Chapter 8: The Dread Isle         Chapter 10: New Resolve

 

Oh my, I made it through another chapter! I really don’t think there is any effective way to capture Elbert’s death. There really isn’t. It’s just… one of those moments that stabs you in the heart every time you play it, but to read it… just doesn’t do it justice.

Also yes, that is the end of the Salir Was Kidnapped storyline. Nothing happened to her. She’s fine. Anticlimax a bit, yes, but at least Sain can stop acting like a weirdo now. She’ll have a few things to say next chapter that will illustrate her brief life on the Dread Isle. And then… I can’t wait until we’re off to Ostia and Nabata! Whoo! (who can guess why… PENTPENTPENTPENTPENT lol )

I just found out that 1) Fire Emblem (12?) – Mystery of the Emblem remake is not available in North America (MADNESS also tragedy) because FE (13) – Awakening apparently means that they don’t need to release MotE? I don’t understand and want to play MotE anyway? But at least Marth looks like he’s going to be pretty in the next Super Smash Bros. game, which will be available for the 3DS! (I need a 3DS. But first I need to get my car tuned or whatever they do at garages. Among other things.)

Okay, going to make supper and then write Chapter 10. And that will be the end of this section and I can start Part IV: The Tactician and the Dragons! Yay! And then I can check another thing off my long-term to-do list!

 

Chapter 9: Dragon’s Gate

Eliwood couldn’t move out of the way. Lyn and Ninian were behind him, and if he dodged, they would get hit.

Except Lyn was already tackling Ninian out of the way, and Hector was charging at Eliwood. Ceniro made a gesture, and light magic courtesy of Lucius burst over the druid’s head.

The druid barely moved; apparently Lucius was not strong enough to phase him. “You are all foolish to try to harm me,” he said, smiling. “Your numbers matter not. But just in case…” He waved, and Black Fang members poured out of the building ahead of them, surrounding them on ramparts.

Eliwood and Hector were picking themselves up out of a tangle on the ground, their armour and clothes stained with grass, black residue from the spell, and blood from their earlier battles. Lyn was dragging an unprotesting Ninian back to the army. But when the enemy pointed their weapons at them, they stopped moving.

“Well?” Teodore asked. “Do you give up? Wise of you.”

Eliwood glanced at Ceniro, who nodded. It only remained to be seen if he could give his orders before someone took an unlucky shot from an arrow.

“Like I said before,” Eliwood said to Teodore, “if we give up before we’ve even tried, we’ve already lost. But even you cannot know all outcomes. We shall fight our hardest to win, to protect Elibe from you and your master!”

“Cavalry, attack,” Ceniro ordered instantly. “Pegasi, ambush those archers; magic users, concentrate fire on the archers as well. Everyone take cover!”

But it takes time for a cavalry charge to get up to speed, and Teodore had teleported away long before Marcus, Kent, Sain, and Lowen arrived; instead, they gave cover to Lyn and Ninian, who were not being attacked, and Eliwood and Hector, who were. Hector’s heavy armour was helping, and he held his broad axe over Eliwood, protecting him somewhat more. An arrow snagged in his heavy cloak and broke off.

And a heavy, unnatural black fog poured over the courtyard. Hector swore as suddenly he lost sight of everything except Eliwood. But Ceniro could still see through the farseer, enough to direct his forces.

“Oswin, Raven, you’re in charge of Ninian. Lyn, move north to the wall; I need someone to take down that armour knight before he reaches Erk’s position. Erk, if she doesn’t find him, you have incoming. Bartre, Dorcas! Go down the southern stairs and care of the ballista before it hurts someone! Wil, you’re on ballista duty once they appropriate it.” He felt the hair on his neck stand up, and skipped backwards, just in time to avoid a random lightening bolt. “Ow. Erk, was that-”

“Got him,” Lyn said. “Erk’s clear.”

“Walls are clear of archers, I think,” Fiora reported. “Or they’ve stopped firing.”

“I’ve felled an enemy mage,” Sain said. “Was that the problem?”

