Author's Note: I really shouldn't work on multiple things at once and I know it. I just can't help it.
I swear I haven't been completely unproductive over the past few months! I've actually gotten a lot of work done on my original novel. But I won't get into that right now.
Back to Fire Emblem!

Pit and Lucina bade goodbye to Henry as they split up, the Underworld prince bound to start searching for the other future travelers and the god and his partner for Ylisstol.

"They're strong," she had said. "I'm sure they'll be able to help us, at least in some way." Pit knew she was also hoping to track down Morgan, wherever he was, and he admitted the man would be invaluable with his tactical prowess.
"We'd best be landing soon," he told her. "The Power of Flight won't last much longer."

Meanwhile, just outside of Ylisstol, Chrom and a small band of Shepherds had stopped for the evening on their way to investigate the claims of monsters attacking small villages to the south. Rufure accompanied him and Emmeryn had stayed behind along with Lucina and Morgan in order to watch over the throne. He worried for his sister and children, being unable to protect them from so far away, and he'd brought some of his best knights along- Sully, Stahl, and Frederick included. Their group was small, but powerful, and he knew they would have little issue fighting off an ambush- after all, they had managed to slay the Fell Dragon with almost as small a team.

"No sign of trouble," Gaius reported as he approached and pulled off his hood and mask. "Looks like we'll be able to rest easy tonight."

"I won't rest easy until I have an explanation of these attacks," Chrom replied. Gaius shrugged and headed off without waiting to be dismissed, and the Exalt sighed as he watched the assassin go. Sure enough, several years after Grima's defeat, he'd eventually found that Gaius had returned to his thieving ways, much to the annoyance of his wife, Panne. He was bound for the gallows when Chrom caught wind of the situation and stepped in, offering him the chance to clear his name as long as he swore his service to the Ylissean throne as a spy. The sweet-loving thief hadn't been thrilled about the arrangement, but was thankful for the chance to live another day.

"Ever regret picking him back up?" Rufure teased, and he turned to her with a smile, remembering the day he'd found her collapsed in a field some time after Grima's defeat. His heart warmed to see that her bright, genuine smile had returned.

"He's good at what he does," he replied. "Though I'm a bit surprised that he's still the same thief I met almost twenty years ago." The queen laughed and shrugged.

"Oh well. At least he's putting those skills of his to good use again." Chrom nodded and touched her arm affectionately for a moment before pulling it away.

"Regardless, do you have any ideas in that gods-given brain of yours to help us figure these attacks out?" he wondered, bringing them back to the task at hand. She frowned.

"The reports said that monsters attacked," she reminded him. "But from what we know, they aren't anything like the Risen. They were described as shadows and beasts with the intelligence of a human and the strength of ten men. They wielded no weapons but were able to fire some sort of bolts of energy if they didn't simply use their bodies." She paused. "I've never even heard of something so absurd, but I'm not going to dismiss it as impossible. Strangely enough, I would have to see these things to be able to really plan at all, but at the same time, I'd rather avoid them altogether."
"That goes for both of us," he agreed. "But I'll gladly face any threat in order to keep our people safe."

"You know I would too," she smiled, and he nodded.

Before he could speak again, however, they heard a scream, and they both looked around wildly as the Shepherds came racing out of their tents. Chrom peered up to the sky to find a Pegasus flying toward them, a young knight on its back, and she landed a short distance away from the Exalt and his wife.

"By the gods, Cynthia!" Frederick scolded as he hurried over to his daughter. "What on earth would require this kind of racket?"

"M-Monsters!" she replied, turning from her father to the Exalt. "Lord Chrom, they're coming! They appeared out of nowhere and-" She didn't get a chance to finish as other shouts cut her off, and flames began to quickly spread through the trees.

"Save the supplies!" Chrom barked out as he drew forth the Exalted Falchion. "And get ready for the fight of your life! We have to escape the fire!"
"We're not too far from the field," Rufure pointed out. "It'll be easier to fight in the open, though we won't have as much cover. But it would be easier to escape."

"Then we make for the field! Quickly, everyone!" They both scrambled to assist in packing up what supplies they needed, and Frederick turned back to the Pegasus Knight.

"It seems you'll be seeing combat after all," he told her as she watched him with wide, fearful eyes. "Stay close to me, understand? I'll protect you." She nodded vigorously and urged her Pegasus forward as he retrieved his horse and lance.

"They must be starting fires in multiple spots," Rufure noticed as the smoke began to thicken. "Leave the rest of it!" she called out. "Just go! Get moving!" Chrom didn't bother arguing with her, and the Shepherds began their retreat through the brush and smoke.
"Something about all this seems oddly familiar," he muttered as he rushed along, Rufure close to his side.

"Like the first time we fought the Risen?" she huffed. Before he could reply, a blast of energy appeared from the trees and struck the tactician, and she howled in pain as she stumbled and fell to the dirt.

