Chapter 20xx: A Glimpse in Time

"So it was a teleportation spell that brought Ike here..." Kent remarked to the others while pacing themselves to follow their leaders.

Erk raised his eyes in curiosity along with Canas. While the rest of the Greil Mercenaries listened intently.

"So you knew he was brought by magical means?" Erk asked to which Sain and Kent shrugged.

"It was a possibility that our dear commander was sent here. He mentioned a medallion that belonged to his younger sister. Ike father apparently forbid him from ever coming to contact with it. But apparently, he mentioned the medallion was dropped one day and the next thing you know, it glowed." Sain recalled the night they first met Ike. When they discussed at the campfire. "He was found by our Lady Lyndis in Sacae and that started their journey together. Looking back in retrospect, it's a rather amazing tale."

As Sain mused with a smile, Erk and Canas held their chins in deep thought. So an artifact supposedly managed to teleport Ike to a different continent. But something seemed odd, why was Ike the only one excluded in coming to contact with the medallion? If the true purpose of the medallion was to go to warp a person somewhere, wouldn't the father restrict the medallion from both his children? If Ike's sister, Mist, suddenly disappeared, it would be utter chaos.

Maybe the sister held a power that prevented the medallion from causing a person to teleport? The details seemed too little to come to a proper conclusion.

"Still, to not return to his family waiting for him... we would have understood." Priscilla spoke with a saddened expression. To which her brother shook his head.

"Doesn't matter, if Ike made his choice to keep fighting instead of returning right then and there, then it's up to us to follow him there." Raven pointed out. "And he'll find his way back, one way or another."

Everyone nodded at Raven's response, Ike chose to remain in Elibe for the time being. So they would remain by his side until the end.

"I wonder..." Lucius murmured to himself. He held his hand to his heart as if in prayer. "If it's fate that brought Ike here. He's helped us immensely with our troubles..."

There was no arguing with Lucius there. Rath, Guy, Priscilla, Raven, the Caelin Knights, and many others all held gratitude and respect for their young leader. One would wonder if it's the hand of some divine force that placed him in Elibe and made him the guiding light to some.

For some reason, Lucius had a feeling, his soul was speaking out. It began since Badon, and it continued to echo ever so loudly within his very being upon laying his eyes on the newest member, Bishop Renault. The man in question also seemed to widen his eyes at him, not out of something silly such as infatuation like many others, but out of familiarity. And he felt the same somehow... he also knew this man. But how...? Ike managed to find him in the ruins they passed by and he felt compelled to join in their endeavors. What were the odds?

"In any event, let us continue onwards to find Lady Ninian." Kent declared to which Sain raised his hand in affirmation.

"Aye to that, partner!" Sain agreed to his best friend. The group continued onwards to find their lost companion.

Ninian wandered into the ruins, with the Lycian lords and Ike right behind her. She began to look at the surrounding of the ruins.

"Ninian? Why are you running? …Is there something here?" Lyn asked as she caught up to Ninian.

Ninian nodded to Lyn: "…This place… I feel as if I know it. …It's…very familiar."

"What?"

Ninian moved further ahead into the ruin near a gate. Meanwhile, Eliwood, Ike, and Hector arrived to the new ruins.

"Lyndis! Is Ninian well?" Eliwood asked as he caught up with her. But he became puzzled upon seeing her expression. "…What is it?"

"I'm not sure. But she said she knows this place. Could it have something to do with her amnesia?" Lyndis remarked.

Ike looked at his surroundings, his eyes widened. He knew this place... this was around the time he received visions upon meeting Nils and Ninian.

Hector raised his eyebrow and asked: "Why would she be familiar with anything on the Dread Isle?"

"…It's a very old building. It must have been abandoned for centuries…" Eliwood remarked, giving a check of the surroundings.

Ike took further steps in the same direction as Ninian. He subconsciously knew what these ruins were.

"What about the Dragon's Gate? We're way off course now." Hector added.

"Ooh! You're so insensitive! This might restore Ninian's memory! Try and be a little patient!" Lyn angrily retorted.

"Listen, aren't we in a bit of a hurry here? While we're wasting time, your father could be–" Hector pointed out until he was interrupted by his best friend's raise of the hand.

"It's OK, Hector. Let's see what happens." He assured. Taking a closer venture into the ruins. Or rather to wait patiently for Ninian.

