Kiran hated the smell of the war room. Despite it being used recently, the space never seemed to lose it's musty odor. As usual, he was the first one in the room, and took the seat he liked the most. It was the comfiest, and in meetings as long as these were apt to go, rear comfort was imperative. It was easy to take in the silence of the room now; after all, this place would likely become a debate center for many of the people he invited to take part.
"Good morning, summoner," a thin voice cut through the room, "how do you feel today?" Soren walked through the doorway. Kiran had invited as many of the tacticians he knew to this meeting; they would need a good gameplan, and an amalgam of the best minds in the castle was likely the only way of achieving that.
"Better than yesterday, thank you for asking." Soren didn't answer, taking his seat and tapping his fingers impatiently. Kiran knew that he was socially inept at best, aggressively anti-social at worst; but it just made all the waiting that much worse. Thankfully, the summoner didn't have to wait long.
"Hey-o, Kiran!" Anna and Sharena were the next to enter, the latter enthusiastically greeting the summoner. Sharena took the seat to Kiran's left. "I heard Tharja got you good!"
"Yeah." Kiran begrudgingly admitted. If Kiran and Sharena's relationship could be quantified, he would say it was very sibling-esque. They enjoyed grilling each other, but he could count on her in a pinch. But it was definitely time for some payback. "Have you talked to Fjorm yet?" He asked, "About her … how did you put it … 'hunk' of a brother?" Sharena laughed nervously, and leaned in.
"Kiran, please don't talk about that in public!" She whispered. Kiran chuckled to himself, but apologized to the princess. The four in the room then heard a ruckus outside. Aversa, Robin, and Morgan were next in the room, Aversa looking particularly annoyed.
"Do those two idiots always go on like that?" She growled. The sorceress sat herself next to Soren, who glared at her. She returned the favor.
"Leo and Takumi," Robin explained to the other three, "they're fighting."
Anna rubbed her temples in frustration. "Again?" She said, exasperation poorly veiled in her voice. "Should we take care of them?" Kiran shook his head.
"Those two are stubborn, they'll just go somewhere else and continue on." He replied. This was precisely why he didn't invite both of them. He heard more commotion from outside, and there was a swift silence. Clarisse entered the room with Katerina, Xander, and Ryoma.
"I took care of those two, Kiran." She said simply. She took Kiran's right hand seat, followed by Katerina.
"I apologize for my brother's behavior," Xander began, "It is certainly uncouth of him."
"I must apologize as well," Ryoma interjected, "We expect better from our siblings."
Aversa laughed. "Well, aren't both of you just so formal? It's just squabbling, as annoying as it may be." She leaned onto Robin, "We squabble all the time; right, Robin?" Robin grumbled something, but didn't push his luck. Soren spoke up.
"How many others are we waiting for?" His tone was impatient, "I would like to get started."
"We're still waiting for a couple of people, Soren." Kiran replied, "I'm sorry, I know we all want to get to work." He got a 'humph' for his apology, but it was something.
After a couple of minutes, a group of Minerva, Innes, and Chrom entered. Kiran didn't remember inviting Chrom, but he was Robin's leader. If Robin looked up to him, he was probably some level of intelligent. Minerva was an intimidating sight, the whitewing general's cropped crimson hair looked almost like a crown of flame. Innes was … well, he was definitely smart. There were a lot of other negative words Kiran associated with the man, but he certainly wasn't the worst in the castle.
"Hmmm, blood pressure seems normal." He felt someone grab his arm. "Pulse seems to be at a slightly elevated rate." Lute and Lissa were knelt behind Kiran, observing the summoner.
"Lissa, what are you doing?" Chrom asked. Lissa was trying her best to hold in her laughter.
"Well, I'm here to keep tabs on our new guest," she explained, "But Lute wanted to make sure Kiran was okay, and I just couldn't turn a concerned party away!" Kiran turned to Lute. The mage gave him a smug grin.
"How long did you know I wasn't sick?" He hissed at her. Lute smiled.
"I know a lot of things." She replied. Kiran frowned. As always, that girl was going to be an enigma.
Reinhardt, Cecilia, Lyn and Eirika walked through the doorway at this point. Kiran looked up and saw Ishtar in tow. He felt his stomach flip over, then felt a sharp impact on his leg. Clarisse looked annoyed.
"Keep your work face on, Kiran," she muttered, "You can always unsuccessfully flirt later." The summoner hissed at her, but didn't reply. Still, there was one person conspicuously missing.
"Okay, easy does it." the group heard a voice say. Alphonse was holding the door open, as somebody slowly walked in. Despite her exhausted appearance and injuries to her leg, the woman that walked through the door had an otherworldly beauty. Her blonde and blue hair was cut in a short bob. As she looked at the summoner, she blushed slightly and turned away. Anna rose from her seat.
"Please stand for Prince Alphonse and Princess Fjorm of Nifl!"
