Falchion was a sword with a storied history. Even in its corrupted and technically non-physical form, Jack could feel it through the grip. With every cavalier that attempted to run him through with a lance, Falchion cut through the legs of their steeds like butter, and stabbed through their riders just as easily.
Even through the mist of battle and what had happened to him, Jack enjoyed that feeling.
It had been some time since he had battled Corrupted - whenever they had been present on the battlefield, he never fought them. Even with the Elusians employing them as shock troops, Jack hadn't faced them since that first battle at Florra Mill Town. Hearing the creatures scream and sputter as they fell from their dismembered mounts was disturbing all its own; there was something very clearly human to it in a way that Jack couldn't identify. All pretenses of humanity soon changed whenever he fought them one on one, thankfully. The people they once had been were long gone.
All around Jack, the skirmish continued on in earnest. While at first there were only cavaliers, soon enough there were Corrupted pegasus knights and wyvern riders flying through the air, although many of them met their end at Lyn's bow, courtesy of Ivy. Jack could see brief glimpses of Rosado and who he assumed to be Chloé fighting alongside the elder Elusian princess.
On the ground, Jack and Zelkov were on the front, with Kagetsu further ahead cutting a swath through the enemies. It was like watching someone dance, in a way. Though, instead of cutting through the air, Kagetsu was cutting through rotten flesh.
Jack could have sworn he'd seen Goldmary at some point as well, though he wasn't quite sure. Being in the thick of battle, he only allowed himself quick glances at what the others were doing. If he was distracted for too long, it could be a death sentence.
They would not be able to hold out forever, however, and reinforcements weren't going to arrive any time soon. It was a shame Zephia was high in the air - Falchion would have torn her to shreds if he'd gotten close enough. That didn't mean that Mauvier was out of reach, however.
"Push forward! Find him! Find Mauvier!" Jack ordered.
Neither Kagetsu nor Zelkov were bound to follow his orders, but nonetheless, they followed his words and pushed on. Another rider with a dagger in its throat fell off its horse just in front of Jack as he held Falchion out to his side. Kagetsu very nearly bisected a Corrupted on the ground across its unarmored midsection, and it dissipated into red sparks.
Before long, Mauvier was ahead of them, with another host of Corrupted waiting for them.
"I had assumed the Corrupted would be enough to subdue you, but it appears I was mistaken," Mauvier said. "You, Jack - I shall give you one last chance. Where is Lady Veyle?"
"With her brother, probably in Solm or the Somniel. Did you know she was brainwashed or are you the most unaware man in the world?" Jack asked, though his breath was short. He pulled the hood to cover more of the left side of his face.
"Brainwashed? That doesn't… Hmm," Mauvier said, looking up to the sky. Jack wondered if it was a ploy to get them to turn away so the Corrupted could have a better chance, but then Jack realized that Mauvier was honorable almost to a fault, and so he followed his gaze.
There was a duel in the skies - Ivy and Hortensia versus Zephia. While the Elusian siblings were accomplished mages, with Ivy in particular, Jack remembered, being an absolute magical powerhouse, Zephia had experience; thousands of years of experience. It was Alear facing down Sombron all over again. However, with Hortensia there, the battle appeared to be even: fire, lightning, and wind all circled overhead like the prelude to a terrible storm.
Jack turned back to Mauvier. "Veyle's safe. I can't say the same for you."
"I will find her," Mauvier stated. "It is my duty to protect her."
"What a great job you've done of that so far," Jack replied.
"Your nettling remarks will not deter me. But if you wish to fight, then so be it," Mauvier stated, couching his Flame Lance as the Corrupted beside him held theirs to the air, and prepared for another charge.
"Perhaps aggravating him was not the wisest choice," Zelkov commented.
"I am sure it will lead to an end to hostilities, yes? Is this not a good thing?" Kagetsu stated.
Jack bit back a curse as the Corrupted charged, the hooves of their mounts beating into the earth and causing the ground to shake.
