Chris: Bah, I'm updating this. I like Kessen. And I like Fire Emblem. So I like this.
Chapter 2: Rendezvous at Ostia Castle
With the crushing defeat handed to him by Eliwood Califex, Zephiel Fareth flees to Laus Castle, a Bern stronghold not too far from Ostia Castle. There Zephiel prepares his forces for a retaliatory strike against his enemy. Meanwhile, Eliwood and his forces continue on their path to Ostia, hoping to regain some of their lost strength. When they meet, Eliwood and Hector have a joyous reunion, and with his army added to Eliwood's, the ranks of the Freedom Seekers, Eliwood's army, swell. The Freedom Seekers decide to camp out at Ostia for a while, regaining their strength and raising their morale.
However, Zephiel Fareth has other ideas. He decides to ambush Eliwood's forces once they move out of the fortified castle. The ambush point? Hero's Ridge, a series of cliffs, plains, and hills not too far from Ostia Castle. There, Zephiel sets his trap. Calling in forces from Worde, Thria, Laus, and Tuscana, he plans for the day he will take Eliwood's head as his prize.
Ostia Castle
"Eliwood, my dear friend!" Hector hugged the red-haired lord fiercely, pounding the lord's back. Eliwood gasped loudly and pushed himself away from his blue-haired friend.
"It's nice to see you too, Hector." Eliwood coughed. "I'm sure you know Lowen Teritsu and Marcus Sandlin?" The lord motioned towards his two officers, which were standing behind him. Lowen bowed deeply, his hair still covering his eyes. Marcus saluted the feudal lord and shook his hand.
"It is a great honor to meet you, Lord Hector. Your exploits are known far and wide."
Hector chuckled. "Your officers are quite courteous! Makes me wish my own were as nice!"
"Hector! You didn't tell me we were going to have guests!" A young pink-haired girl pranced up, holding a healing stave in front of her. Her hair was down and it reached the middle of her back. She was wearing a white skirt and a purple tunic and white shoes. "You're so mean! You should have told me about this!" The girl turned to Eliwood and his commanders. "It is a pleasure to meet you, good sirs. I hope you enjoy your stay at Castle Ostia." She curtsied to the both of them.
"Serra! How come you never act that way towards me?" Hector put a hand over his heart, slightly hurt at her behavior.
"Oh, come off of it, Hector." Serra clucked disapprovingly. "Don't act like you're so high and mighty, because you aren't."
"Hah hah hah! Your officer has quite the attitude!" Eliwood let out an approving laugh and smiled. "Quite the charming girl!"
"Why, thank you!" Serra curtsied to Eliwood again.
"Serra…Sigh…" Hector slapped his face and shook his head dismally. "Eh…I assume the rest of my crazy crew should be arriving anytime now."
"Crazy? That's very insulting, Hector! You shouldn't call us that!" Serra pointed a finger at Hector, glaring at him angrily. Hector sighed and motioned behind him, where the rest of his generals had gathered.
"You already know Serra Sakafew. Next up is Matthew Thefan."
A young man with brown-blond hair stepped up. He wore a roughish grin and he carried a short dagger in each hand. He wore a long, red cape as well as a green tunic and brown pants. "It's nice to meet you. That's quite an interesting ring you've got there…Maybe…I can borrow it?" He winked.
Marcus frowned and stepped in front of Matthew, holding out his sword. "Do not even think about stealing from my lord. If you persist, I will not hesitate to cut off your head."
Matthew backed up, the smile still on his face. He held up his palms, face up. "Relax, relax! I didn't actually plan to steal anything."
"See? Your evil ways will get you killed some day." Serra nodded sagely.
"Stuff it, Serra."
"Matthew, that's mean!"
"Sigh…Next up is Oswin Jennings."
Oswin stepped up, his orange-red armor clanking around him. He held a long partisan in his hands and his brown hair was slick with sweat. The general held out a gauntleted hand towards Eliwood. "It is nice to meet you, young prince."
"Same to you. You have been in training, I see."
"Yes…I must be the strongest as ever if I wish to protect my lord." Oswin nodded, his face grim.
"I do not need protection." Hector grumbled angrily as he motioned towards two others. "Thanks to a couple of slick moves, the lands of Sacae have pledged their support. Here are the two commanders they sent to help us out."
A young, green-haired girl stepped up, her face defiant and her attitude confident. A sword sheath hung lazily from one side of the yellow sash tied around her waist. She was wearing a bright teal dress that was tied together by the sash and the edgings were yellow in color. She smiled coldly at Eliwood. "So this is the lord that hopes to unify all of Elibe."
