Paralogue 10: Twin Wyverns
A lone wyverns cry echoes around the valley as the Shepherds make their way through the mountains terrain, deep gorges surrounding their sides. Everyone was on edge as they walked through the valley, eyes searching for any signs of Valmese activity. So far, there was none, but lack of evidence did not necessarily mean the Valmese had not come. Instead, it was possible they were dealing with a group of flyers.
"Anyone else feel like they are being watched? Or is it just me?" Gaius quips while glancing around. "I don't know about all of you, but I've been feeling eyes on the back of my head ever since we got here."
"It is probably the local wyvern population. After all, this is the largest feral population in Valm." Cherche replies while stoking the top of Minerva's head. "If our runaway villagers are hiding out here, it would be in the nearby shrine where people rest to tend to the Wyverns. I wonder if they will let Minerva interact with them?"
"Where did you meet Minerva Cherche? I don't think you ever told us?" Ventus asks out of the blue. The group look at the blond swordmaster before looking at the battle maid, her face frozen in surprise before becoming a thoughtful frown.
"You can tell them if you want, Cherche. You told me, after all." Lon'qu says, giving his fiancé a supportive look. Nodding the thanks, Cherche turned back to the others.
"I haven't told anyone this, other than Lon'qu and Virion, but I originally trained to be a cleric here in the Wyvern Valley." She smiles fondly at the memories while glancing around. "I was only a child at the time, but I found Minerva when I was out on a stroll. Of course, since she was feral, Minerva did not take too kindly to me being nearby. Even though she was sick and weak, she could still hold her own, as the burn scar on my shoulder could attest to." She places a hand on her shoulder before glancing back at the group. "But after I proved myself, she had been my faithful friend ever since." The group smiled at Cherche, while Tharja gave only a slight smirk, but Gregor was busy in deep thought.
"What's wrong, Gregor? You have been looking like that ever since we got here." Naminé asks. Snapping out of his trace, Gregor shakes his head a few times before returning a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, Gregor just reminiscing. Gregor was he once, long time ago. Mercenary life not easy. Gregor ordered to collect claws from dead wyverns, only dead wyverns. But leader of group, evil. Turn party into hunting party. Line Gregor would never cross."
"So, what happened?" Gregor heaved a sigh at Naminé's question, rubbing the back of his head, eyes heavy.
"We come across mother wyvern trying to protect baby. Gregor tried to stop but was too late. Mother no make it…" The group's mood plummeted at the news. Sure, as a mercenary, Gregor had to do many things, but having to watch a group of people murder a parent protecting their child? That was low. Minerva, however, looked at Gregor with intrigue at his story. She was soon pressing her snout on Gregor, much to his and the group's confusion. Which only increased when she gave him a lick.
"Minerva? What in the world-?" Cheche asks before Minerva cries at her in reply. Cherche's eyes widen in surprise before looking at Gregor. "It would seem that the world is a small one, Gregor. Minerva has just thanked you for saving her all those years ago."
"Wait? You mean to say that Minerva is the same baby wyvern that Gregor rescued? Talk about a small world." Roxas quips. Gregor, however, looks at Minerva in surprise before sporting a giant grin on his face and petting her nose. "Anyway, how far are we till we reach the shrine Cherche? It has been a while since we entered the valley."
"Not long now. We should be approaching it soon." Cherche replies before flying ahead of the group, Cordelia moving up alongside her. Deciding not to question it, the group speed up their pace into the valley, unaware of a figure looking at them from above.
"And so they march into the Valley of Wyverns. Just like they said." He says in a slight monotone voice. His face is covered by a black mask, hiding his eyes behind pure white lenses, while his black hair is windswept backwards. His armour, that of a wyvern rider, was as black as night, while a similar black cape hung from his back to his waist. A steel axe lies next to him as he watches the Shepherds march on. "Did they think they could save them all with such low numbers?" He feels a nudge on his shoulder before looking at a female wyvern littered with faded scars, some seemingly more recent than others. She lets out a soft growl before pointing towards the valley. "Why? It will not change anything. Death will always have its due." He replies with gloom before once again glancing down the valley. "But perhaps, there can be some exceptions."
