marth and didn't let Lon'qu be the champion, your loss was pretty much inevitable."
Basilio harrumphed, "Kid, that sharp tongue of yours will be the death of you someday," he then smirked "Too bad I like kids who like to play with fire.".
Flavia only stared at Radko for a moment, wary of what he said. An idle drop of sweat formed on Radko's forehead under the piercing gaze of his former mentor, until a dry chuckle escaped her lips.
"So this is what you were hiding from me this whole time? You are a damn prophet?" Flavia said, bemused. Radko eased slightly at her tone as well, a small smirk adorned his lips.
"More like a person with too much time on his hands in his past life, but that's beside the point. Flavia, Basilio, what are you about to hear won't leave this room, I would like to keep this secret between as few people as possible."
"Stop being so melodramatic and tell us what you know already, we are wasting daylight here," Basilio pressed, making Radko sigh.
"Yeah, excuse me. Anyway…" As Radko began to spin the tale he knew about from the other side, all of the members in the council listened to his story. Though they were silent for a few moments, some were baffled by what Radko had to say.
"Wait, you thought that by defending Ylisstol, you would save the boy's sister as well as repel the Plegians? What made you think Ylisstol was equipped to do so?" Basilio asked, making Radko scowl.
"I thought that we could do it, but they used a cruel and cunning strategy. They bombed us with boulders with reeking boxes inside."
"Reeking boxes?" Flavia parroted.
"Yes, they are the source of the Risen, and I'd say they are still inside the lower level of Ylisstol, ravaging the city," Radko added.
"We are fighting against time, which we have very little of. Radko, you said that Emmeryn's execution will be in the capital of Plegia?" Robin asked, looking at the map on their round table.
"Yes, with what little I have seen of Gangrel, he will try to make it as grandiose as possible. What better place to kill the 'witch queen' than at the heart of your nation in front of your own people who hate her just as much?" Radko asked which Chrom scowled.
"But…" Radko wanted to continue but got shut down by the piercing glare from Chrom since he knew what he was about to say.
"Don't you dare," He warned.
"Chrom, they will hear this out whether you like it or not," He said resolutely, and Chrom looked away.
"Hear what now?" Flavia asked.
"That Emmeryn would help to stop the war from escalating any further," Radko answered, taking back everyone except for Chrom he still had his gaze pointed elsewhere besides Radko.
"Right before she would jump off the cliff where her execution should be after the Shepherds unsuccessfully tried to save her, she reached out to the Plegians. Her words completely demoralized them, and the war that should have lasted a long time, ended as soon as it began, with Gangrel buried in the ground." He said, making Flavia touch her chin.
"So, you are saying that the Exalt's death is key to stopping the war quickly?" Flavia asked and Radko gave her a reluctant nod.
"Yeah, and now I have no idea how to proceed with that in mind. I don't want to chase two rabbits at the same time when both can escape. Not only we risk a prolonged war, but also we wouldn't get to rescue Emmeryn at all," He scowled at the thought of never being able to stay true to his words when he left Ylisstol.
"You have put in a lot more thought than you let on, you must have thought of something. It wouldn't be you if you didn't," Robin said, but Radko looked away.
"Robin, I treated this world as a game from the start. I thought that I could help with what I had but now do I realize just how much responsibility I have on my shoulders when I try to take action. I don't know what to do when neither situation gives me the results I want, especially when anything can go horribly wrong," He said honestly through a grimace, making Basilio scowl.
"A game? You thought this was a game? You disappoint me then if you ever thought of it that way. How irresponsible," He said while crossing his arms. What he didn't expect however was a deep snarl from Radko.
"You think I wanted to be here!?" He shouted at Basilio, losing his cool while doing so "I was living a perfectly normal life up until that old fart called Alexander put me here! If anything, I would rather just run away and forget everything that had happened here, and watch everything from afar!".
Fist met face as Robin suddenly stopped Radko's outburst with a hook, knocking him to the ground. Chrom let out a small wince while Flavia and Basilio stifled a chuckle.
"You…" Robin seethed "You have so much power to change the world around you, but you are willing to do nothing when you can save lives with it?".
Radko groaned before standing up, hiding his face with his hand as a stream of red came out of his nose.
"I tried, but look where it got us. If anything, I made the situation worse." He muffled his response.
"Then how about trying again?" Robin said with less poison her words "How about correcting your mistakes? Didn't you promise Emmeryn that you would save her?".
Wide eyes were her response while Chrom only stared at Radko, shocked from what he heard.
"Wait, how do you-?"
"You are very loud when you talk to yourself when it's past nighttime," Robin answered "So, are you really going to back down on your word? Besides, who says you have only one person to catch both rabbits?"
Radko stared at her for a few moments before a chuckle escaped his lips.
"Next time, no face," Was all he said, rubbing his nose to get rid of the blood.
"No promises," Robin answered "Now, that plan of yours which you already have.".
Radko sighed again before eyeing the khans again, they both smiled evilly at him.
"Well look what we have here, I didn't know you already had a girlfriend," Flavia said with a bark of a laugh. Radko gave her a deadpan stare.
