"C'mon, Marley! We're gonna miss them!"
Well, it wasn't her fault that he ran that fast! His legs were bigger! So unfair.
His size came in handy, though. Albert cut a berth through the gathering crowd and she followed in his wake. A few yelled after her brother, promising to tell their parents that he shoved them. But neither he nor Marley cared in the moment.
The Alliance army had come to town.
"Here," Albert said, folding his hands together. With ease, Marley planted a foot on his hands and he hoisted her up to the room of the building. He followed suit, pulling himself up on his own. Together, they scrambled to middle of the roof, where the triangular arch let them hang on.
"I hope we see Hilda Dragonslayer," Albert babbled, excitedly. He'd put his unruly black hair back in the most pathetic ponytail imaginable, as if even a single strand of hair would detract from viewing those who came to town.
Marley huffed. "I don't get what the big deal is. Aren't they the bad guys?"
Albert gave her a horrified look. "No way! See, they say Claude's gonna make everything better here. I heard so at the inn." Being the fourteen-year-old he was, his opinions consisted of repeating those he heard. Still, he wasn't wrong about them being a sign of change.
Marley didn't care. She'd just found out where a squirrel nest was near their home. If she was quiet, she could climb and see a furry friend if she were lucky. But someone had to drag her out here and away from it.
The army was approaching from the north, soon to pass down the center street of the village. Center street was a misleading term, of course, as there was but one street. No more than forty people lived in the area, and forty-one if you counted the ghost in the woods. Marley always counted him.
"Who is Hilda Dragonslayer?" Marley asked, picking dirt from out under her nails. Mother would be upset if she came home like that. Though not as upset if she caught them on the roof of their house.
"Haven't you been listening to the stories at the inn?" Albert asked.
Marley stuck her tongue out. Listening to people talk was boring.
Being the ever observant (and experienced) brother, Albert sighed. "Okay, so in the Battle for Garreg Mach, they say she jumped off the walls to kill a demonic beast! Then! At Myrddin, she rode a pegasus and jumped off to kill the biggest demonic beast anyone's ever seen! She's so awesome!"
Marley had to admit, it did sound pretty awesome. Maybe, just maybe, she paid a bit more attention.
"There's so many more too," Albert prattled on. "It's like everyone in the Alliance army is famous! There's the Ashen Demon, the Commoner General, Thunder Catherine, the Ambassador, the Mockingbird—"
"Look!" Marley interrupted, pointing at a lone figure riding on horseback towards the village.
The man was dressed fancily, more like a peacock than any person Marley had ever seen. He had a feather pinned to his lapel and carried a huge bow on his back. He stopped his horse right outside the village.
"I am Ambassador Victor of the Alliance, and envoy of the Alliance and Seiros Coalition forces," he called out. "We are not here to harm you. We are only passing through on our way to Enbarr."
Albert could barely breathe. "They say Ambassador Victor killed the Shrike by himself."
Even Marley had heard of the Shrike. "Wow."
Ambassador Victor continued, "If there is any assistance needed by anyone in this village, we are here to provide it. We are not here to conquer, and have no quarrel with the citizens of the Empire."
The people of the village below them murmured amongst themselves. The war had hit them all hard, and aid was aid. The mayor walked forward and beckoned the envoy into the village.
He smiled widely, and Marley thought he looked friendly. Giving a wave to the growing group of people that approached, he walked further into the city.
Marley's eyes were saucers as she watched scores upon scores of wyverns pass over them. Around the town: mounted people by the hundreds. Their little hamlet was but a pebble in the stream that was the army.
No way the Empire had this many people. Marley wasn't sure how to feel about that. The Empire was her home, wasn't it?
Pursuing that question would come later, as a colossal alabaster wyvern landed in the middle of the town. People gasped and shrunk back, as a tanned man slid off the beast.
"Claude von Riegan," Albert whispered, almost reverently. And he wasn't the only one to recognize him. People began to kneel, bow, and any manner of respect they could offer.
"None of that," he chided lightly, voice as soothing as honey. Claude smiled warmly. "I'm just a man here to help how I can. I am the one who treads on your soil, so I am the one to bow." And he did so, deeply.
No one seemed to know what to make of that. And so to save them the confusion, Claude called out, "Ignatz! Let's get these people whatever food they need. And supplies. If we can spare it, we'll give it."
The mayor floundered. "Pardon me, milord, but why?"
"Hm?" Claude turned to him.
"We're your enemy, aren't we?" he asked, as if not knowing the answer himself.
Claude shook his head. "You've done me no ill, why would you be my enemy?"
"Look!" Albert whispered furiously, tugging Marley away from the Sovereign Duke. She grumbled at first, but then stopped.
A woman clad in black leapt off a horse, followed by a man in purple armor. "The armored one is Lorenz von Riegan," Albert explained quickly. "He used to be the enemy of the Duke, but now they work together as friends."
"And the other one?" Marley asked.
