Chapter 20: Act 3 Finale- Extended; Searching for Kjelle
The Shepherds marched onwards, their spirits lifted after successfully recruiting Brady. The morning sun cast long shadows as they followed the reports of a female knight whose description had caused Sully to raise an eyebrow and mutter something about "definitely my kid."
Libra noticed the occasional glances thrown his way by the other Shepherds, particularly when discussion turned to the blonde priest also reportedly in the area. The war monk maintained his serene composure, though a slight flush colored his cheeks at the implications.
Lucina walked beside Odyn, her steps becoming increasingly hesitant as they drew closer to their destination. Finally, she tugged gently at her husband's sleeve, drawing him slightly away from the main group.
"Odyn," she began, her voice low enough for only his pointed ears to catch, "there's something I should probably warn you about regarding Kjelle..."
The dark elf raised an eyebrow, his orange eyes meeting hers with curiosity. "Your friend from the future? The one who apparently takes after Sully in combat prowess?"
Lucina couldn't help but fidget with Falchion's hilt – a nervous habit she'd developed. "Yes, well... you see, in our timeline, she was rather... protective. Of me. Extremely protective, actually."
"How protective are we talking about?" Odyn asked, his blue hair catching the morning light as he tilted his head.
"Let's just say she once challenged Inigo to a duel to the death for asking me to tea," Lucina replied with a grimace. "Father had to intervene. And that was just Inigo being... well, Inigo."
Understanding dawned in Odyn's orange eyes, followed quickly by amusement. "And now you're worried about how she'll react to finding out you're married to me?"
"To be honest, I'm more worried about how she'll react to you," Lucina admitted. "Kjelle takes her self-appointed role as my guardian very... very seriously. In our timeline, you were one of our most trusted allies, but this timeline's version of you is technically a stranger to her and..."
A few paces ahead, Sully's voice carried back to them: "If this kid really is mine, you'd better be ready for one hell of a training session, Libra! No child of mine is going to have a father who can't keep up!"
Libra's calm voice replied, "Perhaps we should confirm her identity before planning training regimens?"
"Oh gods," Lucina muttered, watching Odyn's amused expression. "Promise me you'll dodge first and ask questions later if she charges at you with a lance?"
"Should I be concerned that you immediately jumped to 'when' rather than 'if'?" Odyn asked, though his smile suggested he was taking the warning in stride.
"VERY concerned," Lucina emphasized, though she couldn't help but smile at her husband's relaxed attitude. "Just... try to remember that underneath all the threatening and potential death challenges, she's actually one of my dearest friends."
"And here I thought winning your father's approval was the hard part," Odyn chuckled softly, his orange eyes twinkling. "Though I suppose having Aunt Sybyrh as his wife did help smooth that particular path."
"Father's approval was nothing compared to what Kjelle considers a 'proper vetting process' for anyone who gets close to me," Lucina sighed, then added with a hint of mischief, "Though I must admit, I'm rather looking forward to seeing how you handle this. You did say married life with me wouldn't be boring."
"Careful, love," Odyn smirked, "or I might think you're enjoying the prospect of watching your friend try to skewer your husband."
"Would it help if I promised to heal you afterward?" Lucina offered innocently.
"Your compassion is overwhelming," Odyn replied dryly, though he couldn't hide his smile. "Though perhaps we should focus on finding her first before planning my medical care?"
Ahead of them, the Shepherds continued their march, blissfully unaware of the potential storm brewing in their future – not from Walhart's forces, but from one very protective knight about to discover her princess's marital status.
The atmosphere shifted suddenly as they approached the clearing. Odyn's orange eyes narrowed, his pointed ears twitching at an unseen disturbance. The dark elf's body tensed, recognizing the familiar crawling sensation across his skin – the unmistakable presence of daemonic energy.
A malevolent chuckle echoed through the air, drawing their attention to where a young woman in heavy armor – unmistakably Kjelle – stood in a defensive stance. The daemon materialized from the shadows, its form a twisted mockery of humanoid shape, darkness incarnate with gleaming crimson eyes.
"Kjelle!" Sully called out, already spurring her horse forward, but Odyn's voice cut through the air like steel.
