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Part 14: Infinite Light, Insurmountable Dark.

● Just as the sun began to rise, Embla had sensed it. She pooked at her darkened sky and knew it wouldn't remain that way for long. The sunrise was overtaken by a much brighter light, piercing through the dark like an arrow. Blue aether, shinning and shimmering, as if it is pushing away the darkness of the sky. It wasparting ways to reveal a gate, and the silhouette of a man. Askr has arrived.

● Embla smiled, finally, she would end him once and for all. But she quickly lost her smile when other shadows revealed themselves. It was two of his blasted children, Eikþyrnir and Hræsvelgr. She recalls Elm complaining about being thoroughly thrashed by Eikþyrnir.

Well, what an opportunity for Askr's children to witness the death of their father first hand before joining him.

● She barked at a guard to go and alert Leitizia to start the execution process. Askr would be busy dealing with her to go do something about the execution, but she didn't count on the Healing Hands arriving too.

She considered calling Elm, he should be a good distraction for them. But decided again it. That incompetent boy would just get in her way.

🦇 : :Well, well, well, look who decided to grace us with his radiant presence. You sure took your time! Tell me, how is my realm treating you? Any burning or stinging? Perhaps, a weakness in the limbs?

🐮 : "Enough, Embla! Look around you! The realm is dying, the people are suffering, and you take unreasonable glee in all the harm you've wrought! You must stop at once, there is still a chance to end this now"

🦇 : "Oh, it will end, with you at my feet begging for your life!"

🦅: " I advice to watch your tone, Goddess! You will not speak to father in such manner."

🦇: "Aww, you've brought your children along? Can't leave them alone lest you lose them like you did Kiran. Don't worry children! You might not known each other in life, but you will do so in death."

🦅: "You arrogant w-!"

🦌: "Enough, don't let her get to you"

🐮: "he is right, Hræsvelgr. This between me and her. You two stay back, I will end this here and now"

● Askr and Embla began floating in the sky, each side are surrounded by light and dark clashing in the center. The two gods faced one another and stood still for a minute.

Tension filled the air and the silence was broken by the distant sounds of fighting. Embla frowned, it seems the Order had made it move, as much as she would've enjoyed killing Askr and savoring every moment she would have to expedite the battle. Leitizia's loyal and capable but she is full of herself and the Order will make short work of her, thus she will have to deal with them personally.

● Her thoughts were interrupted by Askr, he had a hard look but his eyes softned towards her, he asks a question.

🐮: "Do you remember, the first time we met? At the World-Tree? You were just the most precious little thing, you hid in the shade and wouldn't come out no matter how much Freyr and I called for you."

🐮: " I took it upon myself to include you, we used to play all the time at the roots with Freyr, Freya, Nifl and Muspell. We were just younglings, not gods just yet."

🦇: "..."

🐮: "in those halcyon days, We played and laughed together. Whenever Muspell and Freya bothered and teased you about leaving you in the dark parts of the roots, you would cry and come to me and I would chase them away. One day, I made you a promise"

🦇 : "...You promised would never leave me behind, that you will always be at my side"

🐮 : " I meant every word of it, and I tried to be there for you, I really did"

🦇 : " But you weren't! When I needed you most you didn't take my side! Instead you sided with those filthy mortals! They tried to kill me and you absolved them!"

Askr clenches his staff, anger is apparent in his face.

🐮: " I did no such thing! I condemn the actions taken by the mortals that day! But I completely understand why they felt they had no choice but to do so! You neglected them, Embla! You left them with famine and plague when it was your responsibility to care for them! But you shut your self away in you temple and left them to rot"

Embla starts shaking with rage

🦇: " Are you saying I should've let them take my life, that it was their right to take their woes out on me when I've done nothing?!"

🐮: " I'm saying you should've taken responsibility, you should've done your duty and cared for this domain and its people. Now you've not just brought even more harm to them but you've involved my domain, and my family with it"

🦇: " You're talking about your precious little firstborn? The one who's currently sitting in my dungeons, awaiting execution?"

Embla has a crazed a look on her face

🦇: " It doesn't matter! It's futile! You will fall here Askr! And your children will follow you! Enough talk! Die!"

