Rigged from the Start

Chapter 66

Blood and Thunder

I did not sleep well. Nightmares were a common occurrence for me, but they usually involved things I had already seen. When I slept, I relived the horrors I saw in the future. While still distressing, those nightmares also became at least a little predictable, which made them less frightening over time. It was almost like my mind was finally starting to work through the trauma in its own, messed up way.

Of course, my brain had to mess up that process. This time, the nightmares weren't vivid memories flashing through my mind. They were imaginations, and imagination can be a dangerous, terrifying thing.

I dreamed of the upcoming battle; of Gangrel and his forces storming over the Longfort and routing the Ylissean and Feroxi forces. I smelled smoke and rot with each blurry image of blood and fire. I tasted blood pooling in my mouth, the iron taste making me gag. Bodies fell left and right. Magic flew through the air, but I could not feel the impact when they collided with someone or something. It was as if I was an ethereal presence hovering over a foggy world.

Those blurry images froze when the fighting suddenly stopped. The screams died away, the roaring fires burned themselves out of existence, and the blood stopped flowing. Time stopped, and all I saw were unidentifiable bodies lying on the ground.

In the middle of that pile, I saw red hair matted down with dried blood. A vacant stare sat in red eyes, dulling their once vibrant, ruby shine. Pale skin smeared with dirt and blood, bruised and swollen, stood out in the nightmare, burning into my thoughts like a hot brand on skin. But, what made my heart stop in my chest was the sclera in Severa's eyes turning redder than the blood staining her armor. A sinister glow filled her eyes when crimson consumed them. Several purple beetles crawled over her.

That was when I finally awoke with a terrified shout.

A thin layer of sweat coated my entire body, causing my brown hair to stick to my brow and neck. Ragged gasps rushed in and out of my lungs, making my chest heave up and down so hard it ached. My hands pawed at the thin sheet covering me, twisting and tangling it as I tried to smash beetles that did not exist. After a couple of seconds of that, I froze, sucked in a sharp breath, and buried my head in my hands.

I'm more worried than I thought.

I ran one hand through my scalp, combing out the snarled mess on top of my head with my fingers. After taking another shuddering breath, I swung my legs out from bed, grabbed the cane by my bedside, and rose to my feet. An action that felt much easier now than it did the day before.

The first rays of morning light filtered in through the infirmary's frosted window. Despite the red rays coming in, the light felt cold. Although, that's what living in a cold place is like. Sunlight is cold, just like the weather. Still, a few scarlet sunbeams were better than the normal gray skies.

After pulling on a long-sleeved shirt, pants, boots, and a decent coat, I hobbled out of the infirmary. Bitter air bit at me, but I had grown used to it at this point.

I did not get very far when I heard a friendly voice call out to me from a row of well-worn training dummies near the wall.

Donnel waved at me as he held a blunted sword in one hand. I had to suppress a slight smirk when I saw him wearing a copper pot on his head instead of a normal helmet.

No wonder Gaius called him Crackpot in the future.

"You sure are up early, Mr. Baggins," Donnel grinned, wiping some sweat from his brow as he kept his training sword low and to the side.

I snorted. "It's Sam, Donnel. No need to call me Mr. Anything."

"I didn't call ya Mr. Anything, though. I called ya Mr. Baggins."

I gave Donnel a sidelong look as he wore a triumphant smirk. "Did Lissa or Gaius teach you that one?"

"Gaius, o'course," Donnel chirped. "Who do ya think told me all about you and Miss Severa?"

"Oh, God..." I pinched the bridge of my nose and turned with Donnel as the former farmer moved to continue training. "What did that scoundrel tell you?"

Donnel jabbed the dummy in front of him with his sword before following up with a savage strike at the shoulder. "He told me," he began, "that you're one of the craziest… come to think of it I probably shouldn't say exactly what he said."

"Oh really?" I hobbled a little closer to him. "Go on now. Elaborate for me, Donnel."

Donnel grimaced, making sure to keep his gaze from me, and focused on the dummy instead. "Well, sir-"

"I'm not a sir."

"Mr. Baggins-"

"God, you're making me sound old."

"Well ain't ya?" Donnel said, probably without thinking.

I gawked at him. But, instead of getting mad, all I could do was chuckle. I nodded my head and gestured at the dummy.

"I probably should switch places with him," My lips sputtered as I exhaled and chuckled again. "I walked right into that one."

Donnel gave me a puzzled look. "Walked into- oh hog's head, I called ya old, didn't I?" He scratched the back of his head as he gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry 'bout that, Mr. Bag- er- Samwise. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything."

A dry laugh left my lips. "Don't worry about it. What are you doing up so early?"

"Was gonna ask ya the same thing," Donnel replied. "I'm always up this early. Been this way since being on Ma's farm. Wake up before the rooster crows and get to work, ya know." He took a step back from the training dummy and turned to face me. "Figured someone as banged up as you were would rest a while longer."

"Yeah, me too," I muttered. "Just couldn't sleep, I guess."

Donnel furrowed his brow, giving me a concerned look. "Ya worried or something?"

I snorted, then hobbled to a nearby bench. A long groan left my lips as I sat down. "How'd you know?" I asked Donnel.

Donnel shrugged. "Didn't; but, ya answered for me, I guess."

"Fair enough." My fingers tapped the top of my cane. "I guess I am a little worried."

"Well, ya won't be anywhere near the walls when everything happens, so ya got that to calm ya," Donnel remarked, taking a seat on the bench beside me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted his leg bouncing uncontrollably. He gripped his training sword so tight that his knuckles were white.

