Fire Emblem: Last of the Manakete

Alright, pretty clear win for Knight Seal.

I've made a few decisions about promotions and seals that I'll list here, as well as in one of the informational posts at the start.

Humans will only go to level 10 rather than the normal 20. Manakete, meanwhile, will be able to go to level 20. This is in part due to a comment made about how a promoted human would be more powerful than a manakete's dragon form, which goes against the ideas I've had for the story.

However, manakete can't promote in the same way as humans (IE, gaining permanent access to Dragon Dice.) Shifting into dragon form will act as a sort of on-the-fly promotion: giving them Dragon Dice, but coming with the drawback of letting their emotions dictate their actions. Humans (aside from a rare few such as Emperor Theodore) will never be as directly powerful as a dragon, but by a combination of numbers, cunning, and tools, they can even the odds.

When it comes to promoting, only a Level 5 or above character can use a Seal to promote.

"It takes great skill to use a bow. It takes great skill to ride. It takes even greater skill to do both at the same time. And you wonder why yeomen are so effective in battle?"
-Archduke Gengin Cartese after his victory at the Battle of Porcupine Plain


'Let's go get'em!' your draconic self snarls, your own jaw curling slightly as the force of her emotions washes over you. Your eyes turn inexorably towards Artemis as she and the other Southern cavalry ride towards the Imperial siege camp, using the river as cover from the Imperial cavaliers as everyone raced towards the hill covered in scrambling soldiers. By the looks of it, Artemis and the Northerners will arrive at around the same time, but the Imperials will probably reach it a little faster.

You grit your teeth and force calm upon your mind. "By the time we got there, the battle'd be half over!" you say. "We can help best from here!" Landing on the ruined wall again, you look between the boiling mass of men and beasts in the Imperial camp and the slowly turning ballistae at the siege camp.

After a few seconds, you decide that the greatest danger to Artemis probably comes from the main camp. If a big force comes out, centered around the wyvern that's just landed heavily among the tents to get healed, they could cut Artemis off from both yourself and the castle. She'd be able to keep going north, but with no idea what's up there… that'd be dangerous.

Meanwhile, while those ballistae probably have range comparable to your Bolting, the men scrambling around them seem to be having some trouble, and unless that group of Imperial cavalry does a way better job at stopping Artemis than the last group, the siege camp will be overwhelmed before they can do much.

No, your job will be to keep the main camp busy, so that they can't interfere anymore.

Closing your eyes for a second to re-center yourself, you start calculating angles. You don't bother doing a perfect job of it: the camp's very big and you don't need to hit anything in particular, just make everyone jump. Lightning flashes around you for a moment before shooting up into the air, coming down a few seconds later in a massive bolt that sets a tent on fire. About thirty second later, another bolt falls, sending a group of half-saddled horses galloping off, some dragging their screaming riders behind them.

'…Okay, I guess this works too.'

"That's a thing of beauty," Angela says, hovering just close enough that you're forced to recalculate a little to compensate for the nexus of Green magic nearby. "For some reason I've never really understood, pretty much the only magic we can get to work from pegasus-back is Light magic, so aside from a rare few Purge casters we don't get much siege-magic support." She grins wryly at you. "You sure I can't convince you to come work for us?"

Sending another Bolting on its way, you glance over, taking a short breather. "No so long as Artemis needs me," you say.

The Whitewing shrugs. "Eh, worth a try," she said, watching as you prepare another magical lightning bolt.

---

(Artemis POV)

You watch with grim satisfaction as lightning falls on the invading Imps like rain (okay, maybe not that fast. Ryza's good, but she's got her limits.) That will keep their heads down long enough to do your job.

As you push Actaeon to the head of the loose formation of yeomen, you look over to see one of the Northern troubadours, flanked by two of their yeomen, angling to meet up with you. As she gets close enough, she lowers her staff. "Your arrival brings the dawn, Lady Cartese," she calls over the sound of hooves. "Her Highness was getting a touch worried that you would be delayed."

"Not a chance," you call back. "I promised her we'd be back with reinforcements, and here we are." You're glad that Father decided to send you up here. While you would have argued for someone to be sent north to reinforce them, it feels right that you return to finish what your started yourself. You'd just expected to have to argue for the privilege a bit.

Besides, this way the Northerners get to see Ryza at work, to understand that manakete aren't the mindless monsters the Empire smeared them as. After all, though nobody'd said it, you, Father and Mother had all known that she would follow you wherever you went, especially after you got to meet her dragon-self.

Shaking your head, you focus on the moment. You can marvel at how such a small, innocent girl can transform into a creature that varies wildly between gleeful, overgrown puppy and ice-cold determinator that would give Kopoi a run for his money later. Right now, you have to focus on finishing this fight. You've managed to get away with no deaths and only a few minor injuries so far, you want to keep that streak going.

