"Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have any idea where we're headed?"

"Plegia."

"PLEGIA!?" Takumi blurted out in shock. "Have you forgotten that we're partially responsible for throwing their kingdom into chaos!?"

"Trust me, Takumi. The moment that everyone finds out we're missing, the entire Halidom will be searching for us," explained Robin. "I know you don't want to draw any attention to Regna Ferox either, even though I'm sure Basilio would've been more than happy to help. It's too risky to catch a boat and travel to Valm since we would be on foreign soil without a good grasp on who's friend or foe. Not to mention I heard some nasty rumors that there's some sort of war going on right now over there. Our safest choice right now is Plegia. I do have a general concept of the land and, since it's still in recovery from the war, we might be able to hide out in one of the abandoned forts. We should be safe there."

"…You've really thought this out, haven't you? I must say, I'm impressed."

Robin winked at him. "Coming from you, that compliment is worth a thousand words."

Takumi wanted to retort, but he held his tongue back. The way Robin's face shined in the morning light, bringing a certain sparkle to her eyes and a dazzle to her smile; it wasn't something he was used to seeing. She was usually laidback. When she wasn't, she had a serious demeanor that complemented her role as a tactician. To see her acting so…normal even in the face of possible capture and execution for freeing a wanted man; it was startling.

"Is there something on my face?"

He quickly averted his gaze, mentally berating himself for being caught staring at her. If Robin was confused by his behavior, she didn't show it. She returned to the reigns in her hands, urging the horse to go faster. It wasn't long before the trees returned to being blurs of green and brown whizzing by in his peripheral vision. How long could they remain hidden? How long would it be before his name could be cleared? Robin would be stuck with him until then.

"Ah HA! That didn't take long at all!"

Her cheerful declaration made him snap his head up. The horse had slowed down to a trot, allowing him to fully look over the fort before him. Sand had dusted the dark bricks, covering them in a thin sheet of yellowish-white. The biting sandstorms had worn away the sharp edges of the bricks, smoothing them out so much that climbing up the wall by hand would've been impossible. A tattered Grimleal flag waved lazily in the wind on the roof. All in all, it looked like a normal Plegian fort except for one thing: the place had apparently become a hotspot for crows. Never had Takumi seen so many crows in his life.

Robin dismounted the horse, taking the reins and slowly leading it through the maze of birds. It took longer to reach the fort's entrance than she would have liked, but the crows didn't seem keen on leaving anytime soon. The giant wooden gates loomed over her, a slight gap between the two doors indicating they had been opened recently. Robin's expression hardened, looking back to Takumi and seeing him with his Steel Bow already in hand as he slid off their steed's back. She motioned Takumi over to her, silently signing to be quiet. With a quick glance through the crack to make sure no one was in the immediate area, she began to open the gates with a careful hand. The wood creaked at the movement, the noise sounding so much louder in her ears than it actually was. After a few tense seconds, the door was opened far enough for the both of them to sneak in.

The inside looked more decrepit than the outside. The walls were a rusty-brown color. Various boxes were strewn about. Some were broken and others were open but empty. The darkness seemed to seep into the very air, giving Robin chills. Even inside the fortress, more crows were pecking at small beetles that somehow survived in the cruel desert environment and made their home within the ruined crates. Robin carefully stepped over the birds, wondering why this particular place was so popular with the avians.

Something bumped into her, causing her to stumble a bit. Robin snapped her head around, glaring at Takumi before becoming confused. He looked quite anxious, arms tense and a nervous frown on his features. He mouthed an apology before taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

The two made their way through the dank hallways, turning each corner only to find more and more crows the deeper they went. Their clusters seemed the worst by a particular stairway leading to the roof of the building. Steeling herself, Robin was the first to climb the treacherous flight full of feathers and beaks. How she managed not to step on any of the animals, she would never know. With a little effort, she poked her head through the opening, looking around only to have a bird screech in her face. She held back the startled scream that was stuck in her throat, cheeks red and flaring from annoyance and anger.

"Why are there so many damned crows here!?" she grumbled to herself.