"I never said I wasn't a moron," Jack admitted.
Nonetheless, Jack met the charge with about as much grace as he could manage. Though Chrom himself was not particularly talkative on account of being a Dark Emblem, he still did what Lucina had done: protect Jack from glancing blows, and occasionally preemptively strike at the enemy with his own Falchion in hand. It was a wonder to Jack that they hadn't been completely overwhelmed; cavalry charges weren't known for leaving many standing.
With another Corrupted destroyed, however, Jack was blindsided. Mauvier rode ahead through the red particles, Flame Lance aimed at Jack's chest-
Only for the timely intervention of a massive blade cleaving through the remnants of the Corrupted, and forcing Mauvier's lance down far enough that Jack was able to roll to the side out of the way. He looked up to see none other than Goldmary, her eyes lingering on Jack for only a brief moment before performing a brief flourish.
"So clumsy," Goldmary sighed. "I guess it cannot be helped."
"I was wondering if you were still salty. Now I know," Jack said, getting to his feet, watching as Mauvier turned his steed around for another blow. "Look, I don't like you and you sure as hell don't like me, but whaddaya say we put that behind us to teach this idiot a lesson?"
Goldmary's face was blank but she nodded nonetheless. "That is something I can very much do."
Kagetsu and Zelkov were holding off the remainder of the Corrupted, which left Mauvier to Jack and Goldmary. Overhead, he could still hear the sound of spells being cast - but the smell of burnt flesh was most prominent, even as Mauvier charged with his Flame Lance. Fireballs came barreling forth even as he continued, one of which nearly struck Jack in the chest. One did hit Goldmary in the shoulder, but it grazed off her pauldron, and she made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a whine as the singed piece of metal fell to the ground.
Finally, when Mauvier was in range, they struck.
Goldmary dashed forward, hitting Mauvier's horse's legs, nearly cutting it off as it stumbled and let out a horrific noise - it almost sounded like somebody screaming. Even so, Jack let the power of his Emblem do what came next. By his side, Robin appeared, just as red as Chrom, but even so, he did what he needed to do. Jack held up his right arm, Falchion disappearing as a Levin Sword took its place.
He jumped up in the air, far higher than he ever thought possible as the Levin Sword sparked with electricity. After that, Jack's world became blurry; the next thing he remembered, Mauvier was on the ground, and the remnants of the blast he had created after sailing forward scattered all around him.
Jack let out a deep breath as the power of the Emblem disappeared after that. He looked to the sky to see that the air was unnaturally calm - that was, before a wyvern descended from it, just out of view.
"Did you kill him?" Goldmary asked, walking up beside Jack. "If not, I shall do the honors. After what these Hounds did to Hortensia…"
"He'd actually be a greater help on our side, you know," Jack said, as Goldmary stopped her approach. "That is, if Ivy and Hortensia weren't killed by Zephia."
"I am very much alive," Ivy said, her wyvern behind her as she looked down at Mauvier. "I shall grant Zephia this: she is perhaps the greatest mage I have ever seen. Nonetheless, it seems even she can be overwhelmed by the remnants of Elusia's royal family."
Hortensia was right beside her, but she recoiled upon looking at Jack. "W-what happened to your face!?"
Jack tilted his head before realizing his hood had come off in the fighting. He quickly put it back on and turned his bad side away from her. "Nothing. It's nothing."
"Oh, don't give me that! Come here! Let me see it," Hortensia demanded.
"Why? So you can gawk at it?" Jack asked pointedly, face contorting into an awful frown.
"Please refrain from talking to my lady in such a way," Goldmary said. "I do not wish to kill you."
"I think our next fight will go a bit better than the last," Jack spat.
"Look, I'm not gonna gawk at it, alright?" Hortensia said. "I just want to look at it so I can see if it can be fixed."
