Hey Fire emblem fans I'm back with chapter three of lost hope. I really wanted to get this chapter done sooner but I got a horrible case of writer's block and fire emblem heroes coming out a couple weeks ago didn't really help either but I was able to push through and finish it. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter and without further a do let's begin.
"Gah ha ha ha ha" Grima's voice rang out, "Count yourselves lucky I'm sparing you for now cause it appears I've got other matters to attend to, but know this…"
"Guh!?" The two teens grunted in fear looking up to see a shadowy figure floating outside the castle.
"I wIlL fInIsH tHe jOb!" The figure shouted maliciously before disappearing in a flash of light.
"Haa" Lucina sighed in relief and then turning to Owain, "are you alright Owain? You look frightened and that's not like you"
"Uh yeah I'm fine, nothing can stop the Great Owain Dark!" Owain responded perking up.
Lucina chuckled at this, "Good to see you're back to your old self." She said.
"Owain, Lucy!"
Lucina and Owain turned to see Cynthia running towards them in a very cheery manner with her pegasus following suit.
"Are you guys alr-" Cynthia started saying before tripping and getting a face full of stone and dirt.
Still as clumsy as ever, Owain and Lucina thought sweat dropping.
"Ow, That's gonna leave a mark" Cynthia whined as she pushed herself up and dusting herself off.
"No worries we're okay Cynthia" Lucina reassured her sister before looking around for any surviving soldiers.
"Forsooth young hero, for the grand task brought onto the mortal plane rests peacefully in slumber!" Owain enthusiastically stated.
"That's great..I think?" Cynthia responded in confusion, "it is great right Lucy?" She asked her sister.
"..."
"Lucy? You alright?" Cynthia said concerned
"This isn't a victory" Lucina responded grimly
"What do you mean? We saved you and Grima retreated, so I'd call that a victory"
"Yeah Cynthia's ri-" Owain started to say before looking in the same direction as Lucina and adopting a solemnly horrified expression, "oh".
"You to Owain? What's the matt-" Cynthia asked before being interrupted by Lucina tapping her shoulder.
Cynthia then turned her head towards where Lucina and Owain were looking. Her face took on a shocked and horrified expression at what she now saw. All around them corpses littered the now heavily damaged throne room as blood dripped down from the small cracks between the piles of rubble.
"How awful!" Cynthia cried out horror
"We were so preoccupied with grima and Lucina that.." Owain said despairingly.
"No you two did what you could, It is I who has failed in preventing this" Lucina consoled them, "If I had been stronger we probably could've evacuated in time." She continued, clenching her fist.
"..."
"So what do we do now Lucy?" Cynthia asked worryingly breaking the silence.
"I don't know" Lucina answered solemnly, "What can we do? We've tried to protect ylisse as best we can but in the end Grima is just..."
"But Lucy what about Falchion? With that we can still-"
"What good will falchion do against Grima without it's full power?" Lucina cut her off, "We'd need both the fire emblem and the gemstones to perform the awakening and those are lost somewhere in plegia where Grima resides."
"Yeah you've got a point there." Cynthia despaired.
"The dreary cage that once detained the grand soul of my being has been torn asunder! My spirit now freed and renewed draws upon the spoken wind of despair and derives from it a path fated to be walked!" Owain suddenly shouted with renewed vigor, "The sacred treasures abducted and abandoned to lands wrought with darkness shall henceforth be secured and bestowed upon Lucina so that she may unleash the divine powers held within her partnered fang."
"Huh?" Lucina and Cynthia said in unison with bewildered expressions.
"Er … I overheard you two talking and came up with a course of action to go to plegia in order to retrieve the gemstones and fire emblem so Lucina can perform the awakening." Owain explained.
"Didn't you hear me Owain? Grima resides in plegia and he'll surely send an army of risen to kill the three of us the minute we cross the border" Lucina responded.
"She's got a point Owain" Cynthia said.
"Ha forsooth a mere triad of heroes would lack the power capable of walking this path but throughout these sacred lands rest a sense of camaraderie to which allies gather willing to assist the endeavor." Owain said vigorously, " The infused might granted by them being on our side should surely be enough, I guarantee!"
Cynthia's eyes started to sparkle with excitement, "yeah that's right there are others here in ylisse we can rely on. Remember Lucy?"
