Chapter 15

Incomplete

They walked up to the castle in silence. They were required to meet with Chrom, Robin, and other War Council members of Ylisse. They had to discuss what part of Ylisse the Defenders were to guard from the Grimleal's constant Risen invasions. Priam had hoped that their time alone would give them the chance to talk to each other as they did when they were in the woods, or at least, similarly. But she remained silent, thinking on how Raphael was related to Priam. Priam couldn't stand this tension between them, so he broke the silence, "I'm glad that the Royal Pegasus Knights showed up when they did, aren't you?"

She remained silent.

"Say'ri?"

"…Priam, how is that young man related to your lineage? You told me that your family tree was rather limited."

He choked. He remembered the night he spoke with her as comrades and told her of his genealogy. He tried to think of an excuse to give her about Raphael's existence.

"…Priam?"

He never told lies, so why should he start today? He brought up the courage needed and spoke, "Well… Say'ri, there is something you should know."

"Yes, Priam?" She replied.

"You know of Lucina's tale, correct? Of how she is the daughter of Chrom and Sumia before she was actually born?"

"Aye, of course, Sir Priam. Everyone in the Shepherds knows of her tale."

"Well," He paused to try to word it properly, "Raphael was one of those children who followed her through the portal."

"Oh?" she already knew the answer to the question she was about to pose, "And you are his father?"

He sighed in response, "…Yes. I am."

"Fie, you will be happy with whoever his mother is, then." She said, avoiding his eye contact.

The words from Say'ri were like Brave Swords hitting him in his one weakest spot; his heart. "I hope she will accept me, and not feel obligated to marry me after finding out she is the mother."

Slightly curious on why he was being so mysterious, she probed him with one more question, "Uh, Priam, Who IS the boy's mother?"

He stopped and looked her in the face. They stood there for a little bit, looking into each other's eyes. After a few seconds had passed, he planted his lips firmly on hers, causing her to jump in surprise. He moved back a little to give her a chance to breathe, and then smiled, "…You are."

She gave a weak smile in response, and blushed more than ever before.

A hardy laugh from down the hall broke them from their trance, "Sir Priam! I see that you are not only my rival in strength, but you exceed me in the matters of the heart as well! You are a most worthy adversary."

Without looking at who was walking toward them, Priam spoke, "Walhart. What are you doing here? I naturally assumed you would be in the Outrealms by now."

"That, as a matter of fact, is where I'm heading." He said as he approached the couple. He set one of his hands on Priam's shoulder, "But I was hoping to face my greatest adversary one last time before I am to say goodbye forever."

Say'ri, still blushing from being caught kissing Priam in front of Walhart, chuckled, "Were you not the one to say that drawn out goodbyes are for the weak-willed?"

"Testing my strength against one who is worthy is the best way I can think of to say farewell." Walhart said with a smile, "So how about it, Priam? One last challenge before I hit the road?"

"I would if I could, but I can't, so I won't." Priam said with a smile, "I have to meet with the Ylissean War Council."

"Then I shall see you after you meeting. Till then, farewell." Walhart continued to walk in the direction he was already headed before he ran into Priam and Say'ri. He soon rounded a corner and was out of sight.

Say'ri let out a breath of relief, "I'm glad it was not the lady Cordelia who had seen us, otherwise, I would nay hear the end of it." She said, shaking her head.

He smiled, "Nor would half of the Shepherds, I bargain."

Say'ri soon remembered what they were talking about before they were rudely interrupted, "So…I am the boy's mother?"

"Yes, Say'ri. It could be no other woman." He said with a warm smile.

"How long have you known of his…lineage?" She asked.

He soon started to explain how he had first met him at the first Defender's meeting and how he soon found him rather familiar to himself, then seeing a second Ragnell, it was made obvious.

"So you didn't want to date me just so his existence was guaranteed?"

"No! Of course not!" He took hold of her hand, "I wanted to understand the emotions that rushed to me when I was around you, simple as that. But I feel more for you every passing day. And I want you to know that-"

"Priam! Say'ri! There you are."

Stahl ran up to them, carrying his traditional blade, once believed to belong to the legendary Seliph. "Robin and Chrom are waiting patiently for you, but the other members are not so patient."

"Then we shall make haste." Say'ri said, bowing respectively to Chrom's Captain of the Royal Guard. She grabbed Priam by the arm and dragged him down hallway after hallway. Priam was only slightly upset by the fact that, twice, he had tried to tell Say'ri how he really felt and, twice, he was interrupted. Maybe there will be a better opportunity after this confounded meeting... He thought.

They continued to run until they reached the conference hall. As they made their way in, they recognized familiar faces as well as new. They were all nobles of Ylisse, including Robin, who had been given his own lands for his devotion to Ylisse's war effort. Maribelle was there with her husband, Vaike, who had inherited Maribelle's father's lands, even though she still ran it. Lissa and Frederick were there, as well and Ricken and his family, plus Ricken's wife, Olivia, who wore a more modest dress attire for this meeting.

"Ah, Priam, Princess Say'ri, we are glad you could make it." Robin said, shaking Priam's hand, and bowing respectively to Say'ri, "Please, have a seat."

They soon sat and, as the meeting had already gone through the information that didn't require them, so they jumped straight into the part regarding the Chon'sin Defenders.

