Well, despite my lingering sadness at kiwi leaving and lack of a new beta, the show must go on.

Who's ready to meet Say'ri and get into the pool that is Valm?

Severa: Yeah, may as well.

Lucina: It's… been kind of quiet, but we should keep chipper. The story is in an amazing place because of her and we need to keep going.

7: Right, we'll see this through come hell or high water!

Let's go people!

Landfall at Valm

When morning came, it was Morgan who went to check on Severa.

Their parents wanted to come, but the aftermath of sinking the Valmese fleet was taking a lot of time to sort out. Losing several dozen ships made it difficult to organize all the new guests on the remaining vessels, and it would be several days before the Ylissean reserves caught up to replace the losses.

Then there were the prisoners they'd fished out of the sea. While Severa had been resting, the combined Ylisse-Ferox fleet had combed the smoking Valmese wrecks for survivors. There weren't many per ship, but that still meant a lot of prisoners to guard and feed.

Thus, Morgan was the only one available to check on Severa, apprehension hanging around her as she dreaded what the trauma of the previous day had wrought.

We saw a lot of bad things in the past, but this? At… at least we could always find comfort in the fact we were destroying the very monsters that caused the horror and killed so many…

Sev… please, don't still think you're a monster for this. I can't stand the idea of you being like that, not when we've been through so much and managed to stay true to who we are. We can't surrender to despair after everything… that'd just make Him win.

Shaking her head, Morgan dodged a harried pair of knights before descending into the ship. Severa had been left to rest in one of the unused rooms for the night but it was well past time to be sleeping.

Morgan sighed as she came upon the door Cordelia had marked with a red chord to ensure privacy, not even bothering to knock as she opened it and went in. "Wakey-wakey, Sev, we need… to…"

Morgan blinked owlishly as she stood in the doorway, heavy pants and moans filling the air as she watched Lucina and her sister slam their hips together for all they were worth.

Morgan mutely took a step back and shut the door before walking stiffly down the hall and back to the deck. She passed many confused crewmen on the way, but she ignored them in favor of reaching the railing.

Then, she took a deep breath and released her emotions.

"Oh, my gods, what the hell was that?!"

Her shrill cry made the entire deck jump in surprise, everyone looking to her as Morgan panted. That was the last damn thing she expected to walk in on, and it had shocked her into a powerful stupor.

So powerful she didn't even notice Lissa jog over to her looking concerned. "Morg, what was that? Did you find one of Tharja's… experiments?"

Morgan blinked several times, eyes locked on the ocean. Eventually Lissa's presence and words registered. "Oh, hi, Aunt Lissa. No… not this time, anyway. I was just going to… wake up Sev… and…"

Lissa frowned before she groaned. "Cynthia told me Lucina wandered off sometime last night, said something about clearing her head. Wouldn't surprise me if she ran into Severa. Were they sharing a bed?"

Morgan nodded mutely, Lissa shook her head. "Well, I applaud her for offering a comforting shoulder to your sister, but she really should've waited until today. Couldn't have been very comfortable hugging Severa when she was decked in full armor."

Morgan gulped and looked away, "…Naked."

Lissa blinked several times before her jaw dropped, "…Were they really?"

Morgan nodded, voice just above a whisper. "I… walked in while they were… busy…"

Lissa stared at the girl in dumbfounded silence before she started to laugh. That laugh soon turned into full hysterics, Morgan had to reach over and support Lissa as she went weak at the knees.

After several moments of intense laughter, Lissa calmed down. "Sorry, sorry, that's just too funny. I always had Lucy pegged as too serious and upstanding to go and offer a body for comfort, but I guess she's just that in love. Hope she didn't force it on Severa though, or I need to teach her manners again."

Morgan noticed Lissa's hand glow slightly at that remark, but she shook her head. "We both know Lucy's not like that. It's just… kind of shocking is all. Sure, she's been kind of aggressive since we left, but I always thought they'd hold off… until they were wed."

Lissa shrugged and patted Morgan's shoulder. "They'll do what feels right, I have no doubt. Let's just not mention it and move on, I'm sure Lucy can handle your sister until she's ready to see everyone."

Morgan sighed and pushed what she'd witnessed to the back of her mind. "You're right, we should go help. Are Noire and Uncle Stahl still working on the landing ramps?"

"Eve joined them not long ago." Lissa informed her as they started for the back of the ship. "Started smothering Noire in affection too. Ever since she found out about this whole time-travel thing, its been non-stop Aunt mode for her."

Morgan cringed at Lissa's back, not sure if she should share a bit of information pertaining to that. "That… surprises me, actually. I didn't think she'd take such a story so well, let alone open her arms to all of us."

Lissa chuckled and gestured to the end of the boat, where Nah and Evelyn were having a discussion over a pile of scrap wood. "Well, why don't you go ask her why that is? It looks like she finished helping Noire and her hubby, so now's the time to ask."