"Stay back!" he commanded, his usual calm demeanor transformed by urgent authority. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, positioning himself between the daemon and the others. "This is no ordinary foe."
The daemon's attention shifted to Odyn, its twisted features contorting into a cruel smile. "Ah... a child of dragons. How... delicious."
"Odyn, wait—" Lucina started, but fell silent as she recognized the look in her husband's eyes. She knew what was coming.
The dragon's crest on Odyn's forehead began to glow with an intense blue light, his hair whipping around his face as power surged through him. The very air seemed to crackle with energy as his draconic heritage awakened.
"By the ancient pact," Odyn's voice resonated with power, his orange eyes blazing like twin suns, "I call upon the dragon's blood that flows within!"
The transformation was stunning to behold. Ethereal scales materialized along his arms and face, gleaming with an otherworldly iridescence. His muscles tensed as draconic power coursed through his veins, the ground beneath his feet cracking from the sheer force of the energy he was channeling.
"What in the gods' names..." Kjelle breathed, momentarily forgetting her own predicament as she witnessed Odyn's transformation.
The daemon launched forward with frightening speed, but Odyn met it halfway. The collision sent shockwaves through the clearing, forcing the others to brace themselves. Dark elf and daemon engaged in a deadly dance, moving faster than the human eye could track.
"I've never seen anything like this," Libra murmured, his usual calm demeanor betraying awe as he watched Odyn channel raw draconic power into devastating magical attacks.
Sully whistled low. "Damn, Lucina. Your husband's been holding out on us during training."
The battle intensified as Odyn and the daemon traded blows that shook the earth. The dark elf's movements were fluid yet powerful, each strike enhanced by his activated dragon's crest. Where the daemon's claws met Odyn's magically reinforced defense, sparks of blue energy crackled against darkness.
"So this is the power you spoke of," Brady muttered to Lucina, remembering her earlier stories of their timeline's Odyn. "The dragon's blood..."
Owain, for once, was speechless, his usual theatrical proclamations silenced by genuine awe. Even Severa's typically sharp tongue was still as they watched the display of power before them.
The daemon snarled in frustration as Odyn countered another of its attacks. "Your kind should have died out ages ago!"
"And yet," Odyn's voice carried the resonance of his activated power, "here I stand." His next movement was almost too fast to follow – a combination of dark elven grace and draconic might. Magic coursed through his body as he struck, his hand wreathed in blue flame that bore the distinct pattern of dragon scales.
The final clash lit up the entire clearing. Odyn's draconic power met the daemon's darkness in a spectacular collision of energies. For a moment, everything seemed to hang in perfect stillness, then—
The daemon's form began to disintegrate, its essence unraveling under the pure power of Odyn's dragon-enhanced magic. "Impossible..." it hissed as it faded away. "The blood of dragons still flows so strong..."
As the daemon vanished completely, Odyn's transformation began to recede. The ethereal scales faded, though his orange eyes still gleamed with residual power. He took a steady breath, his composed demeanor returning even as small arcs of energy still coursed over his skin.
The clearing was dead silent for a moment before Kjelle found her voice. "So..." she said, looking between Lucina and Odyn with wide eyes, "when were you planning to tell me about..." she gestured vaguely at the still-smoking battlefield, "...all of this?"
Lucina couldn't help but smile slightly. "Would you believe me if I said this wasn't even what I was most nervous about telling you?"
Odyn, still slightly glowing from residual draconic power, turned to face what he knew would be his next challenge – convincing his wife's overprotective friend that he was worthy of Lucina. Somehow, he suspected the daemon might have been the easier opponent.
Kjelle's Reaction
Still breathing heavily from her close encounter with the daemon, Kjelle listened as Lucina stepped forward to explain, her princess's hand intertwined with the dark elf who had just displayed such tremendous power.
"Kjelle," Lucina began carefully, "I know this might come as a shock, but... Odyn and I are married in this timeline."
Kjelle's reaction was a masterpiece of conflicting emotions playing across her face. Her mouth opened, closed, opened again, then snapped shut as she visibly struggled to process this information. The usually composed knight looked like she was experiencing all five stages of grief simultaneously.