“We need to get inside and find that druid,” Ceniro said. “Matthew, lead Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, Lucius, and the pegasi into the main building. Marcus, you have the south side; Kent, you have the north side.” He rattled off some names, and heard acknowledgements as he himself ran forward to join Eliwood. He nearly tripped over a rock, but that saved his life, as a lance passed over his head. He rolled and twisted, looking up at a heavily armoured man with a huge lance. He froze momentarily, and that should have been the end of him, except the enemy took the time to leer at him, enjoying his fear.

Who was in range? Marcus should be in range. “Marcus, little help here?” Ceniro rolled again, trying to put some rubble between him and the armour knight.

“Where are you?” Marcus asked urgently.

The huge lance smashed through the rock next to Ceniro’s head, and he scrambled to his feet and ran again. “I’m east of your current position. Armour knight!” He was dead, he was dead, he was so dead…

“I’m on it,” Wil’s voice said, and Ceniro heard a resounding twang and a crunch and a grunt. He turned to see a bolt protruding from the armour knight’s chest, just as Marcus rode past and decapitated the knight.

Ceniro leaned his hands on his knees, panting. “Thanks. Continue…”

“Are you all right?” Lyn said. “Shall I come get you?”

“That would be fantastic, thanks.” Ceniro fumbled forwards until he dimly saw her approaching through the blackness. She reached out and took his hand and dragged him forward until they passed into the building.

Although there was much less natural light inside, the darkness seemed to lessen, and they could actually sort of see from one end of the large room to the other.

“Hang on,” Raven’s voice crackled through to Ceniro. “The girl’s gone.”

“Did they take her?” Ceniro asked, fear trickling through his voice. Eliwood turned and waited for him, eyes wide.

“I don’t think so,” Raven said. “I think she just left.”

“I’m not a fantastic tracker, but I would agree,” Guy put in. “That side of the battlefield looks fairly untouched.”

“Of all the times…” Hector began.

“We have to slay that druid,” Eliwood said. “Then the darkness will lift, and we can find her. Come on!”

“Eliwood, duck!” Ceniro yelled, and Eliwood hit the floor in time to not get trampled by a pegasus knight. “Hector, take her down!”

“There’s another one,” Lyn said. “Shall I…?”

“Yes. Florina, support her.”

Eliwood rolled to his feet. “There he is!”

“Fiora, Lucius, as soon as the entranceway is clear, help Eliwood.”

“Anything for me to do?” Matthew asked, tapping his blade against his leg impatiently.

“Make sure no one sneaks up on me this time, please.”

“You’re clear for now.”

“Stay. Please.”

Matthew finally stopped fidgeting and nodded.

Ahead, Eliwood seemed to be holding his own against Teodore, at least, until his rapier snagged in the druid’s sleeve and was ripped from his hand.

“You need a bigger sword, Eliwood!” Hector said. Lyn giggled. “What did I say? Oh… shut up!”

“Here!” Lyn cried, finished with the one pegasus knight, and tossed Eliwood her spare sword. It was a katana, not one Eliwood normally fought with, but it would give him a fighting chance.

Florina and Fiora were doing their best within the enclosed space, but the advantage still was with Teodore, who was keeping everyone dodging by filling the room with randomly-cast dark spells. Florina took a hit and her pegasus stumbled on the floor, dumping her off. Lyn rushed to her side, but she was all right.

And then Lucius shuddered, as if he was having a seizure, but when his eyes opened, he looked perfectly calm. Light was surrounding the monk, and as he lifted his arm to point at Teodore, the collected light blasted out at him, knocking him off his feet and smacking him into the wall.

Lucius fainted, and Ceniro was close enough to catch him. “Eliwood! Finish him, now!”

Teodore coughed weakly, feeling at the blood trickling down his head. “This is what I mean… if I only had more power, you would not have come even this close…” He raised his hand to cast again, but Eliwood, after the briefest hesitation, slashed Lyn’s steel sword across his throat.

After a moment of silence, the red-headed lord straightened and passed Lyn’s sword back to her, and retrieved his own. “Thanks. Now… where could Ninian have gone?”

