Ephraim begins his southward march upon Grado. With the aid of Innes's soldiers, Frelia has established a firm defence at Frelia's borders, which Grado has been unable to surmount. Ephraim moves to reinforce this line, as well as push it forward into Grado territory. Grado has organised its troops at Fort Rigwald, however, in which Grado intends to wait out Frelia's siege as Frelia had been doing to Grado. Ephraim, however, is undaunted by such a resistance. He moves out, determined to root out Grado.
Vigarde stood before his six Imperial Generals, pacing rather intimidatingly. Everyone was anxious for their new orders, though how anxious varied from general to general.
"The Stone of Frelia has been shattered. Yet Renais remains whole. Glen, Valter, I want you to track down that Lunar Brace! Glen, find Eirika, and conquer her. Valter, I need you to keep an eye on that Prince Frelia character, make sure he doesn't sneak up and reinforce Eirika when Glen has him cornered," Vigarde ordered.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Glen stated simply, at peace knowing the falcoknight had been checked and was now in a known position. Granted, she was preparing an attack on Grado assisted by Ephraim, but at least they knew that. Glen was honestly still surprised that falcoknight was Princess Tana of Frelia.
"Eirika, eh? I'm long overdue for finally capturing her. And Innes will be easy prey with my wonderful Fili Shield… the thought of knocking down that dandy makes my blood rush! Maybe this'll be fun!" Valter suggested gleefully. Glen sighed inwardly as Valter rushed to be the one to capture Eirika. Glen followed, prepared to keep Eirika safe from the madman. Vigarde turned.
"Caellach, Riev, it will be your duty to shatter the remaining Sacred Stones. Caellach, take Jehanna. Riev, Rausten. I hear you know those countries, so acquiring those Sacred Stones should be easy for you," Vigarde explained.
"Heh heh heh… I will arrange Rausten's downfall, my lord!" Riev chuckled raspily, disappearing without further ado.
"I had hoped I'd need never return to that accursed desert country… but if that is as His Majesty wishes, I will certainly acquiesce," Caellach muttered, stomping from the room much more mundanely. Selena scowled at the treacherous smirk she saw on Caellach, as she and Duessel moved to receive their orders.
"General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim's advance," Vigarde ordered. Duessel nodded, but stopped short of leaving.
"If I might be so bold as to ask a question, what is it you intend on doing with Renais now that it has been conquered? Thieves and bandits gallivant across the land as if they own the place, and that paladin you appointed regent isn't exactly the model of sanity…" Duessel asked.
"Leave them," Vigarde stated simply. Duessel went to sputter out a feeble protest, but Selena urged him against it. Selena received her orders to guard Gormlaithe, and followed Duessel out of the throne room.
"Please, Selena, I need to know why our Emperor has started this war!" Duessel called, as Selena calmly continued to take him along. She had actually only managed to get him to the throne room doors, but progress was progress. Selena paused, waiting for Duessel's next words.
"Selena, you know I would gladly offer my life in service to the honourable crown of Grado. But these actions… these orders… these are not the orders of a just king! If I saw any way in which this invasion protected Grado, I would hold my tongue, but now… Now, Renais suffers. And Grado gains nothing. Why has this war started? Men march on and die for no reason! That's not a war- that's a murder!" Duessel ranted.
"Duessel, I appreciate that you have some issues with this… but you do have your duty to uphold," Selena told him. Duessel thought about his duty. Fighting Prince Ephraim… he didn't know if he even could. He could beat him, sure- he taught the boy everything he knew- but he didn't know if he could find it in his heart to do so.
"General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim's advance," Vigarde ordered. Duessel looked up.
"…As you wish…" Duessel stated forlornly.
"General Duessel, you are to go to Frelia, and put a stop to Ephraim's advance," Vigarde ordered again.
"I'm going, I'm going," Duessel waved away.
"Don't mind him. He's just… angry," Lyon stated nervously, before giving a few furious whispers to his father. Duessel did not figure now was the time to investigate.
Amelia checked herself in a window one last time. Her armour was well polished and free from scratches, her lance was sharp and ready to punch its way through armour, and of course, she had made sure her face was cleaned up. Gotta make that good first impression on her new commander, after all. Her evaluation going well, she entered Fort Rigwald, and looked around for the commander. She found said commander resting on a throne, chowing down on some odd-smelling dish.
