Paralogue 22: Shadow in the Sands
Harsh winds howl over the desert, whipping up a storm of sand. Caught in its midst, a village steels itself against the storm, its inhabitants hiding in stone homes. Near the centre, boarding an oasis, a large tavern stands, its windows and doors locked and sealed. Inside, the Shepherds and Guardians wait. They had arrived not long ago, before the storm had hit, chasing the final rumour they had heard.
A rumour, about a mirage village.
"Have you had any luck, Miriel? We've been here for about four days now." Lissa asks as she leans on the table, her hair filled with sand. Miriel, who was busy shaking sand out of her hat, looks at her with her usual look, albeit with a few more furrows above her eyes.
"No. Much as I hate to admit it, I have not been able to find anything other than what we now already. As vexing as it is." She replies with a sigh before opening a well read book. Chrom, who had finished getting sand out of his hair, looked over it along with Naminé, Roxas, Ventus, Ricken and Lucina. "All that I have been able to find, which is minor, is that this 'Mirage Village' does indeed exist. The numerous books written by different adventures sharing the same details while showing no signs of copying from one and other all prove to that. The only variable is the location. It would seem this village is 'moving' as it where. But all these sightings have happened in the same location…"
"A desert plateau with a vast oasis at its centre." A new voice suddenly joins in, startling the group at the table. Turning to the source, they were greeted by a man wearing the same clothes that Miriel wore as a mage, albeit it covered in sand, along with a larger hat than hers. On his waist was a wind tome, as his right hand readjusted the glasses on his face, framed by his blond hair. "My apologies. I did not mean to surprise you." He says respectively, bowing to them. Before anyone could respond to him, Lucina suddenly got up with a smile.
"Laurent. It's good to see you." She says happily as she hugs him. Laurent, with his own smile, returns it. "How have you been? We've been worried about you."
"I am the picture of health, Lucina, despite the sandstorms wind. But I must say it is a surprise to see you here. And it is good to see you again. As well as Chrom and…" Laurent's pauses as he looks at Miriel. They both lock eyes as their glasses glean from the candle lights around them. Chrom and the others shoot a knowing glance at Lucina before turning back to the two.
"Have we met?" Miriel asks, pushing her glasses up. Laurent shakes his head as he steps forward, a small smile on his face.
"Not yet, we have not. It is good to see you in high health, mother." He says, confirming the suspicions of the others. Miriel, however, raises an eyebrow.
"Do you have concrete evidence to substantiate this proposition?" She asks back. Chrom and the others sigh internally at her response. Of course she would ask for solid proof. Weren't Lucina and the others enough? Laurent on the other hand was not put off.
"Indeed. I have a ring which is the same as yours. Quite literally." He replies, revealing a ring on a string around his neck to Miriel. Miriel brings her left hand up, comparing her ring to the one Laurent has, scrutinizing both. To her surprise, or lack off, she could find no differences between the two. Of course, the one Laurent had did have a few scratches on it, but they were clearly marks of time and not forgery.
"Fascinating. It does appear identical. And as shown so far, time travel is one viable, if not the only, hypotheses to explain the rings. But the possibility also exists that you pilfered the ring from said time traveller. As a means of identification, I fear it inconclusive."
"An astute criticism." Laurent replies, much to Chrom and the others surprised looks. "However, there is more than just the ring I can provide. Lucina herself can confirm who I am. And I can rightly assume that the rest of my friends are here as well. Kitai, Gaia, Cynthia, Owain, Caelum, Honō, Inigo, Severa, Oceania, Brady, Omoide, Noir, Kjelle, Akeru, Yarn, Nah and Gerome." He lists off with precise accuracy.
"And so they are." Miriel replies, with a soft smile on her face. "I would say you're assumption has a flaw, for you forgot to mention Morgan." Her comment about Morgan caused Laurent's eyes to widen in surprise and shock. "But I know for a fact that you all believed her and her twin to be dead. Correct?"
"Yes. We did." Laurent replies, regret in his voice. "I was adamant about them not going on that mission to retrieve the Fire Emblem. Yet I failed to persuade them…" He sighs deeply before taking his hat off. "That Morgan still lives is a great relief, but the fact that she is here and that Marc is not, leaves only one hypothesis to conclude…" Miriel looks him over with a discerning eye, before allowing the smile on her face to grow as her eyes go soft.
"That is all the proof I need. The fact you told events only Lucina and her friends know, their names and the fate of Robin and Tiki's children, leaves no room for doubt." She says finally as she envelops her son in a hug. "I am happy, and proud, to see you as the man you are."