That caused Jack to turn to Hortensia, shock etched on his features. "Micaiah said that nothing could be done about it."
"With all due respects to Emblem Micaiah," Ivy said, "It has been a thousand years since she has been awake; she has not had time to learn of Elyos' modern healing. My sister is far more skilled in healing magic than I am. I believe you should let her take a look, Jack."
Jack looked up at the sky and all around him. The only other people he could see were Zelkov and Kagetsu making sure the rest of the Corrupted were dead. Jack held up his arms to his sides.
"Should I call a vote? Ask Chloé, Zelkov, Kagetsu, and Rosado's opinions as well?" Jack asked.
"My opinion is that you should stop blustering and do as my lady says," Goldmary said.
"What a relief that I don't care about your opinion."
"Such obstinance," Goldmary hummed. "Did we really need to save this man, Princess Ivy?"
"This is a minor disagreement, nothing more," Ivy replied.
"Look, I'm not gonna force you to do anything, but I really, really recommend you come with me to a tent real quick, and maybe you'll stop sulking. Sound good?" Hortensia continued. "I mean, we still gotta bind this giant knight, but even then, we have a good hour or two before we get going. What's the harm?"
Jack let out a sigh, pulling the hood closer to his face for a second before grunting and letting it fall to his back, revealing his face to the world. "Fine. Let's go."
The inside of the tent Hortensia chose was suitably barren; whatever possessions she may have had were destroyed when Zephia ruthlessly destroyed her own. There was only a small bedroll and an oil lamp within, such that Jack wondered if it belonged to Zelkov before he and Ivy set out to rescue him.
Hortensia patted the bed roll before fiddling with the staff she had. "Sit down."
Wordlessly, Jack did as he was told, sitting on the bedroll and watching Hortensia do her work.
"If I had access to more equipment, I could probably do a bit better than just a staff," Hortensia stated, taking a deep breath. "How lucky for you, huh? Glad Rosado didn't see that."
"Why?" Jack rasped. "Would he have fainted from shock?"
"Huh? Oh, no, he would've bombarded you with ways to make it seem cute, all the while complimenting you on how you look otherwise. He would never stop, either."
Jack scratched the back of his head. "Guess the hood is good for something."
"He can be a bit much sometimes, but he means well," Hortensia commented.
"Aren't you exactly like that?" Jack asked, looking up.
Hortensia scoffed, placing the butt of her staff on the ground. "Cute? You're right I am! I'll just ignore what you tried to imply there. Now, stand still."
Open wide.
Jack felt a shiver run up his spine as a phantom pain scrambled across the left side of his face. Hortensia grabbed his chin and squinted at the left side of his face, before letting go and raising her staff. A green light washed over Jack, and he closed his eyes as if he was worried it might hurt.
"Hmm," Hortensia hummed. "How long did you have it before it was healed?"
"I don't know," Jack replied.
"That long, huh?" Hortensia said, sniffing as she laid down her staff. "Maybe something can be done about it at some point, but a healing staff won't get rid of it. Er… maybe Micaiah was right."
Jack felt his heart sink at that. He looked up to Hortensia. "Nothing? Nothing at all?"
"I said something can be done about it, maybe," Hortensia stressed. "But, you know, that's just how staves work. If you'd gotten healed maybe even just a few hours after it happened, it wouldn't be so bad. But the way it is now, it could've had an infection or something, and healing magic always prioritizes functionality over form. It's- it's really complicated. Do you want a mirror? I think I can salvage a mirror from my tent."
Jack paused at that. He didn't know if he really wanted to see it; it felt like the moment he acknowledged its presence, it would somehow become closer and far more real, rather than a distant thing that he could easily cover up. Nonetheless, he finally gave Hortensia a nod.
"Go ahead," Jack rasped. "I'll be here."
Hortensia snapped her fingers. "Right, it'll let me see if anything's survived, really. If Zephia was in front of me, I'd- Ahem. Excuse me."
