New Chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 9: The Grimleal
"You do not disappoint, young prince." Flavia says with jubilations as she walks down a hall with Chrom, Robin, Lissa, Sora, Kairi and Riku. The rest of the Shepherds had dispersed around Ferox for relaxation while Vaike took Miriel out to the nearest alehouse he could find, to the shock of all present. The other Guardians were busy giving Aqua, Terra and Ventus a tour of the capital, seeing as how it could become their base of operations for the foreseeable future until Ylisstol is relieved. "You not only managed to stop the banditry attacks but removed the main group leading all these raids! You have outdone yourselves."
"If only we could end it without the Heartless consuming them all." Sora replies solemnly, thinking back to the entire encampment overrun by the Heartless, with Victor becoming a Rock Troll before their eyes. Flavia seemed to share the sentiment as her joy seemed to die for a moment before springing back with renewed vigour.
"It is a shame about the fate of Victor, but we have other things to worry about for now. Such as liberating Ylisstol." Flavia stops in her tracks before facing them with a fire in her eyes. "The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching to fight." The news of the Feroxi mobilization brought smiles to all present. It was now finally time to put a stop to Gangrel's scheme. "I must say, though, I'm looking forward to savouring a skirmish or two myself."
"…Wait." Chrom says as the words pass through his head. "You're coming along?"
"But don't you have to be here and lead the civilians?" Kairi asks with confusion. Emmeryn was determined to stay in Ylisstol before they convinced her to move, yet Flavia seemed eager to jump into the fray. The East Khan appears to pick up on Kairi's concern, giving her a sympatric look.
"I can understand what you mean. I am a leader, after all. But you need not worry. We Feroxi are hardy folk. It will take more than an absent leader to throw us into disarray. And besides, a Khan needs her fun." Flavia states before continuing to walk forward towards the throne room. The three guardians could only tilt their heads at Flavia. Sure they have met rulers who fought alongside them, King Mickey being the most significant example they could think of, but it still felt uneasy how eager she was to jump into the fight. Flavia could still see in indecisiveness of the three, resulting in her giving off a sigh. "If it will make you three feel any better, I'm also bringing my insignificant other."
"Your who?" Robin asks, puzzled. What did Flavia mean by that? Flavia shot the tactician a cat-like smirk before explaining.
"Basilio. The oaf isn't good for much, but he might stop a few stray arrows." She remarks with a chuckle before opening the doors to the throne room. Leading the group inside. Riku hangs back a bit with Sora and Kairi as they enter, his eyes glancing at the Khan.
"She is the complete opposite of Mickey." He says to his childhood friends, grabbing their attention. "I can't help but think how he would react to seeing a fellow ruler jump at the chance for a fight."
"We don't know him as well as you Riku, but I have a feeling he would just roll his eyes while keeping on a respective approach." Sora says while putting his hands behind his head. Riku nods at Sora, saying that Mickey would probably do that.
"Hey, you kids!" a gruff voice sounds behind them, startling them. They turn around to see an exhausted Basilio running up to them, a very unusual look of worry on his face. Riku couldn't help but suppress the urge to draw his sword seeing the eyepatch around Basilio, memories of Xigbar rushing to the front. "You seen Chrom anywhere? I have important news for him."
"He's in here, actually; we were just about to join him and Flavia." Kairi responds, motioning to the throne room where the others stood. Basilio lets out a massive sigh before nodding in thanks to the redhead before walking in, the trio following close behind.
"Chrom! Good gods, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Basilio exclaims as he walks into the room, his voice echoing around and grabbing Chrom's attention. The Guardians look to each other concerned. The tone in Basilio's voice already had them on edge, but now they began to worry. Whatever Basilio had to tell Chrom was dire indeed. "Our scouts have reported back. Dark news, I'm afraid…." His face fell into a dark grimace as his single eye closed. "Ylisstol…has fallen." Instantly the mood became dark; Flavia's upbeat mood was replaced with horror along with Lissa and Robin, as Chrom looked at Basilio in anger. The guardians could not help but share the shock at the news.
