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= DATES, PLACES, ECT.
BOLD ITALICS=WRITER
(NOTE: IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS STORY THEN DON'T READ IT.)
Walter Dornez of the Emblem
Ylisstol ~ Royal Palace
August 29, Age 2609 (6:00 A.M)
With the final preparations made, the transportation of Exalt Emmeryn to the Eastern Palace was officially beginning. The Shepherds would leave that day at exactly eight-o'clock. While most others were sleeping at the moment, Walter was wide awake.
He had woken up early in order to add the finishing touches to something he'd been working on since the beginning of the week. As he fiddled with the final details of the piece, he smiled in satisfaction as he hefted his newly forged weapon. It wasn't a pair of gloves for his wires, but instead it was a sword. It was a katana that he had made specifically so he could forgo the usage of his wires for the time being.
The forged weapon boasted a blade that had been created out of superior materials. It was a local blacksmith that had informed him on the fact that steel and bronze were usually the best bets when it came to creating a stronger weapon. Having been informed of the fact, Walter bought some steel ingots from the blacksmith and created something from scratch. After much trial and error, he had finally created something he could count on. After testing its durability, Walter deemed it a success.
"I'll have to thank that kind gentlemen some time for the pointers." Walter sheathed the weapon and equipped it to his side. "Hmm, I may as well name it, seeing as it's my first personal weapon." Thinking over names for a short while, the butler came to a verdict; he would name the blade the Van Helsing.
Leaving his little workshop, the butler returned to his room and began to prepare for the coming march. He put on a simple white dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. Over the dress shirt was a black waistcoat, a matching tie tied around his neck. Grabbing a two spare sets of leather gloves, one infused with wires and one without. Walter reached into his pockets and pulled out his fingerless gloves.
I have to leave this pair. Walter sighed. These gloves, if I use them one more time I'll end up draining myself completely. Opening up the drawer to his desk, the butler carefully placed his prized gloves inside. As soon as he was done, he heard knocking at his door.
"Come in."
Unsurprisingly, Lucina entered the room in her combat gear- her Falchion sheathed at her hip. She bore a troubled expression, something not lost on Walter.
"Is something bothering you, Lucina?" Walter asked.
"Yes…" Lucina's hand hovered over the hilt of her sword, her keepsake from her long deceased father. "I cannot shake this sense of foreboding. I feel, no I know that something terrible is bound to happen within the next few days."
"Lucina, I assure you that nothing bad is going to happen, not while I'm around." Walter comforted her. "If you're worried about Emmeryn, she's going to be heavily guarded during the march. Ylissean Royal Guards, Pegasus Knights, and the Shepherds- they're all accompanying her on this expedition. Don't you worry about Chrom either. I, as well as great many others, will be by his side for the duration of the march."
Despite the assurance, Lucina still seemed troubled. The princess took a deep breath as she looked up to Walter.
"It's neither Chrom nor Emmeryn that I'm worrying about at the moment. I trust you to protect them with your life." Lucina spoke with a steadfast faith. "Of anyone in the Shepherds, I know you to be the only one I can trust fully. I fear that, perhaps it is simply just paranoia, something may happen to you."
"Me?" Walter raised a brow. "Come now, you shouldn't worry about a codger like myself. It's not like my death would mean anything."
There was clear discomfort in Lucina's expression. For whatever reason, his wellbeing had become a priority for her. Yes, there were greater losses that could occur, but Lucina still found herself concerned about the butler.
"Walter, I'm aware of the risks to my father and Emmeryn's lives. If there was no risk, I'd have never come back to this time in the first place. It's just that you've been the friend that I've needed since I arrived here, perhaps even since my parents deaths. Yes, I've allies that also hail from the future, people I also consider friends. However, unlike them, you've been there to guide me ever since I arrived here. Yes, my father and aunt's lives are undoubtedly important to me, but so is yours."
Greatly flattered by the princess' declaration, Walter placed both hands on her shoulders and gave her a kind smile.
"If it worries you so much, I'll make sure to be careful. Just remember, the lives of Chrom and Emmeryn supersede my own. If either one is in mortal danger, I will not hesitate to give my life to protect them."
"Thank you." Lucina breathed a sigh of relief. "That is all that I was worried about. Yes, the lives of my father and Emmeryn are my priority, but I have faith that you'll keep them safe. Of course, I'll be shadowing the caravan just in case."
"Why don't you just march with the rest of us? I'm sure that Chrom wouldn't mind the extra help."
"No, I cannot…" Lucina covered her left eye, the eye with the brand. "I cannot risk compromising myself any further. Staying here in the palace was already risking my identity being discovered. As much as I yearn to be with my father once again…" she shook her head, a pained expression on her face. "I cannot…"
Walter nodded in understanding.
"Okay, I trust that you'll be fine on your own?" Walter gave Lucina a comforting smile.
"Yes," Lucina returned the smile. "I'll be fine on my own."
Ylisstol ~ Shepherds Garrison
August 29, Age 2609 (7:00 A.M)
After waking up and preparing for the several day journey to the eastern palace, the Shepherds gathered for a short briefing on the plan.
