"What's the kid doing now?" The underling asked Basilio. "Does he always do that when he's not fighting?"

He referred to the boy Marth, who had found a nook amongst the barrels and crates littering the gateway. Despite the biting morning cold the boy slept soundly with his head drooped forward. His coat covered both his shoulders and much of his body. It was very possible he had lain down the previous night and yet to rise.

"Pretty much," the burly man said. "All the kid does is eat, sleep, and train. A waste if you ask me."

"Lon'qu does the same."

"Lon'qu has class. This kid acts like he's the only person in the whole damned world. Doesn't talk to nobody, doesn't eat with anybody… pfft. Thinks he's bloody Navarre or something."

Presently the Feroxi master and his servant waited at the open gates of the Arena; one of the nation's largest constructs. It was built between the two major kingdoms of East and West for the sole purpose of hosting competition between the two sides of Ferox, primarily the battle of East and West; a tournament used to decide important matters for the Feroxi nation as a whole.

Seeing as Basilio and his western brethren had claimed victory for the past several years, they were free to occupy the Arena at their own leisure until the day of the tournament.

The two waited for a messenger sent to the Eastern Capital. Time was running out before the day of the tournament and the East Khan had hardly sent word since accepting the challenge this year.

A young man in leather and furs appeared on the street before the gate and ran to meet the two. He had a messenger's bag tied to his belt.

He delivered a letter into Basilio's hands. Neither saluted each other nor bowed. The letter was torn open by the hulking man's large hands before the letter was read once and discarded.

The messenger gave a resigned shrug. "They wasn't there," he said. "The Khan apparently took a trip south."

"The hell are they doing over there!" Basilio rumbled. "The tournament's barely three days away."

"The Northroad's been silent from what I've heard," the servant at Basilio's side said. "Hardly any word from the traders that usually make their trips. If I were a Khan I'd definitely look into that."

"And if I were their Khan, I'd look into withdrawing before its too late!" Basilio growled. "I didn't cart my men to the center of Ragna Ferox just to get jilted! Hell, they shoulda just abstained like last time if this is all they plan to do!"

The large man dismissed his messenger and stormed back in the direction of the door. "Maybe they haven't found a champion yet," his servant reasoned.

"No kiddin'! Wastin' time with every country except their own… they've got all their heads up their—"

"They'll come," a soft voice beckoned. Basilio stopped his tirade and turned at the voice of Marth, who now rested against the doorway inside. Neither had noticed him move.

"Says who?"

"Says fate, sir. The Battle of East and West will ring about in these very walls."

Basilio snorted. "I appreciate the sentiment kid, but don't you have anything better to do?"

"My only purpose here is to fight the East Champion. I would not be here if I was not sure he would come."

Basilio didn't bother pressing the matter and shouldered his way past the boy, his servant soon to follow.

The two had not noticed Marth rise from his sleep mere minutes ago when the messenger arrived to listen. The two didn't notice Marth retreat to the entrance either, and they didn't hear the words Marth muttered into gray wisps of vapor that the cold air carried away. The boy drew his golden sword and examined it. Even in the dim evening light it shone magnificently.

"Were you not convinced, Chrom? Won't you hurry to me? Is the fate of this world no concern to you? Where are you…"

Chrom wasn't sure what to think when he awoke to the smell of distant horses and heavy smoke. Particles and vapor drifted past the few streaks of light that shone in from the cracks in the wall. He swallowed twice to ease his sore throat. The air was quite cold and dry.

For the briefest moment he tried to remember where in his travels did he end up staying the night in a burnt down barn. Did their negotiations with the Khans fall through and force them to find shelter in some fort?

The events of the previous day came back to him and he relaxed a little atop his hard, straw-filled cot. They hadn't failed their mission entirely, despite the excitement from yesterday. Their trip to the capital would determine that.

Around him Chrom heard what could only be described as a chorus of snoring and breathing from his fellow Shepherds, who were strewn about the various cots and beds in various positions of not-quite comfort.

Robin curled himself into a ball wrapped up in his coat. His breathing was steadier than the others. If he were lucky he'd be having himself a deep, dreamless sleep amidst and despite the chaos of travelling with the Shepherds for a week, and all that entailed.

He wondered if Robin's shoulder was any better after a good night's sleep. An absentminded stretch told the prince that he wasn't sore in the slightest after last night - the worst he felt was a stiff back from sleeping on the cot. This made him feel oddly guilty.

He had no idea when he actually fell asleep the night before, but now it was well past dawn. If he rested any longer he'd oversleep and tire himself out, Chrom reasoned. He slid from his cot, slipped on his mantle, and stepped away to let their hosts know that he and his men were ready to depart soon. Loath as he was to rid Robin and the others of some well earned rest, they'd need to shove off as soon as possible for Emmeryn's sake.

He found the part of the fort where their carts were being kept, near the stables. A large gate had been opened on both sides of the room, which let the cool morning air of the Feroxi mountains sweep throughout open stables. The patches of snow reflected the sunlight brilliantly. He spied their horses corralled at the other end of the room, but he didn't spy Sumia's pegasus. Perhaps she was stabled elsewhere?

He spotted a figure he didn't recognize; a darkly-armored knight sans shoulder guards was inspecting their carts. He approached slowly and cautiously. It wasn't till he saw her shock of dirty blonde hair that he realized it was Raimi, and he was still remiss to completely let his guard down. Less than twenty four hours ago she nearly single-handedly disabled his entire team after all.

"Can I help you, captain?" he asked warily.

There was no apprehension as Raimi turned to face him. Her eyes were tired, but he reckoned it wasn't from the battle yesterday that she appeared so drained.

"...Some of these are the very same wagons used by the Feroxi-Ylisse caravan," she said somberly.

Chrom nodded. "We dropped a few off on the way here and had them sent back to Ylisstol."

"And these ones, then?" She asked.

"...We took what we needed and nothing more. We had every intention of telling somebody what happened. That is… that they were nowhere to be seen when we found these."

"I see… And you've no proof if any survived at all?" she asked.

"We know nothing," he said. "There wasn't enough proof at the site to say either way. I'm sorry."

Raimi nodded and ran her hand along the side of the wagon she was examining. "Good people they were… of both Ferox and Ylisse. Some traveled together as families."

Chrom set his jaw.

"...I shudder to think of what could have happened to them. This mysterious threat your lieutenant spoke of sounds dreadful indeed. Nonetheless, we were wrong to even suspect you, Milord, for what it's worth now."

"...I think you were justified, Miss. If I knew someone had harmed my men and attacked other people in their name, and I were to cross paths with them… I'd never forgive them. Even if Naga told me to."

Raimi snorted. "Such talk sounds noble, but it is the very same that nearly lost you your tactician, and the girl - your entire party in fact." Chrom cast his gaze to the side as Raimi continued. "In times when war seems just around the corner, we're told to be especially careful with our allies. The Plegians thought to exploit this when they posed as soldiers of foreign nations… and I dare say the one day it counted most they succeeded in turning us against you."

"What's done is done," Chrom said. "I don't believe you're the enemy here."

"It is appreciated, Milord, but it matters little if your men don't share the sentiment. Make sure they know the difference from us and this… third party."

"Ah, yes… about that, I wish I could tell you more, but—"

"For the Khan's ears only, of course. If it's important I'll surely hear my fill when you meet with my lord."