Spanning over a deep ravine, with nothing but wooden bridges hanging from ropes, the Shepherds finally arrive at the shrine. Built upon a single plane emerging from the mountain, it was surprisingly large. The complex emitted a soothing aura with several walls and numerous buildings, most likely made for prayers or tending to wyverns and littered with trees.
"So this is where you once lived, Cherche. I must say, it a rather humbling place." Virion comments as the group enter the complex, a multitude of clerics and villagers walking about the courtyard. "But all the same, it is clear it was not built to house so many people. I fear the clerics are struggling to tend to them."
"Well, best start seeing what we can do. Half of us will stay here and see what we can do to help, while the rest of us will talk to the head priest. They might even have information about any marauders nearby." Roxas comments while dismounting. So while Olivia, Virion, Inigo, Cordelia and Gaius stay outside to see how they can help, Tharja walks off to a dark spot to ponder, and the rest followed Roxas into the central shrine. Inside, sitting on a wooden bench is the elder of the shrine, his face betraying his exhaustion.
"Oh, more visitors? I am sorry, but we have no rooms for the night." He speaks apologetically. "We are currently looking after a village whose homes have been torn away from them by the Valmese. Please understand."
"It is alright. We came here to deal with the problem. Do you have any information that can help us?" Naminé asks gently. The elder turns his gaze at them, judging silently whether to tell them or not. Then, finally, the worry in his eyes melts away.
"Normally, I would be against telling people where the Valmese are, but you are not normal. I can see it in your eyes and how you carry yourselves." He sighs deeply before rising to his feet. "That being said, they are not so easily approached. They are held up in one of the caves around here, long abandoned by the wyverns. It is from there that they plan their raids. So many wyverns and clerics have been taken from us by them, whether by sword and chains or the bottom of the cavern." Frowns form on the group, non-moreso than Lon'qu, his inner rage was boiling at the thought of innocents being thrown like wheat. "It's not like we have done nothing to stop them. One time, several Resistance members set out to stop them, but their hideout is too well protected. The only hope we have of stopping them is outside, but even then, their Wyvern Riders leave us helpless."
"Starting to wish Donnel and Ricken were with us." Ventus mumbles to himself. "How often do these attacks happen?"
"Once every week. And I fear that tomorrow will be when they strike again…" The group look at each other with worry, the news of an imminent attack upon them. After Thanking the elder, the group exited the building before regrouping with the rest, explaining the situation.
"So we either have to hold the fort here or try and bust the Valmese from their hole? I wish we had Robin here with us." Gaius quips as he pulls out another sweat.
"Well, Robin is not here, so we will have to make do. That being said, how should we go about this? Cherche and I could probably handle the riders with help from Virion and Roxas, but how will we stop them from getting into the complex?" Cordelia's question gave pause as they looked around. The outer walls were not tall or thick, while the inner walls were the same. This was obvious since this was a place of worship and care, not a military fort.
"Why not just cut the rope bridges and send them to their doom? Simple, efficient and saves us the bother." Tharja suggests dully, her mind someplace else.
"We can't just do that! We are better than them. And even if we do that, how will we be able to leave if we cut the bridges? Or how will the people here be able to leave?" Naminé asks back, disgusted by Tharja's suggestion. Sure, they did set a whole Valmese fleet on fire, but that was due to having no other option! If they continued on doing acts such as that, they would be no better than the Valmese!
"Dropping the Valmese to their deaths is not an option we can take, lady Tharja, but the act of cutting the bridges could." Virion suddenly speaks up, a hand on his chin. "So long as we leave a single bridge connected to this plane, we could come and go as we please. We could use the single bridge as a 'choke point', as Robin would say. We can worry about repairing the bridges after the battle, but let us get to work for now. We have lots to prepare for tomorrow."
"W-when did you start learning strategies, Virion?" Olivia asks with a slight shyness. Virion chuckles in reply that he and Robin have had many a chess games together to help his strategies, and he had picked up some along the way. Not that he would do any better, though.
"Before we do anything, I have something to say." Inigo speaks before the group disperses. The look in his eyes was torn between speaking his mind and remaining silent, as though he knew something that should remain silent. Yet the other half of his mind screamed at him to speak; consequences be damned. Finally, a gentle prod from Olivia snapped him from his thoughts as he looked around, their faces waiting in response.
"If it news about future events, Gregor and others would like to hear. It saves lives, yes?"