"As you know today we are to act as guards for my sister as she seeks refuge in the eastern palace." Chrom addressed his militia. "It's a five days march to the palace, and our journey isn't over when we reach it either. After we get there we have to march northwest to Regna Ferox in order to request additional aid from Khan Flavia. Anyway, as you can see, this isn't just some average mission. This is going to be a long and arduous march, and it cannot be treated like a simple patrol. Escorting the Exalt, we are most likely going to be ambushed, and I cannot stress just how dangerous this may become if we are. As with everything we do, you are not being forced to march. If you do not wish to come, that is completely fine, you may leave the room right now."
When no Shepherd's left the room, and it was obvious that everyone was going to participate, Chrom stepped back. Walter replaced Chrom and began to address the group.
"Okay, the convoy is going to be structured as followed. At the rear of the escort, the Pegasus Knights shall be stationed to prevent any enemies from following. They shall be a day behind us, leaving tomorrow morning. At the center of the convoy, Exalt Emmeryn will be guarded by what remains of the Ylissean Royal Guard. Several Shepherds shall be stationed here to bolster the defense. All other Shepherds shall be at the forefront of the group. We are the vanguard for the escort. We are there to eliminate any obstacles."
Finishing his briefing Walter sent the Shepherds to prep whatever they needed for the journey. He exited the Shepherds' Garrison and made his way back to the palace, specifically with the intention of checking the training field. It was here that he caught sight of the very person he was looking for.
Standing at the center of the training field, a wooden training sword in his hand, was the young Donnel. He was quite unimpressive at first, and none of the other soldiers in training had thought much of the farmhand. However, the young man was a quick learner, and several days of pushing himself had shown this. Prodigy was an understatement.
Watching the young man, Walter smirked as Donnel twirled the training sword in his hand and charged an opposing trainee. The farm boy attacked with a skill that truly proved what Walter had said about the boy- that he had amazing potential. As the sparring match came to an end, with Donnel easily disarming his opponent, Walter approached the boy.
Donnel was surprised to see the butler, but incredibly happy at the same time. It was Walter that had given him a chance to prove himself, and he was grateful to him for that.
"It's great to see you again Mr. Dornez!" Donnel was smiling from ear-to-ear. "You ain't got no idea how happy I am to see you again, sir!"
Ruffling the young man's mud-colored hair, Walter chuckled.
"It's good to see you too Donnel, but if you don't mind please just call me Walter. Mr. Dornez makes me seem like a school teacher." Walter led the young man out of the training field. "Anyway, I'm pleased to see that you've taken advantage of what I've given you. Someone with as much potential as you is wasted as a farmhand."
"Ha, well I'd be sayin' otherwise if you'd never had given me the chance." Donnel replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to thank you for givin' me this opportunity. I've finally the chance to prove myself. You see back home, I was made fun of lots by the rest of my village. They told me I was daft in the head for dreaming of things above me, of thinkin' I could be anythin' better than a farmer. As weird as it is, in a strange way, them brigand's attackin' my home is the reason I'm here." Donnel hung his head low in sadness.
"I mean, thinkin about it, I'd never have met you if it weren't for that attack. At the same time, I'd still have my pa if it weren't for them criminals. Still, I guess that's reason enough for me to work harder than ever before, because this is the kind of future my pa wanted for me."
"Agreed, I'm sure that if your father heard you say that, he'd be proud of you." Walter lifted the young man's head.
"Thank you, I'm glad to hear you say somethin' like that." Donnel was grinning once more. Walter returned the smile, but became serious as he recalled why he was there.
"Anyway, I didn't come here to catch up. While I was hoping that I'd not have to ask this of you, seeing as you've only been training here for just little over a week, I feel the situation is precarious enough that we need all Shepherds to mobilize. Despite being treated as a normal soldier thus far, you actually classify as being part of the Shepherd militia." Placing a hand on Donnel's shoulder, he took a deep breath. "As a Shepherd, you have the choice to join us for the escort mission that we embark on today. We are protecting Exalt Emmeryn as she makes her way to the eastern palace for safety. This is going to be a long and difficult journey, and I realize that you may not be ready for this, but I'd at least like to give you the choice to join."
Donnel thought about the choice he had just been given. He was silent for awhile as he thought carefully before he came to a decision.
"I don't care about how dangerous it is, I just wanna do what I can to help." Donnel was determined to help. "You can count me in, I'll be ready to march in half-an-hour."
Walter smiled and patted the young man on the back again. Sending Donnel away to prepare, Walter made his way back to the Shepherds' Garrison. Soon, everyone was accounted for, from the Royal Guard to the Shepherds.
As Walter looked back at the city of Ylisstol, he had an eerie feeling that he wouldn't be setting foot in the city again for awhile.
Ylisse, Breakneck Pass
August 31, Age 2609 (3:20 P.M)
(Play song ~ "The Vaike never forgets! I just don't always remember." [Fire Emblem Awakening OST])
"Ugh, my poor feet…" A certain blonde princess groaned as she trekked behind her brother and butler. "I've got blisters the size of eggs!"