"First Cadet of the Grado Imperial Academy Amelia, reporting for duty!" Amelia exclaimed confidently. Her commander shovelled down the remnants of his food, and peered closely at Amelia.
"…Well well… A bit on the daft side, but that's how I like 'em…" he muttered.
"Pardon? I came asking where it was I would be stationed!" Amelia asked, confused.
"Hm? Oh… uh, guards! Escort her to her 'special station'," the commander ordered. Amelia clutched at her lance, but with the menacing looking axe beside the commander, she thought better of attacking.
"…And where would that be?" the indicated guard asked. The commander shot him a glare, and the guard jumped to action. He took a hold of Amelia's hand, and escorted her away.
"Sorry about Gheb. Once he sets his eyes on something, he loses all sight of reason… he got transferred here to maybe deal with the Whitewing, and by this point, I'd rather have lost to her," the guard explained, once he was out of earshot. Amelia was just staring in shock. At that commander- Gheb, apparently- at the situation, about the fact the soldier took her hand.
"…Where am I going?" Amelia asked nervously.
"…You look like a nice girl, so I'm going to be honest. Gheb wants you for your body. It's a despicable habit that 'scared off' at least three capable female soldiers. At least. I don't want to see another one suffer the same fate, so I'm going to take you to the dungeons instead," the guard explained.
"WHAT?" Amelia asked.
"Reports tell us that Prince Ephraim and Princess Tana are on their way here. I have no delusions about our ability to hold out against them. However, I do know you've got a long career ahead of you…" the guard trailed off, unable to figure out how to continue.
"What about Grado? And isn't Ephraim like, ten times worse than Gheb?" Amelia asked more furiously.
"I've met Ephraim. Not for long, but if his first reaction to seeing you is to want your body, I'll eat my helmet whole. As for Grado… you've heard the rumours, right? About Duessel and Vigarde?" the soldier explained to her pacifyingly. Amelia thought back to those rumours, and nodded.
"Never took much stock in them, but I've heard of them," Amelia told him.
"If those rumours are true, Ephraim's side is the one fighting for Grado's future. Well… this is your stop," the guard said. He opened the cell door, and gestured for Amelia to enter. Amelia, uncertain, complied, and the soldier locked the door. He then, surprisingly, passed Amelia the key.
"I suspect Ephraim will want to check the cells for potential allies. If he doesn't, unlock the cell door and move on. Ephraim will very definitely have killed Gheb, so you should be free to travel as you wish," the soldier explained. Amelia nodded vaguely, and sat down in a corner, turning the key over in her hands, trying to think about today's events.
Ephraim looked up at the fortress. He noticed quite a few ballista peeking around the tops of the fortress's parapets, and smirked. Tana would find those ballista, especially mounted as they were, fairly trivial challenges. Oh, how Hayden would react to hear how low on the hazard list Tana figured ballistae belonged.
"So this is Fort Rigwald… the 'jewel of Grado's defences'. It has stood unconquered for centuries. Bet none of those guys who tried use pegasus knights," Tana chuckled.
"Yeah… we've got to take this to have a chance on seizing Grado's capital. So what do you reckon, Tana? The enemy has the advantage in terrain and numbers, and those ballistae…" Ephraim pointed out. Tana scoffed.
"I'm not getting shot by something as unwieldly as that. Also, do you think the enemy has the strength to capitalise on that advantage?" Tana asked. Ephraim took a moment to realise what Tana was suggesting.
"Do you suspect the enemy will be unwilling to fight?" Ephraim asked.
"Well… Grado and Renais were best friends, probably better than us and Renais. This war was so sudden… the emperor had a change of heart, but it's not like everyone else did. Surely the soldiers will fight reluctantly!" Tana suggested.
"True… and Duessel and Lyon are close friends of mine, and both detest fighting for fighting's sake. Duessel even taught me the lance. I'm sure that we could find allies in them. As for this fortress, though… we've got to seize the throne room. Take out the commanders, and offer a pro-Renais alternative to this war," Ephraim suggested.
"Good suggestion. I certainly couldn't come up with anything better myself," Tana told him. Ephraim turned back to his party. Franz and Ross were waving their weapons in preparation, while Artur and Lute had taken to reading.
"…I… don't think you're alone in that," Ephraim muttered. Tana raised an eyebrow, not quite sure what Ephraim was suggesting. However, her question was forestalled by a Grado soldier, running himself ragged to approach Ephraim.
