"Nyahaha! You can't run forever, my little friend!" Henry watched in amusement as an enemy myrmidon continuously dodged his attacks, looking rather like an erratic puppet whose puppeteer was still trying to master the art. He enjoyed battling living beings far more than battling Risen. People actually bled! And they were so much more unpredictable, too. It made the battle even more exciting! Unfortunately, his fun didn't last long, because a Flux attack that was not his slammed into the myrmidon. The myrmidon hit the ground and had barely lifted a finger when the next attack rendered him lifeless. Henry frowned and turned towards Tharja. She met his gaze coolly. "Hey! That was my kill!"

She scoffed. "You were taking too long. Don't you know you're not supposed to play with your food?"

Henry pouted. "I always play with my food before I eat it! It makes the meal more enjoyable!"

Tharja rolled her eyes impatiently and brushed passed him. "I have neither time nor desire to hear about your freakish fantasies."

"Like you're one to talk about freakish desires!" retorted Henry with a giggle. Tharja frowned at him in confusion. "You're the one with the unhealthy obsession with Robin!"

A light blush tinged the female mage's pale features. "The relationship I have with Robin is far from unhealthy," she huffed indignantly.

Henry laughed harder, much to her irritation. "Relationship? It seems a little one-sided, dontchya think?" He cocked his head to the side, his lips set in that damningly irritating smile. Tharja had half a mind to hex it off. "Because it seems to me Robin avoids you as much as possible. Sorry to break it to yah, Tharja, but I don't think he feels the same way about you as you do about him." He didn't seem the least bit sorry, however, smiling still. Tharja wanted to smack him. How dare he spout such lies?! Her relationship with Robin was not one-sided!

"You are most certainly the last person in this army who ought to be offering me relationship advice," scoffed Tharja, her brows furrowing angrily. Her fingers flexed over her tome. "The only people you're involved with are the dead!" She paused and added as an afterthought, "And crows. But they're not even people!"

"That's because crows and animals are way nicer than people!" Henry pointed out with a raised finger, seeming to completely miss her insult. "Did I ever tell you about the wolf that raised me?"

"What?" She shook her head at the sudden change in topic, trying to gather her bearings. "No, I – urgh, stop distracting me, Henry!" she snapped angrily. "We're in the middle of a battle!" She gestured around her at the clanging of weapons and screams of pain. She hated being paired with Henry because he always made her lose track of her surroundings. She needed to find Robin after the battle and tell him to never pair the two up again. And while she was at it, perhaps she could manage to swipe a strand of Robin's hair…

"Oops!" giggled Henry. "Sorry! Let's save the story for another time, then!"

She grimaced. She was not looking forward to it. But at least it shut him up for now.

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

Sully scowled and let out an irritated huff. That damned knight had off and disappeared again! How was it that a man dressed in ridiculously bulky armor could sashay his way around battles and become invisible to the eyes of both enemies and allies? She should've been able to see him a mile away! But, once again, she'd lost track of him. It could be a bit of a pain being paired with him in battles.

"Kellam!" she shouted impatiently. "Where did you go?!"

"I'm right here!" came a meek voice from somewhere. Just where, she had no idea. Up, down, right or left, she didn't see the knight anywhere. Perfect timing, too, since there were three enemies on horseback riding towards her now.

"I guess I'll have to do this myself." She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on her lance. She ushered her steed forward, heading towards the man on the right. It was then that she saw he yielded a bow and arrow. She cursed her luck and made a tight turn, narrowly avoiding the arrow that had been aimed at her throat. Unfortunately, this sudden maneuver caused her to whirl into the horseman on the far left; she realized her mistake when she felt his sword slice through her side. She swore and quickly defended the next attack. The two other horsemen closed in on her and with a sinking heart she realized what a fool she'd been to think she could take them all on her own.

But she wasn't alone. A javelin whistled through the air and hit the middle horseman square in the chest. His armor took the damage, but he still reeled back in pain. Sully had never been happier to see Kellam before when she saw the knight seemingly materialize by her side.

"There you are!" she cried out as she dug her lance into the opponent's leg. "I've been looking all over for yah!"

