Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associated with it.
A/N: Hey, y'all! As usual, since school started, things are going to most likely slow down unless by some miracle from God I can have the energy to get these chapters done and rolling. But, screw all that drabble, I believe I have a cliffhanger from last chapter I need to fill in! So, review, fave and follow, and enjoy above all!
"Hm..."=Regular talk
'Hm…'= thinking
"Hmmm…"=AncientLanguage/exaggeration/timeskip/meanwhile/etc./action/onamottapeia/I'm done…
XXXXX
"So, where'd you guys set up?" Khimari asked as the three walked back from the scuffle with Daeins and the Feral Ones.
"A little further ahead," Ike answered, limping slightly from the blow he took from the red dragon only a little while earlier. "So, how'd you get away?" he asked, trying to make conversation before they got back to the base. Strangely enough, Khimari stayed silent for a long period of time before he gave his answer.
"We'll talk about that later," he said quietly, to the point where Ike almost couldn't hear him. "How has everyone been?"
"Managing," Ike curtly said. "It's been much more….somber without you around." At that, both Khimari and Ranulf felt their tails twitch with amusement. Noticing, the father-son pair gave a look to each other before breaking out into a small laugh, much to Ike's confusion. With a huff of exasperation, he quickly gave up on trying to figure out what the heck they were laughing about. Nonetheless, a small grin of nostalgia crossed his face as the feeling swept across him. "Here, this way," he guided Khimari, taking a left. Following the commander, he got a big smile seeing that camp was right before them, a small group already waiting at the entrance in anticipation of their return.
The second Khimari exited the woods behind Ike and Ranulf, a murmur spread instantly, eventually becoming clamor. The two looked at the wolf with an expectant look, as though he was supposed to make a huge welcome. Although, that was cut short as a small stampede could be heard coming to where they were. Khimari, who didn't quite know what to do, just stood there, wondering what would come next.
"KHIMARI!" a voice yelled, breaking everyone out of their stupor. Shocking everyone, a figure threw down her lance and helmet before running over and jumping into the wolf's arms. Ike and Ranulf, not expecting Nephenee to be the first one to jump at him at ALL (they thought it'd be Mist), blinked their eyes and let their mouths drop slightly. They didn't know she was capable of being that loud. "Ya….dumb wolf!" she said, crying as the two embraced each other.
"Sorry, Nephee," he whispered, pulling her hair back to see her tear-stained face. "I hated worrying you." As the Greil Mercenaries started to make their way to see the wolf, what happened next was the stuff of legend. An audible smack echoed across the camp entrance as Nephenee slapped Khimari in the face. Strangely enough, the wolf smiled as he grabbed her hand and put it on his reddening cheek. "Ouch, you pack a punch," he complimented.
Now smiling with unbridled joy, she smashed her lips to his, taking her other hand and putting it on his other cheek. Khimari's tail unconsciously started to swish in happiness as the two fell into each other's embrace. A chorus of "woah" and whistles started to emerge from the crowd, but the lovers tuned it out as they simply enjoyed being reunited once again.
Unfortunately, they had to breathe unless they wanted to suffocate. Breaking apart, the two took a big breath, trying to refill their lungs with air. Even then, they didn't take their eyes off each other until more shouts filled the clearing.
"Khimari!" four voices shouted, finally forcing the two to avert their gaze from each other's faces to see Rikari, Mist, Rolf and Tormod running towards the wolf for a hug. What Khimari didn't count on was all four of them jumping at the same time. Eyes widening, he jumped out the way, leading all four kids to fall face-first onto the grassy ground. "Hey you guys!" he greeted back, looking at the kids who tried to jump him. "I'm so happy to see you again!" Helping Mist up, he gave her a hug first, before the other three joined the group hug shortly afterwards.
"How could you let us fall like that?" Mist complained, huffing and crossing her arms after the hug. "We missed you!"
"I missed you guys, too, but I wasn't about to get jumped by kids."
"I'm not a ki-"
"Whatever ya say, little pup," Khimari interrupted, ruffling Rikari's hair unnecessarily rough. In response, the orange wolf growled at him.
"Watch it! I bet I could beat you now if I wanted to!" he challenged. Khimari simply raised an eyebrow at the challenge.
"Really now? We'll have to see about that, won't we?" the wolf returned, smiling in a way that showed off his sharp canine teeth, which slightly unnerved Rikari.
...Not that he would admit it, of course. Instead, he puffed out his chest in challenge, only making Khimari enjoy what was coming even more. "You'd better be careful, Khimari!" Tormod chimed in. "Rico has been training really hard!"
"Good to hear," he returned, glad that he didn't stop after he got taken.
"It was so I could rescue you!" he explained. "I could show how much I've grown!" Seeing the fire in Rikari's eyes made Khimari smile with pride.
"That's how I like it!" he commented. "Come next time, we show 'em all why wolves are the best!" Rikari, and even Tora, nodded their heads with excitement at showing that their species are capable of a lot.
"It's true! He's really back!" another voice came out. Looking past the kids, Khimari saw Boyd, Titania, Oscar, and Soren walking over to the reunion. "Hey, what the heck happened to you?" the middle brother asked him.
"It's a loooong story," Khimari said. "Long story short, a lot of crap happened that I wish I didn't see."
"I hope you wouldn't mind telling me that story," Soren said, though a small smirk adorned his features, showing that he was glad of the wolf's return as well. "Any information you retrieved while in captivity may be invaluable." At that, Khimari nodded.
"Ashnard is a nut," the wolf said. "He told me a lot of his plans for no reason." Soren's eyes got a bit more calculative as his grin widened, which Khimari didn't think was physically possible.
"...I'll see you in the meeting tent," he curtly said, before walking back to said tent.
"We should follow him there," Ike commented. "We can have a celebration later, but the sooner we get the information, the better." Khimari nodded at that; priorities must come first.
"Alright, but we need….Dad, Reyson, Ulki, and Janaff to come as well," Khimari listed. In response, Ike gave him a puzzled look while the aforementioned names started to gather in a small separate bunch. "Trust me, it'll all make sense later. Now, let's go."
"Okay." With that, the group went to the meeting tent, where they met up with Soren, who was already prepared with a map, a writing apparatus, and some empty parchment.
"Tell us everything that happened since your capture," Soren said while everyone filed in.
