The members rushed about as Alexander returned and he sighed as he waved a hand. "At ease, my friends." The servants did so with a breath of relief and Alex helped Tharja off his horse and he turned back as he continued. "Where can I find the Captain?"
"He is in the barracks, Sir, awaiting your instructions on a matter, it sounded urgent." The tactician nodded as he headed in that direction, Tharja looking about in wonder as she expected just a manor, but Alexander was taking a step further, the placement of walls surrounded the minor building with the finished craft of a barracks, the starting of a meeting hall, and a centralized watchtower that was staffed by three archers. She quickly followed in line as Alexander made his way into the barracks, empty for the most part as Barlowe turned and bowed.
"Milord, welcome back to your home."
"It's the Marauders' home, for the time being, not just mine." Alexander remarked as he waved a hand. "But housing and placement can come later, considering that the Exalt granted the chance...?" Barlowe nodded which didn't surprise the tactician, but Tharja was clueless as Alex continued. "There's a matter that needs my attention, could you explain?"
"Of course, sir, it is of dire worry." Barlowe smoothed out the map and Alexander hummed as Barlowe motioned to a section of Ylisse that was barely in the Feroxi territory. "Rumors started to spread through the countryside near the Feroxi border of ghastly monsters and dead bandits wandering the lands, however, it seems like there is a large horde of Risen prowling the edge, Regna Ferox is unaware of this as there is a mountain range that bars their members from destroying this horde, if not weaken it."
Alexander hummed as he brought a hand up, looking it over before he spoke. "Do we have any available members ready to handle this horde before more villages are destroyed?"
"Only eight people, the rest are training and the more experienced are elsewhere in the country, just us here, sir." Alex hummed before Tharja cleared her throat, both looking to her as she spoke.
"That makes eleven of us, if you are willing to take me on... Milord." Alex nodded as Barlowe looked... mildly surprised before the Tactician spoke.
"Indeed, and I can fit two more, a close ally of mine and someone he nowadays talks with can better our chances and I am not interested in losing this skirmish, so have the available troops ready and meet me... here." He pointed to a position barely outside one of the villages and Barlowe nodded as Alexander finished. "You are dismissed, both of you, and Tharja, there should be some additional tomes in the barracks, grab one for the battle."
The dark mage nodded as both left, Alexander peering over the map before he focused, his mind mapping out the landscape and what was happening, pockets roaming, but the sense extended out to a small convoy, it was in danger as its members were panicked, fearful, the sense of a burnt aura about them meant that they were from a nearby village that has faced the Risen's hunger and lust. Time became of essence as Alexander knew that he had to set out at once and meet with the members there and quickly as he snatched his cloak, having been laid there by Tharja when she left, and slung it on before heading out once more, pausing as he looked at his horse and rubbed its nose. "I am sorry for taxing you, but can you manage one more trip?" The horse shook its head in a yes as Alexander returned the notion, mounting up as he left instructions for the members. "Keep the place going and don't let any nobles in without authority from the Exalt Chrom or myself, I will be back soon... my apologies for the quick chain of events." The servants bowed as Alex reigned his horse and the both of them dashed for the border, toward the village that was in danger, the horde following the convoy there...
He swiftly arrived and mapped out the location properly as the field itself was also laden with trees in the frigid cold, Amirg appearing once more with Alexander's learning to focus and generate the power before him as they arrived from the north, the only route that they have came from as the convoy was from a different section and moved north to avoid the Risen. "We are not going to make it, the skirmish is going to occur whether you or I like it."
"To wait for the others as lives are dying is not a valid option, but to rush in without a plan is much worse." He finished and he noticed the pockets were silent, none moved to attack yet and they were out of view of the village itself. "Amirg, is there a possible connection to them to be like this?"
"I can think of one..." Alexander listened as Amirg continued. "They are animated corpses, but it is possible that some remain dominant beforehand and would only come alive in the presence of their creator or a Reeking Box." Alexander nodded as the trek of steps came toward him and he turned with Amirg disappearing as well as Barlowe had arrived, the eight members with him and Tharja, Christian, and Olivia joining as well as he looked at the collected group, they a arrangement of three mercenaries, two wyvern riders, two cavaliers, two healers of a priest and cleric, two dark mages, one dancer, and one tactician.