"I've been here this entire time!" His voice was both indignant and wounded. He would never understand how people failed to notice his presence.

"Eh, no matter!" Sully replied, oblivious that she'd offended him. She grinned when the enemy she'd been battling fell, and she turned to quickly help Kellam take on the others. "You're here now, and that's what matters! Let's kick some Valmese ass!"

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

Nyphurri cursed herself for not pairing up with Gaius and opening the chests in the fort with him. Aye, she would've given up some of her pride and pretend to be a thief for a day in order to get out of this Gods awful situation. She wasn't sure who she disliked most at the moment: Lord Robin, Vaike, or Panne. She was annoyed with Robin because she had placed her in this awful situation to begin with – who in Grima's name thought it would be good for a Warrior, Taguel, and assassin to fight side by side?! Perhaps she wouldn't have minded much if the Warrior wasn't as dim-witted and crass as the one she was paired with. Not to mention egotistical. The man referred to himself as 'Teach'. Clearly somebody needed to teach him some manners.

As for the Taguel, if the fact that she was a Taguel wasn't enough, the beast had an attitude of superiority, as if she thought she was better than Nyphurri. Hah! Nyphurri would've liked to laugh in Panne's face. The Taguel was beneath her – she wasn't even human! Gods, she hated staring at the wretched beast. When she had transformed from her "human" form (if one could call it that) to her "beast" form (or natural state, as Nyphurri preferred to call it), Nyphurri had had half a mind to stick an arrow in her and call her supper for the night!

"Does my appearance displease you?" came a cool voice from Nyphurri's left. She gritted her teeth and faced Panne. The Taguel's eyes were as cool and calm as its voice. Not an emotion was betrayed.

Nay, your existence displeases me! "Whatever makes you say that?" Nyphurri asked instead, blatantly not answering the question.

"The look on your face," she said simply. "And your…aura. I can sense unease and anger from you whenever you look at me."

Hah! So it could smell her dislike! "I know not what you mean." She forced a smile on her face. "If I've done anything to offend you, Lady Panne, please forgive me. I am not the best at expressing my emotions, you see, and so I may have insulted you somehow without even realizing it." She thought she answered quite diplomatically, with a reasonable excuse. She was feeling rather cocky until Panne blinked and deadpanned,

"You're lying."

The smile slipped off Nyphurri's face. A flash of impatience and anger passed through her eyes. Then she pulled another smile, though this time it was tight and one of warning. "Funny. You're the second person in this army who's accused me of being a liar." She recalled Frederick's distrusting eyes. "Pray tell, do you also believe all Plegians to be sadistic?" She again tried to divert Panne's attention into another conversation. Unlike the Warrior, however, she was not as simple-minded.

"It is not I who has an issue with you. I care not whether you are Plegian or Valmese; you humans are all the same to me." Nyphurri's lips drew into a thin line. She did not the like the way the Taguel referred to them as 'you humans'. She sounded as if she was talking about a species of animals (when in fact the only animal here was her). "It is you who has an issue with me. And you skirt around the issue, pretending to be ignorant. I am no fool. I'd rather you admit your hatred of Taguels than insult my intelligence by pretending otherwise." Her voice was hard now and her eyes dangerous. There was pride in the way she carried itself, with her high chin and straightened shoulders. She was not ashamed of being a Taguel, nay, but proud of her kind. (Though Nyphurri didn't understand what she could possibly be proud of. The Taguels have always been nothing but a nuisance, demanding equal rights as humans and initiating wars. If you asked her, they got what they deserved.) For the briefest of moments Nyphurri wondered if this was how she'd appeared to the Ylissan knight when she'd defended herself and her profession.

To her great relief, she did not have to reply to Panne. Vaike's scream of pain caught both of their attention. Panne was transforming into her beast form while Nyphurri dashed towards her injured comrade.

"Stay down, Vaike!" Nyphurri demanded, forgetting formalities in the heat of the moment. She flung one of her daggers at the enemy Hero, but because she'd shouted he'd seen her coming; he easily blocked the attack with his shield. She cursed herself. She should've known better than to give away her position. But the blasted Warrior had tried to stand up when half his arm was practically cut off!