"I'll start with the reason I disappeared first," Khimari started. "One night, while I was sleeping outside, I heard someone sneaking away. I didn't know who it was at first, so I followed them for a while. They quickly found I was onto them and it eventually became a full-on pursuit. I was able to catch up to the suspect, only to find out it was Nasir." The wolf paused for a second before continuing. "He stole Mist's medallion for Daein and gave it to Ena, a Daein general, to give to Ashnard."
"Hold on," Ike interrupted. "We fought Ena at the capital, and Nasir helped her to escape. That's how we found out about his treachery in the first place."
"Well, to be fair, they're in a very hard place," Khimari returned. "Ena is Nasir's granddaughter, and I'm assuming that Ashnard put something over her to get both of them under his finger." At that, everyone nodded at the new information. "I got into a fight with the two that night, and although I could square off against Ena, fighting Nasir as well was simply too much for me. I got overpowered and they turned me over to Daein as a prisoner."
"Where did they take you?" Soren asked, attentive as his writing utensil was poised to start writing again.
"Melior, at the royal palace," he answered.
"They took you back to Crimea!?" Ike yelled, not expecting that. Khimari simply nodded before he continued on with the story.
"Petrine of the Four Riders took me there as a prisoner, as per the request of Ashnard. Apparently, talking to me was a priority of his. Not long after they put me in the cell, I got an audience with the crazy fool." Everyone's eyes widened at that.
"What did he tell you?" Titania asked, her tone reflecting the changing climate of the room as a veil of heaviness and urgency weighed down everyone.
"His reason for starting the war," Khimari started.
"Which is?" Soren pressed.
"Releasing the dark god from the medallion...and destroying the whole world," the wolf answered, getting a shout from everyone.
"What!?" Reyson yowled. "How can someone be foolish enough to want his own destruction? Everyone will be destroyed if the dark god is released!"
"He's insane," Khimari responded. "He didn't care about getting destroyed. He just wanted to see chaos in its perfection destroying anything and everything. He really is mad…."
"How will he go about releasing this...dark god?" Titania asked.
"When the flames of war are blazed, the medallion glows stronger every day," Reyson responded, his eyes in deep thought.
"Also….Ashnard plans to get a heron for his plans as well."
"He's going to try and kidnap Reyson?" Ranulf guessed.
"No…." Khimari denied, confusing everyone for a second before Reyson suddenly stiffened as his blood ran cold.
"You don't mean-"
"Yup," he confirmed. "Ashnard charged the Black Knight with capturing Leanne for her galdr."
"What!?" Janaff yowled. "He can't do that!"
"As powerful as this Black Knight is, even he can't get past Tibarn, right?" Ulki spoke.
"The problem here is that the Black Knight has warp powder, from what Ashnard said," Khimari said. "That means that he could theoretically come and go like dust. At his wish, he could suddenly pop up anywhere….like Phoenicis. When he's done, he can also vanish at a moment's notice, as if he was never there," Khimari explained. "So he could bypass Tibarn completely."
"We have to go back!" Reyson demanded, before a critical look from Khimari calmed him down.
"I don't think that would help. None of you can take on the Black Knight, so that would be more of a distraction than anything."
"We can still send a warning," Titania suggested, to which Khimari nodded in agreement.
"But I have to-"
"Stubborn bird," Khimari interrupted. "You. Can't. Fight." The way the wolf said it shut Reyson down, as he simply huffed loudly and crossed his arms, internally fuming.
"Did any other revelations arise from your meeting with the King?" Soren asked.
"He wants Ena killed, that I know. But besides that….I can't think of anything else."
"Alrighty, so you escaped then?" Ranulf asked. Khimari silently gulped at the memory of Gritnea Tower before he shook his head.
"No...I was taken to another place," he added. Noticing how the wolf's entire body language changed, everyone got put on edge.
"Where?" Reyson asked.
"It's called Gritnea Tower," he revealed, making Ike's eyes go wide.
"WHAT!?" he shouted, catching everyone by surprise.
"You know about it?" Khimari asked, tilting his head to the side.
"The Daein commander you spared told me about it, and how it was likely you'd be sent there."
"Don't keep us in the dark," Ranulf intervened. "Tell us what's so bad about this place."
"Dad…" Khimari began nervously, as if he was a kid who just got caught doing something wrong. "Have you came across any….deformed Laguz?"
"What do you mean?" he returned, though his mind instantly went to the cat Laguz they fought at Riven bridge.
"Eh….Foaming at the mouth, bloodshot eyes, and acting like they lost all sense of sanity?" Khimari described. Ranulf nodded at the assessment.
"Yes, we fought some Laguz with those characteristics at Riven Bridge," Titania vocalized. "What does that have to do with this Gritnea Tower?"
"Those Laguz are given medicine at the tower that warps their minds beyond reason," Khimari answered. "At Gritnea Tower, they become what are called Feral Ones…."
"Are you telling me…" Ranulf started, an angry edge entering his voice as he visibly shook in rage. Khimari simply nodded.
"Ashnard….wanted me turned into a Feral. He planned to make me attack you," he said, causing Ranulf to explode.
"HOW DARE HE!?" the cat burst, banging his fist on the table, causing the top to splinter out due to his rage-powered strike. No one moved a muscle out of sheer shock. The normally upbeat Laguz NEVER got this angry; this was a side of the cat that they didn't even know existed.
"Are you alright, Khimari?" Ike asked, seeing his brother spaced out, staring at a tent wall.
"...I don't feel so good," the wolf admitted, feeling a bit light-headed about what just happened.
"Take a break," Ike said. "We'll finish up later." With that, the meeting was officially over. Leaving first, Khimari went to the forest's edge, a little ways outside camp to recharge himself from that conversation. Not even bothering to transform, the wolf laid himself under a tree. Sighing, the wolf started to retreat into his thoughts again before a voice broke his concentration.
"Already napping outside again? Is that the smartest thing to do?" he asked. Turning his head lazily, he saw Ranulf walking up to him. The cat sat down next to him, Khimari scooting a bit so they could both have space. "About what happened…."
"Don't worry about it, Dad," Khimari said. "Things happen."
"What….did they do to you? What did you see there?" the cat asked quietly.