"Thank you, mother." Laurent replies slowly before returning the hug. Chrom looked on in silence, a small smile on his face as they had finally found the last of Lucina's friends. Now, they could return to Ylisse. But still, he had a nagging question at the back of his mind.
"If you don't mind me asking, but why are you here Laurent?" Ventus asks, breaking the silence. Apparently the blond had the same question as himself. Laurent, removing himself from his mothers hug, turns to Ven with a gleam in his eyes.
"Indubitability, Uncle Ven." He says. "I am here for the mirage village. And I can say there is another part of the tale that has been forgotten. For inside the mirage village, lies a Goddess Staff."
"A Goddess Staff?" Roxas asks, an eyebrow raised. Luarent was about to answer for him, until Lissa abruptly spoke up.
"OH! I know that! Those are supposedly blessed by the very Gods themselves! It said that a single Goddess Staff could heal an entire army with a single use!" She says with stars in her eyes, before Chrom pated her down on the head, claiming her. Laurent chuckles at her before nodding.
"You are correct, Aunt Lissa. Unfortunately, my attempts to find the village has been met with failure. Even though I have been here for a long time." He admits, before pulling out a worn map onto the table. On it, was a detailed drawing of the area, with crossed out circles littering the parchment, with two circles cross three. Until Laurent took out a quill and scored one out. "That was the most recent one I investigated. Leaving me with one left. However, it is the most dangerous one."
"Let me guess. Barbarians?" Chrom asks with narrow eyes. Laurent looks at him and nods sadly.
"Unfortunately, yes. And they have been a blight on the surrounding villages for years. I am a lone man, and can do so little by myself. And this final location is located near their main encampment. I do not know if the mirage village is even intact."
"We can find out tomorrow." Chrom says, looking at one of the windows, sand streaking past like rain. "Until this storm blows over, we're not leaving. And I want everyone to be well rested for a fight. Even if we can't find the village, I am not going to let those brigands continue assaulting these villages." No one was going to argue with Chrom's decision. Walking about in a sandstorm was a recipe for disaster.
With no other choice, the group left their table and returned to the rented room, while Lucina pulled Laurent away to join her and the other future children for a long awaited reunion. While Miriel pondered how to inform Vaike that their future son was now among them. Without causing a riot.
"Garhaha! Another good haul boys!" the brigand Nombry exclaims, looking over his horde of gold. "I told ya this was the golden oasis! Behind very door, treasure and coin!" His men around him grin in glee as they count their spoils. But despite finding enough gold to start his own city, Nombry was still not satisfied. He had heard about the tales of the mirage village. And the staff hidden behind its walls. Oh what a fortune he could make with that.
"Boss, think we should move on to the main town? We've hit all the villages around here." One of his goons asks, throwing a dagger onto a map of the oasis. Each one a village they had plundered. Nombry looks at the map before thinking hard. None of the other villages had given them hints on where to go, but this one should.
"Yes…I'd think it's time we did." He says with an evil grin. "And it would make a good start for us to stake a claim. These deserts of Ylisse will soon be ours, and before long, the whole of Ylisse itself!" His men all grin at the prospect, minds racing with imagery. But one of him men had his doubts.
"Sorry to say this boss, but the main village will be harder than the rest." He says, a little hesitant and fear in his voice. Nombry looks at him with a disgruntled look, urging the man to continue. "During my usual gander, I saw a group of mercenaries walking into the village. And one of them, the leader, had deep blue hair."
"Shepherds…" Nombry growls in disgust, before a wicked smile appears on his face. "That makes things all the better. We beat them, and WE will be in charge of Ylisse!" He glances towards one his Snipers with a glint in his eyes. "Take a group and 'encourage' them to chase after you. We will fight them here, on our home-turf. Soon, their bodies will be joining the sand, while we take the glory!" His men roar in excitement, as the Sniper took two more with him to find the Shepherds.
Unbeknownst to Nombry, the Shepherds were already on their way to him.
"Dis heat…I can take much more…" Pete moans as she stumbles at the rear. "How can yous put up with dis?" He asks Libra, who walks beside him, unaffected by the heat. He turns to look at him, a neutral expression on his face.
"Diligence." Libra replies, smirking slightly at Pete's dumfounded look. It only lasts for a second, before it becomes thoughtful. "I have a question for you, Pete. Why did you come with us? The heat is clearly not your friend here, and yet you volunteered anyway. Why?" Pete looks at Libra for a few seconds, swiping his brow, before glancing towards Ventus.