"Hahaha, very funny," He responded. Robin eyed the khans with the same look as well.
"His words," She answered curtly. Both khans' smiles only broadened, showing some teeth as well. Chrom, although happy to see that Radko had changed his mind, coughed into his hand.
"Radko, the plan," He urged, breaking the staredown between his Shepherds and the khans.
"Right, that. I wanted to ask you Chrom if there are different ways to get inside Plegia other than the Border Pass," He asked. Chrom hummed while rubbing his chin before pointing to the river in the middle of all three nations.
"The Granian River," He answered, taking Radko by surprise "From what I understand, Themis is very close to that river, and only the Themis nobility know of the tunnel system underneath it.".
"Wait, there is a tunnel system in there?" Radko asked, completely baffled.
"I thought you knew everything about us," Chrom shot at Radko with a smirk who returned a deadpan look.
"Details, Chrom. Details were something the story was missing in spades," Radko answered "Now, the tunnel system.".
"Right, only Maribelle should know a way through those tunnels. There are very rare materials and ores inside as it was once inhabited by the earth dragons. Their remains made the tunnels flourish with minerals, but there is a catch." Chrom said.
"The Dragon's Madness," Flavia answered immediately and Chrom nodded.
"Yes, miners who were sent there for manual labor became mad after just a few months of exposure inside the mines. So, we banned all operations, though the ore was quite sought after afterward." Chrom then looked back at Radko.
"Where are you aiming with that question?"
"We need spies in Plegia if we don't have any there," Radko said immediately "And I will have to go as well.".
"Wait, what!?" Robin shouted at Radko.
"Yeah, and I think you should already know why, Robin," He said to her before a small scowl appeared on her face.
"Just because the Grimleal are looking for you doesn't mean you should go ahead and bang at their doorsteps." She argued.
"I believe we are missing some context here," Basilio interrupted while scratching his bald scalp.
"Long story short, the Grimleal are looking for me, and I need a place to hide. From what I have heard from Robin, they either wanted me or the Fire Emblem, and keeping both things in the same place isn't ideal," Radko said.
"Is that wise, however?" Flavia said with a leveled tone, eyeing Radko with one eye open "What is your end goal with you leaving for Plegia if not just surrendering yourself to the Grimleal?".
"To locate Emmeryn, of course," He immediately replied "I gave her this before we left Ylisstol.".
Radko created a replica of the lion from ice that resided on his spear, showing it off for the rest of the council by throwing it on the table.
"I should be able to locate her via this lion. What I do after I find out is still in the cards," Radko said while Flavia was the first to inspect the ice sculpture before a small whistle escaped her lips.
"I guess Raimy was right about you," Flavia pondered out loud.
"Um, about what?" Radko asked, slightly wary.
"About you being from Valm," She answered before throwing the insignia back at the table "That's beside the point now, you will be able to locate her with this?".
It took a few moments for Radko to get his bearings after what Flavia said while Chrom and Robin warily stared at him, but didn't say anything.
"Yes, and with us being in Plegia, we should be able to give you the information you will need," Radko said eventually "Chrom, how long would it take for us to get to the other side through those tunnels?".
"It shouldn't take more than a few days, and with Maribelle, I think you will be inside Plegia in no time at all," Chrom answered before Flavia hummed.
"I don't think I will be able to get my soldiers through such tunnels. The rest of the army will march through our border. The Plegians aren't stupid enough to not let anyone stationed in the Border Pass if they let the city go and fighting through that would be a waste of my soldiers."
"What the woman said. Our men and women are good warriors, but not cushions for arrows," Basilio grunted in agreement.
"But it's a dangerous mission," Robin said quietly, though was still heard by the rest. She eyed Radko "You have a mob full of psychotic people at your back and you want to go inside their nest?".
"Sometimes, the best hiding spot is right under their noses," He said "Besides, right now I think I have the best chances of finding Emmeryn as quickly as possible. We might already have a few allies inside Plegia as well.".
"And by that you mean?" Chrom asked and Radko gave him a cheeky smile.
"The future Shepherds of course," He answered, taking Chrom by surprise before a smile adorned his lips.
"Well, I do have the strangest ways of acquiring new allies," Chrom said bashfully.
"That's putting it lightly," Robin said, a small bark escaped Basilio's mouth.
"I'd say we have a plan then! There are some logistics we have to take care of, but I'd say this is as good a start as any!" A smile adorned Flavia as well.
"I agree with the oaf," She then eyed Radko "Though you will have to go through a few changes to make yourself a little less presentable.".
"Yeah, the coat will have to go, I know. Can't have a stealth mission with all of the gear I have on me. Hopefully, Gaius will give me a few pointers as well." Radko contemplated.
"Are sure you want to go through with this?" Robin asked, an unreadable expression on her face.
"I am sure. Besides, I won't go alone, I'll have some company with me," Radko reassured. Although Robin wasn't convinced, she let out a sigh, relenting in the end.
"...Alright then, I'll prepare everything you need while also making Maribelle your escort. Meanwhile, the rest of us will march through the border between Regna Ferox and Plegia. We still need to figure out how long our march will last, but I think we should be able to get to Emmeryn in time." Robin explained, getting nods from all of those who were present.