Morgan gulped, but Lissa went off to take care of another matter. Taking a deep breath, Morgan put on her best smile and approached the chatting pair. "Hey there, guys! What ya workin' on?"

Evelyn paused as she held up one of the scraps, smile widening at the sight of Morgan. "Oh, hey there! We're talking about good ways to throw a punch and kick properly in case you're disarmed. Natalie here wanted to ask about it in case we run across more wyrmslayers."

Nah sighed as Evelyn looked to her. "Please, just call me Nah. Anyway, she's correct. Even when I'm not in my dragon form, wyrmslayers are incredibly dangerous to me because of the dragon's bane flower they use in its forging. Knowing how to fight and dodge without making myself into a bigger target is paramount."

Morgan had heard of that. Supposedly, the Valmese had discovered that quenching the heavy blades in the poisonous flower's resin gave the steel a toxic bite against anything of dragon blood, even their lesser relatives the wyverns. The process was difficult though, as the flowers were rare, and the resin had a bad habit of catching flame if the steel was too hot.

"Vaike was actually supposed to help, but he got called away for something." Evelyn continued, returning the scrap she held to the pile. "Frederick and Nowi were also preoccupied, so I volunteered to cover some basics. Nothing's too small for my family, even if you're all a little too old for me to call you my 'sweetie cakes'.

The younger girls blushed at the embarrassing reminder, but Morgan let it go, "Nah… can I ask you something really quick?"

Nah blinked at her serious tone but leaned in close when Morgan beckoned her near. Evelyn didn't hear what was whispered, but the girls separated with grim faces. Evelyn promted, "Something I should know?"

"Aunt Eve," Nah began, mature features sunken with sadness. "We… have something we need to tell you."

Evelyn felt a rock settle in her stomach, the weight doubling as Morgan started to explain. "We… we know you've been eager to get to know us, and we love it more than we can say, but we've also heard you asking… about Mark."

Evelyn felt her guts fall into her feet, Nah reached out to steady her. "Aunt Evelyn, please listen. You must understand that where we came from, the flow of history was different. You… didn't meet Uncle Stahl until after Severa was born."

Evelyn looked to Nah with wide eyes, still finding it hard to believe the woman before her had entered the camp in the form of a child. "Are… you certain?"

"Yes," Morgan answered solemnly. "You… first met him when my parents were appointed to run Felds. By the time you were being courted, I'd already been born and Nah was soon to arrive. We loved you, so much, but you were wed to Uncle only days before Uncle Chrom died. A private ceremony from what we heard, everyone dressed for war."

Evelyn cradled her head, guessing where this was going but not daring to say it aloud.

Nah spoke the truth instead. "You and Uncle died together a month later, defending the border side by side. Mark… Mark didn't come back with us because..."

"He never existed to begin with."

Evelyn choked on a sob, her worst fears confirmed. "I… I suspected something like that… when you never mentioned him. I heard of Owain, Gerome, Inigo, Brady… but never him. Now I know why." She was quiet for a moment, only to add, "I won't get to see if I failed as a parent, I never got to try until now."

Nah and Morgan held back, unsure of what to say. They knew revealing the truth was bound to hurt their aunt but holding out on hope for something that couldn't happen had been far crueler.

Evelyn took a deep breath, anguish buried in her voice if not her eyes. "Thank you… both of you, for telling me. I know Stahl will be disappointed, but it's better than always wondering. Um… do you mind if I go tell him privately?"

Morgan stepped forward and hugged Evelyn tightly, not willing to look her in the eye. "Of course, please take your time. I… I'm so sorry."

Evelyn returned the embrace gently, no scorn in her voice. "There's nothing to apologize for, either of you," she looked to Nah as she said that. "What happened in your time is not your fault. All Stahl and I can do is deal with the disappointment, and I assure you it will pass soon enough."

She reached out and yanked Nah into the embrace. "We still have family here and a son to fight for. How could we ever let disappointment hold us in its grip when we have so much love to comfort us?"

Morgan and Nah looked at each other in surprise, but gladly held the embrace until Evelyn laughed and pulled back. "Alright, enough being mushy. I'll go talk to Stahl, but you girls are going to be busy. There's a whole 'nother month of travel on these waters, and that's before we even find a beach!"

Evelyn winked before striding away, though the girls could still see the stiffness in her shoulders.

"I hope that was the right decision." Nah sighed. "That kind of distraction is bound to affect their capabilities."

Morgan gave her cousin a flat stare. "Have a heart, there's a whole month on the sea to process the news. Besides, the truth is always better over a lie, no matter how comforting. It hurts less the earlier it's confronted."

Nah stared at Morgan before picking up a piece of scrap. "To each their own. Regardless, are you up to helping me? My instructor has gone to attend more personal matters."

Morgan smirked and took the scrap. "Sure, I'll help. Someone needs to teach you how to have fun again, even if I have to make your knuckles bleed."

Nah narrowed her eyes and put up her fists. "Bring it, Cherry Head."