"I don't know what he intends to do, tiring himself out like that," Ephraim muttered, raising his lance.
"Wait, Ephraim… that's a white flag… I think," Tana told him. Ephraim inspected the odd item at the end of the stick.
"…I can see no other reason for one to stick what looks like a part of someone's shirt to the end of a stick. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt," Ephraim agreed. He and Tana dismounted, and held their hands out, showing they were unarmed. The soldier stopped moving before them, and started breathing heavily.
"Drink?" Tana offered. The soldier nodded, taking Tana's canteen, and took a few sips. He returned it, and drew to a standing position.
"Prince Ephraim, Princess Tana, I assure you that the Grado militia stationed here are unwilling to fight. However, our commander, recently assigned here in the wake of Princess Tana's accomplishments, refuses to accept failure, and his wicked axe has slaughtered our own…" the soldier explained. Ephraim and Tana shared a look- they were right. But how to capitalise on that…
"We can assume that, even though you've established contact, that commander will not be nearly as peaceful… what are you willing to tell us to allow us to relieve you of this man?" Ephraim asked. The soldier jumped, genuinely unsure of what happened next. He only really had one goal here in the first place- now he suddenly had the ability, and responsibility, to help more than just one.
"I… well, he's seated fairly close to the front… a strong soldier should be able to easily reach him and start the fight. With him occupied, you could evacuate Grado… uh…" the soldier stuttered out nervously. Tana stepped forward, and placed a hand on his soldier.
"…You didn't have a plan for that. That's fine… but why, if I might ask, were you, and you alone, so bold as to make a surrender attempt?" Tana asked.
"Um… I don't know how to say this tactfully…" the soldier stuttered, eyes darting to Ephraim.
"Tact is a luxury when intel is the name of the game. If this will affect future confrontations with Grado, I need to know," Ephraim assured him. The soldier nodded, though it was clear he was uncertain.
"There are rumours around Grado… that you are a cruel taskmaster. Many of my comrades believe that to join you directly will not be to have a change in commander at all- in fact, since you're on the move, you'd likely be worse. And what you do to your… um… 'palace slaves'…" the soldier explained. Ephraim's jaw dropped.
"I… um…" Ephraim stuttered out.
"Trust me, I wish that was based on a kernel of truth. We'll have to slip in a demonstration of how much better serving Ephraim will be into our battle strategy. I have no idea how that will happen, but it'll have to. The extra men will be too helpful," Tana told the soldier. Whatever confusion Ephraim possessed already was multiplied by Tana's first statement.
"I have a plan for that, and it's the reason I came out here. I am alone of Rigwald's militia who knows the real Prince Ephraim. I've met him once before, though I don't expect him to remember that. I've seen his kindness," the soldier explained, clearly trying to pacify Ephraim.
"Just hurry the plan up. If you're here against your commander's will, he'll notice eventually," Tana told him firmly.
"Right. We got a new recruit from Grado's Imperial Academy… remember how I mentioned Prince Ephraim's 'palace slaves'? Well, he wants that new recruit's body after this battle. If you could rescue her and get her to join you, I'm sure everyone else will at least not fight you…" the soldier told them.
"Rescue her? I'm on it!" Tana exclaimed, turning to her pegasus.
"Hold… she's not in that much danger. I locked her in the dungeons with her own key- she'll be fine while you get that plan ready," the soldier assured her. Tana looked between him and her pegasus, still clearly eager to go.
"Tana… hold. We'll need to form this plan- we don't even have indoor scouts!" Ephraim told her, putting his arms around her. Tana took in a breath, before letting her arms reciprocate. Ephraim gave her a pat on the back, and stepped back. Lute magicked up a table, and the soldier began to draw.
Nines inspected the ballistae before him. Manned by only the finest ballisticians in Grado, they were determined to eliminate the threat of 'the Whitewing', as she had been come to be known as to Grado's rank and file. It did not matter to Nines- a pegasus was a pegasus, no matter how strong she may be. Pegasi feared ballistae. That was a fact of life.
*Whoosh*
A few ballisticians quivered in fear, but Nines and their companions quickly silenced that fear. They were ballisticians. They would take control of the skies. They had a secret weapon.