You won't have a convenient bridge this time, but contrary to what some people think horses are perfectly capable of getting across most rivers, especially since this one didn't look too deep. However, it would slow them down, especially Phoebe and Count Sobieski's men, and by the looks of it the Imperial cavalry would reach the other bank first.

Thankfully, you're not dependent upon getting them into melee. The foot archers on the hill would be able to provide the Imps some cover, but when combined with the Northerners your yeomen have them comfortably outnumbered, and you even have magical support in the form of those two troubadours. That makes you even more glad Ryza was wise enough to target the main camp to keep their heads down. You're pretty sure you can beat these guys, but if more riders, or worse, a wyvern or two, circle around behind you…

Well, that wouldn't be good.

As you think, you watch the Imperial cavalry break into a gallop to ensure that they reach the other side of the river first. Thirteen in all, their leader waves his silver lance around, clearly trying to rally the less-disciplined soldiers guarding the siege camp. The soldiers shakily gather about halfway up the hill, while most of the archers line up in front of them to send arrows over the heads of the cavalry. It's clear they intend to slow you down, to bog you down in an attempt to either buy the main camp time to send more reinforcements or to get those ballistae swung around so they can contribute to the fight.

Frowning, your thoughts race. Agrithian cavalry doctrine focuses on speed and maneuverability: while you could grind through them safely from your side of the river, using it to protect yourselves from the cavaliers, that would cede the initiative to the Imps. They could pull back, force you to cross, get those ballistae working… no, you had to strike hard and fast, but charging across the river into the teeth of swords and lances is not a winning strategy.

Looking over towards the Northern yeomen, you get an idea. "We split up!" you call to the troubadour. "Tell your people to circle that way, towards that shallow-looking area. I'll take my men to that one! We outnumber them, so either they split up and we defeat them in detail, or they consolidate and one of us can punch through to the siege weapons before they can intervene in the fight!"

The woman's eyes flick around, and a second later she nods. "Very well," she says. "Allow me to accompany you on your charge. It would be poor repayment to our friends in the south to allow their leader to fall in our defense." Her staff shone brightly in her hand. "By Sol Invictus's will, my magic will protect you."

You hesitate for a second, but ultimately it makes sense. Ensuring that both sides have some magical protection will go a long way to helping keep everyone you brought here alive and healthy. "Alright!" you call. "Let's go!"

Pointing to her followers, the troubadour sends them back to join their group as the two groups shift apart. A moment later, you feel a warmth engulf you as the woman casts Mend on you, strengthening your body and washing away the fatigue of the riding and fighting you've already done today. Taking the lead, you move to the head of the loose wedge of skirmishing cavalry screening the armored fist of Phoebe, Count Sobieski and the other cavaliers.

You can almost see the thoughts flitting through the enemy cavalier leader's head as the two groups of Kingdom cavalry split up. He can't stop both of you, the two crossing points are just too far apart. He knows that whichever group he doesn't engage will surely overrun the nervous-looking infantry guarding the siege equipment. He knows that a squadron much like the one he commands was annihilated by your charge earlier. True, you don't have Ryza's magical support this time, but that still has to have made an impression.
(Strategy Chosen: 4/6)
Finally, he seems to make his decision. Waving his lance one last time, he slings it over his shoulder and draws a javelin as his men move to shadow the Northerners. He clearly has decided that, while he cannot honorably withdraw without a fight, he wants to preserve his own men. That means that, after a ranged, likely indecisive skirmish across the river against the weaker force, he'll probably pull back in good order while your own people are smashing the siege camp.

Your lip curls. While his tactics make sense… it still strikes you as cowardly, to leave the people he'd been sent to defend to die to save his own skin. Still, letting him go through with it achieves your objective of sending a message to the Empire that the free people of the East aren't just going to lay down and allow themselves to be trampled with less chance of death among your people.

"Let's go!" you cry as you urge Actaeon into the ford, followed by your soldiers. A few wild arrows are sent your way by the archers on the hill, but they clearly hadn't planned out their ranges so nothing hits.

Meanwhile, at the other ford, the Imperial and Northern cavalry begin their deadly dance.


You grimace as you watch the javelins and arrows fly: despite the courage of the Northern yeomen, it's clear they're not as skilled as your own men. You suppose that makes sense, after all they didn't have Robin to train them, but still they allow themselves to stray a little too close, clump up a little too much, and get in each other's way enough that some of the Imperial missiles find their mark. The troubadour does her best, and does manage to keep all of her followers in their saddles. However, even she takes a javelin to her side, preventing her retaliatory spells from doing more than singe the leader of the Imperials. Meanwhile, the heavy, well-made armor of the cavaliers stands off the arrows well enough, with only a few minor wounds to some of the horses that are quickly treated by vulnerary patches.