Hector scratched his head at his best friend's willingness to be patient for Ninian. Despite knowing his father was still in danger. Their priorities were not in order at any rate.

"He's too nice for his own good. You agree with me, right, Ike?" Hector asked to which there was no answer. Ike went closer to Ninian, looking at the surroundings with her. "Hmm? What's gotten into you, Ike?"

"Ike?" Lyn asked. But Ike remained unresponsive. He was still stepping towards inside the ruins, observing his surroundings without hearing the other party.

Just as she was going to approach Ike, she noticed a new figure appearing in the hallway of the ruins. Their attention went to the man while Ninian went further ahead.

Ike's mind flashed to the siblings like before. Their father reassuring them that he would find their mother. He also wanted Nils and Ninian to leave for the other side if he took too long.

His mind went blank the next moment. Only following Ninian's pace. Eventually reaching a stairway that led to a library.

Seeing the library filled with books, any scholar would be elated to see such a collection. However, Ike and Ninian's attention were not to the archives, but to a sole picture of a man and dragon. The man reaching up to her head, almost in some affectionate manner.

This portrait looked ancient but remained preserved all this time. Ninian looked intently while Ike widened his eyes. He's seen this scene before. When they found Nils and Ninian as well as their memento of their mother. A good amount of time passed until they heard footsteps behind them from where the stairwell came. Ike's attention went to their intruder.

Out came a hooded man with green hair but badly wounded. He held a elder magic tome in hand, ready to strike.

"I... This is what... I spoke of. If I had... more power... No... I will take these treasures for myself!"

With hungry eyes, he opened his tome while Ike unsheathed his blade. Only to halt upon hearing Canas's voice.

Swarm and curse thine enemies with horrors that have plagued mankind for generations.

WORM

And out from underneath the intruder came a dark whirlpool that emitted a dark fog, or rather... small swarm of insects that struck at the druid. Unable to escape the onslaught, the druid fell with boils and bites to the face.

The worm tome, or in some cases, also called swarm. It summoned insects that attacked enemies. It was slightly less accurate compared to a flux tome but it had a bit more power despite being on a heavier side. On top of that, it helped Canas obtain more experience with elder magic, allowing insight to be better attuned to dark forces and decipher more difficult spells.

Canas's studies have finally paid off, he was a fast learner. And in such a short time of studying the Old Tongue.

"That... that was no normal dark tome... how fascinating..." He muttered before he laid dead, and his body enveloped by the spell still underneath him. Fully taken away by the insects that were summoned.

Ike turned to Canas and smiled. He sheathed his blade and spoke.

"Thanks Canas, it would have turned into a risky fight while in here." Ike gestured to Ninian who remained affixed in place. Canas nodded to Ike in response.

"No problem, Ike. Although we were worried for you when you didn't come back. It's already been an about an hour since the battle happened in these ruins."

Ike soon frowned and asked, "Battle? There was a battle just now?"

Just as Canas was ready to answer, a voice came from the stairway.

"Ike!" Lyn called out. Upon seeing Ike, she gasped in relief. "Thank Father Sky, you are here. And it looks like you were with Ninian... what happened?"

"I was with Ninian... but you're telling me an hour has passed? What is...?" Ike held his temple, wondering why he couldn't notice the skirmish.

Something was wrong with Ike, along with Ninian who seemed to not move from her position. She remained staring at the portrait, unmoving.

"Perhaps you were under a curse?" Renault's voice came out from the stairway. His steps entering the library. "Both you and that girl seemed possessed at any rate."

He looked at the library, seeing the plethora of books, surprisingly in good condition.

"These tomes, all of these books..." Canas spoke out in wonder as he perused through the catalog. "That man, Teodor, mentioned these ruins were from the scouring. I wonder..."

Renault opened one of the books, frowned, then shut the book.

"I would advise from venturing too far in the path of knowledge, my son. While it holds benefits, one would shudder from the consequence to oneself. Just like our enemy, Teodor, the Shadow Hawk, spoke beforehand." Renault then turned to Canas as he spoke. "Before your curiosity gets the better of you, like the legend, Bramimond, he lost his identity. If you have anyone you still love, you will refrain from overreaching before it is too late. If you do not heed this warning, then at least hold onto your convictions so you do not lose yourself entirely."

'Bramimond, was that not one of the legends of Elibe?' Ike pondered to himself. To lose one's identity, what did that mean?

