Castle Laus…
"...Are you certain, Erik?" Asked a middle aged man with purple hair. "Pherae's heir is here?"
"Yes father." The marquess's son, Erik, replied. Unlike his father, Erik had light brown hair, but he shared several facial characteristics with his father, the most obvious of which was their large noses. "We've just received word from our lookouts. He's still beyond the hill, but he'll be here before long."
"Lord Ephidel… what is the meaning of this?" Darin asked.
"Perhaps…" Ephidel, still wearing his hood, was busy being tended to by a young cleric. Darin had immediately called for one when Ephidel arrived with a torn open shoulder. "...perhaps when they reached Castle Santaruz, Lord Helman was still clinging to life… he couldn't have lasted long, but maybe he told them something."
"You can't be serious! That's terrible!" Darin declared. "So is our plan all for naught?"
"No need to be alarmed, my lord." Ephidel reassured him. "Even if he told Eliwood of our schemes, Pherae no longer has much power. If he wants to do anything with that information, they'd have to pass through here and inform Ostia first."
"Ostia!?" Darin frowned. "No… that would be disastrous. Lord Uther may be young and new to the throne, but he's dangerous... That addlepated Helman! He was a coward to the end! To betray us when we were so close… we only needed a little more time to complete our plans for the rebellion!"
"Then before marquess Ostia becomes aware of any of this, you would do well to stop them here."
"Yes, you're right." Darin agreed. "Of course! We still have a chance! They still need to pass through Laus in order to reach Ostia. We can still silence them!"
"They must not pass." Ephidel agreed. "No matter the cost."
"Then let us make haste!" Darin declared. "Call up our finest troops!"
"Father!" Erik begged. "Please! Let me take command of this operation!"
"I beg your pardon…" Ephidel interrupted. "Is this not too much for him? If, by strange chance, he fell, things would turn for the worse…"
"Erik… tell me son, can you succeed?" Darin asked.
"That clod Eliwood and I studied together in Ostia. He's a trusting fool. If he sees me, he'll lower his guard. And when he does, we strike!"
Darin smiled. Though he didn't voice it aloud, he had noticed how his son had changed since his embarrassment in Pherae. He became quite motivated in completing his combat drills, and began to study extremely hard. When Erik found out about his plans to rebel against Ostia, he wholeheartedly supported his father, not only due to their familial bond, but because he would have the chance to conquer Caelin and forcefully claim the marquess's granddaughter.
Though the method may be crude, Darin did not care. He was simply glad to have another competent commander to rely on.
"Very well, it's settled." Darin nodded. "You may consider it nepotism, Lord Ephidel, but I know of Erik's efforts recently, and the boy's quite clever. Snuffing Pherae's whelp will be no trouble at all, especially with our best soldiers at his side. ...It's up to you Erik… bring me the head of Pherae's darling son!"
"Yes Father!" Erik bowed. "I will not fail you!"
Outside Laus…
"You don't look like you want to go to the castle." Hector observed about his best friend.
"If we go and learn the truth… we may have to go to war." Eliwood sighed.
"That's fine with me!"
"I… I've no love for war." Eliwood admitted. "If I concentrate on the foe before me, I'm fine. If I picture families, innocents caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them… All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully."
"Eliwood is right." Robin added. "Killing is easy. Dealing with the aftermath… the starving families… the orphaned children… the grieving widows… that's the hard part."
"Yeah… I suppose you're right." Hector scratched the back of his head. "I… hadn't really thought about it like that."
"I used to be just like you." Chrom admitted. "I thought of war as a chance for adventure… a chance to prove myself, and a chance to put the ones that have wronged me into the dirt… but when you actually experience it, war is something that is much more revolting than whatever fantasy you're dreaming up."
"I'll take that to heart." Hector sighed. "...Hey… if Laus does declare war on the rest of Lycia, would we be able to count on the support of Ylisse?"
Hector knew he was asking a dangerous question, and yet he did so anyways, because the answer was extremely crucial.
Chrom and Robin looked at each other.
"Hard to say." Chrom shrugged. "To be honest, if it's just a frivolous internal dispute, I'd rather not risk any Ylissean lives in the first place. And if they rebel because of Ostia's tyrannical rule, Ylisse may have to ally with Laus."
At this point, Hector had picked the brains of Chrom and Robin, and they had done the same to him. All parties had a general understanding of each other's situation.
"That's not the case!" Hector protested. "Ostia doesn't even hold absolute power over Lycia's regions, the local marquesses do! We're just the leader of the alliance!"
"However…" Chrom held up one hand as he continued. "If Laus's rebellion stems from a power hungry or bloodthirsty marquess, then you can absolutely count on Ylisse's help."
Hector breathed a sigh of relief. "I… see… that makes me feel a lot better."
"Remember, it might not be just Laus you'll have to worry about." Robin reminded him. "Wasn't Marquess Santaruz the one that told us to come to Laus? That suggests that he may have been in on the plan. If that's the case, who knows how many other territories are also preparing for war?"
"I don't want to admit it, but you're absolutely right." Hector scowled.
"Lord Eliwood!" Marcus interrupted. "There seems to be a lone knight riding to us from the castle!"
"A lone knight?" Eliwood frowned.
"Yes. It appears to be Lord Darin's son, Erik." Marcus reported.
"Erik?"
"Gah!" Hector sighed. "Why did it have to be that buffoon?"
"I will see him." Eliwood decided. "Bring me to him."
"Er… is our presence required?" Chrom asked.
"Erik is an old classmate of mine and Hector's." Eliwood explained. "Though, I'm not certain Hector wants to meet him. I think I can handle this meeting alone. It's highly unlikely that Marquess Darin would entrust highly important tasks to him anyway. He probably just heard we were passing through and came to greet us personally."
"You're way too optimistic." Hector sighed.