"What happened to the populace?" Riku asks with trepidation. "If Gangrel attacked with the Heartless, they could have swarmed all over the city!" Lissa and Chrom faeces pale at Riku's question. Gangrel could have had the entire city swamped in the creature's claws!
"Thankfully, it seems he didn't use them in the battle. Guess he didn't want to chance them killing Emmeryn before he could drag her back to Plegia." Basilio replies, causing some to breathe sighs of relief, but the moment was fleeting. "Unfortunately, Gangrel has publicly declared she is to be executed within the moon."
"Executed!?" Sora yells as Kairi gasps in shock. Chrom's eyes narrow in rage at the news while Lissa, unable to cope with the situation, faints, only for Robin to catch her before she falls to the floor. Flavia shares Chrom's anger, punching her hands into a nearby pillar.
"The dastard's not even trying to be subtle anymore." She spits with venom before taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"I agree." Robin says as Riku walks over to keep Lissa up. "It's an obvious trap."
"He wants to eliminate the entire royal line of Ylisse, as well as claim the Fire Emblem." Riku adds with narrow eyes. "And what better way to get them to come to him than proclaiming the eldest among them is to be killed."
"I agree, young man." Basilio says while folding his arms; a scowl set deep in his face. "The Mad King knew our scouts would relay this information back. It's clearly a provocation - a hot brand to the buttocks! We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any-"
"Sora! Kairi!" Chrom yells in anger, startling the two who look at Chrom, seeing nothing but anger and rage in his eyes. "Gather the Shepherds! We march to Plegia!" Everyone's eyes widen at the remark, although none could blame him. But still, it looked as though Chrom was blinded by nothing but rage. The young couple could see the anger building behind his eyes, along with a worry that, if he doesn't calm down now, he might give in to the Darkness!
*Ahem* a loud gruff comes from Basilio, seemingly snapping Chrom out of his trans for a moment, as he turns his eyes on the East Khan, who doesn't shudder under Chrom's furious gaze. "Well, that would be ONE option, yes…." He begins, hoping to calm the young prince down. "But perhaps we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, yes?"
"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio." Chrom replies, although with a more noticeable calm tone, even if it still drips with anger. "He's going to murder my sister!"
"Peace, Chrom." Flavia says with her hands raised. "Breath a moment. No one's suggesting we don't act. We're simply saying we should act WISELY. We'll need guts AND wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."
"They are right, Chrom." Kairi says as she and Sora walk closer to him. "Changing headfirst in anger won't save anyone. Instead, it may lead to you being consumed by the Darkness and becoming a Heartless yourself."
"We promise we WILL save her, but only when we have a calm head." Sora adds to the conversation. Chrom's eyes widen slightly before he begins to take deep breaths, finally calming down. His frame eases, yet the anger still lies, but not as a raging torrent as before.
"Everyone is right." Robin says, his voice hard and even. "I'll think of something, Chrom. I promise." Chrom looks at Robin, his eyes gleaming with a faint hope at the tactician. Robin hadn't let them down yet. "I know that this is not an easy responsibility, holding our lives in one hand and Emmeryns in the other. But I know I am equal to the challenge."
"You've not let us down yet, Robin." Chrom says, his signature smile once again crossing his face. "We're all counting on you." Robin nods before helping Riku move the unconscious Lissa out of the room, with Chrom helping them. Sora and Kairi leave to search for the rest of the Shepherds and inform them of the march, along with Flavia. Basilio looks at them all as they go, a feint smile on his features.
"No hesitation, no mincing words… Either Robin's a genius or a fool!" he says in good humour before looking out a window. "I suppose we'll find out once we march. Hold onto your tassets, everyone. We've got an exalt to save!"
Water drips from the ceiling in the dark cell, the moans of Ylissean prisoners echoing throughout its halls. Sitting in a praying pose, Emmeryn faces towards one of the damp walls, praying for the safety of her siblings. The low chuckle of the Mad King dose nothing to disrupt her prayer, even as she could feel his gaze on her back.