"Because they're my NEST-door neighbors! Nya ha ha!"

That time, Robin did scream and nearly fell down the steps from her shock. She whirled her head around, spotting the owner of the voice. He wore the traditional garb of a Dark Mage, a dark purple tome in hand and a crow perched on the other. His eyes were closed, but an unnervingly wide grin was plastered on his face. Robin stared at the white-haired male, heart pounding like a hammer in her chest. She had no doubt he was a Plegian, but the last thing she needed was to start a fight and alert the locals about the death of one of their soldiers.

Robin let out a small squeak as Takumi pushed her aside, wondering what was distracting her. The archer narrowed his eyes at the mage, but this only made the stranger's grin grow.

"Well, hi there!" the mage chuckled. "I know you guys from somewhere. You two were part of the Ylissean army that killed our king, weren't you?"

"Ah…No?" Robin answered hesitantly.

"Yeah, you were! I remember that day really well. So much blood and death…" His smile twisted darkly. "I never had so much fun in my life!"

"You want to join the rest of your comrades?" Takumi snapped, a hand on the hilt of his Killing Edge. "I'd be more than happy to grant that request."

"Mister Pineapple, would you really?" the Plegian eagerly asked. "Can you do it so it isn't super painful? I don't like ouchies."

Takumi blinked in surprise. "…Excuse me?"

"It's my dream! I want to die a horrible, bloody death one day. Kinda like the one you almost had, with all that red seeping out your mouth and your ribs poking through your—"

"Wait, you saw what happened to Takumi that day!?" Robin exclaimed.

"Oh, is that Mister Pineapple's name? Yeah. I saw. Some cool-looking cloaked guy shot him through the chest and then killed all those Pegasus Knights. It was raining blood AND bodies that day because of that guy! It was so COOL!"

"So we finally have another witness to the scene of the crime!" cheered Robin. "What fantastic luck!"

The stranger's grin shrunk, replaced by a confused frown. "Why would you say that? Are you two in trouble?"

"You could say that. My friend here was wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn't commit. We're hoping to find the real culprit or find some more witnesses who can help clear Takumi's name."

"Oh, cool! I didn't think I'd meet a couple of CAWnvicts today. So that means that if I stick with you two, there'll be more people for me to kill! Where do I sign up?"

"Um…that's not exactly what we're trying to accomplish here…"

"Awwwwwwwwww! You sure? I'm a whiz at magic and curses. Without the war, there's no order to kill everyone in sight or hex their eyeballs out. That's no fun for me, so I might as well go wherever the excitement is. So can I join? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease? I promise I won't stick a knife in your back, but I can definitely stick it in next guy if you need me to."

Takumi leaned towards Robin, whispering in her ear. "I don't trust this guy. He's awfully morbid for someone so cheery. Anyone who enjoys killing that much is bad news to me."

Robin sighed. "…We're on our own, Takumi. There's not much of a choice. If worse comes to worst, we may have to fight against our fellow Shepherds and the Ylissean guard. We need to take advantage of what few allies we can get. Let's give him a chance. Who knows? He might prove to be a valuable asset to us."

"You place way too much faith in others."

"Someone has to. Chrom's not here to do it for me and I know you'd never give anyone a chance if the decision were left up to you."

"…True," the archer grumbled. "Fine. He can come. But if he betrays us, I'll make sure his dream of a bloody death comes true."

"Thank you," Robin gave Takumi a beaming smile, causing him to turn away to hide the flush on his cheeks. She turned back to the Dark Mage, her serious demeanor back in place. "Alright, we'll let you join our party on one condition. No mindless killing sprees or curses of your own volition. We'll tell you who you can do that to."

"Really? Hurray!" the guy cheered. "By the way, my name's Henry. Nice to meet you."

"Well, Henry, we may be hurting your fellow countrymen and comrades in the future. Are you certain you won't buckle under the consequences of your actions?"

"Pshaw!" Henry waved the matter away with a flick of his hand. "I don't care who gets eviscerated as long as I can do it. If you want someone dead, moderately dead, or just slightly dead, just say the word. I promise to support your CAWS!"