"The Whitewing approaches!" he called. The druids supplied by the Blood Beryl readied their staves, preparing to cast a Sleep spell. Putting her to sleep would be a death sentence for her- and it was hardly like they could put a stop to her otherwise. The Whitewing shot over the ballista, sweeping past the first few shots- warning shots, naturally- to fly over the battlements. She tossed two javelins down into the courtyard, striking both druids. One attempted to cast Sleep, but a second javelin stopped him.
"WHAT?" Nines asked. The ballisticians turned, quickly realising that the ballistae weren't going to aim into the fortress proper, and grabbed their bows. The Whitewing was flying in circles over them, avoiding even the most sure shots in the bunch, and her javelins destroying their aim- but not them, somehow.
"It can't be…" Nines muttered, looking back across the field. A small force was approaching, and in the lead was…
"No…" Nines growled, recognising that soldier. A traitor to Grado… he would pay. Nines evacuated the battlements, no longer caring about the disaster occurring above. He knew where that soldier would go. He was going to meet him there, and show him what happened to traitors.
"Ballistae disabled! Pegasus knights, advance!" Ephraim ordered. Thanks to the soldier's advance warning, the Sleep staves did not slow Tana's advance one jot, and his army could advance unhindered. The pegasus knights from Syrene's squad surrounded the fortress, working their way to disabling the archers completely. Ephraim entered the fortress, and dispatched Ross and the soldier to the dungeons. Tana landed beside them, and drew her sword.
"The commander's room is just ahead. Franz, Tana, you may need to dismount," Lute stated. The group nodded, and Ephraim began a charge against the commander. Franz was interrupted by an odd cackle.
"What? Who's there?" Franz asked, looking across at what seemed an empty courtyard- the Grado soldiers having fled at Tana's arrival. His eyes narrowed, and he suddenly noticed an odd woman standing there. She wore a rather short black robe- more like a young girl's casual dress than a robe, though it did seem to have billowing sleeves- and a wide-brimmed hat that lowered over her eyes. Her feet were bare, and her hands held some kind of rod.
"…Who are you?" Franz asked. This certainly didn't look like one of Grado's commanders. Or officers. Or even allied with Grado at all.
"They call me Delphine. I am a loyal member of the DDK, and I have been watching this world very closely. You are Franz, son of Fredric, brother of Forde, correct?" the woman asked. Franz seized up, recognising those names.
"…They're gone…" Franz stuttered.
"Well, of course, I know that. I, and I alone, watch the gateway to the land of the dead. And I have mastered this talent… perhaps you'd like to see instead?" Delphine asked. She vanished by the time Franz had blinked, and he looked around nervously. Almost by instinct, he brought his sword up to block an incoming strike, and stepped back to skate past a second. He looked up at the cavalier and paladin before him, seeing Delphine's smile reflected in their eyes… startlingly familiar eyes.
"Dad? Forde?" Franz asked in shock, as he quickly blocked his father's next strike. His brother thrusted with the lance, and Franz knew that to step forward would be to avoid it better this time. He had vague ideas on how he managed both dodges, but he knew that eventually, he would fail a dodge.
And then Delphine would claim him and use him to attack someone else.
Amelia looked up from her idle daydream about Prince Ephraim, and noticed a rather familiar face at the door of her cell. She narrowed her eyes, and he was quickly joined by a very intimidating fellow, with two axes at his sides, and a very pirate-like outfit.
"Who…" Amelia asked, almost crawling as she moved to the cell doors. As the little light of the dungeons fell on her, she noticed the pirate's face change from one of anxiety to one of… recognition?
"I'm Ross. I'm with Prince Ephraim," the pirate introduced himself with.
"I'm Amelia, First Cadet of the Grado Imperial Academy," Amelia told him proudly. Ross chuckled.
"This is an army, and we are at war. Announcing that you're the best in your class is not the way to go about introductions," Ross told her. Amelia looked down nervously.
"Don't worry- I was wet behind the ears once, too. I'll be around to help you with being a soldier in Ephraim's army," Ross stated.
"And I'll be there, too," the soldier piped up. Amelia looked between them, a warmth climbing up her cheeks.
"Traitor," a rough voice spat. The soldier pushed between Ross and Amelia, and watched the approaching figure. Wearing identical red armour, the two soldiers seemed like the same person. But one was prepared to fight for Renais, while the other was not.