Lucina's depressed expression faded making way for a expression full of hope, "Yeah you two are right we have people out there who can help us how could I have forgotten. Right after we get some rest we set out to rally the shepherds."
"Yeah!" Cynthia and Owain nodded in agreement.
I just hope all of them are doing ok, Lucina thought as she looked out towards the dark and dreary sky.
Meanwhile not too far from the capital on the outskirts of a village sits a small wooden house. The fields around it are strangely calm and peaceful with hardly a risen in sight. The small windows decorating the house radiate a bright light from the oil lanterns within projecting the dancing shadows of the happy family within. Just outside the house a young girl sat on a dirt path and stared at the dark and brooding sky. She had medium length dark brown hair with braided pigtails reaching just below her shoulders and wore a small white dress with red boots and a red cape.
"Hahh" the girl sighed as she tilted her head downward looking at the dirt path in front of her.
"why won't they accept me? I work so hard doing chores and fighting risen and yet.." The girl thought aloud tightening her grip on her arms, "They treat me like I'm a bother like I'm an outsider."
"I feel so alone but no I can't think like that; I'm part dragon like mother after all, and I have to stay strong" The girl continued putting on a fake smile, "that's right I'm strong like a dragon; I can't show weakness but-" She trailed off her eyes beginning to water, " Why didn't you come back for me? why did you have to leave me here all alone?" She asked her eyes closed tightly as streams of tears cascaded down her cheeks.
A few miles off of Regna Ferox in a small forest blanketed in snow. The peaceful silence of nature is only disturbed by the pounding foot stomps on snow and the growling risen.
"Uhh guys they're gaining on us!" A dark brown haired boy in a blue mercenary outfit yelled out as he looked behind them to check on their pursuers.
"Ahhh no I can't die not here not now!" A light brown long haired boy with bunny ears wearing tagual armour cried out in fear as he picked up speed.
"Hey c-can it Yarne if,*puff*, i-f you g-got time to t-talk you got time to run!" A spiky red haired thug lookin boy scolded the tagual.
"You're one to talk Brady you can barely stand! I'm still able to keep going" Yarne retorted in a mocking tone.
"S-shut it bunny!" Brady wheezed.
"Both of you quit that nonsense it isn't lessening the danger of our situation!" A blonde short haired boy in a black and red mage uniform scolded the two.
"Tch" Brady scoffed.
"Yeah you're right" Yarne agreed.
"Ha ha!" The mercenary laughed, "even so Brady can't go on for much longer, however those risen don't plan for us to take a relaxing tea break" The mercenary analyzed the situation.
"I concur with your observations Inigo and it would appear, as you said, the risen are catching up to us." The mage added.
"You got any ideas Laurent?" Inigo inquired.
"Yes I'll see if I can halt their advance but in the event I prove unsuccessful we are must postpone the retreat and counterattack." Laurent explained.
"Sounds good" Inigo nodded in agreement.
"Oh I hope this works I'd rather not have to fight." Yarne groaned.
"Well we'll just have to observe the events that follow" Laurent said confidently stopping to turn around and pulling out a tome.
"Haah!" Laurent cried out as he held out his arm shooting out large stream of fire towards the feet of the risen.
The stream of fire smashed into the snow and immediately erupted into a small wall of searing fire between the boys and the risen. A few of the risen who were too fast couldn't slow down in time as they were engulfed by the blazing wall. This caused the rest of the risen to stop abruptly confused on what to do.
"All right it worked!" Yarne and Brady stopped running and cheered.
"Yeah nice one Laurent" Inigo congratulated the mage as he turned to a stop.
"It is too early for celebration for I have only delayed their assault" Laurent said, "we should take advantage of this and widen the gap between us and them."
"Yeah and Regna Ferox isn't too far off let's go guys full speed!" Inigo rallied the rest of the group.
The four boys then sprinted as fast as they could towards Regna Ferox.
A few miles off the capital of ylisse sits a large forest shrouded in the darkness of night. Through the darkness is a slight glow of light, the glow from the camp fire acts as a haven of sorts protecting those around it from the darkness surrounding them. Three girls sit around the campfire conversing about the day and their next course of action. One of them is wearing a light brown female mercenary uniform. She has long orange hair the majority of which are put into pigtails. The girl diagonally to her right had short white hair and wore a green diamond checkered archer uniform. She wore a small band on her head that held a white feather to the side. To the archer's diagonal right sat a girl with short dark brown hair covered in metal armour with purple highlights.