“Status?” Ceniro asked the farseer.

“North building is clear,” Kent reported. “Both for enemies and Lady Ninian.”

“South building is also clear,” Marcus said.

“Then she must be around here somewhere,” Lyn said.

“Unless she ran out into the woods again…” Hector said. “Eliwood, your girlfriends are weird.”

“My- Hector, I don’t have- And you know that-”

Hector laughed. “And you’re still too easily flustered. Aren’t you the one telling me to talk in complete sentences all the time?”

“Boys!” Lyn called, which effectively shut them both up. “I found her.”

“How did she get past them?” Eliwood wondered.

“How did she get past us?” Matthew said, looking around. Lucius was coming to, so Ceniro left him with Florina and followed the others.

Ninian was waiting in a smaller room behind the big one, staring at a painting on the wall. The rest of the room was filled with books, piled haphazardly on rickety bookshelves that looked hundreds of years old – yet the decay Ceniro would have expected of the bookshelves and books existing in a rather humid climate was not there. There was no grass growing through the floor or vines curling around the shelves.

The painting was faded, but it was clear – a dragon bent to touch its nose to the outstretched hand of a human. The gesture looked familiar, even affectionate. Ceniro guessed it pre-dated the Scouring, for it was impossible for dragons and humans to get along after the Scouring. Or perhaps someone had painted it in nostalgia for long-forgotten days.

“Eerie,” Eliwood said quietly. “Ninian?”

She started. “Huh? I’m here…”

“Did you remember something?”

She looked around the room in confusion. “…No… I’m so sorry for the trouble… There’s nothing.”

“It’s all right,” Lyn said. “Cheer up! We’ll find something sooner or later.”

“We’ll have to camp before we reach the Dragon’s Gate,” Hector said. “There’s not really enough daylight left to make a daytime assault, and that’s what I’d really like. The moon’s a new moon, and with the cloud cover…”

“I agree,” Ceniro said. “We’ll go on until we see it, and then we’ll camp for the night.”

Hector nudged Eliwood. “Just one more day until we can rescue your father. Yeah?”

“Yes,” Eliwood said. “Let’s go. Are you all right, Ninian?”

“Yes, I’ll follow you.”

 

“No, Hector,” Eliwood said, “it was not a waste of time. Every Black Fang we defeat lessens the chance of their causing mischief on the mainland.”

“But we’re not even facing off against their upper level lackeys,” Hector argued. “Even that power-hungry druid we fought yesterday wasn’t a higher rank in their organization.”

“How do you know that?” Lyn asked.

“Because he…” Hector stopped and glared at Lyn. “That’s a really good point. I don’t know that; any argument I can make can be countered pretty easily. I have a feeling, though.”

“The other day you were teasing me for saying the Black Fang smelled like they were up to no good, and now you’re exhibiting signs of a sixth sense…”

“That’s irrelevant,” Hector protested. “What do you think, Ceniro? Have we been facing higher-ups in the organization?”

“That druid did have a nickname,” Ceniro said. “I think that would be given to someone relatively high in rank. And he did have the leisure to visit the ruins apparently on his own time, with his own troops. But not, I think, one of their top commanders.”

“And why do you think that?” Lyn asked. “I’m just trying to figure out how this works.”

“Me, too. Ummm… For me, it was his fighting style. He was powerful, but we defeated him fairly easily, and not, I think, just because our forces matched theirs in number and ability, and not just because you have me and they don’t. I asked Canas about him, and he said that all that the druid said about dark magic was true, but that Canas wasn’t far behind him in ability. Anyway, I agree with Eliwood.”

“Huh?” Hector had lost the original dispute.

“We do need to rescue Lord Elbert and Salir as quickly as possible. But in the bigger picture, the Black Fang are up to something, something big that will threaten the peace of all of Elibe. So… the more we hinder them here, the less they can do later, even if we’re not taking out their leaders yet.”

“But if you’re right, we still have to stop… what was his name? Nergal? We have to stop him before he gains any more power. It sounds like he is already powerful enough…”

“But he wants more… why?”