"I don't see a single problem with that yet, let's get our troops ready for the march tomorrow. We aren't going to cover any ground today," Flavia said before eyeing Chrom "Get your band ready, Prince. This war will not be pretty, the council is dismissed.".
Everyone hummed their answer and one by one left the tent with new plans in mind.
"Not you, Radko. You stay here," Flavia commanded, making Radko turn back to her. He breathed through his nose before waving a small goodbye to Chrom and Robin. They met Frederick on their way outside before aiming for the Shepherds' encampment to prepare for the imminent march through Ferox again, much to some people's chagrin.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The morning cold of the early winter bit into the skins of unsuspected people, making them shiver. Though the logistic plans were already thought of, it was still too early for the army to march, but a certain group had to move out much sooner than that.
Waiting on the outskirts of the camp, Radko and Gaius were patiently waiting for the rest of their squad to assemble. They remained mostly in silence before Gauis snapped a lollipop from the wooden skewer.
"God, I feel almost naked without my coat," Radko contemplated while tugging his newly acquired brown cloak that hid his brown leather vest with pants to match the look of a thief. The only thing he had on him was his tome, everything else was left inside the Shepherds' caravan.
"How can you people walk around with this clothing on? It's so itchy, tight, and makes me feel like a leather bag," He complained and Gaius gave an amused smirk.
"Not so easy being a thief now is it, Popsicle? You'll get used to it after some time though. Also, you are going in with that albino mop?" Gaius asked while pointing at Radko's white hair.
"White hair is common in Plegia, or what I have at least heard of," Radko defended himself "I am not dunking my head inside a pool of blood just to color my hair.".
"Also, why Popsicle?" Radko asked exasperatedly.
"Can anyone else inside the Shepherds make ice magically appear out of nowhere? Plus you are fun to be around, you're cold on the outside but sweet on the other, hence Popsicle," Gaius shot back before popping another one of his hard candies inside his mouth. Radko sighed.
"Whatever, not like I would be able to convince you to stop calling me that anyway." He said.
"I didn't know you were a sore loser," Gauis said with a grin while Radko glared at him, but didn't say anything. They were waiting for the last person of the trio that would show them the way through the tunnels of the Granian River.
What the duo didn't expect however was who was with her. Two women appeared inside the camp that soon reached the ice mage and the sugary thief. One was Maribelle with a map in hand while the other was Robin with two horses in two.
"I guess we will get a small send-off," Gaius said and Radko nodded. Maribelle inspected them both before handing them a map. The two raised an eyebrow.
"And this is?" Radko asked her, making Maribelle huff.
"The entire map of the Granian tunnels," She stated.
"Wait, so you aren't going with us?" Radko said and Maribelle nodded.
"Yes, while I remember the tunnels down to a tee, I won't set foot in that place no matter how important the situation is. That place reeks of ancient magic that makes me feel nauseous," She explained with crossed arms after she gave Radko the map. He checked the map before Gaius took a peek and whistled at the complexity of the tunnels.
"Wow, getting lost there would be a nightmare," He pondered.
"I marked the most efficient path for you to take to get to Plegia as fast as possible. The fumes from the bones probably got stronger with time, and I wouldn't put past the idea of Risen lurking in the place as well." Maribelle warned.
"Because of course Risen would be there," Radko responded unenthusiastically.
"Hey, at least they ignore you, Popsicle. I ain't so lucky," Gaius said before eyeing the horses Robin brought "And I guess that's our ride?".
"Yeah, you need to get to Plegia as fast as possible. These horses will do the job," Robin said and gave the duo the reins. Gaius wasted no time and got on his horse while Radko just looked at the beast with slight disdain.
"Still haven't gotten over your fear of horses?" Robin asked, bemused by Radko's reluctance.
"Does this," Radko pointed at the horse "Look like a face of mercy to you?".
The horse didn't respond at all to Radko's remark before Robin looked at the horse, a… passive expression on it. She rose an eyebrow before stifling a chuckle "You have the weirdest remarks at times. Anyway, hop to it, you won't get to Plegia by complaining your way there.".
Radko sighed before a small smile adorned his lips "Yeah, I should.".
He climbed on top of the horse as well and after giving a small salute to Robin, they disappeared into the wilderness. Robin's smile quickly fell after Gaius and Radko were out of sight.
"Now come, Robin. We both have pressing to attend to," Maribelle urged but Robin stayed glued to her spot, still eyeing the trail made by the two horses.
"Robin, fretting over their safety will do you no good. Don't you trust your assistant?" She asked before Robin looked at her with a small scowl.
"I just can't get rid of this nagging feeling that I am making a mistake by sending them there," Robin said.
"Dear, Radko isn't a person who would charge blindly into danger, and Gaius is there to help them escape if a sticky situation appears," Maribelle reassured before a wicked smile adorned her face "Besides, he has somebody to come back to after all.".
"He has someone?" Robin asked because Maribelle's words just didn't click with her. Robin knew who Radko really was so she had no idea who Maribelle meant.
