He found her in the field, and fate changed. But they still had much to learn about the past - and the future. A Fire Emblem: Awakening novelization.
~Cover art by Liirin Risun~
The Ylisseans marched on their highest guard. The air was crisp and brisk, and the sun was veiled behind a stratification of clouds. Despite the overcast skies, visibility was still favorable on the ground. The desert stretched on before them, and they could easily make out the dark shapes of the Plegian force that awaited.
Elysa's nerves were on end, but she kept her composure as best she could. Her body rocked back and forth with the movement of her black pegasus's steps. By her prerogative, she and the other pegasus knights walked their mounts as they approached the enemy force, for fear of a sudden flight of arrows from behind enemy lines. As they made their way across the barren wastes between Ferox and Plegia, Elysa went over the plan in her mind once more.
Three weeks had passed since the Ylisseans had fallen back to their country to regroup. Within that time, the Feroxi soldiers, rallying behind Flavia and Basilio, had little to no trouble holding the Plegian border for both Ylisse and Regna Ferox.
Their steady success had been made possible by Emmeryn. Word spread like wildfire across the continent of the late exalt's sacrifice, and she had become a folk hero of sorts to Feroxi soldiers, Ylisseans, and Plegians alike. The latter had been steadily throwing down arms in protest of the Mad King's persistent efforts towards war, in Emmeryn's name.
Everyone wanted peace, Elysa thought to herself, but it took her to bring it to the surface.
Gangrel made to quell the deserters – "rebels," in his mind – by brute force, but by endeavoring to slay his troops into submission, he only drove more away. His army was all but in shambles, and Ylisse and Ferox were readying to strike the final blow.
That brought them to the present day: Gangrel had once again offered parley with Ylisse. Chrom would have had none of it, were it not for Lissa and Elysa, who ardently persuaded him to give the possibility of peace a chance.
"Fine.By our will or by our blades," the prince had conceded, "we will have peace."
But by the feeling in her gut, Elysa knew that Gangrel would not bend to any will but his own, which meant that the day could only end in one way.
Elysa looked over her shoulder. Lissa sat straight upright on her pegasus, a silver lance in her hand. The princess had proved herself an adept protégé to Cordelia. Lissa's grip on her weapon was delicate, but highly controlled; Lon'qu marched behind her, sullenly bearing her healing staff, his other hand occasionally ghosting over the hilt of his sword.
"Are you alright?" Chrom tapped on Elysa's leg. She rode to the prince's right – just behind Frederick, who headed the column with the vanguard. She reached down and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I'll be fine. Just a little nervous. But I have faith – we're all ready for this, I know it," Elysa said. "Are you sure you don't want to hop on? We've got a ways to go, you don't need to walk."
"Yes, he does," Daisy tossed her head and chuffed indignantly. Chrom looked at them curiously.
"She doesn't seem too keen on it," Chrom laughed, "and I'm alright. Walking will keep me warm for battle if things turn sour."
Elysa nodded. "I'm by your side, no matter what happens."
A dark shape caught her attention, descending from the sky and towards the Plegian line. Is that... another Dark Flier?
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