"Hey," I nudged him with my elbow. "What's eating you?"

Donnel bowed his head as his leg kept bouncing. "Ain't never been in a battle before. I mean, I've fought before, but those were bandits and stuff. And, Robin and his highness always made sure to keep me away from the thick of it while I was in training." He swallowed hard as he looked up and gazed at the training dummies. "I ain't in training no more. Not according to Frederick at least. I'm gonna be right in the middle of it all." He gave me a fear-filled glance. "Can't help but be a little scared, I guess."

I nodded. "Yeah, don't blame you there."

"You ever been in an actual battle, Samwise?"

His question caught me off guard. What caught me even more off guard was that I had several examples I could draw on to reply. Arena Ferox, Mount Prism, Gra, the Border Pass, all were actual battles of varying sizes. All of them left their marks, both physical and mental. Yet, the thing that rattled me more than anything else was not those battles, but the nightmare of a battle that had not occurred yet.

"Yeah," I replied, "I have."

Donnel swallowed hard. "Figured cause of you're… y'know." He tapped his torso with a hand, cringing a little as he worried about offending me. "What's it like?"

"What, a battle?" I replied.

Donnel nodded. I did not expect how uncomfortable this question would make me. How was I supposed to answer it anyway? Do I try to ease Donnel's worries? Or, do I give him the cold, hard truth?

In the end, I wasn't the one to say anything. Someone else spoke for me.

"It's hell on earth."

Both Donnel and I whipped our gazes to the barracks door, where we saw Severa striding towards us. When she reached our side, she folded her arms, focusing on Donnel specifically.

"There's no glory in it," Severa continued. "It's brutal, it's bloody, and it's fucking terrifying. You're gonna have to kill people, just like me, and if everything goes to shit, just like Sam will have to. Keep this in mind: it's you, or them. Between you and me, the enemy knows that too, and they are gonna choose themselves over you."

"Kill your conscience," I mumbled, my hands kneading my cane.

"Exactly," Severa nodded as she looked at a very pale Donnel. She must've noticed him starting to tremble too because she sighed then crouched to his eye level. "Hey, you aren't going to be alone there though. You'll have me and the other Shepherds making sure things don't go too wrong."

I nodded. "Yeah, Severa's a terror on the battlefield. You're on her side, and that's a good thing." Severa gave me a sidelong glance, and I grimaced. "Boot and mouth, right?" Severa nodded. I winced. "Sorry."

Severa sighed and shook her head. "Look, Donnel, just do what you were trained to do, and you'll be fine. Now then, do you mind if I borrow Sam?"

"N-not at all, ma'am," Donnel stammered, shooting to his feet.

"I'm not a ma'am, Donnel," Severa huffed as she rose to her feet again.

"But, ain't ya older than-"

"Donnel, go to the dummy before you become a dummy," I interrupted.

An embarrassed blush shot over Donnel's cheeks. "Aw, r-right. My bad, Miss Severa. Gotta go do some more training. Morning routine and all that."

He rushed away from us, choosing to combat a dummy as far away from me and Severa as possible. Once he started hacking away at the dummy, I hung my head and snorted out a laugh.

"You had to scare him like that?"

Severa shrugged as she sat down next to me. "He's the one who nearly called me old, so it's on him. Little does he know, I'm about the same age as him."

I arched an eyebrow. "How old is Donnel, exactly?"

Severa opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her mouth then snapped shut as she blinked in surprise. "I actually don't know. I don't think anyone really knows. He can't be younger than me though, right?"

I shifted in my seat. "I don't know, he seems to think otherwise."

That earned me a playful shove. I chuckled while a pink blush shot over Severa's face. She quickly hid it by clearing her throat and continuing her conversation.

"You sure you're up for being a part of the battle, Sam?" She asked.

I pursed my lips, humming to myself as I mulled over her question. "Honestly, I don't think I have much of a choice. Especially if everything goes to shit, and there is a real possibility of that happening. You and I know how well trained and armed the Plegian army actually is."

"Not to mention the Grimleal in their ranks," Severa said with a shudder. "If there's enough of them attacking the wall then I'm not sure how we're going to win." She leaned back against the wall and blew out a long breath. "Do those stories you know-"

"At this point, the stories I know are useless."

"Damn, I forgot about that," Severa grumbled, her eyes closed as she drew in a deep breath of the cool air.

I noticed her pulling on her fingers as she sat beside me. Quietly, I nudged her leg with mine, causing her eyes to flick open.

"You're just as nervous as Donnel, aren't you?"

Severa grimaced. "That obvious?"

"To me, yeah," I remarked.

"Gawds, when did I become an open book?" She mumbled, shaking her head as she kept her head resting against the wall. "Honest opinion, Sam: do you think we stand a chance?"

My lips thinned as I shifted in my seat. "Well, the Feroxi are very enthusiastic about our chances."

Severa snorted. "The Feroxi are enthusiastic about fighting in general. My kind of people, honestly. If they actually had decent markets like Ylisstol, I might consider staying here. But… I look at the Ylissean forces and I can't help but marvel at the difference." A small, wistful smile quivered over her lips. "You know, when Grima rose in the future, Ylisse's military was a damn powerhouse. With Exalt Chrom leading them, my father in charge of tactics, Sir Frederick and my mom as the two head commanders, no one could stand against them. But, what I see now," she shook her head in disbelief, "I see glorified city guards who barely know how to swing a sword. The only intimidating people in the entire damn army are the Shepherds and the Pegasus Knights."

"And there are too few of them to win a full-scale battle," I admitted.