"Well, dats easy. It's to make up for what I've done." He admits with a shameful expression. "I won't lie. I've done things under Maleficent's orders that would make anyone think twice. And before dat, I was a jerk. Only caring about myself." He grimaces at the memories of 'Captain Justice' and Captain Dark'. "I don't even wanna image the pain I've caused for P.J."
"And so you seek redemption." Libra observes. Seeing Pete's nod, he continues. "Such a path is never easy to take. You will be tempted to take the easy road. To return to what you use to do. But if you are serious about righting your wrongs, then there is one way you can atone."
"Really?" Pete asks with comically wide eyes. "How do I do dat?" He asks excitedly. Unfortunately, Libra shakes his head.
"I'm afraid it's not my place to say. You will have to find it on your own. For if I told you, it would have no meaning." Pete, while visually unhappy at his answer, nods regardless. He could see the wisdom in Libra's words. But that only left what he could do. Sure, at this point Sora and his friends have seemed to let bygones be bygones, but that didn't tell him if they had completely forgiven him.
"Alright, people, keep your eyes open!" Chrom's voice suddenly echoes ahead of them. Looking up, Pete saw they had neared a stone cavern with rock formations stretching like bridges. Even to him, he could see it as an easy place for an ambush. "We are heading into hostile terrain. If Laurent's map is correct, there is a heavy Barbarian presence here. Keep your eyes open for any attacks. Sumia, you and Cynthia keep watch above. The last thing we need is archers or mages attacking us."
"Of course, Chrom." Sumia replies before nodding to Cynthia, who takes to the skies. "Be safe." She says with a soft look, one that Chrom replies earnestly.
"I will. You be safe as well, and may the winds be at your back." He replies. With that, Sumia took to the skies after Cynthia, as Chrom led the remaining group into the canyon. Pete did wonder why they were only moving out with thirteen of them and not the whole group, but seeing the narrow space, and the sandy terrain, told him all he knew. Numbers would be a hindrance, not a boon.
Still, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. All that time spying for Maleficent gave him some tips on sneaking around. And he could feel someone looking at them. Looking up, all Pete could see were shadowed alcoves. Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe a local animal looking at them wearily. Before he turned away, however, a glint of metal caught his eyes.
Narrowing his eyes, Pete looked closer at the glint. Despite the distance, he could make out the rough shape of the object in the shadows. And its sent chills down his spine.
And arrow?! He inwardly screams as he looks at the glint, it slowly moving as it tracks the group. With wide eyes, Pete follows the arrows direction, only for the chill to become a blizzard.
It was aimed at Ventus.
"Look out!" Pete cries in alarm as he barrels forward, startling everyone. Apparently, his scream had also caught the assassin off guard, for he had let loose the arrow towards Ventus. Before it could strike him, Pete tackled Ven to the ground as the arrow sailed over them, ripping through the bear pelt on Pete until it struck into the ground. Laurent, in retaliation, unleashed a powerful wind spell from which it came alongside a torrent of flames from Miriel. Soon, the attackers' screams cried out from above as the bodies of three Snipers were forced out of the dark crevasse and down to the ground.
"Ven! You okay!?" Roxas asks as he and Naminé rush to the duo, as Pete helps Ventus to his feet.
"Yeah. I'm okay, thanks to Pete." Ven says, casting a grateful smile to the big cat. Pete, for his part, looks away bashfully as Roxas and Naminé look at him with grateful looks. "How did you know he was there anyway?" Ven asks, curious as to how Pete saved his life.
"Well, when you've been a minion for a long time, you sorta learn des sortsa things." Pete says cryptically. The three look at each other with silent nods, not needing to press harder.
"Still, thanks, Pete. If you didn't act…." Ven begins before trailing off, a shiver running up his spine.
"Don't menschen it." Pete replies with a grin as Chrom and the others approach them. "Seems like des folks know wes here. How we go about dis?" Chrom looks around them before glancing at their surroundings. He was mentally kicking himself for not picking Robin, Tiki or Morgan to accompany them. Strategy was NOT his forte.
"I believe I can help." Laurent says as he pushes his glasses up, glinting in the sun. "I may not be Robin, but I think I have learned a few things from him." He looks above as sand falls down. "And it looks like we are about to have some perfect cover…."
"Where are they? They should have been back by now…." Nombry growls as he waits at the entrance. The Snipers he had sent out should have returned by now, and yet they were still missing. Not that the sandstorm blowing outside was helping much. Just as his annoyance began to peak, one of the scouts he had sent out to find them came stumbling in, sand filling every space in their armour. "Well? Did you find them?" He asks in annoyance.
