Alright guys, early announcements. I've got four things I need to address, two of which will be GREAT news.
First, this story's going a BRIEF hiatus. I'm going to need a little more time to work a few of the kinks out that I have coming up, so after updating The Grim Reaper and the Beastkin Reloaded I will then update A Reaper's Game before moving back to this story.
Second is pretty casual, I played through CentralFiction's story mode and while I won't reveal anything, the ending of the series was different than mine (no big surprise). I'll make sure the Omake's don't clash with the canon ending, all the while not giving away anything about CF's ending. I may also later change Ragna's origin story (and a few Omake's) and go back to fix that. Won't be too big a deal, but I think I'll wait a few months on that one, give you all a time to play the game.
Third, I'm putting up a survey for the Harems that will be done in the review section (which I always read). What I want you to do is come up with the two harems that we'll see between the cannon chapters. Points go to creativity, popularity, and whether or not it at least makes A LITTLE sense. Here are the rules that they will need to follow.
2-5 Girls (Might make an exception for six. Seven? Very Unlikely.)
They have to be girls that Ragna knows about. (i.e. No Say'ri, Tiki, or Cherche this time (sorry) Tharja's fine though)
More of a preference, but try not to make it where there's only one main girl and the rest are mistresses/concubines.
Fourth and quite possibly most important is a promise; after finishing this fiction I, Storm VII, solemnly pledge to begin writing a Fates fiction… with ALL of the BlazBlue characters cannonly in the story.
Those are my announcements, enjoy the next chapter. Sorry if things don't make sense in a few places, had a pretty bad head cold when I was writing this.
Chapter XXIV: Separate Paths
"Leave!? Are you insane!?" a young female mercenary yelled at her second in command. Her cropped raven hair, her silver plated armor, and her bloodstained Killing Edge gave her quite the visage of a formidable fighter. She'd often been referred to as the Black Thorn of the Wastelands and it was a title well earned. "The Merchant's caravan will be arriving in only a few hours, and you want to abandon this town before we even begin to extort them!?"
"But boss, we need to be careful! You heard what happened with Crusher didn't you? His men were completely destroyed and it's been said that even he didn't stand a chance." The person talking to Thorn was your typical bandit. Burley, smelly, cowardly, and usually very stupid.
"Idiot, those are just some tales a bard's strewn around in order to pay for his supper," she told him with a roll of her eyes. "Besides, even if they were true he's near the coastal towns now, the exact opposite side of the kingdom. We don't need to worry about him… Now get back to work, find everything of value you can!"
"Y-Yes sir!" the soldier said with a salute before running off and barking orders to the rest of the men.
"Fools," Thorn muttered to herself and she made her way through the sandy city. She passed by several families screaming as they ran out of their homes while her men looted them. She saw children huddled up with their mothers as they tried to stay away from the chaos, their eyes wide with fear unable to avert their gazes. She saw the market in turmoil as the mercenaries grabbed all of the food and wares they could and shoved any opposition to the ground with a sound beating.
Did she enjoy it? No, only a monster would and she had sense of pride about her, but in order for a mercenary to survive in this world they needed to know how it worked and that went double for female mercenaries. In the end no matter what they did in the war it'd always be the same, they were sell swords and they'd just go to their next battle ground like always.
But even that wasn't so simple, Gangrel had died before they'd gotten paid and it didn't seem like anyone was about to step forward with the gold he'd owed them. They didn't have any idea when their next job would be, and with the war already over it made even less sense to hire a woman mercenary and her band.
"What a rotten world," she said darkly to herself. She was about to proceed on her way before she heard the pain filled grunt that came from one of her men.
"You little bastard!" he shouted in a feral rage as he grabbed a child, no more than ten years old, by his throat and hoisted him off his feet. The was a small dagger in the mercenaries bicep, causing blood to spill down his arm. "Boss let me kill him! Let me kill this brat!"
Thorn glanced to the suffocating boy, to the man choking him, to the corpses at their feet. There were two; man and woman, both had been killed by a messy sword swing and had the look of terror on their eyes as they died… the boy's parents.
"...Do whatever the hell you want," Thorn muttered as she turned her head away from the scene.
She didn't condone the scene, but all the same she didn't feel like watching. She heard it though, the child's pain rasps as his throat was slowly crushed… but both she and the murderer paused as they heard the sudden sound of a blast and then the screams of several of her other mercenaries.
"What the fu-!?" That was all the mercenary choking the child could shout before he was struck through the head by an expertly shot arrow. His rolled to the back of his head, his arm holding the child and went limp, and his dead body fell forward, completely covering the unconscious child.
'An archer?' Thorn thought to herself before seeing the shooter standing as they readied another arrow to fire. This one appeared to be different than the usual Plegian guard's she'd seen. This one was wearing armor that was of black leathers and dark purple plates and wore a helmet that seemed to resemble that of a horned dragon. The archer fired the second shot with lethal accuracy, but Thorn managed to draw her Killing Edge and deflect the arrow before it could strike her.
'What's with that armor? I've never seen anything like that before!' she internally demanded as she heard the screams from around the city as her men were easily defeated by allies of the archer. 'Oh, to hell with this!'
