Paralogue 13: Wings of Justice
Waves roll gently over the ocean as a Ylissean ship ploughs on through. On board, the Shepherds and Guardians take stock as they travel, a moment of calm in the clear day. After deciding that the rumours were worth investigating, Chrom had told Flavia that he would take the Guardians and Shepherds out and explore each one before returning to Ylisse, where they would request an audience with Plegia for the final gemstone.
Flavia would have wanted to come along, but she knew that with Basilio's passing, Regna Ferox would need her leadership until a new khan was voted to replace him. And that could take months if not years to do so. It was a sobering reminder about how much they had lost in the war against Walhart, and mow much they could have lost. But now was not the time to dwell on such things, as the southern Island chain began to form on the horizon.
"So, how shall we go about this?" Chrom asks those around him as the ship rest just off the shore. "We have reports of a group of bandits camping out around here, likely former members of Walhart's army."
"If I may, I have a suggestion for that Chrom." Tiki says as she walks up to the table, electing a surprised look from Chrom. "There is town nearby, not far from where we have made landfall. I would recommend we travel there to gather information on the bandits before we move to engage them. As for those going, I would say you, Sumia, Lucina, Lissa, Frederick, Panne, Sora, Kairi, Oceania, Caelum, Robin and I will be sufficient." Chrom continues to look at Tiki before turning his eyes to Robin, who was sporting a slight grin.
"I agree with Tiki, Chrom." He says confidently. "Rushing forward without learning about our foes would be ill-advised."
"It's not that I'm disagreeing with Tiki, my friend." Chrom says. "I'm just surprised that it was Tiki who told us. I'm just used to you always giving us the details." He adds with a sheepish smile. Robin, to his credit, chuckles at Chrom while Tiki shakes her head with a slight smile.
"I don't blame you for that. But Tiki is more than just the 'Voice'. She is smart and wise, and brings a new view to the strategy table. She's actually helped me devise new strategies and plans." Robin says confidently, missing the growing blush on Tiki's face. "I trust her Chrom."
"And so do I." Chrom replies with a smile before turning to Frederick. "Can you gather the others for me please? We will be leaving for the town shortly." With a bow, Frederick leaves the room to find the others with Chrom following behind. While Robin goes over the map once more to plan initial strategies, Tiki moves over to him, her gaze on the map.
"Planning initial stratagems to expand upon later, Mar-Mar?" she asks cheekily to him, eliciting a chuckle from the tactician as he looks over the map.
"Something like that. Even if they are not full plans, having something is better than nothing." Robin replies with a smirk before turning thoughtful. "I just wish we had more information to go on that just rumours. It's annoying to not know what our foe is capable of. Especially Grima." Tiki's eyes narrow as she looks over the map, her eyes falling onto Plegia.
"Indeed. The fact that Plegia has the final Gemstone only complicates matters. I fear we are stepping further into a dark night with no visible dawn insight." She says with worry, as the shadows of the room fall over Plegia. Robin, seeing the downcast eyes, places a hand on Tiki's arm.
"No matter what happens, we will see it through. Thanks to Sora and his group coming here, and Lucina and her friends arriving from the future, we know what is at stake. We won't be caught off guard so easily this time." Robin reassures Tiki with a gentle smile, before turning mischievous. "Besides, what would everyone think if they saw you down in the dumps all the time? You're supposed to have more experience than us, Tikiwiki."
"Oh, you did not…" Tiki says with a smile forming on her face before giving Robin a mock punch to the shoulder, the two sharing a laugh as the gravity of their situation briefly vanishes. A few seconds pass before Tiki steps away from the map, heading to the door. "Anyway, I believe it is time we head out."
"Yeah." Robin replies, rolling up the map before moving to the door. "Time to teach these thieves a lesson."
Nothing of importance happened as the group left the ship, other than the occasional deer glancing in their direction before vanishing into the surrounding forest. It was a welcome moment of calm for them as they followed Chrom to the nearby town, where the sight of bustling merchants could been seen entering and leaving at frequent intervals.
"Quiet the bustling little town." Robin comments as they enter. All around were farmers and fishmongers, battering with merchants and villagers. Chrom comments that there harvest season must have ended. With the sudden prospect of good food rather than the rations they had on ship, the group split into small groups to search for anything useful for future voyages, as well as information on the surrounding areas.
"Oh, Chrom! These look good!" Sumia says as she spots a nearby food stall selling meat skewers. Chrom chuckles at his wife's choice but doesn't stop her from pulling him towards the booth. But as soon as they approached, the stall owner suddenly turned pale at seeing them before hurriedly pronouncing they were closed. "What was that about?" Sumia asks Chrom, who only narrows his eyes.