"Yes, yes, it would." Inigo shakes his head of thoughts before looking at Virion. "Father, you plan to funnel the Valmese into a single bridge does work. However, the riders are too many for Cherche and Cordelia to handle, even with help from you and Roxas. Gaius was focused on making sure the Valmese could not get past him at the time. In my timeline, several riders did break through and attack the shrine. One of them landed on a building holding children while another set fire to another."
"How many broke through?" Cordelia asks with hesitation in her voice. Inigo looks at her before sighing, admitting that only three had managed to break through, flying in what looked to be a fake triangle formation. After the battle, they found out that the 'aura' surrounding the riders was actually a cloud of smoke that looked like it but was mainly a scare factor to force people to dodge. And since Cordelia knew more than anyone how powerful such a move was, seeing it 'used' by Wyvern riders took her by surprise, forcing her to dodge the 'fake' attack.
"In that case, I won't let them fool me this time." Cordelia states with determination. "I may have failed the people here in that time, but not this time. If they want to show off their 'Triangle attack', then I shall meet them head-on."
"I might have a way of helping you in that regard, Cordelia." Naminé offers before looking at Cherche. "I guarantee it will help."
"Are you sure this is alright, Ariel?" Mickey asks as he, Donald and Goofy follow the red-haired princess down a beach. Far behind them, surrounded by a high wall, was her new home, where her husband, Eric, and their new-born daughter, Melody, reside. The wall had been built to protect them from the threat of Ursula's sister after she tried to throw Melody to her pet shark.
"I am Mickey. Besides, I am not a simple damsel. I can fight, as I'm sure Donald and Goofy can remember when they were first here." Ariel replies before gazing out to the ocean. "Still, I wonder how daddy took the news. First, Melody was targeted, and now me. I worry about his health."
"Don't worry, Ariel. I'm sure he's doing fine." Goofy replies with his usual joy. "Besides, a father can help but always worry about their child. I know I worry about Max, but I also learned that even if we can't be around forever, he is still my little boy, and I couldn't be any prouder of him."
"I'm more worried about the others." Donald interjects with crossed arms. "Why are the Princesses being targeted again? It makes no sense."
"Gosh, Donald, I couldn't tell ya. But whatever it is, we won't let them win. We were caught off guard last time, but we are ready this time!" Mickey clenches his hands together, staring defiantly over the ocean's edge. Donald and Goofy nod at their lifetime friend before the four feel a sudden chill down their spines.
"Well, ain't this adorable. The King and his men are out protecting a Princess. How cute." A voice reverberates around them before the sound of a corridor of darkness sounds behind them. Turning around, the trio glare angrily at the intruder as he walks confidently towards them. "Ha! Still got the angry glare down, huh? You haven't changed at all."
"You caught us off guard the last time." Mickey comments before summoning Kingdom Key W. "But you won't find it easy this time." Donald and Goofy nod in agreement before pulling out Mage's Staff and Knights Shield. The intruder stares at them, face concealed by the black coat, before chuckling.
"You think you can beat me? As if." Donald's and Goofy's eyes widen slightly at the phrase before staring in mild shock. The man notices it before chuckling to himself again. "Well, what do you know? The two clowns seem to have remembered me." He says before pulling his hood back. "Then again, it has only been a year."
"Xigbar!? I thought Sora and Riku beat you!" Donald exclaims loudly.
"All they saw was me falling to my death. Did they actually 'see' my body vanishing? And besides, you got my name wrong. It's not Xigbar anymore." He grins maliciously before summoning No-Name and one of his guns. "My name is Darkness."
"Darkness?" Goofy replies, confused. "Um, why are you calling yourself 'Darkness'?"
"You wouldn't understand. And besides, I'm not here to chat." 'Luxu' replies before pointing No-Name at Ariel. "I'm here for the Princess of Heart."
"Then come and take her." Donald yells before launching a blast of fire at 'Luxu', who dodges out of the way before firing several shots from his shooter at Donald, only for Goofy to jump between them and deflect the projectiles. Mickey charges in, using his speed and size to attack while acrobatic around the air, forcing 'Luxu' to forgo his shooter and defend himself with No-Name. Not giving the King an opening, 'Luxu' warps away to a distance before unleashing a storm of shots at the trio, forcing them back.