Raimi stepped away from the wagons. "Your men will follow mine when we depart for the capital. The wagons shall ride single-file down the remainder of the Northroad. I'll send for you when we're ready to depart."

"...On a similar note, I don't suppose you'd know where our Pegasus happened to? She isn't stabled with the other horses at present."

"Belfire? She was removed shortly before I arrived - to get some fresh air. Pegasi are finicky animals."

"Oh. I suppose it makes sense that you'd know her."

"We've only met a few times before. Her old partner had been hired since the year before, and I've seen her twice in that time. They always let her roam free, and she never seemed to get into any trouble. I wasn't certainly wasn't going to put up a fuss after I nearly grounded the poor thing — I wish I'd recognized her sooner. At any rate, the girl came by earlier and took her outside."

"The girl…? Oh."

Raimi nodded with a smile and pointed to the north gate and the glistening mirror of snow outside. She cast a sideways glance to Chrom before she went back into the fort.

Really Chrom should have realized it sooner. Amidst the soft whispers of the wind and snow from outside and the distant clamoring of the border guard, Sumia's gentle voice fluttered about the cold air as the girl hummed a simple tune.

Besides the cobbled road that led north was a small patch of evergreens and plants that met the sun's rays all day long. There were patches of wild flowers poking above the white frost. Two figures had just stepped off the cobbled path to explore their find.

Belfire trotted carefully about into the snow and peered deep into the patches of frozen plant life to find something to nibble. Her rider idly followed her with one hand resting on her mane as she examined a faded purple flower she just picked. As the Pegasus idled in her wandering, Sumia leaned against her to take a look at her flower with both hands.

She wore her faded dark riding uniform with her boots and gloves, but none of her silver armor.

Sumia reached for a petal to pluck from the flower when Chrom finally spoke up.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Hm?" Sumia turned at his voice and had a slight start. Chrom made his way over after he got off the cobbled road.

"I'd think you'd be freezing out here like that. Wouldn't your armor help?"

Sumia shuffled a little before answering. "It's just a little chilly, I can take it. My armor wouldn't help anyway. It was cold to the touch this morning… 'wouldn't have been very…" The girl lowered her eyes back to her flower. "...Comfortable."

"Say no more," Chrom said. "And what's with the flower?"

"This? I just wanted to see how today would turn out."

"With a flower?"

"Flower fortunes! Don't you know about those?"

"...You mean plucking petals? You do that for a forecast?"

"Mh-hm! They used to do this all the time back in the old days. ...At least that's what nanny said."

Chrom stretched his arms. "Yeah, I had a maid who told me all kinds of things when I was young. Not sure how much of it was true in the end… Whenever I was worried about something I was just told to pray to Naga. That's what Heirarch Raioticus would tell me, anyway."

"Well, yeah, but… I do both, and this makes me feel better, whether silly flower fortunes are true or not."

"...So long as you're comfortable," Chrom affirmed.

Sumia smiled at him.

"What are you doing up so early, anyway?"

"I wanted to check in on Belfire right away. I thought I'd give her a chance to stretch her wings and make sure she didn't get lost. 'Shows what I know - she already knows this place. Raimi told me a little about it."

"It must have been strange for her to ride into battle against a familiar place like this."

"That may be why she was jittery before too."

"Animals do always seem to know when something's wrong, don't they?"

Sumia returned to her quiet musings as she stroked Belfire's mane. Chrom hoped it wasn't obvious how closely he watched her - the two of them, that is.

"Captain! Look at this!" The girl excitedly ran her hands through the snow and drew out a vibrant violet flower. "See, see?" She asked as she gleefully offered it to him. Chrom awkwardly pinched the flower's delicate stem and held it up to observe it.

"It's a… another flower?"

"It's a camellia! They're only supposed to bloom in the winter."

"It isn't winter now?"

"Not back home, silly! I love these things - I thought I'd have to wait all year before I could see one again!"

Chrom smiled as he handed the plant back to Sumia. "I wish I had an eye for these sorts of things, Sumia. I don't think I would ever have noticed these. ...You're not going to pluck that one to pieces too, are you?"

"Oh, no! This one I think I'll keep." Sumia said this as she tucked the flower into her hair, right above her ear. It complimented her dark eyes nicely.

Chrom swallowed. "How long will it last?"

"Oh, all day at least. Any flower that can bloom in the snow has to be a hardy fella, kind of like you, right?"

"Me? Bloom?" Chrom asked with a laugh.

Sumia blushed lightly. "I just mean you don't mind the snow either, do you captain?"

Chrom shrugged as he put his hands behind his head. "Not as much as others anyway. Been that way as long as I can remember…"

"Really?"

"Oh yes. Emm still made me wear layers upon layers of coats when I was younger whenever it snowed. Took her til I was ten to give up on that. I never felt a difference, I'm pretty sure it just made me hot and tired."

That got a laugh out of Sumia.

"People complain about the cold, and I know they're serious, like Robin yesterday, but it just never bothered me the same way."

"...Well, that's kind of why people look up to you," Sumia said as she averted her gaze. "Little things like that."

"Hm?"

"You're basically invincible! You never get cold, you're strong as an ox, and your will's about as strong as iron. After the last couple of days… lesser men might have given up by now, you know? Following you around makes us feel invincible too. That's why you're such a great leader."

"...I kind of wish I wasn't…"

"Not a great leader?"

"No, I mean…" Chrom crossed his arms and sighed. "How good of a leader can I be if I'm invincible?"

"I don't understand?"

"Just about every other Shepherd is asleep and sore after last night, but a good night's sleep and I feel perfectly fine."

"Well that's just because you're so strong."

"And that's kind of my point. ...Sumia, do you think any leader can really be the same as their men if they can't be hurt the same way? Hell, what business does any prince of Ylisse have asking anybody for help?"

"Well..." Sumia ran her hand down Belfire's neck. "You're right, I guess. We can't be hurt the same way. You give us our orders, but nobody tells you what to do. I can't imagine what it's like making decisions for everyone all the time." Sumia turned and gave her captain an earnest look. "You're worried about meeting the Khan, aren't you?"

"...I guess." Chrom seethed. He kicked at the wet snow and tossed a lump of white into the air. It soared for several feet before it struck the other side of the cobbled path.

"Emm's stronger than me," he said. "She always makes talking to people look so easy. All I know is how to break things half the time. I've never had to deal with another ruler on my own before… It's selfish, but I wish she was here. Somehow."

"Chrom, you're strong too," Sumia said. "You're the one carrying us all the way here, aren't you?"

"But not all on my own! Frederick and Robin... hell, everyone here takes some of the load whether they know it or not."

"Well that just means you're not on your own. You got Robin and Frederick... and me..."

"Hm?"

"It's just like you said! You got me, Robin and the others! I wouldn't want to follow a guy who thought he could do everything by himself, but you trust all of us, and that's important! I don't know a lot about leading soldiers or being a prince, but everyone here wants to help you, and I think that means you're doing at least something right. And if you're worried about all these things, how could anyone ever say you don't feel anything?"

Sumia had been studying her flower as she spoke, she didn't realize Chrom's blue eyes had focused their gaze on her for the entirety of their talk. She flustered a little when she finally looked back and their eyes met.

Silence for a moment.

"Um..." Sumia's voice quivered. "Do you feel better or..."

