Alex couldn't remember the last time that he fought so well against a like-wise opponent, but the small ceremony of marriage was postponed for some time as Tyremor was actually reeling from the secret and Alex respected that, just Tharja was going to cling to him for all time, especially since she was talking with her mother... on good terms on some things. Each other struck with power and skill as they soon clashed practice swords before striking one final time and both of the weapons shattered into pieces, leaving both to pant in exhaust before they headed over to an open bench and breathed. "I must say, Sir Tyremor... It has been a decent while since I was pushed a tad over the limit."
"That's... excellent, Master Alex..." Tyr shook his head as he got some breath back. "But, about Plegia... something has changed in the span of time that the fallen king was slain on the field, something... dark, the government is now in the control of those... cultists."
"Do you not worship the same as they do?" Tyr shook his head as he looked to be thinking.
"Far from that, I worship no gods or goddesses, but I did rely on dark magic in part of the Grimeal cult, but their manners... their behavior has shifted so wrong that leaving was the only option, those who depend on those figures appear more like... they are nothing more than puppets." Tyr straightened up and looked at the Grandmaster. "During the search for our family, we came across these 'Risen' monsters and Opi shared with me in terror how they appear so human or not and move or attack like rabid wyverns, without soul or heart."
Alex nodded as Tharja and Opinusa wandered about while keeping close to the pair. "Indeed, the connection to both Plegia and these Risen is getting too familiar, Risen were summoned at Plegia Castle, but the caster known as Aversa seems to have disappeared following..." Alex sighed as he leaned forward. "I had to bring that up again, this is getting weird..." Tyr nodded as he let Alex breathed and continued. "In any case, I am not crossing out the possibility that Plegia had somehow either created the monsters or learned to control them, I just have not the evidence to make that claim."
"I see..." Tyr hummed before he stood and nodded. "Thank you for talking to us and having a duel with me, I needed that for the longest time, I approve, but if her heart is shattered..." Alex chuckled a bit before he returned the speech.
"Trust me, I would never do that to her, she already spoke a death threat." Tyr paused before laughing heartily and walking away, laughing still as Opi bowed to Alex and chased after her husband as Tharja soon joined him on the bench.
"I have never seen Father laugh like that in a long time, what did you say?"
"I said you would be the first in line if I break your heart." Tharja looked surprised before she wore a smile and nestled close to Alex as he just sat there.
"That is not too far from the truth, but you are mine and I am yours, there is no reason for us to be apart... except at times."
Alex nodded as he stood up, Tharja sitting for a bit more as he spoke. "Well, I guess we should move along with other matters, now I have got to..."
"Sir Alex!" One of the guards shouted as Alex turned and listened as the guard spoke. "Have you seen Her Highness!?" Dread filled Alex as Tharja got up as well in shock.
"What happened to Lady Sumia!?"
"We don't know, she went out with an escort this morning and hasn't been seen since, His Lordship is currently in the search for her."
"Thank you, you are dismissed to speak to the others." Alex swiftly turned and spoke as the guard ran off. "Tharja, you must focus through me."
"A-Alex, so abrupt a-and before our own wedding day!" Alex nodded as he gripped Tharja's shoulders and explained.
"I know, not okay out and about, but if Sumia is missing, we need to find her, especially in her... condition." Tharja nodded quickly and both sat down, Tharja pulling out some tooth nails that Nowi loaned to her and started to channel, Alex breathing as his massive wellspring of power began flowing and it was affected by Tharja's foreseeing, thus allow her to see where Sumia had disappeared to before she breathed and Alex quickly caught her as she started to speak.
"I know where to go... Southtown, she is bound in Southtown."
"Alright, ride with me, I seem to have the fastest horse for some crazy reason." Both dashed to the stable and Alex leapt on the horse before Tharja jumped and the Grandmaster caught her before helping her on before Barlowe entered in shock.
"Sir, where are you going!?"
"Heading for Southtown, we have a queen to rescue." Alex motioned the horse to go and the animal complied as it galloped out, Barlowe shaking his head as he quickly got on his Wyvern and the dragon creature took flight as it followed the pair to Southtown...
The moment they entered Southtown, Tharja reached out with her power and guided Alex. "She is in a storehouse on the southern edge of the town, her guard are searching for her, some had to retreat due to injures."
