DISCLAIMER: HELLSING IS OWNED BY KOUTA HIRANO. I DO NOT ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.
FIRE EMBLEM IS OWNED BY NINTENDO. I DON'T OWN IT'S CHARACTERS EITHER.
ITALICS=THOUGHTS AND SOUNDS
BOLD= IMPORTANT DATES, PLACES, WEAPONS, ECT
BOLD ITALICS=NARRATOR
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)
Northern Ylisse - South of the Ylisse-Feroxi Border
July 19, Age 2609 (9:00 A.M.)
"Where the hell is Walter?!" Chrom shouted at the top of his lungs.
It was utter chaos throughout the camp. It started when Lissa had decided to play a "harmless" prank on the ever so clumsy Sumia. Well, that "harmless" prank escalated beyond harmless within the span of a few seconds, with Sumia slipping and toppling over a barrel. That barrel than tipped over, spilling its contents; swords, spears, and axes. The barrel than catapulted into the air, bashing an unsuspecting Vaike in the skull. Vaike then fell right on top of Stahl, who then began to trip over the barrel of doom. The barrel, continuing it's rampage, rolled over and knocked Virion into Sully's *cough* assets. Taking offense to this, as all women would, Sully delivered a hard right hook to the noble romantic. Virion flew straight into Miriel. The redheaded mage then accidentally fired off her fire tome, with the fire ball launching Fredeck back. The stoic lancer then fell back and tripped over the weapons that were strewn all over the floor. This, as Murphy's Law was being followed (Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong), caused a huge axe to go flying into the air, and right into Chrom's tent. The blue haired prince, having just barely dodged the flying piece of death that now sat in his tent, rushed out to see the chaos that had ensued throughout the camp.
Note that this all happened within within a few seconds.
Chrom's first response was, "What the hell did you do, Lissa!?" Then after scanning the chaos, he noticed that one man was missing from the picture.
That leads us to the present, with Chrom shouting, "Where the hell is Walter?!"
As if on cue, the aged butler wandered into camp. Walter was also mortified by the mess that had occurred in his absence.
I leave to go help Lucina out, and all hell breaks loose. The butler sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He then made his way towards Chrom, carefully avoiding the cluttered mess.
"Here I was thinking that I could leave you all alone for a couple of hours while I practiced my swordplay. I have no doubt that this couldn't get any worse..."
Murphy's Law was once again followed, as Lissa stepped out of her hiding place only to trip over the clutter of weapons. This launched another axe into the sky which—had Walter hadn't had intercepted it with his wires—would've hit a dazed Sumia.
"You spoke too soon, Walter." Chrom rubbed his forehead. "Can you gather everyone up?"
The aged butler nodded as he began to drag his fellow Shepherds into the strategy tent, which seemed to be the only tent that wasn't affected by the calamity that had occurred all throughout the camp. Once everyone was accounted for, Chrom took his place at the center. Walter decided to stand beside the man he now considered his new master.
"My first question is, whose responsible for that mess outside?" Chrom asked in a calm tone that only a true leader was capable of. Lissa hesitantly raised her hand.
"I was playing a prank on Sumia and It just escalated, I guess..." she replied honestly. The blue haired prince sighed.
"Why is it that I find myself unsurprised? That little "prank" caused that mess outside. You're lucky that no one got hurt, Lissa." Chrom then pulled out a map of the land. "Ignoring the little calamity that ensued just moments earlier, we're currently a few miles from the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox." The prince pointed at what seemed to be a wall that ran across the map.
"There's a wall that runs directly across our borders. The Feroxi have different customs than us, so be prepared for a fight if things go south."
"That means you, Vaike! Make sure you keep track of your axe!" Walter poked at the axe wielders pride. "If we're actually facing men and women trained to be warriors, then I doubt they'll be as exploitable as the Risen. Make sure you stick together." Frederick stood up.
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"Well..." The aged butler reached under the table that the map was placed down and pulled out a small chest. He opened it to reveal a tome that looked untouched, and several wooden figurines that were identical to their real life counterparts. "I spent all night evaluating some of your skills. I also took the liberty of carving wooden figurines in all of your likeness'."