Alexander nodded as he spoke. "I am pleased to see such faces ready to fight, but I will not risk life for victory, I want two teams of seven, one that will bar the mountain-bound and one to rescue any villagers trapped in the frigid wildness." Christian took to the vanguard with Olivia by him and Tharja joined him to save, the divide easy as the wyvern riders joined Christian for easy access to the mountains to the west, the cavaliers joined Alexander as their horses would be unburdened in the open plains to the east, the healers dividing between with the mercenaries, and the lone mage with Christian as Alexander nodded. "Alright, everyone, prime yourselves for battle." They didn't need to wait for too long as a convoy slowly passed by the resting Risen, but near the end, something dropped from the back and cracked, Alexander grimacing as it was a Reeking Box, the leader noticing as well as he quickened the pace to the village, the gates closing as the groan of the dead called out, the Risen stirring as the sound of flapping soon came.
"Help! Heeelp! Open the gates! The dead walk the earth!" He pounded on the wooden barricade as he continued in his shouting. "If you've any kindness in you, open the gates! We're from Woodham, up the road! You KNOW us! Please, open the—" The shambling started to come close as he moaned in horror. "Gods, no. ...No! They're here!" The fear overtaking them, they dashed into the forest for better protection as a scream resounded and Alexander commanded.
"Move out, we have little time to bar the Risen, go!" Christian nodded as he gestured, the members following him as Alex sprinted the other way on his horse and Tharja dashing to keep up as the battles started, the Risen making for the villagers, but they were outdone as Alex called commands and the soldiers followed them, the dead unable to compare as Christian listened as well as Alexander called out, his party holding fast and strong as he took a moment to visit the village, an elder greeting him at the crack of the gate.
"Shepherds are always welcome here. Please, take this with you." He gave a bow that felt... holy in Alexander's hands before he slung it and spoke.
"Listen. There were refugees here and you turned them away, barring them out. Why?" The elder was quiet before he answered.
"We're a peaceful town, sir. We have no weapons, nor any want for them. We survive by barring our gates to those who might bring us harm—friend or foe. Harsh as it may be, I can't have my people dying on account of other folks' problems..." The gate didn't close as Alexander spoke, his hand, despite its lack of grip, held the wood open as he spoke.
"THAT is your mistake..." The elder looked spooked and for good reason as Alexander was preventing the gate from shutting yet, even when two men came to close it quickly in fear. "The Risen DON'T care about barriers, they don't care about defense, they are NOT like brigands, they are the dead, don't sleep, don't eat, and DON'T relent, have a good day surrounded by these things, we have come to protect, not to babysit the fears of people." He released, the gate swinging shut so swiftly that yelps came and he turned back, the battle coming to an end as the last came, a soldier of a Risen as it groaned, black mist flowing out of the cracked helm, but it was put down with a bolt from Alex as Christian came and spoke, his blade on his shoulder and Olivia behind him for safety and Tharja by Alex's side, the villagers thanking the members which caused quite the stir of joy and pride.
"Do you suppose the village will continue to bar its gates to refugees?" Alexander glanced back as he spoke, the four looking to the weary elder as he spoke.
"As long as they view the Risen as someone else's problem, then yes, but I understand it as something else, they want their home defended at all cost and desperately believe that their only defense is wooden walls, that will not last in the face of creatures in flight."
Christian scowled as he replied. "They claim to love peace... Yet the uneasy peace found behind a barricade is nothing I'd want." He sighed as the three looked to him. "Peace only truly begins when the fighting is over and the barricades come down. I pray they can see the truth of that before it's too late..." The notion hung on them, but Alexander was more powerful as he answered.
"Well, we can't tell them how we feel, they are simple folk while we have blood of soldiers and fighters, we need to understand it from their views, not ours as we cannot impose our will upon them, regroup the company and we will rest once on the trip back, I have seen that we had run them tired getting here." Christian chuckled as Barlowe shook a bit and the party headed home, the elder waving good-bye as the convoy headed elsewhere that would be more secure.
