Silvervine grows far and wide
Silvervine grows the flower of mine
Silvervine stretches far and wide
The silvervine shall protect all life
Little vine, pretty and shiny
Riches nor gold will make you gold
Silvervine come to find me
My heart is turning cold.
Silvervine make me smile
Take me to my love.
Let the silver vine intertwine our fates
Silvervine bloom away~
[—-]
"AAHHHH! WHOA!"
Tumble! Tumble!
The bubble rolled down the snowy mountain towards the village down. Yune was screaming bloody murder as she shoved the side of the buddle to prevent it from slamming into boulders and tree trunks. She screamed even louder when the bubble rolled up a sloped rock sent her flying into the air.
"BIG BROTHER MAKE IT STOP!" She screamed as the bubble landed on a mud puddle and continued rolling down towards the slightly grassy area.
It was even worse when she saw animals become terrified and moved out of the way but unfortunately, a buck was too preoccupied eating and got run over by her. At least it lived.
"AAAHHH! I KILLED IT!" Yune screamed and the Einherjar reassured her that it was alive.
Somewhere in Fodlan, a certain tactician shivered.
"We're almost there!" Einherjar yelled, "Just hang on a little longer!"
"EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!" Yune sobbed, "YOU DIDN'T RUN OVER A DEER!" The poor girl was wailing at this point.
The girl kept screaming as the bubble bounced around the small bumps of grass and finally in her sights, were cottages made of wood and bricks. She grinned but kept screaming as another slopped rock came into sight.
"No! No—AAAHHHH!" And the bubble rolled right off and right into the air.
The worst part is that the bubble popped and she still didn't have proper control of dragon wings. She screamed as she saw she was coming closer and closer to the ground, but a miracle happened.
"I got you!"
She blinked multiple times as she felt she was in someone's arms. The arms that held her were soft and skinny but with plenty of muscle, they wore shiny pink clothing, and in her field of vision, she saw pink hair. She slowly looked up and saw pink eyes looking at her. The woman smiled softly as she felt the girl shivering from the traumatic fall.
"There there. It's alright. Are you okay?" Olivia smiled kindly to her and Yune was star struck.
Aunt Olivia was always pretty but she's an absolute beauty in her youth! Yune was so star-struck that she didn't hear the Feroxi soldiers running towards Olivia.
"Is the kid alright?!" A Feroxi mage yelled and the two turned to the group.
"What's a kid doing in these mountains?" A warrior looked at Yune worried, "Wait, they have wings. Manakete!"
Many began muttering to themselves or each other as Yune finally snapped out of it.
"Please, you have to help!" She yelled at everyone's attention, "Sophia! She! She! Uhhh..." she started crying again as she remembered what happened.
"Shhhh..." Olivia gently set her down and knelt, "It's all alright. What happened to Sophia?"
Yune hiccuped and wiped her nose, trying to form words.
"Sophia...was cornered...by Three Firus Clayvas!" Yune sobbed and the blood drained from everyone's faces, "She saved me from Grimleal soldiers and we got attacked! And! And! She put me in a bubble and—and-WWHHHAAA!" The girl started crying uncontrollably and was unresponsive no matter how much Olivia tried to calm her down.
Olivia took a deep breath and began singing a song. The Feroxi soldiers quickly covered their ears as they knew what she was doing. The pink diamond earring on her ear glowed a faint pink as she sang an old Feroxi lullaby. Yune's crying began to slowly cry down and her eyes began to droop. She began to sway and gently fell into Olivia's arms as she finished the lullaby. The girl was sound asleep, her tears gently wiped away.
"She's asleep?" They all turned and saw the former Khan had arrived.
"Lord Basilio, when did you get here?" One of the soldiers asked as he walked up.
"Flavia had one of those warping tiles installed a few days ago. But right now, I want everyone to get their weapons ready. If what the kid said is true, then we're going to fight for our lives." Basilio said and everyone nodded.
"My Lord," Olivia walked up, "what do we do with the child? If she sees us gone, she'll wake up in a panic."
"For now, it's best for her to rest. We'll head out in an hour."
[-]
"Hmmm..."
Yune blinked slowly as she opened her eyes. She remembered that she heard singing and that she was in Olivia's arms. Then it all came back to her in an instant as she shot up fully awake.
"SHE USED A SONGSTRESS SPELL ON ME!" Yune screamed and Olivia flinched since the girl's scream was heard even outside.
"Calm down!" Einherjar said to her and quickly manifested, "I know you are upset but she had to do it. You were a mess." He gently made her sit back down.
"The fact I was a mess and you manifest, that's rare." She pouted and he faded away.
"I can only manifest for a few seconds." He muttered as he gently patted her head, "We'll figure something out. For now, we need to focus on your mother."
Yune nodded and before she could speak, the door to the room she was staying in opened. It had been years since she had seen Basilio. The man from her future was older, his arms covered in battle scars, and wore thicker armor. But he was still that strict and fun uncle. In her time, Basilio died in the Valm War when he fought against Walhart, an ax to the chest, and instant death.
"Hey, kid." Basilio smiled a bit as he sat on the edge of the bed, "You doing better?"
"Mmhm." Yune nodded as he handed her a bowl of stew.
"Eat up. Sera cooks a mean stew." Basilio chuckled as she took a spoonful and ate it, but unfortunately, she gagged.
"Not your taste? That's weird. Nowi loved this stew." Basilio scratched his head.