"Even if Marquess Darin is plotting something, Erik may not be in on it." Eliwood argued. "It would be fair to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, you don't know everything Lord Uther has been doing, and if I was involved in all of my father's affairs, I would know where he is in the first place."
"Yeah, yeah… you're right… but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Hector sighed. "I guess we'll just wait for you to finish talking to him. While you're at it, you may as well ask for an audience with his father."
Eilwood left with Marcus to meet with Erik.
"So… we wait then?" Chrom asked.
"I guess." Hector shrugged. "It shouldn't be too long…"
"Robin? What's going on?" Chrom asked. Robin, once Eliwood had left, had pulled out his Hekseer, and Chrom knew what that meant.
"I have a bad premonition." Robin explained. "If this Erik knew that we were approaching Laus, then wouldn't the marquess know as well? And that begs the question: why are they paying such close attention to who is passing through Laus? Under normal circumstances, there's no need to be so alert. ...look. There's a massive number of troops being prepared near the castle…"
"Er… I don't know what any of the symbols mean." Hector admitted.
"You don't have to. You see all of these red markers?" Robin asked. "They're Laus's troops. Although we can't see them from here, they're discreetly moving towards us. They're about to attack soon."
"Which means... does Erik want to take out Eliwood when he lets his guard down?" Chrom asked.
"I'm afraid so." Robin nodded.
"Then…" Hector began.
"We'll have to prepare for battle as well." Robin finished. "Let everyone else know."
"Right." Chrom nodded as he and Robin split up to inform the shepherds. Hector, finding himself alone, went to go find Oswin and Matthew, as well as the Pheraen soldier, Lowen…
Shepherds' camp...
"Hey Robin!" Lucina's expression brightened when he approached her. She had been conversing with Brady and Noire.
"We need to prepare for battle." Robin didn't beat around the bush.
Lucina's expression instantly hardened. She nodded in understanding. Nearby, the other shepherds who had heard Robin also began to become battle ready.
"Sumia, please fly towards Eliwood and help cover his retreat." Robin continued. "Cordelia… please watch her back, just in case there's an archer lying in wait..."
"Right!" Sumia, as well as Cordelia immediately saddled up and took off.
"Everyone else, get into a standard formation!" Robin continued. "It seems Laus has many riders, and considering we'll be fighting on flat ground, everyone needs to keep their guard up at all times! As always, Stahl, Sully and Frederick take the front!"
"What's wrong?" Anna asked as she hurried to Robin's side with Merlinus in tow. As always, as soon as Robin gave the signal to prepare for battle, the message spread through camp like wildfire, and within seconds, everyone became aware that conflict was soon approaching.
"Laus is preparing to attack us." Robin quickly explained. "We can't afford to bring our carts along into the open plains, so we'll have to leave them here. Can I entrust the convoy to you again?"
"Of course!" Anna instantly replied. "However… if I have to protect both our carts and the Lycian ones… I might be stretched a little thin. And I can't also simultaneously protect Merlinus either."
Robin glanced at Merlinus whose knees were shaking from fear. He turned and looked at everyone near him.
"Vaike and… Bartre!" Robin called. The two axemen turned when their names were called. "You're protecting the convoy with Anna."
"Aw c'mon!" Vaike protested, but he nonetheless made his way over to him.
"It can't be helped." Robin chuckled. "Someone needs to do it. And because both of you wear very little armor, it's not as safe for you to be fighting an onslaught of horsemen on the open plains."
"Yeah, yeah, you're the boss." Vaike scoffed. "I'd better get to do something more fun in the next battle."
"You got it." Robin smiled.
Normally, Bartre wouldn't have been willing to follow someone so easily, but after the past few days, he was convinced that this tactician, as well as his allies, were extremely strong. He reluctantly admitted that as it were, they were at least more capable than he was. Therefore, Bartre decided that at least for now, he should swallow his pride and try to learn a thing or two from them. He was secretly glad that he was stuck on guard duty with Vaike at the very least. He'll be able to pick up a thing or two far easier than if one of the swordsmen or mages were paired with him.
"That reminds me." Robin snapped his fingers. "Do we have any Beastkillers lying around anywhere?"
"Er, I believe there's one or two…" Anna frowned, trying to recall from memory. "But far from enough to equip everyone."
"Pardon me, sir…" Merlinus interrupted. "Er, I don't have anything called a Beastkiller in my inventory, but I do carry several Horseslayers. I-I'm sure they'll fare just fine against Laus's horsemen."
"Horseslayers?" Robin furrowed his brows. "I'm not familiar with them. Judging by the name, they were designed for fighting against cavalry, right? Is it also a lance?"
"Y-yes." Merlinus confirmed.
"And, just out of curiosity, why do you even have them?"
"I carry a variety of wares that I was planning on selling in Ostia, including weapons." Merlinus explained.
"And you're willing to let us use them?"
"I work for Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector now, so my belongings are their belongings." Merlinus responded with little hesitation. "It would bring me great pleasure if my merchandise can be of use to them."
"Well, I'm sure they'll figure out how to use it extremely fast." Robin muttered to himself. "Let's get our soldiers well equipped to handle horsemen. I'll leave it to the two of you."
"Right!" Anna winked at him. "You can count on us!"
"Y-yes! Of course." Merlinus hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"Merlinus is turning out to be more valuable than I initially thought…" Robin muttered to himself as the two merchants left to make preparations. "I guess it was a stroke of luck that we ran into him when we did."
"You probably just didn't have a good impression of him because you were half asleep." Lucina poked fun at him.
"Aren't you going to go get one?" Robin asked. "You know your Falchion might not have the range to deal with horsemen."
"No, I think I'm good." Lucina shook her head. "I'm still much more familiar with a sword than a lance, and I think they would be more useful in someone else's hands. And besides, it's not like I can't defeat someone just because they're atop a horse, you know…"
"Yes, you're right." Robin smiled as he touched his forehead to hers. "Just… be careful out there."