Hortensia was gone for only a few minutes, but Jack felt as if it was a year or more. Time seemed to move so slowly. All the while, dread built up in his stomach - it felt like someone was gripping him and squeezing him between their fingers. Finally, Hortensia came back, cursing under her breath and holding a singed mirror.
"I'm going to kill her," Hortensia said, her voice somewhere between cheery and murderous. "Whenever we find her again, I am going to kill her. With wind. And fire! Lots of fire."
"I won't stop you," Jack said, holding his hand out. "Do you… mind, terribly, if I do it myself?"
"Hmm? Oh, sure. And, by the way, it's not nearly as bad as you might think. Sure, I kinda got spooked when I saw it for the first time, but that's just because I wasn't expecting it," Hortensia said, her hands on her hips. "You know, a lotta guys and girls like men with scars. Play your cards right, and I'm sure you'll-!"
Jack looked up at Hortensia with a blank expression, and she interrupted herself.
"Alright," Jack said, taking a deep breath. "Here goes…"
When Jack saw his face, he didn't really feel much of anything. The anxiety that had settled like a rock in his stomach lifted, and for a few brief moments, he felt absolutely nothing. It was a welcome respite, all things considered, even if it only lasted for a few moments before he realized just what, exactly he was looking at.
A jagged scar ran from the left side of his mouth all the way up to his ear, as if a demented elf had drawn a squiggly line across his face. The trail was deep and rough, and in some areas looked as if it had tried to mend completely, only to fail and leave it looking as if someone had tried to sew his face up but gave up halfway through.
That was only the biggest part of it, though. There were perhaps a dozen little cuts, as if Griss took a few moments to really get the direction he wanted to carve Jack's flesh. Jack wondered how his face even still held itself together after what he saw.
Jack let the mirror fall from his grasp, and he let out a deep sigh.
"That's a face not even a mother could love," Jack said, letting out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Damn, he really got me good, didn't he?"
"I mean, like I said," Hortensia said, "it's probably not nearly as bad as it looks. I've talked to soldiers before, you know, and they always say worse things about their scars than how other people talk about them. It'll probably fade a little on its own, really."
"I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, Princess Hortensia," Jack said, standing up. "I really do. Thank you. Even if nothing gets rid of it, at least I- at least I know how bad it is. M-maybe you're right about that last thing you said. Girls like a guy with scars, right?"
"Absolutely. Trust me, I know a few who did, especially among the people we helped escape Elusia," Hortensia nodded, smiling. "Now, maybe we should go do something else, right? C'mon, let's go help the others get ready to move on."
"I know that we were always gonna take him back to Alear and Veyle and all, but," Jack said, looking down at Mauvier, bound and gagged on the ground, "did we really need to strip him to his under armor?"
Ivy looked at Jack. "Our mounts are already carrying loads they are unused to flying for great distances. Without his armor, it'll be easier."
"I don't think he'll be able to fit on my pegasus," Chloé said, "The poor girl's already been through a lot, what with that battle."
"I think I can carry him," Rosado chimed in. "Though, it'd probably be a good idea if I had someone a bit lighter on my wyvern to kinda balance it out."
"Then it would appear I have no other choice than to volunteer," Zelkov stated.
All while the others spoke, Jack couldn't help but feel something was off, somehow. Mauvier was awake, he could tell that much, but the Hound barely so much as struggled. He just looked up at everyone, his eyes almost unblinking. And Jack stared back, wondering what he was thinking.
"If that is settled," Ivy said, snapping Jack out of his thoughts, "shall we finally depart? The Divine One will be looking for us near the border to Solm; we only have a few days travel at most, and I would like to make headway before Zephia returns with reinforcements."
Jack snorted. "The farther we get away from Elusia, the better."
The next few days went like a blur in Jack's mind. The air became warmer and warmer until the deep pine forests and dark plains of Elusia gave way to what almost looked like a savannah. Copper-colored grasses went as far as the eye could see, with only the occasional spindly, spiral tree to break the tedium. In some areas, there wasn't any grass at all, leaving only either bare rock or sand.
