There were quiet murmurs and the sound of parchment shuffling. Chairs squeaked as the men and women dressed in gold and silver took their seats around the table. The room was dark, as the blinds had been drawn shut and the doors locked. There were army men posted at the entrance and around the perimeters of the chamber. There was a sense of unease in the air while everyone situated themselves.

Bez'yao, the youngest dynast in North Chon'sin, took his seat at the head of the table. He cleared his throat. Although his expression was calm and collected, his eyes betrayed his anxiety. Although he had given speeches in front of crowds and nobles plenty of times before, never had he led a meeting in front of the heads of the various Valmese countries. He felt like a child in comparison to them.

"As you all know," he began after the murmurs had subsided, "I have called this meeting today to discuss with you the reports I have received with regards to Lady Say'ri and her companions." He paused, expecting somebody to speak up, but when nobody spoke he continued. "Her companions are the Shepherds, the Ylissan army led by the Lord Exalt of the Ylisstol kingdom. My intelligence reports tell me that they reached the Valmese ports a fortnight ago and have been aiding Lady Say'ri ever since."

"We have all heard the rumors." Lord Nik'wu's voice was gravelly and his lined face was in its usual stoic expression. His southern Chon'sin accent slurred all his words together. "Especially of their recent visit with Lady Tikki. The people are singing of her awakening – they say that this is a sign from Naga."

"And do you believe that?" Pledu, a Lady from North Chon'sin's neighboring country Celcium, asked dryly, arching a thick eyebrow. She was dressed more extravagantly than the Chon'sin dynasts, with her draping elbow sleeves and silver head ornament. Her long lavender hair was slicked back elegantly.

"I am not one for folklore, but…aye, I do believe it." Nik'wu nodded. "If Lady Tikki has honored these Shepherds with her presence, that surely must be a good omen."

Pledu seemed doubtful. "Forgive me, Lord Nik'wu, but I do not place as much faith as you do in 'signs from Naga'. I prefer facts that I can tangibly touch and see. And I do not see Lady Tikki using her divine powers to take down Walhart."

"I suggest you read up on your history, Lady Pledu." Lord Demio of Scarlet Plium (a small country between North and South Chon'sin) spoke in a rather condescending tone. "Lady Naga is the one who has divine powers – Lady Tikki only speaks on her behalf. Though, I suppose, that merits her some forms of divine power. But not the kind of which you speak."

The corner of Pledu's painted red lips curled wryly. "Begging your pardon, my lord, but I believe you meant to suggest that I read up on folklore, not history," she replied calmly, arching an eyebrow at the stout man. His round face quickly colored. Nik'wu cut in before he could angrily retort. Bez'yao held in his sigh of relief. He was thankful the older dynast was there to help guide the meeting.

"This is not the time to argue about our religious beliefs." Nik'wu's tone was final. Pledu said nothing, her striking blue eyes on Demio as if in a silent challenge. The small lord sniffed indignantly and looked away from her. "We are here to discuss the implications of the Shepherds' arrival, are we not?" He glanced at Bez'yao for confirmation. The young lord, the attention drawn to him once more, replied earnestly.

"Aye, that is correct. Their arrival brings hope to our people, and to us." He glanced around the long table at the various faces that stared back at him. "For too long we have all cowered in Walhart's shadow. Lady Say'ri has bravely spoken out against him, and with her courage we have received aid." He took a deep breath, knowing what he would say next would cause outrage. "I believe it is time we join the Resistance and fight back against Walhart."

For the briefest of moments, there was utter silence. Then all at once the lords and ladies from various countries began to speak at once.

"He has an army of a million!"

"We will lose even more of our people if we are to declare war on Walhart!"

"This is a death wish! A sentence to the gallows!"

Nik'wu chuckled throatily. He leaned back in chair and folded his arms across his chest. For the first time Bez'yao saw a glimmer of amusement in the veteran's eyes. "You've just opened a Risen box, lad. You best put the lid back on it before you really lose control."

Bez'yao was certain Nik'wu could've brought silence to the table with the mere flick of his wrist, but it wasn't as easy for him. Although he had been the one to call for this meeting, few of his fellow nobles took him seriously because of his age.

"Please!" he shouted anxiously, standing up. "Please, settle down!"