"But you knocked out last night, Walter." Chrom examined his own figurine in interest. "You were exhausted. How did you have the time to even do this?"
"I found myself waking up at around one in the morning. When I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided to make myself useful. When I have the spare time, you'll find me to be quite the workaholic. I spent my entire night on studying all of your track records." He opened the tome to reveal several pages dedicated to each one of the Shepherds. Each page bore detailed observations that Walter had made on his peers.
"Wow!" Vaike stared at his page on the rooster. "Ol' Teach has to hand it to you. You really did a good job here."
"Most likely to trip over nothing?" Sumia sighed as she read her entry in the roster. "Well, at least it's accurate. I do tend to trip a lot."
"Most likely to snort!? I do not snort!" Lissa fumed as she read aloud part of her entry on the roster.
"Actually, milady..." Frederick stepped in. "You do indeed snort. This happens most when you are in a humorous mood."
"Don't defend him, Frederick!" The blonde healer was resisting the urge to strangle both Walter, and Frederick, to death. "Honestly!? That is no way to describe a woman!"
"If we can get back on topic..." Chrom quickly restrained Lissa. "Ignoring the accuracy of the roster, I will entrust this operation to Walter. He was made chief tactian of the Shepherds for a reason." he took a step back to give Walter some space to observe the map.
"Truth be told, I will not be able to create a proper strategy until I get a good look at the battlefield. Due to the nature of the operation, if things do indeed go south, our enemy would be most definitely placed on top of the wall. With that in mind, I recommend we split into teams of two. Chrom will be paired with Sumia, as her role as a Pegasus Knight will make her extremely vulnerable to archers."
Chrom and Sumia nodded as Walter continued explaining the contingency plan.
"Sully, as much as you may hate me for this..." The butler took a precautionary step back, just out out of Sully's reach. "You will be working with Virion." Sully was disturbingly quiet for a few seconds.
"Fine by me, as long as you explain to me why I have to pair up with Ruffles." she requested. Virion smiled in a smug manner.
"Does my dear Sully not realize that he will be working with "The Archest of Archers"? I put the "arch" in "archer", milady." the noble boasted.
"Can it Ruffles!" Sully was about to kick Virion in a place that no man should ever be kicked, when Chrom stepped in between the two.
"Let Walter explain." the blue-haired prince gave Walter the thumbs up to continue.
"Sully..." the butler continued. "I'm placing you with Virion, because you are going to be the most capable one to back him up. Vaike certainly can't, because he'll be too focused on making himself look good in the battlefield, and Stahl hasn't worked with Virion before. You cannot deny the fact that the both of you make a good team."
"Fine..." Sully raised her hands in defeat. Walter smiled as he moved on.
"Frederick will be working with Lissa. As Lissa is the healer, she is not only the most vulnerable but also the most important member. If anything were to happen to her, this mission could turn ugly. That is why I'm placing Frederick, the most capable of all of us, to act as her bodyguard."
Lissa was, surprisingly, very cooperative. She didn't seem to have any objections with this set up. The same went for Frederick.
"Vaike and Stahl will be the muscle of this operation. They will be in the front lines with Chrom and Sumia."
"Teach likes this idea!" Vaike fist pumped. "Come on Stahl! Let's kick some ass!"
Stahl gave Vaike a cautious thumbs up.
"Miriel will serve as the back up." Walter turned his attention to the mage. "If any thing goes wrong, it will be her duty to come to our aid."
"An odd choice, but not one without merit." Mirel commented without so much as lifting her head out of her tome. "That leads to the question of what you will be doing, Walter." The Angel of Death smirked.
"I will be providing extra support for Chrom and Sumia. One can never be too careful when it comes to battle." Walter looked around the room to see if there were any objections. When he saw that there were none, he quickly cleared the table. It was Chrom's time in the spotlight.
"As there is no objections, lets pack up and begin marching north."
