Chapter Twenty-Two
Shouts of jubilee and cheer filled the streets of Ylisstol as the Shepherds returned home. All walks of life from noble to peasant joined in the festivities. Ribbons and flower pedals hid the cobble streets and sides of houses. Chrom refused a celebration, but that didn't stop the locals. Every bar was jam packed and beer was generously served to all customers. Young maidens swoon over the Exalt couple. Children ran in all directions without parental supervision, but were safe. Once safe inside the castle after hours of parading around and greeting as many people as possible, a secret meeting went underway.
"Ah, Fredrick, you have news to deliver?"
"Yes, milord. King Validar has extended an invitation. He says Plegia has been guarding Sable, and now he wishes to return it to you."
Sable, the last gemstone needed for the fire emblem. With all stones gathered, the Awakening process would be able to perform. Naga herself baptizes all those in the ritual, but at a price. Through her flames, one enters and if the body and soul survive, they succeeded in gaining great strength. In failure, however, they would perish and never return to the land of the living. The risk was well worth the reward if there was any hope in preventing the resurrection of Grima. It was a task Chrom knew he had to do and his alone. Lucina attempted to persuade her father to not do it, for fear of losing him again in her lifetime, but Chrom said he had to go through it for the fate of the world.
Fredrick coughed, "Anyways, Validar asks that you visit him in person, that he might formally present it. Perhaps needless to say, milord, but I don't like this one bit."
Chrom agreed, "Neither do I, Frederick the Wary, neither do I. At best, it's selfish political maneuvering at a time when the world can ill afford it. At worst, our run-in with those Risen last visit was no accident. But we will meet with him. Send word at once."
Fredrick continued to be wary, "Milord, are you certain that's wise?"
"No, but we haven't time to be certain. And my sister never refused a diplomatic gesture, no matter how foul smelling. If he doesn't give us the stone, he may at least reveal where it is. Don't worry, Frederick, I'm not walking into this blindly. We will make certain everyone is armed to the teeth."
"Then the emblem, milord—you ought at least leave it behind."
Chrom pondered about this option but thought better, "Unless that's what Validar expects, and he comes to steal it with my best men away. No, it's safest with me, for now. We'll learn the truth of Validar's motive soon enough. Don't you agree, sweetie?"
The queen gave a soft smile, "I agree. Make sure Chrom has enough mobile support in case of a sneak attack, Fredrick." Cordelia would normally see it herself for the responsibilities, but she was needed for diplomacy now. Over time as part of the Exalt family, she got used to not being a workaholic, but did find time to do menial tasks. Chrom would be taking a nap, and she would slip away and check inventory or polish weaponry. Lissa would often catch her in the act, but she never snitched (bribes of cake worked wonders).
Fredrick bowed as he marched off, leaving the king and queen alone.
"Cordy, what if it is a trap?" Chrom lowered his eyebrows and frowned.
His wife raised his chin, "Chrom, look at me. Do you think I would allow you to fall to the hands of Validar, or the Fell Dragon, or anyone else?"
"No, but…a leader must never rest, never surrender, and most of all never stop learning. I guess I want validation I'm making the right choices is all." Chrom sighed.
"You are. You are doing a good job continuing Emmeryn's legacy. Did you perhaps miss all the people that warmly welcomed us in the streets, hm? I think you should get your eyes checked."
"Your humor never ceases to amaze me…as well as your beauty." Chrom leaned for a kiss and received with gentleness from the queen's lips. "I love you, Cordelia. I just want to make sure I say that often. I'll never get tired of looking at you. I'm a lucky man to have you."
Cordelia closed her eyes and produced a wide smile, "Why is it you only captivate me more as time goes on?"
"Must be my charm. The Brand of the Exalt does that to people, you know," Chrom wrapped around Cordelia's waist and peered into her eyes.
"You sly-tongued fox." Cordelia grabbed his face and gave all the passion she held for her man. The couple proceeded to enjoy the rare timing of being alone together.
Outside the Plegian capital stood below the Valley of Medius. Locals used to call it a different name, but the Grimleal rule forced the change. In the middle rising up above the sand were skeletal remains of a horror. Mostly dragon-like, a human face was attached over the lower set of jaws. The unsettling sight made Lucina grimaced. Her future aunt took notice.
"What's wrong, Lucina?" Lissa looked unsettled.
"That great skull. I saw it once before, when Emmeryn was sentenced to die. Even then it reminded me of...him."
Chrom knew the answer, but asked anyway, "You mean…"
"Yes. Grima, the fell dragon. A cataclysmic war ushered his return. It is said he fed on the souls of the fallen before turning upon the living..." Lucina shuttered as she reminisced about her timeline where she was thrusted into fighting the abomination. The laughter and roars rang in her ears over the dying screams.
So ends the human race. The future is built upon the past. But your kind shall never see it. Your mother and father...are dead, tiny one. And now it is your turn...to DIE!
The blunette took in deep breaths before speaking, "Whether these are his true bones or just an effigy, I cannot say. But I know this: we cannot let that monster come back to life."
Chrom embraced his daughter, "We'll stop him, Lucina. I promise. The future can be changed. You've proven it already. And with all of us together, we can turn the course of history."