"Settle down?!" Demio cried out, jumping up on his seat, his pudgy face contorted in anger. "How do you expect us to settle down when you've just suggested a death sentence?!"

"A death sentence would be to continue acting as Walhart's puppets." His cold tone brought the room to a chilling silence. "A death sentence would be to keep fooling ourselves into thinking that a dictator is what's best for our continent."

It was so silent in the chamber Bez'yao wondered if the others could hear this heart thumping hard.

"…This death sentence you speak of," Pledu replied quietly, her blue eyes fluttering to meet his dark green ones, "is nothing but your pride." Bez'yao bristled indignantly. "None of us here want a dictator to rule us all; we all agree on that." She glanced around the table and received nods and murmurs of agreement in reply. "But if we agree to his ruling – as we have done thus far – it keeps our people from harm. Sometimes we must hang up our pride for the sake of the greater good." She was tempted to add that it may have been difficult for him to understand, because he was Chon'sin, but wisely she kept her mouth closed.

"I understand your reasoning, Lady Pledu," Bez'yao replied after he had had a moment to compose his thoughts. "It is why all of us in this room have succumbed to Walhart. Despite all the meetings we've had, despite the many times Lady Say'ri had tried to convince us to fight back with her…in the end, we are still in this predicament today because we want what is best for our people.

"But is it really in the best interests of our people to leave their lives in the hands of a merciless tyrant?" A few of the lords fidgeted apprehensively. "All of us know how Walhart is. We know how terrible of a person he is. He is nothing but a power-hungry dictator who would stop at nothing until his hunger for power and domination is satisfied. He will walk through any obstacle and through any person to get his way.

"Now, if we voluntarily agree to give up our countries to him in order to create a 'united continent', as he likes to say, there is not supposed to be bloodshed. We give up our freedom in exchange for our lives. But then…" Bez'yao's green eyes flashed sadly as his voice softened. "Would we truly be living? We would be alive, perhaps, but we would no longer be living. I do not want my people to live every day in fear. I do not want to see them suffer. It is my duty as their lord to protect them and watch after them. If we continue to let Walhart have his way, we will ultimately be harming our people and, in the process, ourselves."

If he'd thought that the room was silent before, it was nothing like the silence with which he was greeted now. It permeated the air, thick and thoughtful. Some lords had their heads bowed down in thought; others kept glancing at each other as if trying to gauge one another's reactions. Pledu was scrutinizing him as if reassessing him.

To his surprise, it was Nik'wu that broke the silence. His gravelly tone was jolting to hear after such an extended period of silence. "You are young, Bez'yao, yet you speak with the wisdom of a man who is far older. But…" He trailed off. "You do not speak like a man who has seen wars and bloodshed." For a moment his eyes flickered darkly and a haunted expression swept over his features; Bez'yao could practically see the blood and turmoil that Nik'wu had seen reflected in his eyes. Then his face was stoic once more. "It is simple to say a noble speech; it is another thing to act on it."

"It was more than just a speech," Bez'yao argued heatedly. "If we all work together, we can take action and overthrow Walhart."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Pledu's voice was silky smooth. "As Lord Nik'wu commented, you are still young, I'm afraid, and you do not fully realize the implications of your so-called plan. We all wish we could overthrow Walhart – but how? I admire your hope and determination, truly, I do, but without some formation of a concrete plan nothing will ever happen."

Bez'yao was beginning to feel frustrated. He'd always known that the lords had thought less of him because of his age, but treating his age like it was an impediment was insulting! Why was it so difficult for them to understand the issues from his perspective?! "We already have a plan in place. Did I not say that Say'ri has gained the aid of the Shepherds? All of us must band together and join their rebellion!"

"It is not so simple." Pledu's voice was cold now; it held none of the patience from before. "Do you suggest we abandon our countries and our people to fight in a war we have no chance of winning?"

"We can't just whip out our swords and charge at Walhart," Demio added. "Perhaps that is how the people of Chon'sin like to handle things, but it is not how we in Scarlet Plium do." He stuck up his nose haughtily. Bez'yao twitched irritably.

"Perhaps because the good people of Scarlet Plium do not know how to use a sword," Nik'wu replied, a tad bitingly. "The only thing they know how to use is their mouths. And even then," he added, smirking wickedly, "it usually only gets them into trouble."