"Not bad. You two are putting up a challenge despite Sora not being here." 'Luxu' comments before warping to a new spot. "But let's see how you deal with this." Flipping No-Name around, he unleashes a storm of black orbs at the three, forcing them again on the defence before warping before them again. Goofy blocks a strike from above as Donald blast his chest with ice, giving Mickey a chance to strike at 'Luxu's' head, only for the former seeker to dodge backwards. He brings his shooter up to fire at Mickey's head, only for a coral sword to swipe from below, causing him to shoot off-target. Jumping backwards, he turns his sole eye on Ariel, staring him down with the coral sword. "Well, what do you know? Another princess who can fight back. Certainly not like the last bunch."
"I'm not like other princesses." Ariel snaps back before settling into a fencing stance. "We're giving you this once chance to surrender and release the others you have taken."
"Ha! Tough talk. But sorry, I'm going to have to refuse your offer." 'Luxu' replies before the bubbling of water behind Ariel catches his attention. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me…" he mumbles before the water erupts into a geyser, pulling away slowly to reveal King Triton, king of the Oceans, with a furious glare.
"Glad you arrived here, King Triton." Mickey comments with a smile. Triton turns and nods at the King while giving Ariel a warm smile before turning back to 'Luxu', his eyes hard with a blazing fire behind them.
"Spawn of shadow, leave this world and never return. If you do not, then I shall smite you down!" Triton yells as lighting wraps around his trident. Mickey, Donald and Goofy surround Ariel as they glare at 'Luxu'. However, he doesn't even flinch, merely sighing dramatically while rubbing the back of his head.
"Here I was hoping to have it done quickly. Oh well, guess I can bring these guys out then." He snaps his fingers, forming a hoard of dark puddles beneath him—Noticing the tension in their shoulders, 'Luxu' smirks. Soon, figures emerge from the pools, taking the form of humanoid figures. Then, the darkness surrounding their forms drops away, revealing them to be Risen myrmidons, fighters, soldiers and mercenaries—all with glowing yellow and red eyes, with the Grima-Heartless symbol on their chests.
"What are these creatures!?" Triton asks as his trident glows in intensity.
"They look like Heartless, but what is with the funny symbol?" Donald asks as he stares at the Risen wearily. 'Luxu' laughs at the duck, amused by his question, before glaring at the King.
"That's because they are Heartless and at the same time aren't. These Risen belong to my true master, one whose roar will engulf all the worlds in Darkness! All shall bend the knee or shall join our legion of servants. Such is the will of Grima!" 'Luxu' exclaims with a dramatic flair before pointing a single figure forward. "Bring me the girl, do what you want with the rest." The hoard of undead growl in acceptance before lunging forward towards the group, only for Triton to respond with a blast of his own lightning, sending several flying away. Donald unleashes a magnet spell, pulling in more and leaving them open to another burst of lightning from Triton while Mickey and Goofy work to keep Ariel safe. A blast of light from Mickey eliminates several Risen near him, yet more appear from the ground, a seemingly endless wave of blades.
'Luxu' simply smirks as he watches Ariel became separated from Mickey and Goofy, two soldiers Risen forcing her back with their spears. Donald notices this before unleashing a blast of thunder on the two, clearing the way and allowing Ariel to regroup. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, 'Luxu' glances at Triton, noticing the King's focus on eliminating the Risen with amusement. Then, smiling to himself, he summons his shooter before firing a bolt at the King's shoulder.
Triton flinched when it struck, his concentration broken by the surprise attack. The Risen took advantage, renewing their attack with vigour and forcing the trio and Ariel to focus on protecting him. No one noticed 'Luxu' smirking in triumph as he watched the Risen push Ariel, away from the group. Grasping with his free hand, he forms a dark corridor behind Ariel before the Risen push her into it. Ariel's cry of surprise grabs the attention of the others, who stare in shock as the passage closes and the Risen retreat.
"Thanks a lot for the workout, you guys, but it's time I moved on. And don't worry, she will be kept nice and safe with us." 'Luxu' quips before vanishing into his corridor. Mickey clenches his fist in anger before frowning sadly. He looks behind him at Triton, the grief evident in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Triton. We failed." He says in disappointment. He had resigned himself to the inevitable wrath of the King of the Sea, but instead of anger, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"It is not your fault, King Mickey. None of us could have anticipated the strange creatures with him." Triton says before glancing at the spot Ariel was. "I fear that things shall on get worse." Shaking his head, he turns his gaze to the three, his eyes pleading. "Please, bring me back my daughter."