It was obvious that nearly two days of marching was taking its toll on the less athletically inclined Shepherds. Lissa in particular had been complaining ever since they had woken up that morning. Of course, it didn't help that her older brother wasn't being very helpful.
"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa." the blue haired prince glanced at his sister. "Think of it as just a healthy stroll!"
Before he could utter another word, the smell of smoke entered his nostrils, causing him to cough violently. The source of said smoke was Walter, who had seen more dignified days. Ever since he'd de-aged, the butler had taken up the habit of smoking, much to everyone's chagrin. It was really odd too, as no one had ever seen Walter as the smoking type
"Walter, can you do that some other time!?" Chrom coughed as he attempted to fan away the cancerous air. "Preferably when you're not around anyone else!" Walter let out a dejected sigh as he took one last puff of the addictive substance before taking it and crushing it underfoot.
"It seems that my body wasn't the only thing that reverted, my tobacco addiction has returned as well." Walter grimaced as he resisted the urge to light another cigarette. "It took me years to be rid of it; now it's back with a vengeance. Such a damn shame, I'm wondering how I even quit in the first place."
"Probably knowing what the stuff does to your body helps." Lissa suggested. "As a healer, I can tell you just how bad those things are for not only your health, but those around you too. You should really quit, unless you want to die a pretty agonizing death." the blonde spoke a semi-playful tone.
"Thank you for the encouragement…" Walter rolled his eyes. "Surely Frederick, my fellow retainer, understands just how difficult domestic service is, and how it can push a man to seek extreme forms of release?" the butler glanced over to Frederick.
"No." Frederick replied simply; much to Walter's chagrin, and Chrom and Lissa's amusement. "I take great pride in my work; I would never stoop so low as to partake in such a foolish substance. My will and self-discipline are far too great for that."
"What?" Walter glared at the stalwart knight. "Are you implying I'm weak willed and lacking in self-discipline?"
"No, not at all." Frederick smirked. "I'm not implying you lack those two traits- I'm flat out stating you lack them."
Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick erupted in laughter, much to Walter's momentary discontent. Of course, his vexation faded quickly and the butler couldn't help but chuckle himself.
The jovial exchange was interrupted by a nervous cough, originating from behind the foursome. Turning around, Walter saw a man he was not familiar with. He wore green regal robes that almost looked priestly. A green mitre sat atop his head, covering his blonde hair. A set of circular glasses just barely obscured his worry worn eyes. A panicked expression was plastered across his aged face. Now, Walter had seen him at the beginning of the march standing beside Exalt Emmeryn. The man remained by the Exalt's side throughout the journey, which begged the question as to why the man was here at the front of the convoy.
"Greetings, I don't believe we've been introduced." Walter approached the aged man. "My name is Walter C. Dornez, the butler and tactician to Prince Chrom." The man gave him an anxious smile as he shook his hand.
"Ah ye-yes, I've heard a gre-great deal about you, Mr. Dornez." he twitched nervously. "I am the hierarch, I've been a friend to House Ylisse for a great many y-years. Since the last Exalt's re-reign in fact. It wa-was I that guided Exalt Emmeryn during her in-initial years of rule." Through his entire spiel, the man would not stop twitching and stuttering; this garnering a great deal of suspicion from Walter.
"Don't sell yourself short!" Chrom patted the bespectacled hierarch on the back. "Emmeryn considers you family! When we were young, she went on and on about how you were always there for her- that's more than can be said about our father." Walter narrowed his eyes as he watched the hierarch intently.
"You know, experience has taught me a great many things, hierarch." the butler got up in the aged man's face. "Usually it's those closest to you that are likely to be the rats. You wouldn't happen to be one, sir?" the butler stared into the man's fear filled eyes. The man's silence, and his wandering gaze, told Walter all he needed to know about him.
"You conniving traitor!" Walter backhanded the man so hard that he spat out some blood. This earned looks of apprehension from Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick.
"What in the name of Naga are you doing, Walter?!" Chrom moved to restrain Walter. "That's the hierarch you're attacking, one of the most important men in the whole of Ylisse!" Walter grabbed the hierarch by the collar.
"Yes, which means he's the man you'd least suspect to betray you." the butler growled as he kneed the aged man in the stomach. Frederick and Lissa looked in horror at the brutal beating Walter was delivering.
"What are you talking abou-" Chrom was interrupted by an arrow embedding itself into the ground in front of him. A roar of laughter erupted from the top of one of the cliffs. All heads turned to see a large band of Plegians staring down at them.
"Time to die, princey!" one of them raised their axe over their head.
"Plegian soldiers!?" Chrom gritted his teeth. "How did they know that we were…" his voice trailed off as he turned his head over to Walter, who had the hierarch's neck in his grip. "You damn traitor…" his voice was dangerously low. The Ylissean Prince wanted to behead the rat then and there, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. "Frederick, send word to the rest of the convoy! Tell them to prepared for battle!"
The Great Knight nodded and quickly rode off to warn the rest of the Shepherds. Walter, meanwhile, slipped on his new pair of monofilament gloves, this pair being a shiny black leather version. These ones were around double the strength and cutting power of his white pair, but still a far cry from his fingerless pair's power.
