Chapter 28

The Night Before Castle Plegia

"Alright, Shepherds, listen up!" Robin called out to the assembled soldiers. The Shepherds, having gathered together at Chrom's order, were milling about and talking amongst themselves, but the idle chatter ceased almost immediately at Robin's call. "Tomorrow, we enter Castle Plegia and rescue the Exalt!"

Walter looked up at the Plegian capital, looming over them several miles away. They were taking shelter on a farm on the outskirts of the capital at the end of their month-long march, being sheltered by one of the few families sympathetic to Ylisseans (a rare find this close to Gangrel's seat of power), but could still see the tremendous castle in the distance. It was a grim, foreboding sight; the original Castle Plegia, a beautiful monument and a testament to true Plegian architecture, had been razed to rubble by General Thorne in the last war. When it had been rebuilt, it had been designed for maximum defense, with nearly no thought spared for aesthetics. It was a dark, foreboding fortress, surrounded on all sides by incredibly high, thick walls that Walter doubted even a day's constant mortar barrage could break. Even beyond the walls, however, he could see what looked to be a sort of odd skull, and more bones of some sort. According to legend, that was the skeleton of the Fell Dragon Grima, which Chrom's ancestor has slain a thousand years ago. Walter found himself hoping that it was simply exaggeration; if those bones were truly those of a dragon, said dragon would be the size of a mountain!

"This is our plan," Robin continued, drawing Walter's gaze back to the briefing. "General Thorne and the Ylissean Army are less than a day's march behind us, and making good time; Gangrel was either unprepared for such a straightforward march, and struggling to mobilize his troops to counter us…or he's letting us charge into a trap." Robin sighed. "To be honest, I'm expecting the latter, and will make no claims that this plan is foolproof, or that it will even survive once we reveal ourselves, but this is the plan nonetheless: We will infiltrate the spectators for Emmeryn's execution, kill or disable all aerial units and archers in the area, and send our Pegasus knights-" he gestured to Captain Phila, Sumia, and Cordelia- "in to rescue the Exalt. Once she's been rescued, we will flee the city in all haste, hopefully underneath the cover of General Thorne's siege. Are there any questions?"

Walter tuned out of the briefing after that; he had already been briefed ahead of time. He knew the Exalt was to be pushed from the very skull he could see from here, he knew the parts they were all to play. What concerned Walter was what was to occur afterwards.

Chrom had lost all faith and trust in General Thorne. Even with the Shepherds giving the Plegian civilians time to flee, General Thorne had leveled every oasis village in his path on his way to the capital, occupied or not. Dozens of villages were irreparably ruined due to the man's brutality, whatever villagers that elected to remain behind were dead. Chrom did not trust General Thorne to retreat when they had rescued the Exalt, so consumed was he in his lust for violence, and so he had asked this of Walter: to link up with the Army after the Exalt's rescue, and ensure Thorne complied with the order; by force if needed. And if General Thorne resisted violently, then Walter was to ensure that he was…removed from his position.

The very thought of it turned Walter's stomach. He was little better than an assassin in waiting; he himself doubted General Thorne would do anything but attempt to raze Castle Plegia once more, making the outcome seem all but absolute. But Prince Chrom had asked it of him, and he had sworn to serve the Prince. This meant even following orders he found…unconscionable. He just hoped this was the only such order he would receive from the Prince; the boy wasn't like this before, this… cold. Ruthless even. He prayed this was just a temporary shift in personality, a reaction to the necessities of war.

"Is there nothing else?" Robin asked the crowd as the last question was answered. "No? Alright then. Make sure you all get some rest tonight; we will need it tomorrow." With that, Robin and Chrom walked away, talking in low voices, and the Shepherds dispersed.

Walter walked forward, however; he wished to speak with Captain Phila about tomorrow. She was standing with the other Pegasus knights, discussing tomorrow's mission (though why were they laughing so much about it, and why was Phila blushing so furiously?), when he arrived within speaking distance.

"Captain Phila," Walter said loudly enough to get her attention. The Captain turned, raising an eyebrow in wordless question. The other two began giggling, causing a small frown to appear on Walter's face. "I wish to examine your injuries one last time."