Bez'yao was so surprised he didn't even think to laugh. Pledu, along with a few others, surprised as they were, pealed into laughter. Demio's round face turned so red he looked rather like a tomato. "How dare you…!" he spluttered, raising a fat finger. "You best watch who you're speaking to, Nik'wu, else you might find yourself on the sharp end of a spear!"

The amusement died from the Chon'sin dyanst's eyes. His lips grew thin and his voice was dangerous as he asked, "Is that a threat, Demio?"

"Nay, 'tis a promise!" he replied heatedly, baring his teeth.

"Then perhaps," Nik'wu said slowly, standing up. "'Tis time you show me your skills in combat. Let us see if you truly do know how to handle a sword." He fingered the hilt of his own. All the color drained from Demio's face.

"Enough of this," Pledu snapped impatiently. "If you do not stop this childishness now, I will cut you both down myself." The two men glanced at each other like a pair of children who'd been caught by their mother. "Demio, you went too far by insulting the good people of Chon'sin and threatening your fellow lord. Nik'wu, I'm surprised to see you act like this. Usually you swat away Demio's insults away as if they are nothing more than flies. I expected more from you." She even sounded like a disappointed mother. Bez'yao bit his tongue to resist the urge to laugh. It was always quite the sight to see the older dynasts get lectured.

Nik'wu sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He sat back down. "You are right. My apologies. I lost my temper."

Pledu turned expectantly toward Demio. Grudgingly, the lord said, "And I am sorry for what I said. I too lost control of my temper."

"As you are too wont to do," muttered the lord to his right. Demio turned towards him quickly, but the lord coughed and feigned innocence.

"Now that that's settled," sighed Pledu, shifting around on her seat to find a more comfortable position. "Shall we continue?" She turned expectantly towards Bez'yao. He straightened, prepared to continue his argument to join the Resistance. It was going to be a long meeting.

Fort Steiger was a force to be reckoned with. Its walls seemed to extend into the sky itself. It was an intimidating structure, with its grand lookout posts and gloomy black gates that appeared to have been carved by an unnatural force of evil.

General Du'jao and his army waited for their scouts to return. The young recruits were uneasy and impatient; they walked around in circles with scowls on their youthful faces. Du'jao paid them no mind. His grey eyes were trained on the fort a mile ahead of them. Having been stationed in the fort many years back, he knew the terrain and interiors well. It was not as undefeatable as one would've imagined. Just like any fort, it had its weak spots.

A sudden hush fell among the group when the two scouts returned. Du'jao was pleased to see that they had been covert; he hadn't even noticed them until they came near. They were so far two of his best soldiers. Young as they were, they showed promise. One day they would make fine Commanders.

"General Du'jao, sir!" Kin'li put a fist to his chest in greeting. "We bring you news."

"Aye," said his counterpart, Seperna. She was not of Chon'sin, but Celcium, their neighboring country. "There are a number of lookouts on the posts and marching about the interior walls. There is a sense of unease in the air. Kin'li and I believe they are expecting an attack soon."

"Have you an idea how many soldiers they have?" Du'jao's voice was rough and gritty.

Seperna and Kin'li glanced at each other. "I'd wager around a hundred," replied Seperna. "But it's hard to tell, General. We didn't see the interiors, you see."

"I understand." He rubbed his white-whiskered chin thoughtfully. "Thank you both for scouting ahead. We needed this information." His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He began to pace around. "It seems that Lady Say'ri and the Shepherds have yet to arrive. We must decide whether we ought to wait for them or strike before them."

"I say we strike now!" said one of the recruits boldly. He was also of Celcium. "Begging your pardon, sir," he added, remembering his place. "But I see no point in waiting around. Should we not begin the assault now and make it easier for Lady Say'ri and her team once they arrive?"

"You see, soldier, the problem that we find ourselves in is that we do not know whether or not an army of our size can handle the size of the army within that fort." Du'jao paused in his pacing to squint out at the fort. "I do not wish to lose any of you in this attack simply because we could not hold out and wait for Lady Say'ri to arrive. If we put both of our forces together and then attack, we will suffer far less casualties, I'd imagine. She has an army of over a hundred, from what I hear. That doubles ours."

