No matter how many times he'd faced one of the seemingly undead warriors, Inigo couldn't throw the shudder that ran through him when he met the fever red eyes of a Risen. A glancing blow to his side reminded him to focus, and with renewed effort, he hacked at his enemy. The clash of blade on blade added to the cacophonous symphony of the battlefield, a melody that had become all too familiar with him.
This particular Risen towered over him, each swipe of its sword easily enough to hack him to pieces. Knocking aside each oncoming blow, Inigo tried to move closer, as the time between the Risen's swings allowing him just enough of a margin to attempt a solid hit before he had to dance back to avoid being turned to ribbons himself. But he overstepped, his heel catching an unexpected dip. Grimacing, he used his free hand to steady the flat of his sword to take the Risen's next swing.
The force of the hit was enough the split his blade in two, the knockback throwing Inigo off balance. As he scrambled to retain his feet, he saw the cruel blade of the Risen wink at him as it swung downwards. Bracing himself for the worst, Inigo threw the shield on his shoulder forward, hoping that it would take the brunt of the blow. But it never came. Appearing from nowhere, Chrom shouldered his son aside, using the flat of Falchion's blade to meet the Risen's.
But from the quick step Chrom had taken, his stance wasn't enough to keep from being bowled off his feet. Both father and son were knocked to the ground, Falchion slipping from Chrom's hands and sinking into the ground. The Risen advanced, and Chrom, too far from his blade, knew that an attempt to retrieve his weapon would be useless.
"Get out of here!" Yelling at Inigo, Chrom dove left, narrowly missing the Risen's first strike. But instead of heeding his father, Inigo charged forward, hands grasping Falchion's hilt, silently praying that he would be able to wield the sword.
He felt a surge of exhilaration when he found that he was able to draw the sword from the earth, the blade shining as he swung it at his enemy. Stunned, Chrom watched with a mixture of pride and shock as Inigo used Falchion to parry the Risen's attacks.
The sword was heavier than Inigo expected, but he used the momentum to land heavy hits. With a final lunge he dived for the Risen's core, the sword meeting its mark. But as Falchion sank into the Risen, Inigo could feel pain blooming across his chest. Falling, he felt the Risen topple heavily on top of him. But even as it turned to dust, Inigo found it difficult to breathe. Feeling for the source of his pain, he grasped at his chest, only to feel cold steel protruding from him.
Chrom's hand was on his a second later, drawing it away from the sword. "No, no Inigo no." Hands pressing against Inigo's chest, Chrom tried in vain to staunch the blood spreading across the fabric of Inigo's shirt. "It's going to be fine, you'll be okay."
A weak smile cross Inigo's lips and he shook his head. He'd seen enough, experienced enough on a battlefield to know when it was hopeless. And instead of watching his comrades fall, this time it was him that wouldn't be making it home. "It's alright father. I'm just glad that in the end I was of some use."
Shaking his head, Chrom continued to press down on the wound, feeling his blood run cold as he felt Inigo's own reach him through the thick material of his gloves. "You've always been of use. More than that. I couldn't be more proud of you."
Sighing, Inigo felt some of the pressure leave his chest. Still doing his best to retain his smile, he gently pushed his father's hands away. "Just remember me fondly. And please take care of mother and Lucina."
Nodding, Chrom drew his hands into fists, promising Inigo to do everything in his power to keep their family together. Breathing slowly, Inigo gave the nod before his head tilted to one side, closing his eyes for the last time.
AN: Request for Tyrandale! Was this what you had in mind?
As always, thank you for reading and feedback would be great! Also, I'll be out of the country for a few weeks [leaving sunday], but hopefully I'll have some time to update. Feel free to send your requests; I'll be trying to work on a few of them while I'm on the plane.
ajani's apprentice: I'm glad you liked it ^^ And I'll get to your request as soon as possible.
smileplease91: The first step to getting rid of your feels is to destroy them (: