Chapter 13: Grimleal

Instead of going to the eastern castle, the group change direction to Regna Ferox for reinforcements. Once they arrived at there, the Shepherds are resting, but both Chrom and Lissa worry for their sister.

"B-But she's safe inside the castle, right? Phila and the others will protect her! And Khan Flavia is assembling her best troops as we speak. We'll make it back home in time. I know we will!" Lissa says trying to look on the bright side of things. However, Chrom is silent, not listening to what his sister had just said. "Chrom? Say something! Say, 'Yes, of course, we will!"

"…I sorry, Lissa. What?" The prince asks.

"Ugh, fine! Never mind! Let me know when you get out of your own head for a second!"

As the captain remains silent once again, the Shepherds whispers amongst themselves with a frown upon their situation. Then their eyes snap over to Sumia, who walks over to the captain and stands before him unnoticed.

"Snap out of it, Captain!" She shouts. To everyone's shock, both humans and Pokémon alike, she punches Chrom hard.

"OW! What the hell was that for?!" He demands.

"Oh no! …Did I do it wrong? Captain Phila said sometimes a good slap will break someone out of their doldrums."

Reina sweat drops at her reason. "Sumia, when you slap someone, do it with an open palm."

"Yeah! You just punched Chrom in the face!" Lissa adds.

"Pikachu…" Éclair trails off as she also has a sweat drop by her head.

"Um… It's the thought that counts?"

"Gods, that seriously hurt…" Chrom complains, rubbing his cheek.

"Although it does look hurt, at least it worked…" Meena points out.

"Haha! What's wrong, my dear prince? Sometimes love hurts!" They turn in surprised to see Khan Flavia standing next to them laughing aloud. "You're lucky to have strong women like these, and not just dainty flowers about. In any case, I bring good news. The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching to fight. I must say, I'm looking forwards to savor a skirmish or two myself."

This causes everyone to pause for a moment. "…Wait. You're coming along?" Chrom asks.

"Of course! A khan must have her fun! I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

"Your who?" Robin asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Basilio." The East khan identifies. "The oaf isn't good for much but he might stop a few stray arrows."

"O-Okay…" Reina says.

"Anyway, the West-khan was looking for you, Chrom. He said that it was pretty urgent. I'll take you to him."

The Ylissean prince nods as they quickly walk over to the throne room to see the West-khan standing there looking around frantically. As soon as he notices them coming over to him, he faces them with an anxious look on his face.

"Chrom! Good gods, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Yes, Flavia told me just now. Is something wrong?" The prince asks.

"Our scouts have reported back. Dark news, I'm afraid…" Basilio pauses for a moment and informs, "Ylisstol… has fallen."

This news shocks everyone. "What?!"

"The Plegians captured your exalt and retreated back across their lines. Gangrel has declared she's to be publicly executed within the moon."

"E-Executed?!" Chrom gasps.

"Ooooh…" Lissa moans as begins to faint on the spot and about to collapse when Robin and Chi catch her.

"Lissa? Lissa!"

"Tabunne!"

"The dastard's not even trying to be subtle anymore." Flavia says.

Robin nods in agreement. "I agree. It's an obvious trap."

"The Mad King knew out scouts would reply this information back. It's clearly a provocation–a hot brand to the buttocks! We should consider carefully before jumping to any–" Basilio starts but is interrupt by Chrom.

"Shepherds! We march to Plegia!"

"*Ahem* Well, that would be ONE option, yes… But perhaps we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, eh?"

"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio. He's going to murder my sister!"

"Calm down, Chrom! If we march now without a plan, we're all going to be killed before we can even reach Emmeryn or the Mad King. Then who will be able to save her?" Reina points out.

"Reina's right. Breathe a moment." Flavia agrees. "No one's suggesting we don't act. We're simply saying we should act WISELY. We'll need guts AND wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."

"The khans and Reina are right. I'll think of something. Chrom. I promise." Robin vows.

The prince takes a few moments to take deep breaths and calms himself. "…All right, Robin. I'll leave it to you to formulate our strategy."

"Are you certain you're up to the task, Robin?" Flavia asks. "It won't be easy. You hold the exalt's live in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

"A responsibility I do not take lightly. But I am equal to the challenge." Robin claims.

The female khan gives a hearty laugh. "Ha ha! You've got stones, at least. I like that!"

"No hesitation, no mincing words… She's either a genius or a fool!" Basilio states with a smirk. "I suppose we'll find out once we march. Hold on to your tassets, Ylisseans. We've an exalt to save!"

The Shepherds all give their voices of approvals, each determined to see that Emmeryn will return safely to Ylisse.

A few days later, the forces of both Ylisse and Ferox set out to the execution ground in Plegia to save Emmeryn. The terrain slowly changes from snowy hills to lush green woods before it finally becomes a desert. Chrom couldn't help but feel something off about how they were able to travel so far without being spotted by the enemy. He sends Luke ahead to scout the area, and Sumia sends Skye with him as back up.

