So. Sorry that this chapter is coming out so late. My best friend crashed on my bed because of some rest after a literal eighteen hour sexy time with his girlfriend. And you know what he had crawling all over him? Bedbugs. I don't even know how he didn't feel the bedbugs but I had to get my dorm room gassed to kill them all. What a fun week am I right? That was sarcasm. I had to get rid of my bed because there was so many of them crawling all over it. I now have to sleep on my other friend's couch now. The couch is just metal bars with some rock hard cushions covering it. My back is going to be in so much pain until I get a new mattress. Plus I am being forced to write on my other friend's laptop because my computer couldn't move out of my dorm room. It's a computer I got as a hand me down from my dad. It's the size of a desk in high school. I wish I was kidding. At least I get amazing frames when I play video games. But I guess you guys don't want to hear about my week so I'll shut up now. Enjoy the cancer you so dearly missed. Or not.
Chapter Ten: Scourge
I am so tired… I really am… The Shepherds have been forced to do double time to bring the Exalt to safety. Apparently safety is the eastern palace that could have a similar situation like Ylisstol. But I don't really care. I want to go to bed. For the past twenty four hours I had to deal with assassins, a candy obsessed Thief, a taguel, Frederick having a panic attack over collecting so many rocks on the Shepherd's path, and the lingering pain from that blow I got from that refugee. I'm pretty sure I collapsed several miles back and I am currently riding with Stahl. He also looks pretty tired. But not as tired as me though. That's why he is controlling the horse.
But I guess it could be worse. From what I heard from Jack; the Exalt could have been killed if Marth didn't warn them in time. Also Marth is a time traveler and/or sage that can see into the future. But I won't complain. Better being tired with the Exalt alive then being sad with the Exalt dead. I'm pretty sure almost everyone would rather be tired then sad. At least you can get over being tired faster than sadness. I think. I'll have to check later. If we even get there!
Yep. It's already noon inside this dusty canyon, that is apparently the quickest way to the eastern palace, and we aren't even halfway there! I honestly think it's that guy Chrom and Exalt brought along. Apparently he is the Hierarch, the guy who is basically the chancellor of all of Ylisse. He help Emmeryn in her early days of running the nation. But for such an important man, he sure likes to delay and look suspicious. Like he waiting for someone. He sold us out didn't he?
Suddenly, Plegian soldiers come out of caves dug into the canyon's walls and Wyvern Riders appear over the peaks. The Shepherds race around to get into battle position and I see the Hierarch rushing into the enemy line. He totally sold us out. He makes all the way into the enemy force's center until he is stopped by a Wyvern Rider. After a few tense words, the Wyvern Rider's wyvern bites the Hierarch's head off before eating the rest of him. Looks like his plans to survive this war are dead. But now we got to deal with these clowns.
"Ho there! Ylisseans! Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and spare yourselves a gory end!" the Wyvern Rider shouts out at Chrom. He has no idea who he is messing with. Which a good thing because we can beat this man black and blue. Or kill him. Probably both at the same time.
Chrom simply draws Falchion and says to Phila, "Phila, take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll fend off these blackguards!" Chrom ain't playing games now! Time to kick some ass! Yeah… I can't feel my legs.
"Hey Donny; can you get Aiden off of my horse? I don't think he is good enough to fight." Stahl says, glancing at me with concern. I can fight! I just need help, that's all. I think.
"Sure. Now come on here Aiden. Nice an' easy like." Donny says to me, picking me from Stahl's horse and carrying me to the back where the Exalt and Phila is. Donny has gotten a lot stronger than I thought he be. I guess those years of farming must'va helped him out. I try to struggle but I'm just so tired and my head is killing me! I'm sounding like a brat aren't I? Gods fucking damnit I was taught to never complain! Except I am only allowed to complain if you half mean it or something is so worrying that you need to speak about it. That's what my mother taught me before she died of the bloody cough. Gods preserve you mom.
I am placed by the Exalt; sitting on a rock near the Exalt while Phila patrols the area on her Pegasus. Me, The Exalt, and a few Shepherds either too tired to fight or are protecting the Exalt remained out of the battle to get some of our strength back and to protect the Exalt. Which isn't really a problem seeing how Phila is here. I bet you are wondering why I don't need to worry. Well it's pretty simple. Phila is a Pegasus Knight that has the title of both advisor and leader of the Exalt's head guard. Only badasses can really do that. I think. I'm pretty sure she is a badass. I guess I'll have to find out- Hey! I see an enemy coming to kill the Exalt now!