A second volley of arrow rained down from the cliff side. Walter leapt into action, calling forth his wires to protect Chrom and Lissa. The Hierarch wasn't so fortunate, as the elderly man was struck by several arrows. the butler cut down all brigands on the ridge with ease. The trio only considered the traitor for a single moment before they leapt into battle. Walter dealt with the archers with a swift swipe of his wires. Chrom had little to no trouble dealing with those foolish enough to charge straight at him, and Lissa surprised those that attempted attack her by pulling out an axe and embedding it into their guts.
"I see the class upgrade to war cleric suits our little princess." Walter commented. "I take it that your training sessions with Frederick have been going well?" a playful smirk formed on his face. "Of course, I hear that the princess and her knight in shining armor have been doing more than training as of late." This comment caused Lissa's entire face to go red with not embarrassment, but anger.
"Who told you that!?" the blonde princess got extremely defensive. This caught the attention of Chrom, who had largely been stunned by Walter's earlier comment.
"Lissa, what's Walter talking about?" the blue-haired Ylissean Prince frowned, his big brother instincts going into full overdrive.
"Nothing!" Lissa crossed her arms and turned away from both Walter and Chrom. Walter actually seemed genuinely surprised by the princess' response to his question.
"You do know I was joking, right?" he scratched the back of his head. "I didn't actually hear any rumors about any relationship between you and Frederick, Lissa." The blonde princess breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
"Oh thank Naga…"
Chrom, on the other hand, seemed tense. His grip on the Falchion was so tight that his knuckles were turning white. This made Walter roll his eyes.
"Look, you can worry about your sister's love life later, for now we have a battle to win." Walter turned everyone's attention back to the fact that they were under attack. The two royals nodded in unison as they held their weapons at the ready. It was than that Frederick arrived with the rest of the Shepherds; along with Sumia, who had been with the Pegasus Knights for most of the journey.
"I have informed the rest of our convoy about the attack." Frederick held is lance at the ready. "Phila has fallen back with the Exalt and has grouped up with the rest of the Ylissean military."
"Very good." Walter quickly analyzed the terrain, their forces, and the enemy's forces. "Okay, Virion and Sully, you'll be at the forefront of our defense. I want Virion specifically to shoot down any Wyvern Riders that come our way. After all, the two of you make up one of the most powerful pair ups in the Shepherds." both nodded, ready to take out any Plegians that came their way. "Vaike, you shall serve as their backup. You'll be primarily working alone, seeing as you seem to love doing that." The self proclaimed Ol' Teach fist pumped at the fact he was working alone. "Kellam and Miriel, you two are going to be at the center of our defense. Kellam shall protect Miriel while she provides cover fire using her tomes." Kellam acknowledged the orders. Mirel still seemed to be having trouble finding the knight, despite standing right next to him. "Frederick and Lissa shall also be at the center. I want Lissa to be ready with her mend and rescue staves, and Frederick to be ready to transport her wherever she's needed." When the two supposed "love birds" accepted the orders, Walter than turned to Chrom and Sumia. "Chrom, you shall support Sumia while she provides aerial support. Take out those Wyvern Riders beyond the cliffside, and stay away from archers." Chrom was quick to mount onto the back of Sumia's Pegasus, seeing as he was used to working with the Pegasus Knight. "Donnel and I shall stay at the back and cover our rear. Overall, I want us all in a tight formation. Normally I'd want to avoid this, as it makes getting swarmed easy, but seeing as we're already surrounded on all sides- we may as well attack as one entire unit that can watch each other's backs." When Walter was finished with briefing, the Shepherds moved out.
Vaike was the first to move, eager as he always was to get into the fight. His first target was a Plegian barbarian. With a single swing of his axe, the barbarian was cut down and knocked off the cliff.
"Looks like those training sessions with Chrom have really paid off!" Vaike proclaimed. "Ol' Teach is now stronger than ever!" Eyeing behind him, he could see two more barbarians approaching from behind. Twirling his axe like it was weightless, Vaike charged at one barbarian. Clashing axes with the Plegian, he held the struggled for a few seconds. When he noticed the other Plegian aiming to behead him, Vaike smirked as he let the enemy swing at him. Dodging, the enemy ended up hitting the barbarian he had been a struggle with. Using the momentary distraction, Vaike slammed his axe into the enemy units back. Having killed those two, the blonde warrior moved on to the next set of enemies.
Virion and Sully were next to move, catching an archer by surprise. Charging the archer on her mount, she slung a flurry of unladylike curses at the archer. Greatly irritated by the obnoxious cavalier, the archer aimed solely for the redhead. Moving from behind, Virion was easily able to kill the target. The rest of the group, sans Chrom and Sumia, were not far behind the rest them. The Pegasus mounted Chrom and Sumia were currently flying just several meters away from the cliff face.
It wasn't long before their defense began to face opposition. A brigand managed to get past the front lines of their force and immediately moved to attack Miriel and Kellam. Swinging his axe at the semi-vulnerable Mage, he was surprised when he found opposition in the form of a large knight he had not spotted earlier. Before he had a chance to question where the large knight had come from, he was stabbed in the gut by said knight's lance followed by being buffeted by fire.