The recruit said nothing, mulling over these new revelations.

"But how will we know when Lady Say'ri arrives?" frowned Ken'li.

His question was answered when they heard the sound of battle cries off in the distance. Du'jao grinned. "It seems like our prayers have been answered! Quickly, everyone, we shall enter the fort from underground and take Walhart's puppets by surprise!"

~-x-~-x-~-x-~

That blasted Chon'sin wretch! If those damned soldiers had killed her at Valm Harbor, he wouldn't be facing the situation he was in now! Excellus's lips curled angrily as he watched the Shepherds take on Pheros's army. He'd heard tales of the might of the Ylissan army, and he saw it now as they advanced on the fort. Except he supposed he couldn't exactly call it a Ylissan army. There appeared to be some Feroxi and Chon'sin in the mix. What surprised him most, perhaps, were the two Dark Mages, both of whom were clearly Plegian. Why were they battling side by side with the Exalt of the country they so loathed? It was most curious.

"Sir Excellus!" a soldier came sprinting up to him, panting heavily. "We've news that there is movement underground! Another band of rebels are joining the fight!"

Excellus's eyes bulged, making him look like a toad. "What?! How have they penetrated the fort without our realizing it?!" He cursed and stomped a foot angrily. "Very well. I shall deal with them." He spun around and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing at the dungeons of the fort. He pressed himself against the wall and was silent. He could hear the patter of footsteps approaching. Then he drew himself to his full height and waited patiently until the rebels arrived. His lips curled into an amused smirk when the General came to a sudden halt before him. His lined face grew taut in surprise.

"Fie!" he shouted, pointing his drawn sword at Excellus. "Today is the day you meet your maker, fiend!"

Excellus laughed. "Actually, I have no intentions of meeting my maker any time soon. It is your wife and children who will soon be six feet under, General Du'jao, not me." He smirked widely when the General's face fell.

Then his face grew tight with anger. His grey eyes lit up like a fire. The scar that ran along the right side of his face almost appeared to pulsate with anger. "You dare threaten my family?!" he roared, stepping forward. He held a hand up to his troops, signaling them to stand back. Excellus could see that many of them were restless. They probably all wanted to barrel right through him and begin fighting. The bloodthirsty savages.

"I do," Excellus replied calmly. "In fact, I know the families of every member of your merry little band. It will not take me long to hunt each of them down and torture them until they beg for death. And I, being merciful, will of course grant their wish." His grin was wicked. Oh, how he loved to see the way the light died from his victims' eyes. It never failed to amuse him. And to think every word he uttered was a lie! Yet they were naïve enough to fall for his threat.

"You…you lie!" said one soldier, his voice shaking.

Excellus grinned terribly, amused by this pathetic attempt at bravery. "Would you like me to prove it to you?" The soldiers shifted uneasily. They were all young, and therefore even easier to sway. He could smell their fear. "I thought not. But fret not. We can make an arrangement." He licked his lips excitedly. "Your talent is wasted on this pitiful attempt at a rebellion. You could help us build an empire – an empire united under Walhart, all of us together as one Valmese nation. Do you not see what the future holds for us? Glory awaits, and it all begins when you support the empire!" He raised a clenched fist passionately.

The soldiers looked at each other unsurely. Was what this man said the truth? Had they been fighting for the wrong cause?

"…You dare suggest we betray our countries, our people?" Du'jao's voice was soft and deadly. He slowly began to close in on Excellus. "You think that Walhart will unite us? You're a fool, mage, as foolish as every coward who supports Walhart."

Excellus's lips curled in anger. "How dare you insult me?!" he growled. "I offer you and your family a chance to live, yet you blatantly disrespect me and my offer! Your pride will be the death of you, old man! And of your family!"

"A man is as good as dead when he forgets his values, when he does not stay true to himself." His voice carried through the chamber strong and true. It was having an effect on the soldiers; they bristled and stood taller, their eyes gleaming with pride. "We men of Chon'sin…we stay true to ourselves, to our countries, to our rulers, until our dying breath. I shall sooner take my own life than betray my Lady Say'ri.