The Thorn of the Wastelands ran forward toward the shooter as they fired a second shot which was avoided by dodging to the side. Running forward towards the shooter as fast as she could, the archer tried to get a hurried third shot off, but it missed Thorn completely. The Mercenary leader leapt into the air and howled as she brought the blade down.
CLANG!
Both Thorn and the shooter were surprised at the wall of purple and black flames that had appeared in between them, stopping Thorn's sword. The wall then sent of burst of power her direction, causing her to scream as she was sent flying, her face was terribly burned by the attack. The Mercenary rolled on the floor for a moment before managing to come to her feet while still holding her killing edge.
"I'll handle her," said the raspy voice of a mysterious hood figure in black robes with strange markings that identified him as some sort of cultist. "Attend to that child buried beneath the man you shot; if you hurry he may survive this encounter yet."
"Yes lord Hierophant," the archer said with a bow as he hurried past Thorn. She made no effort to stop or attack the one that had shot arrows at her; all attention lay on the mysterious hooded newcomer.
'Hierophant? But I heard that Validar already died in the failed assassination attempt against the Exalt… Does that mean this guy's his replacement?'
Thorn felt the unease of simply staring at the man, it was greater than any unease she'd gotten when charging any other force of men, great than any other time she'd been forced to retreat as the rest of her men had been slaughtered.
"The Thorn of the Wastelands…" the figure said with a horridly raspy tone as he turned to face the woman he'd just addressed. Underneath the darkness of the hood Thorn could only see a pair of glowing purple irises. "You and your men stand accused of oppression of the innocent, taxation unapproved via the kingdom, highway robbery... and murder."
The figure opened his left palm and black flames emerged, they then grew further before condensing and forming the handle and blade of wicked scythe that gave the occasional spark of demonic black lightning. Thorn raised her eyebrow at the man's choice of weaponry before glancing at her own sword and seeing how unimpressive her once formidable blade really looked in comparison.
"Surrender, and the Fell Dragon may yet grant you a merciful fate in your afterlife," he offered as he rested the scythe's handle in both of his hand. He appeared to be at complete peace, as if he was already the victor of whatever decision was made. Thorn didn't take kindly to his attitude and took a single slow and calculated step forward, holding her sword up as she did so. "Very well, trial by combat it is. I, Hierophant Minos, shall decide your fate."
The hooded figure's form seemed to shimmer for a moment before it slowly dissipated into dark misty shadows and leaving no trace of the man. Thorn's eyes grew wide for a moment, but then her reflexes kicked in as she felt a rush of the wind behind her. Leaping forward, she managed to dodge the attack of the Hierophant's scythe just barely, as a few of her hairs gently fell to the floor. Turning back to her attacker, she saw that there seemed to be a small patch of dissolving dark flames from where Minos was standing.
Her opponent then kept striking at her with a constant barrage of swings, leaving Thorn no time to retaliate against such strong blows. She blocked another attack before taking a quick step back and scrapped her sword on the sand before sending a cloud at her opponent, trying to get her opponent's eyes. The trick did nothing against Minos who, with a simple flick of his finger, created a gale of darkness that sent the gains straight into Thorn's eyes. Her eyes blinded, Thorn could do little more than flail her sword and hoped that she'd hit her opponent. Minos effortlessly blocked the first three of her swings before masterfully cutting her across the stomach and sending her sprawling to the floor as she experienced a definition of pain that she'd never dreamed.
"A short and meaningless bout," Minos said as he held the scythe's blade at Thorn's throat as she remained immobilized on the ground in her agony. "Have you anything to say before I pass judgement? Grima is not without forgiveness, you may atonement at your last moments…"
"I...I-!" Thorn stuttered as she gurgled at the blood and bile in her mouth before she coughed it out. "ROT IN HELL YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU AND YOUR FELL DRAGON ARE JUST FANTASIES OF A SPOILED BRAT'S DREAMS! YOUR CULT IS JUST A COLLECTION OF FREAKS LIKE YOU!"
"...IS. THAT. RIGHT?" Minos demanded with his voice causing the very ground to shake. He brought his scythe against Thorn's face and cut shallowly into it. "I WAS WRONG. YOU DON'T DESERVE A CHANCE AT ANY AFTERLIFE. YOUR SOUL SHALL BE NO MORE!"
The scythe cut the mercenary leader into two vertical halves, sending out a spray of blood before they were violently consumed by black flames which crushed them in a sickening display. All this while a woman's horrific screams emitted from the halves, though Thorn had surely died from the first cut. Once the deed was done, there only a blood spot on the ground. No body, armor, weapon, nor even soul now remained of the Thorn of the Wastelands. Keeping the firm hold on his scythe, Minos walked off to continue purging the town of mercenaries.
Ylisse Castle -Office Chambers-
"The Order of the Sacred Wings?" crowned Prince Chrom repeated as he held the papers in front of him.