"N-No, it's not that." Yune coughed a bit, "My taste buds are still adjusting to the changes I've gone through."
"Hmm...Derrick did mention that Manaketes go through a phase where their bodies go through a change." He thought and patted the girl's head as he took the bowl from her and set it on the table next to the bed.
"Kid, I'm glad you're alright but we need to know what happened in the cave and why you're here. This is a place forbidden to children." He said and Yune balled her hands into a fist as she held the blanket tightly.
"The Grimleal kidnapped me from my home." She needed to fabricate a lie, tell part of the truth but not all of it.
Twist it in a way that will make it true. She is a chaotic child, named after the Goddess of Chaos, Yune. She'll put her name to good use.
"They killed two manaketes to place this curse on me. Miss Sophia found me in the cave and rescued me." Yune said as Basilio looked on in shock.
"Do you mind explaining this curse?" He asked and the girl bit her lip but nodded.
"Two manaketes are required as sacrifices. Their blood is transferred to a third person. That person becomes a hybrid and their mind slowly crumbles away till they are no longer human. Only a mad hybrid. It's...corruption and degeneration. I was forced to watch two important people in my life killed and used as sacrifices to curse me. I'm no longer human." The girl muttered and Basilio's hands balled into a fist.
"After she rescued me and healed me, we rested for the night. We picked flame flower fruits when...we ran into a Firus Clayva. We ran and ran and suddenly two more came out of nowhere. I wanted to fight but..." his voice started to crack, "But before I knew it, Sophia put me in a bubble and...and..and...Sniff." she started to cry again.
"It's alright kid. You don't have to say anymore." Basilio said as he gently patted the girl's head.
"Thank you...Uncle." Yune smiled.
"Whoa kid, I'm not that old." Yune snickered, "Anyway, I'm having someone come to watch over you while my team and I go search for Sophia. Reminding me, I never got your name." Basilio chuckled.
"Yune. My name is Yune." The girl smiled.
"Yune, as in the same name as the Goddess of Chaos?" Basilio raised an eyebrow, "Then again, I knew this one lady who was named after the Goddess Ashera."
"Hmph!" Yune puffed her cheeks, "The Goddess Yune was a nice person! I read the history books and see she purposefully framed as a bad goddess just because the other goddess didn't want her to wake up from her deep sleep!" She glared.
"I know, Kid. I know." Basilio chuckled and both heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Basilio yelled out.
The door opened, revealing two people Yune despised with a passion.
No.
She despised them all.
"Ggggrrrrrr..." she began growling once she heard the two gasp and snarled.
Basilio could see the recognition in Lucina's and Owain's eyes. The two became pale as if they had seen a ghost. Yune's growls became louder as she slowly got off the bed and started walking towards them.
"You two..." her voice sounded inhumane as her scales began to make a rattling sound as the tail of a rattlesnake, "You traitors..."
"Yune..." Lucina sucked in her breath as did Owain, but he took a step back.
The boy looked away as he saw the flash of hurt that passed through Yune's eyes when he took a step back. The girl gritted her teeth and turned to Basilio.
"I'm going with you to the mission! I'm not taking no for an answer!" She yelled.
"Yune, I don't. That's a good idea. You need rest." Basilio's eyebrows furrow, "You're a child. You should not be in situations like this."
"I've killed people." Yune glared and Basilio was taken back, "I've killed and massacred Grimleal mages to survive. I fought with Sophia to stop the Grimleal mages from attacking us. I'm not some innocent kid." She huffed.
"Lord Basilio...Sigh. Have her go." Owain sighed, "I don't think it's a good idea for us to watch over her. Also, even if you tried to have her stay behind, she would sneak off." The two looked at her.
"I can proudly say I would sneak off." Yune held her chin high.
"Alright." Basilio sighed, "You can come. As for you two," he looked back to them, "I want you both to stay here and keep watch with the rest of the soldiers. I don't want a single Grimleal to step foot here." He said.
"Yes sir!"
[—]
Climbing up the mountain path was easier said than done. For Yune, since she is a child, if she walked, she would already be tried. But she will take advantage of using her dragon wings to fly. She glided above the group, keeping a lookout for enemies as well as any signs of Sophia getting out of the cave. The only thing she came across was the picked mist flowers and a horrible sight of blood on the path with the corpses of burnt wolves. She flew back to the others and reported what she saw. She saw a bead of sweat roll down Basilio's face along with many others.
"Do you want me to get closer?" Yune asked as she lightly flapped her wings to hover in front of the man, "I did see a few strange rock formations. Maybe I can find a clue?" She suggested.
"Don't go too far, dear." Olivia looked at her worried, "I know you are worried but rushing will do us no go. Especially in this area." She said and many nodded in agreement.
"I know..." Yune sighed, "I won't be too far." And she flew back the same way.
"Mama..."
- Dream -
It was the old laboratory she had seen a year ago in her dreams. She had returned to the place, but it looked a bit different. It looked newer, cleaner as well as much more decorations. There were different colored candles lit around the place. There was a small glass globe with dragon scales in it and it was picked up by a woman with long mint green hair. However, her face was a blur as she turned towards the direction of her desk. She walked to it and Sophia saw a small cauldron emitting smoke. It became obvious she was creating something.
"Hmmm..." the woman looked like she was the same age as Sophia.
She picked up a small tree branch and smiled as it lightly flowed in her hands and grew a bit with leaves but the color of the branch turned white.