"Yes captain!"
Ylisse-Regna Ferox Border ~ The Longfort
July 19, Age 2609 (10:13 A.M.)
When the camp was all packed up, the Shepherds began their long march north. Unfortunately, none of them accounted for the cold weather. In fact, snow was the last thing they were expecting.
"F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" Lissa shivered as they trekked through the cold snow. Frederick steered his horse beside Lissa.
"Stand beside my horse, milady. She'll shelter you from the wind." he suggested. Lissa promptly took sheLater beside the knight.
Further ahead, Walter took deep breaths as he slowly followed behind Chrom and Sumia.
"I never thought I would see snow in the middle of Summer..." he muttered to himself as he looked ahead to see a large fortress ahead. "So that's the fortress? Quite the spectacle..."
"Yes, it is." Chrom wiped the snow from his eyes. "The Longfort is what many consider to be the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox."
"M-M-My quessstion is..." Vaike was shivering worse than Lissa, as he wasn't wearing a shirt. "W-W-Why build a w-w-wall in the first p-p-place?"
"Political reasons." Sumia answered. "I heard that it was because the khans—the rulers of Regna Ferox—are very cautious when it comes to foreigners. I wouldn't say that they're hostile, just wary." Frederick nodded in agreement.
"A bit of diplomacy may make way for a powerful alliance." he added. Chrom let out a halfhearted sigh.
"I'm not the best negotiator—that's Emmeryn's strong suit—but I'll at least try." the prince turned to face everyone. "Remember, we represent Ylisse. What we do will either lead to peace or war."
"Yes sir!"
As they made it closer to the wall, Walter noticed something.
"This may get ugly; the Feroxi Guard are mobilizing..." the butler frowned.
"What?!" Chrom looked shocked. "Are you sure?"
"I see it as well, milord." Frederick added. "They look ready to strike all of us down at a moments notice. I recommend we be prepared for a fight."
"Get into formation! Remember the plan!" Walter commanded.
The Shepherds quickly found their partners and formed a three tiered wall. Chrom, Sumia, Vaike, and Stahl in the front. Virion, Sully, and Walter in the middle. Frederick and Lissa in the back, with Miriel ready to step into the battle to pull anyone out.
When they got to the entrance, they heard a strong woman's voice echo from atop the fort.
"Halt! Who goes there?!"
Chrom stood tall at the front of the group.
"In the name of the house of Ylisse, I seek an audience with the khans!" he bellowed.
Unfortunately, his request fell on deaf ears. The woman, who was evidently the leader of the guards, seemed to ignore Chrom.
"Not another step, my bold lad! I've lancers at the ready!" the armored knight threatened. Walter stepped in front of Chrom.
"Did you not hear us!? We are not your enemy!" Walter growled. "We are here on orders from her Exalt to discuss matters of mutual interest!"
"Do not take that tone with me, old man!" the woman seemed to hiss in Walter's face. "I am Raimi, the guardian of the Feroxi borders! I will not allow even a single brigand to cross this wall!"
"B- brigand?" Frederick asked in a confused manner. "We aren't brig-"
"Hold your tongue!" Raimi once again interrupted. "I've dealt with more alleged "Ylisseans" than you think. Don't take me lightly! If you do not turn now, I will order my men to strike you down where you stand, imposters!"
It was Sumia's turn to be angry.
"How dare you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, captain of the Shepherds and part of the royal family!" the Pegasus Knight grit her teeth.
"Ha!" Raimi let out a cocky laugh. "And I'm the queen of Valm! The impersonation of royalty is not taken lightly, fools! Punishable only by death! Prove your worth, "Prince"!" Walter sighed as he placed his hands behind his back.
"I hate it when men and women are so blind to the truth. It's what leads to the loss of innocent lives; lives that could've been saved had fools like yourself only listened." the butler smiled his signature Angel of Death smile. This deeply unsettled the Feroxi guards on the fort. His once kind face was now obscured by the shadows, with his monocle glimmering in the light.