"Yes my lord, that is what this organization is calling itself," Frederick the Wary told him. As usual he was outfitted in his great knight armor, even if it was for a simple task such as bringing news and documents. "They're made up of several divisions of Plegia's armies and claim to act as agents for the wellbeing kingdom, Since their recent creation it seems that they've taken to routing out the hostile mercenaries that Gangrel had hired to keep his towns safe while he organized his own troops. It was a terrible strategy, and a costly one, but it seems as though the newcomers have taken to protecting the people."
"...I see," the prince said as he glanced out the window. The sky was a calm blue, the clouds were soft and light, and the birds were giving an occasion song as they flew past. How strange, he often thought, that the war had ended barely a week ago and Ylisse had already moved on.
"Is something wrong my lord? Your mind seems elsewhere at the moment," Frederick said, bringing the prince out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, I'll focus on the report," Chrom told his right-hand man as he continued looking over the parchment in his hand. "This organization claims that they're for the people, but the name tells me that they're still a cult. How much of the Grimleal is in the organization?"
"More than nine-tenths…" Frederick said grimly. "They seem to occupy most of the organization and it even seems that their Hierophant is the leader of the Sacred Wings."
"Hierophant?" the Prince repeated as he was unsure what the term meant.
"Lady Anuket does not go into great details for the position for she has little information on the inner workings on the Grimleal herself. All she can tell us with certainty is that the Hierophant leads the cult and the worship of Grima. Apparently the current leader, Minos, is new to the job after their previous Hierophant was killed in the earlier assassination attempt of the Exalt."
"They sent their Hierophant during the assassination? ...That must have been Validar, the man that Aversa described that was killed by Ragna." Saying the name of his late friend didn't sting as much as it once had. Chrom realized he had his duty just as Ragna had once had his. "So the Sacred Wings are fighting abusive mercenaries. I doubt we don't have anything to worry over for the time being. If they start trouble with us we still have our alliance with Flavia… but ask Anuket to keep us informed in whatever way she's permitted."
"Indeed, I'll proceed accordingly," Frederick said with a nod before going to the next set of papers. "Moving on, we've had success driving the Risen out of the more populated areas of Ylisse. It's hard to say how long this will last due to their ability to appear seemingly out of nowhere, but our towns are fortified and protected for now."
"Still I want to see if we can find out if there's means of stopping them for good, tell Miriel to continue her research." The Great Knight nodded at the order and made a note to do so. "How are the other kingdoms managing with the problem?"
"Regna Ferox's situation is similar to our own; they've managed to drive the Risen out with the proper support the towns have been given thanks to Ragna's previous… intervention. Flavia and Basilio have even been having the occasional match with each other to see which Kahn can slay more Risen."
"Big surprise," Chrom said with a brief whimsical smile before returning to business at hand. "And Plegia, I take it they've had this Sacred Wings group to eradicate the Risen."
"No actually," Frederick said seriously. "We've gathered our reports and it seems that they've done very little to engage the Risen. Many of the Risen have been driven back by the few loyal groups of mercenaries that still exist or…"
"Or?" Chrom questioned, not sure why Frederick was hesitating so much.
"We've had… rumors. There have been stories coming from the towns of a single warrior who has managed to eradicate both the nightmarish Risen and abusive Mercenaries as he travels through Plegia. No definitive proof has come to surface, but most of the stories from the villagers seem to match the general description of a warrior in midnight black armor that has never revealed his face. They've taken to calling him The Black Knight."
"The Black Knight," Chrom repeated, his mind going from one place to another before he shook his head. "We already have enough to worry with rebuilding our kingdom to worry about this rumor. Besides, conducting an investigation on the other side of Plegia's borders could be seen as an aggressive action. Leave it be, but keep me notified if a situation ever does arise."
"As you say milord," Frederick said with a nod. The Knight was impressed by Chrom's growth after the war, the young prince had jumped right after politics and the responsibilities that were required of him. Gathering his papers, Frederick addressed the prince one last time. "Shall I pass these along to your sister?"
"No, let's leave Emmeryn out of politics for a while longer," Chrom said as he stood. "I can keep the nobility at bay for now, involving Emm in politics after she was just captured might just overwhelm her."
"As you wish," Frederick said before bowing and heading out of the office. With his aid gone Chrom began looking over the paperwork he currently had on his desk and groaned before returning to sign them and continue his work.
Castle Library
The Castle Library of Ylisse was one of the largest sources of knowledge on the continent and it was often found in use by scholars, politicians, up and coming mages, tutors, the list goes on. Currently the rows and rows of bookshelves loaded with tomes had a few Nobles and mages looking through the them, but a certain member in the room was neither. Robin was sitting at the table surrounded by stacks of tomes on strategy and other military techniques of days long passed. The tactician was making fast work; recording strategies down into her own personal tome, making notes for improvements, and even beginning to commit them to memory.
After finishing one of her entries, she let out a deep breath and stretched her arms. "Looks like I'm making some good progress," she said to herself before glancing behind her noticing the shadow coming from behind one of the shelves. "Tharja is that you?" No response. "Come on Tharja, I know you've been following me."
"Noticed me have you?" the Plegian dark mage said as she came out from behind the bookshelf. "I was just here… looking for a tome on Dark Magic."