The same thing happened with the others as well, with shops either suddenly shutting their doors before they neared them, or owners telling them they were closed. Some even gave heated glares towards them, confusing them as to what they had done to achieve such animosity.
"Why are you treating us like a bunch of bandits?" Kairi asks a middle-aged woman hiding behind her stall. The woman looks at her as if she had grown two heads before answering.
"Is it not because you are? You've been harrying us for weeks now!" She replies with eyes filled with fear. But this only caused Sora and Kairi to tilt their heads, perplexed.
"But that doesn't make any sense. We only just arrived a few hours ago when we heard rumours of a group of bandits that were formerly part of Walhart's army were around here." Sora replies. The stall owner looks at them before backing up a bit.
"How do I know you are telling the truth? We've seen their leader, who looks like that blue-haired man with you." She says as she points at Chrom, her hand trembling slightly. The couple look at each other before sighing exasperatedly. A group of bandits parading around like them? Just great. Thanking the women for the information, the two leave the stall before walking over to Chrom and the others.
"Chrom, we found out what has been causing this." Sora says with a frown. As they look at him, he continues. "That group of bandits we came here for are masquerading as us. That's why everyone here is afraid of us." Hearing this, the group sigh in annoyance. This was something they did not need.
"If that is the case, then we shall drag their leader out from, his home and show his true colours to the people of this town." Chrom replies before glancing to the hills and forests nearby. "We learned that the villains are located in the ruins located on that hill. I think it's time they learned not to copy the real thing." Nodding, the group follow Chrom out of the town towards the ruins, as the townsfolk look on with fear as they leave.
These bandits had done quite a bit of damage to their reputation. It was time for them to learn what happens when one tries to imitate a prince.
In the ruins on the hill, the man pretending to be Chrom, with a very convincing blue wig, sat on his throne as he was surrounded by his ill-gotten gains. Surrounding him were his fellow bandits, each dressed to the nines in their stolen garments. Who knew that impersonating the prince of Ylisse would get him so far.
It was also the perfect revenge. Making him and his bleeding heart supporters as nothing more than tyrannical burglars would damage their squeaky clean image. If only he did have to deal with her all the time…
"Father? Faaather?" A feminine voice echoes above him, forcing his eyes upwards as a Pegasus knight drifted towards him. Thanking his stars that him men were not around to hear her, he puts on a mask as the girl gets of her mount and walks towards him, her silver armour glistening in the light against her deep bluer under suit and boots. Her deep blue hair is tied into two pigtails, while in one of her deep blue eyes is the Mark of the Exalt. "Pegasus Knight Cynthia returned from patrol, sir!" She says while giving him a salute, only for her foot to hit a stray bit of stone, causing her to stumble and fall onto her face. The false Chrom keeps on a face of impassiveness, while internal he sighs in irritation.
"If you're done playing around, girl, what did you see?" He asks uncaringly. Cynthia, however, brushes it off or disregards the tone as she straightens herself out.
"A suspicious band of travellers have been making inquiries in town, sir." She begins, catching his attention. "Apparently, they call their leader Chrom, sir. I suspect they are imposters posing as you!" The imposter could barely hide the smile on his face at her report. She clearly believes that HE is Chrom, what a fool! But still, if this was the REAL Chrom making his way here, then he was in trouble. Or was he? Thinking fast, as what had saved him and him men before, he realised the terrain favoured them for a change. Something he would not waste.
"Is that so…" He begins, walking past Cynthia. "Then we shall teach these 'imposters' the price of imposing. Take to the sky, girl, and strike them from above. When you have them sufficiently distracted, lure them to the ruined plaza. I shall await there with the rest of the group and strike there."
"An excellent tactic, father." Cynthia replies, missing the brief look of irritation on his face as she mounts on her Pegasus. "As you say, I shall draw their attention and await your signal!" She quickly salutes before grabbing her steel lance and taking to the skies while the man, Ruger, looks on with disdain.
"Gads, she's dumb as a brick. Good thing her spear is shaper than her wit." He says in annoyance before retrieving a silver sword. "Still, at least she stopped ranting about hailing from the future…who would ever believe a story like that?" He asks no one in particular as he walks out of the room. "Oh well, by the end of the day, I will be walking away with his armour and sword. Princely life, here I come!"
"How far are we from the ruins, Chrom?" Lissa asks as she walks at the group's rear, her feet aching with each step. "I'm about to drop from exhaustion. Why did we decide to go up a mountain path when we could have taken the forest road?"
