Oracle of Destiny

The brigands had come at dawn, infiltrating the castle before the guards could realize what was happening. Faster than was to be expected, they had barged into the throne room, weapons slick with blood. Rebecca and Marcus had raised their weapons, but she had simply raised a hand to stop them. There were too many enemies, and the three of them could not fight them all.

Seated on her husband's throne, Ninian dared not make a move for fear of the bows aimed at her and her friends. Had she still held her dragonstone, she could have ended this in an instant, but the stone had been lost with Nergal, all those years ago. She worried at her lip; perhaps, there was enough power left in her to deal with these brigands, but using it would decrease what was left of her already short lifespan.

She wished Eliwood was here, for he always knew what to do in times of crisis. But, her husband had ridden north three days ago to deal with bandits on the East Road, taking with him most of the garrison. The brigand's attack on the castle had been swift and sudden, and in such a time of peace, Ninian had not expected to be a captive in her own home.

"You," said the lead brigand, a burly man with a hook nose and bushy eyebrows, pointing at her. "How about you lead us to the treasury before things get unpleasant?"

"I am afraid that the only keys to the castle vaults are kept by my husband and our treasurer, both of whom are not in the castle at present," she lied, keeping a wary eye upon the bows. They mustn't know, she thought. Merlinus had taken Roy as soon as the alarm had been raised, and if Elimine was good, her son would be safely out of the castle by now.

"Don't play stupid with us, Ilian whore," a bandit said with a cruel sneer. "You wouldn't want us to go searching for your son, now would you? Precious boy, from what I hear, looks just like his father, and me and my boys have a special hatred for the Lord Eliwood."

At her side, a vein pulsed in Marcus' temple, and Ninian was forced to lay a restraining hand upon his wrist. She had always had a special fondness for the old veteran who'd served House Pherae since her father-in-law's time, and she refused for him to lose his temper, and his life, on her account.

"You will not lay a finger upon my son," she said, and her voice was cold, mist spilling from her lips as she spoke. Glancing at Rebecca, Ninian gave her friend a look, and rose from the throne. What was the gold in her vault when compared to their safety, and the safety of her other subjects, those which depended upon both her and Eliwood for protection. "Threaten him again, and you will pay with your life's blood. Now, I am sure we can come to some arrangement, and I can have my men bring you all the coin you desire."

"Is that so?" asked the brigand. "No, I don't think so. You're going to give us the keys and point us in the right direction, and we'll be helping ourselves. As for my threats…" He chuckled darkly, and Ninian felt her blood run cold.

The doors of the throne room burst open, and three brigands strode in, all looking very pleased with themselves. Two of them dragged Merlinus between them, and all it took was a glance that the portly man had been horribly beaten. Her concern for him, however, paled in contrast to the terror she experienced at the sight of the kicking, screaming boy of four being carried by the scruff of his neck.

"Mother," yelled Roy, catching sight of her. "Mother!"

The brigand in charge shot a sickening grin in her direction before bringing his hand down, hard, on the back of Roy's head. Tears welled in her son's eyes, and the brigand pulled out a knife.

"Now that I've made myself clear, my Lady," he said, "Give us what we want, or I gut the brat like a fish."

Ninian gritted her teeth, and in that moment, the will to maintain what power was left to her vanished. Nothing mattered save for her son's safety, nothing at all, and if the few years she had left were the price she had to pay, then so be it. Eyes gleaming, she descended the stairs from the throne, ignoring Marcus's shout of protest.

"Release my son, now," she ordered, and her voice no longer sounded like her own. It echoed around the room, loud and raw, and she felt her scales darken her pale skin. Her hair fluttered around her, and her pupils became reptilian slits. The cold poured from her in waves, and the brigands shivered; thought, whether from fear or from the cold, she did not know.

"Don't let the brat go," commanded the brigand in charge, but the man holding Roy dropped him like a stone when she turned to glare in his direction. Her son scrambled to his feet and all but flew across the stone floor, burying his tear-stained face into her skirts.

Then, she heard the twang of a bowstring, and from the corner of her eye, she saw an arrow flying towards her head. Flicking a wrist, she tossed it aside with a gust of frigid air, and turned to stare down the archer. He dropped his bow, backing away, and Ninian clenched her teeth as her heart ached in her chest. Too much power, she was burning through too much power, and in this world, every drop of it was vital to her survival.

No… her own life didn't matter. All that mattered was Roy.

"Stay behind me, Roy," she said, narrowing her eyes at the men who stood before her, armed with axes, pikes, bows, and swords. Her son shifted, listening to her without complaint, and she released her hold on him.

Raising her hands before her, she cried out as the blizzard erupted from her. Stone cracked against the biting wave of cold, waves of ice and snow bursting from her between her parted lips, and she felt her spine raise itself against her skin, ridges rising across her back. The brigands howled, their skin raw and red, for ice burned as hot as fire, and her breath was the coldest of them all.

When the last of them had fallen, she fell to her knees, coughing into her sleeve, dotting the delicate fabric with flecks of red. Her body was reverting, returning to her human form, but the strain of even a partial transformation had drained her of nearly all she had. The world spun around her, and she braced herself against the ground with her free hand, still coughing into her sleeve.

"Mother," Roy cried out, his voice laden with panic. "Mother, what's wrong?"

"Lady Ninian," exclaimed Marcus, and she could hear his footsteps, like thunder, as he raced across the room. Rebecca spoke as well, but Ninian could barely hear her. In fact, everything was beginning to fade, but still, she was acutely aware of Roy's thin arms around her, and his tears soaking into her shoulder.

"I love you, Roy," she breathed, finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. "Please don't cry. I just need… to rest… a bit, all… right?"

But, her words were a lie, and everyone in the room knew it.