Sully and Virion were meanwhile facing multiple threats at once. However, hours of training together allowed the duo to become perfectly synchronized. Their once incredibly different styles of fighting now complemented each other perfectly.
"Watch out, Ruffles!" Sully deflected the sword slash from an attacking thief, giving Virion ample time to retaliate. The archest of archers fired an arrow straight into the Plegian's skull.
"Ah, if I am correct, that is the first time you've had to save me so far, dearest Sully." Virion chuckled. "Is this a sign that I'm going to be saving you a lot less?"
"You're damn right it is." Sully shot a smirk at the nobleman. "Pretty soon I'll have saved your ass more than you've saved mine, and it'll be you that owes-" the redhead cavalier was interrupted by Virion shooting an arrow passed her and into a brigand that was about to blindside her.
"With that, my debt is paid." Virion gave his partner a cheeky smile.
"Oh, you son of a…" Sully couldn't help but laugh. "One of these days, I'm gonna have saved you more than you've saved me."
For the most part, the plan was working. Although the formation had shifted every now and then, with those relegated to the center of the force moving to the front once and awhile, the Shepherds were largely having an easy time cutting through the Plegian forces.
Chrom and Sumia were now facing opposition from multiple Wyvern Riders. Normally, this would be cause for alarm, but ever since the fight at the Border Pass the two have been having an easier time coordinating their attacks. Much like Sully and Virion, Chrom and Sumia were now beginning to work as one unit; though this was to much a greater degree when compared to the aforementioned duo. As a testament to how easily the two were coordinating, Chrom was able to jump off their Pegasus mount and onto an enemy Wyvern. While the rider was distracted, Sumia charged in, lance in hand, and impaled the rider through the chest. With little to no effort at all, Chrom was able to jump from the Wyvern's back to the Pegasus, all without neither he nor Sumia even exchanging any words.
Overall, victory was in the Shepherds favor.
"Prince Chrom! Captain Phila!"
Walter and Donnel readied their weapons at the sound of the newcomer. After all, as the rear guard, it was their job to deal with the opposition from behind. To their surprise, it wasn't an enemy that was approaching from behind, but a woman mounted on a Pegasus. Her long red hair flowed behind her as she rode towards them on her snow white Pegasus. Her armor was very distinctive as that of a Pegasus Knight, being similar to Sumia's- the areas that are purple on Sumia's armor being red on her armor.
"Hold, young lady!" Walter stopped the Pegasus Knight in her tracks. "What seems to be the danger?" The red-haired Pegasus rider seemed incredibly distraught about something.
"I bear bad news for Prince Chrom and Captain Phila." she breathed heavily. "Enemy reinforcements are soon to be upon us from the rear!" Walter frowned in slight disbelief.
"Are you certain?" he crossed his arms. "Phila has retreated to the rear of the convoy to guard the Exalt, are you saying that the enemy has managed to slip by her and the rest of the Pegasus Knights?" The redhead seemed horrified at the discovery that Phila had retreated to the back with the Exalt.
"Oh Naga, we're all in grave danger! The Plegians are going to close in on us!" she gritted her teeth.
"Calm down!" Walter spoke in stern gone. "Panic will do you no good. If what you're saying is true, we need to send word to Chrom that he should expect some opposition." the butler raised a hand to his chin. "Chrom is currently fighting alongside Sumia just ahead of us. It would be difficult for you to get through the enemy forces without facing heavy opposition."
"It matters not, I must warn Chrom of the imminent threat." the redhead spoke in a determined tone. "If I have to ride through hordes of Plegians to get him, I will!" her grip on her lance tightened.
"Your determination is noted, but such an action shall likely get you killed; unless of course…" Walter's voice trailed off as he began to hatch a plan. "You'll never make it to Chrom without someone backing you up, so we'll give you some support."
Meanwhile, just a couple meters up the cliff, Vaike was surrounded by several Plegians. Despite being outnumbered, Vaike was still having the time of his life. He hollered and shouted as he ran into battle. His axe deflecting other weapons and embedding itself into his enemies. Two archers moved to confront Vaike, hoping to kill the loud mouth from a distance. The blonde warrior smirked, taking it as a challenge. He whipped out two hand axes and dashed at his opponents. Arrow after arrow came flying at the self proclaimed Ol' Teach, but none hit their mark. Vaike ducked, dodged, and dived out of the way of all arrows that flew his way until he had traveled close enough to be confident in his throwing ability.
"You've just been Teached!" Vaike leapt into the air, dodging one last barrage of arrows, and chucked both hand axes at the archers. The two Plegians had no chance of dodging the attack, and were swiftly killed by the axes flying into their heads. Vaike fist pumped at his recent victory.
"Tell me someone saw that, cause that was Ol' Teach at his best!" the fighter hollered once more. He was eager to find more Plegians to fight when he saw Walter and Donnel approaching, accompanied by redhead Pegasus Rider.
"Hey there, Walts!" Vaike saluted the butler. "Guessing you need Ol'Teach for somethin'?" The butler nodded.