The prince gave a light shake of his head. "It really isn't a prince's place to complain like this… but I do feel better. Thanks for lending your ear."

"Oh! I don't mind." The girl smiled. "Just… don't compare yourself to a Chrom who doesn't exist yet, alright?"

The prince smiled back. "Will do. Thanks, Sumia." He said softly.

"Milord?!" A familiar booming voice called from the gate. Frederick's bright blue armor shone brilliantly against the snow. "The Shepherds are awake and preparations are already being made for our departure!"

"Then let's hustle," Chrom said. "I'll be right over." The Great Knight saluted and stepped back inside. The prince looked back to Sumia and smiled. "Time to do our jobs," he said. Sumia nodded and beckoned Belfire to follow her as she went after Chrom.

Raimi and her superior Flavia were both present and readying their own mounts as Chrom made his way back to the others.

"We can be ready in an hour," Raimi said.

"We'll make it less than that," Chrom said. "I don't want to keep the Khan waiting."

Flavia smiled. "No, you don't." She said.

Robin shuffled his feet awkwardly as he waited for their hosts to finish prepping the wagons. Sully, Stahl, and Kellam helped while the others stood back and watched. Chrom spoke with Raimi and her commander in the meantime as the other Shepherds stood still and wavered in the cold morning air - dead on their feet.

His stomach growled. He was still exhausted after the skirmish. Frederick said they were to skip breakfast and eat once the wagon train got underway. That made the waiting even worse - the farther they were from the road the farther he was from a quick bite.

"We should have you in the halls of the Eastern Khan before Sundown," Raimi said.

"What about the other checkpoints?" Chrom asked. "The Longfort is merely the first on the list, correct?"

"That won't be a problem," Flavia interjected. "We'll stop for no one, I'll make sure of that."

"If she's Raimi's superior, surely she has the authority," Frederick whispered to Chrom.

"Oh I have the authority, don't you people worry. And if anybody does ask or makes us slow down, I'll just introduce them to Raimi's spear. Hell, I'm in charge, I might as well sic you Ylisseans on 'em! Confused Feroxi obviously aren't a problem for you lot. Hah!"

Robin listened absentmindedly. Flavia was surprisingly relaxed and easygoing when she wasn't giving orders or reprimanding anyone. Why is it everywhere I go the underlings are more serious than their leaders? If Flavia's this jolly I'd almost hate to see what the Khan is like.

A large hand slapped him on the back of his shoulder and knocked him out of his thoughts.

" 'Ey, Shepherd?" An accented voice drawled.

"Y-Yes, that's me…?" Robin said warily as he faced his new acquaintance. He was a muscled man with a thick, sticky beard. His head was covered in locks of dark hair, but one side was inexplicably hairless. He had the remnants of a suit of armor on his frame.

"I got sometin' for ya…" The man said gruffly as he reached behind him. Robin felt the blood drain from his face. Was this man preparing to threaten him?

He looked to the others for help, but they hadn't noticed a thing or were too busy speaking with the other Ferox.

A strange shape tapped his shoulder. Robin turned to a fresh-looking cornmeal muffin being offered to him. The gruff man flashed a toothy smile to Robin as he held out the treat to him.

"Er…" Robin hesitantly received the gift. He cast a sideways glance at the man who still held his shoulder. The man's smile persisted as he nodded eagerly.

Robin opened his mouth and took a bite out of the muffin, half expecting it to be loaded with a piece of metal or some bitter plant as a joke. He was proven wrong. He found himself finishing it in a couple bites.

"...Huh, thanks. Wait…" Robin looked the man up and down. Now he was absolutely sure; the armor gave it away - this was one of the very same guards they'd fought before. "Didn't we set you guys on fire yesterday?"

The man guffawed and slapped Robin in the back once more; his eyes crinkled and his beard turned as another wide smile spread across his face. "Damn right ya did!" The man pointed into Robin's shoulder. "You or your mates ever in the area again - or need anything at all, just let us know!" He howled with laughter and walked away.

Robin looked over to Sully. She was staring after the departing guard. She looked back to Robin when the man disappeared. He gave an awkward shrug, and she shrugged back.

"You think they'd be pissed at us or something," she whispered.

Robin nodded in response as he finished the snack. "Break their legs, set them ablaze, nearly kill their boss… and now they're our best friends. Ferox is shaping up to be a very strange place."

They resumed their trip in an arrangement much like the previous morning. While horses like Soren and Nana pulled the carts, Frederick, Sully, and Virion rode alongside the wagons on their own steeds, only this time they were joined by the two Feroxi commanders, who took point along the snowy road. A few Feroxi soldiers accompanied their commanders on foot, and the wagon train proceeded at a pace that allowed them to keep up.

The Feroxi never left Sully's gaze as she glared discernibly at them as she rode behind Chrom's cart, which took the lead.

The road was flanked on both sides by fields of unthawed snow. The wagons and horses rode over thick, tough patches of cold mud.

A cold breeze cut through the procession and elicited a yelp from Robin, who quickly fastened his coat.

"Warm enough for ya back there?" Flavia's voice carried from the front. "I apologize, we've been having something of a heat wave from the south. It's not half as cold as it should be - makes for a lot of slush and mud. Bear with us till we reach the capital."

"H-heat wave? Not as cold?!" he cried. This garnered a chuckle from the Feroxi commander.

"Oh, you'll be fine on the way back, we're due for a thaw after all! If you stick around long enough the mud might be gone by the time you take off." Flavia called back while Raimi remained quiet.

"Where was all this friendly talk when we were at the gates?" Sully grumbled. "Freaking two-faced…"

"Hey, they're being nice now, so ease up," Stahl said." "Frederick said it's all about strength and honor right? So, we beat them in a fair fight… and now they're our friends. Simple as that, right?"

"I'd hardly call what happened back there fair…" Sully said.

Sumia tapped her chin as she pondered. "You'd think if it were all about honor they'd be mad," she said.

"How's that?" Vaike asked as he adjusted himself in his seat in the back of the wagon.

Sumia settled in her saddle. "Like, isn't submitting to someone else dishonorable? Like…" Sumia put on a serious facade and waved an imaginary sword around with her free hand. " 'Ha! I have no allies!' Or… 'I'd die before I'll call *you* a friend!'... That's what they're supposed to say, anyway."

"Supposed to?" Stahl asked.

"Well, in the stories I read anyway…"

"Stories? C'mon, Sumia…" Stahl said with a sigh.

Frederick quickly interjected. "Sumia is likely appealing to the proud warrior cliche so prone in written fantasy." Sumia flushed lightly and fidgeted at Belfire's bridle. "Based in historical fact and lore for sure… thus Navarre, thus Lady Lyndis, etcetera, but caricatures nonetheless. It's unwise to rely on such things when facing a foreign people you've never met."

"...Wait, so you do know or…" Vaike scratched the side of his head.

"He's saying that Sumia's assumption is based in reality but shouldn't be applied to an entire people," Miriel said. "Though surely she is not the only one surprised by our host's behavior post-battle."

Robin looked up the train to where Chrom rested in his cart. He exchanged a few words with their hosts, but otherwise didn't say much. He didn't even drift to the back of the procession to speak with the others. He seemed lost in his own head as he leaned against some bundles in the back of his cart.

"Did Chrom say anything to you guys before we started?" Robin asked.