"Great, just our luck for something like this is occur, peace seems more vain than our own records." Tharja would have chuckled, but now was not the time for some laughs as the horse continued itself charge, the towns people quickly shattering in both respect and fear of the Grandmaster before they jumped off and headed for the storehouse as Tharja spoke.
"Protect me while we've in there, I need range to use my spells and hexes with great success." Alex nodded as he unsheathed his Steel sword and then kicked the door open, the brigards quickly looking up to the threat as Alex started, venom in his voice.
"If any of you value your lives, you will surrender here and now, else this whole storehouse will be a bloodbath." Most rushed out in fear while the more devoted readied for combat.
"We an't 'fraid of you!"
"Then consider your gravestones set up." Alex was without mercy as he slashed and bashed through the ranks with little pause, a sense of empty anger filling him that he was leaving most bleeding out and most having a lot more before he confronted their leader, an axe blade to Sumia's neck as her gown and dress was badly messed as the leader spoke.
"You's think you's won, I still got the queeny right here and I am telling you boy to drop your weapon before I make her bleed anew." The anger eased out as Alex sheathed his blade and smiled as he straightened up.
"Did you really think I came alone?" Before the thug could respond, a surge of wind blasted the two apart and Alex rushed and caught Sumia before hauling her to the entrance as Tharja quickly followed suit with the brigand trying to chase them down before they got on the horse and rode out.
"I'll get you for this!" Sadly, that threat would be long forgotten as a Wyvern swooped in and bit hard into the man as its rider spoke.
"No one threatens my sister, Igdra, when we get to a nice mountain range, you can have the guy, he's useless... unless Sir Alex could have said otherwise." The creature continued to fly as the duo took a short stop and both helped Sumia out, Alex removing the gag as he spoke.
"You okay, Sumia?"
"I've... been better..." Tharja noticed that her face was slightly glowing red as she quickly asked.
"Did they do anything to you!?"
"No... but they may have... spooked me enough..." Alex and Tharja paled as they both looked at each other.
"Royal Castle...?"
"Royal Castle..." Both helped Sumia back on and hurried to the capital, Sumia arching in pain as they picked up the pace before heading to the castle town, Chrom swiftly meeting them as well and matching their speed.
"What happened!?"
"No time, Chrom, she is experiencing some pains right now, we need to get her in now!" Chrom quickly nodded as the gates opened and Sumia was quickly escorted in by waiting personnel with the members joining in the main foyer...
The clock ticked on as the sounds were painfully to hear, both Alex and Tharja biting their lips as the sounds continued, the Grandmaster actually HAD to stop Chrom from charging in there SEVERAL times before the rest of the Plegia family arrived, Opi the first to speak. "Has the Queen...!"
"She is in there, but she was going through with the pain early this morning, the brigands must have triggered the timing early with their antics." Without another word, Opinusa headed in and started to join in the operation, Tyr sighing deeply as he rubbed his face in worry.
"Great, now she is in there, and we know HOW she gets when these things happen..." Tharja nodded as Barlowe sat down and sighed.
"I am sorry, sirs, my wyvern may have taken the bandit leader for his own."
"It is alright, Barlowe, we were lucky to have gotten there in time, it just looked like a small ransom situation, none of the brigands were all that prepared, meaning that they ambushed the escort and stole the queen without realizing anything." Alex sighed as Tharja rested against him as well. "From what I had managed to get from the fearful members, they were told that a noble would be roaming Southtown for a bit... problem is..."
Barlowe quickly got the gist as he spoke with shock. "But the Lady Maribelle's visit was within an hour of the Queen's own appearance, there was no reason for those goons to have aimed for the Queen!"
"That's the problem, they CLAIMED to have captured Maribelle herself when it was actually the Queen and Maribelle's visit was postponed in search of Sumia." Alex mused as he connected the lines. "Bad information, I suspect, Tharja also casted a truth hex and it was the same story, maybe there were more nobles gunning for the ruin of the noble family than I had taken into account." He paused as he turned to Tyr. "Wait, what exactly did you mean when Opinusa entered the room?"
"Oh... well, that's..." The aged man sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Before she was a dark mage, she practiced her craft as a... cleric, soothing the injured and healing the ill, but her skills were mostly used in... midwife professions." Alex understood as he raised a finger and quieted himself at the fact as Tharja gave a small chuckle.
"What, are you afraid of my mother now?"