"Rufure!" he cried as he spun around and knelt down at her side to help her back to her feet.

"G-Gods, what was that?" she demanded, her eye twitching with pain. He looked up at the sound of shuffling in the leaves.

"We may be about to find out," he replied and held up Falchion as she drew forth a silver sword. Sure enough, not a moment later did a group of odd, dark creatures break through the trees, howling and growling at them as they fanned out. Some were built low to the ground while others were airborne, and they held no visible weapons. Some, however, appeared to simply be a weapon, with sharpened limbs and sharp teeth. The only shared trait the Exalt could see was the dark aura they all possessed.

"Those reports weren't kidding," Rufure breathed as she and her husband took up their stances with their backs to each other. "These things really are monsters."

"We've fought monsters before," he replied. "We just have to figure out their attack pattern." The monsters didn't wait long before they struck in a flurry of claws, teeth, limbs, and energy shots that the two blocked, dodged, and parried desperately. Their injuries came quickly and Chrom skidded back with a huff as blood dripped down his arm, and he rushed forward to stab Falchion through his most immediate assailant. He heard a cast of magic behind him as Rufure switched from her sword to her tome, and though they managed to fell several of the monsters, they kept coming and showed no signs of mercy or hesitation.
"We're in trouble," Rufure gasped. "These things are demons!"

"We have to break through and retreat," Chrom huffed. "It's our only chance." But there was no visible route of escape. The monsters had them surrounded and the smoke was only thickening as the fires burned closer.

"Chrom," she said desperately. "I love you." He felt his heart thud in his chest at the sound of the panic, and even defeat, in her voice.

"I love you too," he replied. "But don't give up. We're going to find a way out of here. We have to get back to Lucina and Morgan!" She didn't get a chance to reply as the monsters bore down on them again, and Chrom's instinct got the best of him. He lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly and protectively around his wife, using his body to shield her from the assault, and pain quickly overwhelmed him.

His ears picked up the sound of a battle cry, followed by the sound of a cast of magic and the slash of a blade. It continued for several moments before silence suddenly fell around them save the crackle of flames that sounded as though they were heading away, and he dared to look up even as he held Rufure so tightly. He found two figures standing there, one with a cobalt weapon edged in gold that resembled a bow, and the other with... It was impossible. The man with the bow garbed himself in a sleeveless white tunic with a belt tied around his waist, dark pants, and brown boots, and his brown hair was cut around the base of his neck with his bangs swept to the side and out of his eyes. His companion had dark blue hair cut at a similar length but with choppier locks and bangs along with eyes hidden from view by a mask.

"You okay?" The man with the bow asked, his blue eyes filled with concern. Chrom hesitantly released his wife and straightened up, though pain passed quickly through his body.

"We're alive," he replied. "Thank you. My name is Chrom, and this is my wife, Rufure."
"We know who you are," the man said with a slight smile. "Where are my manners? Lord Chrom, Lady Rufure," he dipped his head. "I'm Pit. I... serve as an escort and messenger for my companion here." He gestured to the one in the mask.
"I see..." Chrom said slowly. "That sword... Where did you get that?" He could feel a strong, serious gaze watching him from behind the mask.
"Falchion was forged from Naga's fang," the masked one replied. "I have kept it close throughout the years. And I can see you know of its power." Chrom blinked, looking from the Exalted Falchion to the one this stranger wielded.
"I... suppose so..." he frowned and shook his head. "But I guess that isn't important right now. What's your name?" The stranger hesitated.

"You may call me Marth."

Chrom gaze met those same masked eyes for several moments, but they didn't waver, and they remained silent until Rufure cleared her throat.

"You were named for the Hero-King?" she asked, and Marth didn't immediately reply before nodding. "Well, if you and your companion were able to fight off those monsters, then you must have power like a hero."

"Your words are kind," Marth remarked. "But what you have seen this evening is but a fraction of our opponent's power. Pit knows much about them, and he is an invaluable ally to me."

"Er, right," Pit smiled sheepishly. "We shouldn't stay here, not with all this smoke. And you, Lord Chrom, seem pretty hurt."

"Right," Chrom nodded, and Rufure took his arm around her shoulders to help support him. "The Shepherds should be outside the trees. From there, we'll go back to Ylisstol."
"What about the villages?" Rufure wondered, and he shook his head.

"We've seen enough. This isn't something we can keep putting off. Besides," he returned his gaze to Pit and this mysterious masked Marth. "I think we've found a couple of very strong allies that know quite a bit about what we're up against. Will you join us? You will have shelter at the castle and we'll provide you with whatever you need." The two newcomers exchanged a glance, and Marth nodded slightly.
"We'll accept your offer," Pit replied once he'd turned back to them. "Thank you, Lord Chrom. We'll do everything we can to help save your people from this threat."