"No, boss. Can't see them in this storm." The scout replies, shaking his head free of sand. "But I did see some people sheltering in the canyon not far from here. Could me merchants trying to find that mirage village or something." Nombry looks sceptically at the scout. Does he expect merchants to come out here chasing a rumour in a desert? But then again, if they WERE merchants, they would be carrying some pretty valuable things. Eventually, just like all the other bandits, he succumbs to his greed as a dark smile forms on his lips.
"Normally, I would smack you for telling big tales." Nombry says, walking to the scout. "But if you're right, I smell a payday on the horizon. And with this storm covering us, we can sneak on them none the wiser." Turning back into the cave, he shouts. "Boys! Gather the gear! We're going merchant hunting!" With a thunderous roar, the bandits grab their weapons, don protective masks, and follow their leader into the storm.
And were almost immediately met with almost no vision. Not that it would stop them. They had lived in these deserts for years. Sandstorms such as this would not stop them. It also told them where the merchants would be. Moving with honed instinct, Nombry led his men towards the nearby canyon, undeterred by the storm.
This storm will work in our favour. As it always has. Nombry muses as he sees the maw of the canyon appearing out of the storm. He grins under his scarf, only to blink his eyes in bewilderment. Standing at the entrance was the silhouette of a huge rotund man. Wielding a large axe in his right hand. It seemed he had also seen them, for it soon turned around and fled into the canyon. It must be a hired sword. Nothing we can't handle. Shrugging off the sight, Nombry led his band of fifty into the canyon pass.
As the wind howled overhead, Nombry scanned the ground below. He could see the tell-tale signs of people coming, but what caught his eye was the size of the footprints. They were large and led down a narrow path not far to the right. A path that Nombry knew led to a dead end.
"We've got them in a corner, boys. Let's collect our pay." He says darkly, leading his men down the tunnel. The howling winds seemed to get louder as they travelled through the dark. However, the more they travelled, the more he began to worry. By now, they should be hearing sounds coming from the end, and yet all they could hear were the roaring winds. The feeling only began to grow as they neared the exit, a portal of glowing yellow as sand whips past.
Exiting, Nombry and his men could only look around in dumbfounded shock. The tracks on the ground were fresh, and yet no one was there. Just a caldera of dust surrounded by thick walls of rock and sand. Growling, he turns around to the scouts, only to find himself doing a head count.
He knew he had entered with fifty men. But now, he was standing around with half that number! The ones with him also looked on in bewilderment. How could half their number get lost in that tunnel? It was straight as an arrow with no offshoots at all!
"Well, now. Seems you lads have a wee problem here." A voice echoes behind them from the cave. Nombry and his remaining me turn to the source as Pete lumbers out of the darkness. Nombry couldn't believe his eyes seeing this giant, cat?, talking to them. Before he could even respond, the wind around them seemed to die as figures appeared on the walls around them. His eyes bulge out as he sees Chrom standing on the wall with a look of anger. One that was joined by those around him.
"This is your one and only chance." Chrom says dangerously as he draws Falchion. "Surrender, and I promise you will be given a fair trial. Refuse, and I cannot promise to stay my blade." Nombry grinds his teeth as he looks around, anger building in his eyes.
In a roar of defiance, he grabs the bow on his back and aims an arrow at Chrom. But before he could fire it, a silver arrow tears through the string on his bow and lands between his eyes. The last thing he saw as he fell was Chrom leaping into the caldera as his vision turned black.
It was a long shot, but Chrom did give them a chance to surrender. But instead, they had chosen to go down fighting. Casting a thankful glance to Vaike as he drew another arrow, Chrom leaps into the air as Laurent uses his wind magic to propel him, Lucina and Ventus upward. Miriel and Naminé unleased their magic while Pete charged into the rear of the bandits. Roxas, dismounting from his horse, charged into the fray while drawing Oblivion as he used Oathkeeper to block an axe from a bandit.
Roxas pivots around the bandit, spinning on his feet before slashing across his back. Then, using the momentum of the spin, pulling back on the bow and fired an arrow of light into another bandit as he tried to charge him.
Ventus, switching his grip on Wayward Wind into his usual reverse style, was a steel storm as he swept around in fast, wide arcs catching the bandits off guard. Then, switching instantly, he ploughs through with a Sonic Blade leaving five bandits in the sand behind him.