"You see, fiend, you made a terrible miscalculation when you tried to threaten me." He smiled ruefully. "You did not realize that there are people who are willing to give up their lives for their country. That is what drives this Resistance. It is what drives myself and this army." There were nods and murmurs of agreement from the soldiers. Du'jao's inspirational words had reminded them why they had joined the Resistance. Walhart did not offer them freedom; nay, he offered them shackles.

"But your family–" attempted Excellus again, but Du'jao was quick to silence him.

"Is safe from harm's way. The words you speak are nothing but empty lies. Your promises offer us nothing but false hope. And death."

Excellus knew he was in deep trouble. Nothing he said now could sway the minds of Du'jao or his army. The blasted General had seen right through him! And now, as the army closed in on him, he knew he could not possibly attempt to take them all out on his own.

"You're a pitiful excuse for a man – or a woman?" A slight frown creased Du'jao's features. Excellus gasped furiously. "A human being," he decided. "And I will have no regrets taking your life."

When he raised his sword he was blasted off his feet by the force of Excellus's attack. He stumbled down into Ken'li's arms.

"You will regret the day you dare defied Excellus!" the sage cried in a shrill tone, his eyes alight with indignant fury. Then he twirled on the spot and disappeared in a cloud of smoke just as an arrow passed through it.

"What sorcery is this?!" cried Seperna, her eyes bulging. She rushed to the spot where her arrow had fallen. "He disappeared into thin air!" She moved her hands through the empty space Excellus had occupied only seconds before.

"He must have used a powerful dark magic." Du'jao regained his full height, turning to his army. "Let him flee like the coward he is. If there are any of you who wish to join him, now is your chance." Nobody moved. His soldiers stared back at him with determination gleaming in their eyes. Du'jao couldn't help but smile proudly. They were putting their lives on the line in the hope of not Walhart's demise, but for a new tomorrow. He thought of his family, of his newborn grandson he hadn't even met. It was for them, and for his country, that he fought. "Come, let us show these Ylissans how we men and women of Valm fight."

~-x-~-x-~-x-~

Say'ri ducked the swing of an axe. Simultaneously she swung her sword upward, grimacing as she felt it cut through flesh and bone. The enemy axman wailed in pain and horror while Say'ri swiftly rolled over to her side, narrowly avoiding the falling axe and splattering of blood. She crinkled her nose at the sight of the dead, bloodied hand lying feet away from her.

Quickly she got to her feet. The axman paid her no mind; his horrified expression was glued to the bleeding lump that was once his hand. Say'ri swiftly completed her kill. The enemy had barely had time to lament the loss of his hand before his life, too, was taken from him. Pitifully Say'ri watched the man drop to the floor.

"It is a shame," she sighed, wiping the blood off her sword, "to kill a fellow Valmese. If only you had sided with us instead of Walhart."

Death was a part of war, she knew (she knew this all too well, in fact), and war was necessary to fight back against evil, but it never made it an easier to take another's life. She had to constantly remind herself that the blood they shed on the battlefield was to avoid the blood on the streets.

"Lady Say'ri!" Her head turned towards the sound of her name. Fet'mie was riding towards her. There was something in her tone and the hurriedness of her galloping that alerted Say'ri. Quickly she moved towards her, meeting her halfway.

"What is it, Fet'mie?" she asked when her knight came to a skidding halt before her. Fet'mie was breathless and her hair was in disarray, but her eyes were glittering animatedly.

"I've received word from Lord Chrom," she gasped, a slight grin tugging at her lips, "that our reinforcements have arrived." She broke out in a full-out grin now. "Our brethren from the Resistance await your command!" She extended a hand towards her lady.

Say'ri grinned back. Here she'd been dreading bad news, but nay, this was fantastic news! "I knew they would not fail us!" After sheathing her sword, she took Fet'mie's outstretched hand and easily swung up behind her on her horse. Fet'mie quickly turned them around and headed towards the reinforcements. Soon enough they saw the army. Say'ri's heart leapt in excitement and pride to see her fellow Valmese-in-arms (as much as she was forever grateful for Chrom and his army of Ylissans, it just wasn't the same as fighting alongside her fellow Valmese, her kin). They gasped and murmured excitedly when they caught sight of Say'ri. Then, remembering their positions, quickly stood at attention and hailed her in greeting.