"Tharja, Ylisse's library doesn't have any tomes on Dark Magic," Robin reminded. "If you'd wanted a tome on that you'd be better off going to find a merchant carrying one… and I think you know that. So why are you following me?"
"I have my… reasons," Tharja said modestly. "What? Do you wish that I'd gone back to Plegia once the war was over?"
"No I never said that," Robin told her truthfully before becoming somewhat worried. "No one's said that to you… have they?"
"You're sweet to worry, but I haven't dealt with anyone outright saying it though I'm sure someone's thinking it."
"I'm just a little curious why you decided to come back with us. Didn't you Grandmother try to convince you to return to Plegia with her?"
"Hardly, after making sure that I was in good health and safe company, she simply let me know that my father, her son-in-law, was furious and demanded that I return home immediately." Tharja then gave something of a snarky smile. "If anything she was kindly asking that I went with you all for the time being."
"I see," Robin thought said perplexity. Just how chaotic was Tharja's family anyways? …How chaotic were most, since she had little point of reference.
"Besides I'm very interested in getting to know you better," the Dark Mage said, causing Robin to cringe slightly. "There's just something about you that I find… interesting. It was a feeling that I got when I first saw you with him."
"With him?" Robin repeated not having any clear indication of who Tharja was referring to.
"You two seem to be in good spirits," came a familiar voice. The two turned their heads to see Aversa walking towards them with a tome of her own in her hands. 'Funny, if the two of you were gossiping I would've thought the castle gardens would have been a better place."
"Who's gossiping?" Robin asked with a heated glare directed at Aversa. Gangrel's former assistant had occasionally offered her 'thoughts' on some of Robin's strategies. They were just mild remarks like 'I think this should go there' or 'If you move this here you'd protect our flank and keep our archers from getting killed.' She hadn't meant to be rude, but after some time it turned into something of a bitter rivalry.
"Only a jest, but with all of those tomes you're reading I'm glad to see we have dedicated tactician," Aversa told Robin, giving her a rare compliment.
"I'm only doing what I need to, but what's that tome you've got there? Working on a project of your own?" the Tactician questioned.
"No… I'm merely looking into a lead that I heard about in the usual reports to Chrom," she answered with a shrug.
"In the reports? But those are supposed to go right from Frederick to Chrom and later and he'd only address us all about it if it's highly concerning, so how did you read them?"
Aversa gave a sultry smile. "Information can easily be obtained by anyone, regardless of status. You just need to know how..."
"Aversa…" Robin groaned.
"Oh please, I didn't have to do anything particularly devious, I simply managed to obtain the incoming message from Lady Anuket before letting Frederick find it," Aversa answered with a casual shrug, though it didn't help Robin's attitude much.
"So what was in my grandmother's report then?" Tharja asked with curiosity.
"Apparently there's a new group of power on the rise and they seem to include much of the Grimleal," Aversa said before scowling. "And something tells me it was their work that caused Ragna to be killed during the rescue."
"Aversa I don't want you doing anything drastic," Robin warned, trying to put authority in her tone. "We just managed to stop one war; I don't want you to start another even if what you're thinking is true."
"They already have plenty more to answer for, but don't worry; I won't make the first move. Something tells me I haven't seen the last of them one way or the other. But that wasn't the lead I was looking into; I'm focusing one addressing a figure known as The Black Knight."
"The Black Knight?" Robin repeated before turning to Tharja who shook her head at her own lack of information. "What did the report say about him?"
"Only what's been heard through rumors. Apparently he's been single handedly handling Plegia's Risen situation while defending helpless villages from the mercenaries that Gangrel had hired… I was never at his side when he selected sellswords to hire, but a part of me thinks that he didn't care much for their previous crimes. Anyways, this figure's apparently powerful enough to wipe out small armies with little effort and it's like he's appeared overnight, so I'm trying to research where something like him might've come from."
"So have you found anything?" Robin questioned, knowing that information could turn vital if this enigma tried anything against Ylisse.
"Nothing that gets me any closer," Aversa admitted. "There's a rather unique unit type called a Dark Knight, but they're known for fighting on horseback and using tomes so it seems unlikely that there's any real connection. At the moment I'm at a loss of leads…" The previous Dark Flyer then turned her head at the sudden rapid approach of footsteps, coming from the approaching form of the kingdom's princess. "Honestly child, this IS a library."
"Sorry, I've been trying to find Robin for a while," Lissa admitted with a guilty smile. "I've been having a lot of trouble trying to pick up magic, so I was hoping that you could maybe help me out?"
"Any other time I would, but I've got strategies to read up on and reports to discuss," Robin told Lissa. "But maybe these two could help you, both of them are accomplished mages."
"I won't be able to," Tharja said somewhat creepily. "I have… other things I need to attend to."
"Stalking Robin then?" Aversa questioned, earning her a glare from Tharja, but no denial. "Spending some time with the princess might grant me some credibility to my name and keep the nobility from glaring at me every time I walk down the hallway, but I'm afraid I've got my own project to work on and a Black Knight to follow."
"Black Knight?" Lissa repeated before appearing to think very hard as her features tightened in a thoughtful pout (a kind of cute pout at that). "That name sounds kind of familiar… but where was it I heard it?"