The enemy moved forward to finish off Vaike, but when he saw Panne bounding towards him he quickly changed position. He raised his shield to meet Panne's claw as she brought it down towards him. The two began to circle each other, Panne's long ears twitching. Nyphurri thought it was best to leave the enemy up to her. She went running to Vaike's aid.

"It's fine," Vaike muttered when Nyphurri slid to a halt by him. She knelt to his level. "Just a li'l scratch…" Though his words were nonchalant, his breaths were ragged and his face was pale and sweaty.

His injury was certainly no scratch. His wrist was nearly severed from the rest of his arm; she could see the raw flesh and muscles struggling to stick together. Blood was heavily flowing from the wound, leaking all over the floor.

"We need a healer," she replied seriously. "My tonic will do you no good." She dragged him towards the wall, away from the fighting. She stood and glanced around unsurely. She wasn't sure where Lissa, Libra, or Maribelle were. And even if she did, she couldn't just leave Vaike lying here, completely vulnerable to attacks.

"…Up…there…" grunted Vaike. Nyphurri frowned at him. Was he hallucinating? Did he think Naga was descending from the Heavens to put his body into an eternal slumber? Certainly the injury was grave, but it was not a matter of life or death! "Cordelia…"

Nyphurri glanced up and saw not Naga but a Pegasus knight flying above them. She waved a hand in the air and shouted at her. "Cordelia!" She glanced back at Vaike to see if this was what he'd meant, and he nodded weakly at her.

Said Pegasus knight made her descent from the sky. She was a pretty lass, with long red hair that was held back by a rather stylish wing. Her face was surprisingly serious and solemn for one so young.

"Yes?" She regarded Nyphurri with a questioning raise of the brow.

"Sir Vaike has been injured." Nyphurri stepped aside so that Cordelia could see the Warrior sitting on the floor behind her. The Pegasus knight gasped. "We need you to send word to one of the healers immediately."

Cordelia, however, jumped down from her Pegasus and rummaged through her bag on its side. Nyphurri frowned. She hadn't seemed like the kind of woman to disobey orders, let alone when the situation was clearly dire.

"No need for that, Lady Nyphurri." Cordelia turned to face her with a healing staff in her hand. She offered Nyphurri a hurried yet charming smile as she rushed to Vaike's side. "You've got a healer right here." So she too had the power to heal.

"Begging your pardon," Nyphurri replied, realizing how rude she must've seemed. "I didn't know–"

Cordelia waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I'm still learning the ways of healing – I can barely call myself a healer! I will patch Vaike up to the best of my abilities, and then we'll have one of the more seasoned healers check up on him later. If you could just keep watch over us while I heal him, I would appreciate it."

"Of course."

She stood watch over the two. Panne was still battling the Hero. She seemed to have sustained a few injuries in the process; parts of her fur were covered in blood. Apparently he was quite the formidable foe. Nyphurri very well would've liked to test her skills with him. She twirled a dagger in her hand, wondering if she ought to try going for his back. It would be a risky move because he was moving about so much. She could accidentally hit Panne. But what did she care about the Taguel? This may have been her only choice to inflict harm on her and pretend that it was an accident. Brightened by her idea, she took aim at the Hero's spine in an attempt to paralyze him.

Then she suddenly turned to her right and threw her dagger at the Dark Mage who had been taking aim at her. Her dagger hit his spell book, causing his black ball of magic to vanish. He cursed at her in Valmese, but unfortunately for him, Nyphurri, having lived in Valm for a few years, knew a good amount of Valmese. Her expression darkened. But before she could release her wrath on him, his expression suddenly stiffened. He glanced down at the sword protruding from his chest. Then, when the sword was pulled back out of him, he hit the floor, a pool of blood forming around his lifeless form.

"That's no way to talk to a lady," Gaius tutted, shaking his head as he stared down at the life he'd just taken. "Really. He should've known better than that." He grinned charmingly at Nyphurri.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You know Valmese?"