That wasn't natural.
"A vine. A silver vine. Hmm." The woman smiled as she observed it, "I still have the one living branch of the last crystal tree. If I can revive it, it will expand my research on artificial life. Hmm..." she hummed and turned when she heard a puff of smoke.
"Master," a male mage bowed, "your husband wishes to see you."
The woman squealed as she flicked her wrist and made the tree branch disappear.
"I'm so glad he is back! Do be dear and please prepare dinner along with perming tea. Ah. And do get a bottle of aged dandelion wine." She smiled as the mage nodded and warped away.
"Once he sees my research he will not be able to breathe." She chuckled as she turned back to her cauldron and dropped in some dragon scales.
"Immorality...Life. Hmm..." the woman smiled, "Hmm...maybe I get a sample of dragon's blood. Perhaps that is the final ingredient."
"Again with your research? When will you learn for Naga's sake?"
The woman took a deep breath as she turned around and smiled as she put her hands together.
"What are you doing here, brother? Did Father finally kick you out of your shabby cave?" She said bitterly and the man just scoffed.
"I've come to warn you." He walked up to her, "Stop playing God. You are messing with forces that humans should not even be touching. You are playing with life! Life deserves to die and be born by natural causes. Not by magic or alchemy! I'm warning you now Eva, stop your search for Eternity." The man looked at her concerned.
"Who said I'm looking for immortality?" Eva laughed as she turned back to her cauldron, "Quite the opposite actually. What I'm looking for..." she poured the red liquid into a bottle, "Is the restoration of life." She turned back to him.
"If I can bring back a life, this world would be so much...easier." She smiled.
"You're still playing god!" Her brother yelled.
"No. No, I'm not."
- End of Dream -
"What on earth?!"
Basilio could not believe the sight as he entered the cave. Claw marks all over the walls, black blood splattered all over the floor, bits, and pieces of flesh littered all over the place. This was just one of the corpses of Firus Clayvas. Yune said there were three.
"Based on the claw marks, this one dragged itself here before it died of its injuries," Olivia muttered as she observed the wounds on the body.
Bite and claw marks, flesh ripped off. Cuts made by daggers, and...no these were done by hands.
"We need to hurry," Basilio muttered and they quickly went deeper.
The deeper they went, the more they found bits and pieces of the monster's flesh. Claw marks and such, it was a brutal battle.
"Boss! I found her!"
The group quickly ran up the rocky hill and arrived looking down. A scream ripped from Yune's throat as she saw the corpse of the monsters massacred and the body of her mother laying still. The woman's eyes widened, the silver liquid pouring from her eyes and mouth. The girl didn't listen as she jumped down, ignoring everyone's yells. She quickly was by her mother's side, turning her way.
"Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
Yune screamed as she kept shaking Sophia's body. The tears kept pouring as she kept shaking the woman. The girl began pulling her hair, her eyes flickering between human and dragon. She felt a hand on her shoulder and snarled at the owner.
"She'll make it kid." Basilio said, "Still..." he looked around and frowned at the sight of the massacred Firus Clayva.
Their petals ripped to shreds, their teeth pulled out then crushed. The roots ripped then turned to pieces. Their tongues ripped out bodies cut in half. The blood was collected and poured into an obsidian bowl.
"I got the antidote!" Olivia sprinted through the crowd and quickly knelt to give it to Sophia.
"Sir, we found the bodies of Grimleal mages." A soldier jogged up, "One of our mages detected the use of dark magic but also...A Deadlord."
"The Grimleal avoid this place like the plague. They usually hunt Firus Clayvas in the borders or their ancient temples. Why here of all places?" Basilio muttered as he rubbed his forehead.
Flavia wasn't going to like it once the news reached her. The Khan already had much on her plate with the recent reports of Drako Dragons attacking the West-East ports. Not to also mention the incoming proposals for new trading routes. Basilio turned to his men and spoke.
"We'll be setting up a guarded fort at the bottom of the mountain! I don't want a single Grimleal setting one foot here! South team! Send a message to the West Team to get supplies ready to build the fort! And you kid!" Basilio turned to the girl but unfortunately, it seemed he accidentally scared her.
"Stay with her. Olivia," he nodded to the dancer, "keep an eye on them."
"Yes sir." Olivia nodded and gently tried to calm down the frantic child.
"Fuck." One of the clerics cursed, "She breathed in hallucination! I need a flame fruit and a vulnerary!" They yelled and the girl spotted Sophia's bag and ran to grab it.
She pulled out a flame fruit and threw it to the cleric, which they caught. The cleric cut the fruit in half then poured the vulnerary on it. They mixed the juices then Olivia carefully opened Sophia's mouth, pouring the liquid.
"Come on...Come on...swallow." Olivia muttered and it seemed the liquid did go down the woman's throat because Sophia started coughing and gagging.
Olivia tried to slow her down but Sophia spirited up, ran behind one of the boulders, shoved two fingers down her throat to force herself to vomit. Which she did. One of the clerics quickly ran to her side, gently rubbing her back as the woman proceeded to spill her guts out. 5 minutes later and the cleric was helping Sophia walk, and was still partly high from the drug. At least she is feeling better but still very pale.
"Sophia!" Yune sprinted and tackled her, the woman barely had time to react as the girl began wailing in her chest.