"If the impersonation of royalty is punishable by death..." Walter chuckled darkly. "I'd hate to see what the punishment for threatening royalty is..."
Raimi had enough the old man's threats.
"Enough of this!" she raised her hand. "Attack!"
At least twenty guards took their places on top of the fort. All of them pulled out javelins that were then flung straight at Walter and Chrom. Acting quickly, Sumia quickly grabbed Chrom and flew him out of the way. Walter stood in place, seemingly looking like he was accepting his fate.
Snap!
Several wires sprang out from his gloves, intercepting all of javelins before even coming anywhere close to hitting him.
"Thank goodness I acted as quickly as I did." Sumia exhaled as she landed her Pegasus next to Walter.
Chrom laughed as he gave her thumbs up.
"We should be thankful that Walter paired us together." he patted Sumia's Pegasus. "Such a well trained Pegasus. You're obviously very good with animals, Sumia."
"T- thank you for the p-praise captain." the Pegasus knight blushed.
"If you two love birds are done..." Walter interrupted. "We ought to focus on the task at hand!"
"Here they come!" Frederick hollered as he equipped his lance.
Archers poured out from both the western and eastern gates.
"Chrom, Sumia, and I will take the western gate!" Walter ordered. "The rest of you will head to the east and take that one!"
There were nods as they all went to their positions. As Chrom and Sumia made their way to the western gate, Chrom felt as though someone was watching him.
"Do you feel like we're being watched, Sumia?"
"Yeah..." the Pegasus Knight nodded.
"Sir? I'm right here!"
Chrom and Sumia's heads darted to the side to see a tall man in imposing looking armor.
"BWAHH!" The two of them fell off Sumia's Pegasus as they noticed the tall man. Upon closer inspection, they quickly realized who it was.
"Kellam, is that you?" Chrom asked cautiously. "When in Naga's name did you arrive?"
The knight sighed as he pulled out his lance.
"I actually arrived around the same time as you guys. As a Shepherd, it's my duty to follow you to the ends of the Earth, even if you guys don't notice me." he looked down.
"Sorry Kellam." Sumia gave him a warm smile. "We just didn't notice you. You're just so quiet all the time."
"I affectionately call myself the king of stealth, as I can be easy to overlook at times." Kellam said proudly. "Though I was trying to get your attention for awhile... I even shouted your guys' names a couple of times."
"You sound disappointed." Sumia said sheepishly. Kellam shook his head.
"Just try to keep an eye out for me from now on, okay?"
The two nodded as they once again mounted Sumia's Pegasus.
Meanwhile, the Shepherds on the eastern side of the fort were completely decimating it's defenses. It seemed like Vaike was having the time of his life, stopping anyone that even tried to get past him.
Sully, as annoyed as she was with being paired with Virion, found him to be quite the reliable partner in combat. Despite his annoyingly flirtatious personality off the battlefield, his boast was well rooted. His skill with a bow was, much to her surprise, exceptional.
Maybe working with Ruffles isn't so bad after all... she thought to herself.
Frederick did his best to protect Lissa, even taking arrows for the blonde healer. He was lucky that she was there to heal him.
After awhile, they came to a halt when they reached the eastern gate.
"So..." Sully stared at the door. "Anyone got a key?"
"Well..." Vaike slowly raised his hand.
"Good job, Vaike." Frederick pointed his thumb at the gate. "Go on and open the gate."
"That's the thing..." The blonde warrior said slowly. "I had the key... I kinda lost it in the snow..." Stahl had this look of utter disappointment on his face as he realized what his partner had done.
"Vaike... you said that you wouldn't lose the key when I handed it too you." Stahl pinched the bridge of his nose. Virion let out a sigh as he beckoned for everyone one to follow him.
"Let's head back. We may be able to find the key if we back track."
The six warriors then began to search the snow, looking for any sign for a key.
Back on the west side, Chrom, Sumia, Walter, and Kellam had already begun storming their side of the gate. Many of the enemies on their side cowered in fear at the sight of Walter's wires. While the butler made sure not to overexert himself, lest he wish to end up as fatigued as he was yesterday, he still made sure not to let anyone come anywhere close to Chrom and Sumia.