"Oh god…" Takumi groaned, palming his face. "Is this going to be a regular thing with you?"

Henry shrugged. "Not a fan of puns, huh? Then I guess I'll have to proceed with CAWtion! Nya ha ha!"

"Stop it."

"Oh come on. I haven't even reached my BEAK performance yet. Get it?"

"GAH!"

Oh, Takumi. Please bear with it, Robin thought. This is only the beginning.

"SHE DID WHAT!?" Chrom could only stare, bewildered by what his loyal steward-but-not-really-a-steward had told him.

Frederick nodded. "I speak the truth, milord. Both the prisoner and Robin are missing. I can only assume she freed Takumi herself and both are now on the run. I hate to say it, but I expected something like this would happen. That woman is as tenacious as ever."

"I—She—Are you serious!?"

"Of course I am. You know I do not jest about such matters."

"I expected her to do something crazy, but this level of insanity just takes the cake!" Chrom exclaimed. "And I'm talking a massive Gaius-approved honey cake!"

"Yet you did nothing to persuade her from attempting such a foolhardy mission?"

"I was expecting something along the lines of blackmailing the court or frying their extremities extra crispy! I never thought she'd go as far as this."

"…We ARE talking about the same Robin, aren't we? I'm honestly surprised she didn't add that onto her list of questionable actions she's done thus far," Frederick deadpanned. "The only thing missing from this cake is the icing."

Chrom blinked. "Icing?"

"I refer to the Fujin Yumi. I wouldn't be shocked if she took that under our noses as well."

"No way. She couldn't have. She wouldn't. Only authorized personnel are allowed inside that vault."

"You think something trivial like that would stop her? You know how she is." Frederick gave Chrom a meaningful look. "I'm well aware that you think highly of her, but her actions speak for themselves. A criminal thinks themselves above the law; even the word of the future Exalt."

Chrom frowned, suddenly feeling very exposed before the noble knight. It was a bit jarring to see what Frederick was blatantly pointing out. The one thing Chrom prided himself on—being a good judge of character, trusting others and giving a them a chance when no one else would—became a double-edged sword. The current situation only served to remind Chrom of the fact that he let things slide whenever Robin was involved. She may have been their tactician, but Frederick had yet to fully let go of his suspicion. He was still convinced Robin was planning something behind their backs. Freeing a convict and running off into the night definitely looked bad, even by Chrom's standards—even if he believed neither Takumi nor Robin were capable of doing anything inherently evil. The whole thing just proved Frederick's point that they needed to keep a closer eye on their "comrades".

"I don't believe Robin stole the Fujin Yumi."

"At least check, milord," Frederick insisted. "If either of the sacred weapons are missing from that vault, the council will want her head. I have no doubt about that. Should it come to that, I fear not even you would be able to save her from her judgment."

The blue-haired prince attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. The knight may not have liked Robin as much as the other Shepherds, but at least Frederick recognized that she was a special friend to his lord. Chrom was grateful for that. With the words ringing around his head, the soon-to-be Exalt motioned his faithful steward to follow him. They passed down the great hallways of the castle, turning more times than Chrom cared to count. The two sacred weapons were stored in the heart of Ylisstol, sealed away by powerful magic only a few trusted mages could wield. Only a chosen few were allowed inside the vault, Chrom being one of them because he was of royal blood. That and he pried Siegfried out of Gangrel's bloody hands, so he technically had laid claim to the broadsword in the eyes of the council.

Despite the desires of the noble elders in the council that he wield Siegfried, Chrom knew he never would. Not only would it appear as if he was establishing a supremacy over the other realms of the continent—something he wanted to avoid in order to keep the peace Ylisse had won—but the demonic-looking sword did not choose him as its master. When Falchion chose him, Chrom felt a bond form between him and the sword; a deep connection that no one but himself could feel. Lissa also felt something similar form between her and Brynhildr when the tome chose her. But that feeling did not happen when he held the mythical black blade. He felt nothing; nothing but a cold hilt that pulsed with a yearning for its true master's hand. That was something those old fools would never understand, blinded by a lust for power and dominance.

