Prince Nayoko of Valla

Xander pried Gunter out of Kass' arms and laid him down. "Kass, stay strong. Stay strong for me. This fight isn't over yet."

The black smoke that had poured from Gunter swarmed around the stone mask behind the throne. Kass watched it blankly.

"We've been through so much, Kass!" I called, slowly standing up. "So many people have died before us, but you have always been the first to keep on fighting. You're our fire and fury! We need you to put your all into defeating Anankos now -- for Gunter."

Kass looked down at the lifeless body of our trainer again. I didn't. He may have hated me for what I'd done to her, but I had too many fond memories of him to stay strong if I saw what he had become.

Something sparked in Kass' eyes, and she raised her sword. "I will kill you for this, Anankos!"

The black smoke shot into the mask. The stone face cracked.

"Kaiya, Prince Xander!" Ryoma yelled. "Look out!"

Xander pulled Kass back across the room. They moved out of the way just as the stone fell where they had been standing.

Anankos emerged in his true form...a dragon.

He was so large that he exploded through the ceiling, tearing it apart as he unfurled his wings. He was black with spikes all the way across his face and neck, and he was holding an orb in his mouth. Three eyes formed in it and looked at us. Each one was the size of my head.

"This is impossible!" Takumi said. "We couldn't even defeat that on a good day. We'll never win when we're like this!"

"Have we truly failed?" Azura whispered.

Kass clenched her hands around her sword. "No! We can't give up now!"

"This is our destiny," I said. "And we have the Fire Emblem on our side. You saw what it did when I wanted to protect you. Anankos had no power against it. If I can somehow summon that force field again, we'll be able to advance."

"But how can we attack him?" Leo asked. Sakura had woken up now and was sitting beside him. "Some of us are too injured to even walk."

"You should know the answer to that, Brother," I said. "We'll adjust our formation. Xander, you can only use one arm. Give your mare to Takumi. Lead him forwards so that he doesn't have to walk, and then he can fire from her back. That frees up yours and Ryoma's good arms for fighting. Sakura, try to find the strength to heal Hinoka. Once she's awake, she and Camilla can remount. Leo can remount, Kass can remount. Azura, can you stand?"

I offered her my hand and managed to pull her upright. Behind us, Kaze and Semyaza were also getting up. Jakob was helping Kass to remount, and then he got on again himself. Xander got off his horse, and Felicia helped Takumi to get on. Leo and Sakura stood up, and Leo remounted. Sakura went to work on Hinoka. So did Elise.

But we didn't have time for everyone else to be healed. The dragon lowered his head and growled at us.

"Anankos," I said. "You've been toying with us for far too long."

"Why is it wrong to manipulate humans?" he asked in his echoing voice. "Your race is weak. You exist solely for the amusement of your betters -- dragons! So answer me, Nayoko, saviour of the world! Why am I the one left to suffer? Why am I the one left to die? Why do humans flourish while I am buried here, ignored and forgotten? Tell me why!"

He reared up and roared, releasing another bout of magic. I raised the Fire Emblem. "I will not allow you to hurt anyone else!"

The magic hurtled towards us. Nothing sprung from my sword. Elise cried out in fear.

At the last moment, the force field formed. The magic crackled and dissolved against it, and I glanced over my shoulder. "Advance!"

We marched forwards in our new formation, and the force field moved with us. When we were close enough to the dragon, I yelled, "Attack at will!"

And we did, our anger and vengeance raining down upon the monster as if we wielded a thousand blades. Kass attacked with ferocity, seeking vengeance for Gunter. Xander and Ryoma fought on either side of her. Camilla and Hinoka supported each another, and behind them, Takumi and Leo fired.

I brought my sword down on the dragon's scales, and the force field fell.

Anankos drew away from me with a roar, his claws sweeping through the air. As we scrambled to duck, he caught Kaze across the head in a heavy blow. My ninja crumpled to the floor.

"Kaze?" I stepped across the room to help him, drawn by instincts and nothing else. He was knocked out cold, blood seeping from his forehead, and I suddenly wondered if he was even alive or dead.

"Silas!"

I spun on my heel just in time to see Kass' retainer being hurled across the room. Before I could blink, Anankos' tail had joined his claws, and Takumi was knocked from his horse.

"No!" Realising my mistake, I tried to raise the Fire Emblem.

But the dragon was already releasing another ball of magic from his jaws.

Everyone dived to the floor. Anankos' tail came around again before I could fall, sweeping me off my feet. My back slammed against the ground, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

Then the magic hit.

Purple light drowned me with the sensation of a hundred stabbing knives. I roared in anguish and tried to lift my arm again, but the spell was too heavy, and the pain too great. Blood and bile rose in my throat.

When the light faded, the world span. Not many of my allies managed to get back up again. Kass, Xander, Ryoma, Camilla, Sakura, Azura, Semyaza. Anankos' magic had found its targets in the others, rendering them unconscious.