"It was….horrifying. A horrible odor lingered there. Prison cells with Laguz corpses, or Ferals locked up to be used later," he described, shivering. "They chained me in the prison cell. Then a crazy looking person came up and forced the medicine on me. Soon after, I couldn't control my transformations. I would get so angry….that's all I could think about. My mind was slipping….I could feel myself just rotting away…." he said, on the verge of tears. Getting on one knee, Ranulf embraced the wolf in a hug.
"It's alright, just let it out," he eased. Khimari returned the hug, openly crying onto Ranulf's shoulder. "Remember, you're not alone," the cat comforted. "I'll be around whenever you need me." Even as Khimari let himself be vulnerable, he felt a sense of safety that he never felt before, like everything would be alright with the cat.
"Thanks, Dad," he returned, sniffling a bit as he wiped his face off. "You're the best."
"Don't make me cry, too!" he joked, though the father-son duo both knew that he actually would if they continued the mushy stuff.
"So...what happened while I was gone?"
"I just came along with some Gallian soldiers to help with the liberation of Crimea. I wouldn't be the best one to tell you about that," he explained. Khimari nodded, agreeing with the assessment. "Then again...maybe you should get reacquainted with all your friends and all that."
"...Nah, I'll just stick here for now," the wolf decided. Ranulf snorted at the answer before he remembered something.
"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, rummaging through the pouch on his side. After a few seconds, he pulled out a blue pendant. "This is for you."
"My gem!" Khimari shouted in glee. "Where did…"
"Ike gave it to me to hold on to," he answered as Khimari put it back around its neck. "He found it where you were taken away."
"Thank both of you," Khimari said. "This is all I have left of Mom….I wouldn't know what to do if I could never find it again."
"How...was she?" Ranulf asked, making the younger of the two tip his head over in confusion. "Before you two got separated. How was Nailah?"
"She never dated anyone again, if that's what you wanted to know," Khimari joked, his tail twitching with amusement. "But in all seriousness, she never shirked her job, even though she did miss you." That news made Ranulf's heart jump.
"How could you tell?"
"She'd stare off into the desert sometimes," Khimari revealed. "It was only when most people were asleep, so no one really noticed it much, but it was like she would expect someone to come from nowhere. I didn't want to be overly nosy, so I never asked why she did that." In response, Ranulf nodded his head while slightly spacing out, most likely thinking about his mate. After a while, the cat got up and stretched a little bit, before reaching out his hand to his son.
"Ready to go? I still have to show you to the new Gallian troop we have."
"Sure," Khimari agreed. "I doubt I'll recognize any of them, though. But the food in the lunch tent would be nice after that prison food." Ranulf merely gave a "hmph" as the two walked over to the food tent. Crowded as usual, the two Laguz got in line and waited to receive their meal before someone decided to pay the younger one a greeting.
"Well, if it isn't the little fighter wolf!" a voice broke out among all the clamor. Turning around, Khimari saw a rather familiar looking tiger walking towards them. "Never imagined I'd see you here!"
"You're….Meizo, right?" He was glad to see that he was right by way of nodding, although irritated about what he did in Gallia.
"Glad you could remember me."
"Khimari," Ranulf started. "What does he mean when he said, and I quote, "little fighter wolf?" he asked curiously, wondering what the tiger meant.
"Hmm...should you really ask that?" Khimari returned while getting food. "You're a cat, and curiosity kills the cats. Maybe you should leave it be."
"This guy was a newbie to the tavern," Meizo ratted out, a smirk on his face. "He came and got into a fight with the resident champ and beat him. Didn't know where he went afterwards, that one. But you were the talk around for quite a while."
"Khimari…." Ranulf said, just as the wolf snuck away and was about to hide by Mordecai and Lethe. "When did this happen?"
"Umm….the day before we brought Ike to the palace in Gallia?" he said, looking around.
"The day after you nearly died?" Ranulf fixed, making the wolf shift uncomfortably.
"...Maybe."
"What in the world were you thinking?" the cat scolded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You almost get a sword rammed through you, and you go looking for trouble right when you wake up?"
"That's not what happened, though!" Khimari denied. "I only went there because I heard loud sounds. That's when this one," he said, pointing at Meizo, "decided to throw me in the ring with a homicidal tiger that smelled like he bathed in fox crap." At that, all the Gallians who knew of Scar, the tiger Khimari beat at the tavern, laughed heartily at the comparison.
"Even still….you shouldn't have risked it."
"...What was I supposed to do? I didn't get coerced into it. I got PUSHED into the ring…..LITERALLY," he said, giving a stink eye at Meizo, who could barely keep down his laughs.
"Someone in trouble with daddy?" he mocked, that crap-eating grin ever present on his face.
"Fight me!" Khimari challenged. "Then we'll see who's laughing." At that, Ranulf gave a sigh at his son; that child of his sure knew how to raise some hell.
"Sure," the tiger agreed, getting up and stretching. "I'm way tougher than Scar, though, so don't think that you're the stuff."
"I expect a challenge," the wolf said, giving his signature battle smile. "I'll be disappointed if you don't give me one."
"Let's go," Meizo said, leading the way out. After the two left the food tent, all the Gallians and some others went ahead to go see the fight, as well. Shaking his head, Ranulf prepared to go watch as well before Ike came up to him.
"What's going on?"
"A fight," Ranulf said plainly, putting Ike on edge.
"What fight?"
"It's nothing much," the Laguz said, shrugging his soldiers. "Just Khimari and a Gallian he has some unfinished business with."
"Already? He just got back," Ike muttered. Ranulf simply chuckled at the assessment.
"Well, at least things are gonna get much more lively from now on," he returned, to which Ike agreed with a small smile on his face as the two reached the fight.
"Alright, we'll stop when one side either gives up or is unable to fight through incapacitation," they heard Lethe's voice ring out. Forcing their way through a crowd, they found a blue wolf and a deep gray tiger standing opposite from each other, ready to lunge. The orange cat stood in the middle, with her hand raised. "Ready?" she asked the two fighters. A howl and a roar answered her question. "Fight!"
Instantly, Meizo jumped at Khimari, who tensed but didn't move. Then, when the tiger was but a mere few tail-lengths away, Khimari darted to the left in a burst of speed. Digging his claws in the dirt, he used the momentum to shoot back at the Gallian's side and headbutt him away. Meizo was thrown back several feet, almost colliding with some spectators before he stopped his crash course and jumped back into the fray.