"Nah, Freddy-D took charge," Sully said. "Chrom was doing other things this morning. ...Right, Sumia?" She asked slyly.

Sumia's face paled as her eyes widened. "Wuh-wuh… no! Why'd you have to say it like that?!"

"Am I missing something?" Vaike asked.

"Milord helped Sumia with Belfire this morning," Frederick said. "The horse was antsy after arriving at the fort with no familiar faces to greet her."

"Wait, Belfire's been to the fort before?" Vaike asked.

"Her old rider was hired by the caravan, moron," Sully said. "She's prolly been up and down this road a dozen times."

Sumia held her heart and let out a sigh of relief

"Chrom's been quiet…" Robin said. "What do you think is on his mind?"

"Besides coming out of a skirmish with the very people his sister trusted him to negotiate with, now en route to speak with their ruler?" Stahl asked with a wince. "I'd imagine he's got a lot on his mind."

"Perhaps he is thinking of Marth as well," Miriel said as she adjusted her lenses. "This is where he currently resides, or so he was told."

"Who again?" Vaike asked. "Who's Marth?"

"He's the swordsman who helped Chrom and the others when the Risen first attacked them in the woods; the event following the quaking we felt back in Ylisstol."

"And the quaking may be what caused the heatwave…" Sully said to the side.

"Oh. That guy? Pfft." The fighter asked as he scratched his head. "What's so special about 'im?"

"He's amazing!" Lissa said as she threw out her arms and smiled. "He fell out of the sky! He saved me from getting my head bit off by a Risen! And when he and Chrom fought together it was like two shadows dancing or something!" The princess quieted down and gripped her stave sheepishly. "I thought he was really cool," she said. "I wish he stuck around."

"Sounds like he has a fan," Stahl said.

Sully shrugged. "He was alright. Didn't see much of him though. Gave me a kinda bad vibe… like there was something he wasn't telling us."

"Speaking of which, how did you know about any of that, Miriel?" Robin asked. "I didn't think anyone else knew about the forest besides Miss Emmeryn."

"Aye, t'was only me, Sully, Milord and his three companions that night," Virion said. "Your knowing comes as a surprise."

Frederick loudly cleared his throat. "Yes, because heavens forbid anyone else should read the reports that me and Milord pen after every mission and encounter," The great knight grumbled. "Miriel is the only one among you who consistently keeps up with the documentation."

"...Oh." Robin rubbed his neck nervously.

Miriel tapped the bridge of her lenses. "Quite," she said. "Though I pretend to no standard of consistency - I have made a point of doing any reading I could to stay up to date on the strange encounter in the woods.

"I've re-read the report on the Risen, the quaking, and that strange Eye multiple times. I even shared some information with Ricken and we spent some time postulating what the actual means of such a phenomena were; good practice for an upcoming mage if I'm being honest."

"And what was your take on the whole event?" Robin asked.

The mage-scholar shrugged. "Nothing concrete, of course. Part of the reason I decided to depart on this journey was the chance to see Marth, if he spake the truth to the captain. Me and Ricken together drew two conclusions, but both require a few leaps in logic.

"One; the magic described is not necessarily dark magic in nature, but bore many signs of being strange and arcane. Perhaps the perpetrator, be they Plegian or no, sought to summon a powerful warrior and so called upon an old and unruly spell, which also summoned thousands of monstrous, inferior soldiers to compensate; a failed spell with dire consequences. This was Ricken's hypothesis."

Robin still had yet to meet this Ricken, but Sully at least seemed to know who Miriel was talking about."...That's actually a solid idea coming from him. Huh." She sounded impressed.

"—However it has a few holes," Miriel continued abruptly, as though the pause in which Sully spoke was not even noticed. "For one, whom would benefit from such an endeavor? Granted, strange mages and their projects perpetuate history, of course. Secondly, there is reason to believe that this portal was not the only source of the Risen, inasmuch their rapid movement so far from the western forests necessitates the possibility of another portal…"

"...Ugh. Too many big words." Vaike crawled back into the interior of his wagon. "I'm taking a nap. Wake me when we get to the capital."

"And what's your take, Miriel?" Frederick asked.

"My take is a razor, if you will," Miriel said. "I've searched for the simplest solution based on what we knew. The simplest answer is thus; the eye was a portal, and whether he was summoned by a third party or fled himself, Marth was pulled from an environment teeming with these Risen from which he escaped, perhaps to find help or a way to stop their spread."

"...Well it makes slightly more sense than Ricken's…" Sumia said. "But aren't both of those kind of a jump? Where on earth could all those Risen come from without us hearing about it by now?"

"That is the crux. I haven't the foggiest." Miriel relented. "It would have to be either from a very far away, isolated country, surely a different landmass for such a threat to thrive. Of course at the end of the day, the only thing we truly know… is that we know nothing. The Risen themselves may be no older than the day they first arrived with Marth. We may find his own knowledge lacking should we speak to him about it."

"He never gave us a name for the monsters now that I think about it. All he did was recite that old poem and took off." Robin scratched the side of his head. "I dunno… I'd hate to say it but I'm not sure he was talking about just the Risen," Robin said.

"Well," Miriel adjusted her cap. "If there is a threat out there somehow worse than these monsters, I shudder to imagine it."

"...Maybe Virion has an idea or two?" Sully said.

"How's that?"

Sully shouted over to the Valmese atop his steed. "Virion! You said things were getting ugly over in Valm? What exactly—"

"Ho there!" Virion suddenly stood up in his saddle and hailed somebody off the side of the road. Some girl in a heavy red dress was trudging through the snow, a farmer perhaps - not much older than twenty by the looks of it. She carried a basket of berries in both hands. She turned at Virion's voice and stopped to watch the wagon train roll on by.

"Hullo down there!" Virion called again. "Which way to the capital, miss? I'm a bit turned around out here in this sea of white!"

The girl gave the nobleman and his entourage a perplexed look. She held up her basket as though to gesture down the road. "Why, milord," she called in a thick accent. "You're already on your way! Just a bit longer down this road 'ere and you'll be there before the sun sets. All roads this far out lead straight to the capital."

"Ah, of course!" Virion gave a theatrical smack to the forehead and held his brow. "Silly me, it appears I'm worse at directions than I thought."

"We all 'ave our days, sir," the girl called back. She started walking quickly to keep up with the wagons. "You an' your friends don't seem to be from around here!"

"That we're not." Virion gave his locks a flick and turned a gleaming eye to the wayside girl. "...Have you seen the capital with your own eyes, friend?"

"Why, every other year, sir! The day of East and West is in a few days! I'm fixing to make the trip north soon, isn't that where you all're heading?"

"Er… Of course! What a bright young lady you are! And say, there's never such a thing as too much company. What if we were to invite you along? You could be our guide and show us the sights! We'd have a grand time, and surely have you home before the festival's end!"

The girl swayed idly and fixed her eyes to the sky as she thought. "I couldn't tell ya sir," she said with a shrug. "I'd have to ask my 'usband first."

"...Oh!" Virion said with a gasp.

"Aye, he's a stickler for gettin' the chores done. Can't just up and' disappear on 'im. I could run and ask 'im if you fancied, milord. Maybe we could all go together."

"Oh don't trouble yourself…" Virion said quickly. "Wouldn't want to uh… upset him, I suppose. Some other time. Thank you for the help!" He called in a much less confident voice.

