Chapter Nine: Landfall
Five days at sea had given me plenty of time to think, if little else. I'd gotten used to the perpetual motion of a sailing ship, though I still rather doubted I'd ever be entirely comfortable on one. It was a feeling I recognized from times when my mother had let me ride her Pegasus; flying and sailing were both interesting experiences, but in the end I was happiest with my feet firmly on the ground.
The voyage was much more enjoyable now that I had the freedom to hang around on the deck rather than being consigned to the hold. The Valmese flagship we had commandeered, which from reading the captain's log had been pretentiously named "Invincible", now belonged to the Shepherds. We'd been the ones to capture it, after all, and Basilio and Flavia had expressed no interest in the massive warship. A naming contest via popular vote had followed, and our new ship had been rechristened "Liberty".
It was much larger than the borrowed Plegian ships. Standing on the upper deck, I could survey our entire fleet from one spot. Even after the sacrifice of half of our ships there was still something awe inspiring in looking about and seeing proud wooden vessels packed with men in every direction.
In the final analysis, less than twenty Valmese ships had escaped the inferno. Several of these hadn't fled far before we'd caught them, deploying our Pegasus Knights to harass the fleeing enemy before taking them down. Perhaps a dozen had actually gotten away from us, but they were scattered and posed little threat to us. I rather doubted any of the remaining crews would be prepared to fight us again after what had happened the last time.
Thus we had traded three hundred ships for nearly eight hundred, as well as the Valmese army that had been aboard. I'm not sure Destin's plan could have worked any better. The way the Valmese had arranged themselves, their panic at the sight of the flaming ships, even the wind – it seemed to me as though fate itself had conspired to grant us our victory.
Whatever the case, we now sailed unimpeded towards the continent of Valm. According to the navigation charts we would be making landfall later in the day, and then the real war would begin. The intent of our first strike would be to capture Valm Harbor to use as a base of operations. From there we would assess the situation before making any further moves. Despite Virion and Cherche's information, there was still a great deal we didn't know about the state of the Valmese Empire and its subjects.
Among the few things I'd remembered of the Valmese war from my time were scattered references to a resistance of some kind. Given the brutality of Walhart's rule, it only made sense that some would fight for their freedom. Dutifully, I had passed this on to Destin. I was certain he would find some way to make use of it.
Perhaps that was what he was doing that very moment. He stood at the bow of the ship looking straight ahead. The wind whipped his hair and coat about in a rather dramatic fashion. He spoke briefly to anyone who approached him, but even Chrom seemed to realize he wasn't interested in conversation.
"Makes quite a sight, doesn't he?" A soft voice said from behind me. I whirled to find that my mother had somehow snuck up on me. She had a slight smile on her face, and walked up to stand beside me.
"Err… yes, I suppose," I said. "Just wondering what he's thinking about. If there's anyone in this entire army I can't figure out, it's Destin."
"He is a rather enigmatic sort, isn't he?" Sumia said. "We still have no idea where he came from or who he was before Chrom found him lying in that field. If he knows, he's certainly not telling."
"I believe him when he claims he doesn't remember anything. It's just unnerving that he never seems to show any real emotion. I've never once seem him get angry. Have you?"
To my surprise, my mother paled slightly. "Once only," she said, a hint of hesitation entering her voice. "And I pray to Naga I never see it again. It was… right after Emmeryn died. When we tried to retreat north away from Plegia Castle, our path was blocked by a brigade of Plegian soldiers. I don't know how they ended up in such a position, but we needed to get away fast before Gangrel caught up with us."
I remembered that day. My own route had taken me further east, but I had known that the Shepherds had engaged in at least one battle before escaping back into Regna Ferox. And now that I thought about it, there had been a powerful storm in the area on my way north.
"Everything about it was horrible. The rain was pounding down on us, we knew we only had a short time before we would be surrounded, and all of us were still shocked by what had happened to Emmeryn." Sumia turned her head to stare off into the distance. "Chrom was the worst. He wasn't even fighting, really. I'm sure he blamed himself for his sister's death."
"Destin had a strategy, of course, but with some of our best fighters incapacitated it wasn't going well. The Plegians were closing in on all sides, and I thought we were finished. That was when it happened. He just walked right into their midst and started taking them apart with his sword and magic. It didn't seem to matter that there were dozens of them and only one of him. It was like he just slid out from under their blows, while every swing of his blade killed or crippled."
I might have had difficulty imagining such a thing until recently. It sounded very much like what I had done during our battle against the Valmese fleet. But anger wasn't what had driven me to do that. It had been the need to hold off the enemy until my comrades escaped to the ship, and the desire to prove myself. I'd wanted to be more useful than I was, and at the time I'd thought of little else.
"The Plegians gave up whatever strategy they'd had originally," Sumia continued, "They just focused on trying to take him down. Their wyvern riders and reinforcements joined the fray, and still they couldn't kill him. I saw… I saw a lightning bolt lance out of the sky and strike one of the wyverns down. It wasn't a spell or anything; it was as though the storm itself was bent to his will. There was this otherworldly purple glow about him, an ethereal sheen like his rage made manifest. And when I saw his face… there was no smile. Just this awful blank look."