He attempted a claw swipe on the wolf, but all he struck was thin air. Less than two seconds later, he found himself with a set of claw marks on his side. Growling, he rolled over before immediately jumping, throwing himself on the wolf. Immediately, the two rolled into a hissing ball of claws and teeth. Eventually, Meizo ended up on top, pinning Khimari down. He prepared to finish the fight, before the wolf threw him off with all his strength, taking the tiger unawares. Harshly hitting the ground, the tiger couldn't even completely rise before his head crashed back into the ground with the rest of his body subdued by a large weight.
"Looks like it's over," a voice said in his ear. In reply, Meizo growled in defiance.
"That's what you think!" he shouted, before rolling over and throwing the wolf to the ground, scratching his right flank for good measure. With the wolf pinned, he went to the next attack by putting his hind paw on Khimari's tail.
With a powerful leg push, a loud snap echoed as he dislocated the wolf's tail. Everyone winced as the wolf howled in pain. Breaking out of the tiger's grip, Khimari made distance between the two before sighing that his tail had gotten out of place AGAIN. As the tiger began his charge anew, the wolf quickly lodged his tail with his jaws and threw it back into place with a large yank in the other direction. Everyone watching winced again as the same cracking sound happened again. Flexing his tail a few times, Khimari made sure it was right before turning back to the incoming tiger and giving a roar of anger that most people would've mistaken for the tiger.
Jumping directly at Meizo, Khimari barrelled into him, throwing the Gallian on his back. Seeing red, the wolf pinned the tiger before his jaws snapped on Meizo's front leg, instantly breaking the bone. Even as the tiger howled in pain, Khimari ignored it and snapped the tiger's OTHER front leg, before rolling over and throwing him away on his side, with extra claw marks on his belly.
Seeing that the fight was over, Khimari's signature howl pierced the air as the tiger struggled and ultimately failed to get up. Everyone cheered at the sight; the Gallians for seeing a good fight, and the other's for Khimari winning. Reverting to Beorc form, the wolf came over and helped his opponent stand up. "Nice fight, eh?" he rhetorically asked. In response, the tiger gave a "hmph," though he had a small smirk on his face.
"Lucky shot, but yeah. You're the real deal," he complimented as Rhys healed their wounds with his staff. Meanwhile, Rikari and Tormod ran up to the wolf with stars in their eyes.
"Khimari, that was so cool!" the orange wolf said. "You gotta teach me those moves!"
"What!?" Tormod shouted in response. "I was the one who brought it up in the first place!"
"And?" the Laguz shot back. "You can't transform. And Khimari's my teacher. So he'll show me!"
"I can still come up with something…." the mage said. "Besides, you sound like a little pup! Begging for something. Hah!" That struck a chord with the wolf, who hated being called that.
"Look here, short stuff-"
"Who are you calling short?" Tormod shouted, showing that height mattered a lot to him.
"You, short stuff! Not tall enough to see it?"
"Puppy chow!"
"Dwarf!"
"Furball!"
"Tiny!"
"Little Red!"
"Flea brain!" At that, the two got into a tussle, Tormod surprisingly keeping up with Rikari very well despite being a mage. Shaking his head at the two crazy kids, Khimari looked over to see Ranulf and Ike coming towards him.
"Can't stay out of trouble, can you?" his father commented with a smirk on his face. "That was a good fight. But did you have to break two of his legs?"
"He deserved worse for putting my tail out of place," the wolf shot back, giving Meizo a dirty look.
"Good to know you haven't lost any of your fighting skills," Ike said, holding down an eagerness to fight with his brother again.
"Hey, you already saw me take down a dragon today!" Khimari said proudly. Just then, his stomach growled quite loudly, causing the other two to laugh at his expense.
"It looks like what you need to take down is some food," Ike joked. Rolling his eyes, Khimari didn't even reply as he headed off in the direction of the food tent, followed by Ranulf, who hadn't eaten yet either. As they came in, Oscar had already been waiting for them with hot bowls of his awesome stew ready.
"I figured you'd come here after that fight," he explained. "Welcome back, Khimari."
"Nice to be back!" he returned, taking his food and taking a seat by Nephenee and Mist. With a quick greeting and a small kiss with the former, Khimari quickly dug into his stew, devouring it. Nine more times, the wolf repeated this process before he declared himself full. Yawning, he quickly covered his sharp-toothed mouth with his hand. "Well, time for bed," he said.
"Good," Ranulf said, getting up as well. "You're in my tent with me now."
"When did this happen?"
"When I said so, of course," the cat responded.
"...Are you serious right now?" the wolf asked, looking more exasperated by the second.
"Yup! Parent's directions," Ranulf said, patting his son on the back. "You have no choice but to listen."
"But….Ugh, just show me where the tent is….Stupid cat," Khimari gave up, silently thinking of a prank as Ranulf led the two back to his tent in a fit of laughter.
….Another regular day….
XXXXX
The next morning…
The early morning stood still. The sky was still dark when Khimari woke up, and absolute silence surrounded his ears save for the light snoring of Ranulf, who was still fast asleep. Quietly getting up and stretching, Khimari left the tent, careful not to wake up the blue cat that was curled up in a ball. Heading to the forest's edge, he was surprised to see a red wolf there, sitting by themself. Padding up to him, Khimari simply sat down to wait for Tora to speak. For a long moment, the two stood in silence before the red wolf turned around to see him.
"Khimari?" he called.
"Yes?"
"When you find your mother….Can I speak to her?" he requested, speaking much more shyly than he usually is.
"Sure, but….why?"
"I grew up hating her because my parents constantly told me how evil and controlling she was," he explained. "I hated her because she left them to die, and they did eventually. They were killed by Begnion soldiers in front of me when I was eight. Rikari was barely a baby. Afterwards, I didn't know what to do. So, I took Rikari and did my best to survive until we found Maurim and Tormod," he revealed, making Khimari's eyes open. "It was easy to use her and by extension, you, as an excuse to be angry." He paused before looking away from the wolf and into the forest.
"But….then you came along in the desert. I finally had the chance to avenge my parents. I could undo the wrongs of the wolves….and I lost. I was ready to die, but you spared me. And ever since then, I've been thinking….and I know that my parents must have stretched the truth. Judging you, Nailah wouldn't be nearly as bad as they described."