To others, it sounded like she was speaking an unknown language but Sophia understood perfectly what she was saying because the girl was crying in Spanish, her native tongue.
She was calling her "Madre" which means "Mother." Sophia's eyes became half-lidded as she gently hugged the girl back to calm her down, which seemed to work.
"I thought I lost you!" Yune wailed and Sophia sighed, and looked around, seeing Basilio, Olivia, and the others.
"What happened?" She managed to croak out and they held her sit down, Yune still in her arms.
"The girl here reported to us that you saved her and then you were attacked by Firus Clayvas." Basilio walked up to her knelt, "What happened? How are these monsters dead?"
Sophia was silent for a moment and looked down to Yune and then to the man.
"I don't know...I remember I was fighting and was thrown back to rock. The impact caused me to blackout." Sophia said but I'm reality she remembered exactly what went down.
For now, Basilio bought her lie and ordered his men to collect the remains of the beast, and the poison was packed away carefully.
Sophia on,y looked back at the remains with void eyes.
[—]
"Now, you're going to have to take this medicine for the next few days to cleanse your blood." The cleric said as Sophia gulped down a cup of herbal tonic water.
Already she felt the effects of it as she finished drinking it. Her body felt a bit better and it was going to be a while for the drug to leave her system. Yune wouldn't let go of her. She was clinging. The girl remained by her side as the door to the cottage opened and in came Lucina and Owain, who let go of sighs of relief. But one snarl from Yune and they became tense. Sophia raised an eyebrow but then remembered the conversation from yesterday. One, Yune said that they almost killed her and didn't recognize her. Of course, in the eyes of a child, it is betrayal. But in the eyes of an adult, you see a monster coming at you, of course, you will fight to defend yourself. No one would recognize you if you were in a different form. But there are always those few that would. Could there have been no one that recognized her? Something was missing. The cleric had left the room and now the only ones left were her, Yune, and the other two. Sophia sat on her bed as the girl clung to her like a 4-year-old and spoke as she looked at the older two.
"Yune is my daughter." She said and the color drained from the older one's faces, "Don't worry. I won't ask anymore. But your reactions speak something else. Care to explain?" She cocked her head a bit.
"We thought she was dead!" Owain blurted out suddenly, "When we arrived at where the Grimleal held her...we...we just found blood and...Nowi's...and Derrick's bodies..." The boy felt sick as the memory resurfaced, "The Grimleal dead...and...a corrupted dragon."
"Now I understand." Sophia sighed and Yune still glared at them, "Yune, I understand your anger but based on the situation it was a mistake."
"Yeah, a mistake that nearly cost me my life." The girl growled and Sophia narrowed her eyes.
"Do not take that tone with me, young lady." And Yune flinched as did the others, "Tell me, if you saw blood and bodies and one single beast or monster, what do you automatically assume?" She said.
"...You automatically go into a defense, because when you see the sight…you think the monster killed them all," Yune muttered and Sophia nodded, gently patting her head.
"Good, you understand. You don't have to forgive them immediately but take your time. You forgive when you feel ready." Sophia sighed and looked back to the others, "I don't know exactly what happened between you all but I do expect you all to talk it out at some point. For now...Wwwnnn..." she yawned and Yune removed herself, "I need to sleep."
[—]
The ride back to Ferox was an instant stomach ache. Warping tiles existed in Archanea and Sophia already didn't like them. They left the feeling as if she entered an elevator multiple times. She's going to have to be taking medicine for the next few weeks before she and Emmeyren head out to Ylisse. Basilio offered her to use the warping tiles but Flavia reminded him that Ylisse had yet to install them. Now came the more difficult part, breaking the truth to Emmeryn that she has a family. It's been a day since her return with the others and honestly just wanted rest. But Yune has been clingy. The little gremlin slept peacefully by her side and refused to leave.
"Some part of me thinks she watched my future self die," Sophia muttered as she gently petted the girl's head.
She observed her for a minute. Yune's hair color, crimson eyes, and light tan skin, she inherited from her. And unfortunately, also her former spunky personality. However, her nose, chin, and terrifying strength, even before she was cursed, she inherited from whoever her father was. The woman sighed as she looked to the rusted version of her grandmother's watch and her clean almost new version. She wondered if her future self still had the jewelry box that was gifted to her. Or any of her old belongings from their original world. She wondered what choices her other self made and what were the consequences. Again, all she knows is that her future self kept the information hidden, she was cold, would drink a lot, and a curse. Yet she trained and raised the children of the future when their parents were killed. Right now, the one that shows the most hostility towards her is Severa and Alm.
"Honestly, I thought Cordelia was his mom but that woman does not have that cursed attitude. Maybe Tharja is his mother? No...he would be using dark magic. Could it be...Miriel? No, Maribelle?" She muttered.
She sighed and began to think for quite a while. She has a daughter.
"Struggling to come to terms that you will have a child in the future?" Bryhildr spoke in her mind and Sophia gritted her teeth as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"I didn't exactly see myself as a mother in the future. I was honestly expecting to be single and help watch over the kids but the thought of me being a mother is...terrifying. What if I was a horrible wench like my mother? What if I hurt people? No, wait. I already did but kept quiet." Sophia muttered and Bryhildr hummed.
"I don't think your future self was a horrible person." Bryhildr mused as they glanced at the sleeping girl, "Yune looks at you with so much love and affection. She's protective of you. Alm, while hostile, shows a lot of respect towards you. Lucina also shows some hostility but she takes your advice seriously. She has come to you for relationship advice." The DeadLord chuckled.