"Yes, that is correct." Eliwood bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"I just hope I can feel the same." The girl sighed. "My name is Lyndis Matsunari. I have come on the behalf of the Lorca tribe to fight along your side." She looked away, grinding her teeth angrily. "And…" She let out an angry sigh. "Afterwards, I am to be your bride."
"W-WHAT?" Eliwood gaped at the girl, who flushed an angry red.
"Whoa! Eliwood! Looks like there are more benefits to leading an army than I thought!" Hector laughed, tears of mirth falling out of his eyes.
Lyndis stamped the ground angrily. "I didn't ask for this, okay? The damn leaders of my tribe said I should marry you so our alliance may be prosperous to both sides! Don't worry! I don't plan on marrying you anytime soon." She folded her arms and hmphed angrily.
"W-well, okay then." Eliwood scratched the back of his head, feeling nervous in front of Lyndis. "Uh…Can I just call you Lyn?"
"Sigh…I guess. Why not? I have to be your wife anyway!" Lyn's eyes glinted angrily and she turned away from Eliwood.
"Look…I'm sorry about this. I didn't think your tribe leaders would force you to marry me." Eliwood stepped forward, holding out a hand of peace to Lyn.
The green-haired girl turned and nervously took Eliwood's hand. "Yeah, well, I guess it can't be that bad. But we'll discuss this later!" She flushed and released her hand from Eliwood's grip. She straightened out her dress and cleared her throat. "A-And my companion is Rath Yoshitama, the son of the leader of the Kutolah tribe."
"May the winds sing of our victory in the field…" Rath nodded to Eliwood, his face emotionless. Rath wore a tie-dye headband and the loose fitting clothes that fitted members of the breezy and warm plains.
"A-Ah…Yes." Eliwood stammered. He bowed to Rath and turned to Hector. "Is that it? Or are there other commanders lurking about?"
"Just one more, Eliwood." Hector pointed to a girl who was standing off to the side, fiddling nervously with her sword. "Sakura Chosukara, can you please come here?"
"O-Oh! R-Right!" She jumped in surprise and hurried up, sliding her sword into its sheath. "I-I am Sakura Chosukara, and I will be glad to fight by your side!" She bowed deeply to Eliwood, her hands on her knees. Sakura wore a bright red headband that was partially covered by light blue hair and her green eyes twinkled nervously. She had on pinkish red shorts and wore a pink shirt that showed off the curve of her breasts.
"Glad to meet you." Eliwood bowed to Sakura and turned to Hector. "Now, if we're done, I would like to see the troops. No soldier is beneath the gaze of its leader. I will listen to their concerns and desires, and I will try my best to resolve them." He turned to look at Lyn and Rath. "I am unfamiliar with Sacaen etiquette and mannerisms. Perhaps you two can join me while I take a look around."
"…If you wish." Rath nodded slightly, his movement barely perceptible.
"Well, fine. If that's what you want." Lyn nodded, her face uncertain and nervous.
"…Is there something I should be worried about?" Eliwood looked quizzically at the two of them.
Lyn twisted a strand of her hair nervously between her fingers. "It's just….Well, you know!"
Eliwood caught on and nodded. "…Bern has offered quite a sum to keep you from fighting for me, right?"
"I-It's not like we don't want to!" Lyn's eyes were wide as she tried to explain their situation. "B-But…Well, we're in trouble! My tribe is suffering from extreme debt!"
"…And my tribe is split about their loyalties." Rath spoke up.
"I see. Very well. If you do not wish to fight, I cannot blame you. This war will hurt both sides. I wish you good luck in your endeavors." Eliwood sighed and turned around, going out to speak with his own troops.
"Wait! Eliwood!" Lyn grabbed Eliwood's arm, stopping the lord from leaving. "We have at least some troops that are loyal to your cause. I am not certain about the others, but there are at least a couple of thousand that you can trust." She gazed at him, pleading. "Please?"
Eliwood's face broke into a light smile. "Very well. Let's see who I can count on. I hope that you and Rath are among those."
Lyn released him, smiling happily. "Oh, of course! Thank you, Lord Eliwood!" She bowed to him and took his hand, ready to show him around the Sacaen forces. Rath followed behind, his face expressionless.
When Eliwood, Lyndis, and Rath had left, Hector turned back to the other commanders. "Okay! Eliwood is going to want us in tip-top shape, so let's get our troops ready for him!" Hector smiled. "This war isn't going to be won by a bunch of slackers!"
"Of course!" Lowen said excitedly as he ran out to ready his troops for his lord's inspection.