"So this is Solm, huh?" Jack asked, even as the wind roared past him. "Is it this hot everywhere in the country?"
"If it is, I fear my time here will be short," Ivy replied, "I may melt before we even reach the Divine One. This heat is oppressive."
"Can always get different clothes," Jack replied, shrugging. "If I'm not wrong, the robes you're wearing are enchanted or something against the cold, right? Maybe the opposite is true here."
"A combination of natural resistance and enchantment, yes," Ivy replied. "I do not see how it is any concern of yours, but… perhaps you are right. Nonetheless, Serenissima is a long way from here; we have miles and miles of desert to cover, and before that, we must find the Divine One."
"I could carry a message to him if you melt into a puddle. What do you want me to tell him?" Jack asked.
"Tell him that I have always seen him as a shining light in a very dark place, and that I am sorry I could not be of more use," Ivy said.
Jack blinked. "Y-You know I wasn't serious, right?"
Ivy briefly turned, eyes wide before looking back to where her wyvern was going. "Of course I knew that. Don't be ridiculous."
"...Right," Jack mumbled.
A few seconds of awkwardness followed as Jack watched the others flying overhead. Chloé with Kagetsu, Hortensia with Goldmary, and Rosado with Zelkov and Mauvier. Nearby, however, faintly, he could make out tents situated underneath a rare spread of trees.
"Is that them over there?" Jack asked, pointing.
Ivy followed his gaze and nodded. "It would appear so, yes. Hang on."
In a strange twist, despite usually guiding her wyvern with grace and precision, Jack was nearly thrown from his seat behind Ivy as she banked her wyvern to the left. Jack was able to hold on, thankfully, and they made their way to Alear's camp.
When Ivy landed, Jack felt his heart beating in his ears. He couldn't tell if it was excitement or nervousness. There were half a dozen tents, all around the trees that provided much needed shade and cover. As the dust from Ivy's landing slowly dissipated, Jack could see people coming out of the tents, with one in particular that Jack could see from a mile away.
The blue and red hair gave him away.
The other fliers landed nearby, and Zelkov unceremoniously dumped Mauvier down onto the dusty ground. Meanwhile, Chloé and Hortensia disembarked with Kagetsu and Goldmary by their sides with a lot more grace. Jack turned around briefly to see the state Mauvier was in - still tied up, but looking none the worse for wear. When Jack turned around, Alear was right in front of him.
"How the hell did you do that? I didn't even hear you get close," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck as Alear trembled in place. "Before you ask, no, I'm not taking the hood off. Actually, if you have a mask, I'd be-"
Jack nearly fell over onto his ass as Alear wrapped his arms around him and squeezed. A faint sniffling reached Jack's ears as he looked down, eyes wide with surprise and embarrassment. He let out a cough as he reflexively hugged Alear back, looking around to see the others with various different expressions, raging from shocked to smug.
"Hey, uh, if you hold me for any longer, I think the others will get jealous. 'Specially Framme," Jack said awkwardly.
Finally, after a few more moments, Alear stood back.
"I'm sorry," he said, before Jack could get a word in. "There was- what happened. It was my fault- I should have told you, all of you, what I planned to do. I wanted to end it all before it began; I wanted to destroy Sombron before we had to face the unknown. And that led to you being captured and a dozen of our friends and allies being injured. I accept full responsibility for that."
Jack licked his lips as Alfred walked over. "I guess it's been weighing heavily on you, huh?"
"He's hardly spoken since we left Elusia," Alfred said, stepping forward and patting Jack's shoulder. "Good to have you back by the way, Jack. Er, there a reason you're trying to hide your face- Oh. Oh."
Jack raised his hand to the left side of his face. "I don't have any permanent, performance-hindering injuries, no. I'm good and ready to fight again, should you need me."