At the head of the forces was a familiar face. Although Du'jao had spent most of his life as a knight of Chon'sin, very little of that time had been spent under the roof of the castle – his specialty was in leading elite bands of knights on foreign missions – and Say'ri had known very little about him until they had joined forces for the Resistance. He had been one of the leading figures in the movement. He had not only led bands of armies, but he had helped recruit and retain them. Many nights they had stayed up together, formulating plans and strategies to take down Walhart and how to best use their forces. She may not have known him her whole life like some other military leaders she had grown up beside (Fet'mie, for instance, although no General, she had grown up with), but his dedication to the Resistance, as well as to Chon'sin and to her, had proved his worth to her. He was somebody she knew she could trust and depend on.

He had been speaking with Robin when Say'ri arrived. He smiled broadly upon catching sight of his Lady. "Lady Say'ri and Lady Fet'mie," he greeted, bowing deeply. "It does me good to see you both well."

Say'ri leaped down Fet'mie horse. She smiled warmly. "And I you." In a comradely yet warm gesture she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It has not been the same without you, my friend."

He bowed his head humbly. "I share the same sentiments, milady."

"I have done my best to keep milady from harm's way, as promised, General," Fet'mie chirped brightly. Her lips twitched slightly in amusement when Say'ri threw her a look. "Not that milady needed my assistance," she added duly, "as she is very capable of fending for herself."

Du'jao chuckled. "No truer words have been spoken, Fet'mie." His eyes twinkled in amusement. "Yet even Lady Say'ri needed a comrade to rely on, and you have indeed, as promised, returned her safe to us. I thank you for this."

Fet'mie's eyes sparkled with pride and she bowed her head respectfully at the compliment.

"Now." Du'jao suddenly became business-like. He practically commanded authority as he raised his chin, his eyes hardening. "We have much to discuss, milady, but we best save it for another time. We still have a battle we must help you end." He unsheathed his sword; the silver glinted in the light. He stared expectantly at Say'ri. "Your orders, milady?"

Say'ri couldn't help but smirk slightly. She turned towards Robin, who had, out of respect, stayed silent during the reunion. "I may be the leader of the Resistance, Du'jao, but under the Shepherds I am but a guest." She nodded at Robin. "It is Lord Robin who directs the army, and it is his commands you shall heed." She unsheathed her sword. "Tell us, Lord Tactician, what orders have you for us?"

It fell silent as every head turned expectantly towards him. Robin appeared uncomfortable to have so much weight and responsibility thrust upon him; he chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. Du'jao seemed surprised. He regained his composure a moment later, however, and nodded respectfully at Robin. If his Lady placed her trust in this man, then so did he.

Robin grinned after a moment, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I thought you'd never ask."

So much for completing this chapter before the end of winter break! I have struggled a lot with this chapter before finally coming to terms what I wanted out of it. I said in an earlier that I would dive deeper into the Resistance, and so I have. I always found it strange how the Valmese nobles suddenly got together and rebelled after Yen'fay's death, so I added some realism into the plot by making it more gradual. I also threw in some nobles from countries other than Chon'sin - these countries are never even mentioned in the game, I believe, but there's more to Valm than Chon'sin and the Dukedom of Roseanne!

Also, Du'jao and his army are actually the rebel reinforcements that, in the game (Chapter 17, which is the chapter that corresponds to this one) betrayed Say'ri and instead fought against her instead of with her. As you read, I tweaked the chapter so that they didn't fall for Excellus's threats and instead stuck it through with Say'ri. This is a fairly minor change, but you'll soon see me changing the plot more and more as we go along. Some of it will be due to Nyphurri directly changing the plot for the story, some of it is just me disagreeing with the game's plot and changing it to make better sense. You can see some of my disapprovements echoed by Nyphurri's thoughts (for example, I thought it unrealistic that the two Khans would up and leave their entire kingdom so that they could go battle Walhart. Um, who's watching your people?) and I will attempt to put a more 'realistic' spin on the game plot. You've already seen these realistic spins through the Grimleal Council, the cultural differences between different nationalities, and just now from the Valmese meeting.

Whew, that was a super long author's note. Thanks again for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing my story! Until next time!