The girl innocently waved farewell as she resumed her activity and disappeared from the wagon train's view.

Virion slumped in his saddle, defeated.

"Right, I forgot." Sully rapped on the nobleman's shoulder. "You were tired of the gloom and doom and ran off to frolic with foreigners 'till things blew over, ain't that right?"

Virion cast Sully a truly pitiful glance before nodding with a sigh. "Very correct," he said sullenly. "...And no. There were no Risen in Valm."

"Not from what you've seen, you mean," Lissa said sternly.

"Perhaps, perhaps."

The Eastern Feroxi Capital was a massive walled city. As evening began to fall on the travelling party they could spy its high walls and billowing smoke on the horizon. The grim and grizzled brick and mortar barricade stood like a black swath on the thawing landscape of white and green. As the wagon train grew closer, one could spy gashes and streaks across the surface of the wall.

An entire history of battles and skirmishes could be gleaned just by observing the damage present; large burns from magic and catapults, tiny chinks in spots closest to the ground from weapons and battering rams could all be seen. The burnt outer crust gave way to vivid oranges and red where the cracks ran the deepest.

"Oh, quit staring!" Flavia called behind. "If you think this looks bad, you should see the inside! Ha!"

The wagon train pulled to a stop.

A set of Feroxi guards met with Flavia and Raimi. They were heavily armored in patchwork chain mail and steel, much like the ones at the Longfort.

They both saluted the Feroxi commanders and drew back to the gates. The guard escorts joined them.

Robin expected them to unlatch the doors and push them open, but instead they gripped massive handrails and dug their steel boots into the ground. With mighty grunts the knights slid the doors back into the barricade as an opening manifested between the sliding slabs.

The guards stood still as statues as the wagon train entered the walled city, and Flavia nodded to both of them as she passed.

Sully's eyes were glued to the massive contraption of a gate they entered. "Good luck bashing that thing down, geez," Sully murmured to herself.

"It speaks volumes for the Feroxi's ability to… avoid outer conflict," Frederick said.

"How many times has Ragna Ferox needed these large gates?" Robin asked. "That is, how many times has the city been attacked?"

"Oh hundreds of times!" Flavia said, almost proudly. "We've kept her lookin' pretty but she hasn't needed any major repairs since she was built by the first Khans nearly five hundred years ago. Folks from all over have tried to knock this thing down. And the last time we actually had to use it was… eesh… two hundred years I wanna say? Right, two hundred. Big war that was, civil too."

"How on earth could a war be civil?" Robin asked.

"A civil war, Robin," Fredericked corrected harshly. "Wherein a country is divided and attacks itself."

"...Oh. Right."

Flavia laughed. "Yep, not something we're proud of. The attacking part I mean. You could say our ancestors had it coming. Too big, too lazy, the country and people both. People fought over stupid things, and once leaders get involved in petty squabbles, that's the end of that. ...Oh," Flavia cast an apologetic glance Chrom's way. "No offense. Didn't mean to imply anything, your grace."

"None taken," Chrom said. "It's the truth."

Ylisstol was a bustling city, but the Eastern Capital of Regna Ferox was positively dense and packed with people. The air smelled of smoke, beer, and animals.

Dark buildings built out of stone and mortar were planted in haphazard fashion and created streets and alleys that in no way followed any sort of grid.

Thatched and tin roofs were topped with snow and a single chimney stack that billowed dark smoke into the air.

People worked their beasts of burdens at mills built right besides their homes - for some people it seemed these mills were their homes.

Children chased each other and weaved through the bustling crowds. Dogs lazily lolled about in the dirt or padded by the fires to stay warm.

Some people hung laundry outside their homes in long lines, while others hung leather or salted meat to dry out in the smoky air.

People and animal alike strode along the congested streets of cobble and brick, and to Robin it seemed it was impossible for their wagon train to even begin to squeeze past all these people.

That is until someone recognized Flavia and hailed her. Instantly man women and horse alike were pulled to the side of the streets to let the Shepherds and their procession of horses and carts pass.

Robin shyly ducked from the prying eyes and curious faces of the Feroxi civilians. They were of all sorts of size and color - it seemed like there wasn't any particular race in the majority. Some were dark eyed with black hair, others were dark skinned, more still were bright eyed with yellow hair regardless of the tone of their skin.

A set of three young boys who were surely no older than ten watched the Shepherds march on by with gawking eyes. They excitedly pointed at Lissa and Sumia to their mother, who earnestly smiled up at their visitors and held her children's hands down.

Sumia sheepishly waved to them. Lissa didn't seem to think too much of the reaction the common folk were giving her - which made sense.

"You'd think they'd never seen Ylisseans before," Sully said.

"None with armor and weapons, perhaps," Frederick replied.

The Shepherds came to a much wider venue framed by taller, sturdier buildings - the business district perhaps. The houses now were several stories tall, though some were still open-aired, some had glass windows much like in Ylisstol. The smell of cooked food and drink overtook the air. The wider street allowed the many patrons and merchants to continue their daily routine without paying much mind to Flavia and her escorts.

"This is… awfully normal looking," Stahl murmured. "I expected things to be more tense and violent-like in here."

"No matter how much you hear of another country, nothing can beat actually treading on it with your own two feet," Frederick said. "Even the most accurate assumption can be undone with a glance."

"I'll say," Stahl said with a nod. "I never would have called them barbarians if I saw all this."

It was just then that a window to their right burst open with an ear-splitting crash which sent two bodies tumbling to the road. Sumia covered her mouth to keep from screaming.

Two rugged fighters pulled themselves to their feet and without a moment of respite proceeded to exchange blows, perhaps to continue whatever they started on the other side of the window.

"...Spoke too soon," Stahl whispered.

Flavia laughed and held a hand to her mouth as she called.

"Easy does it lads, tourney's not for a couple more days! You'll be all worn out!"

The two men paused, fists raised and poised to let fly, hands clasping each other's shoulder as though to keep them still, and turned to Flavia.

" 'Ey! I can't speak for him but I'm ready to fight any and every day!"

"We'll get to the tourney a lot quicker if this one squared away the damn drinks!" The other barked.

Flavia relented. "Alright, alright, just don't kill each other."

"Yes ma'am," the men said in unison. They proceeded to smack each other in the jaw and tussle about in the dirt and muck as the wagon train moved along.

"Way too soon," Sully added to Stahl's comment. She had to crane her neck to keep watching the fight, which she did until they were well out of sight.

Chrom seemed to scan every road and alley they passed by. On the lookout for Marth, perhaps.

"Strange question, but..." The prince said. "Have you ever heard of an Ylissean swordsman in the area?"

Flavia paused before answering. "Far as I know you lot are the first Ylisseans to set foot in East Ferox since the end of winter. Can't speak for the West of course. Why, somebody you know passing through here?"

"Something like that…"

They came to a steep incline in the road. They had a good view of the sea of brown and red buildings scattered throughout the city limits. There was a clearing of sorts where the buildings became sparse and gave way to forest and grassland, still partially topped with snow.

"Speaking of the West, what's all this about a tournament?" Chrom asked.

Flavia pointed to a tall, round building that lay on the horizon. It had to be at least part of a day's journey to reach it, but it was so massive it stood above the haze of mist and smoke and cold that hung over the land. Even more smoke billowed from various points around its circumference. "See that thing?"