However, your allies' bravery serves its purpose, allowing you and the other Southerners to cross the river. For a moment, you consider turning to drive off the Imperial cavaliers. However, as you glance up at the siege equipment, you see that a few of the ballistae are being turned towards the ruins of the Library, where Ryza still stands, continuing to cover you with her lighting bolts. At this range, they'd have to get exceptionally lucky to hit her… but with the size of those bolts, they'd only have to get lucky once.

No, you'll clear out those siege engines first, then turn on the cavaliers if they decide to stand and fight.

"Forward!" you cry, digging your heels into Actaeon's sides and sending him towards the hill. The Imperial infantry scramble to meet you, soldiers locking shields and setting lances while archers draw their bows for a proper volley. As you raise your own bow and hear the creaking limbs from the yeomen behind you, you brace yourself for combat.


You almost feel sorry for the Imps.

Almost.

A pitiful volley of arrows flies from the top of the hill, gravity speeding them on their way as they descend towards you. One lucky one strikes your shoulder, but before you can even begin to process the pain it's wiped away by the Mend spell from the troubadour behind you. Gritting your teeth, you loose your own arrow, followed by the rest of your men. Your volley loses some of its momentum climbing the hill, but they still fall among the Imperials, forcing the soldiers to duck behind their shields.

As you swing half your yeomen right, Axton and Lancel lead theirs left to give the cavaliers a straight shot. Despite the slope, Phoebe and Count Sobieski accelerate their mounts, and as another volley of arrows tears into the Imperial's flanks, their morale shatters. The soldiers scramble for cover, some throwing down their weapons and trying to run away. However, they're ridden down a moment later, and the Southern cavalry burst into the siege camp.

Shooting one of the archers wrestling with a ballista, you point to the loaded weapon. "Shoot that into the camp, then break it!" you screech over the sound of screaming men, neighing horses, and twanging bows. "We can't hold this, but we can help Mistress Levinheart hold them back!"

Thankfully, even in the swirling melee, two of your yeomen hear and move to obey, swinging off their horses and re-sighting the immobile bow towards the Imperial main camp. While yeomen are not the best-trained when it comes to ballistae use, Robin makes sure that everyone has a least a passing understanding for situations like this.

Leaving them to their business, you watch as Phoebe spears a man trying to wield a massive sledgehammer with her new Silver Lance before drawing her sword and beginning to cut ropes on the massive trebuchet that had been rising to bombard Castle Starhelm. Meanwhile, Lancel pulls out a torch and starts striking a flint near it, ready to start setting things on fire so the Imperials have nothing to salvage once they get their act together and come to retake this hill.

On the other side, Axton and a few yeomen had surrounded a couple of carts that some of the engineers and laborers had taken cover under. "Come out!" the older yeoman shouted, aiming his drawn bow at them.

The Imperials cringe back, clearly expecting to be shot at any moment. You don't think that's going to happen. These men (and a few women) are unarmed and clearly not trained soldiers. However, just in case, you make your way over, ready to intervene if any of your soldiers start moving to take justice into their own hands. "If you come out now and do not resist," you say sharply, "then you will not be harmed." From what you know of Princess Alina, you don't think she's the kind of person who'll execute noncombatants. At least not without a good reason.

As the workers crawl out, whimpering and keeping their hands up, you leave them to Axton and the troubadour, turning to focus on the Imperial cavaliers. Thankfully, Count Sobieski had managed to keep most of the men under control, forming a loose picket line near the crown of the hill between you and the enemy rather than riding off after some of the Imperials who'd managed to escape the hill. The Imperials have pulled back a little from the river, letting the Northern wing of the cavalry attack lick their wounds.

For a moment, your eyes seem to meet the leader of the Imperial cavaliers. You can tell he's considering an attack: his men weathered the storm of skirmishing arrows well, and your numbers are close to each other. Without the barrier provided by the river, it'd be easier for his heavy shock cavalry to get close to your skirmishers.

However, the second he moves towards you, the yeomen across the river will come to your defense, and he can't survive a pincer attack, even from light cavalry. This is especially true since your yeomen won't rout as easily as the men who'd been up here: they'd probably been conscripted levies as opposed to the well-trained regulars of the Agrithian non-noble army. With a core of melee cavalry of your own, you'll hold him off long enough for the Northerners to flank him, no questions asked.

Meanwhile, he has no hope of immediate reinforcements: Ryza's Boltings continue to keep the Imperial camp diving for cover. You briefly see a new wyvern try to fly out of the camp, but a few more aimed bolts later it dives back into cover. No, there's only one choice for him to make. Raising his silver lance again, he rallies his men and turns north: there's plenty of space between them and the Divine Realm border to circle back around to the camp.