She on the other hand gave the tactician a blank stare before huffing her answer "And here I thought Chrom was dense, not that it matters. Let's head back into the camp.".
"What did she mean by that?" Robin thought, a little amount of anger seeping through. She shook her head and soon followed Maribelle to the camp and entered her tent.
The smell of leather and ink invaded her senses as she handled the rest of her belongings into her bags. With very few things left to pack, she was ready for the march ahead before she spotted a letter on her desk.
She inspected it and concluded that this was from Radko. She saw his writing multiple times to spot his script at first glance with ease. It had a small seal with the Ylissian brand before she opened it and read the letter.
Hey, Robin.
Hopefully, this letter gets to you as soon as possible, because it contains everything you need to know about what happens in Emmeryn's execution just like back at the Border Pass. With that in mind, I am positive you will be able to think of a strategy to overcome it.
Robin dug inside the letter to find a small stack of papers depicting the execution like a script for a play, but that wasn't all. They were probably going to meet a group of Grimleal, and meet new allies as well.
She dismissed the papers for now and continued to read the rest of the letter.
Second, I need someone to make sure to keep my diary with the green cover safe. It contains everything I know about Archanea and Valentia as a whole. There are even secrets that are yet to be revealed and I would be glad if you didn't read them. Just protect it the same way you would do with your roster.
"How does he-?" Robin said before she sighed "Of course he does.".
She continued to read the letter nonetheless.
But if a time comes when I am not available, or worse, dead, there is a way to translate the text onto the Archenean script. You need to sing an incantation that I made myself with the help of Miriel. Please, remember it and burn the letter afterward. If that diary would fall into anyone else besides us and knew the incantation, it could cause trouble.
The incantation: Ukaž mi tvoje tajemství
Robin looked at the incantation closely with scrunched eyes, mulling over what Radko wrote before trying to say it out loud.
"Uh-cash me tvoi-a taiemstvee?" She tried to spell it out, but it felt like she was trying to bend her tongue in the most unnatural ways to say what was in the letter.
"Gods, what is this?" She said, tilting the letter sideways and upside down to see if she would be able to spell the incantation better, but no such luck came. She shook her head before bringing out a small piece of paper and traced the incantation before stuffing it inside her coat.
Thank you again, Robin.
Your assistant, Radko Rieger.
PS: Don't think you will be able to overwork yourself down to the bone, I asked Frederick to keep an eye on you.
She tightened her grip on the letter, the parchment scrunching under her palm.
"He still finds a way to be annoying even when he is away," She thought, a small smile gracing her lips before she brought her tome and burned the letter in purple flames as Radko wanted. She stared at her hand where the parchment was before balling up her hand.
"You better come back, you hear me?" She said quietly as she began to move her belongings into the caravan. Slowly but surely, everything was inside before spotting Radko's bag where his diary was supposed to be.
It didn't take long to find it and soon Robin had her hands on the quite worn green cover. She opened it and was greeted with a very similar style of writing to the incantation in the letter. There were multiple pages with numbers on them, some having more information about that number than others, and then came simple portraits of each Shepherd.
Robin couldn't make out the text, but the sheer amount of it meant Radko knew way, way more than he told them. It was almost mesmerizing just how much he knew, yet it was also extremely disturbing.
Every Shepherd had their own page, filled with text probably about them. Even someone like Donnel, whom Robin knew Radko had interacted with very little, was filled as well. She continued to the next Shepherds in line and found a portrait of a man with short ginger hair and strong facial features.
The next one was a little girl with long hair and sharp long ears, and Robin had to do a double-take. She looked way too young to be a soldier, but Donnel was quite young as well. Maybe there was more to this girl than Robin thought at first.
"Robin," A stern voice interrupted Robin's search through Radko's diary. With a yelp, she closed the book immediately and put it behind her back while turning sharply to the source of the voice.
"F-Frederick?! What are you doing here!?" She blurted out.
"I was about to store milord's belongings when I found you inside the caravan," He said in a neutral tone before eyeing warily what was Robin hiding behind her back.
"What are you hiding there?" He asked. Realizing it was just Frederick, Robin eased with a small sigh before bringing the diary out of its terrible hiding spot.
"I was just tasked to hold on to Radko's diary, that's all, Frederick," She explained and Frederick nodded.
"Very well," He said before silently packing every bag he had on his person inside the caravan. He dusted his gloves off before bringing a small parchment with several notes to Robin's bafflement.
"Now, according to Radko, you tend to miss breakfast often. We ought to fix that, and while we are at it, a small jog around the camp will help you to keep yourself fit and energized as per Radko's instructions." Robin stared at Frederick as if he grew a second head which was ignored by the recipient.
"Now come, Robin. We still have time before the march," He prompted before leaving the caravan while Robin's mind was full of poison.
"Radko, I'll kill you for this."
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"Bwahahahah! Gods couldn't bring better a souvenir than you, Your Luminosity!" Cackled Gangrel in front of the cell which had Emmeryn locked inside. She didn't answer Gangrel as she remained silent.