"Exactly!" Severa worked her jaw back and forth. "We can all admire Emmeryn and her convictions all we want, but seeing how Ylisse is now makes me question a lot of her decisions; especially given what we know."

I nodded. There wasn't any arguing with her assessment. Even the Shepherds were green when it came to battles. If the scars I bore startled them so much, I couldn't even begin to imagine how they would be when all the blood and screams started flying through the air. They were the elite militia within the Ylissean military and they weren't used to the aftermath of battle.

"This could go badly," I mumbled.

"My thoughts exactly," Severa said. "So, I want you to promise me that if it does, you'll try to get the hell out of here and figure out a way to complete the mission."

My eyes slowly widened. I whipped my gaze to Severa and opened my mouth to argue with her. But, I didn't get the chance.

A horn blasted from atop the walls. My heart stopped in my chest as I waited for another horn blast. My mind raced. Were the Plegians here already? Was the battle about to begin? Severa looked as tense as I felt as she rose to her feet, hand gripping her sword.

Robin and Chrom both emerged from the Shepherds' barracks, with Robin still throwing on his coat as he raced after Chrom. Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio also appeared from their residences within the Longfort. All four raced up the steps to the top of the Longfort. Without a second thought, Severa and I followed them. All thoughts of pain, stiffness, or weakness in my limbs were long gone as adrenaline pumped through me.

Archers had arrows ready to fire when we reached the top of the wall. Several Ylissean mages were ready to cast spells. Robin had his tome out, and Prince Chrom had his hand on Falchion. Neither of them were able to do anything though, because instead of a taunting, sneering Gangrel, a pair of familiar faces greeted us. Ones that caused a smile to form on my face.

"Hello up there!" Morteza called, his hands on his hips as he stared up at the Longfort. "Lovely day for a frosty place like this, no?"

Nader stood beside him, arms folded and a skeptical look on his face. An entire platoon of Plegian scouts stood behind them. None of them had their weapons drawn, but all of them except Morteza looked nervous.

Morteza's dark eyes flicked across the wall. A broad grin spread over his face when he spotted me and Severa.

"I'll be damned, you two aren't dead!" He tapped Nader on the chest. "I told you, you pessimist."

Nader rolled his eyes. "Would you tell them why we're here before we get riddled with arrows?"

"Right, right." Morteza clapped his hands, a confident smile still on his lips. "I'm going to guess that you are the ones in charge." He pointed at Chrom, Robin, Flavia, and Basilio. "Quick question before we continue; we've heard General Mustafa is here. Is that true?"

Chrom opened his mouth to reply, but Flavia shouted for him.

"Aye! That Plegian is here," Flavia bellowed. "Why the hell does that matter though? Speak! Before I order my lancers and archers to pepper you full of holes."

"Now, now," Morteza raised his hands, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips, "no need for that. Knowing the good General is here is enough for us. What do you think, Nader?"

"I think we're fucking crazy," Nader droned.

"Ignore him," Morteza quickly followed up. "See, miss-"

"That's Khan, and don't you forget it," Flavia shot back.

"R-Right," Morteza cleared his throat. "General Mustafa is our leader, not King Gangrel. Quite frankly, I'd feel much better about myself knowing I was fighting for a good man than a mad one. What about you, Nader?"

"I'd feel much better being anywhere else other than in the sights of a bunch of archers," Nader replied.

"I'd feel better about that too," Morteza nodded. "So, good Khans and Ylisseans, care to enlist us into your service?"

Khan Flavia and Khan Basilio did not say anything, neither did Robin or Chrom. Instead, all four glanced at me and Severa. I did not register their stares until Severa jabbed me with an elbow.

"Ouch, what the- oh," I cleared my throat and nodded to the four military leaders. "Morteza and Nader are friends."

"How friendly are they?" Chrom asked, his brow furrowed.

I pursed my lips, glanced down at a still smiling Morteza, and gestured at him. "About that friendly."

Flavia snorted and Basilio chuckled. A heavy breath left Chrom's lips. "Fair enough," Chrom said. He turned to the Khans. "This is your fortress so-"

"Fuck it. They've got stones on them. I can respect that." Flavia glanced at me and Severa. "They pull any shit, it's on you two. Let them in!"

As the gate groaned open, Morteza bowed then led his men into the Longfort. Once they were through the gates, and they rumbled closed again, I turned to Severa.

"Looks like Robin is gonna have to adjust his strategy," I said with a snicker.

Severa and I glanced at Robin. The tactician was busy muttering to himself as he rubbed his chin, not even aware that Khan Flavia, Khan Basilio, and Prince Chrom had already left the wall. Somehow, he must have sensed he was alone, because he raised his head, blinked, then sighed.

"Time to figure it out some more," He muttered, moving by us without saying another word.

Our gazes followed Robin as he left the wall. Once he was gone, I turned my gaze to Severa and locked eyes with her.

Despite our worries about the upcoming battle, all we could do was laugh.

The clear skies did not last. Around midday, the first gray clouds rolled in from the northwest, bringing with them a chill more fitting for winter than late summer. The loss of the sun caused a strange tension to enter the Longfort. It was as if the world knew that something of great consequence was about to occur, and it decided to bring the entire weight of that event down on every soldier.

But, being with Severa for most of the day made that weight a little lighter. I couldn't train with her like we used to do in Plegia. Libra was like a hawk, and every time I even thought about picking up my kukri, I spotted him eyeing me from some part of the fort. So, I had to be content with sitting nearby and watching Severa go through her exercises.

Severa moved more hurried and stiffer than normal. She didn't have the usual grin she wore whenever she trained. Instead, a look of determination covered her face as she swung her sword. There was a focus she possessed right now that I had only seen a few other times before.