Kellam provided good back up as well, giving out warnings for when an enemy was approaching. It surprised the large man that someone was actually noticing him for once, as Walter was actually able to hear the often overlooked knight.
It took them awhile, but the Shepherds on the east side finally managed to find the key that Vaike had lost. They quickly swept their side of any Feroxi that were foolish enough to get in their way.
Chrom and Sumia were slowly getting closer and closer to Raimi when they ran into a huge man in thick armor. He wielded an immense hammer that looked like it could smash through even the toughest of armors.
"No way I'm gonna let you come anywhere close to the captain, brigand!" he shouted as he raised his hammer.
Chrom gripped his sword with both hands.
"Sumia, stay back..." the prince ordered.
"But captain-" she was stopped mid-sentence by Chrom.
"You'll be more vulnerable to his hammer than me. I don't wish any harm to befall you, or anyone, Sumia." he shot her a confident smirk.
The hammer wielding warrior brought the hammer down upon Chrom, only for the warrior prince to nimbly dodge the strike. Chrom went in to slash his opponents chest, but his sword swing was surprisingly deflected. He went in only to clash with the hammer wielder again.
"Something tells me you're going to be a tough one to defeat." the Ylissean prince grunted as he struggled to push the warrior back.
"You're much better than the average brigand." Chrom's opponent smirked. "But you'll fall by my hand nonetheless!" He pushed Chrom back and then quickly began swinging his hammer in an almost reckless fashion. Chrom had trouble dodging a few of the swings, but still managed all the same.
Walter had meanwhile finished the last of the soldiers on his side, when he noticed something distressing. Raimi was aiming a javelin at Chrom's back, and no one seemed to have taken any notice.
No! The butler made a mad dash to warn Chrom of the eminent danger, but it was too late as Raimi had already thrown the javelin.
Chrom was surprised when someone pushed him out of the way. He was even more shocked when he saw a javelin fly straight into Walter's shoulder.
"Walter!"
The aged butler smirked as he was then batted away by the impact of a huge hammer. Walter remained airborne until he impacted the cold, snow covered, ground.
"Shit..." The Angel of Death coughed as he struggled to get up. "The last time I was hit that hard was when I fought that werewolf in Warsaw..." The most he could manage was to turn himself over, to lie flat on his back.
Chrom, angered by how Raimi was willing to stoop to a sneak attack, quickly charged the hammer wielding warrior. With several swift slashes of his sword, he brought his opponent down easily. His attention then turned to Raimi.
"Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!" Raimi said with the utmost confidence that she would win. What she didn't expect was the swiftness of her defeat.
Chrom charged her, without so much as giving the Feroxi knight a chance to even pull out a weapon. Chrom then delivered three precise cuts, using a rapier. One to her arm, and two to both of her legs. This caused the overconfident knight to stumble. When she lifted her head, she was faced with the tip of Chrom's sword.
"Perhaps... you were telling the truth all along..." She raised her hands in defeat.
Chrom smirked as he sheathed his sword.
"Chrom! We need you over here!" Lissa shouted at the top of her lungs. The Ylissean prince turned to see everyone gathering over Walter.
"Walter!" he quickly ran over to his fallen comrade. Nothing hid his relief when he saw Walter wasn't dead. "Thank Naga, you're alright..."
"You actually think that something as trivial as a javelin to the shoulder would take me down?" The butler chuckled. "I've been hit by worse." he quickly clutched his hip in pain.
"Relax..." Lissa raised her staff over his hip. "You were hit pretty hard. I'm surprised that none of your bones were broken on impact. Most people your age would've been killed instantly." Her staff glowed a mint green as the pain in Walter's hip subsided.
"Why did you take that hit for me anyway, Walter?" Chrom breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Walter stand up. The butler raised an eyebrow.