"..." Khimari stayed silent, taking everything in as Tora gave his story. "I believe we'll both see her one day," he finally said. "Ya know, I think in the grand scheme of things, children shouldn't have to bear what the parents do, but it still ends up so." Sighing, he looked up at the star-blanketed sky.
"It's like…." Tora started, before he stopped to find the right words. "A prison of hate." As soon as he said that, Khimari's mind immediately went back to his younger days with Greil. Gasping, he stiffened as he recollected the memories from the past. Shocked, Tora jumped a little at the sudden action, before he turned confused at how the blue wolf completely spaced out. "Are you alright?" he asked, snapping the wolf out of his stupor.
"Yeah, just….thinking about something," he said quietly. Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Tora decided to leave it alone. Khimari would tell him if he needed to.
"So….what now?" he asked, bringing a confused look to the prince's face. "Well, we're out here, but there's nothing to do."
"How about going to sleep?" a voice cut in. Both wolves turned to see Ranulf coming towards the two of them with drowsiness still in his movements. "Why are you up at this deathly hour?"
"We're wolves," Khimari said. "Our internal timekeeper is different from everyone else." Tora nodded his agreement with the answer.
"Oh yeah….So, what are you talking about?" Tora moved to talk, but Khimari intercepted him first.
"Just some things here and there," he vaguely said, taking a quick look at Tora. "But as you've heard, we have nothing to do and daylight doesn't come for a couple hours yet."
"Well, what would you usually do around this time?" Ranulf asked.
"Well, before the whole fiasco, I'd train with Rikari or go out hunting."
"Well, he's sleeping, so that's not happening." Just then, fate decided to smack Tora in the face and do the opposite of what he just said.
"I'm right here," a certain wolf drowsily said. The two blue Laguz twitched in laughter as the younger brother took his place next to Tora. "I'm up for it if you are."
"Dad," Khimari called, earning perked ears in response. "Have you ever seen Rikari fighting?"
"Yeah, at the bridge, I believe," he answered. "He had a good pounce, but left his belly open one time in the middle of battle. It wasn't for long, but it could've been decisive."
"Agreed," Khimari nodded, turning to the orange wolf. "Remember what I told you in Begnion. It may not seem like much, but leave your belly open for even a second, and you may be a goner."
"Well….It was only for a second…."
"I've ripped open many people in that time," Khimari revealed casually, making Rikari want to throw up and Tora and Ranulf take a slight step back. The prince, noticing this action, gained a small smirk on his face as he continued to talk. "Since we're going to be fighting against Laguz pretty soon, you need to get that vulnerability covered up."
"Right!" He nodded. "So what are we going to do?" His expression quickly went from excitement to confusion at the elder wolf giving him an exasperated look.
"I just got through with running away from a mentally-ill dictator, fighting off a whole Daein platoon complete with two dragons, getting the crap slapped out of me by my girlfriend, and showing a Gallian tiger who was boss, and you think I came up with training already?" he blasted out. Processing that, Rikari gave a nervous laugh and started twirling his fingers.
"Well….When you put it like that…."
"I need breaks, too, ya know," Khimari said.
"You'll have to wait until after today, then," Ranulf butted in. "We have Delbray Castle to arrive at first, and that's today's agenda. Then, you'll probably get some good relaxation."
"Then let's get it over with!" the wolf proclaimed.
"Well, we kinda need to have our army awake to do that, don't ya think?" the cat shot, his lip curling upwards in a smile. That smile quickly turned into a small chuckle at the wolf's soft growl heading his way. "But really, we probably shouldn't do anything too active. If we get seen by patrols, some people may get suspicious."
"Point taken….So don't get caught, you guys," Khimari said, leading all of them to facevault in plight of his answer. "Whoever does best wins!" he whispered, preparing to bound into the forest before another voice stopped him.
"What are you all doing awake right now and where are you going, Khimari?" Knowing who that voiced belonged to, the wolf huffed loudly in irritation before turning around to see a certain blue-haired "noble" staring at all four Laguz currently present.
"First of all, I could ask you the same about your sleeping habits and secondly, I was going to hunt."
"My sleep habits are none of your business," he shot back, only to receive an "Are you serious?" look from his adopted brother. "And you can't leave camp." That in particular got a rise out of the wolf, who immediately raised his fur in defiance.
"And why is that?" he growled, obviously angry about the news.
"You just got back from being captured and you have extensive information concerning Daein's affairs," he explained. "You're most likely a very high target on their list, not to mention….if Ashnard knows about you and the medallion-"
"Which he doesn't," the wolf interrupted.
"Even then, you can't leave unless you're with the rest of the company. In battles, you need to make sure you're always in a group," Ike ordered.
"I don't need a babysitter," he hissed. "I can look after myself perfectly fine."
"If a locked-up experiment is what you consider perfectly fine, then I-" Ike quickly closed his mouth when he realized that he went too far. However, the damage was done. The wolf recoiled back in shock, unable to say anything. Trying to fix his mistake, Ike began to walk over to Khimari. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"Stay. Away." The wolf warned Ike, putting everyone on edge as his eyes became slits and his fur spiked even larger, making himself look almost twice his size. Lightly gulping, Ike didn't dare come closer as Khimari glared into his eyes with so much pain and anger it hurt. Without another word, the wolf's fur flattened and he padded in the direction of his and Ranulf's tent. For a moment, no one moved, before a sigh came from said wolf's father.
"That went peachy," he sarcastically breathed. "He probably went back to the tent. I'll go check on him." With that, he left Ike with the wolf siblings alone.
"I'm such an idiot."
"Yup," Tora replied, making Ike give him a look of disbelief.
"You weren't supposed to agree with me!" he said.
"That would be lying, and I have to set a good example for little Rikari," the red wolf shot back, throwing his arm around his little brother, who nodded. Seeing that he would get no support from the wolves, he simply slapped his forehead and went back to his tent, thinking of a way to get things right between him and his brother once and for all.
XXXXX
"I see how you could be mad, but remember that you need to ca-"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Khimari barked at his father. "He didn't have to say that, or make me a prisoner in our own camp!"
"He's just looking out for you."
"That's a great freaking job he's doing, then," he sarcastically replied.