"What's wrong, your holiness? Need someone to fluff your pillow?" He asks mockingly as Aversa, Maleficent and Pete watch on, with different expressions. While Aversa looks on with glee, Maleficent scowls. "Oh well, you need not worry. Soon all your troubles will be gone forever while you make a fine decoration on my wall." Emmeryn doesn't flinch, however, as Gangrel gives another chuckle as he leaves Emmeryn in her cell. Soon, so very soon, his plans will be complete! After that, he can focus on his other targets. At least, that is the plan anyway.
"Why do you ignore my warning Gangrel?" Maleficent asks the Plegian King. "Do you not realise what will happen should you kill one of the Princess of Heart without ensuring their heart survives?" The King's happy mood visibly darkness as he turns to look at the evil fairy, a scowl adorning his features.
"I have heard you plenty of times, but frankly, I don't care." He says bluntly to her. "All I want is the death of the Royals of Ylisse and the Fire Emblem in my hands. What happens to this world and the others is of no consequence to me.
"And do you not realise what power her Heart has? With her and that of the other six, the Keyhole to Kingdom Hearts can be realised, and with it unlimited powers and knowledge to rule the universe!" Maleficent exclaims with fury. Pete, however, looks at her with uncertainty. Did the seven Princess of Heart really hold the key to unlocking Kingdom Hearts? Or are they merely vessels to hold the fragments of light from the X-blade? At this point, he didn't care anymore. All he wanted was to be with P.J again. But how could he just leave with Maleficent watching him like a crow?
"If you are so sure of this, my dear fairy." Gangrel says with mockery. "Then why don't you have one of your Heartless do the deed? The Heartless can steal her heart and cast her body down to the ground. And we both get what we want." Maleficent gazes at the King with distaste as she pounders his proposal. Had this world not weakened her into this form, she would have had ample room to negotiate. But here she is, shackled by the rules of this world. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, she relents.
"Very well, Mad King, I will have one of my own do the dead." Gangrel's grin grew even more malicious as he left the two other worlds with Aversa on his heels, cackling like a mad man. Pete was visibly sweating as he approached Maleficent, wary of her wrath.
"We aren't really going to put up with this doufuss, are we?" he sheepishly asks as Maleficent turns her ire on him.
"Of course not, you buffoon. But as it stands, we are severely weakened in this place. However, he can consider our alliance over as soon as the execution takes place." Her face turns from one of a scowl to that of sinister glee. "After all, I heard that there is a Conqueror across the sea who could be much more agreeable to us." She says darkly before letting of her signature cackle. Pete could only nod numbly, wondering when this crazy train he was on would eventually end.
Hot. That was the only thing Ventus could describe Plegia as. It was fitting, considering how it was nothing but desert and rocky mountains. Even so, did it have to be THIS hot? He grunts as he moves his feet through the sand, his steps sinking into the ground with each step. He was not alone either. Around him, all sweating buckets, the Shepherds struggle to push through the sandy dunes of Plegia towards the area when Emmeryn was to be executed. Granted, a road was built along the way, easing the trip, but this part of it just so happened to be covered in thick sand. Ven could only shake his head as he took another gulp of water before looking around him.
Terra, Kellam and Frederick were struggling the most; being weighed down by their armour, they were practically knee-deep in the sand, Fredericks horse working the most. He didn't even want to imagine how hot it was under all that armour either. Sully, Stahl and Riku, while not weighed down by their armour like the others, found the sandy terrain very unsuitable for their horses, the poor beasts struggling to move through the sand. The others, like him, were only ankle deep, but it was still a noticeable hindrance to their movement. But some were not affected at all.
"Xion, do you have to show off how the sand does not slow you down at all?" Roxas asks, as the knight in question, along with Sumia and Cordelia, fly above them on patrol, or would it be taunting in this situation? Xion looks down on her pouting brother before sticking her tongue out at him.