"Cat got your tongue? Well, while I normally don't have a thing for noble acts, but yours was so disgustingly sweet I just couldn't not comply," He mocked with his maddening grin "Oh how your little brother and sister must be beside themselves fretting over you. The boy would probably give away anything to have you back. The choices are just all so enticing.".
The layout of the tent they currently were in was lost on Emmeryn as she remained silent, focusing all her attention at Gangrel though the slight grimace was noticed by Gangrel, making him all the more ecstatic.
"Oh? Is that a small snarl I see? You aren't as impenetrable as you like to make yourself out to be. How does it feel to be brought down by couple pegs, eh?" Gangrel continued his mockery, and although the attention the Exalt was giving him was nice, he quickly became bored.
"You know? It would be nice if I wasn't talking to a walking statue and actually start talking?" He said exasperatedly to which Emmeryn smiled.
"Of course I would, but I thought you were bored of my words so I thought silence was something you preferred more." She said with an innocent tone, making a small vein pop on Gangrel's forehead.
"You cheeky little fly, you think you are so clever with your words. No wonder your people bought all of the lies you kept spewing about peace and such," He spat at Emmeryn who again adorned a neutral expression.
"Now, what to do with you before the execution?" Gangrel squatted in front of the cell while rubbing his goatee "Gods be damned, I'd say the purer you are the bigger the splat when you land.".
He cackled again before breathing in through his nose and soon realized a contempt sigh.
"Ah, I can already smell the victory and iron coming my way," He said with a dreamy expression. Emmeryn's face fell at his words and couldn't keep her silence.
"Why would you go this far, Gangrel?" She asked while looking at the fabric of the tent.
"Huh? So you can talk?" He asked, feigning surprise.
"Tell me, why would you go this far for the Fire Emblem?" She asked again, making Gangrel look at her with a snarl.
"I think I have already told you once why I want the Fire Emblem, do you need a refresher?" He answered her, voice dripping with venom.
"Gangrel, we both know the Emblem is not a wish-granting item. You need to have an ulterior motive for you to seek it so zealously," She spoke plainly to Gangrel's annoyance.
"I am a simple man with simple needs, Your Excellency, and the Emblem will be mine," He said resolutely before a wicked grin adorned his face "Besides, I either get the Emblem or see you plastered on the ground for what happened at your coronation.".
Emmeryn's expression saddened, her words failed her as not a single one formed on her tongue.
"So you know what happened back then, do you?" He asked, and Gangrel was ready to snap at the Exalt if she answered incorrectly.
Silence was his answer.
"Hmph, so you are not even denying it," Gangrel spat again "The ground might be too good for a witch queen like you.".
Gangrel had enough. With a small snap of his fingers, he called a pair of soldiers to guard Emmeryn before leaving the tent. Aversa was waiting patiently at the entrance, the wicked witch having her trademark sly smile.
"Was your prisoner to your liking, milord?" She asked with a honeyed tone.
"Bah, a sack with an imprint of their father's face would be a better conversation than that hag inside," He barked "Aversa, get our lot ready to move. I don't want to waste a single second of preparation for her glorious execution.".
"Of course, milord. We will move out in a moment," She bowed before leaving the Mad King to his charges and once she was out of earshot, he fake gagged.
"That Grimleal witch makes me sick," He said before grabbing the nearest soldier by their scarf "You, set up a tent for a meeting with Mustafa, and be quick about it!".
"Y-Yes, sir!" They blurted out in slight panic before Gangrel let him go and he scurried away to do what he was told.
Gangrel was then soon called to the tent where they would have as much privacy as possible. A simple table with two chairs was their set up. It was empty when he entered but that changed when a literal giant entered the room.
He had a bald head and tan skin with bulging muscles with very simple armor and skulls as his shoulder pads. He held himself with pride while several scars ran through his body, marking his history as a warrior.
He bowed before his king.
"King Gangrel," He said with a deep voice.
"Ah, you took your time Mustafa, but great to see you nonetheless," Gangrel said before sitting down on a chair with a hand supporting his head while having his legs crossed.
"What are your orders, milord?" He asked, still on his knee and head bowed down.
"You know well enough why I called you," Gangrel said seriously, his eyes having a small glint in them. Mustafa didn't know at first, but a small spark of realization surged through him.
"But, we have no leads whatsoever, milord. Finding him here will be almost impossible," He argued but Gangrel shut him down.
"Mustafa, if those ugly Grimleal fanatics even so much as touch that brat then everything I am trying to plan out here will fall just because they got to him first!" He shouted while banging his fist against the table.
"Send as many scouting parties across Ylisse to find him, do it yourself for all I care. We don't need any to follow those stinky Ylissians because they are coming for us like a bee to honey," He ordered with no room for argument.
"Yes, milord, but the scouts need to know who they are looking for. A description would be ideal," Mustafa said and Gangrel hummed.
"White hair, a punchable face, blue eyes, and can use ice magic. A description like that is enough, now go! I want him found before the execution, I'm sure he will enjoy the spectacle himself!" Gangrel cackled again, his voice pierced through the fabric of the tent while Mustafa bowed his head even lower.
"Very well, it shall be done, milord. By your leave," He said before Gangrel wordlessly flicked his hand to dismiss Mustafa who left the tent immediately.
