Chapter 14: The Black Rose

A great conqueror dined in a decorated hall, plotting a bold invasion of a land across the sea. The Valmese Walhart stood a titan among mortals, ruthless and savage…but his story…will never come to pass. An ominous presence entered the dining hall.

"Your blood will do just fine…hehehe…" The conqueror rose from his seat in confusion, and then doubled over in agony.

"Let Grima's will be done…" Blood trickled from every orifice as Walhart fell from grace. His subjects sat petrified as a cloaked figure descended from the rafters unto the table, walking towards the dead man.

"Consider this an excommunication!" With each snap of his fingers, the silver-haired devil murdered a subject on his way to the leader. Cackling could be heard throughout the fortress.

"Yes…this blood will do just fine. Now to begin…" Henry began etching the symbol of the fell dragon on the table, chanting an ancient hymn.

"This power…it is time!" Waves of pure evil energy wrapped Henry like a vortex, entering his body. Veins ran black with evil magic, changing the sorcerer yet again. His thirst for power led Henry from the wilderness into the chambers of a king. The strength of the dead exalted his power to god-like stature.

"Now to find my queen….hahahahaha!" Ravens surrounded Henry as he vanished into the abyss.

/

"Tharja…" A voice echoed from the snow. The dark knight peeked into the distance, spying a lone rose bush. She walked closer.

"Tharja…the girl…the girl is in danger…" Tharja was unable to speak, but only listen to the voice. She bent down to the rose bush. A single black rose sat amongst the red, different but beautiful in its own right. She picked the rose, but was pricked by the thorns.

"Tharja…the girl…she is more important than you know…" Blood ran down Tharja's wrist from the wound, but she still held the rose. She felt strange warmth emit from it, comforting her in the midst of this eternal blizzard.

"Nothing is forever…" The rose began to freeze in her grasp. She clinched her fist, crumbling the frozen flower, allowing it to fly into the storm. Tears ran down her cheeks, freezing before they reached her chin.

"Tharja…" The dark knight gazed into the storm again, and noticed a figure. She could never get close enough to make out the face.

"The girl…is the black rose…" The figure vanished into the snow, leaving Tharja to sink into her own darkness. The world faded away.

Tharja! It's time to wake up!" A sunny voice called, causing Tharja to jolt upwards. Kaila poked at the dark knight's forehead, as they were to explore the markets of Ylisstol on their first day.

"…Very well…" Tharja stood and adorned herself with a black cloak, along with young Kaila. The two exited a shady inn, walking distance from the bizarre. Tharja glanced over the tomes in stock, as Kaila's vision caught sight of a confectionary. Her eyes widened in excitement. Tharja noticed this and sighed.

"Very well…" The two walked over to the sweets tent to gaze over the many cakes and candies in stock. Kaila caught sight of a stand of lollipops. She reached, but could not grasp the sweets.

"Looks like someone is out of luck! Hahaha!" A familiar voice taunted the child. The confectionary swordsman had arrived. Tharja audibly sighed.

"Don't worry little cutie! Your hero has arrived!" Gaius retrieved two candies for the girl, who hugged his neck in gratitude. The two glanced back over at Tharja.

"Hey ma'am, is this one yours?" Gaius guided Kaila back to the knight.

"I guess you could say that." Tharja removed her hood, sending Gaius into a state of shock.

/

The crowd roared at the displays of skill and strength within the walls of the Regna Ferox Coliseum, where great warriors came to test their mettle. The likes of Lucina, Chrom, Donnel, and Kellum graced the dusty surface. These days, fights to the death were strictly forbidden, as deemed barbaric by the Exalt. On this day, a sword master named Say'ri decimated her outmatched opponents…until a cloaked man entered the arena.

"I sense a challenge…" Say'ri lifted her Amatsu Blade, readying for combat. The masked man simply continued to pace nearer.

"Enough with this spectacle!" The sword master hurled Amatsu like a missile towards the man, knowing it would return to her. The crowd gasped.

"Hn." The mystery man sidestepped the projectile with surprising speed, while the Amatsu returned to its owner. He continued his march.

"I expected more…from the sister of Yen'fay." The man charged towards Say'ri. Hand-to-hand sparring began between the two as the sword master was driven farther and farther away from her Amatsu. A kick sent Say'ri skyward.

"Nothing personal." The masked figure waited below to deliver the killing strike.

"Indeed!" Say'ri awoke midair to Amatsu whizzing back into her hands. She lunged blade-first downward, stunning the man. He unsheathed a killing edge. The blades met violently, sending sparks as far as the crowd. The sword masters stood face to face.

"Nobody has forced me to unsheathe my blade one on one in years…" The man slowly unraveled his mask. Say'ri shuddered.

"You...you are the legendary Shepherd Assassin! The deadly Lon'qu!" The crowd roared at the name of their former champion.

"…Legendary? I think not. At least…not yet…" Lon'qu bent down and unhinged weights from his ankles.

"Training weights?!" Say'ri stepped back nervously. Lon'qu slung the weights into the dust, cracking the floor. The sword master trembled in horror.

"You have gained my respect, as your brother before you. He was the first to observe my true strength one on one. My destiny beckoned me to both of you…to prove myself the strongest warrior in the world. Your fates were sealed the moment you lifted a blade as a child…preordained to die at my feet!"

Lon'qu vanished like smoke, reappearing and disappearing far faster than Say'ri could follow. Her Amatsu suddenly shattered, cleaved by the speed demon.

"Dance of ten thousand cuts…" Blood erupted from Say'ri from every direction as Lon'qu reappeared in the center of the arena. As he slung blood from his edge, the assassin noticed a cloaked figure exit the arena, with an immense dark aura.