"And that girl Severa, I've seen her observe you when you treat patients and when you train. Again, hostile but shows deep respect towards you. I don't know yet about the boys Inigo and Owain, but some sort of civil relationship is there. As for Morgan, that boy adores you. He may not say it out loud but I've seen him stop himself multiple times from calling you, Aunty." Bryhildr muttered as Sophia's arms wrapped around her neck from behind.
Like a spirit watching over her.
"You look down at yourself too much. You may see the most horrible parts of you but those around you see more than just an Iron Maiden. After all, aren't you called The Crimson Witch of Flames? Flames destroy all in their path but from the ashes, they leave behind, a new life begins." The DeadLord whispered and Sophia bit her lip.
"Even so...I'm still terrified that I will become a mother in the future. What I'm worried about...is that going to put the kids through suffering again. I don't want that. I don't want them to suffer because of me." She whispered.
"Then make sure they don't. Do what your future self didn't. Speak." Bryhildr said and her presence disappeared.
"My future self didn't save Emmeryn. My future self...I guess she isolated herself. But...there's only one person I can tell." She looked to her left hand and removed the bandages.
The symbol of a V with six eyes looked back to her. It was a grim reminder of the days she endured in Plegia. When she was tortured and experimented on by whoever that woman was. They performed a blood transfusion on her. So in a way, she has a Crest or a Brand, however, the hell they call it. She was honestly surprised that her hair didn't turn white. But what was unsettling was how she cried silver tears or coughed out silver blood. That was unnatural. At times when she would fight, she felt as if she became a different person. She would come someone who yearned for bloodshed. She felt at times as if her body was on fire and was going to burn away. Like if her blood was boiling. She did have that side because she was always on edge in her old world. But even in this world, she still felt on edge.
"I need to speak with Robin." She sighed and heard small yawns as she turned to her side.
Sophia covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing because Yune's hair was fanned out like a broom, a bed head. The little girl yawned and smiled when she saw Sophia.
"Morning Mama..." Yune grinned.
"I'm not going to get used to getting called that." Sophia internally cringed and gave Yune a small smile, "Did you get a good sleep?"
"Being a dragon is strange..." Yune mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, "I have to sleep a lot or else I'll be grouchy all day. Aunt Tiki said that because I'm more of a hybrid than manakete, my dragon side demands more. Especially sleep...Yawn...and food." She yawned again.
"Alright, now go wash your face. After that, come back so I can comb your hair." Sophia, stood up and Yune stared at her for a moment as she got off the bed.
Sophia's future self-used to comb her hair and tell her to wash up. There were times she let her and the others sleep in to see how long they wanted. The days of war were days that everyone needed rest, and in rare opportunities where peace was possible, she let them enjoy that peace. The times when mornings were peaceful...she remembered she was born in Ylisse.
But...
"Grr...why can't I remember?" Yune grumbled as she splashed water on her face, "I remember everyone except two people. My father...and...someone else but who?" She muttered as she patted her face dry.
She heard the bathroom, headed to the kitchen, and saw Emmeyren and Sophia talking but based on the frown the older woman had, things did not look good.
"So you're...telling me I have a family. Yet you planned...to return me to them...till 3-6 months later after...my supposed death." Emmeyren muttered and Sophia nodded.
"You suffered many injuries and it took a while for you to recover because of how immense the damage was. As a doctor, there is in no way I could let you return to your home in the condition you were in. You needed to relearn who to walk, speak, read, write, and many more. Even more, self-defense helps your physical movements improve. I want you to heal before making the journey." Sophia explained and Yune was silent as she peeked from the corner.
"My family...what are they like?" Emmeyren asked and Sophia smiled softly.
"You have two younger siblings. The first one, her name is Lissa. A bubbly personality and a little trouble maker." Emmeyren chuckled a bit, " Lissa is the youngest. The second one, his name is Chrom. Feisty man." She chuckled, "You have a sister-in-law. Her name is Robin. She's an amazing tactician and helped stop the war. Your brother has a retainer, his name is Frederick. Stubborn and overly wary but he is a good man. Lastly...your wife. Her name is Phila. She is an amazing woman and also was a military general. I won't tell you too much because I want you to meet them." Sophia and Emmeyren nodded.
"Thank you..." the woman smiled softly, "When will we head to Ylisse?"
"At the end of the month. I want to teach you magic and self-defense before we head back. I also will be working part-time in the arena as part of a contract I have with Khans." Sophia explained.
"I understand. Sophia...thank you...for telling me. When I hear their names...I feel...warm. Happy. Phila...her name makes my chest feel warm." Emmeryn smiled softly.
Yune couldn't help but smile softly. She heard stories of the former exalt so this was her first time seeing her. She has a warm gentle aura and a kind personality. Yune carefully walked in and Sophia turned to her.
"Hey, ready for breakfast?" She said and Emmeyren looked at the girl confused.
"Sophia, who is this?" The woman asked and Yune bowed politely to her.
"This is Yune. I rescued her from the Kiran Mountains. Khan Flavia will be seeing her today. But for now, I've decided to take her in." Sophia said and the woman nodded.
"Nice to meet you Yune. I hope we get along." Emmeryn smiled warmly and the girl nodded, awed.
"In the meantime," Emmeyren turned back to Sophia, " I will remain here, continuing my studies in magic." And the woman nodded.