It's probably a good thing I can't train. I thought, shifting in my seat when I felt something cold and wet hit the top of my head. She wouldn't break a sweat against me.

Another wet plop hit my head. My brow furrowed and glanced up at the darkening sky. A slow rumble rolled through the air, and a few raindrops fell to the earth. Severa paused in her training as well when she heard the thunder.

"Of course." She huffed and sheathed her sword. "Suppose I better not exhaust myself right now." She turned to me, still breathing a little heavy from her training. "Ready to go somewhere dry?"

I winced as I got to my feet. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Before we could make our way to the barracks, a messenger raced past us towards Robin and Chrom, who had both emerged from the barracks with Lucina, Frederick, Sumia, and Cordelia. I saw the messenger say something frantically to them, which made all of them jerk back in surprise. Cordelia exchanged a worried look with Robin while grim resolved filled Lucina, Frederick, and the Prince. Chrom nodded one time, and the messenger raced to one of the towers. Meanwhile, both Sumia and Cordelia raced to the Pegasi stable.

"What do you think that's all about?" I asked Severa.

Severa didn't answer. Instead, a horn blasted one time. A long pause came after that blast, then the horn ripped through the air again. Crows that had lined up on the top of the tower cawed and flew away. Thunder rolled through the blackening sky, drowning out a third horn blast.

Severa's face paled. Her gaze slowly shifted to me. Without saying a word, she grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the barracks.

The inside of the barracks was a flurry of activity. Every Shepherd inside was busy sharpening their weapons, donning their armor, checking buckles and belts once they were armored up, and doing their best to remain calm. Lon'qu ran a whetstone along the edge of his curved blade. Owain mimicked him as he lacked his usual, jovial grin.

Nowi stuck close to Gregor and Nah, with Gregor looking the most relaxed of anyone in the barracks. He lounged in a chair by the empty fireplace, already armored and ready for battle. His eyes were closed as he hummed to himself a tune that seemed to keep Nowi from bouncing off the walls.

Miriel, Henry, Tharja, and Ricken were all making their way towards the door. They brushed past me and Severa, heading for the two towers that flanked the Longfort gate. The only one that looked like they were enjoying the moment was Henry, which did not surprise me at all. He snickered as he walked by me and Severa, beamed at us, then rushed after the other mages out the door.

Donnel was hunched over in a chair next to Vaike and Stahl. His leg bounced furiously as his hands sat folded in front of him. Vaike gave the farmboy a solid pat on the shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. When he spotted me and Severa, Donnel put on a weak smile before letting out a shaky breath.

We passed by Gaius and Panne as we made our way down the hall towards the barracks' armory. Panne wore a leather cuirass over her lean, hairy torso. Gaius, meanwhile, wore a simple leather jerkin with leather bracers. A lollipop dangled from the corner of his mouth. He nodded to us as we stepped by him and Panne. Even he looked nervous.

Severa and I were the only ones in the armory when we got there. Once inside, Severa huffed and moved towards a chest with her name marked on it.

"Cordelia and Frederick made sure I had something," She mumbled as she unlocked the chest and threw it open. "I'm going to need help getting it on."

I looked back and forth. "Um, do you need me to get Morgan or something?"

Severa snorted as she yanked chainmail, a leather gambeson, leather pauldrons, and bracers out from the chest. "It's not like I'm getting undressed, Sam. I just need some help with a few buckles. Are you up for that?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Besides," Severa threw on the chainmail first. It looked like a tighter fit than I thought. Then again, I doubt how chainmail looked in movies actually reflected reality. "You need to get some armor on too. I doubt you'll be able to do that on your own."

I uttered a snort. "What makes you think I can't do it?"

Severa gave me a knowing look. "Because if I need help getting all this on, then you're going to need help too. Now get over here and help me."

She slipped the gambeson on over her chainmail. It was, in essence, a heavily padded piece of leather. Extra protection that I was happy to see her using. Then again, the only reason she'd use it is if she thought this battle was going to be particularly deadly. I knew Severa liked to be swift and flexible in a fight; that was her style. The more armor she wore, the slower she would be.

But this isn't a bandit skirmish. I reminded myself.

"Get those buckles for me," Severa muttered as she held the left pauldron in place.

I quickly buckled it then gave the strap a sharp tug. "Tight enough?"

"Plenty," She nodded. I then helped her with the other one.

Once those were on, I gave both pauldrons a hard smack with my hands, causing her to raise an eyebrow. I flashed her a sheepish smile.

"A little thing football players back home used to do," I explained. "At least, that's what I think happens. Um, so armor, right?"

Severa snorted as the corner of her mouth twitched up. "Sometimes Sam," She let out a deep breath and glanced around. "I doubt you can wear chainmail right now. We'll just get you some simple leather."

It did not take her long to find me a new-ish jerkin and some bracers. It took her a little while longer to find me pauldrons that were not too big or bulky for my thin frame. Once we found them, I held them in place while she buckled them for me, making sure the straps were tucked and fastened.

I winced a little when she gave them a sharp tug. "Tight enough?"

"Yeah," I grimaced, resisting the urge to roll my right shoulder.

"Good."

Severa puffed out a breath as I turned around to face her. Her lips thinned as I stood in front of her. With a light touch, she patted my shoulder pauldrons before sliding her fingers off of them and down my arms. At that point, she broke eye contact, bowing her head to look at the floor.

"Hey," I said, keeping my voice quiet in case anyone decided to walk by. I knew how much Severa disliked being seen like this, so I knew not to draw attention to it. "I'm gonna be fine."