He pursed his lips. "Didn't think I was so cultured, huh? I'll have you know, Nyph, there's more to me than meets the eye." He paused and added, "Though I know you seem to enjoy what you see, too." He winked and grinned mischievously.

Nyph was the nickname Gaius had dedicated to her, along with the occasional 'cupcake' (he usually only called her that when he was flirting with her or teasing). The man had a nickname for every person in the camp. Hers was simply a shortened version of her name, while others were named based off their personality or looks ("Blue" was about as unoriginal as it got). She supposed it was a sort of rite of passage into the Shepherds, at least from Gaius's perspective, so it didn't bother her much. Plus she preferred Nyph over cupcake anytime of the day.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. Though she did think Gaius was rather attractive, she would never admit it to him, jokingly or not. She decided to ignore his last comment and replied instead, "Forgive me. Not many Ylissans seem to know other languages, so I was surprised you could speak another." It was the truth. Ylissans were ignorant when it came to the customs and cultures of other nations; they were so caught up with their own affairs, arrogant as they were, that they failed to notice that there were people in the world aside from themselves. (Not that Plegians were much better.)

"But I'm not your average Ylissan, now, am I?" He grinned easily as he swept past her. "Like you, I've seen my fair share of the world." He winked. "Don't underestimate me, cupcake. I'm more cultured than you think."

"I don't think cultured is the correct term," she teased. "It would be more accurate to say that you've been arrested more often than I realized." That was why he had traveled to different lands, she was sure: to escape the authorities. He was a thief, after all. Thieves always had to be on the move if they didn't want to get caught. They were similar to assassins in that sense. An assassin-for-hire could never stay in one place for too long, lest they wanted to send themselves to an early grave.

He had the sense to appear offended. "It would be more accurate to say that I've escaped arrest more often than you've realized," he corrected, tutting at her. "Probably more often than you," he added as a playful insult.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "You're probably right." She grinned at his look of surprise. "The authorities have rarely ever caught wind of me, so I've seldom had the need to escape from them with my tail between my legs like a frightened pup." Or a Taguel. Her lips curled up in amusement and her dark eyes glittered with humor.

"I do not run away from them like a frightened pup," Gaius sniffed indignantly. "Come on an excavation with me one day, and I'll show you just how I do my job." He grinned. "Let's call it a date." He winked and laughed at her look of incredulity. Then he whisked himself away before she could vehemently reply. She sighed and rubbed her temple, shaking her head. Sometimes that thief gave her a headache.

"So you and Gaius, huh?" Vaike placed his arm on top of Nyphurri's shoulder. She jolted at the sudden contact. Then, upon regaining her senses, she scowled and shoved off his arm. It appeared that Cordelia had finished healing him; his arm was intact again. Now she was healing Panne. The Taguel had finally finished off the Hero.

Nyphurri gritted her teeth. "One more jest like that, Sir Vaike, and Lady Cordelia's work will be all for naught."

By the time Vaike fully understood her threat she had disappeared.

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

It had been many, many years since Du'jao had taken orders on the battlefield. For the past two decades, it had been he who had directed his militias to battle. It was strange taking orders again; he felt rather like a young knight on his first mission. Stranger still was taking orders from someone whom he had met less than an hour ago. Although he had first felt awkward and out of his element, when it came time to draw his sword and fight the blasted Valmese terrorists he quickly found his rhythm. During the battle, he also encountered and fought alongside other members of the Ylissan army. From what he'd gathered, they were all kind and good people. Not that it surprised him, of course; they had, after all, offered their aid to his Lady Say'ri and her people. But observing their kindness firsthand reassured him that Lady Say'ri had made the correct decision by asking for their help.

The Shepherds worked well together, as any army should. It was clear to him how much they trusted each other, and especially how much faith they placed in Lord Robin to direct them in battle. He was impressed by the lad. Despite his youth, he was a good commander and a skilled leader. There was something naturally trusting about him – whether it was his warm brown eyes or his soft smile, he seemed to put people at ease. Then there was Lord Chrom, fierce and bold, yet kind and understanding. The two seemed to balance each other very well. They made a good team.