"As our army is in shambles from fighting two wars in a row, the Valmese Invasion and the Fell-Dragon War," Chrom spoke to Say'ri, "we have no strength to take the offense just yet"

"And this is where Greil's Defenders come in," Robin spoke up, "we need a small strike team other than the remaining Shepherds that we have in the barracks. The nobles are each being trained how to defend their own lands, but if the Risen forces outmatch their militia, then the lands will fall."

"We need an espionage team. And seeing how well you managed yourself in Plegia already, we want to send you back."

Priam was surprised, "So you don't need us to defend your borders? You want us to go on the offensive?"

"Correct." A noble said, standing up, "As you may be aware, Sir Priam, a Grimleal spy or assassin could sneak into any area and summon Risen using a ritual unknown to us, making 'guarding the borders' much harder than anticipated."

"We need a team to enter Plegia, to cause some ruckus, and to get information on where each of the spies are at the moment."

Priam looked to Say'ri, wondering what she thought of this new information. To his relief, she knew that they had to help their former comrades. "We understand, and accept this new plan."

The meeting soon concluded and they were just exiting the castle, when Priam heard screams off in the distance, screams of fear mixed with the unearthly scream of a Risen attack. He soon figured out what happened after seeing some rubble from the attack disappear.

"What are those kids up to now…" he said, shaking his head.

Say'ri laughed, "I don't understand how they want us to be stealthy."

"Neither do I. We're as stealthy as a rhinoceros in a fine, dinner-ware merchant's tent." He said, shaking his head. They started to make their way to the scene of the chaos.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you, Raph!"

"And I you, Inigo… But seriously, let me breathe, just a little."

Inigo released his old friend from his bear hug and patted him on the shoulder. "I thought, for sure, you were gone because I was too weak, but now…" He went right back to bear hugging him.

"What made me upset," Gerome spoke up, "is that you took the 'lone wolf' routine to its limits. Even I wasn't foolish enough to do what you did." He said, with a smirk.

"And I'm glad you didn't, Gerome." Raphael replied with a smile, "You didn't miss much anyway. Just a lot of chaos and the Fell-Dragon himself." He said with an attitude of pride.

Gerome gave an 'hmph' and started to lean back against the wall, as he had done before Raphael showed up.

The children of the Shepherds surrounded their long-lost colleague. They recounted the tale of his sacrifice and laughed at his story of arriving here.

"I'm just glad that the portal closed before Grima made it through." Raphael said with a sigh.

The future kids looked at him, then to each other, and then Kjelle spoke, "Raph, even with you slowing him down, he still managed to get back to this time through his own means and his own power."

Raphael wore a face of shock. His sacrifice was meaningless. He almost thought that he had saved the world and that his comrades would take down the Grima from this time, but now seeing it, he realized that the Grima from his time was the Grima that terrorized this time. He was angry and confused, but that could wait. He was with his old companions, his comrades, the ones who helped protect the future Ylisse from its inevitable destruction. And Inigo was still hugging him with the ferocity of one thousand men.

"…Raph?..." Lucina tried to snap him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no big deal guys. We still brought him down, right?"

"Of course we did, Raphael." Said Laurent, "We were all beaten senseless against him, and we succeeded in returning the Fell-Dragon to its slumber"

Brady put a hand on Raph, "And if Aaron were here-"

"Wait, were IS Aaron?" Raphael asked, now noting the lack of the skilled thief and merchant.

"He left." Severa said bluntly, "We arrived at the same place, me and Aaron, and as soon as we landed, it's like his 'gold detector' went off in his brain. I haven't seen him since, but as soon as I do I'm gonna-!" She started to clench her fists and fidget with rage.

"Calm the raging currents within you, dearest!" Owain spoke boldly, in his poetic tone, "it is unbefitting to make such a marvelously beautiful face into a washboard such as you do now. And we- Oof!"

"Oh, shut up." Severa hit him in the stomach, angry with him, but blushing all the same.

"Raphael," Gerome spoke quietly, "might I have a word with you?"

Raphael broke free of Inigo's death-grip and followed the masked wyvern rider out the door. They soon came to a place beside a tree, where they knew that no one would disturb them.

"What's on your mind, Gerome?"

Gerome glanced around, making sure no one could hear them, and then returned his gaze to Raphael. His eyes told that he was about to say something unsettling, and his furrowed brow and frowning face were even further indicators.

"Raphael, you are not staying with us, are you?"

Raphael hadn't thought about that. The Defenders would probably have to guard a separate section of Ylisse than the Shepherds would.

"I wish I could, but my father and mother both control the Defenders, and I guess I want to ensure my existence in this time." He said with a light chuckle.

"I'm sorry, Raph," Gerome said, with a shake of his head, he removed his mask to allow Raphael, his closest friend since birth, to see his pain, "but you will never exist in this time."

HEY!...Well? what do you think? Not too shabby of a way to end it if I do say so myself. But if you disagree, please let me know.

This story has gotten to a 'lull'. The next interesting thing to happen will be in about three chapters from now. Sad, right?

My free time just opened up exponentially. I was in a drama and we just finished it. So before Thanksgiving, expect a new chapter in this and a new chapter in Desperado.

As is custom for my author's notes, I thank you for reading this chapter of The Warrior's Way. Please leave a review on what you liked| disliked, and PM me anytime if you're bored or have an idea for what I should do with the sequel.

Thanks a hundred!

~TheSearcherer

(BTW, how DID Grima get back in time if it took Naga forever to create the rite in the first place?! Dumb...)