"Are you saying that you'd rather it be you on the floor—writhing in agony—slowly blacking out?" Walter frowned. "Me putting my life on the line for a superior isn't anything out of the ordinary; honestly I just assumed it to be natural..."
There was silence as everyone processed this information. How many times had Walter brushed past death, and lived to tell about it?
"I am your sword, and shield, sir. I am a weapon to be used, and wall to be hidden behind." Walter continued. "I am more than your butler—I am more than your tactician—I would give my life for you every single time it need be."
"Okay, I get it..." Chrom scratched the back of his head. "That's all good and fine, but if you're going to be throwing yourself into harms way for my sake, just promise me one thing..."
"What would that be, sir?" Walter inquired.
"Promise me that you'll always come out alive." The Ylissean prince said with a look of extreme seriousness. Recalling a similar promise he made to Integra, Walter let out a halfhearted chuckle.
"If that's what you wish, I'll do my best to comply." Walter smiled. "I'll also do what I can to make sure everyone makes it out of battle; alive and well."
Chrom nodded as he turned to face Raimi. The Feroxi knight should consider her men lucky that they were only left incapacitated, and not dead.
"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom." The blonde knight bowed as she approached the Ylissean prince. "I truly took you for brigand impostors." Raimi sighed. "No frauds could ever wage a battle as you just have! I'll send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally."
"That would be most appreciated, thank you." Chrom smiled as he beckoned for his fellow Shepherds to follow him and Raimi.
"Truly amazing." Walter commented. "Her whole demeanor changed." Frederick nodded in agreement.
"That is the way of the Feroxi people, Walter." the knight commented. "In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words. We should've known not to overestimate their value of diplomacy..."
"Kinda sounds like someone like Vaike would fit in quite nicely here." Lissa snickered to herself. "Vaike is definitely more brawn than brain." Sully shook her head.
"Nah, the idiot would get torn to shreds. He would lose his weapon 24/7."
Vaike fumed as the two woman continued to poke fun of his inability to keep track of his belongings.
"Shall we get a move on?" Walter cut in, as they were falling behind.
"Yes, It's certainly not getting any warmer over here." Virion answered as he dragged a half frozen Stahl behind him.
Regna Ferox ~ Eastern Capital
July 19, Age 2609 (1:23 A.M.)
It was awhile before they arrived at the palace. Chrom, Lissa, Walter, and Frederick were escorted to the main hall to discuss diplomacy, while the rest of the Shepherds got themselves situated in the inn.
"Please wait here while I summon the khan, Prince Chrom." Raimi stopped the four of them as she left through a door to the side.
"That's a bit odd." Walter crossed his arms. "Where else could the khan be?"
"Out training, probably." Chrom guessed. "You can already tell that they have a preference for fighting rather than politics. A better way of putting it is, battle IS their politics."
"Quite a dysfunctional way of ruling, I'd say." The butler placed his hand on his chin. "In my world, empires ruled through battle have tended to come to abrupt, rather destructive, ends. I hope that this khan can be convinced that battle is not the only form of politics in the world."
"Is that so?" A strong woman's voice echoed around the room.
Everyone turned to see a slender woman with golden hair and extremely tanned skin.
"Usually, men that support diplomacy in Regna Ferox are the first ones to die in combat." The woman spoke in a manner that gave her a strong presence. "Though, if what Raimi tells me is true, you are the old man that managed to not only survive a direct hit from her javelin, but a direct hit from a hammer strike that would've fell men very much younger than yourself." The butler nodded.
"Yes, that's me. I am Walter C. Dornez, butler and tactician to Prince Chrom." He bowed as he presented a walkway between Chrom and the khan. "Are we right to assume that you are the khan?"
"I am but one of the khans." She replied in a prideful manner. "I am the East-Khan, Flavia. Allow me to apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox." She stuck her hand out. Chrom stepped forward and shook hands with the khan.
"Thank you for the apology, though I am confident that we can put all that behind us now." When they stopped shaking hands, Chrom immediately let out a sigh. "Is it true that brigands have been posing as Ylisseans?"