You consider going after them, to either defeat them utterly or at least make their lives miserable as they retreat. However, you can see that the speed of Boltings is slowing: Ryza probably can't keep up the bombardment for much longer. Besides, you still need to finish destroying the Imperial siege gear, get the prisoners across the river… you can't really afford to go galloping off seeking to win harder than you already have.

No matter how much as you want to.

The village has been cleared: you see Alejandro leading the infantry back towards the Library. All three pegasi are still in the sky, circling menacingly to dissuade the third wyvern rider from trying anything. By all accounts, this battle's over: it won't be long until one or more of your main forces arrives, then you'll see the Imperial raiders off for good.

"Count Sobieski!" you call. "I will escort the prisoners to Castle Starhelm and touch base with Princess Hornglade, can I rely on you to ensure that our forces make it here on time?" The older noble nods. For all that he still clearly thinks he'd be the better overall commander for this expedition, he wouldn't let personal grievances distract him in the face of the enemy. "Make sure Lord Rignali doesn't do anything foolishly brave. Axton, I'm leaving you in charge of the Agrithian force. Get them up here and support our allies, so we can see these invaders off before they do any more damage!"

"Yes, my lady," the veteran yeoman says. "What of Mistress Levinheart?"

You chuckle. "I'm sure Ryza will make her way to the castle herself, if for no other reason than my being there. If she does choose to go with you, then be sure to convey my gratitude to her for her excellent aid."

---

Ryza POV

You let out a slow breath as you watch as Artemis and her people make their way down the hill, leaving several bound people who you guess were Imperials working on setting up the siege machines, heading towards the ford where the Northern cavalry are waiting. Thankfully, even as you're forced to slow your casting as mental exhaustion starts taking hold, it seems the Imperials have decided that this battle is over and they're not going to try and keep fighting it. You can see a few groups starting to mass on the other side of the camp, but in your current state you're having a bit of trouble accurately targeting them…

'We did good, right?' dragon-you asks, your shared tiredness bringing an edge of worry to her mental voice.

'Yes, we did good,' you reassure yourself. You kept the Imperials from doing anything bad to Artemis and the others while they were clearing everything out. You've surely saved Starhelm. Everything's great.

Spreading your wings, you let your Yellow magic fade into the static-charged air and fly up to join Angela and the others. "Do you think it's over?" you ask.

She nods. "I think so," she says. "They've got another wyvern in there, the one you nearly shocked, and they'll probably have the one we wounded back up and about again. But I don't think they're going to be fool enough to try anything." Shading her eyes, she watches as most of the Southern cavalry split off from the Northerners and ride towards the bridge where the remnants of the first Imperial cavalry group, while the yeomen turned towards the castle. Meanwhile, Artemis and Phoebe join the Northerners in hustling their captives towards the castle.

"Let's go see what's going on," you say.

"Sounds good, kid," Angela says, whistling to rally Bucephila and Alexandra. "We're probably going to be heading back to the main army so we can kick the Imps out, but maybe something else's come up."

The four of you aren't assaulted as you fly towards Artemis. The new, bigger wyvern pokes up again, but as you turn and start casting they dive back into the camp, clearly not willing to try and fight you yet. You're slightly surprised that there aren't any Imperial mages trying to contest you: you remember reading that humans have siege tomes, so why aren't any of them here trying to hit you?

Maybe the Imperial mages are all still mad about what the Regent had tried to do to the Marble Hall? If so… well, that was a big help. Magic is super helpful, so if the Imperials won't have much of it, that should make this stupid war be over faster so you can get back to helping make the world better.

Gliding down, you hover next to Actaeon. "Hi, Artemis, are you okay?" you ask.

Your friend nods. "Yes, I'm fine," she says. "Our friends saw to that." Glancing over, you see the Northerners all staring at you as if they'd never seen anything or anyone like you.

'I mean, they haven't,' you think at yourself. That is true, isn't it? You'd hoped some of the news of you might have crept this far north, but it seems that's not the case. At least not to the point where Northern soldiers are comfortable with you on sight.

You probably shouldn't let your dragon out until they've settled down unless you have to. Dragon-you grumbles in irritation at this, but as annoyed as she is you can tell she knows deep down that you're right. She just won't admit it.

Bringing yourself back to the outside world, you smile at the nearest White mage. "Hello," you say. "I'm Ryza Levinheart. Thank you for helping Art- Lady Cartese out." As much as titles irritate you, you should use them around new people, so as not to make a bad impression.

Swallowing, the white-clad woman inclines her head. "Sun shine on you, Mistress Levinheart," she says, shifting her Mend staff in her hands. "Might I presume you are the mage who was providing Bolting support?"

You nod. "Yes, that was me," you say. "I'm glad I could help."

Artemis nods before looking at Angela. "Dame Angela, please aid my comrades in organizing and bringing our army into position," she says. "If there's a message that needs to be sent out from the castle, Ryza will be able to handle it."