"They couldn't stand against him for very long. The remainder of the Plegian troops scattered, and he pushed onward. I stayed with Chrom, trying to motivate him into doing something… but Cordelia told me that Destin killed the enemy commander as well. The Plegian requested that his men be allowed to retreat, and Destin just nodded before shocking him to death with lightning magic. That was the end of it. We escaped north and the rest is history."
I looked back to where Destin was still standing. I had heard that those who hid their anger were the most dangerous to provoke, because it would all come out at once. I suppose Destin was such a person.
Still, to hear about such an outburst was unsettling. Sumia's tale together with the strategy Destin had used to annihilate the Valmese fleet was sufficient to tell me just what the tactician was capable of when pushed to his limits. I'm sure he didn't feel too great about the things he'd done in both situations after the fact, but that didn't affect him when he was in the heart of it.
My mother left me alone with my thoughts, and shortly thereafter Destin returned to his cabin. I went to my own to rest and think things over. Perhaps, I thought, I was fixating too much on one member of a team. But then, as I had explained to him, Destin was probably the individual with the most ability to help avert Grima's return. While Chrom might be the leader of Ylisse and the Shepherds, the fact was that in battle he more or less did as his strategist told him to.
The afternoon quickly passed me by as I napped, and it seemed like no time at all before shouts announcing the sighting of land awoke me. I hurriedly checked my gear and joined the other Shepherds on the deck of the Liberty. As usual, we would act as the spearhead in Destin's plan to take Valm Harbor. Though the town had stone walls, they would be of little use in halting a small scale assault.
At the same time, squads of Feroxi soldiers would be landing on either side of the town and fanning out to reconnoiter the area. If some ambush was planned for our arrival, it was likely we would get word of it before it could be sprung.
Soon the town came into view, and the crew began preparing smaller rowboats to take us to shore. Despite its name, Valm Harbor had no actual docks, rather a wide stretch of beach that prevented us from bringing the larger warships in too close. It made me wonder just where they'd built their fleet; perhaps another port on the other side of the continent? Well, that would be a matter for later.
When the water became too shallow to safely continue in the Liberty, we Shepherds descended into the rowboats and began making our way to shore. The cavalry even had their mounts with them on their boats; the horses looked immensely pleased to finally escape the dark ship holds they'd been transported in.
No attempt was made by the Valmese to contest our landing. The beach continued for another thirty feet before a stone ramp that led into the town proper began. We assembled at the base of this ramp, but before we could begin our assault something caught our attention.
Above the paved streets and stone walls of Valm Harbor, a dramatic chase was occurring in full view of us. A single figure, a slim woman carrying a curved sword in one hand, darted across the rooftops of the town buildings while Valmese soldiers struggled to catch up to her. One or two managed to close with the woman, but swift strokes of her blade sent them to the ground below.
I surmised that this fugitive was a resistance fighter, though clearly one who'd suffered a bout of ill luck. Even as I watched, more Valmese clambered onto the roofs on either side, trapping her between them. No doubt there were more on the street below.
What were the odds that such a situation would come to a head at the very moment of our arrival? Still, the way things looked this woman wouldn't last until we could make it to her. Perhaps a sortie by our Pegasus Knights might be able to save her, but if there were Valmese archers around then it was a risky move. I hadn't forgotten what had happened with Emmeryn, and I'm sure Destin hadn't either.
I looked over at the tactician, wondering what he would do. I was certain he'd have come to the same conclusions I had, and a member of the resistance had the potential to be an excellent source of information. I saw only one way to make it to the woman in time, but perhaps he saw more.
Indeed, he was watching the scene carefully, his eyes darting between the woman and the pursuing Valmese. Now there were only moments until they would fall upon her from both sides. Would he act?
"Lissa," Destin said tersely.
"Right here!" Lissa replied cheerfully, popping up right beside him.
"Use the new staff. I'll give you a boost so you can reach far enough."
"'Kay!" Lissa carefully aligned her wooden staff, pointing the gemstone on the end in the direction of the swordswoman's distant form. Destin reached up and grasped her shoulder firmly with his left hand.
"Do it now," he ordered.
I squinted as I tried to track the rooftop battle. Between one moment and the next a flash of golden light appeared where the woman had been, and then she was gone. The Valmese soldiers that had been pursuing her looked about in confusion. A second later, a similar flash went off right in front of us. It blinded me for only an instant, and when I opened my eyes the swordswoman was standing there.
She wore a stunning outfit of white and purple that was close fitting and trimmed with fur and armor plates around her arms and chest, but flared into divided skirts around her legs. White, knee-high boots and a wide sash emblazoned with some unfamiliar symbol completed it. Empty scabbards hung from either side of her belt. Her raven black hair was past shoulder length, held away from her face by a white headband.