" I think you might find these interesting." Sophia pulled out a green-colored book and placed it on the table, "It's...a translated version of the books from my country." Yune and Emmeyren looked at her shocked, "I figured...I can't keep all my knowledge to myself so...during my free time in Plegia and these past few months, I've been translating the different languages from books to..the language of Archanea. This green one is a medical book. I think you will be interested in it since you are a Sage and Cleric.'' She gently pushed the book to her.
"Thank you Sophia." Emmeyren said and Sophia quickly stood up and Yune followed behind her.
"Take care!" Sophia smiled and quickly closed the door.
Yune looked at her mother confused and right when she was about to ask...
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF NAGA?!"
Emmeyren's screech could be heard and Sophia knew that was her cue to leave. After all, a book about the human body can stress a person out. Sophia did leave multiple translated versions of her medical books. Emmeryn is a cleric and she figured she would take advantage of this to teach the woman more. It was a somewhat low move but it was for her good. There was a possibility that Emmeyren may fight in the future and she wanted the woman to be ready. For now, it was best she headed to the arena before she turned back to get those books.
[—-]
The little girl hid behind Sophia as Khan Flavia stared at her with an unreadable expression, her fingers intertwined, elbows propped on her desk. Basilio stood next to her and the girl was shivering a bit.
"I'm glad you are okay Sophia. I'm assuming the medicine is working correctly." Flavia spoke and Sophia nodded, "Good. I'm glad you are well. But we need you to tell us what happened and who this girl is. Basilio informed me that you saved her from the Grimleal." She said and Sophia nodded.
" Yes. Honestly, I never expected to see Grimleal at the mountain. As for Yune, I did save her. She was locked in a cage. As for how she ended up in the mountain, all I know is that she was kidnapped and experimented on. She has no memories of who her parents are." Sophia explained and Khan Flavia nodded, giving the young girl a soft look.
"Thank you, Sophia. Do you know how the Firus Clayvas ended up...dead?" Flavia asked and Sophia asked Yune to step outside for a moment.
The girl nodded and left, closing the door carefully. Sophia sighed a bit as she turned back the khans.
"The Firus Clayvas..." she ran her fingers through her hair and looked back to them, "I'm the one that killed them." They were stunned and she continued, "The sulfur, in Plegia, the Grimleal, uses the drug as a torture weapon on their victims for brainwashing. A small amount is given to the victim, which causes hallucinations. However, in this case, it also has another purpose when combined with dark magic. '' the khans weren't like the direction it was going, "By combining dark magic into the sulfur and then swallowing it in a form of mist, it causes the body to enter a survival state. The brain, when we are in danger, releases a chemical all adrenaline." She said and fingered the gun at her head.
"This chemical enhances our heart rates, expands our lungs, in a way...we temporarily become superhuman. However, in this case, the drug does that but a more advanced level. It makes the person become insane and crave blood for at least a few minutes. The limits of the body are put to the max and as you saw the bodies...that is the result. Once the effects wear off...well...you saw the state I was in." Sophia finished explaining and Khan Flavia abruptly stood up, slamming her hands onto the table.
"Are you out of your Goddamn mind?!" Flavia roared, "You nearly killed yourself by using a torture method, and now that I think about it, you have a horrible habit of nearly killing yourself for your reckless behavior in a fight!" She glared furiously at the woman.
"Finally, someone told her that!" Bryhildr cheered in Sophia's mind and the woman had to stop herself from cursing at the DeadLord.
"Kid, I get you want to protect people but putting yourself in harm's way will do you no good." Basilio shook his head, "Tell me, Sophia, what is the reason you fight?"
"The reason I fight?" Sophia's eyes became half-lidded as the shadows covered her eyes, "For once...I'm not fighting for myself."
"Yourself?" Flavia raised an eyebrow.
"I used to fight myself. Tooth and nail...my homeland wasn't exactly the best place...many hardships. A childhood ripped to pieces. I had to keep watching my back to make sure I didn't get stabbed. You know..." she closed her eyes and smiled softly, "For once...I'm glad the Grimleal took me away from my homeland. Because I want to fight for people I've grown to care about and protect them." She said and Basilio nodded.
"Do you miss it? Your homeland?" He asked Sophia sighed, crossing her arms.
"A part of me will always miss it. I grew up there pretty much. But..." she smiled bitterly, "Part of me hated my old life."
"Clerics, Medicals, and Sages are highly respected in Archanea and Valm. I'm guessing that's not the case where you lived." Flavia frowned and Sophia nodded.
"I've been spit at. Attacked for trying to do my job. Called a murder when a patient dies, when it's out of my control. I've had to fight parents to save children from horrible households. The list goes on." She sighed, "Looking back at my old life...I loved my family and my job...but I was miserable. I guess at the same time...I guess I'm better off here." She muttered and Flavia smiled softly.
"I'm still angry at you because you are reckless." Flavia said and Basilio snorted and she shot him a glare, "Old habits die hard. What do you think of your current life right now? Honestly, when I first saw you, you looked like a walking corpse." Sophia made a face.
"I feel attacked. This the first time I've even been called a Walking Corpse." She said and Basilio spoke up.
"Can you blame us? You didn't look as chipper as you are now. You look happier. That blank face and dead tone you always spoke with is no longer there." Sophia made the face, "Never mind, it's still there."