It wasn't long before the looming gates barring the entrance to the vault came into view. The last time he saw the imposing metal doors before him was when he placed Siegfried inside. Chrom blinked in surprise when he realized that none of the mages who could dissipate the magic surrounding the entrance were present. Instead, a certain manakete was skipping around in front of it.

"Nowi?" A confused Frederick began. "How did you—Why are you down here?"

"Oh!" the young girl perked up when she saw her two friends. "Chrom! Frederick! Did you come to help me find the Dragon Vein here?"

"Dragon Vein?" the two men asked simultaneously.

"Yeah! You know what Dragon Veins are, right?" Nowi chirped excitedly. "They're like little wellsprings of draconic power that flow out of the ground in certain places. Only those of dragon descent can use them, but accessing that power makes all sorts of neat things happen! At least that's how it was explained to me."

Chrom hummed to himself. "What kinds of neat things?"

"I don't know for sure since I've never tried it myself. Dragon Veins are really rare to come across nowadays. But I heard that a really long time ago that Dragon Veins were all over the place. Stuff like drying up rivers, cooling lava, making rain, and creating rockslides happened all the time back then."

"So…there's supposedly one of these Dragon Veins around here?"

"Yep!" Nowi nodded eagerly. "I'm gonna find it and see what it does!"

"And dragonkin and those descended from them are the only ones capable of sensing and activating them?"

"Something like that, yeah!"

"Milord," Frederick the Wary started, eyeing the all too familiar look of curiosity on Chrom's face. "Perhaps another time? We're down here on business, remember?"

"Why not, Frederick? We can't do anything about the barrier until one of the mages returns, so we might as well pass the time doing something productive."

"Productive? Ordering a soldier to find one of said mages and bringing them here isn't productive?"

"Frederick, I am a descendant of Nohrian royalty," Chrom explained in a hushed voice so that Nowi wouldn't hear. "I carry the blood of the Dusk Dragon within me. If I can use such accursed blood to do something good, I want to learn as much about it as I can."

Frederick sighed. "…As you wish, milord. Still, I advise caution. These 'Dragon Veins' could pose a threat to your safety."

"Don't worry so much. I'll be careful!"

"Somehow, that only makes me worry more…"

A delighted squeal. "FOUND IT!"

Both men eyed Nowi, seeing her on the ground. She was crouched down, looking at a particular spot with barely-contained glee. It didn't take long for his promise to be forgotten as Chrom rushed over to the young manakete, hoping to see what Nowi was seeing. Frederick shook his head in defeat, half-smiling at the childlike eagerness Chrom was displaying in response to the topic. The knight slowly made his way over to the two, being sure to stay close enough while keeping a respectable distance that wouldn't smother his lord. He raised an eyebrow when he felt a small pulse in the air, almost unnoticeable unless one was paying close attention.

"Yep! That's definitely the Dragon Vein!" Nowi exclaimed. "I can't believe there were humans who could find these things out on the battlefield super easy! I probably walked over it, like, a gazillion times and I never noticed it until now. Guess I was too excited to sense it."

"So…how do you activate it?" asked Chrom.

The dragonkin shrugged unsurely. "I don't know. I guess you just touch it and BAM! The magic just happens."

"Should we give it a try?"

"Yeah! I'm gonna do it!"

Nowi placed her hand on the floor. Almost instantly, a glowing light rose out of the ground and flew into the air. All three watched in awe as the light flew towards the gate, slamming right into the magic barrier. Cracks were heard as the magic dissipated, shattering completely. The electric air around the door evaporated, leaving only normal steel doors in its wake. Nowi pouted in frustration.

"Aw! All that looking and all it did was that!? I thought something cool was gonna happen!"

Chrom was silent with shock while Nowi stomped off in angry disappointment. The magic guarding those doors was some of the most advanced spellwork Ylissean mages could muster. Was that the power of a Dragon Vein? It was the same sort of light Robin said she saw on that day they saved Maribelle. Shortly afterwards, the rockslide happened and all the Shepherds were miraculously unscathed. That unbelievable event had given the Shepherds a massive advantage over the Plegian army that day. A flurry of ideas spawned inside his mind, each one providing potential scenarios where such a power could come in handy.