The battle begins

Askr is on a time limit and wants to end the fight fast so he will brute force it at first. Embla is faster so she will be able to dodge some of his attack, and catching him off balance but he retaliates with enough strength to send her reeling so she keeps her distance.

Realizing that brute force isn't cutting it, Askr will attack at range to lure her to close the gap to him. Embla falls for the trap thinking she found an opening only receive a powerful beam the moment she's close.

She barely survives it and has to play it safe, Askr needs to hit her with it again but now she knows its coming. What's worse is that the resistance potion he took is wearing off faster the more he uses his power, so now he has one singular shot.

She is injured and he's running low

Embla growls and charges at him, she refuses to fall here! Askr is ready for her and tosses the staff aside.

They exchange punches and kicks, moving faster than Eikþyrnir and Hræsvelgr can follow. It only lasts a minute before Askr catches her and traps her in a bone crushing hug. The Halo above his head spins faster and faster, Embla panics and knows what's coming next.

🐮: " You have left me no other choice, this is the only way! it ends here and now!"

🦇: " Have you gone mad?! Think of your family! You'll kill us both!"

🐮: " Not us, just you!"

The spinning reaches its pinncle and the charge is complete.

Askr screams with everything he's got as he channles his divine power to smite Embla with enough force to shatter the very earth.

The sky cracks open as divine lighting strikes them, both screaming their lungs out in great pain. Fire and fury, thunder and lightning fill the skies and strikes all around them. Eikþyrnir and Hræsvelgr attempt to shield themselves only to see Elm coming and attemptting to intervene but he's too far for Hræsvelgr to fly to him.

Eikþyrnir suggests he throws her at him and she agrees.

Elm comes running to his mistress after sensing Askr's power growing exponentially in a short amount of time. He see his lady Embla getting smited and tries to intervene only for Hræsvelgr to literally smack him like a missile out of the sky.

Once the screaming ceased the sky calmed down the two Healing Hands turn to see their father and Embla in a crater, both unconscious.

They rush to his aid, Askr is on death's door and so is Embla. They quickly tend to Askr and get him another one of Nidhoggr's potions along with a strong vulnerary. Elm recorved just enough to come running as well, Hræsvelgr has tossed him quite the distance but he made it back to witness his lady Embla's battered body struggling to breath.

Embla was dying. She knew this was it. There was nothing to be done here. To think, despite the darkness empowering her, Askr still managed to win. She barely opens her eye to see that boy Elm fretting over her, she turns her head and witnesses Askr's two children caring for him. The boy holding him and the girl administrating medicine and tending to his wounds.

How unfair , she thinks.

Askr is so clearly loved. What did he do to gain such love? Why him? Why is it always him and not her? How come no one looked at her the same way? All she wanted was someone who looked at her like that. So Why? Why? WHY?

Embla her body shaking, it was Elm. The boy was crying, begging her to stay at his side, his tears fall on her face and she barely feels it.

She takes a good look at him, this boy has been nothing but a nuisance. Annoying, loud, bratty, and barely accomplishes anything.

She would yell and punish him at slightest provocation, and yet here he was, crying over her with such despair as if he cannot survive without her.

Underneath it however there is something else, other than undivide devotion. He cares for her, not out of duty, but out of...love?

Ah, this must it.

Embla feels the pull, her soul is leaving her body. As her vision fades and world grows dull, her last sight is of Elm.

Has Elm always looked at her like that?

A last breath taken, and everything has gone silent.

Moments afterwards, Askr wakes from unconsciousness. Eikþyrnir holds him and Hræsvelgr tending to his wounds, his children are frazzled, greatly concerned at his terrible state.

Who would've thought that channeling his own divine power with enough force to smite gods would hurt this much? Not him that's who.

He tells them he's alright now but they don't buy it, and they're correct considered how heavy his limbs feel and how difficult it is to stay awake.

He turns to see Embla's retainer Elm crying over her. She must have passed, he thinks.

Askr absolutely loaths how it came to this, how wishes to turn back time and make things right. But those are nothing but regrets, the past has passed, and dead are gone.

Askr is tries to stand and Eikþyrnir helps him and half carries him. It never occurred to him till now how little he weighs to his own son, his boy is indeed very strong!

Hræsvelgr is telling him to return to world tree so she can tend to him better. She treated what she can on the field but he needs to leave the dark domain to heal properly. She is always so diligent and caring!