"You won't pull me off of this mission, will you?" Phila asked worriedly.

"I will if I must," Walter answered honestly, causing Phila to frown angrily and open her mouth. He held a hand out, however, and she kept her peace. "However, your injuries seem to have healed quite well, all things considered. I would like to examine them again, but I do not think keeping you out of the mission will be necessary."

Phila sighed in relief. "Very well then. I will meet you at my tent shortly." Walter nodded in acceptance as she walked away.

"You really care about her, don't you Walter?" Sumia asked, with a curious grin on her face. "You spend so much of your time worrying about her wounds."

Walter was nonplussed."Of course. She is my patient, and my oaths as a healer demand such concern. Beyond that, she is an outstanding member of Ylisse's military, having dedicated to her life to defending the halidom, and deserves the best treatment I can provide."

"I see," Sumia answered, giggling a little. "Well, I think it's very touching, how much you fuss over her."

Walter raised an eyebrow. "Speak plainly, Sumia: what are you on about?"

"Oh, I'm sure I'm not on about anything," Sumia said, clearly trying to restrain her laughter. Walter was outright confused now. What had come over her?

"Sumia!" Cordelia butted in, shoving Sumia lightly. "You are such a blabbermouth!"

"Coming from you, I consider that a compliment!" Sumia laughed.

"Cordelia?" Walter asked, utterly lost as to where the conversation was going. "What is Sumia talking about?"

Cordelia's response was to blush heavily, causing Walter to frown in concern. "N-nothing, Sir Walter," she responded far too quickly for Walter's liking. "Nothing at all."

"Come on, let's go check our equipment before heading to bed. Good night, Walter!" With that, the two Pegasus knights walked away, giggling madly and whispering to each other. Walter remained behind for a few minutes, thoroughly befuddled, before shaking his head and walking toward Phila's tent. Women, Walter thought derisively. Has it really been so long since my wife's death that I am once again incapable of understanding them?...although, I cannot profess to have ever truly understood the workings of Ruth's mind either. Women are mysterious creatures, he thought amusedly as he drew near Phila's tent.

"Captain Phila," Walter called out, standing patiently outside. "Are you prepared?"

"Yes, yes, come in," Phila stated distractedly. Walter obliged, and entered her tent. She kept her tent neat and tidy, as one could expect of a lifetime soldier. Several manuals and reports were stacked beside her cot, and Phila sat on the edge of it cross-legged and facing the head of the cot, poring over a tactical manual. She was already disrobed but for the chest covering and her trousers, utterly absorbed in the text.

"What are you reading this time?" Walter asked. The Captain had recently gotten into reading while he did his work. Walter was thankful; finding topics to talk about were becoming hard to come by, at least without revisiting either of their military careers…which was not really a topic either enjoyed. Phila had been part of the brutal First Plegian War, and Walter's role in his own was well known.

"Robin lent me one of his tactical manuals," Phila replied, half distracted as she continued reading. "He came upon a copy of the standard Valmese Pegasus Knight training manual, and suggested I read this myself. I have to agree with him; this is a worthwhile read."

Walter nodded as he sat down behind Phila and began removing her dressings. "Are Valmese tactics so different?"

"Not markedly," Phila answered. "There are only so many ways one can use a Pegasus Knight formation. But the Valmese clearly favor direct aggression in their maneuvers, whereas Ylissean knights focus more on targeting support units and scouting. As such, they have several novel ways in which to attack."

"What of Plegian Pegasus Knights?" Walter asked as he began examining her wounds. He hadn't recalled seeing one before, but it never hurt to be prepared for them.

Phila growled, which took Walter off guard. "Plegian Pegasus Knights, what few there are, use anima magic or even dark magic to attack, as opposed to swords or lances."

"Why does this upset you?" Walter asked. He understood tradition, but such a…vivid response to a violation of it? There had to be more to this.