After a while they come back with Frederick joining them.

"Milord, our scouts report some manner of engagement downfield." Frederick reports as Luke and Skye nod confirming of this.

"Understood. Get everyone ready to move." Chrom says.

"These desert sands are certain to bog down out units, milord." Frederick informs. "Only mages and fliers will be able to proceed unhindered."

"Good point. I'll keep it in mind. Robin, let's discuss strategy."

As the two talks about the plan of action, a little girl runs through the middle of the soon-to-be battlefield. She has long, green-yellow hair in a ponytail and pointy ears. She wears quite a revealing outfit consisting of a scaly cloth tied together with a pink ribbon covering her chest, short shorts, with pink ribbons on the sides. She also has on a pair of gloves, a cape, long boots, and a circlet on her head.

In her arms is a small, four-legged, dinosaur-like creature. The lower half of its body is black, while the upper half is light gray. It has a beak-like snout with a small, tooth-like spike in each corner of its lower jaw and big, red eyes. On the front of its head is a large, heart-shaped yellow scale. A small tuft similar to ears or small feathers extends from the back of its head on either side, and there is another small, white tuft on its chest. Six teardrop-shaped, loose-hanging scales form a half ring around its shoulders. These scales are gray with pale yellow along the outside edge. A solid yellow scale of the same shape is on the tip of its tail. Each of its feet has three yellow claws.

"*Huff, huff* Did… Did we lose him, Jang?" The girl asks.

The creature looks behind them and before it could make any sounds, a middle-aged man with orange hair caught up to them. He wears an armor with heavy clothes underneath and has a sword by his side.

"Wait, I say! Why you no comprehending, wee one?" He speaks.

The girl and her creature, no doubt a Pokémon, let out a cry to his voice. "AUGH! GET AWAY! Everyone just leave me and Jang ALONE!"

Sensing its friend is in danger, Jang jumps down and gives an intimidating look.

"Please, be keeping down with the voice! You give away position! Very bad!" The man pleads however the girl is busy in her emotional distress to hear him.

"My throat is dry, my shoes are full of sand, Jang is too weak after all that torture back there, and some big weirdo is trying to KILL US!"

"Oy, you break Gregor's heart! Why you treat like villain?"

Chrom shouts over to them, "You there! Fiend! Keep your hands off that maiden!"

"Who is fiend?" The Gregor questions as he thought for a bit." …You mean Gregor? No, friend! You have idea wrong!"

"Yeah, right! …Creep!" Lissa scoffs.

"This day has been nothing but insults and punches to groin. And all for doing good deed! …Listen, friend Gregor only want to-"

Gregor got interrupted by the appearance of an elderly man clad in dark robes. He snarled at the Shepherds and the two new additions. "Gotcha, you slippery scamp! Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath!"

"Oy, this is most terrible! Do you see now? They make with the catching of us!"

"Why are you all after the girl?" Chrom continues to question.

"All? What is this 'all'? Gregor is not one of 'all'! Look close! Maybe you not see from so far? Gregor have innocent-baby face!" A giant grin spread across Gregor's face trying to make himself as 'innocent' as possible.

However, seeing this makes everyone to sweat drop.

"Hmm…" Chrom looks skeptical.

"Well…" Lissa trails off.

"Yeah… Not sure 'innocent baby' is how I'd describe it…" Robin says.

"Same." Reina agrees as Meena nods silently in agreement.

"Gah! Never be minding! Gregor is not enemy! You must believe!" Gregor exclaims once more.

Chrom sighs and places his hand on his head. "…This is making my head hurt. We'll sort him out later. Right now, we need to protect the girl."

The said girl looks up and over at the group. "Y-you're going to help us?"

"We'll do everything in our power to keep you safe. Just hold on until we can reach you, and we'll drive them off!"

"Ellade!" Luke calls getting the prince's attention. "Ell! Ell ellade!" He is pointing at a small village near them to the other two villages.

"You're right, Luke. We need to warn those villages of the danger. But who to send. Best if it's someone who can move swiftly through the sands." Chrom wonders.

"Then let's have some of the mages and fliers go there." Robin suggests and Chrom nods at her idea.

With that the Shepherds are off into another battle, making their way to Gregor, the girl, and the creature as quickly as they could.

"NO! GET AWAY FROM US!" She grabs at the stone around her neck and encase in pink light. The next thing the group knew, a yellow dragon stand in her place, breathing out flames at the mage. Jang follows it up with a powerful tail whip while its tail is glowing light blue.

This action surprised all of the Shepherds.

"What in the blazes?! That girl is a dragon!" Robin shouts.

"By the gods, she's a manakete. I never thought I'd see one." Chrom says.

"Hmm… Perhaps she doesn't need our help so much as we could use hers…" The tactician whispers.