Morgan shook her head and held up the scrap, "After you."

Nah swung at the wood, their little training session whiling away the hours.

-Severa-

Severa stared at the ceiling.

Lucina stared at the ceiling.

All was quiet in the room after their awakening and subsequent love-making, neither girl quite sure how to approach the topic of their now very physically intimate relationship.

Lucina, for her part, was ruing taking such a big step. All because she was being too aggressive and selfish like a cock-teased horndog.

Severa was mostly trying to reconcile the immense euphoric heights she'd hit with the crushing guilt of the burning fleet. Complex didn't begin to describe it, but if nothing else, she did feel better than yesterday.

"So…" Lucina tried to start. "That was… something."

Severa would gladly call that the understatement of the year, her need to snark outweighing her swirling thoughts. "I'd call some of the things we did a lot more than something."

Lucina looked over and pulled the sheets to her neck. "Yes… I feel I should apologize."

Severa sighed and sat up. "What for? I wasn't, nor am I, in my right mind. Doubt I'll ever be in my right mind to be perfectly honest, but it helped nonetheless. Nothing to be sorry for."

Lucina stared before remembering why there were so many hickeys on said chest. "Are… are you sure? I still feel like I took advantage of your need for comfort."

Severa shook her head, hair loose and mussed. "Trust me, I need the comfort, just needed to forget and lose myself in something too. If it wasn't this, it would've been plans or sparring. Honestly, if you ask the medics, they'd say this is a healthier option than most others we have."

Lucina had to agree, considering they'd brought an entire boat worth of Ylissean wine for gifts. It wouldn't do anyone good if Severa turned to drink. "I guess… but you're sure you're ok with what happened?"

Severa smirked and grabbed the sheets from Lucina, tossing them back and exposing the princess. "Lucy, I knew this was going to happen on the trip to Valm, that was never a question. The circumstances just aren't… ideal is all."

She dragged a nail on a sensitive spot, but before they could go another round, a series of knocks came from the door. "Oi, Sev! It's been long enough, we need you out here!"

Severa and Lucina flailed in panic, Lucina rolling off the bed with a thud while Severa tried to gather the sheets and cover herself. "Hold on, Uncle V, just a second!"

"You alright in there?" Vaike called through the door. "I heard something hit the floor."

Severa heard Lucina scramble under the bed and took the opportunity to right the sheets and blankets to cover herself. "Oh, that was just a bowl. I'm decent, you can come in."

Vaike took the permission and entered, though he was surprised by Severa sitting up with the blankets draped over her. "Oh, did you wake up and change into something else? I was expecting… to…"

His face twisted in confusion, Severa silently pleading it wasn't for the reason she thought. Then his eyes widened before he settled on a flat stare. "By the Gods, really Sev? Here I thought that was Cher's form of stress relief."

"W-what the hell are you talking about?!" Severa cried, cheeks burning scarlet. "I haven't done anything but sleep!"

He sighed and backed out of the room before shutting the door. "Alright have Lucy come out. Get yourselves decent and we'll talk."

Severa threw the covers over her head in mortification, even as Lucina gingerly crawled out and awkwardly grabbed her discarded nightwear. Severa eventually got enough nerve to slink out of the bed and grab her casual garb, the couple dressing quickly.

Once they were set, Lucina gulped. "Uh… we're good."

Vaike huffed and opened the door again to find them dressed. "That you are. Tell me, Lucy, did it ever occur to you that if this happened, you'd have to either send Sev to get your clothes or walk across the ship in a nightgown?"

Lucina flushed in embarrassment and shook her head.

"Thought as much." Vaike sighed. "As for you, Sev, I hope this came from a better place than simple stress relief. While it certainly works, I have it on good authority you're not one to turn to such things for no good reason, especially when your companion is a beloved."

Severa looked insulted, which was all the confirmation Vaike needed. "I like that look in your eye. Anyway, for how I figured you out, this room reeks. I may not have the best nose on this ship compared to our taguel friends, but I'm sharper than most. I suggest vinegar and lye for any stains, throw in something you like for the smell."

Lucina and Severa just stewed in embarrassment as Vaike of all people lectured them on how to clean up after an intimate night.

Vaike laughed. "Well, anyway, let's get you all together and off to where we need to be. Well, Lucy anyway. Sev, you stay here until I come back."

Lucina shared a shy glance with Severa before dutifully following Vaike out of the room. Once they were out, Vaike led the way. "So, any questions? I can have Cher take over if you like."

Lucina looked down at the floor, voice a whisper. "No… I'm ok, thanks. Gods, can we not talk, it's mortifying enough as is."

Vaike chuckled and patted her shoulder. "It's fine, you never know when people are going to have questions, trust me. More than a few of these talks happened with the recruits, so I'm ready to answer whatever you have."

Lucina muttered a few things before taking a deep breath. "…I didn't see Severa's mark."

The swift one-eighty change in topic threw Vaike for a loop. "Say what now?"