"Of course. You should be careful as well."
With Eliwood…
"Hello!" The first thing Erik did was greet Eliwood when he stopped his horse. "It's been a long time, Eliwood!"
"Erik… what is your business?"
"My business?" Erik pretended to be shocked. "What do you mean? I heard my old friend was here in Laus. I'm not allowed to come see him?"
"..." Eliwood could tell that Erik was not sincere, but he didn't point it out.
"So tell me, friend. What brings you to Laus?" Erik inquired. "Are you perhaps on your way to Ostia?"
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"
"Well aren't you good friends with Hector?" Erik asked. "He and I… we've never got along well. But I figured you might be going to see him. So? When did you see him last? Do you still communicate?"
"Erik, you're after something." Eliwood voiced his suspicions aloud. "What is it?"
"Er, what do you mean?" Erik chuckled nervously.
"Erik, I know Laus is up to something. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the disappearance of my father has something to do with this. What are you and your father planning? I will know the truth!"
"Hm, I was hoping to wait until you've at least told me about Ostia." Erik muttered. "Of whether you've already spoken to Lord Uther or not."
"Huh?"
"Eliwood, I've always despised you." Erik readily admitted. "How I've longed to smash you and your pathetic morality into pieces! I've dreamed of this day, and here it is at last!"
With that, Erik drew a hidden blade and lunged at Eliwood.
Eliwood, caught by surprise, raised his arm in self defense. Erik's dagger stabbed into his armguard, but crucially, missed all of his vitals. The leather provided a little protection, but Eliwood still felt the weapon stab into his flesh.
Still, now that he was aware of Erik's intentions, Eliwood began to scramble backwards towards Marcus, who had been waiting a short distance away due to courtesy.
"Milord!" Upon seeing the treacherous acts of Erik, Marcus rode to his side.
Erik, in his small window of time, was unable to assassinate Eliwood. However, upon seeing him act, the rest of the horsemen of Laus began riding into the field. The arrival of Marcus caused Erik to flee instantly, and the Paladin decided that it was more important to rush Eliwood to safety than to chase down the future marquess of Laus.
"Chase them down!" Erik commanded as one of the soldiers brought him his mount and his favorite lance. And though Marcus had the head start, he was slightly slower due to the fact that his horse had to carry two people, and the fact that he was less familiar with the terrain.
Slowly, Laus's horsemen began to gain ground on Marcus. However, upon seeing a black pegasus hover overhead, Marcus knew that he had already made it to safety. It would seem that the Ylisseans, as always, had been ready for battle at the drop of a hat.
"Keep running!" The voice of Sumia called to them from above. Eliwood, not having to control the horse, had the luxury of looking backwards, and saw a sharp gale hinder the progress of the people chasing them. A couple horsemen who did not stop in time were ripped up by the violent winds, causing the rest of Laus's soldiers to proceed with caution.
Upon reaching his allies, the Ylissean priest... Brady, Eliwood recalled, immediately arrived at his side to tend to his wound.
"What's the situation?" Eliwood asked as he was being healed.
"Th' situation's changed. We're holdin' th' bridge." Brady replied. " 'Pparently they're comin' at us with everything they've got… or somethin'. Lot'sa horses. An' so we're gonna let them come to us first."
"That makes sense." Marcus agreed. "We don't have enough riders to contest their numbers."
"Marcus, you should go join the others. I'll be fine for now."
"As you wish, milord."
Meanwhile, after some rearranging from Robin, Oswin and Frederick were given the all important task of holding the two bridges. Utilizing the river separating their position from Castle Laus, Robin could set up a defensive line, preventing their opponents from swarming their position.
When the horsemen of Laus try to overwhelm them, they would be met with a barrage of arrows and spells.
"Charge!" Erik pointed his lance towards the bridge. "Whoever breaks through their position will be given a year's pay!"
The soldiers of Laus cheered as they charged the Ylissean blockade with renewed vigour.
However, Robin's formation would not be easily broken. Though Oswin and Frederick were in plain sight, there were many others hidden within the tall grass growing along the bank of the river.
The first optimistic horseman to try their luck didn't even reach the tip of Frederick's lance before an arrow shot from within the reeds lodged itself into his chest.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel." Gaius chuckled as he removed the arrow he was holding in his mouth and nocked it.
From somewhere off to his side, another arrow flew out, striking the same target in the shoulder. However, this was largely overkill, as Gaius's first shot had already spelled his doom.
Gaius, with a confused expression turned in the direction the arrow came from, ready to admonish whatever idiot had sent that one flying. However, he held his tongue when he saw the innocent gaze of Rebecca, peering at him from over the tips of the tall grass.
Rebecca, who was trying to imitate Gaius and was biting down on the shaft of an arrow, instantly averted her gaze and ducked back out of sight into the tall grass.
"...You can't be serious…" Gaius sighed in exasperation.
In the duration of Gaius's stunned silence, Rebecca worked up the courage to bring her eyeline back over the top of the grass, but she immediately ducked back down when she saw Gaius still staring at her position.
"Look, I've told you before… I'm not the one you should be watching if you want to learn." Gaius told her.
At Gaius's words, Rebecca stopped hiding and stood up to look at him. "Th-then, who should I observe?"
As they were speaking, an arrow flew towards the other side of the river, nailing an unlucky Lausian right between the eyes, and the protective plates of his helmet, for that matter.
"That's who you should be watching." Gaius pointed at the girl who had shot the arrow.
Rebecca turned to see a young girl with blonde hair sink back down into the tall grass. She couldn't have been much older than Rebecca herself.
"Who is that?" Rebecca asked in awe.