"Of course! We will not rest until we have rescued all of the princesses." Mickey replies, determination filled once again on his face. Triton smiles thankfully at the mouse king before a curious hum draws the attention of all.
"But I have a question. Xigbar, or rather Darkness, said that those Heartless were from Grima. Isn't Grima the same person that Sora and the others were tasked with stopping?" Goofy's question echoed in the group's minds, only for a sinking realisation to seep in.
"Oh no…" That was all Donald could say.
While the trio began to panic inwardly, from atop a cliff, the Master of Masters continued to stare at the spot where Luxu once stood. "So, that's what happened to you… I should have warned you about them. I'm so sorry." Turning his gaze back to the trio, the lost Master hums in thought. "I'm running out of time. I need to step up on my game before the big finale. Of course, I could always jump in and… nonononono, that won't work. I'm way too rusty to fight at this point." He dramatically slumps before spinning on his heels. "Well, time to move on."
Despite the sudden nature of falling through a dark corridor, Ariel felt little to no effect from the impromptu ride as she found herself slamming onto a stone floor. Rising quickly to her feet, Ariel promptly took notice of her situation. Thankfully, her sword was still in her hand, yet the dark stone cathedral she was in did not help soothe her nerves. Nor did the long purple flags falling down the sides of the walls or the deep purple carpet beneath her help either.
"Where am I?" she asks with rising fear, the feeling of loneliness swarming around her. There were some windows, yet it was night outside. Soon, a glow shined behind her, catching her attention. Turning around, she could see what looked to be a giant fireplace. Curios, and with it being the only light source, Ariel walked up to it, hand tightening around her sword. The moment she reached it, the flames before her licking around a stone monument with an indentation, movement from the floor made her step back, as several glass and stone cylinders rise before her. The two immediately before her were empty, as were the three on her right. But on her left, two of the cylinders were occupied by two women, wrapped in chains and deep in sleep.
"Ah, it would seem our third princess has arrived." A cold voice echoed behind her. She turned around and was approached by Validar and 'Robin', the two sharing a grin that Ursula would love. "You are a long way from the sea, my dear. The heat of Plegia's sands will be too much for you."
"Who are you? And what do you want with me?" Ariel asks, hiding her fear with a mask. Validar chuckles darkly at her before waving a finger before her.
"Now, now. There will be time to explain later, but first." His eyes look past her as his smirk grows. "I think it is time for you to rest. You have had a long day, no?" Ariel tilts her head in bewilderment before a sharp smack hits the back of her neck. An arm wraps around her waist as she falls unconscious, as 'Luxu' appears behind her.
"That makes three. Still, it's a shame I was forced to tip my hand early. The King and her father put up more of a challenge that I liked."
"Oh? You think they could have slain you do you, Luxu?" Validar asks as 'Robin' takes Ariel from 'Luxu', placing her in the cylinder next to Aerith.
"As if. I just wanted to give them a false sense of security. I could have taken them with a hand behind my back." 'Luxu' waves off with a smirk. "Besides, if it went on for too long, the Prince would have caught on and brought in help. Then it would have gotten complicated."
"How we obtain the pieces matters little in the end." 'Robin' comments as he watches the chains wrap around Ariel. "What matters is having the pieces in the end. And if you are not aware, we are still missing three that are not on this world." 'Luxu' waves off 'Robin' before opening another corridor.
"Yeah, I hear ya boss man. The next one might take a while to get. But by the time the King and his pals get there, she will already be long gone." Validar grins as 'Luxu' vanishes, turning to leave the temple, his footsteps echoing throughout the abandoned halls.
Everything is going as planned.
"Why can't things ever go to plan?" Morristan asks in annoyance as he looks from the top of his wyvern. It should have been simple: fly to the shrine, bully the priests, slay some traitors, leave with new wyverns, and profit the army. And yet, to his annoyance, some flies had destroyed all but one rope bridge connected to the shrine. Even more so was a group of warriors standing at the end of said bridge, with a wyvern rider of their own and a Pegasus knight. Oh, how he hates Pegasus knights. "Tch. No matter. We will deal with that knight later. For now, send the boys down to the bridge and into the shrine. No need to send any of us flyers in just yet." And won't that knight be in for a surprise.
