Soren knew that they had lost.
"Emmeryn..." Chrom whispered beside him.
All that planning... all that time spent countering each and every one of the Plegian Tactician's moves, only to be outdone at the last moment by something he could not possibly have foreseen.
Phila's dead body lay ravaged across the sand, and Emmeryn was next.
His eyes darted around the area, trying desperately... desperately... to find a way to end this, on his terms.
He didn't even see her fall.
...
Everyone was crying.
The long march after their failed mission gave them all too much time to think about what had just happened.
Soren had vastly underestimated just how devastating losing a leader could be for a country. The army shuffled along, lifelessly. Even Nowi refused to speak.
But Soren found himself most of all concerned for Chrom. He hadn't spoken much at all since they had watched her die.
Lissa, too, was seemed to be misereable. Soren found himself wondering if she would ever be herself again.
He had not felt this way towards anyone in a long, long time.
He would make Gangrel pay for his crimes.
...
The army quickly shaped up when it came back to battle, Soren was pleased to see. Chrom and Lissa, when push came to shove, had come through. For the army, and for themselves.
And yet, something was wrong...
...
There was nothing else for it. He would have to confront her.
He gripped his spell book firmly as he walked out into the open field. He had the distinct feeling that she was still hiding among the trees.
He lost his patience: Whirling around on the spot, he sliced through the trees with his spell. Entire trees cut into fire wood.
She was unharmed. She had her own tome out, but she wasn't looking at it. Instead, she was staring directly at him.
Stepping forward, she did not take her eyes off of him. "You truly are the man I thought you were." She whispered. Despite the distance between them, Soren caught every word.
His eyes narrowed. "And just what am I?"
She took another step. "A brilliant tactician." she said softly. "A talented mage..." She bit her lip. "And a real man."
He stared at her, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you mean." He said. "But if you think I'm going to continue to let you follow me around wherever I go..."
She laughed. "How long have you known that... I was completely taken with you?"
She was much closer to him now.
He sent another wind spell at her. "Keep away from me." He warned. She brushed the air out of her face.
She laughed again.
Soren felt almost uncomfortable at the way she was looking at him. "You didn't join this army... because of me, did you?"
She nodded. "The instant I saw you... I knew..."
Soren was rather torn. On one hand, he was super tempted to ask Chrom to expel her from the army, or even have her executed. But on the other...
"How much do you know about the Plegian tactician?"
She snorted. "Too much."
"Please." He said. "Come to dinner with me. We'll..." He struggled to find the words. "Talk about this."
...
"So why have you come to see me?" Libra asked, as he poured him a cup of tea.
Soren looked up at him, frowning, as he took a sip. "I want to know about Naga."
He started. "What?" He asked, blinking owlishly down at him. "Whatever for?"
Setting down his cup, he shook his head. "It's just a feeling I have..." He muttered. "All this talk about the Fire Emblem, and Grima... It's making me nervous." He picked up the cup again. "I feel as if I don't understand the situation well enough."
"A wise man admits his failings." Libra commented. "The fact that you are willing to face your lack of understanding is admirable."
"What can you teach me?"
...
"Ummmm... Hello?"
He frowned, as he looked up from his books. "Yes?" He said.
The girl bowed. "Khan... Khan Basilio sent me." She stuttered. "He... He said you looked exhausted.
"I am exhausted." He snapped. He rifled through his papers. "But if we're going to take down Gangrel, I need to work."
She flinched. "I'm... I'm sorry for bothering you..." She muttered. She looked downcast. "But... Khan Basilio kind of insisted that I perform for you..."
"... What?"
She blushed. "I'm... a dancer." She said.
Khan had sent a woman to his tent? The nerve of him...!
"I'm not interested." He said. He rubbed his eyes. He gave a short yawn, as he turned back to his papers. "Leave me."
"I..." She looked as if she were going to protest some more, and then thought better of it. She left him there.
...
If only Nowi were that easy to deal with.
"Come on, Soren." She cajoled, as she stood over him. "One last game!"
"Nowi, we're marching to war." He pointed out. "Leave me alone."
She laughed."Never!" She said. She was teasing him, now. "You need to smile more, Soren!"
"I'm a Tactician, Nowi." he reminded her. "Not a clown."
She bounced closer to him. "But you're a kid!" She said. "Just like me!"
"I am NOT a kid." He snapped.
She laughed again. "Soren, acting grown up all the time isn't good for you."
"Neither is acting like a child!"
"I can be serious..." She said. "If I want."
"Well, be serious now, and leave me alone."
"Not until you give me a smile!"
"No."
"Please? For me?"
"No."
"Chrom would smile for me!"
"So go bother Chrom, then."
Before he had registered what was happening, she had jumped onto his back. He stumbled a bit, before regaining his footing. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sticking with you today!" She said. "You really need to lighten up!"