The Whitewing nods. "Sure thing, my lady," she says. "See you on the other side." With that, she nudges her pegasus and gallops off before rising into the air. You watch carefully as the three Pegasus Knights fly away, just in case the wyverns try anything. However, they seem content to stay and organize their soldiers, as they don't poke their snouts out of the camp.

Landing on the back of Artemis's horse, you glance over at the cluster of bound Imperials being marched along, surrounded by men with bows pointing arrows at them. You frown as you realize that, unlike the wary surprise that the Northerners are throwing your way, most of the prisoners are staring at you in undisguised horror. Specifically, at your wings.

It seems that rumors of your nature have started creeping this far north, at least on the Imperial side.

"Don't," Artemis says softly. Looking up, you see her looking over her shoulder at you. "There's a time and a place to try and make friends, and this isn't one of them. They'll be imprisoned and interrogated to find out what they know about the wider Imperial invasion, so I don't think they'll be in the mood to discuss the fine distinctions between manakete and dragon nature."

You shrug. "Okay," you say. "So what now?"

Artemis nods towards Castle Starhelm. "We'll meet up with Princess Alina," she says. "And we'll see what kind of forces she has available to her. Then, we decide how exactly we're going to defend against the Imperials, because they'll be back. And in greater numbers."

Sighing, you suppose it was too much to hope that they'd realize this war was a bad idea once the Southern Kingdoms showed up and go home. "Alright," you say. "Anything in particular I can do to help?"

"Well, just being around as a flying siege caster's a huge boon. That and a deterrent to wyverns: in the north the Empire's used to having aerial supremacy. Hopefully, you'll be able to pick a few more of their wyvern riders off before they figure out just how big a threat you are to them."

Nodding, you look around, only to frown and shade your eyes. "Is that Belle and Kelton?" you ask, pointing towards the two figures jogging towards the castle from the village, followed by a few other figures. Those aren't soldiers…

"I think it is…" Artemis says. "Looks like they found some survivors in the village."

The White caster speaks up. "Praise the sun," she says. "Her Highness sent out the evacuation order as soon as we realized the danger that was approaching, but sadly there were some who couldn't or wouldn't make it to the castle in time. After all, we do not serve their ancestral lords, there were some who wouldn't listen to the Princess. When we saw the 'foragers,' we feared the worst." Whistling, the robed woman makes a few gestures, gathering a group of riders. "Do not worry, my lady, we'll escort them in."

"I'll go with you," you say quickly. "Those are my people who're leading them, I should make sure they're okay."

"Are they… like you?" the woman asks warily as you lift off from Actaeon's back.

You shake your head. "No, no, they're human," you say as you fly alongside her. "I'm a manakete, what humans have known as dragons, but I'm not like those old stories. I just want to help my friend and stop the Regent and his people from hurting anyone else."

"I see…" the woman says, frowning slightly. "Well, it is good that you are here, Mistress Levinheart. My name is Sister Selinda."

Cocking your head, you study her robes: they're not the same as the cloak you were given, and you don't see a ring on her finger. "It's nice to meet you, Selinda," you say. "Forgive me if this is weird or rude, but are you not from the Marble Hall?"

She shakes her head, a slight frown marring her face. "No, I'm not. While it is the largest magical school in the world, it is not the only one. The Corona Cathedral in the Divine City is where those who wish to dedicate themselves to Sol Invictus go to receive their training both in divine magic and scripture."

For a moment, you consider trying to discuss your idea that the First Mother and Sol Invictus are the same goddess, but before you can decide if this is the right time or place you reach Kelton and Belle. "Hey, Ryza," Kelton says cheerfully, waving with a shield that has a lot of bangs and dents in it. "Nice lightning work, good to see your practice paid off and you didn't hit anyone on our side."

"It's good to see you too," you say, calling up a coil of White magic to wipe away a few of the injuries you spot. "Is everyone okay? Elena? Lord Rignali?"

Belle nods. "Yes, everyone's fine," she says. "We got the drop on most of them, and the last group didn't put up much of a fight." She waves a dirty, slightly torn piece of parchment. "Kelton found something interesting on the leader of the group, and since there were a few villagers that needed to get to safety, Lord Flirt sent us over to deliver that to Lady Artemis and you." She gave a cheeky grin. "Also, there's another little something I think you'd be interested in," she continues, throwing a glance at Sister Selinda.

Before you can answer, the priestess speaks up. "You know divine magic?" she asks you, sounding surprised. "I had thought you an Animist."

"I know White magic, yes," you say. "Manakete can learn all colors, and being able to heal and help people is something I want to be good at. As for my beliefs, while I recognize and respect spirits-"

'And hope they can help us solve humanity's problems,' Dragon-you says dryly.