"My lord will want to see us in spectacular condition." Marcus mumbled to himself and walked out.
"At least he respects us, unlike someone else we know!" Serra shouted accusingly and rushed off, her staff occasionally banging against the ground.
"Heh heh heh…Everything is ready." Matthew grinned and swept his cloak around himself, disappearing.
"Time for battle!" Oswin stomped out of the castle, his armor causing the castle to shake.
"I-I will do my best!" Sakura ran off to consult with her forces.
"Eliwood, you lucky dog! It is my place to stand by your side as we claim victory!" Hector smiled and walked towards his troops, ready to rally them.
---
"So…Out of the tens of thousands you have brought, only seven thousand are loyal to our cause." Eliwood looked out at the ranks of the Sacaen warriors, scratching his chin. "Very well. I can't let them suspect anything. All of your forces will join me in battle."
Lyn nodded, still looking slightly nervous. "I'm sorry about this…"
"Hey, hey. It's no problem." Eliwood spread his arms wide. "Every freedom fighter has to face some setbacks, and this is just one of mine. Do you have any other officers present?"
"Well, yes. They're mostly loyal to me, but they have their own company of troops." Lyn pointed to two figures that were training in the middle. "Karel Trueshot and Karla Trueshot. They're brother and sister."
"Ah…I see." Eliwood clapped his hands. "Very well. Today we shall rest, and tomorrow we set out for the city of Ryerde, then to Caelin, and finally back to my home town of Pherae! The country of Lycia shall be mine!" Eliwood raised his fist in victory, and Lyn joined him, cheering.
---
The sun dawned the next day, and it shone into Castle Ostia, lighting up the castle's war room. Eliwood, Marcus, Hector, Lyndis, Rath, Sakura, and Oswin were present. Hector looked around angrily.
"Where the hell are Matthew and Serra?" He pounded his fist onto the wooden table they were gathered around. As soon as he said that, Matthew and Serra bounded in, both looking winded.
"Sorry…my lord." Matthew managed a quick bow before going to his seat.
"We got caught up in something. So it's none of your business." Serra shook her head and flounced to her place at the table. Hector glared angrily at the cleric and Oswin frowned at her behavior.
"Where's Lowen?" Hector, once he got his temper under control, turned to Eliwood.
"He went out scouting. He said that he felt as if someone was planning to attack us." Eliwood said.
"Quite the intuitive commander. I can see why he's one of your officers." Hector nodded appreciatively.
"Okay, now to our plans on how to move across Lycia." Eliwood pulled out a collapsible pointer and extended it. He motioned towards the continent of Lycia on the map of Elibe. "The way I have it-."
"My lord!" Lowen rushed in, his armor damaged and blood running down his head. There were arrows lodged in the armor and the officer was dirty and bruised.
"Lowen! What happened?" Eliwood and the others stood up, astounded at Lowen's condition.
"My lord-!" Lowen fell to one knee. "Zephiel and his forces have set an ambush around us! I was barely able to escape! But I did manage to see the locations of most of their troops before they spotted me!" He brushed his hair out of his eyes and panted.
"Very good, Lowen! But you are going to have to sit this one out." Eliwood looked sternly at the cavalier, who blanched.
"But, my lord!" He looked up pleadingly, but Eliwood shook his head.
"No. You are in no condition for battle. Rest up. And maybe I will let you join in later."
"…Very well." Lowen stood up and saluted, looking angry, probably beating himself up for his injuries.
"But at least join us for our war council." Eliwood sat back down and motioned towards the seats. "Let us sit down, friends. We must find a way to break out of this ambush Zephiel has set for us." The others sat down and Eliwood replaced the map of Elibe with a smaller map, this one of Ostia and the surrounding regions. "Now, where was Zephiel?"
"His forcers were near here, at Hero's Ridge!" Lowen pulled out a small stick and motioned towards the area. "From what I saw…" Lowen moved red T-shaped pieces on the map to represent the forces there. When the cavalier was finished, Eliwood sighed.
"Zephiel truly wants to stop us. He's arrayed quite a force to fight against us." Eliwood folded his hands into fists under his chin. "Linus Reed, the Mad Dog. Lloyd Reed, the White Wolf. Ursula Caruth, the Blue Eagle. Brendan Reed, the Black Fang. Darin Williams. Erik Williams. Raven Sulcry. Priscilla Sulcry. Dorcas Elkath. And a couple more, I think. This truly will be hard battle to win."
"Do not worry, Eliwood!" Hector thumped his chest. "With our strength at your side, you have nothing to fear!"