He smiles so fondly at them, his children have grown capable and dependable. Perhaps its the flutters of near death speaking, but he wants nothing more than to go home and be with his family. Even though he and Lærader aren't exaclty on the best of terms, he would love to be in his arms again. This has been exhausting.

Unfortunately it will have to wait, now that Askr has dealt with Embla her influence should start fading away from the afflicted royals. However there is a small of sending them to a berserk state while the influence leaves them.

Hopefully the Order can subdue them and administer the fruits, speaking of, Askr wonders how is Heidurn's search going? He hopes she managed to find another one, it would be terrible if they only manage to save one royal after all this.

As Eikþyrnir guides out of the crater he takes one last look and Embla's corpse and Elm still crying for her. He feels awful for the boy, no matter how terrible Embla has been she was the only family he had, he wants to speak with Elm but Hræsvelgr urges him not to. Askr is not in a state to talk to anyone especially since Elm will likely retaliate, since he is Embla's killer.

With a heavy sigh he agrees, but he fully intends to speak with him eventually. The boy is left without purpose and a master and he would need help.

As the 3 members of the family exit the crater the roots of the World-Tree reaches out to them. Lærader isn't here physically, but the roots act on his behalf, he must have observed the fight from Askr's domain.

The roots intend to return them to the safety of the World-Tree but Askr refuses. He know Lærader is watching and tells him to take them to the Order's maim camp instead. Hræsvelgr and Eikþyrnir protest that he is in no condition to keep fighting Askr insist he wants to be there when the Order defeats Leitizia and rescue Bruno.

The God of Openness insists that he has to see this through. as takes one last glance behind.

Soon, the Order will take the castle and eveything would over. But most importantly, he gets to finally see Kiran again. He would not in the World-Tree while on his children are fighting on the front line.

Askr could tell that Lærader is hesitating, the branches seem unsure of what to do.

Askr narrowed his eyes and his harsh tone leaves even his children unsettled.

🐮: " You will take me to see them. You owe me this much"

In all their years they've never seen their father Askr like this.

The roots falter before seemingly agreeing and preparing to take the trio to the Order's main camp.

The day is half done, and when the sun sets a brand new day will begin.

The end is fast approaching.

I keep thinking about my Divine!Kiran au that I talked to @rosymaraschino about and I can't sleep.

● Askr and Lærder are married, Kiran, the would be summoner, is the first child they had. They were a happy little family for a while, then Baldr appeared.

● Alfador claims that Kiran would to become the biggest threat the nine realms has ever seen and so Baldr was dispatched to 'deal' with them.

● Askr and Lærder ain't having none of that but can't do anything against Baldr and an order from Alfador, Baldr is actually conflicted about following through with her orders. On one hand, Alfador's visions always come true, on the other hand, Kiran is just a baby.

● Askr gets the idea of sending Kiran away, Lærder is against this at first but relents once he hears him out.

● There is a world that is incredibly difficult to open a gate to, and even more difficult to find. It is called the World of Steel.

● The World of Steel is so isolated from all other worlds that it doesn't even have magic. And extension, Alfador or anyone from the nine realms can't reach it.

● Askr argued that if Kiran were to be sent to the World of Steel, the child would effectively be banshied from the nine realms and therefore cannot be a threat to them.

● Baldr considers this, but asks if they're alright with sending their child away, never to see them again. Lærder yells at her of course they're not alright but what choice do they have? Going against Alfador is suicide.

● Askr and Baldr set out to secure the gate to the World of Steel, once thats done Lærder then follows with Kiran in hand.

● The two divine gods say a tearful farewell to their first child, before sending him through the portal and praying that they lead a good life.

● Baldr reports back to Alfador that now that Kiran is banished, there is no need to worry about the threat they will pose in the future.

● Alfador seems to agree at first, however, when Baldr leaves it's clear that he wants the child dead anyways. With the World of Steel out of his reach there is little he can do about.

Askr and Lærder later had more children (Ash+the Healing Hand) but never told them about Kiran, their abrupt loss is a wound that never healed.

#fire emblem heroes #fire emblem #feh kiran #feh askr #feh Lærder #feh embla #Divine!Kiran AU #feh Lærader

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