His subordinate nods in reply before flying down to the grounded flyers, ordering them to move to the bridge and remove the blockage. Some grumbled at the order while others simple obeyed.
From the Shepherd's point of view, they could see the Valmese force, which they almost mistook for bandits by their attire, moving to cross the bridge.
"Alright, now remember the plan, my friends. While I, Roxas Tharja and Naminé fire from afar, Gregor, Gaius, my son, Olivia and Ventus shall hold the line. Our foes are wielding axes, so we hold the advantage." Virion reminds the group before looking to the skies. "As for our lovely flyers, they shall hold back until the Valmese flyers appear." Cherche and Cordelia nod in response, their gaze set on the wyvern riders in the distance. Unknown to both sides however, the lone masked rider from before was looking on down from behind. His gaze was set on the shrine below.
"Here they come!" Ven cries as the Valmese begin to storm over the bridge, axes glistening in the sun. The five frontliners brace themselves against the Valmese, Gaius letting off an arrow at one before switching to his sword. However, the moment that battle was joined, something became apparent. The Valmese axe fighters were fighting as though they were on wyverns. It was evident in how they held and swung their axes, never at once switching to a 2-handed stance and relying solely on one hand. This would be understandable from the back of a wyvern, with the freehand holding onto the reins. But on the ground, it left them at a disadvantage. Not counting the arrows from behind or the blast of light and dark magic from the two mages.
One fighter did manage to slip past and sprint towards Roxas, the horse archer deciding to fight on foot for a change. While the Valmese thought he had an easy kill, he was surprised when Roxas used his bow to block the axe before disarming him with said bow. The fighter could only watch in shock as Roxas quickly drew Oblivion and slashed across his chest.
"It would seem he thought he had an easy prey, no?" Virion quips before lazily loosing an arrow. Roxas smirks at the noble sniper before planning Oblivion into the ground. Then, drawing back on the string, he lets loose another arrow of light into the mass of Valmese before them.
"I may be a bow user now, Virion, but I will always remain a swordfighter at heart. It's why I join in with Lon'qu and Ventus when they spar. I need to keep my skills up."
"You may want to keep your eyes on the skies, for now, blond boy. The wyverns are approaching." Tharja interrupts with a stern glare into the sky. Following her gaze, Roxas grits his teeth at the oncoming sight of wyvern riders, while he could see one rider staying at the far back. Most likely the leader. "You believe that your gift will help, girl? If not…"
"It will work, Tharja." Naminé interjects before using her staff to heal the melee fighters. "I am sure of it." Tharja says nothing, turning back to the fight before gathering darkness around her and launching it in a flux towards the riders, breaking their momentum and striking one. Naminé sighs in irritation before glancing at Cordelia and Cherche, her thoughts briefly wondering. I am sure it will work. It must. Innocent people are depending on this.
While the approaching wyvern riders attempt to regroup after Tharja's attack, Cordelia and Cherche pounce on them, striking out with axe and lightning. Several arrows from Virion and Roxas soon follow behind, striking the wings of the wyverns and leaving them flightless. All the while, Cordelia cautiously scanned her foes. Soon, she spotted three riders moving away from the group, aiming to go around them. After letting out a blast of lightning, she dives toward the three, forcing them back. "You will not lay a finger on these people!" She cries to them before pointing her spear at them. The wyvern riders only spare her an annoyed glance before their leader calls back.
"And what do you think you can do, peg knight? Think you can take all three of us? Well, don't we have a surprise for you?" Cordelia only narrows her eyes at the man's remark as the three are surrounded by a glowing aura. Had Inigo not told her, she would be panickily questioning her eyes, but now that she knew, she could see the 'aura' was nothing but simple smoke. Well done smoke, she had to admit, but smoke non the less. "How do you like it? The Triangle Attack no longer belongs to Pegasus Knight. It is time for us riders to claim our spot once and for all!" The man's smirk would have remained if not for the fact that Cordelia was not acting how he expected her to be. Instead, she calmly lowered her lance while placing her of-hand on a piece of crystal on her hip.