"Because it will give us a better view of the ruins." Robin replies. "The forest path, while the most direct, is also the most obvious. If we took it, we would be walking into a trap." Lissa groans in annoyance as the group chuckle at her misfortune. She was too used to Stahl giving her a lift on his horse on rough terrain or steep hills.
"To answer your question, dear sister, Sumia will tell us when she returns from her patrol." Chrom replies before the sound of wings beating the air draws their attention skyward. "And here she comes now." He says with a smile as Sumia lands before them, her Pegasus crying majestically as she dismounts. "How are the ruins, Sumia."
"They are much larger than we first thought." Sumia replies before glancing over the trees, stone towers just peeking over. "It's about the size of a city, with walls and a citadel at its centre. There is also a large plaza directly in the centre that is free of rubble, with a single road leading up to it. The buildings and small streets around it are either filled with stone or overgrown with plant life."
"Meaning that if we enter the ruins, we would be walking right into their hands." Tiki summarizes. "This may be trickery that we thought."
"I couldn't see any movement either." Sumia continues with a frown. "So I have no idea where the bandits are, let alone if they are even there." Chrom frowns as he folds his arms. This was not what he had hoped. A glance at Robin showed the tactician was deep in thought, thinking of a plan with narrow eyes. But before he could ask him, Kairi pointed toward the sky.
"Um, Sumia. Did you know you were being followed by a Pegasus Knight?" She asks, drawing everyone's gaze towards the knight in question as she flies towards them, armour glistening in the sun. But while Chrom, Sumia, Panne, Frederick and Lissa ready for a fight, Robin, Tiki, Sora and Kairi couldn't help but raises eyebrows at the knights hair colour. While Lucina, Oceania and Caelum could only slap their hands on their faces.
"And you are?" Chrom asks as he places a hand on Falchion, as the Pegasus knight stops before him. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the knight's hair, but was more focused on the spear pointed his way than fashion at the moment.
"Stay your voice, imposter!" Cynthia says with a fire in her eyes. "All who would pretend to Chrom's name will answer to me for their deceit! Lay down your arms and surrender, or face judgement at my spear!" Chrom shakes his head at her proclamation, hand ready to draw Falchion as the others prepare for a fight. Until Lucina's voice echoed behind them.
"Cynthia! What in the name of Naga are you doing?!" She asks as she, Oceania and Caelum walk up with unimpressed looks. While Chrom and the others look at Lucina with befuddled eyes, apart from Robin, Tiki, Sora and Kairi, who had put two and two together and could only facepalm, Cynthia had a look of shock and bewilderment.
"Lucy!? What are you, Ocey and Cael doing here with a bunch of rogues?" Cynthia asks as she gets off her mount. Lucina could only sigh in annoyance.
"That is what I want to ask, dear sister." Lucina asks, causing Chrom and Sumia's eyes to widen in shock.
"Wait, you mean-?" Chrom begins before heaving a sigh as Sumia could only look on in shock. "How many daughters are going to come back in time to see me?" He asks rhetorically to no one, but his outburst does get Cynthia's attention.
"Wait, if you know about the future, then-?" She begins to ask before her eyes fall on Sumia, her wedding ring hanging around her neck on a string. Seeing this, Cynthia's eyes burst into streams of tears as she hugs both of them with bear-like strength. "I Missed you SOOOO MUUUCH!" She screams at the top of her voice, hurting the ears of all around.
"Cynthia, if you don't mind, can you tell us about the bandits around here?" Oceania asks as he rubs her sore ears. Cynthia, to her credit, looks around sheepishly as everyone recovers from her scream.
"Right, sorry." She clears her throat before her eyes turn serious. "That creep and his goons are waiting to ambush you in the plaza. The plan was for me to lead you into it, where they would then attack from all around."
"Cleaver." Robin says as he folds his arms. "Using the ruins and foliage to hide themselves while leading us into a wide open space, before launching a surprise attack. Crafty, but there is one big flaw with such a plan."
"What's that, Robin?" Sora asks curiously. Robin flashes him a grin before looking at Chrom.
"A surprise attack only works when you have the element of surprise." He says with a knowing grin. "Thanks to Cynthia, we now know of the ambush. We can use that to create our own…."
"What is taking that brat so long?" Ruger asks no one as he waits behind a crumbling wall. "It's been ages since she took off. Maybe she got herself caught or killed. Not that I'm complaining." It was no secret among his men that he disliked the Pegasus Knight intensely. The only reason he kept her around was her skill with the spear.