"Ya know, I don't think all this stress is good for you," Ranulf told him.
"Yes, so I should eat plenty of fruits and veggies and remember to do a lot of exercise and only eat one cow a day. Amaaaaaaazing!" At that, Ranulf simply blinked, not exactly sure what to say after that. Instead, he just tipped his head to the side in complete and utter confusion.
"Uh…" he drawled at last. "Good nutrition?"
"Forget it," the wolf said, rolling his eyes. "Tell me when we start the march and all that fun stuff," he requested, laying down. As if life wanted to kick him where it hurts (again), the horn that signaled daybreak sounded, meaning that it was time to pack and march.
"It's time to start the march and all that fun stuff," Ranulf said, laughing when a death glare was sent his way by his son. "Come on, you'll stick with me today. Maybe by the end of it, that nasty attitude will be gone."
"Hmph," the wolf snorted, following Ranulf outside nonetheless. They were met with the other wolves, as well as Lethe and Mordecai, who slept in the tent next to them.
"Another day," Ranulf told the other Gallians while Khimari quietly began to help break down camp.
"What's his problem?" Lethe asked, looking at said wolf.
"Long story," Ranulf said.
"Got into a fight with Ike because of his new restrictions," Tora answered, loudly so that Khimari could hear. "Apparently, he doesn't like his imaginary cage."
"Shut it!" the blue wolf growled from the other tent, making the red wolf snicker in amusement.
"Ah, too easy."
"Anyways….Is he allowed to fight?" she asked, ignoring the banter between the wolves.
"I'm assuming that he is, but I'm not too sure. Best not to ask Khimari neither, since he'd go on a rampage given his current mood," Ranulf said quietly, making sure his son couldn't hear him. Although he did, the prince gave no sign that he overheard what Ranulf said.
The others nodded in response, before they went off to do their respective duties.
"Is Khimari gonna be alright?" Rikari asked his big brother as they gathered up the tents.
"Yeah, he'll be fine," Tora answered. "That moody hairball is a tough one to break." '...You better be,' he thought on the inside, secretly thinking the same question the young wolf asked him.
Before long, the camp was completely finished and the army began to march. Tora, Ranulf and Rikari stayed near the front of the army and close to Khimari, who assumed his wolf form after the clean-up was finished and refused to transform back. Rikari still got to ride on the prince's back, so at least one person enjoyed it.
"Hey, furball," a voice called out. The three turned to see Shinon coming towards them. "How was your vacation to pri-"
"Finish that and I'm ripping your throat out." Everyone around them stopped to look as the scene unfolded.
"Calm down, Khimari," Ranulf chided, trying to stop the situation from blowing up. "It's not worth it," he whispered. Nodding, his son turned around and began to walk until Shinon just had to try his luck.
"So rude, threatening to kill someone over simple conversation. With an attitude like that, it's no wonder your mother left you." For a moment, it seemed like time had stopped. Ike instantly turned around, as did every single Greil Mercenary member around them. All of the Laguz who knew Khimari inhaled deeply, and tensed up to get him. The Begnion soldiers started to back away from the scene, knowing that something would happen.
Fast as lightning, Khimari whipped around and pounced. Almost instantly, Shimon was pinned to the ground by the wolf. Blinded by rage, Khimari reared his head back before diving for the archer's neck with his piercing teeth.
Right before his teeth ripped through Shimon, a strong force pushed him off the sniper. Bouncing to his feet, he renewed his assault, only to be grabbed by a pair of hands. Powered by rage, Khimari kept pushing as more hands grabbed him, until a transformed Mordecai and Tora pinned him down to the ground. He still struggled for a few moments before going limp, realizing he couldn't do anything else.
Looking around, he found Boyd, Ike, Mist and Nephenee panting heavily, while Brom and Gatrie stood in front of Shinon. A look of panic and worry found itself on all their faces, but none more than Shinon himself.
The sniper looked lost. He had a face of shock as he breathed so fast it looked like he was hyperventilating. Looking into his eyes, Khimari found fear. Shinon's fear scent, as well as everyone else's, flooded the area.
"Shinon, you went too far," Ike finally said. "Now that you see what can happen when you cross the line, go to the back lines and stay there. Gatrie, go with him." Without another word, the two did as they were told while Ike turned towards the wolf prince.
"...Please take care of him," he directed towards the wolf. The commander then walked back up to where Princess Elincia and Lucia watched to continue the march.
"Are….you alright?" Mist asked Khimari after Mordecai and Tora got off him. Without a response, the wolf slowly trotted up to Mist, before touching her hand with his snout. He then went over to Nephenee, followed closely by Tora and Rikari.
The altercation between the sniper and the wolf gave birth to a silent march. After what had happened, many people didn't speak, until Lucia broke the silence to tell Ike some information.
"Once we cross over that hill, we will have arrived in the territory of Delbray. Count Bastian went ahead of us, so they should know of your return right now." Just then, a man in a very regal garb started to approach the group, to the happiness of Elincia and Lucia. "There he comes right now, in fact!" Princess Elincia came forward as Bastian continually yelled her name, thinking that he simply couldn't contain his excitement.
"Oh, Bastian, you needn't rush so much," she started. "We were already traveling in your direc-"
"We've been attacked!" he interrupted, to the shock of everyone. "Castle Delbray is surrounded by the Daein forces." The princess gasped in horror, much like everyone else that heard the information. "Geoffrey's acting as a decoy force. You must continue on the road to the southwest."
"So the enemy found us?" Lucia muttered to herself, before grabbing Elincia's hand. "Nothing to do about it but change course. I'll lead you to another hiding place, Princess." Surprisingly, the Crimean Princess stood her ground, refusing to budge.
"What do you mean Lucia? We must help Geoffrey!" Seeing the solemn look on Lucia's face, she turned to her other confidant for support. "Bastian?"
"Luck was not with us princess," Lucia said. "We have no choice. We have to abandon our companions in Delbray."
"NO!" the princess cried, tears threatening to fall on her orange dress. "We will not! Geoffrey and the others have already survived so much...We can't leave them to die!"
"Princess, please understand," the blue-haired woman tried to reason. If we could go back without any danger to you, we would gladly risk our lives to go back."