"You've heard it before?" Aversa questioned. "Can you remember when? I've looked over all of the famous swordsmen in recent history and I've never come across the title once."
"It was a long time ago… I think I was just a kid when I heard about it. Maybe it was a bedtime story?"
"A bedtime story?" Tharja repeated. "So you're probably thinking of a myth, is that all you have to say or is there any other useless face you'd like to tell us?
"Tell us?" Lissa repeated strangely focused on those two simple words. "Tell us… tell us… Tellius! It was a story from Tellius!"
"Lissa! We're in a library!" Robin hissed at her, causing the princess to cringe at the realization before noticing several of the libraries other patrons staring at her. "And what in Naga's name is Tellius?"
"A land from legend supposedly," Aversa told her with narrowed eyes before hurrying off to a nearby bookshelf.
"Well it looks like I won't be able to get any other these notes finished after all," Robin sighed as she started putting a few of the tomes in her bag. "So what's so special about this Tellius place?"
"You've never heard of the stories of the Radiant Hero?" Lissa questioned the both of them, prompting Tharja to also shake her head. "I mean I heard most of them as kids, so why haven't you?"
"I don't really remember any of my childhood stories because I can't remember my childhood," Robin reminded.
"I was raised on… different stories," Tharja said darkly. "Most of them were about the Fell Dragon or tales of monsters that would steal the souls of children that didn't listen to their parents."
"Oh, you got the tame versions then; Valider was never coy with the finer details," Aversa called from where she was searching.
"Right…" Lissa said with a cringing face. "If I remember it correctly, Tellius was home to a warrior that's been called the Radiant Hero. He was supposed to have been an amazing warrior, wielding a sacred blade and saving his entire continent twice over. I don't really remember how the Black Knight was part of the story though."
"He was an antagonist to the hero it seems," Aversa told the others from where she'd gone to retrieve her next tome. "Apparently there was a long and bitter hatred between the two. This tome tells that they've fought several times, but eventually the Knight died in their final duel… this doesn't say who he was though, only that a mere man could never properly conceive his power..."
"So it can't be him," Tharja summarized. "Doesn't seem like much of a lead."
"Not quite true," Aversa said as she turned the tome so that it faced the others, showing an illustration of the knight. "The black armor, helm design, and cape all seem to match what the rumors stated in the reports."
"That's not too concerning, a lot of warriors can wear the armor of legends in order to inspire fear in their enemies or courage in their allies," Robin said, momentarily remembering the mysterious Marth character and the hero she was trying to represent. "Just because someone dresses up in similar armor or even the same armor as a legend doesn't put them at their level of power."
"Normally I'd agree with you," Aversa began as she returned her gaze to the tome. "But this is a different case normal. The armor may be a replica, but if it's not then it could carry the previous enchantment that made it immune to all weapons. In fact, the only weapon that was able to break through was the Radiant Hero's blade Ragnell."
"...Then we do have reason for concern," Robin admitted. "I've done some reading on Falchion, and while it may be able to beat that enchantment, we don't know if it can do that in its current state… maybe the armor's enchantment wore off?"
"More than likely," Tharja decided to put in. "Hexes that increase or decrease a person's abilities are powerful, but give it a proper amount of time and they'll wear off eventually. A stronger hex may lead to longer effects, but they'll all fall in time… or death."
"Still seems like a risk," Robin admitted before heading over to Aversa. "May I?" she asked, holding her hand out for the tome which she was given. "I'll let Chrom know about this, I'm supposed to meet with him now anyways."
"You've really been spending a lot of time with Chrom lately," Lissa commented with a giggle, causing Robin to blush.
'Curses! Now I need to be on the lookout for Chrom!' Tharja raged internally. 'But if I hexed him I could put everyone into another war and I don't want to do that to Robin… WHAT DO I NEED TO DO FOR LOVE!?'
"Of course, I'm working with Chrom on strategy and reports so I'd have to be seeing him a lot if I were to do my job," Robin argued as she grabbed her bags. "I'll see the you all later, I should be going."
"Yes, please, don't keep Chrom waiting," Aversa said with a smirk which Robin returned with her heated glare. "A word of warning though, I myself might not have interest in our handsome prince, but it's clear that other ladies of the nobility will try to claim him for their own, even just for political gain… It would be better for the both of you if you didn't stall things any longer than need be."
"Aversa, your teasing-"
"I'm being genuine here. Talk to him at least."
"...Maybe you've got a point," Robin admitted causing Lissa to giggle while Tharja grit her teeth. "Well thanks for the help Aversa, this might give us some more insight on the Black Knight character and what we can expect from him."
"It was my pleasure tactician," Aversa said with a well-meaning smile. It would have been simpler if she'd left thing there, but she just had to whisper into Robin's ear. "And hurry up with Chrom, I have the feeling that the Princess and Exalt want to be aunties sooner than later."
A blush was immediately visible on Robin's face. "AVERSA!"
"Shh... we're in a library, remember?" Aversa said with a somewhat haughty smile. Robin conceded to that fact, put her hood so no one she passed could see her expression, and hurried out of the library.
