An Assassination Attempt

The Shepherds returned to Ylisstol before splitting ways.

"Would you care for dinner?" Shane asked.

They had their dinner that they promised, not knowing a few people were watching them.

"I still don't know why you want to watch them Lissa." Maribelle whispered.

"I think they might like each other." Lissa explained.

"They're friends, of course they like each other." Vaike whispered.

"Ignoramus. She means romantically." Miriel explained.

"Oh."

"Hey, they're leaving." Maribelle said, causing them to quickly look in their direction to see them walk away from each other, smiling.

"Aw man, nothing romantic happened." Lissa complained.

None of the four knowing that they missed the hugs they gave before leaving.

"Max, I'm home." He called out.

He got no reply back, causing him to worry again. He found an envelope with a G and a note on the table.

In case you came back again, I'll be in Westtown for a few days, starting from the 23rd to meet up with some friends. -Max.

That calmed him down due to that only being yesterday before looking at the letter before pocketing it in his bag.

"I should check on Emmeryn." Shane then headed to the palace and entered the courtyard and found Robin and Chrom.

"-brutal campaign, ending only with his death 15 years ago. Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people. As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse. I was young, but I remember those dark times. ...I know how they affected Emmeryn." Chrom recounted.

'Must have been talking about his father's war.'

"I cannot claim to know how she does it, Robin. I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people 'forgave' her? ...She never resented them for it. She represents the best of the halidom—the part most worth protecting. She IS peace. But some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him. ...So perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."

"Maybe you'll make a fine royal yet, Chrom." Shane spoke up, alerting them to him. "Wouldn't you say so, Marth?" Shane noticed him coming in their direction.

"Indeed."

"How did you get here?" Chrom asked.

"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove." Marth explained.

"There? But how would you...? Ugh." Chrom groaned.

"You know the place, Chrom?" Robin asked.

"Yes. I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. It's only a small hole, and I'd thought it well concealed, but…"

"Your secret is safe with me. I come here only to warn you." Marth stated, getting their serious attention.

"Warn us of what?" Shane asked.

"The Exalt's life is in danger."

"How do you know and how are they going to attack." Shane demanded before Chrom could say anything, shocking everyone.

"You believe me just like that?"

"I want to know how you know but from the fight in the Ferox Arena, I could tell you don't make jokes too often." Shane explained.

"Right on the nose." Another person spoke up, surprising Chrom and Robin.

"Hello Ike." Shane looked over his shoulders.

"Man, I can't sneak up on you can I?" He asked.

"You're much too young to think you can." Shane said.

"Back to the Exalt's life being in danger." Chrom urged.

"What if I told you I had seen the future? A future where Emmeryn is killed? Tonight." Marth asked.

"Seen the future? Have you lost your wits?" Chrom asked. Shane, though not as harshly, agreed. Time travel is usually seen in fairytales.

"Yes, I expected you wouldn't believe me. So I'll prove it to you." Marth then led them a certain way before turning around to them. "I'm about to save your life." Shane's danger sense started going off. "From him."

Right on cue, an assassin burst out from a bush. Marth threw her blade upwards and jumped over the assassin before slashing at their back, killing them.

"I trust this will act as proof?" Marth asked.

"Yeah." Chrom muttered.

Suddenly two assassins darted out from the bushes and charged Marth and Ike.

"Look out!" Chrom and Shane exclaimed.

The assassins slashed at them while they, Marth and Ike, backed up, causing the blades to hit only their masks.

Chrom quickly slashed the assassin while Shane threw Pyro into the assassin's head, killing him instantly.

Shane turned around and saw Ike and Marth's face.

Marth's hair fell down and revealed long blue hair and a feminine face and Ike's looked slightly more feminine but still male.

"You're-You're a woman!" Chrom asked shocked, which showed on his and Robin's faces.

"And quite the actress too. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't find out sooner." Marth told them, using her natural voice.

Their conversation ended as an explosion sounded in the palace. Everyone ran into the palace.

They arrived to see everyone else ready to fight around Emmeryn's door.

"Alright. These Assassins should scatter if we defeat their leader." Robin said, getting nods. "Marth, Ike, Frederick, and Lissa. You four stay near Emmeryn to act in case they manage to slip past those who go forward. Vaike, Sully, Stahl, Sumia, and Miriel. You 5 push forwards from the left. Chrom, Shane, and I will push from the right."

Shane drew Pyro and his white tome, preparing to fight.

"Let's finish this Shepherds!" Chrom exclaimed.

Everyone did their assigned role before Shane saw someone approach from behind.

"Halt! Who are you?" Shane asked.

"That's Panne." Marth explained.

"Friend or foe."

