Hello!

Sorry about not posting last week. I was so busy with studying, revision, exam stress... It was crazy. Also... I was feeling kinda demotivated for this fic, just seeing the amount of love that A Pair of Queens got compared to this. So... If you want me to continue- and believe me, I've got ideas- drop a fave or a review. For now, though...

Onwards!

Chapter 17

Kit stepped into Chrom's tent, full of purpose.

"Chrom!" He called, snapping the prince from his grief-stricken stupor.

"What? Kit?" Chrom asked, still bleary-eyed.

"Come on, Chrom." Kit said. "We need to move out. We need to fight against Gangrel!"

"Kit... I just... I need more time." Chrom replied.

"I know, Chrom." Kit sighed. "But we don't have more time! Gangrel's army is in chaos. He's trying to deal with mutiny right now. Emmeryn's death-"

Chrom visibly flinched, making Kit feel guilty about bringing up his sister's demise.

"-has got his army in a state of discord. We can slip in, take out Gangrel, and end the war in this confusion. This might be our only chance!"

Chrom slowly stood, and let out a long, slow sigh. "Fine. Okay. What's the plan?"

"A small force. Grab some Plegian gear, get close to Gangrel as he tries to regulate the chaos, and take him down once and for all!"

"Who do you need?" Chrom asked, managing a small smile.

Kit drew his cloak tightly around himself. The black cloak was taken from a Plegian dark mage, and had almost no warmth. The thin material was a blessing during the hot Plegian days, but the icy-cold night chilled him to the bone. He looked down at Ricken, seeing the young mage also struggling with his mage cloak. Giving him an encouraging smile, he turned to look at Gangrel's camp. Even now, in the dead of night, the camp was in utter chaos. The sound of shouting and arguing could be heard even away from the camp. Silent, unnoticed, the group managed to slip into the camp in the confusion.

"Okay Gaius." Kit whispered. "Go!"

With a smirk, the ginger thief slipped into the crowd. Within only a few seconds, the already chaotic mass of soldiers was stirred up into a riot. Very soon, Gangrel and Aversa stood at the head of the soldiers, the Mad King yelling and screaming with everything he had. It didn't help. The din of arguing soldiers drowned him out utterly. The small group moved swiftly through the crowd, like an arrow towards Gangrel.

They stood only a few feet from the Mad King, and he still did not notice them, instead preferring to scream at his troops, hoping to reclaim some order. Kit struck swiftly, whipping his sword out and into the Mad King's shoulder in one fluid motion. The sight of his own blood spitting from the wound in his shoulder abruptly cut off the shouting. He stared at the soldier he had taken no notice of, suddenly realising.

"Kit!" He snarled venomously. He wrenched himself away, sprinting for his tent. Kit ran after him just as fast, followed by Lissa and Lon'qu. Aversa blasted a bolt of fire after them, but it was smashed out of the air by a swirl of wind. She turned, staring at the diminutive mage with a wind tome. Ricken stepped towards her, defying her ice-cold, authoritative stare. The Plegian mage was taken aback by the young man's confidence.

"You're barely more than a boy!" She cackled. "How do you expect to stand up to ME?"

Ricken heard a note of uncertainty in her voice. She didn't know why he wasn't afraid. Thank you, Kit's training. He stared her down for a few more seconds. When she faltered with uncertainty, for only a moment, he struck. Ricken's arm flicked out, even as a miniature gale formed in his hand, and blasted a tearing gale of air at Aversa. She only just dodged, a whipping blade of air slicing a gash across her cheek. Snarling with rage, she blasted a stream of magic at him that was darker than a winter midnight. Ricken flung himself out of the way, feeling the air go cold as the attack passed. He swung his arm in frantic slicing motions, launching scythes of air towards Aversa. She jabbed at the air with clawed fingers, more of the dark magic spewing from her palm and ripping the wind magic apart. Before Ricken could even react, tendrils of darkness rose from the ground around him. One stabbed at him, and he just twisted out of the way. As he moved, another flashed down, stabbing right through Ricken's shoulder. Pulling himself free, he let out a cry of pain.

He looked down at the book in hands, seeing that many of the runes had vanished, and those that were left were faded. He clenched one fist and lifted his other hand high, gritting his teeth. A mighty gust blasted from the tome, tearing the black tendrils to shreds. Aversa took an involuntary step back.

"D- Don't just stand there, cowards!" She shrieked at the Plegian soldiers. "Get him! He's only a boy!"

Ricken threw the spent wind tome to one side, wrenching a red tome from his robe. He lit the ground on fire in front of the soldiers, warning them to stand back. Before he could cast a spell at Aversa, she was already launching hers. The sphere of dark magic struck Ricken full in the chest. He collapsed to the ground, gasping and clutching his chest. Aversa barely had time to smile in satisfaction before a voice boomed out over the camp.

"Don't you DARE hurt my Ricken!"

Aversa turned up in fear and confusion, just in time to see an enormous dragon hovering over the barracks, each titanic wingbeat shaking the tents on their supports. A jet of icy blue flames shot from the dragon's mouth and smashed the ground next to Aversa. The Plegian lay in a smoking crater, smoke obscuring her almost completely. Her coughing and spluttering was the only sound.

In a blinding flash of light, the terrifying dragon's gaping mouth morphed into the worried features of Nowi. She rushed over to Ricken, wrapping her arms around him and lifting him to a sitting position.

"Are you okay!?" She yelled frantically. "Ricken!"

The mage slowly opened his eyes. "Hi, Nowi." He flashed her a broad grin. "You okay?"

"R-Ricken! You- you just- how did you fight Aversa!? You were so scary!" Nowi gushed.

"Kit trained me. He trained the whole group!" Ricken put on an impression of Kit. "When facing an enemy... Show no fear. Other emotions, yes, but never fear." He grinned again. "Pretty good impression, huh?"

Nowi laughed, only to be interrupted by a bolt of lightning from the edge of the camp. Nowi jumped up.

"Wha- what was that!?" She yelled, her voice shooting up several octaves.

"It must be Kit. I think he's fighting Gangrel!"