Severa scoffed. "You say that now," She raised her gaze and met mine, "but, every single time you say that things don't exactly turn out alright."

I drew in a deep breath. She made a fair point. The last time I said everything would turn out alright, I got captured and tortured and she thought I had been killed. I couldn't even begin to imagine how that felt, or what I would do if the roles had been reversed. Again, a pit formed in my gut as the nightmare I had the previous night resurfaced.

"Look, Severa, I-"

She cut me off by grabbing the sides of my head and pressing her lips to mine. My eyes shot wide as every single part of me froze in place. I wasn't sure what to do at that moment other than stand there spellbound and dumbstruck.

It only lasted a couple of seconds, and when it ended, my chest lurched. Severa took a frantic step back, nodded, and took a deep breath.

"I've gotta go. There's Plegians at the wall," Severa said, spinning on her heel and marching away before I could even blink.

I stayed rooted in place for a couple of moments, barely able to blink; unable to make a noise. When I finally did manage to shake myself out of my shocked stupor, I shook my head and swallowed hard.

"Okay…" I breathed. My heart hammered in my chest. "That happened, um," I gulped, shook the fog from my mind, and drew in a deep breath. "Time to get to work."

In my fragile state, it turns out I make for a poor messenger. Soldiers rushed by me, nearly knocking me over and some getting frustrated with how slowly I hobbled towards the rear lines. Eventually, I made it to my destination.

The rear lines were, in reality, the main encampment at the Longfort. Tents and pavilions stretched out far to the north, east, and west. All of them were empty. Campfires were nothing more than smoking cinders. Weapons racks were empty. Horses stood in makeshift stables, nervously stamping their hooves as warhorns pierced the air, turning the dirt beneath their feet into mud as raindrops pelted the ground.

After navigating the maze of tents, I found the pavilion that I thought Exalt Emmeryn, Princess Lissa, and other rear-line healers would be. It was a vast medical station, with dozens of cots and stretchers sitting empty, but they would not remain that way for long.

Princess Lissa spotted me as soon as I entered the pavilion. When she saw me she placed her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Just to let you know, me and Maribelle completely disagree with Robin's plan to have you run messages."

"Just to let you know, I don't care," I remarked, earning a sharp glare from the Princess.

I expected a stern reply. Instead, Lissa sighed and rolled her eyes. "Boys and their stubbornness." She shook her head then glanced over her shoulder to Maribelle and Exalt Emmeryn, who were gathering bandages. "Do we need more?"

"I am certain we will, darling," Maribelle replied.

Lissa nodded. "Alrighty then; Sam, you and I are heading back to the fort's infirmary to see if we can scrounge some more bandages."

More horns blew. They were quickly muffled by an enormous peal of thunder cracking the sky. Brilliant lightning flashed, and the sky opened up. I glanced at the downpour occurring outside the pavilion and nodded.

"I'd say we should go before the weather gets bad, but I think that's the least of our worries now."

Lissa snorted out a small laugh. "Yeah. I'm more concerned about arrows than rain at this point. Let's hurry."

"Be careful, Lissa!" Exalt Emmeryn called as we rushed out into the rain.

I hobbled after the Princess as fast as I could. Occasionally, my cane got stuck in the thick mud that built up in the camp. Despite my handicap, it did not take us long to reach the Longfort's infirmary. However, we reached the infirmary at a terrible time.

Drums beat, joining the storm's thunder to create a constant boom that rattled my ribs. Captains and commanders bellowed orders at the top of their lungs from their posts on the wall, in the towers, and near the gate. Feroxi Lancers scrambled to reinforce the gate with timber and poles. I stole a glance up to the walls and managed to see Severa standing shoulder to shoulder with Lucina and Owain behind a row of archers.

"Sam, hurry up!" Lissa snapped, dragging me away from the action and back to the task at hand.

"R-right!"

I jumped as a large thunderclap echoed all around me. As fast as I could, I scrambled into the infirmary, slipping on the stone floor thanks to my now soaking wet boots. I caught myself with my cane and managed to amuse Lissa in the process.

"Are you sure you're good to help out?" The princess asked as she flitted from one cabinet to the next, yanking out rolls of cloth bandages and shoving them into a sack.

"Yeah, I am," I replied, a tad out of breath. I moved to one of the cots to sit for a moment. "Just give me a-"

An enormous boom erupted from outside. Screams and shouts filled the air. Small taps pelted the infirmary roof, like someone was tossing rocks onto it. I furrowed my brow and looked up.

Small puffs of dust drifted down from the rafters. A few stray splinters from beams that held the roof over our heads pelted my head and shoulders. My heart jumped to my throat when I spotted a crack form in the ceiling.

"L-Lissa!" I stammered.

"Hurry and help me get these bandage-"

She didn't get the chance to finish speaking. Another titanic bang thundered around us. More screams pierced the air, seeping in through the stone walls. Shadows cast by flames from the outside danced through the infirmary window. Lissa stood frozen in place by a cabinet.

A loud crack rang out above me. I whipped my gaze to the roof.

A beam crashed down towards Lissa. The Princess uttered a scream and dropped to the floor. The wooden beam slammed into the cabinet, shattering it into splinters and pinning Lissa beneath it.

"Shit!" I exclaimed.

I scrambled towards the Princess even as another beam fell and landed right where I had been standing. More dust rained down, this time in thicker plumes. Some flames sparked in the ruined rafters. Thankfully, rain also cascaded into the infirmary, quenching the fire and soaking me.