"Moving onto other manners," Flavia sighed, "The girl, Yune, I'm honestly worried about her." Sophia looked at her concerned, "We had one of our clerics check her, and unfortunately, they can't figure out the magic formula that was used to place the curse on her. For now, they are some light magic on her to slow down the effects of the curse." She finished explaining.
"By the way, what do we do with her? She doesn't have any family and when I told her about the orphanage she threw tantrums saying "I rather be eaten alive than go to an orphanage." Basilio said and Sophia sighed.
"I'll do it. I'll take her in." Sophia raised her hand and they nodded.
"We figured you say that. She's been clingy to you. Guess she got attached." Flavia said and Sophia just nodded.
"Well...the actual reason is that I found out she's my daughter..." she thought but kept it to herself.
After that discussion, they began to talk about trading routes, and surprisingly, Sophia suggested she trained the clerics, mages, and sages in the medical arts from her country because they were more advanced. Flavia and Basilio both agreed that it would be better to train them since the Ferox warrior population, the majority were berserkers, fortress knights, warriors, and classes that would mainly be in the front lines. Even the dancers were more trained in the sword than mages!
"And another thing," Flavia said as Sophia looked up from the trading route documents between Ylisse and Ferox, "You need to send a heads up to the Ylisse Royal family. If you just drop Emmeryn all of a sudden, there will be a lot of backlashes. Is there anyone in the Shepards you can trust to tell?" She asked and thought for a moment.
"Lysithea."
[—-]
Sophia gritted her teeth as she concentrated magic into the crystal ball she and Lysithea bought last year. It was a private communication device and she was hoping the mage would answer. Right now, her body burned because her magic veins hadn't fully recovered from being pushed to the extreme because of the drug. Still, some magic could be done but it burned. She saw the crystal ball flicker, a sign that someone was picking up. However...
"Hello?"
"What fuck...Felix?!" Sophia screeched and that was when the blue-haired man who looked asleep, eyes shot awake and a screech was heard next to him.
"Give me that!" The crystal ball was ripped from his hand and Sophia was met with crimson faced Lysithea with disheveled hair, holding her blanket close to her chest to cover herself and mark—
"Oh my." Sophia placed a dandy hand on her mouth to cover the smug smile that was about to appear on her face, "Looks like I called at a bad time. I'll call you in two hours."
"No, wait! So-"
And she cut the magic connection and placed the ball down. She was trying to process what she just saw.
"Did I just...?" She muttered and felt her face start to heat up.
"I recommend not calling her back," Bryhildr stated and Sophia just nodded slowly as she opened a candy and ate it to calm down her nerves.
[—-]
"Ahem!" Lysithea coughed as she sat in her chair, dressed as a Gremory, her teacup in front of her with sweets on the side, the crystal ball in front of her, "It has been a while Sophia. I am surprised that you suddenly chose to call me." The woman said as she picked up her cup to take a sip of her tea.
"Right..." Sophia rubbed the back of her neck, "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier." The Gremory's ears turned pink, "So you and Felix...congratulations."
"Yes...Umm, don't try to change the subject! I'm still mad at you! We didn't exactly have a proper talk!" Lysithea glared as Sophia sighed, "Just how much did you learn about the Grimleal while you were their political prisoner?" She asked.
"Sigh might as well tell you," Sophia muttered and began to tell her everything that happened during her time in Plegia.
The woman's face twisted from shock to horror. To disgust and rage. The list of expressions could go on and on but what was infuriating to Lysithea was just how secretive Sophia was when she was supporting Ylisse from the shadows. Sophia had a sinister smile when she spoke about how stupid many of the Grimleal lackeys were but just because many followed blindly did not mean she let her guard down. The Grimleal had 8 higher-up leaders. The first one, the one in charge of them all, was Grima. The second was The Risen Queen. The Third was Validar. The fifth was Aversa. The sixth she only knew they were called The Dark Knight. The seventh, from what she learned, is called The Puppeteer. And the eight is called The Spider. There were also the 13 Deadlords but she didn't count them. What's more, each one of the higher-ups was the leader of a faction. Grima was the leader of Risen. The Queen was in charge of creating monsters, using alchemy. So Sophia suspected that the Risen Queen was someone connected to Forneus or the Queen was using the body of an ancient alchemist. Validar was the main one to be in charge of the Grimleal and technically is royal, so politics. Aversa was in charge of the Magic Faction, which explained why the Grimleal were able to translate the ancient language of the Judargal Era. The Dark Knight was said to be the right-hand man of Grima and the Queen, the loyal dog of the Fallen Throne. He was also in charge of Military Forces. Protects the Queen and King. The Puppeteer has no idea who they are but they are in charge of the spy networks in Plegia and Black Market. Lastly the Spider, the second round of the Grimleal. No one has ever seen them but the rumors were that they were insane.
"And the rest, the war." Sophia finished, "So yes, I am the Master of a DeadLord and also a necromancer because it was drilled into me. As for what they had planned for you...all I knew is that they wanted you for some sort of bargain. Any ideas?" She said and Lysithea thought for a moment.
"There is...one. When the two factions of the Duma and Mila Faithful were joined together by Saint Nomah, there was a group of individuals that refused to join them. They were the extremest of the Duma Faithful and left...however...even after all these years...no...their groups couldn't have survived." She looked back to her, "I'm the last of the Ordelia Clan who possesses all the records of Valm. Could it be possible that they are after the King's Fang?"