A lone Mercenary rushes toward the Exalt but is stopped when Phila lands in front of him. Oh that poor Mercenary. He is going to get wrecked. Phila twirls her silver lance around and stabs at the Mercenary. The Mercenary dodges the strike and grabs part of the silver lance. He then pulls the lance out of Phila's hands and stabs it into her Pegasus's leg; making the beast buckle and throw off Phila. So maybe Phila is having an off-day, so what? Even badasses have non badass days.
The Mercenary stands over Phila and raises his blade to kill her. I scramble to stand and draw my blade but a literal green blade of wind flies past me. The wind blade cuts the Mercenary half and the blows his corpse back a few feet. I wish I was kidding about that. A visible, green gust of air that was shaped like a crescent blade cut a Mercenary in half when it hit him at the waist area and then blew the pieces a few feet away from us. Magic is a scary yet amazing thing. Apparently that magic wind was from little boy Ricken who fell asleep two hours after we began marching. Also child soldier but hey at least we get to pay him in cookies! I shouldn't say that; Ricken might cut me in half with magic.
I sit back down, dropping my father's sword to my side. Once the Shepherds are finished with these Plegians, we will be back on the march. I wonder if I can fake being tired so I can bum a ride with Stahl. I continue to watch the fight, seeing Phila run to Chrom and the Robins after this Pegasus Knight flew over the canyon walls. The Knight is a very pretty woman wearing border patrol armor- Wait. If she is wearing border patrol armor and is flying towards the Shepherds like demons are chasing after her; does that mean… Oh no… The border fell. Plegian armies are now in Ylissean land. This is so not good. Plus the battle cries that are coming from behind me.
I stand and look to find six Plegian Fighters and Soldiers come charging. They flanked us from behind! Those clever motherfuckers! The two frontrunners of the Plegian force, a Fighter and a Soldier, rush Emmeryn; the Fighter jumping to land a critical blow on the Exalt. I push the Exalt out of the way and slash the Fighter as he comes down to the earth. I cleave his head in two and move out of the way of the rest of the flying corpse. After I dodge the corpse, I jump back to prevent myself of getting impaled by the Soldier's steel spear. I see Vaike, who was with the wounded due to spraining his ankle and getting an axe to the side, come charging at the Soldier. Vaike knocks the Soldier's spear away and slammed his axe into the Plegian chestplate. The chestplate instantly collapses in and Vaike finishes off the Soldier via decapitation. I've also noticed that the Shepherds enjoy cutting off our enemies heads. Anyone else notice that?
Ricken pushes past us and blasts the next Plegian, a Soldier, with some more wind magic, killing him. I see a Fighter rush Ricken; delivering a smarting blow across Ricken's face, knocking him into the dirt. I charge into the fray and block the Fighter's next blow. I push the Fighter back and lean to side, Ricken's wind magic blasting past me and killing the Fighter. Vaike disposes of a Soldier creeping up behind me with a few axe blows to the chest and I take out the final Fighter with a sword through the heart. We face off against the final Plegian, a Soldier, and do a maneuver that the Robins trained a bit into us. It's called a "Triangle Attack." Let's test it out on some live subjects, shall we?
Vaike comes in and chops the Soldier's spear in half before pushing the Soldier back. I come in and deliver a combo to the Soldier with Vaike dealing his own combo behind the Soldier. After that; I jump behind the Soldier and me and Vaike kick the Soldier forward towards Ricken who is casting his wind magic in a way that it mimics the Dark magic spell Nosferatu. I throw my sword up into the air and leap on Vaike's shoulder before jumping for the blade. I grab the blade and look down to see Ricken finish with the Soldier and use his magic to push the Soldier underneath me. I roll into a ball and fly down at the Soldier and say, "I will break you!" I slam into the Soldier, cutting through him and landing on the other side. Vaike rushes the Soldier saying, ""You want some?!" Vaike then cut the Soldier in half, his axe cutting through bone and flesh. Before the Soldier fell apart, Ricken charged forward and shouted, "Die!" Ricken casted a the Nosferatu wind mimic again and cut through the enemy, making him into multiple pieces.
