Trying to get this one out quickly since the last one took so long. Let me now if the combat is ok or if it sucks. I legitimately don't know.
It was time for battle. Leo stood out on the arena with Chrom, Sully, Robin, and Stahl. The plan for the group was for Leo and and Chrom to push in the center with back up from Robin while Sully and Stahl cleared out the wings. The plan was simple but relied very heavily on Chrom and himself since the majority of their opponents were charging the center of the arena. That's not to say Stahl and Sully were resting since they definitely had some solid opponents. However the enemy commander immediately targeted and challenged Chrom and the two locked in battle wandered away from the rest. This left Leo to keep the rest of the enemy combatants busy and hope Robin picked off some. This was the worst part of most battles dancing around a crowd of enemies who have no hesitation in cutting through you given the slightest chance. Two axe wielders a swordsman and a calvary surrounded him. One hit and he was out for the count but, this is what he signed up for Robin had expected an outcome like this and Leo agreed to be the potential pin cushion of the Feroxi warriors.
Parrying a sword and side stepping an overhead swing from an axe was cool but, nerve wracking. He swore some of his hair got cut. Taking a step back the myrmidon took a step in with a stab aimed right at the soldiers chest, right for the heart. One move Leo had practiced dozens was this one; he'd let an enemy into his space then step to them. Turning his chest from the sword in a heart beat he moved into his opponents personal space leaving a solid slash on the mans stomach. it wasn't a wound to kill just incapacitate, he didn't want to kill a stranger for something like this, he jumped back in time to miss a jab from a lance that was quickly followed up by a slash from an axe, these guys were ruthless. Luckily Leo wasn't completely alone and flash of light from a thunder spell dispatched the other axe wielder. Now he just had to deal with the other axe and the lance.
As Leo continued to back pedal to avoid the onslaught of attacks he could see out of the corner of his eye that Stahl was in trouble and that Robin had to step in to get some heat of the verdant knight's back. Now he was really out numbered he'd be damned if he was out matched though. He's fought more people and lived before this was no different. Except these men were brutal never even taking a second to breathe. Leo needed even a moment to turn the battle in his favor but, he was stuck on the defense. This was manageable but, not preferable.
The battle continued this way for some time with the only real tell of how the battle was going for everyone else was the roar of the crowd. As he was backing up more he saw Chrom pull some absurd acrobatic move only he could off and then his competitor pulled off nearly the exact same move. Leo didn't know who this new guy was but they had something special if they could keep up with Chrom. Basilio's champion was a smaller man clad in a blue tunic with some sort of butterfly mask and hair that was nearly the same blue as Chrom's and Leo thought that color was pretty unique. As a matter of fact wasn't that sword he was using Falchion? That was a question to ask later though as a horse's neigh reminded him. The beast reared back and slammed it's front hooves down as it's rider stabbed at the soldier. This was that moment Leo was waiting for when the cavalier took amount to resituate himself Leo gave a slice to the horses side not enough to kill the poor thing but enough to knock it's rider off. Now he was fighting to men on even ground. Things were looking up.
Battling was much simpler like this employ some of that hard trained foot work and get in the small slices when you can. This was a battle of endurance now and Leo was well aware he had the upper hand in this.
It took some time but, he managed to put both the other fighters down with his thousand cuts tactic. Eventually the two gave in and fell down luckily they weren't dead but, they weren't goin to feel good for a while. Leo finally got a good look around the arena and saw Stahl finish up his last enemy while Robin gave a mage a mighty dose of thunder as him and Sully finished up their chunk. That left Chrom and the other champion.
Those two were locked in a battle something fierce. It was honestly baffling the flips and twirls the two used. Up in the air one second and crashing down on their opponent. The new guy wasn't just keeping up with Chrom meeting him blow for blow. Neither had been hit yet but they were definitely slowing down. Leo knew he really shouldn't step into a duel like this. With these two power houses duking it out like this it may be the only time they ever really got to truly fight like this and their pride was on the line as well as their honor since the champion did challenge the prince. However Leo still moved to circle around the new guy and stay at the ready if anything drastic happened.
Drastic wasn't the right word but something odd did happen. The two men stopped and looked to each other and Chrom questioned the man "Where did you learn to fight like that" he demanded.
Basilio's champion met his voice with the same ferocity "From my father" he said as he began to prepare and over head strike.
"There's only one falchion where did you get that" Chrom quizzed.
His response was a flip a flip through the air into a powerful strike that Chrom caught with Falchion. This was the deciding moment as the competitors put their everything behind this sword lock. Chrom's strength was a real marvel though and he powered his shorter opponent and broke the lock while disarming the other man claiming victory as the arena erupted into a fit of yells and screams.
Just like that the heroic prince made another moment in his legend.
The after party the Feroxi threw was something else ale, meat, and lots of singing. Leo could barely hear his own thoughts over the sound of hundreds of warriors chanting some battle song the Feroxi sung. Flavia, Chrom, and Robin had already discussed all the important stuff they needed to and the Shepherd leaders had elected to let the group rest for the day and stay the night as celebration before they went back to Ylisstol to deliver the good news to the Exalt.
Speaking of those three Chrom was currently caught in the mass of warriors singing his praises as they literally carried him through the main hall of the castle. Leo had seen Robin sneak off looking for Miriel probably had something to do with that pouch and ring from this morning but Leo was content to simply watch what development came from that. Which left Flavia.