Lissa was still awake when I reached her, but she was hurt… badly. The beam had her legs pinned down as she lay on her stomach. She tried to crawl her way out from beneath it but uttered a scream as the beam shifted on top of her.

"Hang on!" I set my cane to the side and grabbed the beam.

"Sam!" Lissa called, her voice cracking due to pain. "You and I both know you aren't going to lift this thing."

"I- well-" I huffed and let go of the beam. "I'll be back with help."

"Hurry!"

I grabbed my cane and rushed to the door, carefully stepping over the beam that would have crushed me had I not moved earlier. Once I reached the door, I hesitated as the sounds of battle hit my ears. Screams of dying men and women. Crashes from spells impacting with stone and earth. All of those sounds hit me full force when I wrenched the door open.

Right as I stepped out into the growing chaos of thunder, lightning, rain, mud, and blood, a scream sounded over my head. I looked up in time to see a Pegasus Knight and a Wyvern Rider crash to the ground, crushed beneath their slain mounts, their armor bent and crunched. Arrows peppered the ground near their corpses, sinking into the mud with ease.

Already, my breathing quickened. Adrenaline and fear pulsed through my veins. My heart hammered in my chest as a strange tunnel vision took over. Despite my injured state, I found myself racing across the lines towards the gate, where I knew Frederick would be. If anyone could help me lift the beam off of Lissa, it would be him.

I raced to the gate, rushing past soldiers as they moved to reinforce our lines on the wall. A quick glance up at the walls made my throat constrict. Plegian soldiers were already on top of it thanks to massive ladders. They poured onto the ramparts in a steady stream. Whenever one was cut down, another replaced them.

Through that blur of blood and chaos, I spotted Lucina and Chrom fighting as a single unit, easily dismantling any enemy that drew near them with devastating power and efficiency. Robin had moved to one of the towers. I could faintly hear him barking orders to the mages inside of them as they countered dark spells that the Grimleal hurled towards the Longfort.

I ducked my head as several stray fireballs soared over the portcullis and slammed into the ground behind me. The ground shook, almost sending me to my knees. My cane kept me upright and moving. For once it did not seem like a hindrance.

I spotted Frederick close to the gates. He had his body pressed against them as they shuddered every few seconds. A flock of soldiers joined him as they braced the gate against the Plegian assault.

"Hold firm!" Frederick bellowed as I drew near.

"Frederick!" I called.

Frederick's eyes widened when he saw me. "You!" He pointed at a Lancer. "Take over!"

The Lancer moved to his spot, allowing Frederick to move freely through the mud and muck. He stormed towards me, face dripping with rain and sweat.

"What are you doing here? Do you have a message or-"

"The infirmary collapsed. Me and Lissa were inside. She's pinned down." I interrupted.

Frederick's eyes widened. Right as he moved in the direction of the infirmary, a screech pierced the air. An enormous explosion enveloped one of the towers, blasting stone, fire, and bodies out in all directions.

Frederick grabbed me and pulled me to the wall, using it as shelter from the falling debris. When it stopped raining stone, Frederick cursed and glanced at the gates as they buckled beneath a powerful blow.

"I have to remain here, Samwise," He said, regret filling his voice. He cleared his throat. "Vaike! Sully!"

The two Shepherds heard him through all the noise and rushed towards us. Frederick gave both of them stern stares as he pointed at me.

"Sam has informed me Princess Lissa is trapped in the infirmary. Go get her out, now!"

"On it, boss," Sully and Vaike nodded before racing towards the infirmary.

Frederick returned his attention to me. "Now, Sam, return to the rear lines where-"

"Watch out!" A Feroxi soldier screamed.

The gate shuddered once more before splintering beneath the pressure of a large battering ram. Frederick tore his attention from me and rushed to the gate, bellowing the Lancers to form a phalanx with the Ylisseans.

The ram hit the gate one more time. With one enormous crack, the gate gave way.

Plegian soldiers swarmed into the breach. Some fell from arrows, some died from spellfire hitting them as they surged forward. Most reached the line of Lancers and came to an abrupt stop when they collided with a solid wall of steel and muscle. Despite the fortitude of the Lancers, cracks appeared, and several enemies slipped through.

Two Plegian soldiers spotted me. They raised their axes, glared at me with murderous intent, and rushed at me. I wrenched my kukri free and prepared to mount what meager defense I could.

A pair of throwing knives cut the two enemies down before they could reach me. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Anna flick another pair of throwing knives at the Plegians spilling through the gap in the Lancer line while our men struggled to close it.

Gaius rushed past me next, shortsword cutting down a trio of Plegians that were unfortunate enough to focus on me more than him. Morteza and Nader's men entered the fray next, plugging the gaps in the line and stifling the Plegian surge long enough for Frederick and the knights to regroup.

"Samwise!" I heard Frederick bellow as he finished cutting down a Plegian. "Get back to the rear and inform them the gate has been breached! We need whatever reinforcements we can get!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I had enough adrenaline pumping through my veins to spur me into a stumbling run.

The mud made it almost impossible for me to race towards the rear lines without slipping. Arrows continued to whistle by me, one even grazed my right ear, drawing a thin line of blood from the lobe. As I ran, a roar sounded above me. I looked over my shoulder and paled when I saw a Wyvern rider dogging me.

The wyvern swooped low, talons outstretched as the rides spurred it forward. I lashed out with my kukri, the steel biting into one of the Wyvern's toes and making it curl back before it could pluck me from the ground. Its hot breath washed over my back as I tried to run faster. I could hear its rider cackling with glee.