Pete, for his part, was not holding back. Using his axe to force Brigands away from the exit, he grabbed one that tried to escape before throwing him back towards the centre. The unfortunate brigand was soon kebabbed by an arrow as he flew before landing into the sand as Vaike unleashed a storm of arrows into the battle.
A spear hit Chrom in the shoulder, only for his silence to fall to Lucina's blade. While the brigand fell, he could feel the healing magic of Omoide and Libra washing over him as he plunged Falchion into the skull of another, blood spilling out like a wine bottle being opened.
Soon, the last of the brigands had fallen, leaving the Shepherds alone.
"Another battle. And more needless death." Lucina comments sadly as she looks over the aftermath. "Are these always inevitable?" She asks no one in particular. She feels Chrom giving her a sympathetic pat on the back as the sounds of Pegasus wings sound above them. Glancing up, they see Sumia and Cynthia gliding down to them, a wrapped package attached to Sumia's Pegasus. Before she could ask about it, Sumia spoke first.
"Chrom, dear. What happened here?" She asks kindly, although her tone of voice sends a chill down everyone present. Chrom, to his credit, kept up a neutral face as he looked at his wife, even as Cynthia landed a bit away with a nervous look.
"Nothing horrible. Just putting down an arrogant brigand." He says simply. Sumia looks at him before silently nodding to him as she gets off her Pegasus.
"I can accept that." She says swiftly as she takes the package from her mount. "However, we WILL be having a talk about this when we get home. Can't have you running off to handle bandits and leave me all alone, do we?" She asks sweetly. Chrom nods slowly, although if one could look closely, they could see he had moved ever so slightly back. "Other than that, Cynthia and I have a present to show you." Everyone glanced at each other at Sumia's remark before looking at the tarp in her hands.
With a grin, Sumia unravelled it, revealing in her hands a staff half her height. It seemed to shine in solid gold, with a gleaming blue gem inserted at the bottom. But what was most striking was the image on the top. An embezzled image of a woman wearing a cloak, with a ring around her head and another behind her back, with two wings spreading out on each side. Sumia seemed to have a large grin as Chrom looked on in amazement before Laurent approached.
"That…" He says in amazement as he fixes his glasses. "That is the Goddess Staff." His words snap everyone out of their revelry as he looks at the Queen with wide eyes. "How did you find it?"
"Well…" She says as a hand twirls with her hair. "On our scouting mission, we found a village surrounded by sand dunes on all sides. The gate was also well hidden as well. It turns out that was the mirage village everyone was talking about." She admits with a grin
"It's the sand's fault." Cynthia exclaims as she kicks some sand. "Every time they clear the sand, a storm appears and covers them up again. It had gotten so bad they had just given up and made themselves self-sufficient."
"So in the end, the mirage village was nothing more than the sands playing tricks." Miriel says as she opens her book.
"Not just the sand." Laurent adds on. "I hypothesise that the heat, the wind, vibrations in the air and lack of water led to some people imagining a village was in front of them when it was their minds playing tricks. It would explain why the village was said to appear in different spots constantly." Miriel looks at her future son with a grin before adding her own thoughts to his theory. All the while, poor Vaike could only look between them.
"Oh great Naga. There's two of them…" he mumbles to himself. Omoide looked at him with silent sympathy as the mother and son continued to theorise, even as Chrom signalled for them to leave.
"You can continue to theories as we head back. I'm sure Robin and the others are worried about us." He turns his attention back to Sumia, who places the Goddess Staff onto her Pegasus. "So, how did the village give you the staff anyway?"
"They gave it to me when I used my Mend Staff to heal the village elder. As well as Cynthia helping to clear the entrance to the village while giving tips on how to stop it from getting blocked by sand." She reveals before looking at the staff. "I… I'm not sure if I should be the one to use it. Maybe Lissa or Maribell. Maybe even Naminé could use it better than me."
"Sumia. Listen to me." Chrom says, stopping Sumia's self-doubting monologue. "They gave it to you because they saw how much you care. Sure, Lissa or Maribell could use it better, or Naminé, but they gave it to you because they believe you deserve it. And you have one advantage that those three don't." He brushes a hand on the main of her mount. "You can get to anywhere faster than they can. It's what saved my life after all." He gives her a smile before re-joining the others as they march back through the cave. Sumia watches them go before smiling softly as she mounts her Pegasus and takes it to the air, silently vowing to become worthy of using the Goddess Staff when the time is right.
She only hoped that whatever needed its use would never come.
And that, is the last Paralogue. Dear sweet light and Naga, those Paralogues were tough...