"Well…I suppose we don't have to worry about tracking anyone down now," Frederick finally managed to say, still reeling from the Dragon Vein display. "By the gods…"

Chrom merely nodded as he followed the Great Knight over to the doors. With some effort, the two men pushed them open to reveal a mostly barren room. The grey walls were bland and the only objects inside the room were two pedestals, each holding a sacred weapon. Fujin Yumi was still there, a decent layer of dust coating the sleek white wood. Nobody had touched it since it was taken from Takumi months ago. Chrom breathed a sigh of relief at the sight before turning to look at Siegfried. The sword was safe in its scabbard, sitting majestically before them. Even without a hand to wield it, the weapon still garnered attention and respect from all those who gazed upon it.

"Both sacred weapons are accounted for," Chrom announced, feeling quite pleased before turning towards the knight. "And you were worried! I told you Robin wouldn't have been able to come in here."

"Yes…I suppose you were right…"

Chrom blinked. "Is something still bothering you, Frederick the Wary?"

"Do you not hear that…moaning, milord?"

"Moaning?"

Chrom saw that the distressed look on Frederick's face was directed at Siegfried. Turning towards the pedestal where the sword slept, he eyed the weapon suspiciously. It looked as inanimate as ever, silent to him. Frowning as he walked over to the blade, the prince carefully lifted the heavy broadsword off the metal stand that was holding it upright. He looked over the simple yet royal design of the scabbard, his hand clutching the long hilt with care. Still, he heard nothing. But something tickled him in the back of his mind the longer he looked at Siegfried. He had an idea. A crazy one to be sure, but there was only one way to find out.

"Frederick, I want you to draw Siegfried from its scabbard."

Frederick balked, as if he didn't hear Chrom right. "Pardon?"

"I don't hear anything, Frederick. I think the sword might be calling out to you."

"Me? That's not possible. I am not of royal blood. Why would it—"

"I guess we'll find out."

"Milord, I am not authorized to wield, much less touch that sword and I'm certain there is some protocol we are violating—"

An annoyed huff. "Just do it!"

"…Very well then. As you wish."

Never in Chrom's life had he seen Frederick look so apprehensive about anything than at that moment when the blade was presented to him. The man reached for the maroon scabbard, looking very much like he had just swallowed a mouthful of bear jerky. Once Siegfried was in his hands, he hesitated. Frederick simply looked at the design, holding the weapon at arm's length as if it would lash out at him for daring to lay a hand on it. When nothing happened for a few minutes, he slowly took hold of the hilt and pulled. The metallic screech of a sword being drawn echoed in the room along with a wave of pulsing purple light.

That was when Chrom finally heard it. A strange noise that sounded like a mix of wailing and moaning that came from the sword itself as the sheer power of the blade shook the castle walls, seeping into every nerve of his body. It was as if the countless lost voices of the deceased were calling out, chilling Chrom to his very core.

No wonder it was called The Dark Sword.

The unsettling atmosphere lasted all of a few seconds before the shaking ceased and all appeared as it was. Siegfreid was fully out of its scabbard, the sharp edges glowing eerily with the same purple light as before. A few tense moments passed, both men completely silent and motionless. Frederick was the first to move, sheathing Siegfried and looking at a spot on his forearm.

"Well…I was not expecting that…" Chrom finally managed to say, unnerved by Frederick's lack of reaction. "Are you alright?"

The knight said nothing, choosing to remove the armored gauntlet on his arm instead and revealing the pristine suit sleeve underneath. He rolled up the cloth, his stern expression becoming troubled. Chrom moved closer, spotting what the Great Knight was looking at. A distinct shape he had seen before on the back of Lissa's hand.

The mark of the Dusk Dragon.

I hate having a fickle muse. It often means big waits between updates whenever writer's block hits and my writing seems worse to me afterwards. I'm not super proud of this chapter since not much happens, but I am proud of myself for finally getting it done. I can only hope you guys enjoy it. I have Henry here. Be happy with that at least, please?