"Nines… I should've known it'd be you who tried to stop me," the friendly soldier told him, readying his lance.
"The punishment for treason is death, Finn. I hope you remembered that when you went against Gheb's orders," Nines growled, flourishing his own lance.
"The punishment for continuing to listen to that monster's orders would be my death- and I'd hope it was only that. Nines, I believe in Prince Ephraim. And I will fight to make sure he liberates Grado. I knew I was going to have to raise the lance against comrades as a means to that end… prepare yourself, Nines," Finn stated, lunging forward. Nines shielded the blow, and made his own thrust. Finn dodged his instead, sending Nines forward. Finn prepared a strike, only for Nines to get clear before Finn could land. The two circled until they faced one another in optimal positions. Nine chuckled, and lunged. The sound of his lance piercing Finn's armour was quickly cancelled out by the lance digging in to him. The two soldiers stepped back, Amelia patching up Finn, and Nines wrapping a cloth around his own wound.
"How does it feel to know failure, Finn?" Nines taunted. Amelia turned to him, and picked up Finn's lance. Nines chuckled.
"You don't mean to betray Grado, too, little girl? Why could you not have accepted your place like a good little girl?" Nines taunted.
Amelia's lance struck him right in the wound Finn had opened.
Nines let out a shocked breath, trying to continue to punish the traitors before him. But Amelia's strike, slightly weaker than Finn's though it might have been, caused much more damage- the head of the lance dug deep into his body. Amelia pulled the lance out, causing blood to flow out.
"Amelia, you make sure Finn's all right. I've got to check on the others," Ross stated, throwing Amelia a small satchel of herbs, before running up the stairs. Amelia found herself practicing her combat patch-up abilities, thinking to how poorly she handled that in the academy…
No… Finn is depending on you. Think about what Ross said. The academy doesn't matter.
She opened the satchel, and recognised the herbs and their effects immediately. She took a numbing herb, and pulled away Finn's armour to observe his wound. Abandoning the thought of what it would be like to have a lance shoved into this wound, she started her work.
Tana grabbed Ephraim's hand when she saw the man before them. Lute had consulted the map frequently, and yet the morbidly obese figure sitting before them was clearly not the commander. The helpful Grado soldier had mentioned many foul qualities of the man, but none of those suggested a bloated sack of lard.
"Well well… looks like my luck has turned 'round..." the man, for want of a better term, chuckled, eyes solely on Tana. Everyone revised their estimate- this had to be the commander. No one else could be this foul.
"You're Gheb, aren't you?" Tana asked. Gheb drew an evil-looking axe- a Killer axe.
"Correct. So nice for you to know of my reputation ahead of time…" Gheb chuckled. Tana drew her own sword, and stepped forward.
"Then I suppose it's time to return the favour. I'm Princess Tana of Frelia, also known amongst the Grado people as the Whitewing, the terror of the skies. Though I could not fight you from Achaeus's back, I will prove that I live up to that reputation," Tana told him. Gheb tilted his head in confusion.
"How?" Gheb asked, before Tana lunged forward with her sword. The strike missed her mark, only really disabling Gheb's left arm, but Gheb couldn't do anything to stop it. Gheb growled, and started to spin around like a top. Tana smirked, and brought her sword up, thrusting her body weight into stopping the spin. Gheb pirouetted around on the spot, dazed, but Tana's sword fell to the ground. Tana dived to her sword, cursing her losing her advantage.
"Thunder of the heavens, unleash my anger!" Lute casted. Tana turned, and noticed Gheb writhing on the ground, the lightning bolt being casted shortly after Tana jumped away.
"Shine your divine light upon the monster before me!" Artur added, using some Light spell to finish Gheb off. When the bright light cleared, Gheb left no remains whatsoever.
"That's odd… normally, that only happens to monsters…" Artur muttered.
"From what that soldier said, he probably was one," Tana joked. Ephraim knelt beside her, and took her hand to help her up. Tana smiled, wondering what the attention was for.
"Tana… I'll have to speak to the Grado soldiers soon, but after that, I want to talk to you," Ephraim muttered in her ear. Tana blushed, but Ephraim had already turned to Artur and Lute- or just Lute.
"Artur left… something about Franz?" Lute asked. Ephraim looked around the room.
"Franz!" Ephraim exclaimed, realising Franz had never followed them. He followed Artur, and Tana and Lute quickly followed behind.