"We cannot do this, Lucia!" Elincia rejected, refusing to follow Lucia's reasoning. "We must go to the castle!" She then turned to Bastian, who like everyone else was watching the exchange silently. "Bastian! You must not do this!" Before responding, the eccentric man closed his eyes in what seemed like understanding for the Crimean Princess.
"Geoffrey is a knight. In the name of our friend's honor, Princess, you must escape," he finally said, agreeing with Lucia. If Elincia's expression was bad before, it fell into absolute terror now.
"No…..They're still alive! They've lasted this long! NO!" she screamed, reaching her breaking point. Seeing that Princess Elincia wouldn't see their point of view, Lucia turned to Ike to settle things.
"General Ike….We don't have much time. While we stand here squabbling, Daein scouts may find our location. If you will, please move the army southwest down the road."
"...No." Just like that, everyone looked at Ike with varying degrees of shock. He directly objected to what Lucia asked for.
"Pardon?" she said, honestly not sure she heard correctly. "What did you say?"
"We're going to the castle," Ike decided, much to Princess Elincia's joy and to Lucia's and Bastian's chagrin. "If it's surrounded by Daein knights, we cut through them and join up with the under knights. Understood?" Unfortunately, Lucia wasn't understood.
"Weren't you listening? I said we had no choice but to leave them behind! They were lost to us the moment the enemy found and surrounded them!" she yelled, though one look at her face would show that she didn't truly believe what she said.
"They're not so lost we can take them back," Ike countered.
"You are the general of Crimea's Army, are you not?" she asked rhetorically. "Even if only for the moment. I would hope that you act more in accordance to your responsibility," she jabbed not so subtly.
"I didn't choose or ask to be general," Ike started. "I was put here by matters of time and circumstance. But," he continued, "as a mercenary, I have a contract with Princess Elincia that's still in effect. That means she is my employer. And right now, my employer says she wants to go and save the people stuck in that castle." Lucia was so dumbfounded she didn't have any words to say in response. "Isn't that right, Elincia?"
"Y-Yes," she stuttered, so flattered and grateful that Ike took her side. "I don't want….I don't want anyone else to have to be sacrificed."
"So...we're going over there to help them," Ike finished for the emotional princess. "If you're so worried about the princess, I'll leave her here with you and you can keep her safe." Without waiting for a reply, Ike led the army to the castle to aid the surrounded Crimean knights.
XXXXX
After a short march, Delbray Castle began to come into view. As soon as they climbed the hill, the black armor of the Daeins could be seen all around. "Alright, they're in view!" Ike yowled upon seeing the soldiers. "Combat formation!" The commander then thought of a certain blue wolf, and looked to see him going over to Kieran and Boyd. "Khimari!"
The wolf stopped to look at him, before saying something to Boyd and bounding over to Ike. "Yeah?" he asked in a neutral tone.
"I want you to stay with me." Ike could see the flicker of irritation that crossed Khimari's face, but it was quickly replaced by a sigh.
"If we didn't have to rescue someone, I'd be fighting you right now," he simply said as the two began their march north.
"Good thing you're fighting with me, then," Ike returned, slowing their pace as the first wave of Daeins, cavaliers and fighters, started to advance on them. Before the enemy could attack, Khimari pounced, slicing the throat of one fighter before viciously snapping the neck of the other. The horsemen then focused their efforts on the prince instead of Ike out of vengeance, but it still proved to be for nothing. Khimari clamped down on a knight's leg, literally throwing him off his horse before delivering the killing blow to his neck. While that happened, Ike quickly dispatched the other horse knight in an impressive show of swordplay.
"Okay, Khimari, let's-" Ike stopped when he saw Khimari's eyes. They were still the same blue and green combination, but something made the wolf seem….feral. It seemed completely unnatural on the wolf's face and it honestly scared Ike.
"What's wrong with you?" the Laguz growled. Ike snapped out his stupor and looked around for any Daeins. When he found none in sight, he turned back to his adopted brother.
"We'll talk afterwards," he simply said. "But for now, let's head north. I see a house there." Nodding, the wolf sat back while Ike took point over to the bridge. Another small unit of horsemen greeted them as they began to cross the bridge. Ike blocked the strike of one before getting another cavalier in the stomach, ending him right where he stood. Khimari pounced on the first cavalier, taking him off his horse and finishing him on the ground before rolling out of the way of another attack.
Ike caught the paladin attacking Khimari from behind, slashing his back before finishing him with a quick sword thrust. As soon as he was dispatched, a loud roar grabbed their attention. Three wyverns were rapidly closing in on their positions from the northeast, while Berserkers approached them by way of the stream. "I'll take the berserkers," Khimari said, before leaving to do so.
Attacking first, he quickly jumped on a berserker, ending him quickly by snapping his neck. Jumping off, he narrowly avoided an axe swipe meant to take his head off. Howling in challenge, he ran forward and swiped the man's back, a puff emanating from the blow. He then raked his teeth down the enemy's arm before jumping and snapping his neck with his teeth. Leaving the bloodstained stream, he went over see Bastian and Lucia fighting a wyvern while Ike fought head to head with a swordmaster. Looking over, he saw the Crimean soldiers at the top of the hill. Standing firm in front of the tower was a young man with blue armor and hair on a horse. Also there were three Daein soldiers; a halberdier, a bishop and a regular old soldier.
Seeing the lack of magic oriented soldiers in the Crimean rag-tag, Khimari decided to get the bishop out the way first. Feinting past the lancemen, the wolf jumped onto the bishop, snapping his throat will a well-placed bite. Seeing as that was enough for now, Khimari ran down to Lethe, Mordecai, Tora and Rikari, the latter two looking extremely angry. The Gallians were busy handling an onslaught of soldiers and bowmen, leaving Khimari to go see what was happening.
"What's up with him?" he asked the brothers. It seems the man was happy to answer the question for them with a big laugh.
"Another wolf-beast?" he said with glee, brandishing his sword. "This day keeps getting bet….oh, you're the one that escaped from Daein!"
"What's it to you?" Khimari growled, his eyes becoming slits.
"You're going to make me famed for generations! Come, beast, give me my title!" he goaded. Unfortunately, he didn't know who he was talking to.
"You picked the wrong day," Khimari said before motioning for Tora and Rikari to go help Lethe and Mordecai. Without a second look they left, leaving the blue wolf with the enemy commander. Tensing up, Khimari leapt with a burst of speed towards the paladin.