“Good question,” Hector said to the tactician. “We’ll find out. For now, look at that!”

Priscilla faded out of the ranks following them and up to Ceniro. “Um, can you come quick, please? Ninian’s… um… reacting.”

Ceniro followed her quickly, and the three lords followed him.

Ninian was shaking like a leaf, covering her face with her hands. “So much power… so frightening… I’m scared!”

Priscilla put an arm around her. “It’s okay, we’re all here…”

“It’s her ability to sense danger,” Lyn murmured to Hector. “She actually does have a sixth sense. And no doubt the Dragon’s Gate is very dangerous.”

“Sometimes I think we actually are insane,” Hector muttered back. “Visiting the Dread Isle, taking on feared assassins’ guilds and mystic powers… We’re just not aware enough to be afraid of the consequences.”

Eliwood knelt in front of her. “What is it you sense, Ninian?”

She took his outstretched hands and sniffled. “I should not have come… terrible things are about to happen! I… this place! I-!”

“She’s getting worse,” Eliwood said, standing and putting an arm around her to guide her away. “Let’s get her out of-”

Someone teleported in, just in front of him. “You’ll not be going anywhere. That little bird has escaped this island cage twice, and she won’t be going anywhere a third time.”

Eliwood’s arms tightened protectively around Ninian. “Who are you?”

The tall, cloaked figure bowed. “I am Ephidel, and I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance.”

“So you’re Ephidel?” Hector growled. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“…Gallantly spoken. Of course, I know who you are. Marquess Ostia’s younger brother, Lord Hector. And here we have Caelin’s beloved princess, Lady Lyndis. Did you all like the gift I left for you in the forest?” The glowing golden eyes narrowed into a sneer. “The corpse of that filthy red-haired spy?”

Hector seethed. “You monster, I’ll crush the life from you with my bare hands!”

Ephidel smiled. “Don’t worry, it only took one stab. She did not suffer long, if it means anything to you.”

Hector roared and rushed at Ephidel, who vanished. The next moment, Ninian screamed, as she was wrenched away from Eliwood. Both Ninian and Ephidel appeared on the ridge ahead of them. “This girl is needed for the master’s ceremony,” Ephidel said, still smiling.

“Ninian!” Eliwood called.

“Lord Eliwood!” Ninian called back, struggling against Ephidel’s hold on her wrist. “Let me go!” The next instant, they had both vanished.

“Florina, Fiora, get up in the air and confirm what I see,” Ceniro said. He didn’t fully trust the farseer anymore. “Everyone else, formations, now.”

“This is very bad, isn’t it?” Lyn said to him as the army reorganized itself behind them. “What kind of ceremony do you think he was talking about?”

“I don’t know. I just hope she doesn’t get hurt before we can get to her. Don’t think about it for now, just focus. Let’s go!”

They ran or rode down the hill towards the ruins.

“What are we aiming for?” Eliwood asked Ceniro.

“There is a general with an entourage by a large door at the back of the exterior compound,” Ceniro called back. “I think we should start be defeating him and clearing the exterior compound, and then move into the main building.”

Eliwood grimaced. Clearing the compound would take time, but it was better than sweeping through and then getting trapped inside by Black Fang reinforcements.

“Matthew, we’ll need your skills to open a few doors, I think. Although… Kent, Sain, your target is on the far side of the courtyard. Bash down that wall with the help of Dorcas and Bartre. Erk, Priscilla, go with them. Rebecca, we have incoming pegasus knights. Guy, Lowen, protect her while she deals with them. Florina, Fiora, there is a cluster of mages ahead and to the left; keep them busy until Oswin, Raven, and Canas can join you.” The farseer’s screen went blurry and indistinct for a moment, and he peered at it anxiously. Was he giving it too many orders to convey? Was it still acting up after the nullifier’s influence? He certainly didn’t have the know-how to fix it. Only Lord Pent could do that, and Lord Pent was who-knows-where.

Well, it was only a useful tool. He’d rely on his voice if he had to. Or Hector’s voice.