"I didn't see her brand." Lucina repeated, eyes clouded. "It should've been on the small of her back like it always has, but while I was… exploring, I didn't see it."

She squeaked 'exploring' but Vaike was focused on the rest. "Well… makes some sense, I guess. From what the local candy thief says, Valm is a big believer in Naga, especially with the Voice herself there. Grimleal weren't terribly welcome even in Plegia, so who knows how a spy seeing the mark could be used?"

Lucina chewed on her lip. "I… just don't know why she wouldn't at least tell me. I agree that it is a wise precaution, but why should this be the first I've even seen or heard of it?"

Vaike huffed and smacked her upside the head. While Lucina rubbed the sore spot, Vaike gave her a displeased frown. "You don't need to know every bit and bob, Lucina. I may be thick headed, but I've been training recruits on how to be soldiers for years. If everyone knows everything, then it's too easy for spies to get info."

He gestured to the sea as they reached the deck, the remaining fleet stretching out before them. "After all, do you really think Valm doesn't have at least one spy out there? Nowi and Gaius are good, but they can't be everywhere."

Lucina looked somewhat mollified by that, though Vaike could tell she wasn't satisfied quite yet. No further words could be given though, as another voice reached them. "Lucy! What in the name of heaven are you doing in your nightgown at this hour?!"

Sumia stormed up to them with a stern frown. "Follow me young lady, lest the soldiers see something they shouldn't."

Lucina muttered something about being only a few years younger than her mother, but dutifully followed. Vaike found it funny personally, since Lucina was generally regal and assured, so seeing her get scolded like an unruly schoolgirl was endlessly amusing.

The fact that Vaike endured far more scoldings even to this day was lost on him.

Regardless, with one side of the situation taken care of, Vaike trekked back to the room and knocked. "Sev, you still there?"

He didn't get a response, but testing the door showed it unlocked. Opening the door slowly, Vaike peered in to find Severa sitting on the bed, legs drawn to her chest and head pressed against her knees. "Hey, Sev, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"It's nothing." Severa muttered, just loud enough for Vaike to hear. "Just give me a minute. Heck, you can tell Mom and Dad I'll be by soon enough."

Vaike refused to let this be, as proven when he shut the door and grabbed a chair. "Come on, Sev, spit it out. I won't even bother you about the nitty-gritty details of what I found here or tell your parents."

Severa looked up with a glare, but Vaike knew his offer was too tempting. "…Fine, but I'll get you for this Uncle V."

Vaike grinned but stayed silent. Severa, seeing he wanted her to start, sighed. "…I can't get yesterday out of my head. Even while Lucy and I were… engaged, the images still haunted me. How can I call myself anything more than a monster after causing so much death?"

Her eyes disappeared behind her knees again, not willing to look at Vaike. At least, until he sighed and scratched his head. "Sev, if anyone in this room is a monster, it's not you. I reserve the right to that level of self-loathing."

Severa was shocked by his unusual eloquence, to the point she looked up and stared at Vaike. Vaike, for his part, just looked sad. "Tell me, Sev, you ever wonder why I'm such a madman after I start fighting?"

Severa shook her head slowly. "No… I always thought it was because you were trained as a Berserker, so going into a blood rage is just natural."

"That ain't no blood rage." Vaike said, silencing Severa. "It's something else. It's like I can see and understand the most painful and brutal ways to kill someone. Like having a demonstration happen in my mind moments before I do it. I'm practically cursed to charge into the enemy and wreak nothing but pain and fear on them. The fleet may be a lot of death, but most died quick.

"Me? I tear them apart as painfully as possible. When the rush starts going, I relish the screams, and it takes more focus than you can imagine keeping that rush from consuming me."

Severa stared at him, wide-eyed. "…Really? I always thought you were just… using whatever you had at hand."

"Kid, I beat a Risen to death with its horse." Vaike snorted. "And I have a habit of carving up one poor sod with Armads only to bludgeon his buddy with his severed arms and legs. That's not battle, it's cruelty, and I can only keep it under control when focused. Lose that focus and… well."

He shifted his pauldrons aside and showed his back, Severa getting her first look at a sinister looking mark that resembled wicked brambles snacking over his shoulders. "Cherche or Tharja have to activate this lovely thing."

Severa felt her own mark itch, but didn't show it. "Is… that a binding spell?"

"And a real strong one at that." Vaike sighed as he replaced his armor. "Turn it on and I can't move at all. Well, I can, but not much and the spell is designed to cause as much pain as possible in order to discourage moving. It lets me cool off if I can't calm myself down."

Severa grimaced as she thought about the reasons he'd given for it. "I… assume you've lost control at least once, right?"

Vaike nodded, completely serious. "Twice in fact. The first time was when I was on patrol with Tharja, Kellam, Miriel, and Gregor. We were in an area where one of the rebellious barons had gone into hiding, but we didn't know that at the time. All we knew was that several villagers had gone missing and we were supposed to investigate."