"Geez what a day, I'm beat" The mercenary said as she stretched her arms into the air.
"Ha the risen we fought today were nothing hardly anything to be exhausted over." The armoured girl stated arrogantly.
"I didn't ask you Kjelle! Gawds not all of us are as tomboyishly tough as you are!" The mercenary snapped glaring at Kjelle.
"Not my fault you weaklings don't have the strength or discipline to train like I do!" Kjelle glared back.
"What did you say?! That is it" the mercenary fumed about to get up.
"You wanna go? I'd mop the floor with you!" Kjelle roared in anger as she got up as well.
"S-s-severa, K-k-kjelle p-please don't f-f-fight w-we shouldn't w-waste ou-"
"Stay out of this Noire!" Severa and Kjelle yelled in unison causing the archer to recoil slightly in fear.
"W-where's my talisman? Certainly if I use that I- oh here it is" Noire pondered as she grabbed her talisman from the ground, "BLOOD AND THUNDER!"
"Huh?" Severa and Kjelle both gasped in confusion as they looked over towards Noire.
"INSOLENT FOOLS YOU DARE SHOVE ME AWAY! NOW REPENT FROM EACH OTHER BEFORE I TEAR YOU BOTH DOWN MYSELF!" Noire shouted with uncharacteristic confidence and fury as her now usually meek expression turned into something terrifyingly sinister.
Severa and Kjelle both gulped in comical fear as they quickly pulled away from each other and frantically sat back down.
"AHAHAHA" Noire's maniacal laugh echoed through the forest.
Meanwhile on the continent of Valm a boy with slicked back short brownish red hair stood at the edge of the cliff staring out onto the once beautiful wyvern valley. He wore black wyvern rider armour with a black mask adorned across his face. The forceful winds blew across the cliffsides carrying with it dust and discarded wyvern scales. Wyvern bones littered ground their nests nothing more than tumbleweeds rolling with the wind.
"Praaawww" the wyvern sitting next to him whimpered.
"I know Minerva" the boy said to the wyvern, "but there's nothing we can do now."
Minerva's head elevated downward as she started nudging him affectionately.
The boy smiled at this, "stop that's enough minervykins" he said softly as he attempted to push her away.
"Kyraaaa" Minerva growled a pulling her head away.
"Anyway we should get going" The boy said with a now more stoic expression and climbing on top of Minverva's back, " Fly Minerva!"
Minerva let out a bellowing roar and flapped her wings kicking up dust and rock. When she was at an appropriate altitude, she twisted her wings and with one powerful and swift motion she propelled herself forward rocketing into the horizon.
In the center of Plegia a huge ominous tower known as the dragon table stands. Dark clouds whirl around the top creating a small vortex as lighting from the those clouds strike down upon the earth. Inside the tower is a large regal looking hallway. Brown tiles spread across the floor from the rainbow colored circle in the back just before the shrine. On the shrine there is a throne where a shadowy figure sits in a relaxed but malicious manner.
"Hmm?" the figure grunts as he heard light footsteps coming towards him.
"Lord Grima I'm here as requested, now what can I do for you milord?" A short haired blonde girl wearing a tactician robe asks from the bottom of the stairs.
"Ah yes Morgan" Grima addressed his daughter, "I have a special mission for you"
"What kind of mission? Whatever it may be I'm more than willing to see it through milord" Morgan inquired.
"I just need you to keep an eye on a certain someone" Grima explained.
"You mean?"
"Indeed"
"I understand, I'll ready myself and leave immediately" Morgan said obediently as she walked out of the room.
"Heheheheh" The shadowy figure laughs maniacally, "celebrate while you can children of Naga but know that in the end it is I, Grima, who shall remain victorious"
Whew that was a long one. Honestly I didn't expect it to get this long but I guess I just had a lot to write about. Anyway so Morgan is with Grima who would've guessed am I right? Not the best plot twist I know but hey its something. I also really enjoyed writing this one especially the Owain and Noire segments but anyway I'll see you all next time with chapter 4 so take care.