He resisted the urge to shake the farseer – it probably wouldn’t help, and might hurt it – and jogged to keep up with Eliwood, who was aiming for the main gate of the complex with Marcus vigilant at his side.

He heard Hector arguing with someone off to the side, and the blue-haired lord appeared a few moments later, dragging a man probably in his 30’s with a scar over his left eye and very long silvery hair. “Defector. Seems to be good at picking locks. Can you use him, Ceniro?”

“Yes, please,” Ceniro said. “We’re clearing this area of the compound of hostiles…?”

“Legault,” the man said. “Former Black Fang, now freelancer. I’d be happy to assist you in looting the place, if you’re after that kind of thing.”

“It may come in handy but primarily I would appreciate it if you helped the archer, the Sacaean swordsman, and the Pheraean knight get into that locked building. Dart, take him there and add your strength to theirs. Lowen, you will receive a new recruit shortly.” He turned back to Legault. “If you want to take valuables or quality weapons while you’re in there, go ahead.” It wasn’t time to dally over the new man’s loyalty. If Hector – not normally a trusting person – felt fine throwing the man to Ceniro’s orders, Ceniro felt he could trust him for at least the duration of the battle.

Matthew popped the lock on the main gate and stood back to let Eliwood, Marcus, and Lyn inside.

Lord Darin was waiting for them.

“Hector, Sain, we’re going to need your assistance!” Ceniro called.

“Right here,” Hector said. “This sunovagun is going down.”

“Where are you?” Sain cried urgently, and with an edge in his voice – no doubt he guessed why Ceniro had called him.

“Just head north down that corridor and turn… left. I believe you’ll see us.”

Eliwood marched up to Lord Darin, ignoring the entourage – who were confronted by Lyn and Marcus, and even Matthew. “Why would you do this?”

“Guys, are you finishing up?” Ceniro murmured into the farseer to the army at large. Sain rounded the corner and his face set. “We may need backup at the main gate very soon…”

“Why else?” Darin answered Eliwood, smiling triumphantly. “I will rule over the world! Nothing else matters. Why would you dare to challenge me, who have the power of the Black Fang at my call!”

“The Black Fang is using you,” Eliwood began earnestly. “You have done too much damage for Ostia to be very merciful, but stop this madness now! They don’t care for you, anymore than you cared for Erik when you left him to us in Laus!”

“You know nothing!” Darin roared, and swung his axe to the side without looking, knocking Sain off his horse in full charge. The horse stumbled and swerved, and Sain tumbled hard to the ground, picking himself back up with his lance in his hand. Another blow from Darin snapped the lance in half.

“Hector, Kent, don’t let Sain kill himself,” Ceniro said. Sain threw his broken lance at Darin and drew his sword. Though he was tall, he looked skinny and fragile next to Darin’s armoured bulk.

But Hector didn’t. “You face me, Darin!” he yelled, and swung his axe, the Wolf Beil, at Darin’s helmeted face.

Ceniro, who was shorter than every man currently present except perhaps Matthew, shrank back against the wall, quietly directing suggestions to the combatants. One of Darin’s subordinates saw what he was doing and came for him, but Lyn got in his way, gutting him below the armour before he could reach the tactician.

Kent took a nasty blow, getting between Darin and Sain. “Serra, go to Kent. Kent, pull back for a moment.” Sain tried to dart forward again and now his sword was snapped in half. Weaponless, he didn’t resist – much – as Marcus dragged him back by the scruff of his neck. Ceniro could see Kent gently chiding his partner, and Sain seemed to be actually listening, which was encouraging.

Darin was currently forcing Hector down to his knees. His entourage was gone, but he still fought strongly enough for all of them. He raised his axe and Hector, stunned, weakly raised his own to defend.

“Hector!” Eliwood cried, and stabbed forward swiftly, as Lyn knocked the axe away from Hector.

Darin paused as Eliwood flitted away, reaching down to a chink in his armour at his side and bringing back a blood-stained glove. “Blood? Is this… my blood?”