Severa had a bad feeling about this. "Was it that baron?"

"It was, and a few of the others we'd had trouble tracking down." Vaike confirmed. "They'd hired some of the last bandits to kidnap the villagers so they'd have servants again. Real cruel state we found them in after capturing one of the rats, but the sheer… nonchalance of those bastards made me lose my head."

He gestured to the door. "They were trying to leg it out of that place, some small abandoned manor if memory serves, when I found them. The rage was something I'd never felt before, consuming me completely, because for all I knew that could've been me forced to serve them had Exalt Emmeryn never visited my village."

Severa stretched out and her feet settled on the floor. "What… what did you do to them?"

"I broke them." Vaike stated flatly. "I ran at the first one and broke his legs, then tore off one leg and threw it at another. I think there were two others after that second one tripped on the leg, the third I remember punching their head into pulp while they screamed for me to stop. The last, well, they made their horse."

He chuckled grimly and tapped his arm. "Tried to ride off, but it's hard to do when someone grabs you by the arm and dislocates your shoulder... I'd prefer not to share what happened after that, if you don't mind."

Severa gulped and nodded, which prompted Vaike to go on. "Tharja found me at that point and I tried to attack her, screaming like a lunatic. She hit me with a hex that froze me to the ground, then another to wrap me up and stop attacking the air. Got the binding you saw put on after I calmed down."

He could tell Severa was starting to pity him, so he went for the ending. "The second time was shortly after I started dating Cher. Me, being an honest sod, told her about the binding and why Tharja had put it there. She was accepting of it, as I'm sure you can guess, but I had her learn the activation chant since we're partners, and I should be able to count on her to stop me."

He scratched his head, not liking how somber and serious this whole thing was. "Thing is, the second time I lost it, was when some creep wouldn't leave Cher alone. She was the palace matron at that point, but some sleaze-ball kept coming by every other day to try and woo her. Didn't know where he was from, all I knew was that he ignored my existence and insisted that Cher wasn't actually seeing anyone, just indulging a curiosity."

Severa made a face that Vaike laughed at. "Exactly the face I made! I tried to be civil with the idiot at Cher's insistence she handle it, but this guy apparently didn't fear death. She gave him the scary looks all the time and he never noticed, even when the rest of the staff went running. I could only take so much of it, but since he was a supplier, I couldn't touch him."

"Until?" Severa pressed, feeling a little sick at how Vaike's problems were assuaging her own. "I've never heard of this guy until now."

Vaike shrugged, unconcerned. "Well yeah, I almost killed him. The bastard tried to force himself on Cherche right as I was showing up for our date. Don't get me wrong, 'Nerva was nearby and about to make a roast of him, not to mention Cher just looked done, but I got there first."

The scene flashed in front of him. That pig leaning over Cherche, the way Vaike tackled the pig into the dirt, the struggle that followed. Then came the fists, and the broken bones. First the digits, then the hands, then the arms, the shoulders, the ribs, the legs, the feet, and finally the toes. All that time the pig screamed bloody murder and begged to be saved, for the pain to stop.

And Vaike relished it.

Then pain invaded his mind and his body froze, Cherche having cast the binding in a panic. The binding was strong, but Vaike still had enough strength to bite into the pig's shoulder hard enough to tear flesh before the pain of trying to move made him black-out.

"The bastard never showed up after that, even after the healers brought him back from death's door." Vaike sighed, noting the look of sympathy Severa gave him. "But it took months for Cher to trust me again. It wasn't that I didn't love her or vice versa, she just didn't know when another episode like that would hit me. Scared me shitless too, but I went into training to focus that rage I felt, which allowed me to control it. Or, that's the official story."

He leaned on his knees and smirked at Severa. "But you know already, right? About how everyone in the Shepherds got contacted by something claiming to be a deity since the war with Plegia ended?"

Severa knew alright, it was the first thing her father had explained after she received the Grandmaster title. Morgan, Lucina, and Cynthia had been informed as well, but they were forbidden from telling the other children. Only their parents could do that, it was their lone rule. "Who did you meet?"

"Kali," Vaike said, Severa stiffening at the name. "High Goddess of Instinct. Apparently, she saw my rage as the basest instinct in all the world, her words not mine, to defend my 'pack' no matter the cost. She forced the ability to call upon and control that rage on me after I told her to shove it. Apparently, it impressed her."

Severa had to chuckle at that. Why didn't it surprise her that Uncle V would tell a High Goddess to stick her offer where the sun didn't shine?

"Problem was, I had no idea what the control she gave me was." Vaike continued, smiling at her chuckle. "So, I was basically dumped in the mountains and left to figure myself out. For the record, I was in a near-permanent state of rage after Kali was through with me, so I had to spend a whole month in the wilderness exhausting myself before I got it under control."

He pinched himself. "Turns out, the need to focus is because Kali took away my ability to feel pain. Like, I can still feel pressure and so on, but nothing hurts. As you might imagine, I have to go see the healers semi-regularly to make sure I'm not silently falling apart."