Then, I heard him gurgle. The Wyvern chasing me shrieked when a pair of white wings soared over me and sent it crashing into the mud, dead. I managed to catch a glimpse of a red-haired Pegasus Knight zipping over my head with a bloody lance.

Thank you, Severa's mom.

Right before I reached the rear lines, an explosion took me off of my feet, sending me flying into a nearby guard tent. The canvas walls crumpled beneath me as I tore through the tent, dazed and disoriented. Rapid breaths rushed in and out of my lungs. My vision refocused and I willed my bruised and battered body upright. After disentangling myself from the canvass, I raced the rest of the way to the medical tent.

The medical tent was already overwhelmed with wounded. Groans, moans, screams, and cries combined to create a stomach-churning chorus of pain and misery. Blood was smeared all over the pavilion walls. Even more blood puddled on the grassy ground. Sheets and blankets that had been white were crimson. My mad dash into the pavilion came to a screeching halt when I spotted two of the Shepherds among the wounded, with Maribelle and Emmeryn frantically tending to them.

"Drink the vulnerary, Donnel," Maribelle said, her voice remarkably calm while another cleric used a healing staff on him.

Donnel's armor was dented and a bloody gash marred his right flank. His face was pale, and he had tears beneath his eyes. Still, he drank, then coughed as he struggled to swallow. Beside him, Emmeryn tended to Henry, who cackled like a madman as he watched his blood drench bandages.

"Can you believe the size of that explosion!" He howled, eyes wide with delight. "That entire tower just disappeared."

His cackling fell into a severe coughing fit. Emmeryn placed a hand on his shoulder and calmly told him to settle down. That was when I finally worked up the nerve to approach her.

"Your majesty," I began. Emmeryn looked up from Henry, and Henry beamed at me.

"Samwise!" Henry grinned. "Isn't this spectacular!?"

I grimaced. "You don't happen to be sarcastic right now, right?" Henry threw his head back and howled, his cry a mixture of mad laughter and pain. I shook my head and returned my attention to Emmeryn. "Exalt Emmeryn, the gate has been breached. Frederick sent me to get some help and-"

"We have wounded and healers here, Samwise," Emmeryn breathed. "I already sent Nowi and Nah when I heard one of the towers fell. "Where is Lissa?"

I swallowed hard. "Vaike and Sully were getting her out of the infirmary. It-it collapsed and I couldn't lift the beam to-"

"What!?" Maribelle cried while Emmeryn turned white as a sheet.

"Maribelle, focus on Donnel," Emmeryn breathed as she grabbed a healing staff and returned her attention to Henry. "Samwise, you need to go back and let Frederick know that there is no one left. If Nowi and Nah fail to make a difference, then I'm going to try to facilitate an evacuation towards Arena Ferox. Make sure he knows."

More wounded were carried into the pavilion, drawing Emmeryn's attention away from me and Henry. At this point, Henry was starting to laugh himself to sleep as healing reagents worked through his system. Emmeryn ordered another cleric to finish up with him while she moved to the latest group of injured soldiers. Among those injured, I saw Vaike carrying Lissa in.

"Her legs are broken, Emmeryn!" He called.

"Oh my darling, Lissa!" Maribelle exclaimed even as she continued tending to Donnel.

"Lay her down somewhere," Emmeryn replied to Vaike. "Go, Sam!" She then barked.

I gave her a shaky nod, spun on my heel, and rushed back towards the battle. At this point, I tossed my cane to the side and ran with all the strength I had in me. When I reached the battle again, I noticed something that made me grind to a halt.

Death dominated the wall, coating it crimson with the blood of thousands. Smoke rose in black plumes from demolished buildings and towers, the fires that briefly started quenched by the downpour. Thunder and spells made the ground tremble. Two mighty roars pierced the sky, signaling the arrival of the two Manaketes Nowi and Nah.

A terrified cry arose from the Plegian lines as the dragons soared over the Longfort and tore into the attacking enemy. All of the momentum and energy the Plegians once had disappeared. My spirits rose when I saw a formation of Pegasus Knights join the Manaketes in the air, led by Cordelia. They dove down and struck Plegians atop the walls and beyond the Longfort, scattering their ranks further.

The one tower that still stood had become a wall of thunder, wind, and lightning spells. When enemy spells flew at it, they exploded into brilliant, indigo fireballs as they met a shield of some sort. At the top of the tower, I spotted Tharja and Robin, their palms alight with black light as they cast the shield together, giving the mages and archers time to return fire against the Grimleal.

Then, my eyes turned to the walls. On the walls, I saw someone that made my blood boil. King Gangrel himself stood on the walls, a jagged sword in his grasp. Thin, blue bolts of lightning arced around the sword as he cut down one Ylissean after another, laughing with glee as he killed. His laughter ended when he stared down the two Ylissean royals that shared the wall with him and their Falchions.

I wanted to see how that fight would play out, but Exalt Emmeryn gave me orders, and I had to see them through.

I dashed towards the broken gates, right into the thick of the fighting. Thankfully, all of the knights, warriors, men-at-arms, and lancers were too busy killing each other to notice a short, scrawny thief slipping his way through the chaos. I called on every ounce of training I had to avoid being noticed, staying low to the ground and not provoking anyone as I sought Frederick.

I found him leaning against a broken section of the gate, a broken sword in one hand, blood streaming down his other arm. A furious look rested in his gaze as he directed soldiers around him to continue pushing the enemy back through the gate. He spotted me, and I swore some relief formed on his face.

"Reinforcements?" He asked me through the slaughter.

Nowi and Nah roared. I nodded towards the Plegian wasteland, where the two Manaketes tore through any Plegian they could get their claws on, before quickly taking flight when the Grimleal focused their attention on them.