Lucina enjoyed the moment, waiting to never let go of her dad. She wiped a tear away and looked up, "I want to believe that, Father. I want to believe that, more than anything..."
Entering the capital of Gnarf was unwelcoming. Mixture of Grimleal and unbelieving commoners ogled at our every move. The city wasn't as big as Ylisstol, maybe under a thousand. But lurking in the shadows and underground could held many more. The unpleasant building structures reflected medieval Turkey. Decrypted, deteriorating, and unholy, time was unkind to this land. What would be gargoyles were replaced with images of ancient dragons. The stone eye sockets contained onyx marbles; were they spying on us? Skinny pillars shot up like weeds around the domes and cone roofing. Cracks and mold made a delightful home for rats and other pests, but not for a human. We moved at a quicken pace passing the market. Many beggars lunged and few grabbed cloaks and armor. Tharja glared at them, holding her tome book. Her eyes lit up in luminescence, signaling a spell to come. The onlookers backed off. For once, I was thankful we had Tharja as a Shepherd.
Plegian soldiers hid in the bushes in the courtyard as we marched into the castle. I made sure Chrom was aware.
"I saw shadows, Chrom. In the bushes." I whispered to the Exalt.
"Then it sounds like we already have our answer." Chrom held tight to the emblem.
Aversa and Validar trotted over the Shepherds. Mischievous eyes confirmed plotting and scheming. In the hands of vile beings, the fire emblem could be put to use for the resurrection of the Fell Dragon. Four of the five stones were present, but Validar held the last one. Bargaining power was all his.
"Well met, milord." Aversa greeted. Validar simply bowed.
Chrom went straight to the matter, "I was told you had something you wished to give me."
"My! No time for courtesy, milord? Such impatience. Do you really want it that badly? This concerns me. The gemstones and the emblem can be...treacherous artifacts. A fact Plegia and the Grimleal sadly know all too well." The Plegian king glared.
"'Sadly'? You speak ill of when the first exalt used them against the fell dragon?!" Lucina barked.
"Yes, I do, intruder! You are not supposed to be here. You must be destroyed!" Validar pointed his bony finger at the princess.
Chrom pushed Lucina out of the way, "You wouldn't dare!"
Validar reached out with his hands towards the shield, "Give me the fire emblem! Give it to me!"
Lucina attempted to get pass her father, but no use, "You mad scoundrel! This is a declaration of war!"
"I will only ask one last time. Give me the emblem. Now!" The king frowned.
"Never." Chrom spoke through his teeth.
"Then this parley is over. Guards! Seize them!" Validar clapped and several Plegian solders arrived.
I grabbed Chrom's hand and lead him to an exit, "This way!"
Aversa crossed her arms, "Phil had an escape route all planned out... How preciously clever of him. You should be proud."
Validar scoffed, "Hmph. If he had half the wits of his father, he would know they've already lost."
Twists and turns in the hallways made escaping more difficult than imagined. I just figured to go down the hall, make a left and we would be in the clear. Nope. Bandits, rogues, and mages surrounded the party.
"We have to get out of here now! Cut down anyone who gets in the way!" Chrom drew his sword and began to chop off limbs as he paved the way out.
"Fredrick! Order the gang in formation. Spellcasters in the rear. The remaining will circle the healers." I looked up to the knight.
"Done." Fredrick gave the order. Chrom, Lucina and I made a V shape in front of the circular group. Tharja, Henry and Miriel made a similar V shape in the back. Marching ahead, waves of mages accompanied by berserkers came up staircases. The mages were easily taken care of by Chrom and Lucina. I had issues with the berserkers. Their axes forced us to proceed with caution. Grimleal style masks covered their expressions as well. Unable to determine if I was doing damage or not, I called for backup.
"Henry! Use Mire on these overgrown jerks, now!"
The white-haired man made an obscene joke and released a purple bolt at two berserkers. They went down to their knees, allowing my silver sword to be thrusted into their hearts.
The strategy worked well. Chrom and his daughter teamed together on whomever was in front and I finished off what was left over. The main group battled the enemies in the open. The mages in the back countered all spells being thrown our way. Henry continued to help in the front when confronting the giant axe-wielding Plegians.
Light came into view that was natural and not a candlestick. Letting down my guard, I got hit with a current of electricity. I fell over immediately in searing agony.
Stupid.
"Phil!" Chrom ran over.
"J-just ignore me, I'll be fine. Lissa can heal." I weakly pointed to the man responsible for the attack.
Algol, the head berserker of the Grimleal, approached. His war paintings of purple marked his face and bulging arms. Static current flowed in his bolt axe.
"Ha! Leaving Plegia so soon? No, please, stay awhile. Stay...forever!" Algol wildly swung his axe in Chrom's direction, casting a bolt of lightning with it. Lucina was able to block, but the blow dragged her back on her heels. Chrom countered more vicious attacks with his Falchion, but was winding down in stamina. The berserker noticed and rushed with several strikes at once. The Falchion fell out of Chrom's hands.
"Time to die, Ylissean scum!"
