Dragons' Blood: A Fire Emblem Awakening Novelization

Chapter 7: Incursion

It felt as if they had been walking for hours on end by the time the scenery finally shifted from the flat land surrounding Ylisstol to a craggy route cutting through the mountains. Their party was not as small as Chrom had previously planned; he and Lissa walked at the head of the column, followed by Frederick and Emmeryn, mounted on a white stallion. Surrounding her was an eight-man unit of cavalry and infantry, and in the sky, Phila flew with Sumia and two other pegasus knights.

Elysa moved alongside Lissa and Chrom. The climb was growing steeper and steeper, and Lissa had begun to complain.

"Ughhhhh," she moaned, "my poor feet... I've got blisters the size of eggs, I'd bet!"

Chrom clicked his tongue and chuckled. "Oh, come now, it's not so bad. Just a healthy little stroll." Lissa scowled and gave him a little punch. Elysa would have allowed herself to laugh at their antics, had she not been preoccupied by the long-robed man who was trailing uncomfortably close behind them. She had been watching him out of the corner of her eye for the past few minutes, and he kept glancing nervously up at the peaks.

"What about you, Elysa?" Chrom's voice caught her attention, and she glanced up at him. "How are you holding up?"

"My legs feel like pudding," Elysa admitted.

Chrom laughed. "Hah! Should I carry you, then?" Elysa flushed. Lissa butted her head between them.

"You can carry me! No, seriously—please, I would be really okay with you carrying me." In response, Chrom swept Lissa off of her feet, princess-style. She yelped and flailed a little, nearly losing her grip on her staff.

At the same moment, Elysa was aware of movement behind her, and turned in time to see the robed man fall flat on his face. Two of the guards hurried to his side, helping the man up to his feet. "Are you all right, Hierarch?"

"O-oh, yes," the man cleared his throat, dusting himself off nervously. Without another word, he continued to shuffle forwards.

"Chrom," Elysa said quietly, "who is he?"

"Lissa, if you don't stop moving around, I can't carry you," Chrom muttered, setting his sister back on her feet before addressing Elysa. "The hierarch? He's been a friend of House Ylisse for many years – he guided Emmeryn in the early days of her rule. Why do you ask?"

Elysa narrowed her eyes slightly, glancing back over her shoulder at the hierarch. He had been staring at her, but quickly looked away when she made eye contact. "I can't put my finger on it, but something's—"

"AUUUUGHH...!" She was cut off by a whistle through the air and then a choking cry. Whipping around, they saw one of the infantrymen falling to his knees, a hand axe buried in his chest.

"Lissa!" Elysa shouted. "Get a ward up!" Eyes wide, the cleric lifted her staff, and a nearly transparent dome spread around the party, just before two more axes came flying at them. The enemy came into sight not long after, a trio of brigands.

Chrom cursed under his breath. "Plegian soldiers? How did they know we were here?"

"There's no time to worry about that now," Elysa said urgently. "Everyone, prepare for battle!" Chrom nodded, and looked up to Phila, who had flown the other pegasus knights into a tighter formation.

"Phila! Take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll handle these blackguards!"

"At once, sire," Phila replied, sweeping Emmeryn into her pegasus' saddle and flying to the rear, low to the ground.

"Heh heh," one of the brigands said, twirling his axe in his hand. "Time to die, princeling!" Over the peaks, a handful of wyvern riders took the skies.