"-I venerate the First Mother," you continue without missing a beat. "She's a goddess of light and healing too, so we should get along."

Selinda frowns thoughtfully before glancing back towards the Imperial camp. "As fascinating as that sounds," she says. "And it sounds like you and I can have a nice discussion about theology, we should get moving. It seems that the invaders are nearly finished organizing."

Looking over, you flinch as you see two wyverns in the air and multiple squadrons of riders galloping about, far more than you could hope to fight. The wyvern you'd hurt before is in the sky again, so at least one talented White mage must still be working for the Regent. The other is the larger, particularly ill-tempered looking female you'd seen poking up and down a few times. Her rider is dressed in slightly more ornate armor; that must be the person in charge of the army!

Thankfully, despite the villagers walking with you, the Empire makes no move to try and attack you. Instead, they move to look around the ruins of the siege camp, meeting up with the cavaliers that had retreated, as well as sending a few groups to secure the ruins of the Library. Alejandro and his people had already ridden off on their horses, so there was no danger there. The wyverns occasionally start flying in your direction, but a quick crackle of Yellow magic into the sky is enough to dissuade them.

A few tense minutes later, you reach the castle. It's not as big as Castles Legerius and Agrithe, but it's still very impressive. Made of shining white bricks, it almost seems to glow a little in the sunlight. The gates are quickly swung open, allowing the lot of you in.

The courtyard of the castle is even more crowded than the ones at Agrithe and Legerius. Not only are there soldiers and horses, but there's a large number of village people, along with their own animals: sheep and goats and cows. The scent is overwhelming, but despite the pervasive scent of fear, you see hopeful looks being thrown around, and you're pleased to see that a few of those hopeful looks are sent in your direction. You smile and wave at anyone who looks at you, and while nobody reciprocates they don't cringe away fearfully either.

As the group begins to break up, with the yeomen pushing their horses towards the overcrowded stable and the villagers hurrying towards their fellows, another woman in the same outfit as Sister Selinda approaches, hugging her cloak around herself to hide the red stain on her side: she must be the other White mage from outside. "Mistress Levinheart," she says. "Her Highness and Lady Cartese are atop the wall and wish to speak to you as soon as you arrive."

You nod. "Alright, thank you," you say. "Are you alright?"

The priestess flushes slightly. "I am well, just got a little tangled up during the fight against the False Savior's men," she says. "But please, excuse me, there are people who need tending to." With that, she hurries off. Sister Selinda gives you a small bow before following her.

"Well, that was fun," Kelton says, looking around. "Never actually been forced into a siege environment before; worst we faced in Miau were some bandits we could handle with a bit of help."

"Be glad," Belle says darkly, hugging her cloak around herself. "And keep your wits about you; it doesn't look like the siege's gone on long enough for things to get truly desperate, but people might still make a grab for any valuable they see."

You shake your head. "Don't worry," you say. "Once we push the Empire back, everyone will be able to go home safely." For some reason, Belle and Kelton throw each other a look, but you're busy scanning the top of the walls, eventually spotting Artemis, Phoebe, and another woman pointing into the distance. "There they are," you say.

"Good luck getting through the scrum," Kelton says dryly. "But I guess we gotta go. Stick close; I'll push us a path."

You, however, have a different plan, born of the impatient insistence and cheeky pride currently swirling about in your draconic self. She isn't wrong, however. "Nah, I've got this," you say, spreading your wings. "See you up there." Then, before either of them can try to dissuade you, you give a big flap and fly up towards the wall. It's important that the Northern Kingdoms get used to you, since you're going to be helping them out. That way, they don't get surprised when you start flying or casting without a tome or other such things in the middle of a fight.

Plus, it's a chance to show off a little. You hear gasps and cries from below as you land on the wall and make your way over to Artemis.

Your friend grins wryly. "I remember a time when you were nervous to even say that you could see in the dark," she says.

Puffing up your cheeks, you frown at her. "That's not true! I was just following your advice not to stand out too much until we could talk to your father and figure out what to do."

"That's true, I suppose," Artemis says, before glancing back at a brownish-red haired woman with a white cloak stitched with sunbursts, holding her arm out to block the path of a man in big, heavy armor carrying a spear. "Princess Hornglade," Artemis says formally. "Might I present my friend, Ryza Levinheart, Head Mage of Agrithe."

You curtsy a little. "Hello," you say.

Princess Alina raises an eyebrow as she looks you up and down. "Well met, Mistress Levinheart," she says, inclining her head slightly. "Lady Cartese was just telling me a little about you, after your rather impressive display of siege magic. It is good to know that we will have expert magical support."

"Thank you," you say. "Apollo said you were really good too, and Sister Selinda and her friend also seem like they're pretty good, so there shouldn't be any problems with magical help."