"Yeah?"

"That there's the coliseum; Arena Ferox - and that's why we don't have any more civil wars." Flavia pointed farther away, past the arena and to the grassland behind it. "Further west and you'll find the Capital of West Ferox. They have their own Khan, just as we have ours."

Flavia spurred her horse on and had the Shepherds follow her as she continued. "Ferox is a big place, so of course not everyone gets along. The Khan settles domestic matters, but when something concerns both sides of Ferox, we settle our differences in the Arena."

" 'Settle your differences?'" Chrom asked. "You mean like fighting?"

"Aye, your grace."

"Is it ever to the death?"

"Only when it has to be."

"Your idea of settling issues then is some kind of glorified blood sport?!" Robin cried.

Flavia laughed. "We prefer the word problem-solving. Look at it this way: we can't afford the two sides of Ferox to turn against each other again, and nobody wants another war. Too messy, lots of clean up."

Robin was both frightened and impressed by the sincerity of her words. Flavia continued as she led them down the streets and further north, towards the Khan's palace presumably.

"So instead of tapping into our reserves and marching across the country, we just set a few fighters aside -voluntarily mind you- and have them settle matters inside an enclosed space with rules and regulations, unlike actual warfare."

"And yet I hear Feroxi has the greatest military-might this side of the sea?" Frederick asked.

"Oh yeah, we have soldiers, we just don't use 'em unless we have to," Flavia said. "No sense wasting their energy in the arena, for the most part anyway."

"What sort of matters are exactly settled there in the arena?" Chrom pressed.

Flavia shrugged. "Oh, you know. The works. Animal theft, unfair landowners, slander and the like. Nothing we don't normally settle domestically - the honor system and all that. I'm sure you've heard of it by now."

Their battle at the longfort, seeing as it only involved Eastern Ferox soldiers, counted as a domestic matter, they had learned as much that morning. Robin and the others already had a good idea of how their 'honor system' worked.

"I have, and it seems to me…" Chrom said carefully after gathering his thoughts. "That the honor system can only do so much when strength is the deciding factor."

Flavia sighed. "Listen, we envy the Ylisseans and your prim and proper judicial system, courts, and trials... we really do. Ferox is just too big for that sort of thing. Half the time, even if we wanted to hold a trial, one or both of the dissenters would be dead by the time we go to 'em, so what's the point?"

Robin swallowed.

"But listen here, it's more than strength. If somebody really believes they're in the right, you'd be amazed what they're capable of overcoming. I've seen giants of men toppled by runts during these sorts of fights. Hell, just look at what happened yesterday!"

"...Fair enough," Chrom grunted. He glanced over to the Arena in the distance once more. "Then how does the Day of East and West play into this?" Robin asked.

"Oh right, the tourney." Flavia smiled as they came upon a large stronghold with tall wooden doors. "Yeah, it's important sometimes, but we mostly do that for fun."

Of course, was surely the thought that perpetrated the entire party.

The Khan's stronghold was a densely built fortress of stone and wood. The wooden gates led to a courtyard that branched off to various stables and warehouses. The Shepherds were split up here, with one group following Raimi to meet with the Khan while the others stayed behind to put up the wagons and horses.

Stahl and Sully followed Chrom, Robin, Lissa and Frederick as Raimi led them through a heavy wooden door that led into a dimly lit hallway. She beckoned them forward and they followed her into the stronghold.

Flavia disappeared shortly after they stepped through the gates, presumably to report their presence.

The hallways were archaic and dimly lit by torches and other apparatus. A red carpet ran along the stone floor, but besides the occasional wooden plank sticking from a wall they might as well be burrowing through a mountain, Robin felt.

"You're not all leading us into some dungeon are ya, miss?" Sully grumbled.

"Nothing of the sort," Raimi said coldly. "So as long as you remain in the Khan's favor."

"His favor?!" Sully barked. "Y'all nearly killed us! Ylisse coulda been at your throat, and we gotta stay in your damned good graces?!"

"Sully, that's enough!" Chrom said.

After the relative regality that Castle Ylisstol represented, what wasn't affected by the quake at least, it felt as though they had stepped into another era of time entirely.

Axes and swords were mounted onto the walls. Dark banners depicting animals and abstract shapes atop dark red and purple canvases were strewn across walls, doorways and other portals.

There were several animal heads adorning the chambers they passed through before they came to a wide set of doors. At first Robin was disappointed that Sumia hadn't followed them, now he was happy for her. His own opinion on animals notwithstanding, the blank glass eyes and eternal snarls of the countless hunting trophies filled him with nearly as much unease as the Risen.

Flavia waited in front and saluted briefly to Raimi and the Shepherds.

"Inside," she said as she pulled the doors open. The Shepherds stepped past her as politely as they could and came into a large chamber adorned in more purple tapestry and carpet. Two skins decorated the floor, one of a wolf, the other a large bear.

A few tables and credenzas of sorts were set haphazardly about the room.

Frederick leered warily at the deceased ursine and subtly sidled as far as he could without removing himself from the group.

If he thought Robin wouldn't notice he was mistaken.

"You may begin your conference with the Khan shortly," Raimi said as she stepped back to speak with Flavia. The two had a brief exchange in hushed voices as the Shepherds awkwardly waited in the center of the room.

Lissa swung her arms back and forth as she rolled her head to take in her surroundings.

"So where is he anyway?" She asked.

"The Khan? Probably out on business or training, I'd imagine." Chrom said as he studied a banner.

"Training for what?"

"Oh, working on that honor system of theirs, probably," Stahl said with a nervous chuckle.

"Indeed," Frederick said as he ran a finger along a piece of furniture and drew back a wad of dust. "If what we've seen is anything to go by, they much prefer battle to politics. Or rather battle is their politics."

Lissa held the back of her head and stretched. "I'm still surprised they can get anything done with rules like that," she said.

"They've only existed for just as long as Ylisse, Lis," Chrom said quickly, as if to amend his sister's innocent slight. "Every country is different. Some need a person like the Exalt to lead them, others do just as well with a Warrior King." Chrom's eyes finally met the dead beasts decorating the floor. "Somehow."

"How do you think he'll look?" Stahl asked.

"The Khan?" Sully propped her hands behind her head.

"I bet he's huuuge!" Lissa's said as she held her hands up.

"Probably looks like he stepped right out of one of Sumia's stories," Stahl said.

"Exactly what I was thinking! Someone broad, muscley, and a chest full of hair!" Sully said with a laugh.

The Shepherds turned at the sound of the massive doors slamming shut.

"Am I now? Please, do go on!" A voice called.

Robin was perplexed. Only Raimi and Flavia remained, and the commander had merely closed the room off.

It was when Flavia marched towards them with her arms a crossed and knowing smile on her face that Robin began to put the pieces together.

"Er… that is…" Chrom stumbled in his words. "You're the Khan then... I presume?"

"What, ya see someone else behind me?" Flavia asked. "Yes, I'm the East Kahn. From here to the Colosseum I showed you, we're in my jurisdiction." The Khan waved to Raimi.

"Raimi! Grab us some chairs and the spirits! We're gonna be here a while."

Is every ruler I meet going to hide their identity from me? Robin thought to himself.

The group had gathered around one of the larger tables in the room, now surrounded by an assortment of stools and seats.

