LUCINA'S POV
It was time for vengeance.
After a grueling struggle for ownership of Valm's capitol, we sent Walhart scurrying back to his castle with his huge lobster tail between his legs. However, the final battle was yet to unfold. We had broken into the throne room itself; a grand hallway with lush red carpeting completely swamped with Valmese soldiers; the best of their breed.
"Hey, didn't you kill that soldier, Mother?" Morgan whispered, pointing. I followed her gaze and was shocked: that dual-wielding swordsman from the Mila Tree was back. Obviously he had been the enemy commander or he would have been left for dead.
I nodded. "However the last thing we need is to associate with our enemies. Stay away, he's no pushover." I warned, glaring sharply at Morgan. There had been too much death in my family already. I shook myself. Don't think about that, Lucina. Think of battle.
"Alright, Shepherds." Chrom said, not facing us. He wouldn't put it past the enemy snipers lining the walls to shoot him down. "We have a carefully formulated plan that will certainly-"
Father's last words were drowned out by a large blast from a horn. The two doors facing each other about in the middle of the throne room burst open and dozens, nay, hundreds of soldiers poured in, armed to the teeth. They didn't appear to be enemy reinforcements because the enemy was just as surprised as we were.
"THE RENEGADES HAVE ARRIVED!" A heather-haired man dressed all in black announced, swinging a silver sword through the air. I noticed a silver bow on his back with a few loose arrows in its quiver. "…Mostly." A dark-haired woman muttered next to him. The man in black rolled his eyes. "Honestly Dana, I'm sure Perseus and the others are fine. These pieces of trash couldn't take down our finest!"
A squat man with purple hair appeared from the tide of enemies. "C-Crona!" he screeched, his toady face blotched red. "W-we had a deal! Your families will suffer for this!" he yelped, pointing a sausage-like finger at the man in black. Quick as a flash the sword was pointed at the toad's throat. "We had a deal. Key word is had. Without Yen'fay you are but, what's that quote that ugly lobster is fond of saying? 'A speck of dust on the boot of the empire'? Well that is what you are, Excellus. A measly speck of dust."
Excellus stuttered and stumbled over his words. "Y-you shall perish at my hands!" He pointed yet another sausage-finger at Crona and began to chant. Crona just had enough time to widen his eyes before a cocoon of darkness enveloped him and sent him flying like a rag doll.
Dana, the woman next to him gasped. "M-milord Crona!" she yelled, and then turned on Excellus. Very slowly, she bent down and picked up the sword her master had dropped. "Y-you killed Master Crona." She said slowly, pointing the blade at him. "I shall return the favor."
Excellus actually gulped.
Gerik bowed to Chrom. "Thanks for letting me travel with you guys. It's been great but I have to return to my comrades now." Chrom nodded. "As expected. It was a pleasure, Gerik." Gerik casually took his sword off his back and went over to Dana. "Why don't you let me handle this? Your staff will be needed soon."
Dana nodded and dropped the sword, retreating to the back lines. "Now, Excellus, grand tactician of the Valmese army. Let me just say that from my time with the Ylisseans, you are a pitiful excuse for a tactician. You rely on safety in numbers and felt the need to attack my comrades by rushing them before we could regroup. In the name of all my fallen comrades, and for the Ylissean's own tactician, you will die here on my steel!"
A lump formed in my throat. It took all my restraint not to start bawling. However Lissa started to dab her eye with a handkerchief. Gerik casually looked over at us. "Feel free to join the party." Chrom brandished Falchion at the enemy. "Today, Shepherds, we fight not for one martyr, but for two. FOR YLISSE!"
Just like that he began to charge down the hall. As planned, Sully, Stahl, and Sumia were flanking him, warding off any of the enemies who dared to close in from the side. I instantly ran towards the commander from the Mila Tree. I didn't even bother to try for a surprise maneuver- his eyes had already picked me out of the crowd and his two swords were pointed at me. He radiated a 'Come and get me!' aura.
"I see you've survived." I said, leveling Falchion at his chest. I got a pang of satisfaction at the sight of light leather armor protecting his vital areas. He looked at me with contempt. "Touché." Without another word he ran at me, swords at the ready this time. I was ready for his first, blocking the first strike to my left with Falchion, then stepped forwards, putting a majority of my weight on the blade, causing him to stop his second strike to regain balance.
I tried to stab the 'chink' in his armor with a forward thrust, but he blocked by crossing his blades in defense. He swung both blades downward at me. I sidestepped to avoid and slashed at his side. With a muffled thwip! One of his armor straps were severed. He glared at me as the guard on his left arm fell to the floor. "Hail Walhart!" he cried, and ran at me, swinging both blades wildly.
Trying to block would most likely be futile. Up until now the swordsman had been using easily recognizable strikes aimed for vital areas for a clean death, but I think he was a bit crazed now. I put all my energy into sidestepping and even blocking the blows, to which I could find no pattern.
It took a good long while for him to slip up. Small fights raged all around us, but for the most part we were winning: we were always more skilled than the Valmese but the Renegades had added the extra strength in numbers we needed to win. So, with all the fights going on around us it was incredibly noisy, so I don't understand to this moment how he noticed one particular clang of steel on steel behind him.
He heard the noise, and, thinking there was an attacker on him, caught Falchion with his two blades and shoved me to the ground before whirling around. This was all done in roughly half a second. There was nobody behind him except for a line of Valmese struggling to contain Christian Serena Morgan and Kir'yu at once. He turned back to face me.
"Oh how the tables have turned." He said in a slow drawl, advancing slowly towards me. I glared at him. I couldn't get up without him either impaling me or slicing me to ribbons fir for Severa's hair. "I must commend you on your attacks at the Mila Tree." He said, stopping a few inches away from me.
"However unlike you ignoramuses in Ylisse I have the good sense to wear my armor under my clothing so fools like you will walk away when a wound looked mortal." Epiphany moment. That was rather stupid of me. "However, it looks like that fight never mattered in the end. I will kill you here, then I will kill all of your allies one by-"
His last words were cut off as he fell to the ground with a visible indent in his skull. "AREN'T WEARING A BATTLE HELMET AREN'T YOU YA' FREAK!" Cynthia yelled, spiraling back up into the air. Note to self: never be alone in a dark ally with Cynthia's Pegasus.
"Thanks, Cynthia." I said, getting to my feet. Cynthia nodded and zipped down the hall. Luckily the throne room had such a soaring arched roof or I'd be dead. "Indeed, the tables have turned." I said, and stabbed Falchion into the swordsman's back. Sure enough, he twitched and his eyes flew open as he let out a guttural cry. "It seems… you have improved… murderer." The swordsman's head fell into the rapidly growing pool of blood as I yanked Falchion up into my hands again.
It was time to keep fighting.
Jack's Corner
You don't understand how much writer's block I suffered in this chapter. I am pretty pleased with it. And, I know its the wrong fandom but, THE HYPE IS REAL! And don't forget to check out my ongoing prequel of Lucina's Struggles- A Children's Tale of Woe and Struggle!