The Mad King was left alone in the tent before he brought his Levin sword for inspection, the blade's lighting jumped from edge to edge. The smell of ozone in the air was always his favorite smell, and a wicked smile adorned his face.
"Wherever you are, boy, I will not let the Grimleal find you before I do. You have a use for me that will guarantee my victory."
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
"Gods, why do we have to go through Ferox again!? It's even colder than before!" Lissa complained while being completely covered under heavy clothing.
"I think I've already told you Lissa why, I don't want to repeat myself," Chrom said sternly, earning a pout from her.
"Fine, I guess I'll just ask Stahl if he has more of that stew he made," She huffed before disappearing into the back of the marching group.
The Feroxi winters were known to be harsh during the end of the year. Thankfully, Flavia gave some tips to the Shepherds on how to handle the cold. While some were a little questionable, others were welcomed.
In the form of a hot gulash and lots of brandy, they helped with the cold. It didn't stop the Shepherds from becoming slightly tipsy too.
"I'm tellin' ya, the next Plegian bastard I see, I will split him in half before he knows it!" Chrom heard Vaike shout at the back, making him hide his face in his palm.
"Don't fret, milord. I put a strict limit on how much brandy everyone can drink. They will be in fighting shape if a fight breaks out," Frederick reassured.
"I don't think we will see any fighting any time soon. Not with the Feroxi so close to us," He said, eyeing the sea of soldiers on their far right side "Frederick, how long will it take us to reach the Plegian border?".
"No more than a day or two, milord. It will take a little longer for the Feroxi to cross the most western border, but they are more well versed in cold climates than us," Frederick relayed.
"So, we are going through the plan of them attacking from the other border?" Chrom asked and Frederick nodded.
"Yes, and if the conditions are met, we should be able to hide in a sandstorm and avoid all prying eyes of the Plegians."
"That's… Did Robin come up with that?" Chrom asked, earning another nod from Frederick.
"She never ceases to amaze me," Chrom contemplated a small smile. Soon enough, Chrom spotted the last town they will visit before reaching Plegia. Flavia already alerted the town of their arrival and welcomed them with open arms.
The inns were ready for them as well as supplies for the journey through Plegian deserts. The pubs were also immediately filled with the Shepherds and patrons and everyone used this day to ease as much as possible.
Kegs of ale were emptied in a flash and people all around the town came to help the Shepherds feel at ease. Chrom was now inside the pub as well, slowly sipping the Feroxi ale away while eyeing his band of misfits with a contempt smile.
It shortly fell however as the situation slowly dawned on him, and no longer felt like drinking before leaving the pup. The ice-cold wind bit into his skin, yet the heat emanating from the alcohol kept him warm.
"Emm, wait for us. We will come for you," He said while looking up at the snow, some falling on his face before quickly melting.
"Captain?" He heard a soft voice, coming from behind and once he turned, he found Sumia in a cloak lined with fur. Her face was red from the cold before she sneezed lightly into her hands.
"Sumia? What are you doing here? You'll catch a cold like this," Chrom said worriedly before Sumia stifled a chuckle.
"I think I should be the one saying that," She said and Chrom laughed lightly.
"Hah, I guess you are right," He admitted. He continued to stare at the wilderness in front of him, dreamily watching the snowfall.
"What's bothering you?" She asked suddenly, bringing Chrom back from his temporary trance.
"I… I just can't get my mind off of how Emm is doing. That bastard Gangrel could be doing anything to her right now," He growled while balling up his fist, his gloves screeched in protest.
"Captain, it's normal to be worried, I would be sick with worry if anything happened to any one of my family," She admitted with her face downcast before it lit up in determination "Which is why we will do everything to save her, you hear me, Captain? We will show the Mad King what we're made of!".
She pumped her fists in front of Chrom before bashfully putting them behind her back, ashamed of herself. Chrom couldn't help but smile at the display.
"Thank you, Sumia. I can't imagine how I would look without your support," He said and Sumia's cheeks turned redder.
"N-No, that's alright! I-I am pretty s-sure you would be doing just fine!" She blurted out while flailing her arms in front of her. Chrom just continued to smile at her, though a small thought invaded his mind.
"Sumia, do you know how Cordelia is doing?" He asked, snapping Sumia back to look at Chrom before a sad smile adorned her face.
"She is trying to overcome her fear, and I think she will be able to make it through," She said.
"Thank the gods for that then," Chrom breathed a sigh of relief before their conversation slowly died out as they just gazed at the town. The main street was still filled with a few people, buying from vendors and a few murmurs reaching Chrom's ears. The torches illuminated the area well enough, giving the snow something to reflect upon as it shone like small diamonds.
Then Chrom spotted Robin doing some shopping for an apparent reason if that flicker of white hair coming from her hoodie wasn't any indication. Upon closer inspection, the cloak was just a worn-down brown cloak, nothing like the intricately designed coat Robin always wore.
He still went to the stranger anyways as if it was Robin, it wouldn't bode well for her to be outside like that.