He did notice, however, some characteristics of their party that bothered him. First and foremost, there was far too much informality. The Lord Tactician and Lord Exalt were referred to by their first names; their honorifics were ignored. In Chon'sin, titles and statuses were extremely important. He couldn't even imagine calling Lady Say'ri as Say'ri – it would've been an insult! In a similar train of thought, he also found it very odd that Lord Chrom was married to a commoner. Lady Sumia was very pretty and sweet, there was no doubt, and Du'jao was certain she was a good person, but at the end of the day she was a commoner. Though he knew little about the culture and customs of the Ylissan continent, he doubted it was the norm to marry someone of a lower status, especially when it came to royalty. He had never heard of a person of royalty marry for love. In Chon'sin – like other countries – one always married out of political purposes and to preserve the blood line. Love was not even considered. It was an added benefit, of course, if you ended up falling in love with your spouse. But that rarely ever happened. More often than not, it was a sort of platonic love the rulers would develop. The late King Meng'shai and Queen Rey'lin (Naga rest their souls) had been one of the few exceptions. Although they'd married for political purposes – in fact, their marriage was part of the reason Chon'sin had avoided another civil war – the two had ended up falling in love, and it was a well-known fact to the kingdom. But he had never heard of a situation like Lord Chrom and Lady Sumia's. The Ylissans certainly did have their peculiarities.

The battle soon came to an end, the Shepherds the victors. Du'jao stood by quietly as he listened to the lords and his Lady discuss their next steps. Lord Robin wanted to send a smaller force to meet Walhart in the north, while the rest of the army would continue south. The two Khans of Regna Ferox had volunteered to take on this mission. (The Feroxi really were as foolhardy as they'd been rumored to be.)

Du'jao could remain quiet no longer. He had to stop them before making these foolish plans concrete. He cleared his throat. "If I may, my lords?"

Robin smiled and nodded. "Yes, Du'jao?"

He ignored the informality with which Robin had addressed him. "I do not think it is a wise decision to send both Khans to meet Walhart. It seems…" He struggled to find the appropriate word. Tactless or reckless would be considered too offensive. "Risky."

"Risky?" scoffed Basilio. "Life is fraught with risk, my good man! We cannot live our lives in fear because we are afraid of a little risk!"

Du'jao would've liked to rub his eyes and sigh. Did the Khan not understand? Should both Khans fall in battle to Walhart, it would create a messy situation in their country. Why was it that he realized this implication but they could not? Perhaps, he thought shrewdly, they had had one too many knocks on the head. "That is not what I meant, Khan Basilio. I simply do not think it wise. Lest you have successors in mind, I would advise against this decision."

Lady Say'ri understood first, unsurprisingly, and she raised her eyebrows at Du'jao's rather bold implication. Then her brows furrowed thoughtfully.

"You have that little faith in us, do yah?" boomed Basilio once he understood what the Chon'sin was saying. "I'll have you know, I will not fall so easily in battle! No matter what your little future foreseer says," he added when Chrom opened his mouth.

Du'jao resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He felt as if he was talking to a child. Why must this man be so oblivious and stubborn?! "It is not that I have little faith in you, milord. I am merely putting all things into consideration and placing them into perspective."

"…He might have a point," Flavia admitted. Her shoulders sagged, ashamed of her admittance. Basilio did a double take, staring at her as if seeing her for the first time. "Don't look at me like that, oaf!" she snapped, the fire returning to her eyes. "We must consider the consequences of our actions. They affect more than just ourselves – we have to think not only about the Shepherds but also our people."

Flavia, it seemed, was more levelheaded than Basilio. And hearing her answer seemed to pacify the one-eyed Khan. He grew silent in thought.

"If I may make a suggestion?" Du'jao asked softly. All heads turned towards him expectantly. "My army and I can accompany Khan Basilio to battle Walhart. This way, you still receive additional support, only from myself instead of Khan Flavia."

Another thoughtful silence followed. "I have to say, I prefer that idea over our initial one," Robin said. "You would also be able to provide an advantage because you are familiar with the landscape; you could guide Basilio better than Flavia could. We would still have Say'ri, so we've no worries on our end when we meet Yen'fay." Both Say'ri and Du'jao stiffened at the mention of the King's name.