Eliwood managed a wan smile. "Thank you for your support, but it is easy to see we are at quite a disadvantage." He pointed to the various enemy locations. "Zephiel has at least twelve battalions out there. And as for us…" He put more T-shaped blocks on the map, except this time they were blue in color.
"We lack troops, manpower, and unfortunately, loyalty." Eliwood noticed Lyn wince and Rath flinch. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." He smiled warily at them. "I know you two mean best."
Lyn brightened and Rath straightened, both of the nomads looking happier. Eliwood turned back to his map. "…We can only hope that some of their commanders will change sides. Having Bern rule all of Lycia has to irk some of them." Eliwood motioned towards the blue T-shaped pieces again. "But back to our situation. As you can see, we do not have the manpower to fight Zephiel head to head. On our side…Me, of course. Lyndis, Marcus, Rath, Hector, Serra, Matthew, Oswin, and Sakura. Lowen…I hate to say it, but you'll stay as rear guard. I can't afford to have you faint in the midst of battle."
"I understand, my lord." Lowen bowed his head dismally.
"But…Any chance of reinforcements on our side?" Eliwood looked at Hector, who shrugged.
"I heard that Rebecca Tilian was coming with her troops, but I don't know when. Bartre Rukran said he would be here at the first sign of battle, but I haven't seen him yet." Hector looked sadly at the map. "We don't have much of a chance, do we?"
"Don't say that! We have determination and quality on our side. Now, here's what I want you to do." Eliwood moved the blue pieces on the map. When he was finished, he explained his plans to the various officers.
"Zephiel, Lloyd, and Linus are far out off the main battleground. Chances are they aren't going to join in any time soon. Plus, their troops are tired from their last defeat."
Cheers resounded through the war room.
Eliwood smiled and continued with his explanation. "We can forget about them at the moment. Now…Matthew, how good at you with subvert strategies?"
"Me?" Matthew pointed to himself and smiled. "Why, I have to say I'm pretty good."
"Good. Because I want you to bring a proposal to Raven and Priscilla Sulcry as well as Dorcas Elkath. I want them to join my side. I am certain they want to be on the winning side. Fortunately, that side will be us. Do you get it?"
"Of course! I shall make preparations immediately!" Matthew leaped from his seat and scampered off, chuckling madly.
"Okay. That means, everyone? Don't attack them. I have no desire to see them develop a grudge against me." Eliwood motioned to the rest of the enemy. "That leaves Ursula, Brendan, Darin, Erik, and the other commanders as the main danger here. Anyone know the other officers?"
"I do." Serra looked at Lowen. "You said one of the commanders had long, blond hair and wore two swords at her side?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Lowen looked up, surprised.
"Grrr…" Serra slammed her fist on the table. "I hate her! She stormed my castle one day and killed almost everyone inside! Eliwood, please, let me cut off her head!" Serra blinked and looked at the staff in her hand. "Or at least give her a major headache!"
"Whoa, whoa. Who is this girl, anyway?"
"Aerial. Aerial Ossatan. She…Well, we went to the same school together. I couldn't believe it was her troops that decimated my castle and killed the inhabitants." Serra looked away and slammed her hand on the table again. "For that, I will not let her escape!"
Eliwood nodded. "I understand. Aerial is yours to fight." He turned to everyone else. "That leaves three more unaccounted for. Does anyone else recognize them?"
Oswin spoke up. "One of them is Lundgren. Lundgren Umatsu. He was a teacher of mine. Apparently, he has sided with Zephiel in this dispute. Very well. I cannot let anyone deal Lord Hector harm."
"Oswin!" Hector flushed, embarrased.
"Shush, Hector. Oswin has your best interests at heart." Eliwood held up a calming hand. "And the other two?"
Lyn raised a shaking hand. "I…I know them."
"Then who are they?" Eliwood looked quizzically at Lyn, who's face had paled considerably.
"O-One is a very, very dear friend of mine. Florina Skysheart. And the other…Is Hassar Matsunari. My father." Lyn bowed her head and sobbed sadly, crying into her hands. "I…I cannot fight my friends or my family…"
Eliwood looked somberly at Lyn. He didn't want to see her crying. "Very well. Everyone, stay away from Florina and Hassar. Lyn, you may go up and talk to them. Try to convince them to stay out of the battle or join our side, okay? I promise you, no harm will come to your friends."
Lyn looked up, her eyes twinkling happily. "Oh, thank you, Eliwood!"
Eliwood smiled. "It's no problem. Hopefully, with the majority of Zephiel's troops out of the battle, we can sneak a win into this. Meeting adjourned. I will lead the attack as soon as we are ready, okay?" He looked around and saw nods of assent. "Very well! Everyone, prepare! We have a battle to win!"