"Why pain though?" Severa had to ask. "Minus the obvious reasons, it still seems more a boon compared to the stuff I've heard the others lose."

Vaike chuckled and scratched his cheek. "See… pain meant progress to me. You feel your body ache after a good day's work, or a good spar, or anything worth doing really. Having that taken away, I don't know if I'm improving anymore. That, more than anything, hurts the most."

"Just the idea that I can't keep pushing because there's nothing to push against."

Severa was quiet before getting of the bed and hugging Vaike. "I'm… sorry to hear that. When you put it that way, I sound like a whiny child."

Vaike returned the hug with a laugh. "Kid, what happened is going to weigh on you, that's a problem your whole family has. Just remember to put it into perspective and always know that singular acts don't define you."

He pulled back and flicked her nose. "After all, Cher took me back despite spending a month in the mountains without bathing. If you have people like that as your role models, girl, there's nothing to fear."

Severa giggled, the sound music to Vaike's ears. "Thanks, Uncle V. I… I feel a lot better now. I don't think the guilt I feel will ever go away, but… this helped."

"Well good!" Vaike hollered, making Severa jump back in surprise. "Now come on, your parents are dying to see you doing ok. Let's get you all into a big hug and head off for lunch!"

Severa shook her head in amusement but went towards her discarded armor. "I like the sound of that. Let me get ready and we'll go."

Vaike helped her gather the scattered armor and strap everything into place before they left the room behind. The talk had taken awhile, considering the sun was at its peak now, but Vaike was confident he'd at least made progress in getting Severa out of her own head.

"Severa!"

Cordelia's shout was followed by Severa's parents flying into her, each of them hugging her tightly despite her protests and cries to breathe.

Vaike just laughed as the other Shepherds arrived on the deck, everyone checking in on Severa before heading off for lunch.

None missed how Severa and Lucina shared a few private words before following their friends and family, hand in hand.

Perhaps the rest of the trip wouldn't be that bad after all.

-One Month Later, Land Sighted-

The rest of the trip was bad.

One would think the Shepherds at large would be more careful about tempting fate, but no one ever quite learned that lesson.

As such, the rest of the crossing was fraught with rough weather, rougher seas, and more than a few of the smaller ships outright capsizing. It was sheer fortune they were able to evacuate the boats, but the remainder were incredibly crowded due to the constant storms forcing their relief fleet to turn south.

Not even Maribelle, who was contracted to Tlaloc the High God of Storms, could calm the raging winds and waters. The best she could do was direct the worst waves and squalls away from the fleet, but it strained her terribly to the point only an hour a day was permitted.

They just had to endure the other twenty-three.

Thankfully, land was sighted soon after the storms began to abate. They'd somehow reached their landing site of Port Alsace Lor, but it was clear there was a Valmese force waiting for them.

"They burned the docks." Robin growled as he closed a spy-glass. "Only one of them is still useable, and they'll have every mage and archer standing by to either blow us up or fill us with holes."

Severa grunted in acknowledgment, the smoldering ruins of once grand docks and wharfs stretching into the sea. "They don't seem too focused if I'm seeing things right. You'd think having clear sight for the first time in a month would make them get ready for us."

She looked down the deck and sighed. Everyone had a spyglass of their own, surveying the situation before them with discerning eyes.

"They're searching for something." Ricken muttered as he put away his spyglass. "Something important enough to ignore us."

Virion agreed. "Running around in four-man teams, most efficient way to hunt a target. I've seen similar tactics whenever they were searching for targets of great importance, such as myself and other provincial leaders."

"Regardless, we have to take the port." Chrom sighed. "Landing on the dock is going to be nasty as is, but I'm pretty sure we have no boats that can get close enough to the beach and not run aground."

Libra pointed into the tide. "Milord, even if we did, it appears the Valmese capsized several vessels in the shallows. Our own would be torn to pieces on such wreckage."

Cordelia worked her jaw as similar obstacles were pointed out. "Cherche and I can do a ferry system. We'll have both our orders carry troops to the beach while Kellam and Frederick's divisions take the dock that remains."

"And put our most valuable assets at risk?" Miriel queried. "I'm sure they're watching the beach as surely as the docks. We'd need a severe and sudden shift in their focus for such a plan to be fruitful."

Gregor laughed. "Well, Shepherds have many things to get attention with. Lamps be useful, yes?"

Robin got a gleam in his eye and he looked to the dark sky, the storm clouds lesser but not quite broken. "Actually… Gregor just gave me an idea."

He looked to the Shepherds with a sinister smile, one that everyone soon shared as he described his plan.

What fun.

-Say'ri, Port Alsace Lor-

"Damn it all, where are the Alliance ships?"

The woman groaned as she ducked back into the alley she was hiding in. It was disgraceful enough to be hiding from the enemy, but even more so that she had to play cat-and-mouse with a bunch of greenhorns put here for no other reason than punishment!