"Her name's Noire." Gaius grumbled. "She's much more similar to you than I am. If you want to improve, ask her for some pointers. Now stop stalking me. It's creeping me out."
"Noire…" Rebecca muttered to herself. "I'll have to remember her name… Aw… I was just getting the hang of biting onto an arrow too…"
It wasn't as if the Lausians didn't have any long ranged soldiers of their own. While they certainly lacked in the magic department, they had their fair share of archers as well. The difference is, there was no possible way for the unmounted archers to keep up with a horse's gallop, and so they were several minutes away from the battlefield.
In this small window of opportunity, the shepherds laid the hurt on Laus. Besides the pinpoint accuracy of their archers, the Ylisseans wielded powerful magic spells that had a massive area of destruction. The few cavaliers that made it within melee range of the two bastions holding the bridges were promptly taken down by their newly acquired Horseslayers.
"M-milord Erik!" One of the Lausian officers panicked. "We're suffering too many losses! Please give the order to retreat!"
"Are you mad!?" His colleague asked him. "Remember the marquess ordered us to bring the Pheraen noble's head. With our vastly superior numbers, how can we retreat!? How could we face the marquess?"
Erik cupped his chin and thought for a moment.
"While it is true that our numbers are far greater, the Pheraens are also putting up a much better fight than anticipated."
"Milord?" The two officers simultaneously shut up and devoted their full attention to Erik's words.
"I'll have to give this one to Eliwood… his strategy is superb. Not to mention, it seems Pherae still had many knights left even with their marquess out of the picture." Erik sighed. "While it's true that we were ordered to bring Eliwood's head, if we suffer too many losses in doing so, we can't truly call ourselves victorious. If we bleed ourselves dry, we'll severely weaken ourselves in upcoming conflicts. If Eliwood wants to reach Ostia, he'll have to pass through Laus one way or another. I doubt he has as many resources as Laus in this situation."
"Exactly!" The first officer exclaimed. "Very wisely put, milord! So we should retreat in order to preserve our numbers."
"However…" Erik continued. "I still want to bring my father Eliwood's head. So here's what we'll do: we'll pretend to retreat. The messier, the better. And as soon as Eliwood thinks he has an opportunity and breaks his formation, we'll double back and surround them. They can't outrun our horses in an open field."
"A sound tactic!" The second officer praised. "As expected of the next marquess of Laus!"
"But will he take the bait?" The first officer asked.
"Of course he will!" Erik replied confidently. "Eliwood is a coward, choosing to learn the rapier of all weapons. A useless skill, except for exploiting openings. His tactics will be the same."
"Ah…" The two officers looked at each other in understanding.
"Sound the order to retreat." Erik ordered. "And wait for my signal."
With the Shepherds…
"It looks like the enemy is retreating." Chrom observed.
"Let's chase after them!" Hector suggested. "They're in a state of disarray. I'm sure we'll be able to win in this situation!"
"My thoughts exactly." Chrom nodded in agreement.
"No… let's not be hasty." Robin shook his head.
"Er… you don't think we should?" Chrom asked.
"If we didn't utilize the terrain to OUR advantage, we would have had an extremely tough time dealing with their numbers." Robin explained. "If we chase after them into a wide open space, their cavalry will run circles around us."
"So? We can take them on."
"Chrom…" Robin sighed. "Even if we each take down ten or even twenty soldiers, it'll be difficult for us to all remain in one piece out there. You might be fine for a while, but what about the healers or archers? What about the mages? They'll easily be overwhelmed by massive numbers, especially if they have to worry about every direction. By the numbers, they might lose the battle, but we wouldn't exactly come out winners either."
"I think Robin's right." Lissa gave her two cents. "After all, it was him who kept us all alive in the war against Valm."
"You're right." Chrom sighed. "I guess I got ahead of myself."
"Yeah… I didn't really stop and think about the others." Hector admitted as well. "Not everyone has heavy riding armor like me."
"So what are we going to do then?" Eliwood, who had been healed by Brady was feeling much better, but he was still a little paler than usual.
Robin pulled out his Hekseer.
"We can wait until night time. I highly doubt they will retreat all the way back to the castle. My guess is, they'll set up camp somewhere in between. Once the sun sets, we can utilize the cover of night to launch a sneak attack."
"Hm… sneaking about is not my cup of tea, but I admit, going up against all of Laus with our meager numbers, we should try for every advantage we can get." Hector voiced his opinion.
"That should be fine." Chrom nodded in agreement.
"If they camp in the open field, it'll be really easy…" Robin continued. "We can just set their entire camp alight with fire magic. The issue is, if they force the nearby villages to house the soldiers, this plan would obviously have extreme flaws."
"So what do we do if that's what they do?" Chrom asked.
"If that's the case, we'll send in Gaius and Olivia." Robin sighed. "Not the most optimal plan, but it's the only way we can avoid needless bloodshed. But in the meantime, we'll need aerial surveillance to determine if we need to resort to this tactic. I'm leaving that to you, Cordelia."
"No problem!" Cordelia nodded in understanding.
"And if the Lausians don't use the villages, I'd like to warn them to all stay put for the night." Robin grimaced. "We'll probably have to squeeze that in after sunset before we launch the attack. But otherwise, everyone should rest up… but remain alert… they could launch another wave of attacks at any moment."
"What's wrong?" Chrom asked.
"I… I just have a headache." Robin admitted.
"Could it be… has the wound from the dark magic still not healed yet?" Lucina suggested.
"It's possible." Lissa nodded. "Well, if we're waiting until nightfall anyways, then you, mister, should go take a nap. No complaining! Doctor's orders!"
"All right… but don't do anything rash while I'm asleep." Robin glanced at Chrom. "No matter how enticing it might be, do not give chase."
"I got it. Go rest." Chrom gave him his promise.
After around half an hour, Sumia approached her husband.
