A/N: WARNING- Spoilers for Book VII of Fire Emblem Heroes in this story. Proceed at your own risk.

Brave Heroes: The Snake and The Dragon

A Fire Emblem Heroes Fan Fiction

by Derald Snyder

In the kingdom of Askr, a mood of low-key panic and dread had settled over the Order of Heroes, and one group in particular. It was mid-August, the time that the Golden Seer Gullveig had promised to come and claim Corrin the dragon-kin; her attempt at an early abduction two months earlier having frayed the Heroes' nerves further. Currently the plan was to hide Corrin in a secure location away from Askr itself, while a decoy was used to try and throw off Gullveig...

"With all due respect, Robin, I'm not so sure this decoy plan of yours will work," commented Soren, tactician of the Greil Mercenaries, currently wearing a white cape over his archsage attire.

"As I've said before, Soren, if you have any better ideas..." replied Robin, another tactician who served Prince Chrom and the Shepards. He had eschewed his usual robes for a white cape that made him resemble his closest friend Chrom a fair bit.

"If only I did..." Soren lowered his head in mild frustration. "Speaking of which, where is Corrin, anyway?"

"I'm right here," the woman in question replied as she walked up, clad in her usual battle attire, her bare feet making no sounds on the castle floor. "Anyway, the decoy is ready now. So who's going to escort me to the hiding place?"

"Not any of your family, that would be too obvious," Soren muttered. "And it can't be me or Robin either, given how we've interfered with Gullveig's attempts at abduction before..."

"Oh, there you are!" a gentle female voice called out, the trio turning to see a woman with multicolored hair in a bob-cut with a gem on her forehead, wearing a tight-fitting corset and baggy white pants that left her thighs showing, with a shimmering sash wrapped around her forearms and arcing behind her head.

"Seidr! Ah, good timing," Robin greeted with a nod and a smile. "We were just discussing who Corrin's escort to the secure shelter would be... you'll be perfect for the job."

"Will she? If I recall, doesn't this goddess have an extremely poor sense of direction?" Soren said bluntly.

"Ah, please, don't bring that up..." Seidr grunted, her cheeks blushing deeply.

"It should be fine; Corrin already knows where the shelter is," Robin countered. "And Seidr is one of the few who might actually be able to hold off the Golden Seer if they are accosted en route..."

"...While I fear that my own power pales in comparison to Gullveig, I will do my best to ensure your faith in me is not misplaced," Seidr asserted.

"...Let us hope not," Soren allowed.

*And so...*

"Come, child of Hoshido and Nohr. Let us proceed to where you will hide in safety from the Golden Seer," Seidr encouraged as they walked through the woods together.

"Right," Corrin nodded. "But we're supposed to go left, not right."

"What...? Oh, uh, right..." Seidr blushed as she turned and went in the opposite direction. "Please don't tell anyone back in Askr about this..."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Corrin smiled and shook her head. "Compared to Arthur, your bad luck with directions is quite tame in comparison."

"Still, I am a goddess of Vanaheimr... to embarrass myself in front of mortals in such a manner is... well, embarrassing."

"I think I can safely say no one in Askr looks down on you for that," Corrin pointed out. "So please, stop worrying about it."

"You are too kind, Corrin..." Seidr sighed, looking up at the sun, which seemed to make her sash and hair shine almost white. "After all, that one of the reasons I chose you..."

"Chose me...? What do you mean, Seidr?" the manakete asked, perplexed.

"Mine is a lonely existence," the goddess replied, her voice seeming to drop an octave. "There was Heidr, at one time, but now..."

"What are you talking about? Heidr is still with us in Askr!" Corrin argued.

"But in my time, she is long dead, at my own hands, no less..." The light blue tint of Seidr's clothing seemed to shift to an almost golden shade. "And then... the curse that doomed her afflicted me..."

"The curse? You mean the curse of the-" Corrin stopped cold as realization suddenly dawned. "The Golden Seer... NO! It can't be?!"

"But it is, dear Corrin," the goddess' voice took on a sultry tone as her hair suddenly grew long and flowing, the gem on her forehead suddenly lengthening into a horn of sorts... then several snake heads emerged from said long hair as her sash burned in the middle, splitting it in two. "I told you, this was inevitable."

"GULLVEIG!" Corrin cried in horror, backing away... only to find her back to a tree, the Golden Seer suddenly pressing up against her, her snake heads gently biting down on the dragonkin's arms and legs.

"Now," Gullveig breathed out, one hand gently stroking Corrin's cheek, "Come with me... to my realm, where we shall be together until the end of time..." Her lips locked around Corrin's, who could only moan in protest, the two then vanishing in a flash of golden light...

*Back at Askr Castle...*

"Well, it seems we're as prepared as we're going to be," Soren observed. "But even with so many Heroes, can we succeed in defeating the Golden Seer?"

"Well, that's part of the reason we had Corrin moved to a secret location," Robin pointed out. "Even if we're defeated, Gullveig will likely spare us when she realizes Corrin is not actually here..."

"Well, I don't know if that decoy you've made will fool her for very long," Seidr spoke up from nearby. "It's not easy to fool a goddess' perception..."

"...Wait. Seidr, have you already returned? It should have been another half hour before you came back," Soren said suspiciously.

"Huh? Back from where?" Seidr asked, looking utterly perplexed.

"From the secret location that you were supposed to escort-" Robin stopped short. "Wait... you have no idea..."

"...It seems you've realized the same thing, Robin," Soren said grimly.

"Realized what?" Seidr inquired urgently. "I don't understand, who was I supposed to escort?"

"Corrin," Robin replied. "But if that wasn't you, then..." He locked eyes with his fellow tactician, said eyes having slightly widened and his pupils slightly shrunken- the closest Soren came to showing emotion around anyone not named Ike.

"Oh no," they said in unison. "She got her!"

To be continued...*