"I'm aware of the risks. Despite what my three older brothers have experienced. I fear the same may happen to me or worse. Yet my curiosity pushes me ever deeper. It will be my undoing." As he said those words, he spoke with conviction.

"Then I pray you retain your kindness, your identity, and never lose your way, my son." Renault replied before grabbing another book from the shelves. He opened the contents only to frown once again. He grabbed another and briefly looked at the contents only to show the same reaction. "Tch."

"Is something wrong?" Lyn asked their newest member who clicked his tongue. Curious eyes went towards him. He remained silent as he remained at the center of attention. Briefly skimming through the contents of another book once again.

"Many of these books seem to be written by a detestable man..." Turning to the others. "Do you wish to know?"

Renault was a man of mystery. Ike knew he was connected to Lucius in some way. If his hunch was right, he may be Lucius's enemy from the day he lost his parents...

Everyone looked to each other and nodded. Renault then closed his eyes and acquiesced.

"This handwriting on these books I've seen matches with Nergal's. His notes, the findings, they all are connected to him." Everyone's eyes widened towards him. Even Ninian looked towards him with horror, finally looking away from the portrait. "It seems as though you fear him greatly. You should. I hear he leads the Black Fang on this island it seems."

Could it be, this library belongs to him? But this library dates back to the scouring. To live that long...

"That means the dark sorcerer that Teodor mentioned who lived here was Nergal... or at least at one point." Lyn concluded. She then pointed to the portrait. "Could that picture be of him?"

Ninian could be seen visibly shaken. Ike's mind was slowly rationalizing the entire set of revelations that Renault conveyed to the people present in the library. If the person affiliated with the ruins was Nergal... that meant the man in the visions were...

"Wait, how do you know this?" Ike inquired to the bishop. "The only way you were to know is if you met him personally."

"Indeed, you would have had to be closely affiliated with him to recognize his handwriting. Who are you, Bishop Renault?" Canas inquired to the enigmatic acolyte.

Renault remained stoic in his expression. He then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"We will discuss this matter another time. But be rest assured, I plan to bring down Nergal with you. For now, you should bring the books you can carry on you if you wish. It may hold useful information. You have a mission to accomplish, do you not?" The bishop changed the subject but he had a point. They had no time to be musing over the matter. They needed to leave.

Suspicion was evident in Canas, Ike, and Lyn's eyes. Taking a few (but for Canas, he took as much as he could) of the volumes of tomes with them on hand, they quickly head towards the stairway. However, one lone girl remained frozen in place, with her face having lost all color.

"Ninian... is something wrong?" Ike called out. To which Ninian's attention went to him.

"Yes, um… I'm sorry for the trouble…" Ninian apologized to Ike. Her face was still pale.

"Well? Did you…remember something?" Lyn asked.

Ninian shook her head. "There's… No, nothing. I'm sorry…"

Ike looked into her eyes, and knew. She was lying... If the man who was present in the visions he saw was Nils and Ninian's father, that meant...

But that was the question. Why? Nils told him a year ago that Nergal was pursuing them. That meant he wanted to find his children. The ones he left all those years ago from the Scouring if what the others had mentioned were true. That meant Nils and Ninian were far older than any of them. From all those visions, it made sense. But his children remained afraid of him. Running away at every opportunity. Why was Nergal provoking conflict across Lycia? Why go through this entire effort when he has reunited with his children?

Ike remained staring at Ninian for a good moment, before shaking his head. Now wasn't the time to prod for the answers. For now, they had to save Eliwood's father. If he came across Nergal, then he'd have to wring the answers out of him as to why he would endanger his own children.

With this dark truth lingering in their minds, they left the ruins.

"What is this place? I was supposed to be at the Dragon's Gate. Why am I here?" Nergal looked at the surroundings of the ruins with a sense of nostalgia.

He warped to the area soon after the Lycian army and Greil Mercenaries left, unknowing of their presence beforehand.

"Ah… Now I remember. I was here a long, long time ago… During the Scouring… I studied dark magic here. This… I left something here. Something valuable… Urrgg… My head… The pain…" He held his temples in pain, attempting to recall his memory. He then spat out in disgust, giving up on the effort. "Bah. It must not be worth much if I never bothered returning for it. I have power now. Nothing else matters. I will open the Dragon's Gate and get even more power… The power to defeat anyone. Power…"