"Get out of my sight!" A flash of red jumped in and took the hit. The queen of Ylisse slowly turned around gasping for air. She held her stomach, unable to keep all the blood from pouring out.
"Cordelia!" Chrom grabbed her and pulled her to the healers as she went into shock.
The giant man gloated, "Ha ha! When will you ever learn to give up? All hope is lost. Just give the fire emblem and maybe I can spar your pathetic friends…especially that red head!" He licked his lips, thinking lewd thoughts.
He grabbed the Exalt and threw him against a wall, leaving Cordelia vulnerable. He bent down and sniffed her scent. She growled at him but was unable to fight for herself. Reaching to remove her armor were his only thoughts. Before he could anything more to her, he met the end of a silver blade in his abdomen.
"Don't you dare touch her! She belongs to one man, and one man only!" I screamed like a banshee unsheathing my weapon.
An upward slash to the stomach followed up with a roundhouse kick to the chin did the trick. He trotted around bending over in agony, allowing for my chance to end the fight.
"Knock, knock! Death is a coming!" The sword came downward. His head came off clean as his torso knelled over.
Tharja and Miriel finished the last of the Plegians in hiding. All the Shepherds ran over to Cordelia. Lissa went to work on the healing process.
"She will make it. Go to my brother!" The blonde girl nodded.
Chrom lifted his left leg before Fredrick and Stahl helped him to his feet. Libra worked on his spine and knees.
The lord wiped his face and shook his head before coming to his senses. He saw the mess that was his wife. "Cordelia! No!" He gently lifted her up into his lap. "Speak to me!"
Lissa moved to give them space. The pegasus knight coughed, "Peace, my love. You know I am not an easy woman to kill."
Eons between the two passed in their minds as they embraced. "I know you are tough, Cordy, but you don't need to be tough for me. You are already strong."
"I know." Cordelia kissed his man.
Fredrick grew red and gestured a fake cough, "Milord, we have to leave now."
Embarrassed, Chrom lifted Cordelia off the ground. Lucina led the way to the exit. However, it was blocked off by an ugly sight.
"Going somewhere?" Validar's red eyes focused on the exalt.
Chrom pointed the Falchion. "Not staying here. Move or taste my blade! You will not get the fire emblem!"
Validar waved his hand, "I won't be tasting anything except the flavor of victory. I expected you to hand over the emblem, but you made a wise decision."
"Enough talk!" Chrom charged at the Plegian ruler, but stopped dead in his tracks at a new sight. The doppelganger appeared from a flash of black and purple smoke. But the real surprise was a duplicate of…
"The fire emblem?" Chrom loosen his grip on his sword and lowered it.
"Oh ho! So, you don't want to fight? My, whatever changed your mind?" Validar circled around the imposter. "Oh, so you've noticed we also have the fire emblem? Well, astute observation! We do!"
"But…how?" I asked. This wasn't in the game, this was new.
"My son, you gave me the emblem…well, more accurately, made one for me. While you and your friends were far away, we worked tirelessly without the supervision of Naga-worshipping vermin. And we made a replica of the emblem that will be enough to resurrect our lord Grima."
"You lie! There can only be one and we have it!" I cried.
Validar laughed, "You want to bet on that? Because I'd love to so I can get money back for my ships you wrecked on purpose!"
I glared and gnashed my teeth. But this being unfamiliar territory, I didn't make a move.
"But I am not in a fighting mood now, and I will let you all go on your way." Validar massaged the shoulders of the hierophant and then gently pushed him forward. "Go, Phil. Show them their parting gift. Plegians are generous folk, naturally."
The twin eerily approached and took out a Nintendo 3DS, a copy equal to mine. He flipped the 'on' switch and held the console up high for all to see. Every Shepherd watched like a moth attracted to a lamp. The beginning scene rolled of Awakening.
"Big deal, I've already shown them this." I sneered.
"Keep watching…you'll enjoy what happens next." My twin finally spoke up.
He took the game to the main menu. Clicking on the 'relationship' tab, all the Shepherds appeared. 'Phil' was chosen and scrolled down to a certain pegasus knight.
S Rank.
The dialogue music filled the castle as everyone remained silent…
"I shall love you above…all others for the rest of my days."
Cordelia gasped first. The rest let out angry grunts and sobs. They began to understand.
"People, I promise to explain everything later. But we need to leave now." I waved them on as Validar and his 'son' graciously bowed and got out of the way.
"One last thing." the other Phil whispered yet audible enough for just myself to hear, "You have six save files…you should check them out."
I paused for moment. What could he mean by that? I only played the game once.
No matter, we needed to out get of the capital. I glanced behind, expecting the Shepherds to be following me. No one moved.
"You coming?" I stopped, hoping someone would follow. Lucina was the first, then Chrom, then the remaining. We walked out of the castle without a word. Even Henry's crows that often surrounded him didn't caw.
Aversa was last to greet us good-bye. "Ta ta! Watch your step, or you might trip and get a bruise. Then I'd be forced to use my 'healing' techniques." She laughed, eyeballing the knight general. Fredrick let out a growl…
After few hours of marching outside the capital, we decided to make camp for the night. No 'good nights', no whispers. Only the night time creatures talked that night.