Only thirty minutes had passed, and things were going surprisingly well. A large number of the group had an expertise, and it was making things run smoothly. The people that surprised Kiran the most were Eirika and Aversa. Eirika was level-headed, finding impartial solutions to many of the small problems the tactician's were running into. Aversa, on the other hand, was a much different person working than she was normally. She had the same keen intellect as Robin, but she was more flexible, willing to suggest riskier options and open up new avenues for attack. Just then, Kiran felt a set of eyes on him. He turned to Alphonse. The prince was busy discussing with the other tacticians. The summoner could've sworn he was the only looking, but then he looked over one person. Fjorm was staring at the map, but her expression was one of embarrassment.
Kiran also noticed something odd. Everyone's water and tea seemed to be refilling itself regularly. He could've sworn he saw a large hulking figure at one point, but it was completely gone seconds later. The summoner closed his eyes briefly. Probably just a figment of his imagination.
"I could always call Tharja, you know." Lute suggested. Clarisse snorted, earning a look of reproach from Katarina. "You look exhausted again."
"I'm just tired from dealing with you." was Kiran's retort. Lute just smiled, and continued working with the strategists.
"So now we get to the main issue," Alphonse stated, "How to deal with Surtr." The group was silent for a long time. The man was disposable now, Kiran had made sure of that the last time they met. But approaching him and getting rid of him would still be a challenge. Fjorm slowly stood up.
"It is my duty to destroy Surtr," she said, "My burden and mine alone. If I can do the Rite of Frost, I should be able to match him in power temporarily." There was a long silence. Everyone was considering the idea. It was then Aversa started laughing. She glowered at the princess.
"Well, aren't you just the cutest little martyr?" She mocked, "I'm sorry, but we want a total victory, one that ends this conflict."
"I can end the conflict!" Fjorm argued, "I must! He killed -"
"I understand the pain you have certainly felt," Lyn interjected, "but making rash decisions will not bring you victory." Fjorm opened her mouth to protest again, but Ishtar stood up, facing the princess.
"What does the Rite of Frost entail?" She asked. Fjorm hesitated, but eventually decided to explain. The Rite, the prayer she would need to say, and the power it would bestow. Ishtar's eyes narrowed, but it was not her who spoke up when the princess was finished.
"I vote no to that." Kiran said firmly, "You're not telling us everything, it's like ." There were murmurs of agreement. "We don't need you to sacrifice yourself to win this war."
"You don't have a chance without this!" Fjorm shouted.
"Do you really want to die that badly?" Soren asked flatly, "There are easier ways to die, you know." The room was silent for a moment after that. The topic was settled.
Kiran was still seated in the war room. The meeting was long over, but he was still looking at the maps. Everything seemed perfect, but he still felt nervous. Maybe it was that Rite of Frost Fjorm had talked about. They had vetoed the idea, but … Fjorm didn't seem like a woman who would accept that.
And then there was Ishtar.
He had seen her at her weakest; but in that brief moment, she was so strong. He smacked his head. Why do you keep thinking about her? Sure, he had seen more from her in the past two days than almost any person in the past year. Sure, from everything he had seen, she was brilliant. And he had finally heard her laugh; and it was a beautiful laugh.
"I haven't seen you look so dazed, my friend." Alphonse sat next to the summoner, patting his back. "Is there something the matter?"
"No, just a little nervous." Kiran admitted. Alphonse nodded.
"Yes, I feel the same way," he replied, "this battle could end Surtr's reign of terror, so I understand."
"Well …" Kiran faded out, "That too." Alphonse looked at the summoner.
"Oh? Something else?" He began poking around. The prince smiled. "Could this be something about a woman?" Kiran sighed and put his head in his hands. "That bad, huh? Who is it?" There was no response. "Not Clarisse?"
"No."
"Sharena?"
"No!" Kiran heard Alphonse sigh in relief.
"Hmm. Is it Fjorm?" The summoner heard some strain in the prince's voice.
Kiran looked up, "Why would it be?" he asked. "I barely know her."
Alphonse looked down at the table. "She likes you a lot, Kiran. The princess is always looking at you, and talking about you to Sharena." he continued, "A-and I think you two would get along great!"
"Alph …" Kiran was shocked by this revelation. But he could hear it in his friend's voice. "If you like Fjorm, you should tell her." Alphonse started stammering, and Kiran smiled. "It's not Fjorm, by the way. It's Ishtar."
"Ishtar?!" The prince cried out, "The Thunder Goddess?!"
"The same." Alphonse was quiet for a moment, which led Kiran to continue. "Like I don't know Fjorm very well, I don't think you know much about Ishtar."
"That's fair." Alphonse replied. The two of them sat in silence for awhile, before Alphonse spoke up again. "What should we do?" Kiran sighed again.
"I'd say you just tell Fjorm how you feel," he responded, "Be the person she believes I am."
Alphonse was quiet. "How about you?" he asked. Kiran didn't respond immediately. He knew something that Alphonse didn't know. When speaking with Reinhardt once, he remembered something. The mage had mentioned that his liege was not only a powerful mage and wonderful person; but there was something else. They were engaged to be married, and his disapproval was a factor that had led to him being dismissed from her service. Despite his feelings, Ishtar was likely still in love with her fiance. It was just a waste of time.
"I'll just bear it for now," Kiran finally said, "I doubt Ishtar's feelings are mutual, so I'm going to focus on what I can do for everyone else." Alphonse frowned, but said nothing. The prince got up from his seat, and patted the summoner's shoulder.