"Yes, Mrs. Cordelia here needs to get to Chrom and Sumia, but I need someone to watch her back." Walter gestured to the red-haired beauty on the Pegasus, now introduced as Cordelia. "The sky is likely to be wrought with Wyvern Riders, so I want you to accompany Cordelia to deliver the news of the impending attack from behind." Vaike nodded, eager to get into the air. Cordelia, however, was not very enthused to be working with who she assumed to be an oaf.
"Are you sure that he's a viable partner?" Cordelia raised an eyebrow, quite off put by the man's brutish personality.
"Yes, Vaike is certainly one of the most powerful units we have in the Shepherds, I dare say that he rivals Chrom." Walter defended the blonde warrior. Despite being the man that constantly misplaced his belongings, Vaike's boasts that he was just as powerful as Chrom were not boasts. He could talk the talk and he could walk the walk, which was a source of great surprise for those that didn't know Vaike personally.
"Aww, thanks Walter." Vaike got the Ylissean butler in a headlock. "It's great to see that even Chrom's butler recognizes Ol' Teach's skill."
Reassured that Vaike was the right fit for her backup, Cordelia allowed the warrior to mount her Pegasi. When both were secure, they took off into the skies.
The battle in the skies was heating up as more Wyvern Riders moved towards Chrom and Sumia. The Pegasus mounted duo weaved through the opposition, elegantly flying circles around the bulky Wyvern's. Chrom and Sumia exchanged a single glance as they approached a Wyvern Rider that was segregated from the rest of the group. Knowing exactly what the other was planning, just from the glance alone, the pair made their move. Sumia's Pegasus accelerated in speed at the behest of her owner. Taking the Plegian off guard, the Pegasus veered away at last second- narrowly avoiding the axe swing. Chrom, using the lapse in defense to his advantage, jumped from the back of the Pegasus to the Wyvern. The Ylissean Prince easily kicked the rider off its back, letting the Plegian fall to his death, and took control of the Wyvern.
With the Wyvern under his momentary control, Chrom flew beside Sumia and charged into the fray of Plegian Wyvern Riders. The prince's relative inexperience flying was made up by his partners skill and grace. Moving in sync, the two cut a swath through the enemy line and came out unscathed. In the midst of the attack, Chrom, feeling a bit gutsy, crashed the Wyvern he was riding into another Wyvern. It's rider plummeted to his death while Chrom leaped off the mount and back onto the back of Sumia's Pegasus.
"That went well." Chrom chuckled at the amount of disarray both he and Sumia had caused in such a short period of time. "Is this really the best that Gangrel has at his disposal?"
"Prince Chrom!"
Said prince glanced over to the source of the voice. He was surprised to see Cordelia of the Pegasus Knights riding behind him and Sumia. Vaike was also present, wildly throwing hand axes at unsuspecting Plegians both in the in sky and down below.
"Cordelia?" Chrom looked at the red-haired Pegasus Knight with confused eyes.
"Cordelia?" Sumia repeated after Chrom, turning to see her close friend riding behind her on her own Pegasus.
"What in blazes are you doing here?" Chrom asked, a great amount of worry in his tone. "Weren't you and the Pegasus Knights assigned as the rear guard?" A pained expression formed on the redhead's face.
"We were ambushed by Plegians." Cordelia explained. "I was sent away by my allies, so I'm the only survivor. I bear grave news: Plegian reinforcements are on their way from the west." Hearing the news, Chrom clicked his teeth in irritation.
"Dammit, just when we thought this was going to be easy." the Ylissean prince looked back towards the ground to see the Shepherds were gathering towards the other side of the canyon. "Sumia, land us near the others. We need to discuss our next move."
The Pegasus Knight nodded as she move her Pegasus down towards the ground, Cordelia following close behind. As the last of the initial Plegian Forces were defeated, the Shepherds converged.
"What you're saying is, all this was just a taste of what's to come…?" Chrom muttered as he stared at the blood soaked cliffs.
"Unfortunately, yes." Cordelia moved next to the blue-haired prince. "The Plegians that attacked were just part of a much larger group just half a day's march behind us." Phila, who had returned with Emmeryn, confronted her subordinate.
"Cordelia, what are you doing here?" The captain of the Pegasus Knights struggled to maintain her composure. "You and the rest of the Pegasus Knights made up the rear guard of the convoy." Cordelia couldn't make eye contact with her superior.
"Gangrel himself led the attack on us." There was clear shame in her voice. "We were overwhelmed by his forces. In their final hour, my knight-sisters begged me to fly and warn the rest of the convoy…" the redhead's anguish was obvious as she recounted the attack. "...I should have stayed! Oh gods, I can still hear their screams!" she closed her eyes and resisted allowing her tears from streaming down her cheeks.
"Peace Cordelia…" Phila placed a calming hand on the redhead's shoulder. "You did your duty. The sisters rightly prized your youth. You've many years ahead of you, you're the perfect knight to carry on the legacy."
"But I abandoned them! I'm weak! Their legacy deserves better…" there was clear anguish in her voice. Phila shook her head.
"No." Phila said sternly. "Sometimes the most courageous action one can take is fleeing. Your sisters in combat knew this. Pull yourself together and let the faith that they had in you give you strength."