While undoubtedly a capable warrior, she clearly hadn't been prepared for the magic that had just whisked her away from her enemies. Well, neither had I for that matter. She gaped about somewhat foolishly before her eyes settled on Chrom.
"Could you be… Prince Chrom of Ylisse?" She asked him, still looking a little stunned.
"The one and only," Chrom replied. "Are you alright? Perhaps it was a bit premature, but we assumed an enemy of the Valmese is a friend of ours."
"I am well enough, thanks to you," the woman said. She paused for a moment to lower her sword. "I am grateful for your assistance. Indeed, I had hoped that the Ylissean League would be arriving soon. My name is Say'ri, and I am a member of the resistance."
"Then we should have much to discuss," Chrom said. "I'll be happy to hear anything you've got to say after we're done here-"
"Oh no you don't," Destin cut in, tapping my father irritably on the shoulder. "You're going to stay right where you are and talk to Say'ri. You'll learn whatever you can about the resistance and the situation here. I'll take care of this." He gestured at the town beyond the walls.
"Very well then," Chrom said, sounding amused. "It seems I'll have plenty of time to discuss things with you, Say'ri, since my strategist has just barred me from participating in this battle."
"I… see," Say'ri said slowly. She glanced sidelong at Destin, who just scowled and stalked off towards the waiting Shepherds. One barked command from him and they were off, Sully and Stahl leading the charge up the ramp into the town. I briefly considered following him, but one more sword would likely make little difference in the battle. It was better to remain here and learn what could be learned.
"A most capable person, it seems. He must be if he is your strategist, for how else could you have defeated the Valmese? We shall await his victorious return, and in the meantime I will tell you everything I know."
"Now that's excellent news," Basilio remarked, arriving alongside Flavia at that very moment. Several squads of Feroxi soldiers hurried past them, arranging themselves in defensive positions on the beach. Destin and the Shepherds would be able to press into the town without having to watch their back.
"I'm Khan Flavia of Regna Ferox," Flavia said, walking over to address Say'ri. "And the oaf is Basilio. Pleased to meet you."
"As am I," Say'ri replied. "I have heard much of the warrior Khans of the east. That you are here now strengthens my hope that we might yet defeat Walhart."
"So there really is an organized resistance?" Chrom asked interestedly. "I thought Walhart had stamped out all the dissenters."
"He tries, but we resistance fighters are a slippery lot. We strike and then vanish into the night before they can respond." She paused to sheath her sword. "Rebels ride to the banners of dynasts who seek freedom for the old states of Valm. United, we could pose a threat to Walhart's empire. I have struggled for some time to bring us together."
"What's stopping you?" Flavia asked.
"Greed. Jealousy. Sloth. All the old weaknesses of man," Say'ri said sourly. "The dynasts would have freedom, but on their own terms. Largely, they are motivated by avarice and self-interest. None of them are willing to be the first to stand up against Walhart. Only when they see profit in it for themselves will they act."
"I take it you're looking for a more convincing argument, then?"
"Just so." Say'ri sighed heavily. "My own efforts have had little success thus far. I fear many distrust me because my brother fights for Walhart."
"Why does he support the empire?" Basilio asked.
"I wish I knew," Say'ri said. "Yen'fay once opposed Walhart just as I do, but at some point he had a change of heart. The reason for it still remains a mystery to me. But whatever his purpose, he is now an enemy. If I met him on the battlefield I would cut him down, the same as any other imperial."
I flinched at the coldness of her words. Perhaps it was a product of the world I'd come from, but I couldn't imagine callously taking the life of a family member based on a difference in principles. Life, especially that of those close to you, was far too precious to simply cast away. I suppose it would be unfair of me to measure Say'ri with my own values, but such a betrayal would have to be cruel beyond imagining before I could consider killing someone that mattered to me.
"…Events here have gone poorly indeed. Walhart's armies now number in the tens of thousands. If we do not unite and face him, eventually he will stamp us out through sheer force of numbers."
"Tens of thousands… so many?" I said, aghast. "Even after they lost the entire invasion fleet?" I'd known they would have more troops than that, of course, but we did not have ten thousand soldiers in our entire army. To fight so badly outnumbered was a poor prospect.
"Hah! And what do numbers mean to you Ylisseans?" Say'ri laughed. "You defeated their fleet, did you not? Such heroism will inspire the people of this continent. Together, I know we can yet bring the people together and break Walhart's grip!"
"It is no easy task you lay before us," my father warned. "But we knew that when we came here. We didn't cross the sea and set fire to the waves themselves merely to turn back at the first sign of adversity. We came to defeat Walhart and free the people of this continent, and so our two causes are as one. Whatever comes, Say'ri, we will stand with you."
As if in answer to the bold declaration, a shining red beacon I recognized as Destin's signal spell began emanating from inside the walls. The area had been cleared of imperial troops, and it was now safe for the army to move in. At Flavia's order, columns of Feroxi troops began filing up the ramp and into the town.
Here we are, Walhart, the beacon seemed to be saying. Come and get us.