"If I were you, Rox, I would be turning my attention to the mages." She says before casting a gaze on them. "They seem to be perfectly fine." Roxas could only huff in response before looking over to Naminé, who was walking on top of the sands with Lissa, Robin, Aqua, Miriel and Ricken. Apparently, being a mage or cleric gave them the ability to walk on the sand like it was stone. Naminé gave her boyfriend a smirk before walking over to him and grabbing his arm.
"If the sand is bothering you too much, Roxas, just hold onto me." She says before she pulls him up from the sand, allowing him to walk on top. Roxas could only blush in the situation as the other Guardians chuckled at him.
"If you lot don't mind me asking." Anna suddenly speaks up while dragging a large sack (again, where does she put it?), "But, shouldn't we have encountered some form of resistance by now? Since we got here, we have not seen any Plegian's or Heartless."
"Anna is right." Chrom replies while wiping his brow. "We should have encountered some form of resistance… But, even if Gangrel is planning a trap, it is still far too quiet for my liking." The rest of the Shepherds could only agree as the winds whipped around them.
"Chrom!" a sudden cry from Sumia alerts them as she rapidly descends along with Cordelia and Xion. "We've spotted some people being chased by a group of bandits! But, unfortunately, they won't last long; there are too many of them."
"And this terrain won't do them any favours." Robin comments before glancing ahead, the road becoming visible through the swaths of sand. "Chrom, at this point, we will have to split our forces in two." The Shepherds turn to look at the tactician as he explains his plan. "the sand around here limit our ability to fight, so all our non-mages, and Maribelle, shall stick to the road. Meanwhile, I, the mages and flyers will cross across the desert and lend assistance. We should be able to move more freely than the bandits."
"Loath am I to say this, but it is probably our only best option." Chrom says with a hesitant nod. "Very well, Robin. Head out and lend what aid you can, but don't be reckless. This is an unforgiving environment, and even if the desert doesn't slow you down, the heat will."
"Understood." Robin nods before turning to the Shepherds. "Lissa, Naminé, Aqua, Miriel, Ricken, Sumia, Cordelia and Xion. You're with me." The ones called nod before readying themselves to move out. Terra approaches Aqua with a concerned face before she leaves.
"Aqua, be safe out there, alright?" he asks. Aqua looks at him with a loving smile before putting a hand on his cheek.
"Don't worry; I will be. You be careful as well, okay?" she asks to which Terra nods before they share a brief kiss. Breaking away, Aqua joins the rest of the mages before they head out on the rescue mission, as Chrom leads the rest through the only stretch of road not claimed by the desert, hoping to reach the battle in time.
Not far from the Shepherds, running through the desert away from the bandits is a young girl with long green hair reaching to the bottom of her back and long pointed ears with red eyes. She has a small silver crown over her forehead, while a black cape with a neck warmer flows down to her shins, splitting into a petal-like pattern at the bottom, connected by a green clasp with a small jewel connected to it. She is wearing a green, sleeveless shirt covering only her top, patterned like dragon scales, and tied with a pink bow, while two black gloves cover her hands with white wrist protectors. Tall thigh-high boots cover pink stocking, connected to very short pink pants with heart-shaped buckles, while two giant pink ribbons are attached to her hips via two white belts, along with a peculiar blue stone.
She takes a moment to lean against a rock, wiping sweat from her brow before glancing around, wary of her location. "Have… Have I lost him?" she asks hopefully as a small smile adorns her face. A face that turns into a frown when a mercenary runs up to her, himself with a look of worry on his face.
He has short red hair spiking up while sporting a brigand's face, without a beard. While his armour is designed like Sora's, his armour is primarily white, with the leather armour brown and the metal shield and greaves a deep green, along with the belt across his chest. On his hip is a steel sword in its sheath. He looks down at her with a concerned look.
"Wait, I say!" He says to her, not noticing the look of annoyance she was giving him. "Why you no comprehending, wee one?" The girl grits her teeth before looking at him entirely.