“And good riddance if it is, you bastard,” Hector grunted, getting up now with Lyn’s help. He must have been shaken – Ceniro didn’t think he would accept her help otherwise.

“Ephidel, to me!” Darin cried, but blood was trickling from his mouth now. “Your master… ugh…” He stumbled to his knees.

“Surrender, Lord Darin,” Eliwood cried. “Surrender, and we shall spare you.”

“We will?” Hector asked, but Darin slumped over on his face and breathed his last.

Lyn shook her head. “He was mad. Why did he think he could rule the world?”

“Ephidel must have worked on his mind,” Eliwood said. “I don’t recall him being quite that bad before.”

“The exterior looks to be under control,” Ceniro said. “We can press on to storm the interior now.”

“Good work,” Eliwood said. “Come! We must find Ninian, Salir, and my father!”

And Salir appeared in the great door at the top of the stairs. She looked dazed, and dazzled by the light.

“Salir!” Sain cried, jumping up from Kent’s injured side and running to the stairs. She didn’t seem to hear him, looking over the steep side with a frighteningly calm expression.

“Florina, we may need an intervention…” Ceniro began, but Sain had reached Salir’s side and, heedless of the potential danger beyond the black maw of the door, thrown his arms around her. She started.

“What did he do to you?” Sain asked urgently into her hair. “He’s dead. We killed him. But tell me what he did and I’ll…”

She stood awkwardly in his arms. “He did nothing to me…”

“Salir-”

“I swear, he did nothing. Lord Elbert protected me, and they were so disorganized… I suppose in your attack… I just walked out.” She burst into tears and clung to her knight. “But I was so sca-ha-ha-hared!”

“It’s all right now, Salir,” he said soothingly. “It’s all right. We’ve come to take you and Lord Elbert home. Can you tell us where he is?”

“I don’t know. He left the prisons before I did. I… Sain, please don’t leave me here…”

“No one will touch you,” he assured her.

“You can take her down to Merlinus,” Ceniro said, leading Eliwood, Lyn, and Hector up. “Some of our group took pretty serious injuries, and they’ll be there too while Serra works on them. And a guard, of course.”

“Lady Lyn, I-”

“It’s all right, Sain,” Lyn said, and smiled at them. “You two go on and rest. We’ll be back with Eliwood’s father very soon.”

Inside the Dragon’s Gate was dark, so dark that the only light seemed to come from the healer’s glowing staves. The light of the door faded as they climbed seemingly-interminable stairs.

“Father!” Eliwood cried as they went, though their weapons were gripped firmly in their hands. “Father? Where are you?”

“Lord Elbert, we’ve come for you,” Hector joined in.

A cracking voice echoed from further up the stairs. “El… Eliwood?”

“Father!” Eliwood began to run, leaving the others behind. Hector wheezed in his heavy armour.

“No,” the voice continued, and as Ceniro climbed, he saw Eliwood kneeling next to another kneeling, red-haired man. As he raised his head, Ceniro could see the resemblance. “Take… the girl, and flee…” He pointed, and Eliwood looked up the stairs yet further to see Ninian, standing alone and facing away from them.

“You’re all right, Father,” Eliwood said. “We’ll get you both out of here. Come on. Can you stand? Hector, can you help-”

“She is the key to the Dragon’s Gate,” Elbert said urgently, and coughed. “Hurry! You must go before Nergal realizes you have defeated Darin…”

Lyn sprang up the steps to Ninian’s side. “Come, Ninian. …Guys, something’s terribly wrong… But there’s no time…”

Hector got an arm around Elbert’s shoulders and lifted him easily. “Eliwood, I’ve got your father. Go help Lyn with Ninian.”

“Got it!”

“Hector… you came… too? Thank you…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hector grunted. “Man, this place gives me the creeps…”

As Ceniro turned, behind the rest of the group there was a young man swathed in dark cloth, waiting with a pair of knives in his hands. The farseer wasn’t registering his presence.

“You shall not leave,” the youth said in an expressionless monotone.

Elbert struggled. “You must not fight that man! He is incredibly dangerous. He… I can’t even describe… his strength, his speed.”