"Chrom…" The man in question turned towards his wife, who tapped his shoulder. "Shouldn't we go warn the civilians? I'm worried that the innocent will get hurt if we don't tell them to stay inside tonight."
"That's too dangerous." Chrom shook his head. "Let's wait until nighttime to do that."
"Oh please!" Sumia scoffed. "There are only two villages and they're not even halfway to the encampment, nevermind the castle. Cordelia and I could easily drop by and give them a warning. If we wait until nightfall, or even sunset, it might not be enough time for the villagers to finish their preparations. We should give them a proper notice. It's the right thing to do… it's what Emmeryn would've done…"
"...you're right." Chrom conceded. "But don't stay too long. Promise me you'll just give them a warning and come back."
"We'll be back in a jiffy." Sumia winked before she left.
With Erik…
"Milord! It seems the Pheraen's haven't given chase."
"This Eliwood…" Erik scowled. "What a crafty bastard… Well then, we'll wait him out. Set up camp for now, we'll strike at night."
"Yes, milord!"
"Send a messenger to my father." Erik commanded. "Tell them to be alert at all times. It seems Eliwood has enlisted some Illian pegasus knights, so watch the skies carefully. He might try to send a messenger ahead."
The officers immediately went to go do so.
In a nearby village…
"...please sir, would you lend us some assistance?" A young mage with long purple hair asked what seemed like the hundredth person.
"I'm sorry, but it's just not possible." The man standing in the doorway shook his head. "If we were to disobey Marquess Laus, he'd kill my entire family just to set an example…"
"I understand." Erk sighed. "I'll look for help elsewhere…"
"Don't take this the wrong way, but you'll hear the same answer no matter where you go." The man tried to be helpful. "Eventually, you'll have to do what the marquess orders. You'd do well to tell your employer the same thing…"
"I see." Erk bowed, not changing his expression. "Good day to you."
Just as he seemed to reach the end of his rope, his ears picked up on the whispers of some pedestrians in the street.
"...did you hear? Apparently there's a group of people fighting the marquess…"
"...really? Who could they be?"
"Is it Ostia? Could they be here to free us from the marquess's tyrannical rule?"
"...no, I think it might be the Illians. They're the only explanation for the flying horses I saw earlier…"
"You idiot! Don't you know Illian pegasus knights often work as mercenaries?"
"Then who is it?"
"I dunno. I hear pegasus knights aren't cheap to hire… it could very well be another marquess…"
"I'm not even certain they're Illian, I saw one of them cast magic earlier."
"One of the pegasus knights? Impossible!"
"I saw it with my own eyes! Honest!"
"A pegasus knight that uses magic?" Erk mumbled to himself. "I've never heard of such a thing. Could it be..."
Erk couldn't help but think about a year ago, how he had met someone that seemed to be a complete anomaly. "...nah, that's too unlikely. There must be some other explanation…"
Suddenly, the flapping of pegasus wings from above caused everyone in the center of town to scatter. A woman with flowing red hair landed and got off her pegasus.
"Who here is the magistrate?" The woman asked. "I have a message for him."
The civilians looked at each other dumbly before someone went off to find him. After a few moments, an elderly man was escorted before her.
"Greetings, esteemed pegasus knight…" The old man began. "Although it is in name only, I am considered by most to be the leader of the village. You… have a message for me?"
"Tell everyone to lock up tonight. There will be a battle between us and the troops of Laus. But fear not, as long as you don't raise your arms against us, we will do our best to avoid bringing the battle to you. Tell everyone to not leave the village after dark."
At Cordelia's words, the nearby villagers began whispering amongst themselves.
"Er… may I ask, who is waging a battle against marquess Laus?" The village elder asked cautiously.
"Among the leaders are Eliwood, son of Marquess Pherae, and Hector, brother of Marquess Ostia." Cordelia gave the pre-prepared answer.
At this, the murmurs among the populace grew more and more excited.
"I… see." The village elder nodded approvingly. "Though we don't have much to offer, we shall do our best to stay out of your way. And between you and me…" The man leaned towards Cordelia. "I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you." Cordelia smiled. "But luck is not needed. With Robin at the helm, victory is already a foregone conclusion."
Though the elder didn't know who Robin was, Cordelia's confidence made him smile. However, at her words, Erk's head jerked towards her.
"Ex...excuse me?" Erk decided to approach her. "Did you just say Robin?"
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "Yes, what of it?"
"By chance, does he have white hair? Is he good at magic? Is he a tactician?"
"You know Robin?" Cordelia asked suspiciously.
"I worked with him around a year ago!" Erk replied. "He taught me a thing or two about magic as well! If you're going up against marquess Laus, can I lend you a hand?"
"Hm… well the timeline adds up at least…" Cordelia murmured to herself. "If Robin was teaching you magic, then he must've deemed you trustworthy…"
"Why are you eager to help us?" Cordelia decided to still act cautiously for the moment.
"Well, the truth is, I'm employed as a bodyguard currently… but marquess Laus's bastard of a son is infatuated with her, and won't allow her to leave Laus… so in exchange for my help, I'd like to use the opportunity to allow her to escape from here."
"I… see." Cordelia nodded. When someone has a motive, it was easier to trust them, after all. "Well, I can bring you back with me… if Robin truly knows you, I'm sure he'll be happy you're willing to help."
"That would be greatly appreciated." Erk nodded.
"Well then, there's no time to lose." Cordelia gestured to her pegasus. "Saddle up!"
Meanwhile, in another village…
"...has your escort returned yet?" A man asked a young girl with short, red hair.
"No…" The young troubadour shook her head as she bit her lower lip. "He left yesterday in search of a way out of here… I just hope the soldiers of Laus haven't captured him."