An awkward silence had ensued since Flavia's grand entrance. This was broken when Raimi arrived with a set of bottles and glasses that she set on the table.

"Have at 'em, they're on the house," the Khan said.

"Er, I think I'll pass," Chrom said politely as he could. The others nodded.

"Pfft, suit yourself," Sully lunged for a bottle and bit the cork off with her teeth.

Flavia laughed and had Sully clink bottles with her. "Nothing like a good excuse to crack open the cellar, eh?" Flavia asked Chrom as she downed part of a bottle. Robin was amazed she was still telligible after all she'd taken. "I'm sure you'd know more than me. Word goes that Castle Ylisstol has the most impressive winery this side of the Great Sea."

"The Old Man did love his spirits," Sully said to herself.

Chrom politely shook his head. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, miss. Our own wine cellar goes mostly untouched. Most of our man and maid servants won't even set foot down there."

"Yeah, Frederick's the only one brave enough to go," Lissa said, her first word edgewise since they began. "Emm leaves the drinks to him most of the time."

"Ah! A servant who knows his drinks! I can respect that." Flavia said.

Frederick meekly waved his hand. "Emphasis on the know part, Miss. I've been trained on the serving of spirits since I was a boy, but I am no connoisseur myself."

"Fair enough, Fair enough. Alright! I want to get one thing straight with you and my captain before we begin!" Flavia held up her bottle and reached her hand out to Chrom. She wore a steel gauntlet that covered her fingers in tiny plates of steel.

The prince hesitantly took her hand and they shook. If Chrom's grip was too much for Flavia she didn't so much as wince.

"Lady Emmeryn and her kin are always welcome here in Ferox. I'd like to formally apologize for what happened at the Longfort."

"I'm sure we can put that behind us," Chrom said with a smile, his first since they'd set off that morning. "We'd best get down to business. If I may ask, is it true that the Plegians have been raiding your border? Posing as Ylisseans no less?"

Flavia's warm smile turned to a vicious frown. "Yes, those Plegian Dogs!" She hissed. "That very day me and my men followed a group of them clawing at our walls! We found some damning documents on the corpses of one of their captains."

"Documents of what sort?" Chrom asked in surprise.

"Letters with very specific instructions, all issued from Plegian officials no less!" Flavia's answer drove Chrom back a couple steps. "'Act in the name of the Prince.' 'By Royal Decree. 'Swear by Naga,' et cetera, et cetera. They see great gain in making enemies out of the two of us."

"Dare I say on the one day it mattered, they succeeded," Frederick said.

Chrom's face clushed as he clenched his teeth. "Killing our animals and farmfolk, hurling accusations at our rulers, and now they're goading us all to turn on each other? Tormenting Ylisse alone wasn't good enough for them? ...Augh! Damn them! Plegian bastards!" Chrom drove his fist down on the table and rattled the bottles and glasses. The clatter distracted him from his outburst. He shot quick glances at Frederick, Lissa, and finally Robin, who began to pale. "Ah…!" The prince straightened himself and stuttered. "Forgive me, that wasn't delicately put…"

Flavia had just finished downing yet another bottle. She nodded once or twice -her own brow furrowed - and then pounded her own fist down on the table with a squawking laugh. "Well damn them and damn delicacy!" She swung her empty bottle to the floor and shattered it. Robin and Lisa flinched.

The East Khan pointed at the Prince, whose eyes were glued to the destroyed bottle. "Here in Ferox we prefer plain speech, sir Chrom, and don't you forget it! Some around here take niceties as a sign of weakness. I appreciate the gesture, but from now on please speak your mind, I encourage it. This will go a lot faster if you do."

"...In that case maybe you should have another word with your damned border guards." Sully said with a grumble. Raimi cast a wicked glare in the cavalier's direction. Flavia's deep laughter reverberated throughout the room.

"Now that's some Feroxi Diplomacy!" She leaned over and clutched Raimi's shoulder. "I like these guys! Don't you, Raimi?"

The captain let out a puff of air and rolled her eyes. She didn't answer.

"Guys, guys!" Sully whispered harshly as she poured her second glass.

"Shh! What?!" Stahl whispered back.

Sully looked back and forth between her friends and the cup as she sloshed the drink inside. Chrom and Flavia had been making what could only be called political small talk. Recent events of interest from both sides, (sans the Eye and Marth on Chrom's part), developments, various inquiry on the nation's well-being, and so on. Chrom obviously wasn't used to it and would stammer sometimes, but Flavia took it all in stride.

Between the rustic layout of the fort and the plentiful drink however, it seemed like Sully was the one having the most fun in the entire room. "I think I wanna live here!" She said with a strange twinkle in her eye.

Lissa slumped with her arms and chin resting against the table as Chrom and Frederick continued their talks with Flavia.

"Yeah," her head bobbed as she spoke. "You would, Sully." That earned her a light bop on the head.

"So," Flavia continued. "They've gotten even bolder on your end in these past months?" The conversation and inevitably turned to Plegia.

"They've lost all sense of subtlety," Chrom said bitterly. "The Shepherds have always dealt with bandits, but we've had three encounters with Plegians this quarter alone. Our policies on violent intrusion of boundaries are no different than your own, Khan Flavia, but we've made multiple attempts to contact the Plegian royal family to put an end to these raids. They insist that they are merely bandits who happen to be Plegian… but their frequency and experience in battle bespeaks military training to me." Chrom became much more coherent once he got the chance to speak about the rival nation. His underplayed frustration was noted by Robin.

"And you're not alone in that, Prince," Flavia said with a nod.

"We've yet to make any official confirmations ourselves," Frederick said. "But by your own account the parties at your doorstep were officially enlisted? The captain you killed?"

"Aye, the documents bore the credentials of a well-known Plegian commander, one in the direct chain of command to their king. But on that note…" for the first time since negotiations began, Flavia set down her drink. "It wasn't us who killed them. We found the captain and all of his men dead."

A silence hung about the room.

"...Infighting?" Robin asked, almost hopefully.

Flavia shook her head. "Had to have been one hell of a fight judging by the body count, but I don't think they were killed by Plegians, or anyone around here for that matter."

Flavia locked eyes with Chrom.

"I believe you already know who I'm talking about, your grace," she said carefully. "This third party mentioned in your sister's letter."

Chrom swallowed.

"Bandits haven't been the only problem we've had as of late. People've been raving about monsters and undead, and it's all been very true so far. Thankfully we've managed to keep our own casualties low…"

"Then you see the threat just as much as Emmeryn does?" Chrom asked.

Flavia sighed again. "Alright Prince, let's get down to brass tacks. Plegia and these creatures both are highly undesirable in the Khan's eyes. Our best course of action would be a mutual partnership to keep each other safe. This requires a lot of manpower, which Feroxi certainly has. Unfortunately, the way things stand, I cannot provide a single man to your cause."

Lissa sat up, aghast. "But why not?" She blurted out. Robin tried to push her back down but she shook him off.

Flavia gave a shrug. "I lack the authority."

Beat.

Chrom swallowed again. "Er… forgive me, but I don't understand. You are the Khan, correct? You just told us this?"

"I said I'm the East Khan. Ragna Ferox is ruled by two Khans to the east and west."

"You can't supply men from your jurisdiction?" Frederick asked. "You just told us that you had soldiers set aside."