Eliwood was still gently guiding Ninian away from the top of the stairs. “We have no choice…”

“You should listen to your father, young Master Eliwood,” said a new voice, and Ceniro turned again to see Ephidel at the top of the stairs, where Ninian had been until recently.

“Ephidel!” Eliwood cried, and there was considerable anger mixed into his voice.

“Even among the Black Fang, Jaffar is renowned for his skill,” Ephidel said casually. “You might know him as the Angel of Death, one of the Four Fangs. You will never see him coming should you choose to fight him. And none of you will kill him.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Matthew said, a hard gleam in his eyes, his own knives in his hands. “I think me or Lady Lyn could take you, hotshot.”

Jaffar’s face remained impassive. “No. You could not.”

Ceniro gritted his teeth. They were caught between a master sage and a legendary assassin. His friends were good, but he wouldn’t be able to get them all out alive. Unless some miracle happened, his skills were about to fail them again. Lyn, Matthew, Raven, and Guy would take Jaffar… Guy would probably fall first; he was the least experienced out of the four of them. He had to keep the knights away from the assassin; Oswin in particular would be easy prey for those knives. Erk would probably help, if he could cast fast enough to be accurate in any way… Lucius might be a better bet, but Lucius was frail in body if not in mind.

And then there was Ephidel. If Marcus could get close, he might be able to take him down, but Ceniro suspected that Ephidel might be tougher than an ordinary human spellcaster – something about the glowing golden eyes gave him that idea. And then he had no idea what Ephidel could cast, or how fast, and probably several people would die before he would be taken down, but he couldn’t predict who… So then he would have to throw Fiora and Florina in, and Eliwood and Hector at him as well, and leave Oswin to guard Lord Elbert… Perhaps it would be wise to leave Fiora to guard Lord Elbert as well. Or perhaps she could just fly him out… he seemed to be injured in some way, and it would be quicker and safer. Surely Jaffar couldn’t leap high enough to take down a pegasus knight… but he could throw his knives…

“In any case!” Ephidel said, interrupting Ceniro’s frantic planning, and they turned back to him. Jaffar didn’t seem likely to attack without orders. “In honour of your hard-fought arrival, my master has prepared a special show for you.”

“No!” Elbert cried, gaining sudden strength. “You cannot release the dragons!”

“Dragons?” Eliwood asked in a low voice. “Father, what is he doing?”

“You will know shortly,” Ephidel said haughtily. “At the expense of your father’s life.”

Elbert suddenly doubled over, despite Hector’s supporting arm, and clutched his chest. “Agh… ahh…”

“Father!” Eliwood cried, just as Ninian turned and, as if sleepwalking, climbed back up to the top of the stairs. “Ninian?”

“Pow…er…” Ninian mumbled. “So much… power…”

Ceniro became aware of yet another dark-robed figure some distance behind Ephidel, crowned with a dark turban. “Now, Ninian…at last. Open the Dragon’s Gate.”

“Gate…” Ninian mumbled, and raised her arms. The back of the cavernous chamber began to glow, dimly blue at first, and then brighter and brighter, and more and more red and orange and yellow. “Open… gate…”

The entire chamber shook suddenly, and the floor began to quiver as if in an earthquake. The gate was blazing as if with fire, and a roaring filled the air as Eliwood knelt helplessly beside his father, reaching out to steady him.

They could hear the dark robed figure, presumably Nergal, over the noise. “This way, children of flame! Come to me!”

And with a massive, earsplitting roar, a golden-red dragon’s head emerged through the water-like surface of the gate, followed smoothly by the rest of its body. It spread flaming wings and howled. Eliwood’s father cried out in agony, gripping Eliwood’s hands so hard his knuckles were white.

“…It can’t be,” Hector gasped, and Eliwood and Lyn echoed his expression of disbelief.

Nergal laughed. “Yes! Use every drop of strength in your body! Call the dragons!”

“No!” cried a new voice, a boy’s shrill voice, from the bottom of the stairs. “I will not allow this!”

“Nils!” Lyn cried.