"Boss! A caravan is coming!" One of his men shouts. He looks down the street, grinning maliciously as a group of horse-drawn carts march down the path. He could see boxes stacked up, tied down with sheets and rope, while a covered wagon led at the front.
"These guys must be more brazen than I'd imagine." Ruger says in disbelief. "That must have a death wish. Alright, boys! When the last cart enters the plaza, seal off the exit and surround them." His men nod before moving to their positions, using the rubble and foliage to mask their approach. Ruger's eyes stayed fixed on the driver of the lead cart. While they were wearing a cloak that concealed their face and body, he could see armed gauntlets and greaves on their arms and legs. He nods his head towards an archer hiding nearby, who nocks an arrow before taking aim at the driver.
Soon, the last cart enters the plaza as the wagons form up in a circle. For a moment, Ruger's eyes narrow in suspicion. The only person he could see was the driver. All the other carts were connected by rope to each other. Must all be hiding in the wagon upfront. Fools. With a whistle, the men at the entrance knock over stone pillars into the gap, blocking the wagon train from leaving. At the same time, the archer let loose an arrow at the driver, striking them in the head and sending them to the ground. The horse whinnies in alarm as its ropes are broken before running from the wagon just as a mage sets it on fire.
"That's how it's done, boys!" Ruger says as he walks into the plaza, the rest of the bandits joining him as they surround the carts. He walks up to the driver as they lay motionless on the floor, their silver and blue armour shining from the sun. "Such a shame. Should've thought twice before walking straight into an ambush!" He gloats before giving the driver a kick. But before he could continue, one of his men shouted out in alarm.
"Boss! This wagon is filled with nothing but junk!" He says, revealing under the cloth not boxes of supplies, gold or armour, but wooden planks and stones. Crise from other bandits told the same story. None of the carts carried anything of value. Ruger could feel a bead of sweat dripping down his face before turning to the 'driver'. In a flurry, he rips the cloak off them, only to find, to his shock, not a person, but a wooden dummy.
It was only then he realised, he screwed up.
Without warning, a lightning bolt came from behind, striking the archer next to him. It was followed by a draconic roar as a silver and green dragon flew above them before unleashing divine fire on his mages.
With them gone, two Pegasus knights flew out of the trees around them before diving at them precisely. His eyes narrowed in anger when he saw one of the knights was Cynthia, who in turn was looking at him with her tongue sticking out while pulling down one of her eyelids.
"Retreat! Fall back into the ruins!" Ruger cries before turning around and fleeing, his surviving men right behind him. He only managed to take two steps before another lightning bolt flashed before him, striking into one of the bandits behind him. No sooner had that happened, did seven people jump before him from above, along with a giant bunny rabbit with another person riding atop them. All of them looked at him with varying levels of anger and disgust.
Especially the two who had the same hair colour as that knight. He could only look in shock as the REAL Chrom walked up to him, flanked by his comrades as the giant dragon landed behind them, with Cynthia and the other Pegasus knight hovering above them.
"So, you are the person who was walking about claiming to be me?" Chrom asks, with no shortage of anger in his voice. "I'm only going to say this once, lay down your weapons and surrender." He points Falchion at him, the blade gleaming in the sun. Ruger looks around him, his eyes pleading for an escape route. Yet he could see nothing. The ruined plaza left no easy way out, the foliage filling the gaps while the two knights and dragon would be able to catch up with ease. Realising he was beaten, he could only drop his sword and hold his hands up.
"Smart choice." Chrom says before he motions a hand to everyone. Without saying a word, they tie up the bandits onto the carts before attaching Frederick's horse to the front while said knight retrieved his armour from the wooden dummy. "And that is that."
"I'm glad we managed to end his rein before it could ramp up." Kairi says as she, Sora and Frederick approach Chrom. "What shall we do with them anyway? We can't take them back to the ship."
"The townsfolk will deal with them." Chrom replies. "They suffered from them for long enough. I'd say they have more than enough reason to take matters into their own hands."
"I'm just glad we've gotten this case of false identity sorted. I'm not sure what I would do if someone started walking around claiming to be me while robbing people." Sora comments.
"It should not even happen in the first place." Frederick suddenly says with irritation in his voice. "To think that some rouge could walk around posing as Lord Chrom and the common folk be misled is unacceptable. He could have done even worse damage than what he had already achieved. And that is not counting the other members of our group! To remedy this, I shall draft a series of portraits of everyone in the Shepherds and see that copies are distributed to all!" Chrom, Sora and Kairi could only shake their heads fondly at him as Frederick began his rant before Panne put a calming hand on her husband's shoulder.