"Wait, what did you say to her?" Lissa questioned as Tharja followed Robin in the shadows.
"Just a few simple words of encouragement," the former Plegian Aid said with a soft smile before putting a hand on Lissa's shoulder and guiding the nervous princess out of the Library. "Come with me princess, I believe I owe you a lesson in magic."
(Author's Note: I'm not going to reveal too much of the Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn storyline in this chapter, mainly because I want you to see it for yourself. I rarely promote games, but if you have a Wii and a decent amount of money to spend (these games are PRICEY) I highly recommend you play it. They're much harder games than Awakening (no level grinding) but it's well worth it in my opinion. Or watch a Let's Play on YouTube for the story, your call. You won't need it for down the line, but still… SUCH GOOD GAMES!)
Chrom's Office
The crowned prince was still sitting at his desk looking over documents he'd need to sign and other reports he'd needed to read. He was currently overlooking one slightly more painful report when he heard a knock on the door.
"Enter," he said curtly as he put the report down. The door opened revealing Robin as she carried her bags into the office while wearing her hood. "Is it already time for your update?"
"Normally it would be, but Aversa already got ahold of the message before Frederick found it," Robin told him with a sigh. "Though it might be good that she did. She managed to find some information out about the Black Knight. Apparently there's a figure in the Tellius lore that matches his description perfectly."
"The Tellius lore?" Chrom repeated while trying to remember. "You mean the tales of the Radiant Hero? I've only heard the stories a few times, but are you sure there was a Black Knight in them?"
"Yeah, I've got the tome of them right here," Robin said as she turned to the page in question and handed it to Chrom. "Tharja thinks that it's likely that the armor's enhancements listed in there have worn off which might be good news if whoever it is tries to stand against us."
"And the illustration matches the rumors perfectly," Chrom agreed as he looked through the tome.
"The only problem is how little those rumors have actually spread. If the match to the illustration is really that perfect you think the three kingdoms would be talking about it non-stop, this simply seems to be them calling him strictly based on appearance… is the Black Knight really that unknown?" the tactician questioned as she removed her hood.
"...Now that you mention it that may actually be a result of the Radiant Hero's story itself," Chrom admitted. "Currently those tales are mostly known by the few nobles and scholars that decide to read them and certain bands of mercenaries… and even then it might not be the right version of the two."
"There are two versions?" Robin asked. "What's the difference between them?"
The Radiant Hero's origin; most of the known lore told around the kingdoms surround Marth, Ephraim, Eliwood, and his son Roy… there's one major difference between the Radiant Hero and the others; they were born of noble blood, he wasn't."
"So some of the stories change that," Robin guessed.
"In more ways than one," Chrom said before looking out the windows. "In the original text he was offered a position of high nobility once the war the was over. He refused and returned to where he started: as a common mercenary. The altered version not only has him born into a noble house, he even married a powerful Empress later into his life and dies as an Emperor… it's just a sad matter of pride really."
"How do you know that the other version of the story was the real one?" Robin asked.
"I was told it a long ago… by someone who I thought was a very wise man," Chrom said with a hint of melancholy in his tone. "But enough about that, is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"We yes, but it's not about the reports or the rumors circulating, it's more about us." Robin decided she'd take Aversa's word seriously (most of them at least), and she knew that the first step was addressing the elephant in the room.
"That's probably a good thing to talk about," Chrom agreed as he finally stood from his seat. "So… where to start?"
"How exactly do you feel about it?" Robin decided to ask. "I know things have been happening fast lately, but now that we're settling into normality are you sure you want to be together?"
"Positive," Chrom said with conviction before smirking. "But really, you think what's going on is normal?"
"More normal than when we were in a war," Robin told him as she smiled herself. "But I guess you have a point; it might be some time before things actually start to calm down."
"...And how do you feel about us?" Chrom had to ask. "I know we've been through a lot together and back at the Midmire you supported more than anyone else could have, but what about now?"
"Well I think that either way we're going to be spending a lot of time with each other given our jobs. No matter what happens I'll always want to be your tactician…" Chrom's face seemed to deflate somewhat at that. "But that doesn't mean we can't give love a chance."
"And that's all I want, a chance," Chrom said with a soft smile to Robin. "Well I think we've worked enough on these blasted reports to earn ourselves a break, care to join me for lunch?"
"I'd love to," Robin told him as Chrom made his way over to her. "Maybe we could-"
She was unable to continue her suggestion as the prince gently pressed his lips to hers. Her gently wrapped his arms around her as the two stayed there for a moment, none of the post war matters or emergencies mattering to either of them. Eventually Chrom pulled away, though he seemed to be smiling as he did.
"Decided to take the initiative?" the tactician questioned, though she certainly didn't seem to be annoyed by it.
"I figured it was about time," Chrom admitted as the two left the office while holding each other's hand as they walked. "Let's hope they've got a few meat pies ready in the kitchen."