"That's the Ashen Demon, the strongest fighter in the Alliance army." A name that fit her, Marley thought. The woman had bright green hair, but her entire body was obfuscated by black attire. None of her skin showed, save her face. But it was the giant sword on her back that drew her eyes, looking like a jaw.
"Claude," she called out. "Nader hit a patrol to the east. He's engaging. Any orders?"
"Tell him to take prisoners," Claude called out. "Otherwise it's to his discretion."
The Ashen Demon nodded, and looked to Lorenz von Riegan. With a flourish, he sent a small mote of fire into the air. No sooner had he done that, did another erupt from further back in the army. Slowly, motes leapt into the sky through the army, and presumably to this Nader.
Lorenz went and joined Claude and Ignatz, while the Ashen Demon busied herself by looking around the town. Her eyes eventually found Marley and Albert, perched on the roof watching them. Marley ducked, evading the scary woman's gaze. When she looked again, the Demon had moved on to other parts of the village.
Ten minutes passed as more and more people passed through the town. Some were brief, pausing only for moments to speak with Claude before racing off again. Albert pointed out each of them with gusto.
"That's the Mockingbird! They're the right hand to the Archbishop."
"Look, sis, Thunder Catherine! Do you see that sword at her side? That's Thunderbrand. She's the second-in-command of the Knights of Seiros."
"General Holst! He's the person who keeps the Almyrans from coming in through Fódlan's Locket. Some say he's stronger than Victor von Bergliez."
"Lady Dorothea broke down the gate to Merceus by herself. She's a magical genius."
"Who's that?" Marley asked, pointing to a blue haired woman who got off her horse.
For once, Albert was stumped. But it didn't bother him when he glanced at who stood near her. Jaw hanging open, he managed to say, "Hilda Dragonslayer."
Marley raised her eyebrows. This pink haired girl certainly didn't seem like someone who killed monsters. Her face was sunshine as she talked animatedly to the blue girl, who smiled fondly in return. They looked like their parents, like they were about to start kissing. Gross.
The blue woman pointed their way, and Hilda turned. Albert yipped in surprise, his hero's eyes on him.
Instead of being put off by it, Hilda grinned and waved at them. Albert's face blushed beet red.
Marley rounded on him. "Ew, do you like her?"
"N-no!" Albert tried to insist.
"Gross!"
She tried to swat at him but he slid away towards the edge of the roof. "I'm gonna go talk to her!" he called out in a moment of bravery. Bravery, that is, delivered with a shaking voice and flushed face.
"Wait!" Marley called, not wanting to be left behind. She stumbled to the edge of the roof and jumped down. She landed and fell to her hands and knees, dirty, but unhurt. Not as if that could stop her, though. She dashed after Albert.
When she saw him again, he was already at Hilda Dragonslayer. She glanced at Marley as she sped forward, smile growing. "Is this your sister?"
"Yeah," Albert said, dumbly.
"My gosh, Marianne, they're so cute," Hilda cooed.
The blue woman, Marianne, chuckled. "Careful, Hilda. You'll scare them off."
"What're your names?" Hilda asked.
"I'm Marley, my dumb brother is Albert," she said.
Albert squawked in protest. "Marley! Don't say that in front of Hilda!"
"Why not? You're the one who's all dumb and gross," she said, shoving him back.
Hilda found that hilarious. "Dear Goddess, you two are a treat. You know who I am, though?" she asked, directing it to Albert.
"Well, yeah!" he said as if it were obvious. "You're Hilda Dragonslayer! You kill demonic beasts all the time! They say you killed, like, five at Garreg Mach by yourself!"
The woman blinked. "Guess my reputation's proceeded me. And become larger than life."
Marianne shook her head in bewilderment. "I guess we've become something respectable."
"Really? I feel like a silly kid still," Hilda muttered. She sighed, turning back to the kids. "You two are sweet. How about you run along now so we can get to bringing your town the food they need?"
"O-okay!" Albert yelped, a pile of nerves as he fled from the woman he'd fallen for in all of the past few minutes. Ugh, boys, Marley thought.
Hilda seemed to have realized the same thing as she chuckled. Seeing Marley still around, she winked, "If you wanna tease your brother, I'm sure you can pretend I said anything after he left."
Marley grinned. "I like you."
Marianne groaned. "Oh no, what have you done."
Hilda elbowed her and stuck her tongue out before turning back to Marley. She glanced at the mud on her knees, the stray stick in her hair, and her wild eyes.
"You keep having adventures," Hilda said with a smile, before turning away and getting back to work.
I will, promised Marley.
Author Notes: And that's the last intermezzo. I wanted an exterior look on the Golden Deer, to mirror the first Intermezzo which was all about them as a group. I'm a sucker for a bit of bookending. One thing I think this story lacks is perspective on our favorite characters from the outside—and hopefully this makes a nice addition to the impending conclusion.
Editing Notes:
2/23/2022: Minor grammatical adjustments.