"You're... married," Kjelle said slowly, pointing between them. "To Odyn." Her armor clinked as she shifted her weight, looking like she might need to sit down. "Our Odyn. Well, not our Odyn, but... THIS Odyn."
"Yes," Lucina confirmed, fighting to keep a straight face at her friend's bewilderment.
"The same Odyn who taught us combat tactics in the future," Kjelle continued, her voice rising slightly. "The same Odyn who was practically everyone's mentor. THAT Odyn."
Sully, watching from nearby, elbowed Libra gently. "Our future daughter seems to be having a minor crisis," she whispered with a grin.
"But... but..." Kjelle sputtered, her composure completely forgotten. "He's... and you're... and..." She whirled on Odyn, who was still cooling down from his dragon crest activation. "Did you court her properly? Was there a formal declaration? What are your intentions with my- with the princess?!"
"By the gods," Brady muttered, "she's gone full Frederick."
"I think it's sweet," Sumia whispered to Frederick, who was watching the scene with what might have been pride at Kjelle's protective instincts.
Lucina tried to intervene. "Kjelle, remember how you told me in the future that I needed to find happiness despite our circumstances?"
"Yes, but I didn't mean- I wasn't suggesting-" Kjelle gestured wildly at Odyn. "He was our TEACHER!"
"Different timeline," Odyn reminded her gently, his orange eyes twinkling with amusement. "I haven't taught anyone yet in this one."
"That's... that's not the point!" Kjelle insisted, though she was clearly struggling to articulate exactly what the point was. She turned back to Lucina. "Does Lord Chrom know about this?"
"My father," Lucina said with dignity, though her lips twitched, "was actually quite supportive. Aunt Sybyrh helped smooth things over."
"Of course she did," Kjelle mumbled, then straightened suddenly. "Wait. Does this make you my instructor-in-law now?"
This caused several of the Shepherds to lose their battle with holding in their laughter. Even Severa was snickering behind her hand.
"I... need to sit down," Kjelle declared, actually doing so despite her heavy armor. "This is too much. First the daemon, then the dragon power display, and now..." She looked up at Lucina accusingly. "You couldn't have warned me about this before I came back in time?"
"To be fair," Lucina offered, "I didn't know it would happen either."
"Right," Kjelle nodded absently, then jumped up again. "But what about the proper courtship protocols? The traditional challenges? The ceremonial combat trials?" She reached for her lance. "Should we do those now? Better late than never!"
"Kjelle, no," Lucina said firmly, though she was finally losing her battle with laughter.
"Kjelle, yes!" Owain called out helpfully from the background, earning a sharp look from both Lucina and Kjelle.
Odyn, who had been watching this entire exchange with remarkable patience, finally spoke up. "If it would put your mind at ease, Kjelle, I would be happy to demonstrate my worthiness through whatever trials you deem appropriate." He paused, then added with a slight smile, "Though perhaps after we've all had a chance to rest and recover from the daemon attack?"
Kjelle pointed her lance at him. "Don't think you can win me over with that reasonable and measured response... even if it is exactly what our Odyn would have said." She narrowed her eyes. "This is going to take some getting used to."
"Would it help if I promised to continue the tradition of teaching you new combat techniques?" Odyn offered.
"Don't try to bribe me with combat training..." Kjelle paused. "Although... what was that dragon crest technique you used earlier?"
"And there she goes," Sully laughed. "Definitely my kid."
Lucina squeezed Odyn's hand, whispering, "I think that went rather well, don't you?"
"Nobody's been challenged to a duel to the death yet," Odyn whispered back. "I'd call that a success."
"Yet being the operative word," Lucina reminded him with a smile. "The day's still young."
"I heard that!" Kjelle called out, still pointing her lance in their general direction. "And we WILL be discussing proper courtship protocols... right after you teach me how to do that thing with the dragon scales."
The rest of the Shepherds watched this exchange with varying degrees of amusement, all silently grateful for this moment of levity after the intense battle. Though none failed to notice that Kjelle kept her lance pointed in Odyn's direction for the rest of the conversation, even while asking about combat training – some habits, it seemed, died hard.