"Because using magic around your pegasus …changes them," Phila responded. "Pegasi are creatures of light magic; they rely primarily on that to fly, their wings act mostly to stabilize them, not provide lift. Using anima magic taints that. They are still capable of flight, but they become more…aggressive. Unruly. Even their very coat changes; they turn from pure white to a deep, unsettling black, and their magic is unstable at times. Using dark magic around them makes them even worse; most of them end up having to be put down. Instead of living for centuries, they are forced to be put down within a decade, since they grow beyond the rider's control and become a danger to those around them."

Walter frowned in concern; he hadn't realized how sensitive to magic the creatures were. "But don't Ylisseans normally use them to attack groups of mages, given their resistance to magic? Why would they put them at such risk?"

"It's not just the magic itself," Phila replied uncertainly. "It's the…bond the Pegasus and rider share. It is difficult to explain, but I will try my best. A pegasus and rider form an empathetic bond, both emotional and magical in nature. This is why most men cannot ride a pegasus for an extended period of time; they lack the amount of empathy required to form the bond, and the pegasus ultimately rejects their claim to ownership." Walter frowned at the implication that men weren't empathetic, but remained silent. "Cordelia has stated she knows of one man who managed to do so, and I have heard of others, but it is incredibly rare. Using such destructive magic taints this bond, and affects the pegasus' very being."

"I understand," Walter responded as he continued healing her wounds; they were looking quite better, almost fully healed even. "I see that you disapprove of Plegians using these… 'Dark Fliers', I guess one could say?"

"Very much so," Phila responded vehemently."They disrespect the bond all Pegasus Knights form with their mounts. They care more for destroying the enemy than they do their mount's health and happiness. They treat them as cattle, tools, and that is just…fundamentally wrong. Pegasi are so much more than mere beasts, nearly as intelligent as an adult human, but the Plegians do not understand that. That violation of nature is why so few Plegians ride pegasi," she concluded. "Plegian warriors are too destructive and cruel; wild pegasi openly flee from them, and it's virtually impossible to domesticate the creatures. No, Plegians almost always prefer wyverns for their aerial cavalry; the beasts are more brutal, primitive, more accepting of violent riders and violent intentions. There is no bond that needs be formed, not like there is for a Pegasus Knight."

"I understand," Walter stated sympathetically. "And I can see that you hold much disdain for wyvern riders."

"They are as brutal and vicious as their mounts," Phila snapped. "It takes a twisted and savage mind to break and tame a wyvern." Walter found himself agreeing; every Plegian he had seen riding a wyvern had been twisted and cruel, Captain Vasto from Breakneck Pass coming to mind immediately.

"Well, that's that," Walter stated as he finished his ministrations. Phila's back was still heavily scarred and still injured, but she was (finally) combat ready. "You have my leave to take part in the mission tomorrow."

"I would have simply gone anyway," Phila retorted, turning around with a smile, "but thank you. I greatly appreciate the care you've shown me."

"You are welcome," Walter responded politely, before remembering something. "Sumia had several remarks to say about the level of care I've demonstrated, though I could make no sense of her, around her incessant giggling."

Phila's face turned unnaturally pale. "What are you talking about?"

"She said it was 'rather touching', but would say nothing of it when pressed further," Walter answered, his previous befuddlement returning. "Cordelia admonished her as a 'blabbermouth', but neither would speak plainly what they were thinking. I left thoroughly confused with the whole affair; I believe they may have lost their wits."

Phila's face contorted in frustration. "Those two little.. argh!" She cried. Now Walter was even more confused. Phila had succumbed to the apparently contagious madness as well? "I told those two buffoons that there was nothing…oh nevermind," she grumbled. "Thank you, Sir Walter, for your treatment. I shall retire early tonight, I think."

Walter stood up immediately, his confused frown not leaving his face. "Very well," he said slowly, his befuddlement evident in his tone. "Good night, Captain Phila."

"Good night, Sir Walter," she responded as Walter exited the tent.

Walter began striding back to his own tent, stewing in his confusion. This was no time for the Pegasus Knights to be taking leave of their senses, given the importance of their roles tomorrow. Walter sighed in frustration as he entered his own tent and threw himself on his cot. All he could do was hope that whatever malady they all suffered would not affect the mission.