"Yes!" the Daein said when claws met sword. His horse kept moving, making Khimari turn to see the man throwing a Short Axe at him. Surprised and impressed with the move, he rolled to the right to avoid it, while preparing for another attack with the man's sword.
"You fight well, beast," he complimented, making Khimari roll his eyes. They hardly started. "Now, it's over!" he yelled, charging forward with a battle cry. With a vicious twinkle in his eye, Khimari ran up to the two, seemingly about to collide head-on with the man's horse.
….Until the last second, a blue light shocked both the Daein and his steed. Next thing he knew, a hand threw him off the horse and flopping on the ground. Rolling on the hill, the commander got to his knees to see a blue wolf form jumping on him. Struggling, he couldn't get loose as Khimari held an iron grip. It all ended when his jaws clamped on the man's throat. Jumping off, he looked around to see the Daeins retreating, badly beaten around by the Crimean Army. Going back to the castle entrance, he witnessed Princess Elincia running over to Ike for a big hug. Choosing to ignore that ticking love bomb, Khimari went to sit by Ranulf, who was stretching himself out.
"Hey," Khimari greeted. Ranulf gave a "hmph" while he finished stretching.
"That bad attitude gone yet?"
"Maybe a little," Khimari answered, giving Ranulf some relief. "That depends on how this talk with Ike goes, though."
"You two are gonna talk and not try to kill each other?"
"Supposedly." The son gave a sigh of frustration. "How in the world did we get to this point?" he said rhetorically; the fault was his for not telling Ike the truth from the beginning, he knew.
"Everyone falls out at one point or another," Ranulf comforted. "What matters is what you do to make amends and move forward."
"True enough…." Just then, Geoffrey gave the clear for everyone to enter the camp. Following the crowd, Khimari and Ranulf started for the castle entrance before Ike called the latter. Sharing a look, Khimari gave a quick smile to his father before heading over to his surrogate brother.
"Hey, Ike!" he said, in a much more cheerful mode than he had shown the entire day.
"Come with me." Without any explanation whatsoever, Ike turned heel and started to walk.
"Uh, what's going on?" Ike said nothing. "Hello, this isn't funny if it's a prank."
"He's here." Looking at Ike crazy, Khimari just looked until a distinct smell of iron hit his nose. He then realized that he WAS here.
Sure enough, right when the castle started to fade from view, a knight in black-clad armor stood waiting. Khimari growled at the sight and immediately took his Laguz form, his fur expanding to at least twice his size. "Why appear now?" Ike interrogated, raising his sword at the knight. "You mean to tell me you purposely waited until the battle was over?"
"Hmph," he grunted in what sounded like laughter. "I know how your mind works. I assumed you would attack the moment you saw me." Khimari couldn't lie to himself; that was an accurate assumption if the events at Port Toha were anything to go by. "But perhaps you've learned to judge the importance of time and place."
"To a mercenary, nothing's more important than a contract between him and his employer." Even with the present circumstances before them, Khimari couldn't help but look to the sky; Greil had told them that exact quote for years before his passing.
"Shall we call off our contest then?" the Black Knight offered, throwing the brothers off-guard. "When you'll die here, you'll be in breach of contract, after all."
"That's not a problem," Ike resolved, bracing for a fight. "All I have to do is win." Without any more words, Ike rushed towards the Daein knight, swords clashing. The Black Knight parried the blow before attempting to thrust the sword through Ike. The mercenary leader leaned to the side and landed a blow to the man's arm. The strike still did nothing, as his armor was blessed by the Goddess.
"You're not as overly clumsy as I had feared," the Black Knight complimented, if one could call that a compliment. "A shame your weapon is so poorly made."
"Why do my attacks…"
"The armor, Ike," Khimari intervened, walking in front of said Beorc. "Only that sword you got the night Greil died can pierce that armor."
"Indeed," the Black Knight agreed. "However, seeing as you didn't bring it, I claim victory."
"Not yet. I still have a score to settle."
"So the dog wants to bark?" he mocked, making Khimari growl. "I'm done today. You are not of my concern at the moment." Khimari jumped with the intent of tearing that helmet off the Daein's head. A bright light surrounded the knight and before he could strike, the Black Knight disappeared. Reverting to his Beorc form, Khimari fell onto the grass sprawled out.
"Khimari?" Ike called, going over to the wolf.
"Yup?" he responded, staring at the sky.
"I want to apolo-"
"It's fine. I've been in a crappy mood for a while anyway." The wolf assumed a sitting position before he continued to talk. "It was my fault in the first place. Greil wouldn't want us fighting anyway, so I don't see why we should."
"Yeah….Sorry anyways. I reacted selfishly." Khimari laughed, making Ike confused until Khimari turned his blue and green eyes on him.
"You reacted exactly how I thought you would."
"How can you laugh about that? If that never happened, you wouldn't have been captured by Dae-"
"You worry too much, kid." Ike gave an indignant expression in response to being called a kid, considering he was only four months younger than the one who said that. "Four months is four months. I know you're thinking it."
Ike huffed in defeat, seeing he lost that battle decisively. With a newfound smile on his face, Khimari got up and began to walk back to the castle.
"Where are you going?" Ike asked. In response, the wolf turned around with one eye closed and his tail wagging in amusement.
"What do you think? I'm going to cuddle with my girlfriend."
XXXXX
A/N: That's a wrap! Now, this is actually the anniversary day of Blue Wolf, so I kind of postponed the release to make it feel more special (it does). Also, I've been REAL busy, and I mean REAL busy. For the past forever, I done had all my weekends gone, and I've been trying to maintain my 4.0 grades because I intend to avoid the wretched student loan option. This Christmas break is exactly what I needed; a long BREAK.
Also….these next couple of chapters (including this) were hellish to plot out. Mostly because I hated these chapters whenever I played them and typically paid no attention, compared to other things coming up in the future. That also means extra gameplay research and all that jazz because I honestly forgot about this mission in its entirety until I got near this chapter. That REALLY threw me off considering I had already planned up to the epilogue in terms of things.
With that said, I really don't have much else to say. I hope y'all are looking forward to the next chapter, and I'll uh…..see ya soon! (ish)
Blizzard, out!