The trek back was going to be tough, but Alexander agreed on a spot and they settled there, a distant field from the coast and they rested for the moment as the riders tended to their mounts. Tents were set up for the comfort of everyone as they had a small convoy up to bring supplies, including a few books and notes that Alexander himself was interested in looking into as he found his place, a book opening to his touch and he looking to find whatever he could, pausing as the pages flipped a bit quicker before halting as something dropped out, a small piece of parchment. He reached down and read it over to find it was a invitation to a gathering, the fancy writing telling him that it was a more... secluded meeting among friends and family. He paused and hid it back in the book as a pair of people came in, the dancer Olivia and his friend Christian, the book sliding onto the small stand before he inquired. "Hello, you two, what can I do for you?"
"Well, the thing is we were hoping for a bit of aid?" Chrisitian started and Alex raised a brow as the Mercenary continued. "You see, Olivia is interested in opening a theater and I want to help her out, problem is funds, we are interested in joint saving and I can't think of anyone better in saving up." Alexander hummed as Olivia herself stammered.
"I-If you don't want to, then we would u-understand, Sir Alexander."
"I am not turning you down, but this is an issue." Alexander spoke as he continued. "Building and maintaining such a theater is going to be tricky, especially if it is going to be a decent sized one, I would inquire for a scaled model of the place that you are thinking of, but not here, such a small object could easily be lost out here, so wait until we get back to Ylisse and show me what you came up with, funds will be easy to collect for me, but without a proper plan, I can't just use them up, are we clear?" Both nodded as Alexander dismissed them. "Go and debate, I know that Christian has a better hand at making something like that than me." Both guys chuckled as Olivia looked at them in puzzlement before the two left, Christian behind her as the tent closed with silence once more. Alexander picked up the book once more, seeing that it was a listing of various practices in noble stature, and picked the parchment out once more as Amirg formed behind him and both looked it over.
"To our esteemed Tactician of the Shepherds,
I, Maribelle Beneluan Themis, have committed myself to Gaius Whinter Thesold in a pact of marriage and extend an invitation of a private gathering among friends and allies to partake in.
Music and refreshments shall be provided by the Themis Duchy and select members shall join, but this is a joint gathering among friends and loved ones.
Return this if you have prior arrangements that are of most dire circumstances, otherwise, I expect to see you and others there at the Themis Manor, close to Emmul's eastern border.
With all my trust and will, Maribelle Themis."
Alexander raised a brow as Amirg didn't say much before he cleared his throat and said. "Well, I suppose this is one way to obtain an invitation." Alexander rolled his shoulder before he rested the book down closed and he leaned on the seat provided as he closed his eyes, Amirg floated to the front as he continued.
"Alex... Hey, is everything working out up there?"
"I don't believe this..." Alexander rubbed his temples as he spoke. "Sent me an invitation and it is going to be a day, perhaps a week before we go there and find out that it was past due for that, we are going to look like fools, I suspect."
"Not possible, the date on the piece is recent and our return won't take long, we will be there and back before we even take the chance." The hand slid to his jaw as Alexander continued.
"Still, the nobility is going to be a bother, if any of them sees the chance to shut me out and bring Chrom into this, then we are likely to be facing some complications with it."
"Screw the nobles that dare to fight us, you are the tactician that lead the victory against Plegia and I am the all-powerful spirit made manifest." Amirg stared on as Alex righted himself. "Between the two of us, we are one force to be reckoned with, but it is by the bond of you and the Prince Chrom that makes you even more respected, he knows that he has a long way to go, but he is one ruler that we can trust for he sees the man before the title." Alexander huffed as Amirg nodded with a thing akin to a smile. "Besides, nobles are lesser to Risen in the first place."
"Except in politics." Both actually laughed as it cleared the air as Alexander spoke, nodding to his friend. "Thanks, Amirg, I needed some air on the matter, now let's test some casting." The figure nodded before flying into Alex, his step not halted as they practiced in a wide clearing, no Tharja to peer on them for a start as she seemed preoccupied with something else. As a test, Alex moved through the basic spells with little effort exerted, pushing it further with the more advanced spells that came to mind like Thoron, Bolganone, and Rexcalibur, but doing it started to tax his gloves a bit as his careful eyes noticed frayed strands and light smoking which prompted him to halt, but he now had a solid standing with both the magic and the control of it, the Arc series being the strongest that he can use without straining his gloves and they were devastating in any hands. He selected idle targets and casted his array of spells to further control it before he paused on the fifth target, a thought boiling in his mind. "Amirg, are there any spells that could cause flash freezes?"