"I will admit, it is a surprise to see you able to use the Triangle Formation. But if there is one thing you have failed to learn, it is that a poor copy, no matter how convincing, cannot defeat the original!" When she finished her speech, two Falcon Knight suddenly appeared next to her in a glowing aura, startling the wyvern riders. Cordelia took a moment to glance at the two, a sad smile on her face as she looked at the two illusions. They may be only from my memories, but I can't help but feel happy to see them again. Thank you, Naminé. She takes a moment to look at Naminé on the ground, who was giving her a smile of her own before returning her attention to the battle before her. "If you believe that you will defeat me, I welcome you to try!" Cordelia yells before charging forward at the three.
The three riders shake off their shock before charging in turn, his two wingmen aiming for the 'knights' beside Cordelia. Neither of them saw the smirk on her face as she suddenly dashed forward quicker than expected, her lance plunging into the lead rider's chest. She didn't stay for long, for she had soon dashed towards the rider on the right, severing the wing off his mount before turning towards the last. He ignored Cordelia and instead put all his weight into cutting one of the illusions, only for the knight to vanish into light pixels before the axe touched her. The rider was left dumbstruck before he felt the bite of Cordelia's lance into his spine, sending him plummeting to the ground while an unseen figure watched from above.
The masked rider looks down with an impressed look from above while his mount watches on eagerly. "Well, it would seem fate can be changed." He muses before glancing at the Valmese. "Without their trump card, they are nothing. I'm not needed here, Minerva." He glances at Minerva, the wyvern looking down at the battle before she roars in distress. "What, what is wrong?" He asks before glancing back down. From his location, nothing seemed to be wrong. No Valmese could make a bridgehead, the riders numbers were becoming fewer in number, and no riders remained behind. "Wait. Where is the leader? He was hanging at the far back, yet…." The man's face twists as he glances down at the Shrine. To his shock, the Valmese leader was flying below the battle, going unnoticed by those above. And with Cordelia and Cherche focusing on the riders they see, he was making he was to attack the shrine from behind!
"The coward. Even in defeat, he is willing to kill innocents rather than flee?" Then, grabbing his axe in his right hand, he launches himself onto Minerva, who spreads her wings, ready to take flight. "I will not allow him to steal any more lives than have already been taken. Come, Minerva, let us end him."
"Virion! The Valmese are on the run!" Ventus cries as his Sonic Blade comes to an end. The wave of Valmese had not been overly burdensome, yet the eternal nature of the attack had been exhaustive. Thankfully, it seemed as though they had lost the will to go on as their last riders fell from the sky. Virion nods with a grin at the sight of Cordelia and Cherche flying down to them. "That was a great move, Cordelia!" The young blond says to the blushing Dark Flyer.
"It was nothing. The real praise goes to Naminé. Thanks to her looking at the memories of my knight sisters, those illusions worked and look all the more convincing. And even though it was fleeting, it felt good to fly beside them again."
"As much as we want to pat ourselves on the backs, did anyone see where the group leader went?" Gaius suddenly asks, causing the group to pause. Cordelia and Cherche state that they never saw him amongst the flyers, nor did they see him leave. Those on the ground never saw him either go either. As the group stood puzzled, Lon'qu's ears picked up the sound of flapping wings, his senses heightening as he spun around behind them.
"Behind us!" He cries in anger as Morristan shoots out from the canyon behind them, the eyes on his wyvern aimed directly at the shrine. Flames lick at the side of the wyvern's mouth as it readies to attack the shrine, while the Shepherds reach for their weapons in panic. But, even as Virion and Roxas drew the strings back, their arrows would not make it in time. Eyes could only watch as Morristan ordered his mount to attack, only for a sudden shadow to fall over him. He had only a second to look up before a black blur shot past him, slicing the wing of his mount.
The suddenness of the attack, combined with his mount's flailing actions, resulted in him being thrown from the saddles like a pile of bricks, falling to his death alongside his wyvern into the dark canyon depths.
The Shepherds sigh in relief as the masked rider lands before them, seeing the threat past. He casts his gaze over them, lasting longer on Cherche and Lon'qu while skipping Inigo. "Thank you for the assistance, traveller. Had you not acted, many innocents would have been lost today." Virion says with an elegant bow. The man says nothing as he dismounts, turning his eyes to the barding just as Cherche walks up to him.