Plegian Desert
'If they weren't my target in the first place, I might be annoyed by how many Risen I'm having to deal with,' the enigmatic Black Knight thought to himself as his sword carved through the air and struck through the metal plating of a knight classed Risen and carved it in half. The fell to the sands with a crash before they began to dissolve into shadows that wisped into the Black Knight's gauntlet. One Risen down, countless left.
Many of the remaining Risen rushed forward with weapons and claws drawn as they made to kill the mysterious knight. They were never close to making contact, for the Black Knight's blade was too fast to see. Weapons were destroyed, limbs were severed off the Risen bodies, and the undead flesh was carved through with ease.
The knight then charged his powers into his sword before unleashing wavelike energy attack that tore through the Risen and destroyed several of them at once. A group of undead spell casters attempted to destroy him with magic, but due to the sword's magic its wielder was able to deflect the magic and sent it back to those who cast it.
A row of Risen arches then unleashed a volley of arrows, but they were unable to even scratch the armor as their weapons clanged uselessly against the dark plating. One arrow was launched at the right angle and it managed to pass through the opening of the helm and struck the head inside. It should have been a lethal attack, but the sword then glowed with yellow lighting that extended and gave the blade a much further reach allow the knight to hack through the distant Risen in a single, mighty stroke. As the final group of Risen fell to the sands and dissolved into the shadows, the Black Knight spat out the arrow he'd caught with his teeth.
"That should do it for this area," said he to no one in particular, for who could he talk to? He replaced his blade in its sheath as the remaining shadows were absorbed by his gauntlet. "Let's see… I've covered east, south, and west of Plegia. Meaning now it's time for me to move north and eliminated the Risen near Regna Ferox."
With a destination set in his mind, the Black Knight resumed his journey as his cape flapped in the wind behind him. He hadn't traveled far when he noticed the shadows coming from the birds above him. Glancing up, he saw that there were indeed birds circling him, but they were much too small to be vultures.
"They better not take a crap on me; walking in this heavy armor through the desert is already unbearable enough as it is," the enigma said to himself before shaking his head and moving on. The birds were still following him from above, however it seemed like they weren't circling him anymore and now followed their own patterns.
The knight continued his journey for the better part of a good fifteen minutes before one of the birds became tired and soared downwards, landing on his plated shoulder. Turning his head towards the creature he saw that the bird was a simple small black crow. The bird looked at him with a bit of curiosity before peaking once at the plating and let out a caw! in the Black Knight's face.
"Shoo," he said to the bird, but it remained. "Shoo." Slightly more force was used that time as the knight rolled his shoulder, but the bird stayed on. "Shoo!" It wasn't harsh or harmful, but the Black Knight pushed the bird off of him with his gauntleted arm. The bird fluttered in shock for a second, leading the enigma to think he'd won, but then it merely flew over and perched itself on his other shoulder before giving him another caw! Beneath his helm, the Black Knight growled.
"I don't think that's going to get rid of it! You're fighting a lost CAWS! Nyh ha ha ha ha ha!"
The Black Knight quickly turned to the source of the voice and the sudden new appearance. What he found was a silver hair young adult. He was wearing the robes of a Plegian dark mage with the eyes of Grima on his open collar. He appeared to be shorter than the knight and had eyes that appeared to be closed and a smile on his face that somehow seemed both innocent and very creepy. The remained crow from above soared down and landed on his shoulder before having its feather gently pet by the youth.
"These birds are yours then?" the knight questioned. He didn't go for his sword just yet, but he certainly wouldn't avert his eyes from the figure in front of him.
"Nah, but I always seem to have a way with animals especially birds. I dunno maybe they like me because of my shiny hair?" the youth said with that unchanging smile on his face.
"You don't say… What's someone with the Grimleal doing all the way out here?"
"Nya ha ha ha ha! I'm not with the Grimleal," the boy told him. "I'm just a dark mage traveling around the desert. Just cause I wear the clothes doesn't make me part of their MURDER." The youth began snickering, but the Black Knight did not appear to be in a laughing mood. "A murder's another way of saying a group of crow, and the Grimleal are guys that-"
"I get it, believe me," the knight said darkly before scoffing a continuing to walk on his way with the crow still on his shoulder. "I'm wasting my time here."
"You sure about that? Most of the commoners of the kingdom know to address people that look like me as Dark Mages first and Grimleal second if they have that little dark side to them…" the youth gave a smile. "You're not from around here are you?"
"Does it matter? I won't be staying long," the person said as they continued to travel north.
"Gonna go eliminate some Risen?" the mage said before he followed behind. "Sounds like fun! Let me join in!"
"No."
"C'mon! Pretty please?"
"No."
"Super pretty please?"
"NO."
"Super pretty please with gore and beating internal organs on top?"
"...Just who the hell are you?"
"Oh, so now we're giving out names? Call me Henry! That's H-E-N-"
"I know how to spell! Gods…"
"What's your name?"
The Black Knight didn't answer. He'd hoped that if he said nothing that Henry would eventually stop his unceasing questioning and leave him alone. But then he caught whiff of a foul smell. Immediately he turned his head to the crow that was resting on his shoulder and barely caught it flying away before noticing the stain it had left on the shoulder.
"Shit…" he said aloud, but immediately regretted it.