Flavia took another drink from her bottle. She took a few seconds and paused after she finished swallowing. "You didn't let me finish," she said calmly, coldly.

Frederick would not interject for the remainder of the talk.

"As I said I am only ONE of the Khans. I control my district, my people, but I lack any sort of international authority, especially when it comes to deploying soldiers outside the border."

"So then the other Khan, the West Khan, does?" Chrom asked. "Why can he do what you can't?"

"If we had a window I'd point to the reason," Flavia grumbled. "The blasted Day of East and West is why. Whoever won the tournament last gets final say over things."

"Um, come again?" Robin ventured, but only after he was sure Flavia had finished her thought.

"Every couple of years we celebrate the day of East and West with a tournament between the two Khans… er - It's like this: We decided a long time ago that one Khan can't rule the whole damned country, but two Khans can take care of both halves, and one Khan should make the big decisions for both sides, for a time at least. So instead of instating a third Khan, heavens forbid, we decide by a competition, in this case fighting in the arena. The winning Khans run the country their way until they're dethroned."

"That's… an interesting policy," Robin said.

Flavia shrugged. "It's good for the People, and it keeps us on our toes. It's a good excuse to wipe the slate clean, and not just the ruling seat is affected.

"Servants are set free, debts are forgiven… Keeps our economy from drying up, believe it or not. People know what lasts and what to invest in, merchants learn how to 'Khan-proof' their businesses," she finished that last thought with a snicker. "...Et cetera. I kinda like it this way, truth be told. Besides, some Khans don't like being cooped up at home with all of Ferox to keep happy. Some of us would rather be flexible. I for one like being on the move with my ear to the ground; keeps me in the know, helps me keep an eye on Plegia. That's why I abstained from participating last time. I can imagine most of the royalty in Ylisse can relate?"

"More or less," Chrom admitted.

"More like all the time," Lissa said as she rolled her eyes.

"So!" Robin interjected. "All we have to do is ask the West Khan for help, then?" Robin asked.

"If that were an option I would've sent you his way the moment I read the letter," Flavia said. "You'd have better luck asking a wyvern to kiss a sheep. He doesn't care about what happens outside of the borders of Ferox, unless they bring him gold or wine that is. He only cares about the inside the country walls. He doesn't see what's between Ylisse and Plegia as his problem. As long as he remains the reigning Khan, and as long as Plegia keeps poking at us over here in the east, the Feroxi military has the same sentiment."

"Can't you convince him on our behalf?" Chrom asked. "Surely he'd listen to another Khan?"

"I've tried, kid. For years I've tried. The only chance to have my way is to win the tournament, and that hasn't happened in a long time. Credit where it's due, he's got the manpower to keep himself in office, so to speak. The fighters he brings to the tournaments are leagues above what I can ever afford.. probably because he's the Khan with an actual seaport. He's got new and exotic blood from all of the drifters that come and go. He gets his best men from outside his kingdom… Ironic, isn't it? Hell, he just recruited another outsider a week or so ago, if the rumors are true."

"Indeed," Chrom mumbled as he clenched his fists. "So we are to receive no aid at all?"

Flavia laughed again. "Not with that attitude, you won't!" The Khan stood up. "The tourney is nigh. I had half a mind to abstain again, but Plegia has made us restless. I NEED the throne this time. Alas, I haven't had the time to gather champions in my name." Flavia said this as a sort of knowing smirk spread across her face as she tapped at her bottle thoughtfully. Her eyes rested squarely on Chrom.

Robin felt a pit in his stomach once again. He had an inkling where this was going, and he bet Chrom did too. The prince warily lowered his brow. "...And what does that have to do with us?"

Flavia smiled. "Well, according to a certain Border Guard captain… you and your men are quite capable fighters. The way I see it, we want the same thing. So let's help each other out, yeah?"

The Khan planted one foot on the table and leaned forward until she was right in Chrom's face.

"You should represent us in the tournament! If you win, I become the reigning Khan, and then you'll have your alliance."

Chrom swallowed. "I uh… I'm honored you'd consider such a prospect. Only… I assumed Ylisseans had no part in Feroxi traditions."

"On the contrary!" Flavia boomed as she stood up. Chrom winced briefly as her voice and breath buffeted his face. The Shepherds now had to look up as the Khan paced across the wide table. "No Khan is allowed to fight in the tournament. That's a recipe for dead khans, blood feuds, and even more dead khans! We always select outsiders to partake, and over time this began to include foreigners and the like. As far as any of this goes, this would be perfectly normal. Granted, we've never had Ylissean royalty partake… that I know of! Ha!"

Well, that's reassuring… Robin thought to himself.

Flavia stepped down from the table and Raimi gave a particularly displeased look at the gritty boot prints now decorating the surface.

"Regardless… it is your own choice to make. The coliseum's a dangerous place," Flavia said. "This isn't an offer I make lightly."

Chrom worked his hands. "The way I see it, there is no choice… not with Plegia or the Risen at our throats. But could you give me time to reconvene with my men?" Chrom asked hurriedly.

Flavia nodded. "By all means. Get them up to speed, agree, disagree, whichever. If you're going to make a decision though, make it soon. If I don't have fighters, I'll have to abstain and the tournament will be over before it even begins, and our best window for action will be lost. I can't guarantee any support past that."

"Understood," Chrom said as he stood up. "How soon?"

"Oh, say… Tomorrow night soon," Flavia said.

"That's hardly any time to think at all! We might never make it back to Ylisstol in time at this rate." Robin whispered hoarsely to Chrom, who merely waved his words away.

"I'll see what I can do. Thank you, Khan Flavia," Chrom stood up and gave a light bow, more of a nod. Flavia shrugged and somehow managed even less of a bow in response.

The Shepherds were shown the door as Raimi and Flavia stayed behind. The Khan herself held the door open as they departed.

"In the meantime, make yourselves at home. If you need or want anything, just ask someone and tell them Flavia said so. Ha! Come nightfall, we got a whole wing of our barracks that aren't being used; you and your men can stay there for the night."

"That's very generous, thank you."

"One last thing: the tournament will be the night after, and I need a messenger sent in advance, so the sooner you make up your minds the better. No pressure," she said with a wink.

"R-right, of course," Chrom said.

Flavia nodded to them once more and shut the door behind them.

Robin could barely process what had happened before Chrom already took off down the hall in a hurried step. The tactician ran to catch up with him.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"Well, I dunno know about you, but I'm gonna explore," Sully said as she rubbed her hands together. "This seems like my kinda place. Catch y'all later."

The knight disappeared down a different corridor. Stahl meekly pointed after her as he turned to Chrom. "I'll make sure she doesn't get lost… or get into trouble… or both… Um, later."

Lissa looked between her remaining companions and their dour expressions and furrowed brows. She looked down the corridor her knight friends departed down and started to step away.

"I think I'll just-"

"NO." Frederick firmly caught the princess by the arm and swung back in the direction of her brother and Robin.

"Chrom?" Robin asked once more. The prince ran a hand through his hair as he shook his head. There was no tension or confusion. His tone was exhausted and deflated. Flavia let them off with a decision, but something told Robin that the Prince didn't see a choice in the matter at all.

"She won't like this…" Chrom said in a resigned voice. "Emmeryn definitely will not like this…"

Being an essential worker doesn't make writing this any easier. Stay safe, everyone.