"His search for help must have been fruitless." The man sighed. "Marquess Laus has ordered that no aid be given to you. There's really nothing that any of us can do. I apologize, but…"
"No, no." The young girl frantically waved her hands. "You could turn me over to the marquess at any moment, and yet you continue to grant me asylum. I'm grateful for that. ...of course, if I simply went to the castle, this would all be over."
"Don't fret over that." The man smiled. "None of us are overly fond of the marquess. He's always threatening us. He treats us like slaves. All of these war preparations? We want nothing to do with them. We may be divided into territories, but we're Lycians one and all. We may be invaded by another country one day, but why does he want to start a war here at home? None of us understand what he is doing."
The sound of pegasus wings overhead brought their conversation to a standstill.
"Oh no…" Priscilla sighed. "It's for me again, isn't it?"
"Don't jump to conclusions." The man replied, though he wasn't confident in his own words either. "It could be something else. They've never sent a pegasus rider before…"
Sumia dismounted from her pegasus and surveyed her surroundings. She saw a young girl standing nearby talking to a middle aged man. She decided to approach them for directions.
"Um, excuse me…" Sumia began.
"Are you another messenger from the marquess?" Priscilla asked. "Please, do not waste your time. I will not change my decision."
"The marquess?" Sumia asked. "Oh no! Of course not! Actually, I was hoping you'd be able to point me in the direction of the village elder? Do you have a magistrate? Or perhaps a mayor or something?"
The man and the young girl looked at each other.
"You're talking to the village leader." The man responded. "What can I help you with?"
"Oh, perfect!" Sumia smiled. "Really, what are the chances? Anyways, I'm just here to drop off a message. Tonight, there will be a battle outside against the marquess. Please make sure everyone stays safe inside their homes tonight. Don't let anyone leave the village!"
"...marquess Laus didn't send you?" Priscilla could hardly believe her ears. "I'm sorry… that was my mistake."
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Sumia scoffed. "Anyways, that's all I needed to tell you. I'll be off then…"
"W-wait!" Priscilla exclaimed.
"Hm?"
"Say… If it's not too much trouble, might I leave with you?" Priscilla asked. I'm on a journey. Marquess Laus is barring my way, and…I'm trapped. Please, help me."
The young troubadour lowered her head. She could not let this opportunity slide, as it might be her best chance to escape from Laus.
"Oh, please don't cry…" Sumia instantly tried to make the young troubadour raise her head. "You just want to leave Laus?"
"Y-yes… but marquess Laus has assigned some guards at the village gate preventing me from leaving…"
"Well, I could fly you out of here..."
Priscilla and the man looked at each other once again.
"Um, excuse me." The village leader butted in. "Miss Priscilla has a horse, is there anyway she'd be able to bring it along with her?"
"No, I could always replace it in the future…" Priscilla replied. "Saving her is not worth giving up this chance…"
"You can't do that!" The man protested. "It's worth more than an entire year's worth of labor for some people! You can't just leave something so valuable behind!"
"Oh, well that's not a problem either." Sumia shrugged. "Just show me where the gate is. I'll take care of the guards for you. Be ready to run as soon as they're down…"
"O-okay…" Priscilla nodded. With a plan in the works, Priscilla, followed by Sumia, went to the stables to retrieve her horse. The two of them then approached the gate of the village.
"Hold!" A soldier blocked their path with his lance. "Lady Priscilla, until you agree to marry Lord Erik, I cannot allow you to leave."
"So these are the guys?" Sumia asked. "Get ready then…"
Priscilla was expecting Sumia to pull out a lance and fight off the guards, so she was instead surprised when Sumia pulled out a green book from a pocket on her saddle. With a wave of her hand, the guards were blown backwards by an Elwind spell.
"Go!" Sumia urged her. "Remember what I told you! Ride for the bridge! I'll be right behind you!"
Though surprised, Priscilla quickly regained her senses and rode out of the village. After a few moments, she heard the flapping of pegasus wings as Sumia flew overhead protectively.
"After her!" Priscilla didn't dare look back, but she could hear the voice of one of the guards, and before long, the thundering of hoofbeats behind her. Terrified of what might happen to her if she were to get caught, Priscilla rode as fast as she could away from them.
Priscilla decided to put her trust in this woman and fled away from Laus. She had expected to be stopped by the guard on the bridge, but when he looked towards the sky, Priscilla was waved across without even having to slow down.
As soon as she made it across, the knight closed off the bridge with his body like a living iron curtain. The woman that had saved her also turned and rained magic down on Priscilla's pursuers. After a volley or two, they gave up, and ran away.
Sumia descended from the sky.
"Whew… thanks Frederick."
"Not a problem, milady." The knight guarding the bridge bowed.
"Th-thank you…"
"Hmm?" Frederick turned towards the young Troubadour. "Who is this?"
"Priscilla… am I right?" Sumia replied hesitantly. "Marquess Laus was trapping her in… well, in Laus. She asked me to help her escape, and so I did."
"I see…" Frederick stroke his chin in contemplation. "Well, miss Priscilla, if you seek to leave Laus, now would be a good time to do so. Do you have a destination in mind? You could flee to the east…"
"Priscilla!"
The girl in question turned her head when she heard her name. "Erk!?"
"You made it out of the village?" The young mage asked. "Oh, thank the gods!"
"Y-yes, this lady helped me escape…"
Erk turned towards Sumia, and bowed. "Thank you for helping her!"
"Uh, it wasn't a problem, really… and who might you be?"
"This is Erk, a mage in training." Cordelia entered the conversation. "Apparently, he knows Robin. He volunteered to help us in exchange for our help in freeing his employer, though it seems we've already finished our end of the exchange."
"Well, what a coincidence then." Sumia chuckled.
"Unfortunately, Robin's not awake yet." Cordelia sighed. "So we can't have him confirm Erk's identity. I'm keeping an eye on him for now."