"Jack… I can see the scar," Alear said, his voice cracking. "They- they tortured you, didn't they?"
Jack was silent for a few moments, looking everywhere except Alear. "I didn't tell them anything."
"T-that's not what I asked," Alear said. "I shouldn't have- Curse my name."
"Alear, what are you- Don't say that! You made a mistake, but everything's come out just fine, didn't it?" Alfred asked.
"Alfred, it…" Alear began, before Jack held up a hand.
"I saw you give Sombron a walloping. And, besides, I probably shouldn't have been on my own anyway. I was trapped under piles of rubble; I'm not surprised you didn't find me."
"Jack, I-" Alear shook his head. "Are you sure you are alright? Please, tell me. And be truthful."
"I am alright," Jack enunciated. "I am completely fine and in possession of my full mental faculties. In fact, Princess Ivy and I have gifts for you."
Alear blinked before turning to the elder Elusian princess, who up until that point had been standing silently on the sidelines. "What did you find?"
Ivy moved forward, her hands clasped together in front of her until she stood by Jack and in front of Alear.
"He is correct, Divine One," Ivy stated. "While we were rescuing Jack, Zelkov was able to take two Emblems. This is the Ring of the Lady of the Plains, which has been in my family for generations."
Ivy held it up for Alear to see, and she gently gave it to him with a trembling hand.
Jack took off his bracelet and held it up. "And this is the Bracelet of the Shepherd Exalt. Contains the father of Lucina and his tactician."
A faint smile appeared on Alear's face as he held both the ring and the bracelet. "I… at least something good came out of- no, I shouldn't say that. Jack, I'm-"
"Quit blaming yourself and summon the Emblems. They're still under Sombron's power," Jack said.
Alear took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well. Thank you. Now… Sweep across, Emblem of Blazing!"
In a familiar and brilliant flash of blue light, whatever power that held Lyn captive was swept away, and she appeared beside Alear, glowing blue and eyes no longer blank and unseeing.
"It is good to finally reunite with you," Lyn said, placing a hand against her chest and bowing her head with a large, welcoming smile. "Thank you for releasing me from Sombron's power. And I apologize if I gave you trouble earlier."
Alear nodded his head. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, too. Your name is Lyn, right?"
"Yes! I can see my reputation precedes me," Lyn said with a small giggle. "Nonetheless, let us work together from now on!"
Alear gave the Emblem Ring back to Ivy. "You said she's been in your family for generations, Princess Ivy. Would you like to join with Emblem Lyn?"
"I… I can scarcely believe even now, that our family had a living person inside of an heirloom," Ivy said, "but, if it is what she wants, then I see no reason why I should refuse."
"The Elusian royal family has always been good to me. It would be a pleasure to fight alongside you, Princess Ivy," Lyn said, as Ivy slipped the ring onto her middle finger.
Jack let out a breath, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders as Alear held up the bracelet next. "Are the words coming to you?"
"I…" Alear said, brows furrowing before widening. "Yes, they are! Let's see… Awaken, Emblem of Bonds!"
Another flash of light, and before too long, not one, but two Emblems floated before Alear. Jack remembered Chrom and Robin, but seeing them up close, alive-looking and aware, he felt himself shrink.
"Ah, so that's what that familiar feeling was," Chrom said, turning to Robin. "You felt it too, right?"
"Yes, but it's not the man in front of us," Robin replied. "Mind you, not that we aren't grateful. You are… a Divine Dragon, yes? I assume you must be, since we have our free will back."
"You… are correct, yes," Alear said, bowing his head. "My name is Alear, and you are on the continent of Elyos. Does any of that make sense to you?"
"It does, and so does that name," Chrom said.
"Not in the way we both probably think of it, though," Robin said, scratching his chin and narrowing his eyes. "You are… very familiar. I can't help but think of you with a head of blue hair, rather than half-red and half-blue. Maybe that's just us, however."