The princess blinks before smiling dryly. "It's nice to be remembered fondly," she says. "So how are things at the Hall? I don't remember ever seeing you there, though it has been some time since I left."

You frown. "Things are okay," you say. "But the Regent was trying to kidnap all the Kingdom students. Archmage Stormspeaker and I were able to stop them, but when I left there were still a bunch of soldiers lurking outside…"

Alina jerks back as if struck. "I had known he was mad…" she said, her eyes narrowing furiously. "But I did not know his lust for power ran so deep…" She takes a long, slow breath. "It seems that I am further in your debt, Mistress Levinheart, both as a noblewoman and as a mage. I have friends there, who I doubt would have been treated well if captured."

"I was glad to help," you say. "There were a lot of nice people there, after all."

"That there are," Alina says. "That there are." There was a long silence before she continued. "Forgive me, Mistress Levinheart, if this is rude, but might I ask what you are? After all, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I had thought I would be youngest accredited mage for a good long while. And I've never seen anything like those wings…"

You shrug. "Well, you still are," you say. "I'm ninety-three, which means that in pure years you're still younger than I am. If we start talking relative ages, things get weird, but I'm happy to let you keep that title."

Alina blinks. Then she blinks again.

"Yeah, you never really get used to that revelation," Artemis says, looking over the wall towards the Empire. "As I told you, things are rarely as they seem when Ryza's involved."

Seeing that the princess is still stunned, you continue. "I'm a manakete," you say. "Humans would call me a dragon, but while she's an important part of me, she is only a part of me."

'Say hi to the princess for me!' dragon-you thinks cheerfully.

"…She says hi."

Swallowing, Alina closes her eyes for a second and takes a deep breath. "I had heard a few rumors about there being new information about dragons…" she says slowly. "But with everything else going on I didn't have time to look into it…" She looks to Artemis, who gives her a nod. "Very well. If Lady Cartese and Archmage Stormspeaker trust your judgement, then I shall trust you as well. Especially since you come to aid us in our time of need." She shakes her head. "Well, I guess that explains a lot of things…"

"Sorry for just dumping that on you," you say. "But I learned that humans don't expect manakete, so I have to be clear to avoid confusion or embarrassment."

Alina nods. "That makes sense," she says. "Well, setting that aside, we needs to decide what to do about these invaders. Lady Cartese has already told me that reinforcements are on the way, so we'll need to be ready to-" she stops, peering into the distance. "Wait…"

"I think you're right," Artemis says, pulling out a spyglass and looking through it. "It seems they figured out that there must be an army nearby, and they probably don't want to be cut off."

Shading your eyes, you stare at the Imperial camp. You'd expected some of the activity to taper off now that the fight's over, but if anything it's picked up, The cavalry are patrolling aggressively, having taken over most of the plain between the castle and the river, but they keep a respectful distance, especially as a few ballista are shot from towers towards them. You briefly consider beginning a Bolting cast, but they're moving around too erratically to be worth it.

Meanwhile, behind them, the camp seems to be being packed up, big draft horses being hitched to wagons as tents are pulled down. "They're leaving?" you ask.

"It seems so," Alina says. "It was clear this was a probing attack, designed to force a response, but they don't seem to have expected reinforcements from the south. At least not this quickly." She frowns thoughtfully. "But for what purpose…"

"Maybe the letter Kelton found will be able to tell us," you say, spotting your friends arguing with a pair of guards at the top of the stairs, clearly trying to get to you. "They're just over there."

Alina looks over before gesturing to a nearby archer. "See that those two are granted passage, they have useful intelligence," she says. The archer bows before hurrying over. A minute later, Kelton and Belle are ushered over, though you notice a few men lurking nearby, watching them.

It seems that, even though the North and South are allies, they're still a little wary of each other.

If your friends notice, they don't give any indication. "Ryza, your ladyships," Kelton says. Belle nods just enough to not be rude, but doesn't say anything as she wraps her cloak around herself. "So here's what I found. It got a little beat up, but I made sure the guy who had it didn't bleed on it too much."

"Thanks, Kelton," you say, taking the piece of parchment and handing it to Artemis, who hands it to Alina. The princess opens the note, studying it for a few seconds.

"Interesting…" she murmurs, glancing at the Imperials. "Those men were not just foraging for food and supplies, they were specifically ordered to work to capture people who have knowledge of the land, especially at and even beyond the border with the Divine Realm…"

You cock your head. "Why would they want that?" you ask.

"I don't know," Alina says thoughtfully. "But I intend to find out." She looks to Artemis. "Thanks to your efforts, we have some prisoners to interrogate. Would you join me?" Artemis nods. "Thank you. Captain," she looks to the armored man behind her. "See to the defenses. I don't expect the invaders to assault the walls, but if they do, inform myself and Lady Cartese at once."