Franz found himself on the ground, his father's sword pushing against his own. He was putting all his strength into countering the stroke, but his strength was wearing thin, while Fredric's seemed limitless… and that wasn't without keeping an eye on Forde…
Father…
Out of the corner of his eye, behind Forde, he saw an odd sight. An axe seemed to have been thrown into the air, spinning around menacingly. As it fell, a rough arm appeared to grab it and ensure the blade met Forde's back. Forde disappeared in a cloud of dust, and Ross replaced him.
"Ross!" Franz called out, but not too loudly. The swordlock was a bit too close to his throat to try. He turned to his other side, and saw Artur casting a spell. Fredric was blown aside, and Franz uncertainly got to his feet.
"Are you all right?" Artur asked.
"Fine… just a little winded…" Franz breathed out, his voice feeling a little weak. Ephraim gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder, before stepping into the middle of the field, holding his hands out openly. In fact, he had passed the Reginleif to Tana when he was sure Franz was safe.
"People of Grado, I come in peace! I do not wish to fight a war with the men who swear loyalty to the man who taught me how to fight! My only hope is to restore the bonds of friendship between Renais and Grado! Commander Gheb is dead- you need not fear his harsh punishments!" Ephraim called. Slowly, surely, the red-armoured forces of Grado stepped out from where they had hidden. They saw Ephraim standing in their centre, waving kindly and continuing to shout pleasant statements. They approached with caution, knowing his reputation- and still fearing the Whitewing.
"Soldiers of Grado… does anyone know why Grado has invaded Renais?" Ephraim asked the crowd.
"N-n-no, sir…" a soldier pitched up. Ephraim grunted in annoyance, and the Grado people shivered. Ephraim held up his hands, smiling.
"How about this question- where is General Duessel?" Ephraim asked.
"He remains in the capital," a soldier told him.
"He has been ordered to mobilise against you, but he refuses."
"Instead, he remains, furiously trying to ask the same questions you do, preaches the same messages you're trying now."
"He's putting his life on the line."
"Thank you, thank you. I'm glad to hear Duessel is still the strong man I learned the lance from. What about Prince Lyon?" Ephraim asked. This question was not answered as readily- though the expressions on the soldiers told them they knew.
"Come on… I'm not going to execute you for telling me what I don't want to hear," Ephraim assured them. Whether most believed him was up in the air- at least one did.
"According to rumour… the emperor's decision to begin this war was on his suggestion," the soldier stated. Ephraim did a double-take, turning to the soldier. That soldier found himself uncertain.
"What… I knew Prince Lyon better than anyone, except maybe Princess Eirika. There's no way he'd start a war- he hates bloodshed!" Ephraim exclaimed.
"I have heard the same rumours, my lord!" a soldier far from the first piped up. Ephraim's face fell into his hands.
"Thank you, soldiers of Grado. Prince Ephraim does not wish for more blood to be spilled than necessary. We will be moving on to strike at Grado's capital, to find answers to why this war was started in the first place. This fortress will be reinforced by Frelians. As I see it, you have three choices- join us on our march, remain here and assist the Frelians, or return to your homes and refuse to fight. We respect that many of you might not want to fight your friends in Grado's employ- but we fight for Grado's benefit," Tana called out, coming to comfort Ephraim. The soldiers looked amongst each other.
"…Heh. I know what many of you are thinking. 'You are the Whitewing. You've slaughtered us in droves for no benefit'. And you are right… there are many of you whose friends I will have killed. I have nothing to say in defence of myself. I was simply trying to save Ephraim the only way I knew how- getting stronger by gaining experience, so that I might blossom into the strength of a falcoknight and be able to stand up to Valter. I was, and probably still am, young and naïve. I did not think of Grado soldiers as people. But there's one of you who changed all that… one who reminded me who I'm fighting. One who reminded me why," Tana explained. As she said this, that soldier stepped forward, supported by Amelia. His wound still looked bad, but he could at least move under his own power.
"Finn? You joined Renais?" a soldier asked. Finn chuckled.