"No, but I understand your stand, there were times that you were able to exert such a cold personality in rage or disapproval that it made itself manifest, in small bouts, but it is still there as my first thoughts go to the wind spells as it embraces the gale and the hurricane, but to the extent of a cold front, the possibility is amiss to myself." Alex nodded as he continued to spell cast with ease, anyone could be fooled into believing that he had a tome on hand, but the more experienced would notice the slight change in power, in stance, and in behavior, his spells were alive, flowing from his body with a different source of power than just a tome, another purpose to be practicing is to familiarize the spells to his own flow, concealing Amirg's involvement so that no one else would actually know. At the end, thirty dead trees were smothered in magical elements and Alex lightly panted as he paused, standing still before Amirg spoke up. "Heads up, we have company."
"It wouldn't be the first..." Alexander spoke, but he turned and faced where the figure would be, slightly surprised when it walked out to be the same woman who witnessed Emm's fall and the conjurer of the Risen. Anger that should have filled his mind and body at the sight was vacant and misted as he spoke, folding his arms as he spoke. "Aversa, what a... surprise, I didn't know that there was business here for you."
"There are many things you know not about me..." The dark-skinned woman hummed as she did the same in drawing close, Alex taking notice of a series of bandages that held the same hand that swept for the Risen army. "However, this is a different matter as I seem to recall the Tactician of Ylisse was musing his little way through his new home."
"And here I thought that Gangrel's little voice was strolling about the deserts of her home." Alexander countered and a frown dawned on Aversa's face as she spoke.
"I hold no loyalty for that corpse, my mind has faced... enlightenment in a way." She motioned with the unharmed hand. "Before the war, I was committed until you showed up and bantered at the Pass, that seeded doubt into my mind, the Exalt's execution was the breaking point as I sensed something was to occur, a dark presence filling my mind and body, commanding me to summon the dead, but the end result backlashed into my own body..." She raised the hand and Alexander waited as she continued. "This hand... this arm, its skin and touch has been harmed deeply, the dark hold shattered completely and my mind freed to remember EVERYTHING of my past, not a blind loyalty." She put it down as she gripped it. "It mends somehow in your presence, giving me reason to believe that the godlike figure that appeared was tied to you and that you could mend it." Alexander paused before he lightly huffed and extended out a hand.
"Well, let's see what can be done." Her hand entered his and he started to unravel the bandages, the layers peeling off to expose the darkened flesh, near show of bone meaning that what happened was destructive on a deeper level. "Well, if nothing else, this is quite the ruined part."
"Tell me about it..." Alexander breathed as he channeled his power through his hands, resting the other on top and the skin started to mend, skin and flesh repairing in seconds, but the strain was difficult on him that he nearly dropped to rest, but he focused as the healing was completed and Aversa obtained her hand again as she looked it over with... a look of amaze before she spoke. "Well, you have quite the hand, but this... must not get out, I have to play my part in this fable for now, I was never here." Alexander nodded as Amirg mused with Aversa disappearing among the trees and the pair were left alone in the smothered trees before they headed back, Amirg speaking on the matter.
"Play her part, what the heavens does that mean!?"
"It means... something else is afoot and it wants us to play to the fable that it is arranging for us..." With that, they made it back and the party of Marauders headed back to Ylisse and to their province to rest and mused the next few days...
Alexander was actually quite surprised to the wedding itself, not many had heard about it and Gaius ACTUALLY cleaned up nicely, though he had a feeling that Cordelia was on his case about that as a few of the Shepherds were in the small crowd of loyal civilians of Themis, even the Duke family who, despite their own looks and appearance, were actually very accepting of the thief, even the Duke himself was accepting and he was the first in a round of teasing him about Maribelle. He enjoyed the festive nature of the event itself, but he also took to it as a break, a short one as Chrom himself asked him to go to the event after the two shared information, ease his mind on the whole chaos of the court, many had accepted his new place, but grief was an old friend as, out of the room and behind closed doors, it was clear that they were more than hostile to him and wished to see him fall. How misfortune seems to follow them as Alexander devised plans on plans, they were not as untouchable as they may believe...