The only blessing she had was feeding enough misinformation for that toad Excellus to post most of the coastal defense forces much further south near the island chains of Leane. There was nothing to stop the Alliance from landing in their actual destination now, except for a bunch of drunk training rejects that somehow managed to burn down the docks and the ships anchored there!

How she'd been spotted, Say'ri didn't know, but the Chon'sin princess would not allow a bunch of refuse to catch her. She'd outran and outwitted even the Valmese elite, she'd be damned if this lot did her in.

"There, it's the wench!"

Say'ri groaned and sprinted away from the voices, keeping to the shadows as best she could. At least the stormy weather was lightening up, but the clouds were still thick enough to steep the entire port in dusk.

Unfortunately for her, the drunks were starting to get smart. The packs were linking up and cordoning off alleys and streets, even doorways and windows getting blocked. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they found her, and she'd rather die than be captured.

Then light bloomed from the sea, blinding anything and everything as the sudden invasion in the dim port burned retinas and sent everyone scrambling for cover.

Say'ri adapted to the change quickly, but she looked to the sea and beheld a grand fleet, their decks blazing with light that even a fort of torches could not hope to match. Whatever the Alliance was doing, it had every Valmese soldier ducking into cover, even the mages and archers that had been posted to watch the docks.

"Amazing," she muttered as pinpricks of shadow appeared in the light and on the sea, a shadow appearing in the sea as well. "To think they had something so grand as to blind an entire port."

Maybe there was hope for overturning Valmese rule after all.

Maybe there was hope of defeating her brother.

-Olivia-

"I feel like I've been getting a lot of work recently."

Her companions said nothing, all focused on keeping up with her as Olivia slowly but surely made a tunnel out of the water around them.

"I'm amazed you've reached this level of control." Kellam muttered as he walked beside her, staring at the wrecked ships as they passed. "Wasn't too long ago you could barely make a swirl in a puddle."

Olivia grunted as she dug through a troublesome current. "Trying to calm the waters with Maribelle gave me a lot of practice. Let's just get to the top so I can drop this, I'd prefer a swim before anyone on land sees how much I'm sweating."

"You look good wet." Lon'qu said, damn near embarrassing Olivia enough to make the tunnel collapse.

Tharja smacked Lon'qu over the head. "Don't say such things when she's concentrating, do you want us to drown? All of you, be ready, we're bound to have a welcome ready for us on the beach."

"Minimize collateral damage." Libra sighed, the great axe Garm dripping with pale blue energy. "The fewer I have to lay to rest today, the better."

Frederick, the lone rider, did not speak. He was unhappy to be separated from his family, but someone had to lead the charge up the beach, and he was well suited for that task.

-Sky Above Port-

"Ma'am, we'll be at the center of the plaza shortly!"

Cordelia signaled an affirmative and the knight pulled away. Robin's idea to use the much brighter lamps they'd developed out of the exploding rocks was strange, even for him, but it appeared to work. Not one arrow was able to fly with the lamps glaring hard into the port, but this first wave would be on their own until the archers were cleared out.

That's why only Shepherds were flying this sortie, the beach team coming in by sea. Olivia being Tiamat's Chosen really worked wonders on the coast, but would she be able to have that same versatility once they were further inland?

"Everything ok, Cordy?"

Cordelia blinked and looked back, Robin staring at her in concern. "Yes, I'm fine. Just worried that I have to leave you alone until the archers are gone."

Robin smirked and pecked her cheek. "We'll be fine, none of those guys down there will be a threat. They'll be disorganized and unprepared, especially for Olivia's group."

Cordelia had to agree with that. "If you say so. Just be safe, ok? No insane plans."

"Won't make a promise I can't keep." Robin chuckled. "But we'll do our best. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some information out of the locals too. I've heard tell of a resistance through Gaius's network, so maybe there's a contact here."

Cordelia huffed in playful annoyance. "I'd prefer to be your only damsel should it come to such a thing."

Robin smiled helplessly and kissed her again. "Ready?"

Cordelia kissed him and nodded. "Let's do this. Knights, dive!"

Her command was met with roars and battle cries, the knights diving right as the lamps on the ships went out. The change in light did little to the Ylisseans but further disoriented the Valmese. Almost a dozen were slain by the knights before their passengers were deposited and they took to the skies again.

The Shepherds gave the Valmese no quarter, the confused soldiers falling to blade and arrow. No magic was used, as the Shepherds wished to limit collateral damage, but the Valmese were swiftly routed.

Even the calmest among them, a Dark Knight by the looks of his armor, had barely moments to try and rally his routing forces before the very sea burst open and Olivia's group surged forth, Frederick crushing three men with his charge before he brought weapons to bear.

Libra slew the rest on the beach, Garm carving through the light armor of the swordsmen and archers while the energy it held withered others to husks.