"Friend." Ike answered.

Shane frowned. "One of you will watch her." He then hurried to catch up to Robin and Chrom.

He arrived to see them talking to someone.

"Who's he?"

"Gaius, a self-proclaimed lover of sweets. He originally was their way in due to his skills in lockpicking but thought they were just taking treasure, not executing the Exalt." Robin explained.

Shane nodded. "I'll go ahead. Propero." He then blurred from their visions.

"I have got to have him teach me that." Robin said.

Shane slashed a Dark Mage before backflipping over a Thunder before opening his green tome. "Wind!" His wind blades shot outwards, killing two Thieves, a Fighter, and a Dark Mage.

Shane ran forwards before finding himself outside and saw 9 enemies.

"Perlustro." Shane used his own magic as it scanned them.

[4 Cavaliers-no threat to user. 2 Fighters-no threat to the user. 2 Dark Mages-no threat to the user. Validar-minor annoyance to user.]

Shane blinked. 'Validar. Where have I heard that name before?' He shook his head. 'No time for that.' "Continui: Wind!"

9 blades of wind shot forwards, quickly tearing through the Cavaliers, Fighters, and Dark mages.

But not Validar.

It hit and caused him to cry out in pain, but stay alive.

That surprised him. He hadn't fought someone who actually required a spell stronger than wind in decades.

"Ahh! This was supposed to be easy! You will pay for interfering!" Validar declared. "Elfire!"

Shane rolled as a pillar of fire blasted upwards from under him. He stood back up and dusted himself off. "You impressed me. You're the first one in a while to need more than Wind to finish you off. So I'll let you choose a color. Red, Green, Yellow, or White."

Validar growled. "If it amuses you child, I'll pick yellow. Now die!" He casted Elfire once more.

Shane jumped back and pulled out his yellow tome. "Now, one or two?"

"Two! What is wrong with you child?! Are you mental?!" He exclaimed, casting Elfire again.

The Shepherds had just cleared out the Assassins and came outside to the scene of Shane and Validar.

"Oooh bad choice." Shane said before magic circles surrounded him with electricity before shooting into the sky.

"What is he doing?" Chrom muttered before turning to Robin. "Do you recognize that spell?"

"No. Do you Miriel?" Robin asked.

"An electric current that bounced around him before traveling into the clouds. I've read that description before but I don't remember what." Miriel grumbled, not liking that she didn't remember.

"See ya, Validar. Mjolnir!" Shane exclaimed, causing Miriel's eyes to widen.

"Everyone get back!" She exclaimed before everyone jumped backwards as the sky started lighting up in anger.

Validar looked upwards in shock. "Impossible. How could you...have known...our plan?" before a giant lightning bolt shot down from the sky and slammed on his position, creating a crater and a giant amount of dust.

The dust settled, revealing a heavily burned Validar who had died the moment of impact.

Shane closed his tome. "You guys go make sure Emmeryn is alright while I make sure there's no assassins left." Shane then vanished.

A few minutes later, Shane appeared outside Emmeryn's door where everyone had decided to be and check if everyone was alright. He opened the door to hear the end of someone's sentence.

"It was man-spawns like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people."

He saw it was Panne who said such a thing.

"Ah, you must be a Taguel then." Shane spoke up, getting their attention.

"What of it man-spawn?" She growled.

"It was an awful event 15 years ago. I heard a group of bandits, hunters, and slavers attacked the Taguel's warren. When I arrived, already most of the warren was destroyed or burning. I managed to find those said people but when I did, they already killed all the people they captured. So I returned the favor to them. I assumed everyone had died. I can't imagine how that felt to a young child." Shane told.

Panne smelt him, trying to sense any lies, only to find something else.

"You speak the truth man-spawn, but your scent smells ancient. Why is that?"

"A story for another day. But I'll have to ask you to take back your statement about the Exalt. If there is any 'man-spawn' that is an exception, it's her." Shane then turned towards Chrom and Robin. "Since everything is fine, I need to tell you this. I'll be unavailable for the next week."

"Why?" Chrom asked.

Shane clenched his hands, unknowingly crushing the now-opened letter from the envelope with a G.

"I need to retrieve something. I'm just informing you of this. See ya." Shane then disappeared.

Shane reappeared on his house's roof, snarling.

"I don't know what you have against me, but you've made a grave mistake Grimleals. Subvolo." Shane blasted through the air as the letter he clenched floated through the air.

Shane, Ylisse's Assassin, we know who you are and what you have to lose. We have taken the boy and the wolf. If we see you help the Shepherds after the end of the night you receive this, they both will be executed. If you want them back safe and sound, come to the Plegian Desert of Vacuo.

-Grimleals