"Captain Phila…" Cordelia struggled to get her words out. "I… how can I go on like this? T-they were my family…" the Pegasus Knight began to sob uncontrollably. Chrom clenched his fist tightly in anger.
"Damn those monsters!" the prince was having trouble containing his anger. In great contrast, Emmeryn maintained her calm demeanor.
"It was a mistake to retreat this far." the Exalt said simply. "I must return to the capital." Walter shook his head in protest.
"Milady, that would most surely lead to your capture. I advise you to-"
"No." Emmeryn interrupted the butler. "If it is discovered that I left the capital, the people will panic. In the ensuing riots, more Ylisseans will die. I cannot allow that to happen." Emmeryn turned to face Chrom. Reaching into her robe, the Exalt pulled out the Fire Emblem. "Chrom, I entrust this to you." Emmeryn carefully placed the legendary relic in the hands of her brother.
"The Fire Emblem?" the prince questioned. "Emm, I can't take this, it's not my-"
"Take it to Ferox." Emmeryn spoke with a stern face. "It must be taken away from Ylisse, away from Plegia."
"No, I can't leave you behind, Emm." Chrom took hold of his sister's hand. Pain filled the Exalt's eyes as she gripped his hand tightly.
"No part of our Halidom is more important than the Emblem. It's tremendous power must be safeguarded at all cost." Emmeryn's voice was filled with guilt. "Far too much blood has been shed over it already. My hopes is that you will serve as a better guardian over it than I." Chrom was distraught.
"Emm, you can't- why are you talking like that? You sound like you're ready to give up."
"I am not giving up, Chrom." Emmeryn slipped her hand out of Chrom's. "I am only giving up what I can." As Emmeryn turned her back to Chrom, Lissa ran up and grabbed Emmeryn.
"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa refused to let go of her sister. Emmeryn let out a sigh as she embraced her young sister.
"Please stay with Chrom, Lissa." she held her close.
"This isn't fair! It's not fair!" Lissa sobbed. "I know our people need you, but we need you too!" Emmeryn gave her a comforting smile
"Dry your tears, love. This is not good-bye."
Phila, ever loyal to Lady Emmeryn, mounted her Pegasus. Gripping her silver lance, the captain saluted the Exalt.
"Your Grace." she bowed. "I will personally accompany you to Ylisstol, alongside whatever Pegasus Knights are left."
"Very well, Phila." Emmeryn smiled in great appreciation. "I thank you for your kind service." Turning to Walter, she gave the butler a warm smile. "I thank you for your service, Mr. Dornez. It has been a great privilege." Walter bowed in respect.
"The privilege has been all mine, milady. Although I implore you to retreat to the palace with us, I cannot force you to go, milady."
"Thank you, Walter." the Exalt planted small kiss on his forehead. "I understand your concerns, but my place is with my people. My final request to you, and by extension Frederick, is that you keep my siblings safe." Frederick stepped forward and saluted the Exalt.
"I give you my word, I shall protect them, with my life."
Phila turned to Cordelia, who had managed to compose herself.
"Cordelia, I ask that you go with Chrom." Cordelia was about to voice her objections when Phila stopped her. "I know that your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be. Your knight-sisters shall be with you in spirit wherever you go. Even if I fall, I too shall be with you in spirit. You and Sumia will carry the legacy of us brave Pegasus Knights."
Exchanging a final goodbye, both Emmeryn and Phila turned to begin the March back to the capital. As they walked away, Chrom was about to pursue the, when Walter stopped him.
"This is the decision your sister has made." Walter was stoic. "Right now, the best thing to do is to honor her request."
"Why!?" Chrom was overcome with emotion. "She's practically committing suicide! Why can't we go after her!?"
"Chrom, if you would risk your own life for both your sisters, is it truly right for you to ask her not to do the same?" the butler replied. "What she does now is for the good of not only Ylisse, but you and Lissa. She does it because she loves you. Right now, the best course of action is to make our way to Regna Ferox. Once there, we can request the reinforcements we need in order to win this war."
Chrom silently contemplated Walter's words. Unable to refute his argument, the Ylissean prince lowered his shoulders in defeat. Turning one final time to see Emmeryn and Phila leaving in the distance, Chrom strapped the Fire Emblem onto his arm and turned around.
"We march to the Eastern Palace." he ordered. "We'll spend the night there."
Following the orders, all Shepherds began to form up behind Chrom, beginning a dour march to Regna Ferox.
As they marched, Walter caught sight of a figure standing higher on the plateau. Knowing exactly who it was, the butler excused himself from the rest of the Shepherds and met the Lucina further down the road.
"Now what shall we do?" Lucina paced around, clearly restless from the battle.
"Whatever we must, Lucina." Walter grabbed the princess by the shoulders and held her still. "Don't lose your nerves now of all times. You need to shadow Emmeryn; protect her and make sure she's safe. I'll remain by Chrom's side."
"Alright." nodding, Lucina turned to leave, but stopped prematurely. "Be careful, Walter. I've a bad feeling about the next couple days." Finishing her statement, the princess left to chase after Exalt Emmeryn. Walter sighed as he moved to return to Chrom's side.