"Hey, Robin," Chrom said while putting his hand on Robin's shoulder, also realizing that she was slightly shorter before a small yelp was her answer. The young girl quickly turned around with a dagger in hand before it closed the distance between it and Chrom's throat, completely throwing him off guard.
"Chrom!" Shouted Sumia, but the dagger never cut into Chrom, as the girl gasped once her brown eyes landed on him. She quickly took the dagger away before bolting away.
Chrom didn't let her, however.
He grabbed her by the hoodie and soon revealed her completely white long hair. She tugged at her cloak to make it Chrom let go, but he kept his grip on the fabric tightly.
"Let go!" The girl shouted, her voice betrayed her age. She sounded barely older than a late teenager.
"Not until you tell me why you attacked me," Chrom said sternly, only for the girl to snap at him.
"Because you scared me! Who are you to touch random people's shoulders out of the blue!?"
Chrom sighed "Fine, but that still didn't amend the fact you attacked me. You'll come with us inside the inn, and properly explain yourself.".
"Like I have that kind of time, nor am I willing," The girl said before she unsheathed a sword underneath her cloak and made a clean cut through the fabric, leaving Chrom with just a small piece. She quickly made her escape through the streets and into the wilderness soon after.
Chrom looked at the cut the girl made and was surprised at the sharpness of the blade. Sumia quickly checked on Chrom if he had any injuries before breathing a sigh of relief. She then gazed at the tracks the girl left behind.
"Should we go after her?" Sumia asked, but Chrom shook his head.
"No, even if we did, we wouldn't find her, and we can't waste time on something so trivial," Chrom said while letting go of the fabric, but Sumia didn't have any of it.
"She had you at knifepoint, Captain! She could have killed you!" She shouted, but Chrom shook his head.
"Sumia, she stopped short before doing so. Something tells me she thought I was just some sort of pickpocket," He said before prompting Sumia to come to the inn "Come on, Sumia. We should rest as much as we can for tomorrow. I think this might be the last night we're going to get any sleep.".
Sumia wanted to say more but held her tongue. She turned to the path the girl had taken, but then shook her, and followed Chrom inside the inn.
The white-haired girl wasn't completely gone, however. Once the pair was gone and out of sight, she checked one more time if nobody out of the Shepherds was nearby before quickly picking up the fabric of her cloak.
She disappeared into the forest yet again, walking the same path she took from her camp where a small fire with a tent already set up stood. A boy with white hair with blue eyes sat close to the fire, warming up his hands as well.
He spotted his acquaintance and smiled at her warmly "Well, how did it go?".
"As well as you would expect," She answered, uncovering a small leather sack filled with food "The vendor only had potatoes with raw meat. Nothing out of the ordinary.".
"Well, at least we won't be getting any deficiency in gamey meat any time soon," He answered, making the girl chuckle.
"Don't be such a downer," She said "Now, get a spit going. This food won't cook itself.".
The boy sighed before preparing a stand for the roast, locking it in place so it wouldn't fall. The girl then threw the meat on the roast and let it cook under her watchful eyes. The smell of cooking meat reached the boy's nostrils before looking at the girl with a hopeful expression.
"Can I try-?"
"No," She quickly cut him off and the boy immediately pouted.
"You didn't even let me finish," He said while crossing his arms while the girl gave him a playful smirk.
"I know all too well what you were going to ask. You know eating charcoal would be bad for our stomach, nor would it sate us," She said and the boy huffed.
"Fine, suit yourself," He said before laying inside the tent, having his hands behind his head.
The meat continued to sizzle under the heat of the fire, and once the girl found the bottom crust done, she flipped the meat with her sword, revealing the golden brown color of the steak. She uncorked a small vial and carefully salted the meat, not wanting to waste a single grain.
The boy still gazed at the steak, his hunger getting the better of him, and sat back down next to the girl. He gave her a questioning look.
"Why do you use your sword on a steak? Isn't it a waste?" He asked.
"Do you see anything else the sword can cut here other than this steak?" She shot back, and the boy looked around their camp but didn't find anything.
"Always the resourceful one. No wonder I don't let you plan anything, you make everything up on the fly," He remarked with a shake of his head, earning a small glare.
"How rude. I win at least four chess matches out of ten when we play," She huffed, and the boy chuckled.
"Still smaller than my six," He boasted.
"Whatever," She dismissed, piercing the meat with her sword again and flipped it one more time before dismissing the roast to let the steak relax. She created a small well in the campfire before dumping the potatoes inside and covered it with the rest of the ashes and charcoal. The boy made a small face of disgust.
"Do we have to?" He asked and the girl nodded.
"I won't waste any water to boil them. This is more efficient, you can just rub off the ash with snow anyway," She said before using the cut piece of her cloak to clean her blade.
"Wait, where did you get that rug?" The boy said, pointing at the fabric.
"I almost got caught when shopping because I accidentally attacked someone," She answered, making the boy look warily at her.
"And what does that have to do with your cloak being cut down to size?" He pressed, and the girl adorned a slight grimace.
"I actually found the old Shepherds," The boy's face immediately lit up "But just like Naga said, we are in the past sadly, and I don't know how they would react if we just came to them and say 'Hey, we're kids from the future.'. Imagine how that would turn out.".