After that, the Soldier literally turned into mush and fell to the ground where he stood. I wipe my forehead of sweat and smiled at Ricken and Vaike who were doing little victory poses. That Triangle Attack was fucking fantastic! I want to do another one! But with different people. I wonder what others would be like? Anyway, the other Shepherds were finishing cleaning up the rest of the Plegian soldiers. Their commander was mortally wounded but still alive so he was brought forth to the Exalt while Chrom and Phila talked with the border Pegasus Knight apparently named Cordelia.
The Plegian commander, covered in blood and his right arm cut off, chuckled and said with his dying breath, "You doves think...killing me will change anything? Heh... Even now, my brothers storm across your precious border... Go on, dear exalted coward! Run! Flee while they slaughter your subjects! Save yourself... Let their faith in you...bleed away...with the rest…" After the commander gave his last breath, the Exalt turned and marched over to Phila.
"I must return to the capital." Emmeryn says, looking at Phila with a steel resolve.
Phila turns to the Exalt, worry all over her face, and says, "Your Grace, I cannot advise-"
"I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light... The people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die." The Exalt took something covered in a bundle of cloth and handed it to Chrom. "Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you." Chrom unwrapped the bundle to show The Fire Emblem. One of the most sacred treasures in the world. The cause of this war between Plegia and Ylisse. Why the Mad King is so mad.
"The Fire Emblem?" Chrom says, looking at it with wonder and a hint of fear.
"Take it to Ferox-to safety." Oh dear. The Exalt is going back.
"And leave you? No, Emm." Chrom looks pretty worried. Damaging to moral. Just what we needed.
"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me." Well the Exalt has a point. The Fire Emblem has been fought over for centuries after the death of the Hero King. Plus it's the reason why Ylisse is in war right now. Even the greatest gifts bring out the worst in men.
"Emm, come on. You can't... Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up…" She isn't giving up though. I've worked under people like the Exalt. They would give their lives so others and their duty might survive. They were good people.
"She's not giving up, Chrom. She is only giving what she can. There isn't really much we can do now. Unless we all kill ourselves," I say.
Chrom turns to me for a split second and says, "No! There has to be a way!" He then turned back to Emmeryn, terror and silent pleading all over his face."Emm, please! This is madness!"
Lissa runs up, starting to cry, and says, "Sis, wait! Let me go with you!"
The Exalt looks at Lissa and says in a voice full of command, "Stay with Chrom, Lissa. I command it."
"This isn't fair! It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"
The Exalt wipes the tears running down Lissa's cheeks and says, "Dry your tears, love. This is not good-bye." She's lying. This almost always means goodbye. I should know. I lost five mercenary captains that way.
Phila came forward, riding her limping Pegasus, and said, "Your Grace, the pegasus knights will accompany you to Ylisstol."
"Very well, Phila. Thank you."
Frederick then came forward and bowed to the Exalt, saying "I will keep the prince and princess safe, Your Grace. You have my word."
"I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."
"It is my honor." I think Frederick is about to cry. I also think I'm about to cry. Fucking onions that Stahl keep eating!
"Come, Phila. We must go." As the Exalt walked towards Phila, Chrom rushed forward and grabbed the Exalt's arm.
"No! You don't have to go! This is absurd!" Chrom shouted at her.
Emmeryn, taken back a bit, says, "Chrom, you don't-"
"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone! Ylisse needs you. WE need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"
The Exalt simply smiled and pulled Chrom into a hug, saying to him, "I love you, Chrom. Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek... You cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry—I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."
Chrom hugs her back and says, "This is a terrible plan."
Emmeryn let go of Chrom and walked to Phila and mounted the Pegasus. Before she left, she said, "The blood of the first exalt flows strong in us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa." Phila and the Exalt flew up with a few other Pegasus Knights. Chrom simply raised his hand as if to grab Emmeryn out of the air. After the Exalt and her honor guard disappeared from sight; the Shepherds marched to the Ferox capital, Chorm spacing out and acting very depressed. After we arrived to the capital, all the Shepherds rested before we got news.
Ylisstol has fallen, and the Exalt to be publicly executed within the moon. Chrom, after getting punched in the face by Sumia and a talk with the Robins, ordered the Shepherds to double time it to the Plegian capital. We are going to save the Exalt.
So. There it is. Hopefully this will hold you guys over until my room is done. There was a lot of bedbugs in there for some reason. I'm not even a dirty person and they somehow made my dorm room their little empire. But thank god that the cleaner guys manage to get my computer out of their so I can play video games in that glorious 60fps. Now go and read some better fanfiction instead of this cancer. Bye.