Odyn's Revelation
The levity of the moment faded as Odyn's expression grew serious, his orange eyes taking on a distant look that both Lucina and Kjelle recognized from their timeline's version of him – the expression he wore when discussing matters of grave importance.
"What you witnessed," Odyn began, his voice carrying the weight of ancient knowledge, "wasn't just magic. The power I wield, this Dragon's Crest," he touched the mark on his forehead, "is a birthright of my people, passed down through generations of dark elves who made pacts with dragons in ages past."
Kjelle settled into a more attentive stance, her earlier confusion about Lucina's marriage temporarily set aside. The other Shepherds drew closer, even Sully and Libra moving forward to hear the explanation.
"Our ancestors," Odyn continued, his blue hair stirring in the evening breeze, "formed these pacts not for power or glory, but out of necessity. They faced an enemy that threatened not just their lands, but the very fabric of existence itself." His orange eyes met Lucina's, who nodded encouragingly.
"The Daemons," Lucina added softly, her hand finding Odyn's. "The very creature you just encountered, Kjelle, is part of a force far more ancient and terrible than even Grima."
Kjelle's eyes widened. "More terrible than Grima? But in our future..."
"In your future," Odyn explained, "these beings were still largely sealed away, their influence limited to scattered manifestations. But now..." He paused, his expression grim. "The seals are weakening faster than they did in your timeline. Their presence grows stronger with each passing day."
"The dragon blood that flows through Odyn's veins," Lucina continued, "and the power it grants through the Crest, is one of the few forces capable of truly combating them. It's why the pacts were formed in the first place."
"My aunt Sybyrh and cousin Roy share this power," Odyn added. "We are among the few remaining dark elves who still carry the strongest manifestation of these ancient pacts. The dragon's blood in our veins reacts to daemonic presence, allowing us to sense them... and fight them effectively."
"In our timeline," Lucina explained to Kjelle, "Odyn and his family were crucial in helping us fight not only Grima but also these darker forces that sought to take advantage of the chaos Grima created. But here..."
"Here, they're not waiting for Grima," Odyn finished. "Their influence grows stronger, more direct. What you witnessed today wasn't a random encounter – they're becoming bold enough to attack in broad daylight."
Kjelle absorbed this information, her tactical mind already working through the implications. "So we're not just fighting to prevent Grima's return anymore. We're fighting a war on two fronts."
"Three, actually," Lucina corrected grimly. "Don't forget about Walhart and his conquest."
"Well," Kjelle said after a moment, her grip tightening on her lance, "I suppose I should be grateful that my princess married someone with ancient dragon powers, even if it's still weird to think about." She turned to Odyn with a serious expression. "I assume you'll be teaching the rest of us how to fight these daemons effectively?"
"Already planning the training regimens," Odyn confirmed with a slight smile. "Though I should warn you – they'll make your future timeline's training sessions seem gentle by comparison."
"Good," Kjelle stated firmly, though a hint of her earlier protectiveness surfaced as she added, "But don't think this means you're completely off the hook about marrying Lucina without going through the proper ceremonial challenges first."
"Kjelle..." Lucina sighed, though she was smiling.
"What? I'm just saying," Kjelle defended, "if he's going to be teaching us to fight ancient evil beings, he can certainly spare some time to properly demonstrate his worthiness as your husband. For traditional purposes, of course."
"Of course," Odyn replied dryly, though his orange eyes twinkled with amusement despite the serious nature of their previous discussion. "Though perhaps we should focus on preparing everyone for the battles ahead first?"
"Fine," Kjelle conceded. "But this conversation isn't over." She paused, then added with a hint of her mother Sully's directness, "Also, I expect to be taught that dragon scale technique as soon as possible. For purely tactical reasons, obviously."
"Obviously," Lucina echoed, sharing a knowing look with her husband.
The weight of their revelations hung in the air, tempering the earlier lighthearted mood with the gravity of the challenges that lay ahead. Yet there was also strength in the bonds they shared, both old and new, and in the knowledge that they faced these threats together.
To be continued in Chapter 21: Act 4- Discovery of a dragon; Roy's... Future daughter?