"While that may work, Frederick, I feel it would cause undue stress for everyone involved. Not all would like to have their portrait done. Perhaps you can increase patrols to be more aware instead?" She suggests. Frederick looks at her with a complementing face, thinking over her plan, before agreeing with a nod.
While this was happening, Lucina, Oceania and Caelum conversed with Cynthia while Sumia looked on from the side.
"How did you even let that guy trick you, Cynthia?" Oceania asks. "I know you can be a bit of a scatterbrain at some points, but I'm sure you would have realised he was not your dad."
"It's not like I could really remember dad and mom all that well, Ocey!" Cynthia says in return, folding her arms. "I was a lot younger than all of you, AND dad and mom were stuck in that war with Valm. I never really had a lot of time to spend with them…" she finishes sadly. Sumia looked to the ground with a crestfallen look. The fact that the war with Valm stole so much of their time with their children was not lost on her. Before she could ponder further, Cynthia's sudden cry caught her attention as her future daughter rubbed her back.
"How did you fall that time, Cynthia?" Caelum asks with a hint of amusement. "You were standing straight up! It's a wonder only you got that from Sumia while Lucina didn't."
"And what does that mean, Caelum?" Lucina asks while leaning towards him, arms crossed. While Caelum leaned back with a flustered expression, Oceania and Cynthia giggled at his expense. Sumia smiled at the sight before seeing an unfinished spearhead resting at her feet. As she picked it up, she saw Cynthia's eyes widen in shock as she scrambled to her feet before grabbing the spearhead.
"S-sorry! I'll take that back!" She says before looking away, guilt on her face.
"Why are you carrying that around?" Sumia asks gently while putting a hand on her shoulder. Cynthia doesn't reply right away, only giving a sigh before looking at the spear.
"Because it hasn't been made yet. You promised me we'd make it together." She says, as her eyes glisten. "But you broke your promise the day…." She struggles to say the words as tears leak from her eyes. "The day you never came home. I was waiting, even if the rain continued to fall, waiting for you to fly home. But only your Pegasus came back." She looks at Sumia with pained eyes, while Sumia looks on with sadness. "How could you leave us, Mother? You were a legend! You were invincible!"
At Lucina's outburst, Lucina, Oceania and Caelum look at each other with guilty looks. Cynthia was right in that regard. To them, their parents WERE legendary and invincible in their child eyes. The possibility of them dying in battle was unthinkable to them. Until the day when Frederick returned, badly wounded, with Chrom's sword and Sora and Kairi's necklaces. They could still remember seeing Sumia's grief-stricken face before masking it with one of determination. Her smile never reached her eyes ever again.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." Sumia says, wrapping her arms around Cynthia. "I guess I'm not much of a legend after all. Or invincible, for that matter. But, at the very least, I am glad to know that I was blessed with two wonderful children. Or is that will?" she gets a soft chuckle out of Cynthia, bringing a smile to her face. "Anyway, did we decide on what sort of haft we will give the spear? If so, we can pick up the materials in the next town."
"W-We can? Really?" Cynthia asks with wide eyes, filled with surprise and hope. Sumia smiles wildly while nodding her head, patting Cynthia on the head.
"I made a promise, didn't I?" She says, bringing a bright smile to Cynthia's face. Lucina, Caelum and Oceania look on with happy faces as the two bond with each other.
Hopefully, the rest of their friends can be found soon.
In a deserted part of Plegia, near the border wall with Regna Ferox, a lone blue-haired cavalier with a similar coloured scarf looks over the wall. He gives a long sigh as his mind flashes to images he wished he had never seen yet still plagued his dreams. Don't think about it. When the time comes, I'll confront it. Just like what they would do. A nostalgic smile forms on his face as he takes out a pendant shaped like a five-pointed star. Two points are blue glass, while the other three are deep orange glass. Held together by string, the central piece is long since gone. He has it close to his chest before his horse cries, alerting him to his quarry.
Looking out, he sees a group of bandits dragging along a group of villagers, shackles and chains around their necks, arms and legs. At the front of the pack was a Plegian Dark Mage. Kitai frowned in anger at the sight, knowing full well where they were being dragged to.
It was the whole reason he was here, after all.
Motioning his mount into a gallop, he charged towards the group of brigands, spear clenched in his hand. At the same time, his sword clattered against his waist. He saw them alerted to his presence as they quickly formed to confront him. But he was no ordinary cavalier. With eyes set and his will steeled, he charges against the Plegians, determined to rescue their prey. While uttering a single phrase, he knows all too well.
"May my heart be my guiding key."