"AUGH! GET AWAY!" She yells at him while what looks like bits of ember leave her mouth. The man looks at her, flabbergasted. Is she trying to give them away? "Everyone, just leave me ALONE!" The man places a finger on his mouth, motioning her to be quiet before looking around.
"Please, be keeping down with the voice! You give away position! Very bad!" Before the girl could retort, Plegian warriors find the two and surround them; a high priest with a deranged glee is at their head leading them.
"Gotcha, you slippery scamp." He says with an almost cheerful tone as the men around him ready their axes. "Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath." The man heaves a large sigh before drawing his sword and standing in front of the girl.
"Oy, this is most terrible. Do you see now? They make with the catching of us!" He says to her as the axe wielders move on them. Then, suddenly, a surge of lightning, fire, wind and water falls upon the Plegians as Sumia, Cordelia and Xion dive from above, forcing them back as Robin and the others rush up to the two fugitives. Robin's sword pointed at the man.
"Keep your hands off the maiden, fiend!" he says, as Miriel and Ricken ready orbs of magic as Aqua draws Rain Sword, while Lissa and Naminé stand behind them. The man looks at the funny before looking around, confused.
"Who is fiend?" He asks, completely clueless, stumping the warriors before him as the girl looks at him weirdly. Finally, the man looks at them again before pointing a hand at himself. "…You mean Gregor? No, friend! You have idea wrong!"
"Yeah, right!" Lissa says, holding her staff in front of her defensively. Robin, Miriel and Ricken look at each other bewildered, as Aqua and Naminé look at him more closely. They could not feel any darkness coming from it at all. Gregor sighs despondently before looking at the ground.
"This day has been nothing but insults and punches to groin. And all for doing good deed!" he exclaims as several more Plegians charge at them. The girl sees this before grasping the stone in her pocket, encasing her in a bright light that looked almost like a flower blossom, before emerging from it as an Emerald dragon.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she cries before firing a blast of emerald fire at the Plegians, striking all at once before reverting back to normal, exhausted from the sudden transformation. Everyone around could only look at her, stunned.
"You're a Manakete…" Aqua says, stunned, drawing the attention of the others. "That's who you were able to change into a dragon, right?" The girl looks at her before nodding hesitantly. Aqua smiles warmly at her before kneeling before her. "Don't worry. Everything is safe now. Me and my friends will see to it." She casts a gaze on Gregor before looking back at her. "Including this man. He did save you, right?" Again, she looks at Gregor before nodding hesitantly at Aqua.
"A little help here, Aqua?" Robin cries from behind, drawing the attention of the three. While they had been chatting, the Plegians had resumed their attack. While the sand slowed them down and made them easy targets, there were still too many for the three mages to handle. Sumia, Cordelia, and Xion focused on the priest and could not lend a hand.
"Right!" Aqua acknowledges before looking back at the two. "Gregor, can you lend a hand. We need to hold out until the rest of us get here."
"Leave to Gregor!" He says enthusiastically before rushing past the three mages, ready to intercept any Plegian who make it past the storm of magic. Aqua looks to Naminé, signalling for her to help the young girl before moving to join the others. As Aqua let her own shower of water and ice fall upon the Plegians, Naminé begins to tend to the girl.
"Don't worry. I'll have you healed in just a moment." She says while holding her staff next to her. The girl looks at Naminé before looking at the ground, her eyes misting over.
"Th-thank you." She says before looking back at Naminé. "I'm Nowi."
"How much farther do we have to go?" Stahl asks as the Shepherds continue down the road. It has been a while since they separated from the mages, and the sound of spells being cast did nothing to ease their worries. That loud cry they heard earlier did not help either. Chrom looks back at the cavalier with a stern face betraying no sign of anxiety.
"We are almost there Stahl, be ready to charge in." The Cavalier nods before moving to the front with Sully, Frederick, Riku and Panne, readying to charge into the enemy. Chrom casts a glance to the sky, seeing Sumia, Cordelia and Xion diving at whatever foe they were facing. His breath caught when he saw a purple orb zoom towards Sumia, who barely avoided the blast of magic. He shakes his head free of worry before looking at the rest of the Shepherds. "Everyone, be ready; we are going in now!" A series of nods from the others was all Chrom needed to signal the charge, with Frederick and the other riders galloping ahead around the corner.