The boy ran nimbly up the stairs. Jaffar had apparently been given no orders regarding Nils, as he let him run right past him.

Ceniro’s mind was blank. How were they going to fight Jaffar, Ephidel, Nergal, and a dragon? With Ninian, Nils, and Elbert unable to fight or even, in Elbert’s case, move rapidly?

They couldn’t. They were going to die here. And then Nergal would take over the world with dragons.

“Ninian!” Nils shouted. “You must not do what they want!”

She half-turned, startled. “…Nils?”

The gate wavered, and the dragon twisted, still caught in it, howling in pain.

“Ephidel, stop him!” Nergal snapped, and Ephidel grabbed the boy before he reached Ninian.

“Nils, stop this! The power is running wild, and it will destroy us all if-!” The golden-eyed man shook Nils, who wasn’t listening in the slightest.

“Ninian, are you with me?”

The siblings locked eyes, and Ninian nodded. “I’m here, Nils.”

“Then let’s go before the dragon collapses and blows up!” Nils wrenched himself free of Ephidel, grabbed Ninian’s hand, and pulled her down the stairs.

Ceniro turned and found Jaffar had disappeared. “Matthew, where did he go?”

“I don’t know, I was too busy watching- Run!” The thief grabbed Ceniro’s arm and pulled him along with the others. He dropped the farseer, but it didn’t break on the hard green stone steps; he scooped it up and stumbled after the others. Hector and Eliwood were supporting Elbert between them, and Ninian and Nils were keeping up very well. He had forgotten how quickly Ninian could move in her deceptively-clinging dress.

Ephidel was screaming desperately, and Ceniro almost felt sorry for the monster. There was an explosion and dust and stone chips rained down around them.

The red glow at the top of the stairs faded and silence fell. It was a miracle. Nils was a miracle.

“Well… something happened,” Hector broke the silence. “Don’t know what the hell it was, but, it happened…”

Nergal appeared out of thin air right next to Ninian and Nils. “Nils, you brat! If it wasn’t for your interference… Come! Both of you!”

“No!” Ninian cried.

“We will never follow you!” Nils said, taking a step forward to defend his sister.

“Ninian- Nils!” Eliwood cried, but Elbert was quicker.

Before anyone could react, the injured marquess had struggled to his feet and dashed forward, snagging Hector’s knife on the way, and stabbed Nergal in the chest. “You… will… not… touch them!”

“By your hand…” Nergal said, glancing down in seeming astonishment at the knife buried in his chest.

“I told you,” Elbert said, falling back into Eliwood’s arms, exhausted. “I… will oppose you… always.”

“Why won’t you die?” Nergal hissed, and collapsed in a pile of empty robes.

“Father!” Eliwood cried, lowering his father to the ground. “Are you all right?”

“Eliwood, be prepared… he will return, and soon…” Elbert groaned, feeling his own chest. Ceniro looked around for Priscilla, but her staff was already raised and glowing, and a look of panic was on her face.

“We will, but first, let’s get you out of here, Father. Let’s go home.”

“I… I’m done, my son. He was stealing… my life, this whole time. I give it gladly… so you may have the chance… to finish this…”

“No… No, Father, don’t say that! Mother’s waiting in Pherae, she’s waiting for you!” Marcus passed him a healing elixir, and he offered it to his father, who pushed it away gently.

“Eleanora…” Elbert smiled a little. “She will be cross with me…” His breath caught in his throat. “That… potion… won’t help now. It’s… not my body… I’m sorry, Eliwood. Tell your mother… Tell Eleanora… I’m sorry…” He gave a little twitch and his eyes closed.

“Father?” Eliwood asked, painfully quiet, desperate. “No… you can’t… Not here, not now… Please, not now… Not after all we’ve done to find you again…” The words poured out of him, a broken, babbling stream, as tears began to pour down his face. His father lay still and pale in his arms. “Father… Please… Open your eyes…”

And Eliwood screamed with his grief, and Ceniro sank to the ground under the weight of it.

 

Chapter 8: The Dread Isle         Chapter 10: New Resolve