"Yes, your Highness," the man says.

Meanwhile, you look up at Artemis. "What should I do?" you ask.

Your friend pats you on the shoulder, offering you her spyglass. "It'd probably be best if you stayed here," she says. "While I doubt Princess Hornglade will go with… the Mary method, shall we say, interrogations are never pleasant affairs. Besides, if the Imperials do try anything, you'll be instrumental in seeing them off.

You frown, but nod. "Okay," you say.

As Artemis and Alina leave, the soldiers surrounding the area drift to other parts of the wall, leaving you, Kelton and Belle alone. "Well, we're here," you say, unfolding the spyglass and peering towards the Imperials. Wow, it really does work, you can see everything! Including that cavalier making the middle-finger only gesture towards the castle... wait, you'd thought that was a friendly hand sign...

"Yep, we're here," Belle says, moving to your right side as Kelton stands on your left. "But now that we've got the noble busy-bodies away, there's something else I found that you might want to take a look at."

You start opening your mouth to tell her off for being rude to Artemis, but you're distracted by a glinting object she pulls from her cloak… one seemingly coated in magic. "What…" you say, slowly taking the shield-shaped object. You flinch as you see that some of the glinting comes from carefully-cut fragments of dragonstone, one of each of the five colors, as well as dusting that's surely more dragonstone… but the sheer magical power in such a small space means this is no simple runic structure…

"Voidspit…" Kelton says in awe. "Is that a bloody Knight Seal!?"

Belle smirks. "Yep," she says cheekily. "While you were off banging your chest and beating up goons, I found a nice kid who wanted us to use this to get revenge for his grandad. Apparently, his family'd had it for ages. The local nobles must not have known they had it, or they'd have stolen it or taxed it or just offered so much money for it the family couldn't refuse." She jerks her head. "That's why I didn't pull it out before: while Lady Cartese seems a good sort, she'd have argued for your right to it, I didn't want to test the new girl's temptation until I get a measure of her." She looks at Kelton. "From what I know, you can never fully tell with these things, but I think it might work for you."

As you hold it, feeling the flow of magic, you think Belle might be right. You can faintly sense tendrils of magic brushing towards Kelton with a… curious but slightly approving air. There are other tendrils drifting about, some towards the big knight near one of the ballista, organizing another volley at the Imperial cavalry. Another coil drifts towards Phoebe, following after Artemis, but that snaps as she gets too far away.

This object… for all that it was stolen from your people, just like every other magical item… if it helps end this war so you can make a better world afterwards… maybe you can bring yourself to give it to a trusted friend. Someone who knows what it cost to make it, who will respect the lives and sacrifices of the manakete whose stones went into it…

---

An hour later, the Imperials pull out of their camp and retreat down the road. An hour and a half after that, the first elements of the Southern army arrive, setting up camp in the remains of the Imperial camp (as the castle is still full to bursting.)

From there, Artemis, Alina, Alejandro, Count Sobieski and Sir Rimpler take over a tower office and begin making plans, organizing their soldiers, and sending out messages to other Northern troops in the surrounding kingdoms. You feel a little lost, but Artemis makes sure you're kept enough in the loop to not be completely confused. Still, you have enough free time to do something interesting.

What is the one major thing you do while plans are being made?

[] Talk with Sister Selinda about Sol Invictus and the Mother, to see if you can figure out what connection might exist between them.
[] Take a closer look at the Knight Seal Belle found. It's intensely magical, but there's more to it than that…
[] Try to spend some time with the leaders of this army you've found yourself a part of. You know Artemis well, of course, and you're an acquaintance of Alejandro Rignali, but you'd like to get to know Princess Alina, Count Sobieski and Sir Rimpler.
[] Spend some time with the other soldiers you know that came with Artemis. Elena still seems a little lonely, and you haven't had a lot of time to talk to Axton and Lancel and Phoebe recently. Plus, spending time with Kelton and Belle is always nice.
[] Write-in (subject to veto)

In the end, what role does Artemis (and you, by extension) end up taking in the immediate future of the war?

[] Launch a lightning raid into the Empire. You don't have the numbers to fight the armies gathering across the border head on, but Artemis talks about using cavalry and flying raids to hit supply lines and other vulnerable points to slow them down and weaken them for when the major clashes begin.
[] Set up a defensive position on the border. This means that, if the Empire returns, they'll have to do so in force rather than small raiding armies like the one you saw. As you've learned, big armies are slow, so if they have to move one you'll have more time to figure out what to do.
[] Scout the border of the Divine Realm. The letter Kelton found has you worried, even though most of the nobles dismiss it. Artemis is willing to back you, though, so she's taking a group of yeomen up to check it out, along with your friends. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it's something, but if nothing else you might get a chance to meet some Divine Realmers.