"Your name's Shit?" Henry said on cue. "I've heard about people giving someone a crappy name, but that takes the cake! Nya ha ha ha ha ha!"
The crow that had left a mark on the knight's shoulder flew over to Henry's open one and began a chorus of cawing with the other bird that somehow seemed like laughter. The black armored enigma groaned as he burned away said stain with fire before he continued walking with his new acquired traveling companion, fighting the constant urge to go for his sword in orderto get some peace and quiet.
Author's Note: Don't Own Anything. Moving on. (Remember to post Harem ideas)
So fan favorite Henry's now part of the mix and events are moving right along. There's not going to be much of an Omake this time around… but I've got a bit of something else instead.
Awakening Profile Info
Ragna
Found by Chrom in the SouthTown area, he joined the Shepherds and has since become one of its most valued members. He constantly trains to grow ever stronger despite beating large armies single handedly. Still something of a mystery, despite already revealing some of his past.
The least likely to ever get any sleep.
Born on March 3rd
In Game Quotes
Support 1: Are you really sure you're gonna need me?
Support 2: This feels like overkill.
Supported Victory: Nice follow up.
Critical/Skill 1: I'll smash you (launches attack) to pieces!
Critical/Skill 2: Darkness Consume You!
Support Tiles 1 (a): You got a special dream or desire? …I'm JUST asking!
Support Tiles 1 (b): I'm making sure that everyone lives through this, and that won't be a dream.
Support Tiles 2 (a): Oi, you want to team up sometime? It might help us both out.
Support Tiles 2 (b): If you want, but if I see a problem elsewhere I might split… just saying.
Support Tiles 3 (a): I'm trying to find a hobby, what do you do when there's time to kill?
Support Tiles 3 (b): During the day I train, get yelled at by Chrom, train, don't get any sleep, train, get yelled at by Chrom for not sleeping, and then train… and sometimes cook.
(b with Chrom): I um, *ahem* cook! Yeah, I do that a lot. And read! Also very important!
Exp Gain: I offed some Risen when no one was looking… again.
Weapon Gain: Chrom hasn't found out about last night's training session. Let's keep it that way.
Item Find: Wonder who keeps leaving this stuff around...
Stat Boost: I guess getting a couple of hours of sleep is better than none.
Barracks: Kind of peaceful here, maybe I can finally read that book I've been meaning to get to.
Level Up (0-1): Damn… Well, figures.
Level Up (2-3): Not bad I guess… but let's try for more.
Level Up (4-5): All right! All those countless sleepless nights are paying off!
Level Up (6+): Even with all of the shit I've been through, I can still grow as a fighter and as a man.
Level Up (Max): It guess this is my limit… for now.
Class Change (From Grim Reaper Class): Keep my coat safe; I'll be wearing it again soon enough.
Class Change (To Grim Reaper Class): There better not be one tear on his thing… or else.
Just to set your minds at ease, I am NOT running out of ideas for the Omakes already. I just felt like addressing this now. I know this chapter had less quality than usual, but this is what happens when I have a head cold and a bad headache to follow it with.
Review Responses:
Zappy Caboose: Kinda sounded like that huh? No, that's not what happened, but nice to see another Berserk fan.
Warrior of the Six Blades: Thanks for another lengthy review, good to hear it.
Greyjedi449t & Selias: Thanks, I try.
Guest (1): Tombstone? ...Is now bad time to mention that golden statue Chrom had made.
MechaDragon69: Heh, would be interesting.
VirusChris: Just say your part in the survey.
PersonaQeminod1: May take some time.
Ben 10.000: No, just doesn't fell like.
Paladin9800: A fellow Tellius player? Glad to see someone follows.
ArmantusCumPinnae: You seem to be adamant on that…
Marconator360: And another sweet moment here.
Leekz01: Submit you opinion in the survey!
Thunder Dragon: I really think you should just try getting an account. If it doesn't work with you current email, sign up on the sight.
Kalakuai: We'll see what fate chooses in the marriage department. And the BB characters will get their say in the Fates series.
EternalCobra34: If Ragna tried to become a womanizer… I don't want to think about what could happen (SO I MIGHT JUST WRITE ABOUT IT LATER IN A GAG REEL!)
Mugen7: Kagura would have something to say? I wonder if Ragna would bother defending that title or if he'd just give Kagura the armor and tell him to piss off. Anyways yes, Ragna needz hugz.
Adv: Thank you, thank you.
Dread Alpha Prime: The Black Knight.
ZetaCommand: Aw, shucks.
Nignog: SPOILERS… But I already played the game. His fate in the final game is still a bit unclear now, but I still doubt that's the last we've seen of him.
Gundam-Knight-Chris: Be patient.
Null: *Heh* Good question.
BloodedgetheReaper2113: Yes.
Dreap Grim Reaper: Happy Birthday to the little Gothic Loli. Now go give Rags a hug!
Harem Master123: Sorry, but that's my job now.
Guest 42: Toxic comment? Well let's just go in here and see what he… Heh, heheheheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!
I see no reason for concern.
Until next time Y'all. Be sure to leave your Harem idea in the reviews!
Ciao!