"You remember what Gheb ordered as soon as he saw Amelia, right? I wanted to save her from that… and Prince Ephraim seemed to be a nice way to do so. He may fight our brothers, but he fights with honour. The soldiers in his care suffer far less than those that fight under commanders like Gheb, or those loyal to the new members of the Imperial Six. Duessel is out there, and he's saying what Ephraim is- that this war is not a just one to fight, that the Emperor is not himself. I've met Ephraim before… I trust him," Finn announced. His voice was not nearly as familiar with public speaking, but hearing that sentiment in a Grado soldier's voice helped settle the uncertain morale. The soldiers of Grado began to file up, ready to report their new allegiances to Lute.
Ephraim and Tana went to a side room of the fortress, and Ephraim sat Tana down besides him on a small bed. Tana smiled slightly, especially when Ephraim set one arm across her shoulder.
"Tana… you seemed a little concerned. Might I ask why?" Ephraim asked. Tana looked down, taking in a few breaths, before nodding.
"When I was with Eirika, there were these bandits. As part of her plan to stop them, she asked me to get captured, figuring I'd get thrown in the basement right off. As it turns out… they didn't do that… they wanted… they…" Tana told him, before breaking pace. Ephraim pulled her in, and Tana started to let the tears fall.
"Thanks, Ephraim… you know… thinking of you was helping me hold that in…" Tana stated. Ephraim let out a quizzical noise.
"Oh, no, he didn't succeed- Colm saved me before he got that far. But in those moments when I had resigned myself, before I saw him… I was just going to manage by imagining he was you…" Tana assured him. Ephraim nodded vaguely.
"I see… and Gheb being much alike that bandit awoke your memories of that day. I understand now…" Ephraim assured her.
"…Will you be all right? I know how important Duessel and Lyon are to you…" Tana asked. Ephraim jumped, taking a moment to think to himself about that answer instead.
"…Duessel and Lyon are men of integrity. I imagine I could be able to convince them to join us. However, if worse comes to worst and I must level Reginleif against them… I will not hesitate to strike. If they choose to fight, it is they who have broken our bond of friendship… and I shall not attempt to reforge a broken bond. Renais is far more important than them to me," Ephraim told her. Tana's eyes widened.
"So… you can… I…" Tana stuttered.
"Are you all right?" Ephraim asked. Tana nodded.
"It's nothing… I just needed to hear that last part," Tana assured him. Ephraim nodded uncertainly, and stood up. They'd best meet their soldiers.
The news was not what Ephraim was hoping for, but it was far better than it could have been. A very small faction of Rigwald would be accompanying them and fighting directly. At the end of the day, taking Rigwald did not supply the massive army that Ephraim wanted, to fight Grado on even footing… but he supposed he should have expected as much. A much larger faction was remaining in Rigwald, to assist Frelia in keeping a strong defensive line, or just out of loyalty or familiarity to the place. A sizable portion had returned to their homes, keeping out of future confrontations. And the final faction intended to return to Gormlaithe, to fight Ephraim another day. Ephraim knew to expect a total surrender was foolhardy, but hearing Lute say that was demoralising in its own way. He turned to the two soldiers who fought today- Finn and Amelia.
"Looks like you'll be having company, but not a lot," Ephraim told them. Finn chuckled softly.
"Don't worry about it. I knew I'd be an outcast amongst Grado soldiers when I made that decision, but I'm proud of keeping Amelia out of harm's way!" Finn assured him.
"I'm… I just hope I'll be helpful against Grado… I mean, I haven't strictly even claimed a role yet…" Amelia muttered.
"Don't worry… I have that covered," Lute told her. Amelia turned, watching Lute approach with a book Ephraim vaguely recognised.
"Is that the magic book you used on Neimi?" Ephraim asked.
"Yep. Amelia, I'm not sensing the same class role from you as I get from Finn. From what I gather, deep within you, there's a potential to become a great knight… and with that, I have two classes I think I can get you to try- Cavalier or Knight," Lute told her. Amelia looked at her oddly.
"You can do what now?" Amelia asked, completely in the dark.
"…Perhaps I tried too soon? Just ask Ross about it, and then come back when you're ready. I guess I do need to get Artur ready to change…" Lute muttered, turning away. Amelia turned to Ephraim in confusion.
"…I don't pretend to understand magic. All I know is that Neimi got a horse from nowhere. That's about as informed as I am on this business," Ephraim told her.
"…I guess this is why you don't really get tactical advice from her?" Finn asked, also somewhat nonplussed by the mage.
"Basically. One more reason to find Duessel- I really do need a better second opinion," Ephraim stated.