"Get off me!"
"Only if you give me a smile!"
...
The royal wedding was a bit of a pain, for quite a few reasons. Namely, how Lissa had dragged him off the instant the ceremony had ended.
"Don't you want to congratulate them?" He asked sullenly. "Or... try to catch the bouquet, or whatever it is you do?"
"Don't be ridiculous." She laughed. "We're too young for that sort of thing."
"Now you're starting to sound like Nowi..."
"I have something better than a bouquet." She declared, as she led him down a dark alley. "I've heard rumors about this place..." She said softly to him. "A Fortune teller lives down here."
He rolled his eyes. "These people are con artists, Lissa."
She laughed. "Sumia absolutely loves her, apparently... She told me this one has real power..."
"Sumia's not exactly the most reliable source of information about stuff like this." He said. "I mean, really..."
"It'll be fun, Soren." Lissa told him. "Ah... Here we are."
A girl sat in front of them, cross legged on a small carpet. She looked up at them, and her gaze immediately met Soren's.
"Hello." She said.
He flinched.
"Hi!" Lissa said. "Um. We're here for fortunes... is this the place?"
"It is indeed!" She said. She smiled warmly up at them. "Although I would say your new sister in law is quite the talented fortune teller herself."
Lissa laughed. "Well, she had nothing but praise for you... Ummm..." She messed up her nose. "What was your name, again...?"
"Micaiah."
"Oh, that's it!"She said. Snapping her fingers, she looked on at her. "Yes... I remember it being unusual."
She smiled. "I'm not from around here, you know."
"I can see that." Lissa said, eyeing her long silver hair in fascination. "So... Um. How much for a fortune?"
"Free." Micaiah said, smiling. "Today is a day of celebration, after all." She beckoned for Lissa to come forward. "We will need privacy." She told Soren. "Please wait for me."
...
"Hello, Soren." She told him, the instant they were alone together. "It has been far too long."
He eyed her, looking her up and down. She had grown since he had seen her last. She wouldn't be able to pass as a teenager anymore. "I see you've grown."
"I see you haven't." She repeated. She got to her feet, and wrapped her hands around his. "I came to congratulate you, you know." She told him. "I had foreseen your victory."
He didn't quite push her away. "You left Tellius just to tell me I did a good job?"
"Well, no..." She admitted. "I've been gone for decades... Zelda is ruling now." She caught his confused expression . "My daughter." She explained.
"But you still seem to be..."
"It's customary for us to leave the position when we have a worthy successor." She explained. "Besides... I missed the globe trotting life."
There was surely more to this, there had to be, but Micaiah seemed unwilling to elaborate further.
"Why have you come to find me?" He asked. "The real reason, Micaiah."
She looked forlornly at him. "I think the world is ready for change." she said, her voice solemn.
"Change?" He said. "For what?"
"Aren't you tired of this, Soren?" She asked him. "Tired, of having to hide what you are?" She leaned in close. "Tired of losing people you care about?"
He bristled.
"Tellius," she continued. "is quickly reaching the point where I, and many of the others on my council, there will no longer be a need for war." She smiled at him. "Imagine it, Soren." She said softly. "Imagine not having to fight anymore... Imagine, people not judging you for being different, or..."
"Nonsense." Soren said dismissively. "There will always be conflict."
"No, Soren!" She said. "You don't understand... among humans, there will be conflict. Among most Laguz, there will be conflict. But among us..." She tapped the mark on his head. "We have the time to learn from our mistakes."
He glared at her, unconvinced.
"Look at it this way," She said hastily. "Your family, the dragons-"
"I never had a family."
"Deny it all you want, Soren." Micaiah said. "But your mother..."
"I don't have a mother."
She switched tracks, then.
"My family, then..." She murmured. "Lived nearly as long as your... the dragons." She said. "Like the dragons, over time, once they had overcome the natural harshness of the world, they were able to treat the world around them with kindess and respect. And in time, their children, too, would be taught how to live in peace."
She sighed.
"But all of that came to an end with the Serenes Massacre."
"... What are you...?"
"The short lived ones..." She said. "They mean well, but all they do is take, take, take. They never give back what's rightfully theirs." She gripped his shirt hard. "Don't you see, Soren?" She hissed. "Now is the time to take the next step. The time is ripe, Soren... You and I... it's time we-"
"I'm not helping you with anything." He said flatly. He pushed her away. "I'm perfectly happy here, thank you."
"Here?" She said. "Here, in this place? Where dragons have been hunted to extinction, and the Laguz have all been forgotten?"
"You can't just dismiss these people for mistakes they may have made." Soren told her firmly. "I won't allow it."
"Mistakes? MISTAKES? These are more than mistakes, Soren... people are dying, all because they-"
"This conversation is over, Micaiah." Soren said shortly. He left her there.