"I don't think I understand…" Alear said, scratching his scalp. "But, nonetheless, may I ask that you help us? We're fighting a war against an enemy that seeks to conquer the world."
"Now, where have I heard that before?" Chrom asked himself with a small chuckle. "I see no reason why we shouldn't. You are the one who saved us after all. What do you think, Robin?"
"I agree wholeheartedly, Chrom. Regardless of our circumstances, we owe you. So, leave it to us. We'll lead you safely through the war," Robin said.
Alear smiled. "Good. I have a good person in mind who could make use of you. Jack?"
Jack waved a hand, taking a step back. "You want to trust me with another Emblem after I lost the other one? You sure that's a good idea?"
"You didn't 'lose' her, Jack," Alear replied, taking a deep breath. "And if anyone is to blame for her loss, then it's me. But we can talk about that later. She seemed to be fine in your care otherwise, so I see no reason why you shouldn't be entrusted with another. Now, will you join with Emblem Chrom and Robin?"
Jack let out a breath. "Well, if you insist…"
"You seem familiar somehow, Jack," Chrom said, "the same way Alear was, but… different, somehow."
Jack snorted. "Could you be a little more specific, Chrom?"
The Somniel was a welcome sight after weeks of either being trapped inside a dungeon, or flying through the air and camping. It really felt like Jack had come home - or as close to a home as he could possibly manage. It was at the lookout point, staring out at the clouds beneath the Somniel and the bright blue sky and shining sun that he finally felt, for a little while, at least, completely at peace. Chrom and Robin as company certainly helped.
"I think what he means is that we've been alongside someone a lot like you," Robin clarified, bowing his head. "Honestly, I don't blame him for saying something like that. There's no other way to describe it. This version of Elyos seems so strange compared to the one we came from."
Jack sat down at the edge of the lookout point. "Way I remember it, you guys have plenty of experience with alternate timelines."
"So we do," Chrom said, "now they seem like the good old days, but there were some truly dark moments among them. Moments I almost believed we wouldn't make it. I can still remember when Grima stood above us, his plans finally fulfilled, if even for only a moment."
"What matters is that we won, and we will help you all win here, this being our Elyos or no," Robin finished.
Letting out a deep breath and rubbing his knees, Jack said, "Yeah, both of you are exactly as I remember you. I know this sounds strange, but I was there, too. Not physically, but I saw your story play out in real time. God, it sounds so strange when I say it out loud."
"There have been odder things," Chrom replied. "I have been meaning to ask, Jack - this world, it has its own Emblems. I'm led to believe by the others that Lucina is among them. Is she the one you lost?"
"I- yeah," Jack said, closing his eyes. "Yeah, I did. Back at Destinea Cathedral. She tried to save me, but…"
"Good. Then we'll finally be able to meet again," Chrom laughed. "Please, like Alear said, don't blame yourself. Understand your flaws, but don't let them become what defines you. Nobody is perfect."
"Shit, don't I know it," Jack said, standing up. "The others will be gathering in the Emblem room, or whatever it's called. Maybe find Sommie on my way there…"
Jack had never been in the room where all the Emblems were stored when they weren't in use. The pedestals were in a semi-circle around a centered podium, with seven more small altars where the bracelets would be placed instead. Jack stood in front of the podium, while near the entrance of the room, Alear, Alfred, Ivy, and Diamant all stood.
And, of course, they had a special guest. Lumera stood just beside Alear, her hands folded in front and watching Jack as he paced around the Emblem room. He couldn't tell if her blue eyes were filled with curiosity or mirth seeing him walk around.
"I'm going to make this short," Jack said, pulling his hood over his head a bit tighter as he went around the room and tapped his hand against the glowing pedestals of each Emblem they had.