"Do you mind if you introduce your wyvern to me?" she asks in a kind voice. The man merely nods at her as Cherche's smile widens. Lon'qu simply shakes his head at his fiancée's actions as Naminé chuckles away.
"You may be shaking your head Lon'qu, but you will never admit that is one part about her you will admit makes her, her." Roxas quips next to the swordmaster's side. Lon'qu merely rolls his eyes at the blond before turning to the shrine elder with a radiant smile on his face.
"You have saved us all, and with deaths either. We are eternally grateful to you. If there is anything you need, just ask."
"There's no need for that. We are just glad we managed to save everyone here without losing anyone. You should be safe now, but I would recommend keeping quiet for now." Naminé says with a gentle voice. The elder nods to her in thanks before returning to the shrine. As the rest of the Shepherds ready to leave, they look over to Cherche to see her with a perplexed look. "What's the matter, Cherche?" Turning to look at Naminé, Cherche motions to the two wyverns.
"This wyvern, barring some scars, is the same as Minerva. But I don't know how it's possible." The group, baring Inigo, looked between the two wyverns and, while they were not as an expert on wyvernologie as Cherche, even they could see the similarities between the two. So much so that it was unnerving before a huff from the masked man drew them.
"You can continue looking over here from snout to tail, or you can look at this." He reveals a ring on a necklace, hidden under his chest armour. Cherche's eyes widen in surprise before removing the gauntlet on her left hand, showing the same engagement ring.
"So, you are mine and Lon'qu's son." She says with mild shock. After meeting the other children, she was not surprised to find out she had her own. Yet still, finding said son standing before you as a man was something she was not expecting.
"And where have you been all this time, Gerome? Stalking out the Valmese that were here? You haven't been to our discussions about the Resistance for weeks." Inigo suddenly interjects. The now identified Gerome huffs at him before turning to look away.
"I had my own reasons for coming with you all, Inigo. I came to release Minerva back to the wilds."
"What? Why are you doing that? What happened in the future, except my and Lon'qu's deaths, to bring you to that decision?" Gerome looks at his mother with a silent stare, seemingly unphased by her question or shocked look. Then, with a sigh, he turns back to his Minerva.
"In my timeline, Minerva is the only wyvern left. All others are dead and enslaved, mindless husks of their true proud selves. That is why I came here, to bring her to a time so she is not the last of her kind and live out the rest of her days in peace."
"Don't you mean to die?" Tharja gloomily interrupts as all eyes turn on her. "You talk as though our deaths at Grima are a certainty. If that is not the case, then isn't bringing Minerva back to this time leading to her death as well. But instead of fighting for a chance of victory, it would be a painfully slow one. Is that what you want?" Gerome looked at the Sorcerer with an argument ready on his lips, only for Minerva to nudge him with her snout from behind.
"While I wouldn't have put it like that, Gerome, Tharja has a point." Naminé speaks, casting a glare at the ravenette. "I can understand why you did this, giving Minerva a chance to live her life free of war and battles, but is it what she wants? Do you think she would be okay living her life like this when she would instead want to fight and change the future? We have already done so here and at numerous different points. And yes, we did fail to save Emmeryn, but we managed to end a three-year-long war before it even began. And we can do the same with Grima."
"They are right, Gerome. I can see you harbour a great kindness within you. Why else would you have done this if not so? So please, do not give up on the future so easily. We can, and will, beat this. Please, lend us your strength." Cherche asks with a hand outstretched. Gerome looks at her, contemplating her words before a sigh escapes his lips.
"Please, stay your words. I have no intention of getting close to you all. This war may claim your life anew, and I'll not weep twice for losing the same mother and father. My burden is heavy enough." The group looked downcast at Gerome's answer, disappointed at his decision. "And yet, fate may be overturned. If what you said is true, that a chance does exist, then I would see it with my own eyes. My axe is yours for as long as I roam the land and skies."
"That is all I ask, Gerome." Cherche replies as they shake hands. "Now then, I believe it is time we returned to the main force. We cannot leave them to assault a fort on their own, now can we?" While the group nodded at Cherche's statement, if Gerome were not wearing a mask, they would have seen an eyebrow shoot up in question. He casts a glance subtle at Inigo, who, to his surprise, was mouthing the words 'later'. It would seem he was thinking the same thought.
But now the question was, would they be able to stop fates hand in time?