Everyone cheered happily and stood up. Eliwood stopped Lyn for a moment.
"Hmm…Since we are to be husband and wife, perhaps we might take a stroll through the castle?" Eliwood took Lyn's hand in his. Lyn's eyes flashed angrily, but she quickly pushed it down. "If you don't want to, I understand Lyn."
"No…It's okay. I just can't believe my tribe is playing both sides of the coin. Seeking to ally with one in one hand…And giving in to Bern in the other." Lyn sighed unhappily. "Oh…This stupid war. I wish…I wish we could all return home."
"Yes…I wish it as well." Eliwood took Lyn and led her out of the war room. "Perhaps we could take a stroll through the gardens? To take our minds off this war?"
"Yes…That would be lovely." Lyn's voice filtered through the wooden door.
Hector grinned at the others. "Boy, Eliwood is a lucky son-of-a-gun!" He folded his arms. "Makes me wish I was commander so I could get a girl like that!"
"Hah! I doubt you could get a girl if you were the Supreme Commander of the World! Stop dreaming." Serra snorted and quickly dashed off as Hector roared and chased her. Oswin sighed and faced Marcus.
"Do you believe we truly have a chance to unite all of Elibe?"
Marcus looked back. "With Lord Eliwood in the front and Lord Hector by his side, I believe that anything is possible." The rest of the commanders stood and walked out of the war room to prepare for the upcoming battle.
---
Battle Statistics
Lord Califex's Army:
Eliwood Califex - 3000 Spearmen, 1500 Archers, 2000 Swordsmen - 6500 Men Total
Marcus Sandlin - 2500 Lance Cavalry, 1000 Sword Cavalry - 3500 Men Total
Lowen Teritsu - 3250 Lance Cavalry, 750 Sword Cavalry - 4000 Men Total
Hector Gewan - 5000 Axe Fighters, 1000 Sword Fighters - 6000 Men Total
Serra Sakafew - 1500 Healers, 1000 Light Magic Users - 2500 Men Total
Matthew Thefan - 1000 Thieves, 500 Assassins - 1500 Men Total
Oswin Jennings - 3500 Armor Knights, 1500 Archers - 5000 Men Total
Sakura Chosukara - 1000 Ninja, 1500 Swordswomen, 1000 Anima Magic Users - 3500 Men Total
Lyndis Matsunari - 3000 Swordswomen, 3000 Archers - 6000 Men Total
Rath Yoshitama - 5000 Nomads - 5000 Men Total
Karel Trueshot - 2000 Swordswomen - 2000 Men Total
Karla Trueshot - 1000 Swordsmen, 1000 Archers - 2000 Men Total
Total Men: 47500 Troops
Lord Fareth's Army:
Zephiel Fareth - 4000 Armor Knights, 2000 Archers, 3000 Lance Cavalry - 9000 Men Total
Lloyd Reed - 1250 Swordsmen, 2000 Sword Cavalry - 3250 Men Total
Linus Reed - 2500 Axe Fighters, 1000 Swordsmen - 3500 Men Total
Ursula Caruth - 3000 Anima Magic Users, 2500 Healers, 1000 Light Magic Users - 6500 Men Total
Brendan Reed - 2500 Axe Fighters, 1000 Archers - 3500 Men Total
Raven Sulcry - 5000 Swordsmen, 2500 Axe Fighters - 7500 Men Total
Priscilla Sulcry - 3000 Healers, 2000 Anima Magic Users - 5000 Men Total
Dorcas Elkath - 2500 Axe Fighters - 2500 Men Total
Darin Williams - 1500 Armor Knights, 1000 Lance Cavalry - 2500 Men Total
Erik Williams - 2000 Lance Cavalry, 1000 Sword Cavalry - 3000 Men Total
Aerial Ossatan - 3000 Pegasus Knights, 1500 Swordswomen - 4500 Men Total
Lundgren Umatsu - 4000 Armor Knights - 4000 Men Total
Florina Skysheart - 5000 Pegasus Knights - 5000 Men Total
Hassar Matsunari - 2500 Nomads, 1500 Swordsmen - 3500 Men Total
Total Men: 63250 Troops
Chris: Well, there it is! The second chapter to the fic no one reviewed! Awesome! Anyway, I'm gonna keep going on with this, so yeah. I'd appreciate it if you reviewed or read this. Just to show me that people actually read and enjoy it? Well, that's about it! Hope you like it! Suggestions, comments, flames, etc.