"They're it," I replied, causing a concerned look to form on Frederick's face.

"Can you fight?" He finally asked me.

I hesitated, looked down at my body, gripped my kukri tight, then nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"Get on the wall," Frederick replied. "You'll do no good in the melee down here. If you spot that worm Gangrel, bury that blade of yours between his ribs, and send him my regards in the process."

I uttered a loud laugh. "I'll send him both of our regards if I get the chance."

As Frederick laughed, I rushed towards the wall, side-stepping a pair of fleeing Plegians as I made my way up the stairs. I didn't bother killing them. There wasn't a point in doing that in my mind. They were running, and they'd likely keep running instead of fighting. Instead, I pushed my way to the top of the wall, where I ran into more problems.

A group of Plegians surged towards me, still ready to slaughter any Ylissean that go in their way. I managed to backpedal away from them, using my kukri to deflect any strikes that got too close, but they had me on the ropes.

Then, they were cut down by a pair of curved blades.

"The Fell Sword hand of Owain Dark shall fell these foul evil-doers!" Owain declared while Lon'qu mopped up any Plegians he missed in silence.

They continued with their bloody work, and I continued my search. Finally, near the lone tower, I spotted Chrom, Lucina, and Gangrel; and Lucina was face down on the ground, tendrils of smoke twirling up from her still body.

Oh no…

"It's over, Prince!" Gangrel declared, pointing his enchanted blade at Chrom as he stood between the King and Lucina.

Chrom looked worse for wear. His armor was dented and charred. Blood trailed down the side of his face from a gash over his right eye. His left arm hung limp at his side, broken at the forearm.

But, he gave as good as he got. Gangrel was limping, favoring his right leg while his left ankle was twisted at an angle that should not have been possible. Blood dripped down his chin from his mouth, staining his teeth scarlet. A growing patch of blood stained his right hip. That's all I had time to see before I spotted a surge of lightning arcing around the tip of Gangrel's blade.

"You die now!" Gangrel cried.

I couldn't reach them in time. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I hefted my kukri, prayed my aim was true, and threw it with all my might at the Mad King.

A flash of lightning engulfed Gangrel's blade as he readied to pierce Chrom with a deadly bolt. A bolt that never fired.

My kukri sank into his right side, beneath the armpit. Shock shot over Gangrel's face as he registered something hitting him. I was already rushing towards the enemy. When I reached him, I wrench my kukri free, got behind him, and pressed the edge of my blade to his throat.

"If you want to live, you'll put your weapon down and surrender," I growled in his ear.

His eyes were wide as his blade trembled in front of him. I could see the debate he had playing out on his face. Fear, rage, madness, hysteria, all morphed over his gray skin, creating the portrait of a man long gone to the realm of insanity. The King with strange tics I met in Plegia had already died, and the one that replaced him did not fear death.

"Tell me something, Baggins," He snarled. "Was my gold not good enough for you?"

"Gold only goes so far," I muttered in reply, pressing my kukri a little firmer against his throat. "Now drop your sword."

A manic chuckle bubbled from his lips. "Baggins," He continued. "Are you a murderer?"

My blood ran cold. I looked up from the King and saw Chrom moving to get an unconscious Lucina out of harm's way. He had taken his eyes off of King Gangrel thinking that the madmen had been neutralized.

"Don't do it," I growled.

"You're going to have to be."

The lighting at the end of his blade condensed into a dense ball of electricity, arcing and spasming, ready to be unleashed. Glee filled Gangrel as a victorious smile curled over his lips. His grip on his sword tightened. His lightning was ready to fire.

I didn't think twice. With a cry, I ran my blade across his throat, slashing it open. Hot, black blood poured out from his neck over my hands and down his body. Gangrel shuddered. The lightning winked out of existence from the tip of his sword. Somehow, he managed to croak out final words

"Huh, you are one."

He fell forward and hit the blood-soaked walls with a squelch and a thud. More of his unnatural blood ran from his body, running like black streams through the rainwater down to the soil below the Longfort. As soon as those rivers touched the ground, a signal of some sort ran through the Plegian lines.

The Grimleal turned away, and retreated, still occasionally firing spells and Nowi and Nah to keep the Manaketes at bay. They abandoned the soldiers, causing a cry of despair to rise from the warriors Gangrel sent to die.

I locked eyes with Chrom. I didn't see victory, triumph, condemnation, or frustration in his gaze. I simply saw sadness as his gaze shifted to Gangrel. A brief flash of anger hit him as he looked down at Gangrel's corpse. Then, he sighed, and gave me a grateful nod.

A horn blasted through the air, greeted by another horn, then another. Pegasus Knights swooped down, picking off any Plegians that tried to retreat into the wasteland. Lancers slowly pursued, taking down stragglers. A great cheer arose from our ranks as each Feroxi and Ylissean soldier realized we had won.

But I did not cheer with them. I just slumped against the wall, rested my kukri in my lap, and uttered a heavy sigh.

The battle was won, but I knew the real war was only just beginning.

And chapter! Hoooo boy, we're getting to some fun stuff, aren't we? Sam just did something he basically said he never wanted to do, which will have interesting consequences in the future. Add on top of that, THEY FINALLY KISSED, kind of lol. I think Sam didn't know what to do with himself in that moment other than freeze. Still, this was a fun chapter to write. A lot went on, and a lot more is going to happen in the coming chapters too. Also, better ya'll are surprised no one died. Figured it was time for a clean (well... sort of) win in this story. That won't happen much, but this felt like a good spot for that.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!

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