"I agree." Chrom nodded. "I think it would be best if Flavia stays with us and Du'jao and Basilio head north."

Basilio clapped his hands together. "It's settled, then! Apologies for my earlier remarks, Du'jao." He grinned easily and clamped a hand on the General's shoulder. "I took it more personally than I should've."

Du'jao bowed his head. It seemed to him that Khan Basilio was quick to anger and quick to subdue. "There is no need for apologies, milord. I understand completely. We Chon'sin are a prideful lot ourselves." The corner of his lips curled upwards. Say'ri chuckled softly.

"At least that's one thing the Feroxi and Chon'sin seem to have in common," chortled Basilio. "Your plan is a good one, and I look forward to battling by your side. And besides," he added, elbowing Du'jao jokingly, "I would much rather have your company over this vixen's any day of the week." He stuck a thumb out towards Flavia's direction.

Flavia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I feel sorry for the General. He's going to have more trouble with you than Walhart!" Basilio scowled and fiercely retorted. The two continued to bicker with one another. Du'jao was rather amused. The two acted like rivaling siblings, always heckling one another. One would find it hard to believe that they competed for the throne on an annual basis. They were on far too friendly terms.

"Are you certain about this, Du'jao?" It was his Lady Say'ri who spoke, and there was concern in her voice, but not a trace of doubt. "You do not have to do this."

He smiled and bowed his head. It was so very like his Lady to be looking out for her people. Though it was not always obvious, she did have a soft, caring side to her. "Aye, milady, I am certain. We are in this war together, comrades united by a single cause, and so I shall aid in whatever manner I can." His smile softened. "Though I do regret that I cannot be by your side when you…" He struggled to the find the right phrasing. "Make peace with your brother."

A torrent of emotions crossed her face. Obviously, she was conflicted with the battle that was to inevitably come. He pitied her – for who would want to ever raise her blade against her sibling? – and placed a hand gently upon her shoulder. Although she was and would always be his liege, his superior, he couldn't help but feel a fatherly protection towards her. Noble as may have been, she was still young. Too young to be burdened with all this responsibility. She didn't deserve any of it. Yet she'd pushed through all the pain and sacrifice without complaint. Aye, she may have been young, but she was a young woman who was capable of so very much. She was risking her life for the Resistance, for Valm, for Chon'sin, for her people. But now, as he saw a rare flicker of fear and unease in her eyes, he was reminded of her fragility.

"You are strong, milady," he murmured, "and I have no doubt you will make the right choice." His soft smile was a rare sight. His eyes crinkled warmly. He squeezed her shoulder gently.

Say'ri's heart clenched. He reminded her so very much of her father in that moment. "…Thank you, my friend." Her smile was small, but the hand she placed over his was warm. "It is a shame we have been reunited only to be separated again."

"Aye, a shame indeed," he agreed. "But worry not, milady." His smile was reassuring. "We shall see one another again soon. This I vow to you."

"Promise me you'll come back home."

"You have my word."

Say'ri shivered despite herself. She had heard one too many vows that had been broken in the past few months. Knowing he had seen the fear flicker across her face, she forced a smile on her face, trying to reassure him. "Until then, Du'jao, I wish you and your army the best of the luck with Walhart. May Naga bless your journey."

He took a step back and bowed deeply. "And She yours, milady."

Yup, another filler chapter. I'm not even sorry about it. A good chunk of this I actually wrote for the last chapter but I decided not to include it and focused solely on the Resistance instead. I didn't want to just get rid of this material so decided to just add in an additional chapter for the battle. Just a chance for some character interaction, with special focus on Nyphurri and Panne. Yes, Nyphurri discriminates against Panne, like most people would. Sorry to break it to you, but not everyone is going to treat a Taguel as kindly as the Shepherds do. It's a rough world out there.

Thank you, Raffie13035, for your reviews as per usual, among my other readers as well! I have about half of the next chapter written out already but am not sure when I'm going to publish it. (Hey, don't look at me like that. I have final exams and papers to study for/work on!) Until next time!