"The Ring of the Hero-King. The Ring of the Caring Princess. The Ring of the Holy Knight, The Ring of the Young Lion, Ring of the Dawn Maiden. And, now, the Ring of the Lady of the Plains, and the Bracelet of the Shepherd Exalt. A lot more than you would have had at this point in time."
"You have done very well to get this far, my child," Lumera said, turning to Alear and beaming. "I am proud of you. Though I am curious - these Emblem Bracelets. What do you know of them, Jack?"
Jack shrugged. "Best I can tell? They come from another version of Elyos. Beyond that, not much. I don't think Sombron can use them to gain god-like powers, which means he's still a long way away from attaining it through only the rings; we have half, and he only has four. There're two Emblem Rings in Solm, right?"
"I remember the ones the Solmic had was… the Ring of the Radiant Hero, right?" Diamant asked. "But they have two?"
"It's probably similar to what Firene did. We technically had two as well," Alfred said, crossing his arm. "We stored our second one in an old fort to the north. Maybe the Solmic did the same."
"In those ancient days, it seemed the most prudent option to ensure there were not too many rings in one place," Lumera stated, her head bowing down. "Now I realize that other countries would have seen it as a display of favoritism."
"There is nothing to be done about it now," Ivy said.
"She's right, we need to focus on the present," Alear said, moving up to the podium. "We have six rings and one of the bracelets, which means Sombron has four rings and six bracelets, right? We're still at a disadvantage. Jack, does any of this still resemble the world you saw?"
Jack shrugged. "We definitely have more Emblems than you did in the old timeline, I'll grant that. Right now, though, I suggest we do the same thing we would've done even had things gone exactly as they did before: move into Solm, and acquire their two Emblem Rings. They're the only ones not under Sombron's control or ours. And we can't forget about Mauvier. He wasn't captured in the old timeline."
"We'll talk about him later," Diamant said, "Maybe bring him to Lady Veyle. See if he cannot be convinced to join our side."
Jack wondered, however, if that had been Mauvier's plan the whole time.
"Either way, it won't be long until we must face Sombron's forces directly," Ivy said, closing her eyes. "I am glad to see that they will not be composed of Elusian citizens, however."
"Ah, about that," Lumera said, "perhaps next time, Princess Ivy, you could warn Lythos of an influx of Elusian refugees? The people of Lythos have been through much these past few months, and they nearly mistook your ships for an invasion fleet."
Ivy blinked before sheepishly turning away. "A-ah, yes, that would have been prudent. I apologize, Queen Lumera. It was not my intention to cause alarm."
"Apology accepted. Now, my child, knowing all this, what will you do?" Lumera asked.
Alear placed his hands against the podium as the others waited for his decision. Finally, after a few more moments, he spoke.
"I see no reason why we shouldn't get the two Emblem Rings in Solm while we're there," Alear said, "Jack, they won't be hostile to us, right? I heard the Solmic worship the Divine Dragon, but I'm not sure I want to take any chances."
Jack tilted his head. "They're fine, Alear. Don't worry about them. We'll be meeting one of their people soon enough so long as we keep moving south. You'll know him when you see him; his name is Fogado."
"Very well, then that's what we'll do next," Alear said, pushing himself away from the podium and turning to the others. "Get ready to move out, everyone. We won't have much time to spare."
Agreements rang out in the Emblem room, and Jack let out a deep breath. For a moment, he felt as if he had aged a thousand years, and he was about to turn to dust. A second later, thankfully, and he felt right as rain. There were still people he wanted to talk to, people he wanted to thank, especially, before they went back to Solm.
"Maybe start with Veyle," Jack murmured to himself. "Yeah, sounds good. Ivy, too."
I think we can definitively call this the end of Act 1. Act 1 of 6 I have planned lol. Chapters will definitely slow down after this, though, as my college finals are coming up and I'm a hair's breadth away from being swamped. So, for now, enjoy this long chapter, and murmurings of things to come.
Here's a link to our Discord server: discord. gg/u89gs745fn
See you all next time!