"I don't know what it is, but I'm starting to feel a sense of foreboding as well…"
Author's Notes
I think I'm a workaholic, because I can't seem to stop working on this story. I'm serious, last time I said I had up to Chapter 19 ready and 20 was in the works. Well, now I have up to Chapter 21 one ready and Chapter 22 is in the works. Honestly, I love writing this, I just enjoy it so much. However, as soon as I get to Chapter 26, I'm gonna take a small break.
I've been writing nonstop for the last few weeks, maybe even the last two months. I dunno, I'm just so excited to write this story that I can't stop. It's this reason that I'm forcing myself to take a break after I get Chapter 26 out. I need to give myself a bit of time to rest, that way I don't just get burnt out. I want to keep this momentum going, and that's going to get much more difficult as this story goes on.
Anyway, since I've got so many chapters prepped, I'm gonna give you the titles of the all the chapters up to Chapter 21.
Chapter 17... Moving Forward
Chapter 18... Bonds
Chapter 19... The Grimleal
Chapter 20... to Defy Fate
Chapter 21... The Fall
Go ahead and speculate, because things aren't going to go the way you think they are.
*Laughs maniacally
Anyway, how about I respond to last chapters reviews? Please note, if you're reviewing as a guest, please don't just call yourself guest. If you want me to respond, you need to name yourself something. I don't care what it is as long as there's no profanity. I don't care if you call yourself 'Chrom X Gangrel Shipper101', just don't be profane.
Reviews
Touhoufanatic
- Starting off, I want to thank you for your continued support. You're always one of the first people to post a review, and I'm thankful that you take your time to do so.
Starting off, yeah I don't like info dumps either, so I appreciate your understanding. As for the whole other Hellsing characters being added, you're right: I probably won't add any other Hellsing characters during this arc. I feel like it would disrupt the story of I did.
As for the whole romance thing with Walter, I don't have any real plans to pair Walter with anyone- at least not yet. You make a good argument with the Manaketes being a good romance, but if I were to pair Walter with anyone I would do it based off of how they build off of each other. Considering the Manaketes in Fire Emblem Awakening, I don't think any of them have the kind of character that I think would blend well with Walter's. If anything, Walter would seem more like a mentor figure. Still, you never know, I could suddenly see why a Manakete x Walter relationship would be warranted, espescially if...
...I'll end that sentence there...
The second generation characters are certainly going to be fun to write. Hectic is an understatement, they'll probably unleash utter chaos. All I can tell you is that dynamic between Walter and the second gen is going to be interesting.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Neema Amiry
- Yet another frequent reviewer, and one greatly appreciated. Always makes my day to see your reviews, as short as they are, so thank you.
Anyway, I don't really care about the amount of reviews I get. All I care about is delivering a story that my readers enjoy. It also helps that I really enjoy writing this story, and I hope that's obvious.
Also, like you, I too cannot wait for the next chapter to come out. I love getting the feedback, because it tells me I'm doing something right.
Once again, I thank you for the continuous support.
Warmach1ne23
- Thank you! Thank you for the information!
Seriously, thank you! Now, I don't claim to be a genius when it comes to metals and the like, but I try to do at least some research before I write anything. The information you gave is deeply appreciated. It saved, me a couple of hours of doing research, though I still did look a couple things up. Anyway, credit to you for being the one that chose the materials Walter's sword was made out of.
Your suggestion on having Walter showcase a material that the Falchion cannot cut is noted. I'll probably use it sometime in the next arc.
Thank you for your review!
The Guest Critic
- I'm sorry that you don't like this story. It's sad but I can't appeal to everyone. If you think it's terrible, so be it. I place a warning at the beginning of every chapter stating that if you don't like the story you shouldn't read it.
Now, saying that I've made several mistakes throughout the story is not inaccurate. I readily admit, this story isn't perfect- that's something every writer has to realize about their work. If everything was perfect, I wouldn't need people to review fic.
Walter being a Gary Stu isn't exactly accurate. Gary Stu, commonly referred to as a Marty Sue, refers to any character that is the personification of perfection. Usually a male protagonist, the Gary Stu will be unbeatable in practically every way, shape, or form. They are the colloquial 'cool action hero' that has no weakness and always gets the girl. Walter has a glaring weakness in this story, it's the fact that he can't use his wires, the weapon that makes him arguably untouchable, without risk of de-aging or dying. I purposefully nerfed him, as well as added why his wires can't cut through buildings and the like in the source material. (The strength of his wires varies with the gloves he wears.)
I don't know why you have a problem with Sumia, along with half of the Internet. Also, I know I've implied Walter x Lucina, but you've gotta chill out a little. I haven't even decided as to whether or not Walter's even gonna get a romance.
Anyway, I'm not stopping this story. I don't care if you hate it, I'm doing this because I love writing. If you don't like it, don't read it.
Well, that was fun! Hopefully you enjoyed the story, unlike Mr. Critic, and join me for the next chapter! It'll be out in a flash, seeing as how it's already finished.
No behind the keyboard stuff this time.
I still don't know if anyone even reads those...
Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
Next time on Walter Dornez of the Emblem!
Moving Forward