The lit-up face of the boy quickly fell "Yeah, I guess you're right. But we have to help out somehow, right?".
"I am not taking any risks. Besides, we still need to find the rest of our squad, and once enough time passes, then we will be able to reveal ourselves," The girl said before starting to work on the steak, cutting it in pieces for the two.
"Did you have a look at any of them? I am kind of excited to see them so young," The boy pondered "They all looked almost invisible when they were all together back then, and kind of hard to approach. Especially our-."
The girl's sword passed through the impromptu cutting board, the sharpness of the blade cutting the log with ease as the snapping of wood shut the boy up.
"...Please, let's not have this conversation now, alright? I don't need my stomach to lurch," She said with a low, weak voice, lifting the blade from the ground and the boy reluctantly nodded.
"Yeah, sorry," He apologized. The girl kept using the log even if it was split in two. The meat was soon served, and they both ate in relative silence. Once the boy gave the food a quick taste, he enjoyed the flavor, a type of meat he was very familiar with.
"Bear meat?" He asked and the girl nodded with a small smile while she dug into her own fill.
The residual flames cooked the potatoes easily, and after tossing them around a little to cool them off, she handed the ash-covered potatoes to the boy who gingerly took them before dunking them into a pile of snow.
"Be sure to eat them, alright?" The girl almost commanded.
"Sure, whatever," He waved her off "Gods, you are such a mother hen, you know?".
"If I wasn't one, then you would just stay inside a library all day and come back smellier than a pack of Risen. I am just protective," She justified with crossed arms.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way, I am blessed to have you," He admitted with a warm smile, and the girl smiled back at him as well before a lopsided grin adorned her face.
"Now you are just getting sappy, come here," She said before forcefully grabbing the boy and started to give him a noogie, laughing all the while. The boy however didn't like it one bit.
"Owowowow! Stop! It hurts!" He shouted and the girl soon let him go, a pout adorning the boy's features.
"Why do you always have to do that?" He asked, rubbing his head to soothe the noogie.
"That's just how I show my affection, so deal with it," She responded with a grin "Now, get to those potatoes, they should be good to eat now.".
"Can I have some salt with them?" He asked and the girl gave a smile. She eventually handed him the vial.
"Don't use all of it, alright? I was quite lucky to get that in the last town," She said, getting a potato from the pile as well. She got rid of the charred skin and began eating the insides. It was dry, but still filling. The boy followed up as well, eating his portion, although he still didn't like the taste, the salt helped it a little.
"So, where do we go now? I don't really like the cold as much as you do," The girl asked once she finished the last potato and the boy opened up a map soon after, checking their position.
"We could go down the bridge into Plegia. From what I have heard, the execution of Emmeryn is only a fortnight ahead of us," The girl frowned.
"Are we seriously going to Plegia just to see Chrom's sister die?" She asked, but the boy shook his head.
"No, if anything, we will leave as soon as possible once we find out nobody from our group is near the capital," He immediately said, and the girl struck a thinking pose.
"You know, now I am rather curious how Plegia looked before… you know," She said while the boy perked up, also realizing what they could find.
"Huh, never thought of it that way. I guess we could do a little amount of sightseeing, though I would still leave before the execution," He said.
"Of course, we've seen plenty of deaths, but there is no need to increase that number," She agreed "Especially the death of someone of that importance.".
The boy nodded "You got that right. So, Plegia?".
"Plegia," She repeated as her confirmation "But we will wait until the Shepherds cross the bridge. We'll just tail them, no need to rush.".
"Who says we need to cross the bridge?" He asked smugly and the girl looked at him funny before realization dawned on her.
"Oh yeah, completely forgot about what you can actually do," She remarked, making the boy chuckle.
"See? And you ask me why I don't let you plan things," He sassed. The girl crossed her arms again and sent the boy a smirk.
"Do you want another noogie?" The boy immediately shook his head, much to her amusement, letting out a small laugh.
"Anyway, let's head to bed. We should wake up early tomorrow," She urged. He only nodded as his response before hoisting himself up and stretching his limbs. A small yawn escaped his lips and rubbed his eyes before spotting a few pairs of red eyes in the snow-covered wilderness.
The girl caught his companion stuck gazing in the distance, and followed his line of vision only to spot the same red eyes as well. She uttered a groan before unsheathing her sword.
"I guess we are going to get a small exercise before we get some shut-eye," She remarked, twirling her sword around to get the feel of her blade. The boy sighed before opening his tome, lighting surged through him while the pages turned to ash.
"Let's make this quick, I don't need the smell of Risen near our camp," The boy said in a low tone, ready to let his spell loose.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," She agreed before rushing towards the red dots in the distance.
She took a step forward, and charged.
AN: Welp, this chapter is all about that prep and calm before the storm that is the execution. Hopefully, you'll like where I am taking this story. As for anything to add to this chapter, I have nothing.
As always, if you want to join our discord server of fanfiction writers with crazy ideas and all that, then join, you'll have a blast!
Link: gg/9XG3U7a
God's speed.