"King's Fang?" Sophia looked at her confused.
"The Valentian Falchion." Lysithea said that's when it finally dawned on Sophia why something felt missing.
"I remember...King Alm used it to strike down Grima in Thabes. Which sealed him away for 1,000 years till the first Exalt." She thought and held her chin before she spoke, "Is there any record of where the sword is located?" She asked.
"One moment," Lysithea said and took out her Mila Turnwheel, the blue version of the red version Sophia his.
Lysithea mumbled a spell and the watch glowed a beautiful color of blue. All around Lysithea became the stars and constellations. Beautiful stars as far as the eyes could see. Constellations of all kinds, each one representing an individual or family line. Lysithea looked around beamed when she found the constellation, Cepheus: The King, which represented the Riegal/Duma brand royal bloodline. It was intertwined with Cassiopeia: The Queen, which represented the Zofian/Mila royal bloodline. The mage touched Cepheus and a record of books and scrolls were shown. She looked up King Alm and spoke.
"Let's see, chapter 216, when King Alm passed away, The Falchion was passed down to his second eldest son, Dimitri Rudolf Lima (Sophia: Huh...so he has both his parents' last name's.), who became the next King of Valentia. That's odd..." Lysithea mumbled.
"What's wrong?" Sophia asked and Lysithea looked at her, also confused, "Just like the Lowell bloodline (Ylisse Royal Family) the sword should have been passed down. But it was stolen but the second prince, Berkut von Rudolf Lima. The sword has been missing since then." And Sophia smacked her forehead and dragged her hand down her face.
"And does it say why the sword was stolen?" She asked and Lysithea raised an eyebrow.
"You're serious? Everyone in Valm and Archanea knows the reason why the sword was stolen!" Lysithea said Sophia rolled her eyes.
"Well, I don't! I'm from a different country, remember!" Sophia pointed to herself.
"Oh. Uh...sorry." Lysithea apologized, "So you see, King Alm and Queen Celica had six children.
Prince Dimitri, Prince Berkut, Prince August, Princess Alexandra, Prince Cecelia, and Princess Alice. One investigation mission that involved King Alm, Queen Celica, King Marth, and Queen Caeda, they were going to the ancient city of Thabes. Their second son, Prince Berkut, and their first daughter, Princess Alexandra, were supposed to be the only ones to go on this quest with them. However, Princess Cecelia somehow managed to sneak into the ship and ended up in Archanea with them." Lysithea said and took a bite from a cookie.
"So kid snuck in," Sophia muttered and her friend nodded.
"Now here's where things get interesting." Lysithea swallowed, "During the mission, this took place 2000 years ago, they encountered a being called The Creation in the ruins of Thabes. However, the battle to seal away wasn't easy. And the unfortunate part is...Princess Cecelia was killed." She muttered and Sophia's eyes widened slightly, "She jumped in front of her brother and mother to protect them. The Creation killed her and the records say it then dragged her body into a void. In a rage, King Alm struck down the beast but the body of their daughter was never recovered. Only her hairpin remained." Sophia was covering her mouth as she was processing all the new information she was hearing.
"The Royal Family never fully recovered from the loss of the Princess but even so, they continued to move forward. After the incident, King Marth declared that ruins were forbidden to enter, and that law still stands to this day. However, Ferox is in charge of that one. As for the fates of each of the children, Prince Dimitri ruled Valentia till his finals days, alongside his wife, who was the daughter of the legendary archer Faye." Sophia cringed hearing that.
"Prince Berkut, as you heard, stole the sword and was never seen again. Some say he became fallen, other rumors are that he came to Archanea and helped build Plegia. Prince August traveled around the world and his adventures are still written in stories to this day. Princess Alexandra is the founder of Chon'sin. She never married and the descendants of her followers are the current Chon'sin Royal family. Lastly, Princess Alice worked beside her brother Dimitri in helping build Valentia and is known as the Legendary Saint of Valentia. All of the Royal Family is buried in the Rigel Royal Family Graveyard. For Prince Berkut and Princess Cecelia, their bodies were never recovered but gravestones were made for them, to honor their memories." Lysithea finished and Sophia was silent for a moment.
She looked at her watch and then thought of the Second Princess. Her name...Cecelia...
"No...No..." she looked back to her watch, "It couldn't be..."
"Sophia?" Lysithea looked at her worried.
"Lysithea...who was the last person to have the second Mila Turnwheel during the age of the Royal Family?" Her heart rate increased and only skyrocketed when Lysithea gave the answer she was hoping not to hear.
"Chapter 200...Hmm...It says Queen Celica handed down her sword, gold crown, and watch to Princess Cecelia. So based on this...the watch, crown, and sword, disappeared along with the Princess that day. Oh! Also, a music box that belonged to King Alm was gifted to his daughter along with the former metal headband he used to use." Lysithea chirped and Sophia propped her elbow on the table and oversaw her eyes.
"I can't be...it can't be...it can't be..." she abruptly stood up and paced around.
"Sophia, seriously what's wrong?" Lysithea said and again and the woman stopped and turned back to her, looking down to the ground then looked up to her.
"My grandmother's name is Cecelia and I inherited the watch from her along with a crown. My cousin inherited a sword and music box from her. The headband, she also has." She closed her eyes and she heard Lysithea dropped the cookie she was eating.
"Lysithea, I think you might have just uncovered my bloodline."