He had no idea where she had gone. He really wanted to speak with her since the group would be leaving tomorrow morning and he wasn't exactly ready to leave yet. If he couldn't find her though that was gonna be it. Walking around the party he checked the feast tables, the mead barrels, and the courtyard where people were mingling and couldn't find her.
He walked the halls in hopes of running into her but instead saw Sully and Virion talking... well Virion was talking and Sully was attempting to listen. He didn't want a repeat of this morning so he took a hint and went another way. Which led him right back to the courtyard from last night. It seemed like art imitated life cause as the man stood there watching the new ruling Khan hack her sword into a training dummy he could swear he'd seen something like this in a painting. It was beautiful.
In a turn about from last night he spoke up before she noticed him. "That's pretty solid form there Khan but, it leaves you open for the slightest of moments and some one skilled enough can use it against you" he spoke into the cool night air.
She turned to him a slight smirk on her face "I don't suppose you'd show me village boy" the Khan teased.
Leo gave a grumble before closing the distance and accepting one of the wooden practice swords she'd picked and held out to him. The two walked out to the large ring for spars that was in the expanse and faced each other.
Flavia stretched showing off her muscles and sleek sculpted arms. "A normal battle sounds to boring besides I saw how you did today so... how about a wager" she asked a slight tone in her voice that he couldn't make out.
"I'm not really one to gamble, the others say I suck at it but, I'm willing to hear you out" he responded.
She had a big grin from that one "I was thinking if you win I'll listen to your story from yesterday and if I win you'll leave Ylisse and come fight for me" she never stopped stretching.
Leo gave a light chuckle of his own "Deal" was all he had to say. She gave a hum of agreement this time her arms were above her head and she looked skyward eys closed. Till there was a point held to her throat. As she opened her eyes and looked down the soldier held the tip of his sword to her neck as he was crouched down low.
Flavia was stunned for a moment before laughing "You must really have been scared of losing, huh?" she leveled a humored gaze at him.
"Or really excited about sharing that drink with you" he knew it was dirty but, he couldn't let a chance like this slip by and he definitely could leave the Shepherds right before a potential war.
Once again Flavia didn't have the words for a moment before letting out a light hearted sigh "You're a real smooth talker. You talk to all the ladies like this?" she joked.
"Only the best" he retorted.
The two made their way back inside. Leo had thought the two were going back to the main area and drink some of the mead but, it seemed Flavia had other plans as they made a detour. This little short cut led straight to a collection of rooms that were the Khans. She sat him down at a table in a large room to the side of the others that looked like some kind of parlor or sun room. The woman had grabbed a nice bottle and two smaller glasses with fine designs in the glass.
As she returned she must have seen the curious glance he must have been making as she spoke to answer his thoughts "It's a Feroxi spirit I keep on hand when I have good company" she told him with a light smile.
That had him blushing like a hand maiden. He turned from her scratching his head "Thank you". The two drank and spoke for a good long while and before they new it there was very little left in the bottle.
"Damn, would you look at that almost out" she swished the remaining liquor around in the bottle before putting it to her lips and drinking the last sip. "I should probably hold up my end of the bargain. So, lets here it. I wanna know everything about you" she sat up in her chair leaning forward seemingly actually interested in the life of some village kid in way over his head.
If she was gonna put in the effort to care he might as well put in the effort to really tell her "I was a kid like any other. I grew up in the shadow of the old Exalt's war. Our lord wasn't a kind one he would impose impossible taxes and force commoners to the front lines so we were constantly worried about our parents being taken away and not coming back. Unfortunately it seemed the odds weren't in my favor as my pa got chosen at random and my ma knew magic so they both got carried off to a war they never came back from. The village pitched in to take care fo kids like me who didn't have anything else" he needed to take the last sip of drink he had "That's when I started learning how to fight from an old mercenary that came to our village. He taught me his way of fighting but, warned it was prone to getting yourself injured so I watched a garrison of Ylisse knights practice and tried to copy their moves. That's where I learned to fight but, when Exalt Emmeryn took over our lord threw a fit and rounded up a bunch of young men to stage some kind of rebellion. he put me in charge of a large of them and told me he'd kill all our families if he thought for a second we would betray him. I didn't really know if he could but, I didn't want to try especially after our first few fights with Ylisse knights. I had no idea how to lead troops it was a massacre" he had a grim look and couldn't face Flavia. "I lead men no older than myself to their death. I feel like I killed those men and it's something I can't get away from" he told her.
Flaia leaned over to him clapping a hand on his shoulder "it's something that happens to every leader. Try hard as we may we can't always save everyone, it hurts but, we have to move one. I doubt there was anything else you could have possibly done. Like you said you'd never lead anyone before and you were fighting Ylisse's professional knights with farmers" she reassured him.
"I suppose" was all he managed. "That's to gloomy though and I don't wanna ruin the good mood you spent your alcohol on" he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood he solidly ruined.
Flavia gave a dry chuckle "I suppose so. It's rather late though and you should retire you're bound to have a long march tomorrow. Don't be a stranger though Castle ferox always has need of fighters like you" she stood as he did and gave him a smile.
He turned to leave when she called out to him again.
"I almost forgot" he turned to face her again but, was stopped by the feeling of something pressing into his stomach. "We're even now" she was holding a sheathed dagger to his stomach. A smile on her face the whole way.
It was undeniable. This woman was one of a kind.
I know Flavia may not be everyone's favorite but she's one of mine so I decided she'd be the romance for this story. Some one that doesn't get a lot of love in here.