Turning past the rocky hill, they find themselves in an open area of hard sand, with Plegian soldiers swarming around a rocky outcrop in the loose soft sand. A blast of lightning magic from the outcrop was all they needed to know where Robin and the others were. Not wasting any time, Frederick, the cavaliers and Panne charge into the back of the Plegian rouges, so focused that they failed to hear their charge on the mages. They were soon joined by Chrom and the others, with Roxas and Virion raining arrows from a distance as Terra and Kellam carve their way through to the mages. Breaking through the last line, Terra's eyes soften at seeing Aqua and the others unharmed before rushing to their side.
"You doing okay?" Terra asks a relieved Aqua, placing her sword away before taking out her ice tomb. He fires a blast of ice at several Plegians with a slight smirk, answering Terra's question with action. "I'll take that as a yes." He replies before slamming his shield into another Plegian who managed to get close. He casts a curious look at Gregor before noticing Nowi being healed by Naminé. "I've got a lot of questions, but I'll save them for when we are safe."
"Focus on the high priest!" Robin yells to Chrom before letting loose another bolt of lightning at the Plegians. "He's the one leading this force!" Chrom nods at Robin before motioning to Sora, Kairi and Lon'qu to follow him. Donnel, Vaike, Gaius, Anna and Maribelle stay behind to keep Virion and Roxas safe as the four dive into the Plegian formation, eyes locked on the Plegian commander. The high priest, for his part, was mainly focused on the Pegasus Knights above him, as they swoop down at every opportunity to strike at him, earning his ire. That was until he suddenly spun around and let loose a ball of darkness at the four, forcing them to dodge as it zooms past, hitting an unfortunate Plegian behind them.
"You dare defy Grima, god of annihilation?" he asks mockingly, missing the wide eyes of Sora and Kairi. Chrom, for his part, grits his teeth before taking his battle pose, Lon'qu standing beside him with equal anger.
"We don't have time for you fanatics." Chrom states before rushing at the priest, who retaliates by unleashing more dark magic at him. Chrom dodges before lunging at him with Falchion, only for the priest to catch it with a cloud of darkness before throwing Chrom to the side. Lon'qu's blade had little success, again becoming trapped in the cloud from the persistent hand. Instead, he tried stomping on his foot, only to be sent back just as he was about to crush it.
The priest glares at Chrom and readies another orb of darkness to end him until he suddenly finds Sora and Kairi rushing at him mid cast. Gritting his teeth, the priest fires the blast at the couple, only for them to dodge at the last minute before striking him across the chest in an X. Before placing a hand on the wound, he gasps before stumbling backwards, his books falling into the sand. He stares into the cloudless sky, almost as if he was gasping for it, before uttering his last words. "Master Grima…my life force…is yours…."
No sooner does he finish uttering those words, a black aura envelops him for a moment before he falls lifeless to the ground. Sora looks on uneasy; the priests pose that almost identical to when Isa, during his time as Saix, did the very same thing to their artificial Kingdom Hearts. Feeling his unease, Kairi places a comforting hand on his shoulder, to which he looks at her gratefully
"Thanks, Kairi. I'll be alright." He says with his usual smile before becoming severe. "Looks like we found a lead on Grima. Whoever that priest belongs to seems to worship him as a god."
"Your right Sora, but we don't have time to investigate it. Emmeryn needs our help." Kairi says, reminding the brunette about their immediate concern. "Besides, it sounds like Grima is nowhere near ready to be summoned. We still have time."
"I hope your right Kairi." Sora replies before walking back to the rest of the group gathering around Gregor and Nowi. Now it was time to find out why they were after them. "So, why were these people after you?"
"These people were part of a group called the Grimleal. Apparently, Gregor here rescued Nowi from them after finding her locked in a cage." Frederick says, rudely interrupting Gregor just as he is about to speak. "And in case you do not know, The Grimleal are followers and worshipers of the fell dragon Grima. The self-same dragon the first exalt defeated a thousand years ago."