A short-lived counter-charge was stopped cold by Kellam, the stone of the plaza rising to block them before Kellam thrust his lance into the wall. A dozen earthen lances were birthed from the wall instantly, impaling the soldiers that had rammed into it, the rear ranks trying to retreat as best they could.

Water rose from the plaza's fountain and held them there alongside tendrils of darkness, a flash of steel the last thing they saw as Lon'qu cut them down.

By the time the hiding civilians could see again, the battle was over. What was originally going to be a difficult and arduous fight for the bay was turned into a one-sided slaughter, all with the use of lamps and misinformation.

A strategy the Shepherds knew was bound to work maybe one or two more times. There was no way they'd gotten all the Valmese in the port, but the sheer shock-and-awe of their arrival was at least bound to send them running.

Now came the fun part of fortifying their new base of operations.

At least, that's what Robin was thinking until a woman in white armor and purple robes strode up to him, escorted by Stahl and Evelyn. "Who's this?"

"My name is Say'ri Byakko, good sir. I am a princess of Chon'sin who traces her line back to the ancient kingdom of Hoshido." The woman said with a deep bow. "Specifically, I am a descendant of King Ryoma and his wife Queen Kagero."

Robin scratched his neck, not sure what to do here. "Well, my name is Robin Marcellus Folk das Felds, being formal and all. I'm Grandmaster of the Ylisse-Ferox Alliance that the Valmese deigned to attack."

Say'ri straightened. "Indeed, we've heard many stories of your kingdoms and the strength they hold. As you have ably demonstrated this day, but I must warn you."

She gestured to the bodies that were being gathered so that Libra could give them their rights. "These were rejects sent here to be beat into shape, not even fit for auxiliary duty. Walhart considered your continent weak enough he sent nothing but greenhorns and incompetent officers."

Robin snarled alongside everyone that heard that. "Well, his hubris will be his undoing. Trust me, we have more than enough strength to challenge this would-be conqueror."

Say'ri looked to the fleet that was now on course for the docks. "Indeed… I look forward to seeing you in action, Wardogs of Ylisse. As a representative of the Valm Resistance, I pledge support to your cause."

"Good." Gaius sighed as he rose out of Robin's shadow, scaring the daylights out of Say'ri. "And I'm glad we found you first, Lady Byakko. You're known to be trustworthy and daring enough to get info my informants could not."

Say'ri seemed to recognize him at that last line. "Shade, so we meet at last. I believe I've been sending requests for a meeting through your agents for some time."

Gaius shrugged while the others gave him stink eyes. "Never thought the Conqueror guy would have the cajones big enough to invade, let alone send such awful troops. Yet, here we are, and it's time to get some information."

He looked to Libra. "Padre, if you would?"

Libra sighed and moved to the corpse of the Valmese leader, Say'ri watching suspiciously while the others kept working.

Libra knelt beside the corpse and waved his hand over it in an arcane sign, pale blue energy invading the body. "Rise… and walk once more."

The energy suffused the corpse before it gasped and rose, the same energy rising from its eyes before it looked at Libra and bowed. "Orders… Master…"

"By the Gods…" Say'ri gasped in revulsion. "Necromancy!"

Stahl held her back from drawing her blade. "Not quite, milady. Libra has power over the recently dead, but only because he can briefly draw the soul back into its body and question it. Even then, he hates doing it and old corpses cannot be raised. They've long moved on."

Say'ri looked to protest that, but the corpse soon lost its animation and fell back, Libra standing with a bitter grimace. "We're actually in luck. According to the commander, most of the Valmese defenses were clustered near the southern islands, which is why we found such a short battle. There's bound to be much stiffer opposition as we move inland."

"Then we shall fortify and expand while we have the chance." Robin declared. "Lady Say'ri please bring all the resources you have to bear as soon as possible."

He looked to the first ship as it docked, the shining silver of Chrom's armor leading the way.

"We have plans to make."

Ch. End

Hello everyone.

I apologize for the lack of updates, but I have yet to find a new beta despite several attempts and I've been incredibly busy to the point I just couldn't work on this. Ideas were kind of low to add on to the pile, which is why a couple other fics got updated.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this offering, such as it is. I've done edits of my own to the best of my ability, so we'll see how this goes.

Last but not least, review responses.

Warrior of six blades: Trust me, you'll be seeing a lot of things that have to do with Severra and Morgan's mark, same with the tactics that the Shepherds' powers bring to life. Mind you, the Valmese aren't going to be pushovers after this, they're too smart for that, but it will be fun seeing everyone go ham every so often.

Zero8000: I'm glad you enjoyed and stuck with us up to this point! As for the Stygian, I have posted a new chapter if you haven't already seen it.

Warlord40k: Glad you enjoyed, and as for Lucina getting into Severa's pants, that was more Severa desiring physical and emotional comfort and Lucina willing to offer it. They were going to take the step regardless; the circumstances were just less than ideal.

That's all I have. Thanks again for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you in the next chapter!

Ciao!