Medeus’ castle stood tall before Marth. It dwarfed the prince, and framed by the surrounding cliffs it only seemed to be all the more massive. Xemcel, a mage dragon allied with Medeus, had guarded the gates with a ferocity unmatched among all the foes they had faced, but while they had emerged from the bloody battle victorious…

“I’m sorry, my prince, but we weren’t able to recover the body.”

Malledus’ report drove a stake through Marth’s heart.

He had failed.

Tiki was dead, and with her, the Falchion was lost too.

He had given it to her to keep it safe but…

He had doomed them all, hadn’t he?

Why had he let her on the battlefield?

Why had he let her die?

Why had he—

“Marth, can you hear me?”

“Lord Gotoh!”

Marth spun around to face the projection Gotoh used to speak to him as it shimmered into existence.

“I know you intend to challenge Medeus, but you currently lack the strength to prevail.”

“Lord Gotoh… I failed to protect Tiki. She’s…”

He began to choke on his words, on his own thoughts.

It was like trying to shove a dictionary through a keyhole.

And the moment the first page of regrets broke through, even more followed, forcing their way out of him like water flowing from a burst dam.

He had let a child in his care die. He had lost the Falchion. He had—

“Marth.”

He had come this far, just to doom them all. He had betrayed Tiki’s trust, and in doing so, he had betrayed Bantu. He-

“Marth!”

Gotoh’s shout brought Marth back to his senses.

“Not all is lost, Marth. There remains another who can aid you in your fight, but they exist in a land far removed from our own. I will have to send you there myself, and in doing so, my magic will be too drained to help you in your fight. Select a handful of your best warriors, and I will transport you to the tower where they reside.”

“Thank you, Lord Gotoh.”

Marth called Malledus over and told him to make arrangements for a few of their allies to prepare to move out. There was a somber atmosphere as they gradually rallied around Marth and Gotoh, and as they waited for everyone to gather, Gotoh began to speak to Marth again.

“Regarding Tiki…”

Marth’s throat twisted into a knot again.

“There may still be hope. There exists a stave that can resurrect the fallen; legend says that it rests here in Dolhr. While you are climbing the tower, I will remain here in Dolhr and seek it out. I cannot make any promises, but…”

Gotoh closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and reopened them, looking to Marth with an intensity -gentle as it may be- Marth had never seen from the sage.

“I will do what I can, as should you.”

“Thank you, Lord Gotoh… I—”

Marth was nearly going to launch into another fit of self-loathing and blame, but caught himself. Each minute he wasted was a minute where Medeus grew stronger, another minute where Tiki’s death became increasingly meaningless.

Perhaps someone in his army had already found the stave Lord Gotoh spoke of, but it shouldn’t be— no, it couldn’t be their primary concern right now.

He had one more thing to do.

He had one last chance, and he had to make it count.

Marth did a quick headcount.

“I believe we are ready, Lord Gotoh.”

“Very well. I wish you the best of luck as you move forward, Marth. That you had made it this far without losing anyone had been a miracle in and of itself, but I believe in your ability to invoke those miracles in the face of insurmountable odds.”

A blinding flash of light consumed Marth and the detachment he had selected to accompany him.

When they next opened their eyes, they’d find themselves in an unfamiliar land in the shadow of an unfamiliar tower, facing unfamiliar enemies to reach an unknown ally. They didn’t know what trials they’d face upon their arrival, but whatever awaited them, they’d face it with the same resolve that brought them there.

 

---

 

Afterword

I wrote this for the OST-inspired zine Scores of Heroes. This piece is based off of the track "After the Battle" from Shadow Dragon, as well as some of Shadow Dragon's more...unique design decisions.