"...Not awake?" This was the first time Erk heard of something like this. "Did something happen to him?"
"He got hit by some strange dark magic…" Sumia explained. "He's all right, at least, Lissa tells us he is, but he's been extremely exhausted the past couple of days…"
"Dark magic?" Erk paled. "Are you sure he's fine?"
"Lissa may be immature sometimes, but I'm very confident in her abilities."
"Um, so Erk, you're going to help these people?" Priscilla asked timidly.
"Yeah. A promise is a promise."
"Then I'll help too!" Priscilla decided. "I'm pretty good at healing magic…"
Cordelia and Sumia looked at each other.
"Well, it's always helpful to have another healer…" Cordelia shrugged.
"I'm sure Chrom and Robin will be fine with it." Sumia agreed. "In the meantime, make yourself at home. We don't have anything planned until evening…"
A few hours later…
"...All right… I'm here…" Robin groggily walked into the command tent with his cloak half on. "Anything new?"
"Not really…" Eliwood shook his head. "Did you sleep well?"
"Not too bad, I guess." Robin rubbed his eyes.
"Actually, do you know of a mage named Erk?" Chrom asked.
"Erk?" Robin blinked in surprise. "Yeah, what about him?"
"Well, he'll be helping us in the battle against Laus." Chrom explained. "I can fill you in on the details later."
"Yes, please do."
"So then… how are we going to fight them?" Hector asked impatiently. "Everything's been too quiet… I'm worried that they've come up with a plan in the past couple of hours."
"Did we scout their encampment?" Robin asked.
"Yes. Sumia reports that they're tents and stables are grouped together for maximum compactness." Chrom informed him. "Either they have countermeasures against fires, or they haven't fought against anyone that's tried it before."
"Probably the latter." Robin decided. "No offense to Elibe, but so far, I haven't exactly been impressed with their level of magic. Even Elfire is apparently considered a high level magic here."
"You're kidding!" Chrom chuckled nervously.
"Well, we wouldn't know a thing about it." Eliwood shrugged. "Neither Hector and I have studied magic, but from my experience, I've also never seen anyone in Elibe as good as magic as you seem to be. Of course, I haven't exactly met many of the prestigious mages either…"
"Regardless, everyone should be prepared, but if all goes well, the battle should be over extremely quickly. Just give me Sumia, Cordelia, and Henry."
"That can be arranged." Chrom agreed. "You're leaving at sunset?"
"Yeah. We leave at sunset."
True to his word, Robin gathered with the two pegasus riders as well as Henry right as the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. They took off under the cover of nightfall, with Robin riding behind Cordelia and Henry behind Sumia. Their destination was set for the Laus encampment.
"Where are they going?" Rebecca asked Gaius as everyone was finished packing up their campsite.
"Watch closely." the thief responded. "The fireworks are about to start…"
With Erik…
"Milord! The sun has set. Should we begin the ambush?"
"Yes, make preparations… we leave in a quarter of an hour. It's unlikely that they'll be prepared in time."
Erik was quite smug about his plan... until fire began raining from the sky. Countless spells fell towards them, burning everything, but prioritizing the stables above all else. Due to the layout of their encampment, the fire quickly spread out of control, as man and horse perished together.
In some areas, the fires began to die down once it had consumed most of its surroundings. However, to Erik's dismay, a strong wind began to pick up and stoked the embers back into a blaze. Eventually, he began to realize that this was probably not due to coincidence.
"Milord! What do we do?" an officer asked him in panic.
"Retreat!" Erik gritted his teeth. "We can't put up a fight! They've got at least a dozen mages flying above us! Retreat and regroup back at the castle!"
"Y-yes, milord!"
"Damn you, Eliwood!" Erik gritted his teeth. "Just you wait… if I had the resources available to you, your head would already be rolling on the ground by now."
With their stables burnt to ash, Erik and his remaining soldiers were left with no choice but to flee towards castle Laus on foot. So really, there was no way for them to avoid being caught.
"Drop your weapons if you want to live." Frederick threatened them at lancepoint once he had caught up.
One Lausian decided to try his luck and drew his sword. However, he was quickly cut down from behind by Sully.
"I wouldn't try that." She pointed her silver sword at the others. "Do any of you bastards want an early grave too?"
"If you know what's good for you, you'll cease all resistance." Stahl told them matter of factly. "It'll take a few minutes for the rest of them to catch up. Until then you're staying still. As you've already witnessed, we're not afraid to slash you up if you continue to resist."
"Y-you! You peasants can't treat a proper noble like this!" Erik insisted.
"Noble my ass!" Sully got off her horse and kicked Erik in the chest. His subordinates instinctively rushed towards Sully, but were instantly stopped by Frederick and Stahl's lances.
"Behave, and we won't turn you into mincemeat." Stahl warned.
Erik and his soldiers could only obey.
Meanwhile, at the castle…
"M-m-milord!" A soldier reported in a panicked state.
"What? Speak!" Darin commanded.
"Milord Erik's forces… they've been caught in a sneak attack! Their camp is being burnt down as we speak!"
"What!?" Darin was so alarmed that he rose off his seat.
"Unbelievable…" Ephidel shook his head as he also got up. "He couldn't even stop them with these numbers…"
"Ephidel!?" Darin asked. "Where are you going?"
"It seems that conquering Lycia might have been too much to ask of you after all." Ephidel sighed. "I must inform my master. The Black Fang will be leaving at once."
"No!" Darin protested. "You can't abandon us! Not at this stage! P-please! Give me one more chance! I won't disappoint Lord Negal!"
"Hmm…" Ephidel pondered Darin's proposal for a second. "Very well. Assemble your men. We will regroup elsewhere."
"Eh?" Darin stared at him numbly. "You mean my son… my home… am I to abandon them?"