"Hard to say, Tharja, I really have no clue, so I am just leaving it there..." The four of them turned to Chrom, he looking worse for wear as Fredrick did his best and was FAILING to calm the lord down, Barlowe and Tyr wearing unease on their faces as Alex spoke up. "Chrom, if it helps you out... we still haven't dealt with that... small issue." The air suddenly went cold as Chrom stopped and slowly sat up, an evil glint in his eye as Alex just smiled, Barlowe, Tyr, and Tharja bundling up as they could just FEEL the intent.
"...Get your sword ready."
"As always, friend." They headed out to the field as the four others watched as Chrom drew a wooden sword while Alex did the same, pacing from each other and stance in salute before posing with the Chrom's usual stance and Alex's attempt at Lon'qu's. Chrom as the first to strike, Alex's block saving him from a shattering blow before he countered the strike, but Chrom's strength and resolve was not at the end as the Plegian dashed out and Tharja nearly shouted, uncharacteristic of her to do.
"We have to stop them, they are going to kill each other!" Tharja attempted to ready a hex, but Tyr stopped her short as Barlowe stole her spell book. "Please, we have to stop them before this gets..."
"I know, but look at them..." The older man said as they looked again, Chrom was wearing a smile as the battle dragged out with Alex returning the smile. "I have never seen such devotion and conviction in this type of fighting, they are fighting to ease their souls and minds, this is not over some random issue, they are doing this to mean something to the other." Tharja didn't want to admit it, but it was true, the look in Alex's eye... he was releasing some tension from his systems, he was also breaking Chrom open to free him of his doubt, leaving her to bite her thumb in worry, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable in the action as the shattering of the practice weapons didn't slow the two down, proceeding to grab another practice blade each before they clashed once more, the crowd that gathered in both awe and amaze as the Exalt and Grandmaster battled it out before the weapons, once more, shattered and leaving them panting as Chrom straightened up and spoke.
"So... tie...?" Alex glanced at Chrom before taking the outstretched hand and helping Alex back to his feet, the crowd cheering as Alex returned the words.
"The term is a draw, but yes, calling it a 'tie' for now." They shook before Chrom headed back into the castle, Alex dropping his practice hilt as he made his way over to Tharja's family before Barlowe and Tyr patted him on the back and he closed in on Tharja and delivering a hug to her, she falling deep into it as he spoke. "I hope I didn't worry you too much."
"...No, you were amazing..." Tharja smiled as they both released and the four of them headed into the castle and waited, Chrom clearly going on ahead as the sounds died down some as the tension was lessened to they resting for the time being, the hour coming to the new generation as time and fate still held some form of future for them to endure...
It was perfect as Alex smiled to his brother as he held his firstborn daughter, the look of glee glowing on him as the Queen herself smiled as well as the Exalt kept close, a scene that filled his soul with joy for his friend, but also... sorrow as his smile faded away and he stepped out, was it feeling that he was being left out of the loop to be exact or was the future coming and taking time away from him...?
He shook his head in rejection, this was meant to be, Chrom has a happy ending for now and all he can o is support Chrom as best as he can as he strolled over and lifted Tharja up from the seat, putting her book in her grip to hold on to as he made his way to his chambers, placing her in the bed as the hours had faded to the nightly air, he sighing as he closed his bedroom door and took a seat in the main foyer before he lifted up his recent documents, scribing into them and reading them over before stopping short, his eyes narrowing at the wording being said.
'YLISSE TACTICIAN SUSPECTED OF OVERTAKING EXALT, SOLDIERS DEPATCHED TO APPREHEND VILLIAN.' He didn't do such a thing as he checked it over many times before there was a knocking on the door, he standing up without a word before he spoke through the door. "Who is there?"
"Tactician Alex... You have been accused of conspiring against the Exalt, don't make this harder than it needs to be, sir, there is a large amount of proof against you." Alex wanted to reject the claims, but he glanced back to the bedroom before he continued.
"I give up willingly, if I am mistreated against the code for inmates and convicts, you will know full well what you have unleashed, not by my hand, but by another's hand." The door opened and Alex walked out to the entourage of guards that stood silent, their charge given at someone else's command as he spoke, not as a prisoner, but as the tactician that guided them. "If this only involves me, then let us go, if anyone is involved, then understand that the strongest bars and armors will save any of you for what is to come..." The guards parted to two Generals and Alex walked between them before the formed back up and lead him to his place of dwelling as the accused...
