Invisible Ties | Fire Emblem Awakening (Novelization)

Chapter 23: Flames on the Blue

Lucina

The sound of hundreds of growling monsters filled the Great Hall. Smoke from the burning city seeped in through the open doors, curling around the soldiers and hiding them beneath its grey cloak. It filled Lucina's lungs with every laboured breath, tightening them. If she did not leave this room shortly, the smoke would render her useless. But she had no choice. She had to fight.

She'd trained many times before with Falchion, but it still felt heavy and uncomfortable in her hands. If she looked too closely at the blade, she almost thought she could see her father's dead body in the reflection. Sometimes he was on his back. Sometimes he was on his side. Sometimes he was sitting upright, slumped against a wall. Sometimes he was still bleeding, and sometimes his corpse was a withered husk. Sometimes he still had a weapon embedded deep in his flesh. It didn't matter that she hadn't really seen his body.

Falchion should have been in his hands, not hers.

But Frederick, Sumia, and Lissa, the only survivors, had brought it back to her. And she had so foolishly sent them away again on a quest to find the Fire Emblem. They had departed this morning, taking Owain, Cynthia, and Severa with them. Lucina had kept Morgan and Gerome in Ylisstol to help her hold the castle, but now she knew that it was a mistake.

She blocked the sword that was swinging her way. Then she impaled the monster that was attacking her. Further ahead, a Risen was forcing a female soldier back against the castle wall. The soldier brought her sword up, but the monster knocked it to the floor.

Lucina hurried forwards as the Risen raised its axe. She lifted Falchion in her last few strides. This would be the first time she had used the sword to save a life other than her own. To step in and protect an ordinary soldier would have been so like her father.

She thrust forwards, stabbing Falchion through rotted flesh and bone. "I believe the woman you want is me!"

She yanked her sword from the body. It dissipated into purple smoke. The face of the soldier slowly became visible behind it, pale with fear. For a moment, Lucina stared back, just as wide-eyed and frightened. Then she hardened her features. There was no one that she could look to anymore other than herself.

"We can't let these things win!" she shouted. "Now grab a sword and fight!"

The woman's face hardened, too, as if she were Lucina's reflection. She picked up her sword and followed Lucina further into the Great Hall, seemingly intent on protecting her.

But it was not to be.

Gerome stepped out of the crowd and put his hand on Lucina's shoulder, black armour slick with blood. His expression was grim. "We have to leave, now!"

"No." She tried to pull away from him, but he wrapped his arms around her torso and dragged her towards the door. She kicked out. "No, Gerome!"

"You're our leader! You cannot afford to perish here."

The female soldier started after them, eyes on something to their right. A Risen soldier was charging.

The female soldier leapt forwards and swung her sword. The blade sliced into the creature's shoulder, bringing its attention to her. It growled, spinning away and splitting the soldier's skull.

Lucina screamed. "No! No!"

Gerome swung her into his arms. He grunted an apology, then something hard crashed into her head.

Everything went black. 

***

"Lucy? Wake up!"