"You deserve happiness too, my friend." Kiran smiled, and followed Alphonse out of the room. As he turned to close the door, he felt a shadow loom over him. Reinhardt was standing there, looking at the duo menacingly.
"May I borrow the summoner for a bit?" The question was tinged with menace, which almost caused Alphonse to say no. Kiran motioned for the prince to get going, however.
"I'll be fine, man." Kiran said casually. "Where to, Reinhardt?"
"My room, if you please."
Alphonse felt a chill over his shoulder. Initially, he just thought he was nervous, but the cold persisted. Fjorm stood near him, her eyes wet from crying. "Lady Fjorm?" She didn't reply in words, just a mournful face. The prince took a deep breath. "Would you like some tea? Perhaps you'd like to talk about what's troubling you?" Fjorm nodded slightly, but remained silent. The temperature continued to drop.
It was possibly the most uncomfortable Kiran had been in his life. Reinhardt had almost tossed the poor summoner into his room, and closed the door. The room had been immaculately decorated, with lanterns providing a low light. In the other seat, instead of the taciturn Reinhardt, was Ishtar. She looked at the summoner, surprise in her eyes.
"S-summoner! I thought I was meeting with Reinhardt!"
Kiran stared at the Friegian. She was wearing a different dress, one that seemed a little less formal. Her pauldrons were no longer on, and her ponytail laid on her right shoulder. She looked … more human, and she was beautiful. He felt his face warm up. "Yeah. Me too." He replied.
Ishtar bit her lip nervously. "Well, since you're here, would you like some dessert?" A set of small tea cakes were set on the table. Kiran slowly sat down at the table, and took a cake. He looked up to see Ishtar hungrily eating a cake, before she slowed down and started looking away. "My apologies," she said when she finished, "That was rather boorish behavior."
Kiran smiled. "It's not a big deal," he replied, "If anything you should blame these cakes for being so good." Ishtar laughed at that.
"Truly!" She exclaimed, before grabbing another cake. Kiran felt more comfortable by the moment. He would have to thank Reinhardt later.
Kiran wasn't sure how much time had passed. The two of them had spoken about a plethora of things. What started as a basic exchange of things like military strategy slowly shifted to more personal things. Kiran talked about his former world, and Ishtar talked about her early life in Friege. For the summoner, it was the longest he had talked to anyone in a long while. The tea had long run out, and the tea cakes were all eaten.
"I would have never thought!" Kiran exclaimed, "You really like the albums you grabbed?"
"Yes! Your world has interesting music, and you have excellent taste!" Kiran laughed at that.
"I don't know about that, but I'm genuinely glad you like it."
"These songs have such interesting sounds," she continued, "I wouldn't mind listening to more of your recommendations."
"I would be delighted to help you!" Ishtar yawned in reply, signaling the coming end of the conversation.
"Would you like an escort to your room, Lady Ishtar?" Kiran asked. Ishtar giggled, and held out her hand.
"Lead the way, Sir Kiran." The two left Reinhardt's room, and headed to Ishtar's. They reached the doorway, and looked at each other. The mage wrapped her arms around Kiran, hugging him tightly. "I realize what Reinhardt was attempting to do," she said, "I'm not sure how you feel about me, but Reinhardt is convinced you have …" She didn't finish, letting her words hang in the air.
Kiran weighed the options in his head. "You know what, might as well." He sighed heavily, before continuing. "Yes, I like you." Ishtar grabbed her right arm, and looked at the ground.
"I see." Kiran's heart dropped at that response, even though he was expecting it. Still, it wasn't exactly the response he was hoping for. "Is it wrong that I feel conflicted?" The summoner looked up, hope swelling in his chest. "You remind me a lot of Julius. You're a bit franker, a little less proper; but you're also more mature, and …" she left off again. Her breaths were rattling. "I miss the man he used to be." The summoner hugged her again, which she returned. "I'm sorry, Julius was someone special to me. It's hard to just leave that."
Kiran closed his eyes in acceptance. At least she was being kind about it.
"Come on, you idiots! Kiss already!" Kiran and Ishtar turned around. Clarisse was hiding behind corner, glowering at the duo.
"Clarisse, shut up!" The summoner hissed. "Didn't you hear anything Ishtar said?" Ishtar grabbed his robe, and looked back at him.
"I was not finished." She said, and she kissed Kiran. It was a small peck on the cheek, and when she pulled away she smiled at him. "I do like you too, Kiran. And tonight was the best night I have had in a long time." She bowed at the summoner, and backed into her room. "Have a good night, Sir Kiran." The door closed, and Kiran and Clarisse looked at each other. They both smiled widely.
Ishtar, however, would not have a restful sleep. She lay there, feeling a cocktail of guilt and giddiness. At night, she dreamt of a man of flame, and a man of light; and neither of them could co-exist.
Hello everyone! This chapter is much shorter than normal, but it's separate from the next few, so I felt like it should stand on it's own.
Thank you all for reading, and as always, comments, questions, and any other reviews are always appreciated!
Next Chapter: Long March to Muspell