"Why would people even want to wish for his return anyway?" Aqua asks with a finger on her chin. "Did he not try to destroy the world?"
"That he did, my lady. But even so, some wish for him to return." The Guardians could only look at the ground at Fredericks comment. They had been old by Yen Sid about Grima's resurrection, and now they have their culprit. But even so, they couldn't just rush off and take them out while Emmeryn was to be put to death. They didn't even know where they were based!
"Anyway, I think it is time we pressed on." Chrom suddenly says before glancing over the horizon. "We are almost near the place where the execution is to happen. We need to find a spot to rest up for the coming fight." He turns to look at Gregor with a pleading look. "I'm sorry to ask this, but can you look after her, Gregor?" Chrom asks, motioning to Nowi. Gregor looks between the two before proposing his suggestion.
"Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead. True, Gregor just finished killing former employers, but still very reliable!" The group look at each other in debate. True, he had proven his worth helping to keep Robin and the others safe until they arrived, but he DID also just admit to turning on his former employers. Then again, they WERE the Grimleal. That at least seemed to convince Chrom the most.
"Sure, why not? You're hired." He says calmly, earing a collection of shocked looks from those around him. At the same time, Frederick just simply lowers his head into his hand, silently accepting another sudden recruitment against his own better judgment. Nowi, however, decided to voice her opinion.
"But what about me!? I WON'T go back to the auction block!" she says angrily, earning a collective gasp from all present. So she had been auctioned off as an object? Lissa took the option to ask if she was a slave, to which Nowi nodded with a sad nod. "To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine. They made me transform for them… making me do tricks while they drank and laughed…" tears began to prick at the edges of her eyes, prompting Kairi to hug the young Manakete to calm her down while uttering soothing words.
"What kind of people would force someone to do that?" Sora asks angrily as he clenches his fist, an action mirrored by Ventus and Roxas subconsciously. "Even if she can turn into a dragon, that doesn't give ANYONE the right to treat her like that."
"If that is the case, then can she fight with us?" Panne suddenly suggests to the surprise of all. "We can grant her protection while also giving her a chance to be free. Is that not what Emmeryn would do?" Chrom looks at the Taguel before closing his eyes. Emmeryn would offer a kindly hand to her and give her a chance to live a normal life. Like how she did with Panne. Chrom nods at her before approaching the young Manakete with a gentle smile.
"It is, as Panne says. Would you like to join us? I promise you will never have to deal with anything like that ever again. I swear as the crown prince of Ylisse." Chrom says, offering a hand to her. Nowi looks at him before looking around to the rest of the Shepherds, each giving their gentle looks towards her. Baring Lon'qu, who kept a watchful gaze on the surrounding lands. Nowi turns her attention back to Chrom before giving him a giant smile and nodding at him.
"Yes! I'll join!" she says excitedly before a serious face forms upon her. "But don't hold me back from the fighting. I can hold my own in a fight, as some here can agree with me." Nodding towards Robin and the mages who give her comforting nods. "So whenever we get into a fight, you can bet I'll put in my weight!" Chrom happily nods at her, accepting her proposal before looking towards Sumia, Cordelia and Xion.
"Have you managed to find us a suitable location to set up camp?" He asks. While they talked, the three riders had been busy looking for a location to set up camp. They had arrived just as Chrom gave Nowi the offer to join. Sumia nods at Chrom before looking at Xion, who walks up to Chrom before pointing to a nearby rocky valley.
"There is a secluded valley over there that gives us a good view of the location. We can set up camp there and be able to move out easily." Chrom nods in appreciation before turning to the rest with a determined face.
"This is it, everyone. Tomorrow, we rescue Emmeryn and put a stop to Gangrel's plan. Rest up, for when Flavia and Basilio join with us, we march."
Next Chapter will be the execution. Will it play out as foretold? Or will events be changed by unseen means?