Meanwhile, Reina and Éclair reached to one of the village as she happened to snipe a few fighters nearby. She sees an elderly man standing by the gate in worry.

"Sir, you need you evacuate your village before the flames of battle reaches here."

"Gods praise ye, good people! Gods praise ye one and all! We lives in constant fear of what the Grimleal will do to us, so we does! 'Ere!" He reaches into his robes and pulls out a staff similar to what Lissa uses. "Take this staff with me blessings! It can fetch distant comrades to safety. Be sure to place it in the hands o' one gifted in spells or the like. Magic folk be able to reach the farthest with it!"

Reina tales the staff and nods. "Thank you very much. Now, please close your gates until this battle is over."

"You have my gratitude, young child. May Naga guide you and your people to victory." With that, the elder walks pass the threshold of the village gates and signaled to the gatekeepers to shut and lock them down.

"A–H!" Reina snaps her attention at Meena and her eyes widen in horror when she sees Meena being pushed to the ground by dark magic from the head of the army, Chalard.

"Meena!" Reina shouts and draws out an arrow to her bow, aiming at him.

"Ha ha! You dare defy Grima, god of annihilation?" The dark mage demands.

"…There are two things that I hate. One, the people who are precious to me gets hurt and two…" Reina grips her arrow harder. "The ones who hurt them!" She declares glaring at the dark mage.

"Then you will die as his sacrifice!" Chalard withdraws his tome, Nosferatu, and fires a dark spell at Reina. Reina moves away while Éclair jumps into the air.

"Éclair, Thunderbolt!" Reina lets out the order.

"Pika–CHU!" Éclair electrocutes at the Grimleal leader and shortly, Reina shoots the arrow straight into the heart.

"Master Grima… my life force… is yours…" Chalard lets out a final gasp as his life left his body.

"This is just the worst. Day. EVER!" The manakete, who the Shepherd learn is named Nowi, cried.

"Ho now, wee one! Do not make with the crying of tears. The evil people are now dead people. This is good, no?" Gregor asks as Jang comforts her dragon friend.

Nowi starts to calm down slightly at the revelation. "You… You're right. Th-thank you. And… I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. I just got nervous around people who are… outside my age group."

"Your age group? Ha! Gregor much closer to your age than others here!"

Chrom walks up to the two. " Say, um… Gregor, was it? Gregor, do you mind looking after her? We need to press on."

"Mmm… Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead." He suggests. "True, Gregor just finished killing former employers, but still very reliable! So long as you not try to hurt the little girl, Gregor will not hurt you. Also Gregor need steady income. …Many angry former employers."

"You're a sellsword?"

"Yes! Very sell sword! Cost performance very high. You have Gregor's word." He answers with pride.

Chrom smiles at the enthusiasm. "Sure, why not? You're hired."

"But! But what about me and Jang?! We WON'T go back on the auction block!" Nowi exclaims holding the creature close to her.

Lissa gasps in shock. "Wait. You've been sold? Like a… like a slave?!"

"To men more despicable than you can possible imagine. They made me transform for them… They drank and laughed and called out tricks… I probably wouldn't be able to escape if it weren't for Jang."

"Jyako!" Jang cries.

"It's a Jyarako." Meena says as Reina takes out her Zukan.

"Jyarako, the Scaly Pokémon. It smacks the scales on its head against rocks or against the ground to frighten its opponents. It can also contact its friends with these noises."

"That's right! That's what Jang told me." Nowi confirms.

"What kind of scumbag boy and sell a little girl?! Even if she CAN turn into a dragon…" Lissa exclaims in outrage.

"She may be little, milady, but not nearly so young as you might think. Manaketes live a very long time." Frederick explains.

"Really? …How old are you?"

"Oh, I dunno. …A thousand… something? But look! No wrinkles!" The manakete says as if it was the natural thing in the world.

"Pika?!" Éclair exclaims.

"To think that you look younger than us." Reina says.

"Awww thanks!"

"The dragonkin are said to be more resilient than men." Frederick speaks up. "Nowi would make a strong ally. Besides, we cannot risk her falling back into the hands of the Grimleal."

"Beg pardon, but who are the Grimleal?" Robin asks the knight.

"Oh yeah, I was wondering about that too." Reina adds.

"Followers of the fell dragon, Grima. The selfsame dragon the first exalt defeated a thousand years ago. Even today there are some who yearn for the fiend's return."

"I… see." Robin says, a little uneasy with a group worshipping a being of destruction. Drago senses her uneasiness and nuzzles against the tactician hand in comfort.

"Well, shall we get some rest? We're almost to the Plegian capital. We'll need all our strength, soon enough…" Flavia suggest.

As everyone agree to the plan, Meena notices her sister is looking towards where the capital is with a stern look.

"Sis?" She calls out getting Reina's attention. "Are you okay?"

Reina looks down and stares back at the direction. "It's just that I have this weird feeling…"

"A weird feeling?"

"Like something might happen when we save Emmeryn."