"Yes." Flavia said sadly. "They have been ransacking our villages, those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must be desperate to want to increase tension between our kingdoms. For them to pull such a bold move is unheard of."
"Damn them!" Chrom looked as if he was ready to slam his fist into the wall.
"That explains the bandits that I ran into earlier today..." Walter spoke up suddenly. He didn't feel the need to tell them that he ran into Lucina/Marth as well. "I defeated some Plegians in the forest earlier. They were terrorizing a village on the edge of your borders."
"All the more reason to increase the security on the borders." Flavia sighed. "I know why you've come to Ferox, Prince Chrom. Unfortunately, I will not be able to provide any aid for Ylisse."
"Why the hell not?!" Lissa spoke out, outraged. Flavia sighed.
"I lack the proper authority to do such a thing..." she replied bluntly.
"Are you not the khan?" Frederick questioned. "Why do you not have the authority to give us aid?" Walter scoffed as he recalled what Flavia had said earlier.
"She said that she was one of the khans, Frederick. That means that there's more than one, and it's likely that the other khan has more authority than Flavia." the butler deduced.
"How observant of you." the East-Khan nodded. "Every few years, the east and west khans hold a tournament in which the victor gains total control over both kingdoms. The winner has the final say when it comes to the forging of alliances." Flavia frowned. "Unfortunately, The West-Khan won the last tournament, so..."
"We won't receive any aid?" Chrom hung his head low.
"Don't be so quick to give up, fool!" Flavia said quickly. "The next tournament is to be held in a months time, and I need champions."
"So you're saying..." Walter trailed off.
"Exactly." Flavia winked at the old butler. "Raimi has informed me that you Shepherds are quite capable. I ask you to fight in the tournament as my champions. If you win the tournament, I shall be more than happy to provide the aid your people need." Frederick raised an eyebrow.
"Would it not be against the rules for Ylisseans to participate in a Feroxi tradition?"
"It's the khans choice of who fights for them. If we did not include champions from other lands, Regna Ferox would be piled high with corpses. This is why the tournament is usually fought by outsiders. Although, I don't think the tournament has been fought using royalty as champions." Flavia laughed. "The choice is yours, Chrom."
"What choice is there, East-Khan?" Chrom crossed his arms. "My people are in desperate need of aid. We not only have Plegia's constant attacks to worry about, but the Risen as well. If steel is the only route we have towards an alliance, then so be it. We will fight as your champions, Flavia."
"Oh, I do like you, Prince Chrom." Flavia laughed. "I do hope that you survive the tournament! I'll show you where the tournament shall be held."
Writer's Notes
Probably the easiest chapter thus far to remaster. Honestly, this is probably the last chapter that I'm going to remaster, seeing as how everything past this point runs the gamut between acceptable and exceptional. It's been a trip going through these first five chapters and recalling every choice I made while writing. Most of the time, I was thinking "what the absolute crap was I doing!?" but every now and then I'd see something that genuinely made me smile.
It's kind of fitting that this is the last chapter to be remastered, seeing as how this was the final true chapter of the first batch I wrote. After this, I wrote on and off before finally deciding to fully go all in and write this fanfic. It's also kinda funny, seeing as how I was insatisfied woth this chapter when I first released it, yet it held far better than the others I remastered.
Anyway, here's some behind the Keyboard stuff to cap the chapter off.
Behind the Keyboard
.
.
.
The Murphy's Law Scene - I wrote this one on the fly, kind of because I felt like it. I had an itch I needed to scratch, and the only way I could do that was by making an attempt at humor. Whether or not I was successful is entirely subjective.
.
.
.
Things I actually did in game - From this point forward, I actually started incorporating the actual strategies I utilized whilst playing the game. Just a little tid bit.
.
.
.
Month timeskip - The one month between this chapter and the actual tournament was added into the story for the purpose of adding some down time for the characters. Although, I think that was obvious...
.
.
.
With the tournament a month away, how will they fare against the West-Khan's champions? Will they be prepared for the unexpected champion on the opposing side? Find out...
Next time!