At least, I hoped that was all it had done.

Still dizzy, I tried to rise, but I couldn't breathe. Anankos rounded on me, his eyes gleaming.

"No!" Camilla spurred her wyvern into the air and flung her axe. It skimmed the dragon's head, taking a chunk of flesh with it.

Anankos spun like lightning, his claws hitting Camilla's wyvern. They flew across the room together like a swatted fly; careening towards the wall at a speed I knew would be fatal.

"Camilla!" I cried.

Golden light shot out of the Fire Emblem and spun towards them, wrapping around dragon and rider like a shield. They hit the wall softly and tumbled to the ground, where another force field awaited them. Camilla slipped off her wyvern, her knees giving out. Anankos had torn her shoulder to smithereens.

The magic span back towards me, and I watched it with relief and fascination. It had saved my sister.

Then I felt a wrench in my gut, and I realised that in my weakened state, it had come at a price. Blood welled at the back of my throat again, and I coughed. Red droplets splattered against the floor.

"Nayoko!" Semyaza crouched down at my side. "Oh gods, Nayoko..."

My lungs were so irritated; my throat so raw. I couldn't stop hacking, and I felt more blood surge up between my lips.

"Look at me!" Semyaza grabbed my shoulders. "Stop that! You've got to stop -- you can't give in..."

I looked up at her. And I saw Anankos looking at us.

The strike of his tail was like the crack of a whip. Semyaza screamed as it connected with her bicep. I heard the bone snap; crunch. She slammed into my chest.

Anankos reared up to strike, and my breath suddenly came back in a big whoosh.

"Semyaza!" I pushed myself onto my knees, raising my arm above us both.

But a silver blur flew past us and laid into Anankos with its own claws, ripping the dragon's flesh. Xander and Ryoma flanked Kass, slamming their swords into its scales.

Anankos jerked back and hissed. "My, my, what a small dragon you are. Do you really think you can do proper damage to me?"

He sucked in a deep breath, dark magic glowing between his jaws.

Azura raised her pendant.

You are the ocean's grey waves

Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach

Anankos roared and swiped out, catching Azura by the neck. She gasped for breath, raising her hands to pry him free, but he held her firmly. She struggled against him, turning blue.

It was like watching the beginning of our journey all over again.

I hadn't come this far to see my allies die.

Lunging forwards on my last breath, I plunged the Fire Emblem into the dragon's flank. Then I crumpled to the floor, defeated.

Anankos screamed and dropped Azura, leaping into the air as if he'd been burned by hot coals.

Golden light exploded out of the Fire Emblem, and I shied back. I couldn't get away fast enough. It hit me in the gut and sank into my skin. Wheezing for breath, I fell onto all fours and let go of the sword.

The same magic swept across the throne room, touching each of my allies. For a moment, I was afraid of what I'd done.

Then I saw unconscious bodies start to move.

I'd told the Fire Emblem that I didn't want us to die. It had obeyed my order.

Leo sat up; Kaze rolled over with a groan. Hinoka stirred again, and Camilla managed to get to her feet. Silas, Elise, Takumi, Felicia...they all began to stand.

Semyaza moaned softly behind me, and I turned around to see her sitting up. She winced when she moved her arm, but she managed to take up her sword. I offered her my hand.

She took it, and I hauled her against me, raising the Fire Emblem in the air. The force field sprung to life.

"Sing, Azura!" I cried.

My Vallite cousin straightened up and held her head high.

You are the ocean's grey waves

Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach

Yet the waters ever change

Flowing like time

The path is yours to climb

Anankos staggered as if he'd been shot.

"Attack at will!" I yelled.

My allies rained down on him again, renewed by the anger that had come from their suffering. All the while, I kept the Fire Emblem raised. I knew now, as if the sword was telling me itself, that it was not the opening blow I needed to deal. It was the last. It had always been the last.

Xander and Ryoma fought as one, protecting Kass while she renewed her furious efforts in dragon form. Takumi and Leo fired relentlessly from either side of our formation. Camilla and Hinoka flew at the dragon together, a lethal missile he couldn't miss. Sakura and Elise moved between us, healing who they could as we fought.

Semyaza stayed at my side. I felt somehow that if I let go of her, I would lose my strength.

When we had almost hacked Anankos apart; when red rivers flowed down his scales; when his wings had given out; I lowered my sword. The force field fell.

Anankos reared back, trying with the last of his strength to build up another round of magic. Even when we had wounded him like this, I felt certain that another attack would kill us.

So I struck before he could, praying that the Fire Emblem would finally be the end of it all.

He screamed as the blade touched his skin. His scales steamed, his flesh parted, and the black smoke that was his essence flowed out. His body crashed to the floor.

And then, so slowly that I almost couldn't believe my eyes, the Silent Dragon disintegrated.