"Would you fall in disgrace along with your son?" Ephidel asked. "Our master, Lord Nergal, is offering you the throne of all Lycia…Surely a few sacrifices are not too much to ask?"
"Yes… yes you're right." Darin decided after thinking things over. "My destiny is greater than this. I was born to be king of Lycia."
"And as for an heir?" Ephidel continued. "You're still young, milord. You still have time. You mustn't let a moment of sentimentality cloud your judgement."
"Yes… yes!" Darin nodded in agreement. "Very well. I shall assemble the rest of my troops. Then we will leave."
Throne room of Castle Laus, moments later...
"I am no one's prisoner! Unhand me!" Erik exclaimed as he was brought in by Gaius.
"Save it!" Gaius didn't flinch as he dragged him along. "Just be thankful I wasn't given the orders to ice you."
Erik was soon dragged in front of the leaders.
"Erik, you must tell me." Eliwood insisted. "Where is your father? We've searched the entire castle, and there's no one here."
"D-Don't be ridiculous! My father would not abandon… No! He'd never… Ephidel…" Erik's eyes widened in realization.
"Ephidel?" Chrom asked. "Who's that?"
"Speak, cur! Do you want to die here?" Hector grabbed him by the collar.
"Hector!" Eliwood got his friend to stop immediately. "Erik…please. You must tell us everything you know. I… I just want to know where my father is."
"…Ephidel…" Erik began after a moment of hesitation. "He appeared at the castle one year ago. He came…and my father changed. Ostia's position had always bothered my father… He felt Laus deserved to rule all of Lycia. But he'd never gone so far as to speak of rebellion."
"Did you say rebellion?" Hector's nostrils flared.
"Ephidel had something…" Erik told them vaguely. "With it, he convinced my father to set this plan in motion. My father then sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae... he had approved of the idea."
"What!?" Hector exclaimed.
"Never!" Eliwood insisted. "My father would never agree to such a thing!"
"Believe or disbelieve. That is your choice." Erik sighed. "First was Marquess Santaruz. Then Marquess Pherae's reply arrived. Marquess Pherae visited here six months ago to seal his approval."
"That's not possible!" Eliwood exclaimed.
"My father and yours argued vehemently that day." Erik continued. "Marquess Pherae always distrusted Ephidel. He tried to convince my father to send Ephidel and the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia. My father would not be persuaded, and Marquess Pherae left the castle. As you know, he then disappeared. I doubt he's still alive."
"No!"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Hector grabbed Erik by the collar again.
"Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything." Erik protested. "My father… He is but Ephidel's puppet. He'll listen to anything that villain says. Even watch his own son…die… Those are the sort of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them. They would not let him live!"
Extremely upset, Eliwood left the room and went outside.
"Wait, Eliwood!" Hector followed after him.
"That'll be all." Chrom nodded towards Gaius, who began to drag Erik away again.
"So what do you think?" Chrom asked Robin.
"I think our purpose here is beginning to become more clear." Robin responded. "Whatever this Black Fang is, they must be the ones posing a threat to Lycia… and possibly the entire continent."
"You really think so?"
"Well if Naga deems it a problem, there's a chance it could be on the same scale as Grima, right?"
"Well when you put it that way…"
"It's not a guarantee, but it's a possibility. We'll have to proceed with caution in the future."
"Yeah…"
Elsewhere in the castle…
"Lady Priscilla, are you feeling unwell? Do you need some water?" Erk asked his employer once everyone else began to take a rest.
"N-no, I'm quite all right… thanks…"
"Do your feet ache? Are you hungry?" Erk continued.
"Honestly, you worry way too much, Erk!" Priscilla protested. "I'm not that delicate!"
"Y-yes, sorry, old habits die hard." Erik mumbled. "My old employer was quite the handful…"
"Oh… I see…" Priscilla pondered his words for a moment. "Erk… was your previous employer a woman?"
"Yeah."
"Did you… get along with her well?"
"No!" Erk exclaimed. "As a matter of fact, I did not! Every moment spent with her made me wish I had never taken the job with her from the beginning."
"Oh… I see…" Priscilla turned away from him to hide the grin that was beginning to form on her face. "Well… good. Yes… that's good…"
"Lady Priscilla… you intent to continue looking for your family, no?"
"Y-yes!"
"Well do you mind if we travel with these people?" Erk asked. "I can ask their leaders. I'm acquainted with one of them. Trust me, it'll be safer with these guys than any other mercenary troop on the continent."
"Well… um… are you... you're gonna stay too, right?"
"Of course." Erk responded. "Lady Priscilla, my teacher entrusted you to my care. Until you have reached your goal, I will not leave your side."
"Well, then I don't mind." Priscilla smiled. "I don't mind at all."
Outside…
"Eliwood…" Hector finally caught up with his friend.
"My father is alive… And… I cannot believe he supports…rebellion." Eliwood admitted. "There must be… There has to be a reason…"
"I know. I don't believe any of this for an instant. My brother trusted Marquess Pherae more than anyone. First, we'll find your father and uncover the truth. We'll talk to my brother after that."
"Hector, I'm sorry…"
"Don't look like that." Hector smiled. "Your father is surely alive. Right?"
"Yes, of course…" Eliwood responded, his eyes gleaming with conviction. "Marquess Laus… Black Fang assassins… Now this mysterious Ephidel… I'll find them all and prove my father's innocence!"
New Characters…
Priscilla (Troubadour, 16): HP: 50% Str: 5% Mag: 65% Skl: 60% Spd: 50% Lck: 75% Def: 20% Res: 65%
Author's notes…
Well, this chapter is finally complete. I've no idea what the writing schedule for me will look like in the next few months, but I guess we'll find out together.
Fortunately, the next chapter will be pretty exciting to write (and hopefully read) as Lyn finally makes her return to the story.
That's all for now, I'll see you all next time.