Smoldering Resistance.
While their allies were dealing with other errands, Chrom and his troops had finally arrived at their destination after quite an ordeal. Having to deal with enemy ships and starting a massive fire just to break through. It was clear this was was going to be just as rough as the last one, if not more.
"At last, Valm Harbor. Hmm... It appears well fortified... Prepare the troops. We'll— Huh? What's that?" Chrom asked as he noticed something in the distance.
Frederick looked "An altercation? That woman, the Valmese dogs are running her down".
"We need to do something" Cassandra said.
"Any enemy of theirs is a friend of ours. Come on!" Chrom ordered as they rushed to help the woman.
Said woman named Say'ri, had clearly been running for a while as she was growing more and more tired "Huff, huff. Who is that? ...The Ylissean League! So they have finally landed!".
"Over 'ere! We have 'er cornered!" An enemy soldier said
Say'ri growled in frustration "Confound these wretched imperials!".
"Don't let 'er get away!" The soldier said as he and his men continued to chase the woman.
"Our first priority is to hurry and save that woman. If possible, we should also visit the homes here to see how the people fare" Chrom ordered.
"Understood" Cassandra said as they hurried in to help the woman.
Chrom cut his way through the enemy soldiers until he reached the woman who was struggling with an enemy. Said enemy noticed Chrom before clashing blades with him. After an very brief exchange of blows, Chrom broke through the enemy's guard and cut him down. Another enemy tired to attack him from behind, but Say'ri leaps over Chrom before stabbing her blade in to the enemy soldier's neck, killing him on the spot.
Say'ri looked at Chrom clearly grateful "Prince Chrom of the Ylissean League! You have my gratitude!".
"You know of our cause?" Chrom asked.
Say'ri nodded "Of course! I would speak with you more—but first, perhaps...".
"...Ah, yes. Time enough for that once the fighting is finished" Chrom agreed, knowing they needed to clear out their enemies.
Frederick reached one of the homes "Are you alright? We're here to help a female warrior and anyone on her side".
An Old Villager looks at him "Yes? Helping Say'ri, are you? Good, good! We need such bravery in these times. Here now, sell this at market and use the funds to arm your forces. I'd rather see you put it to use than have that tyrant steal it".
Frederick accepted the gift "You have my gratitude, I promise your gift will not be wasted".
In the east, Lucina helped a Maiden who had been bothered by enemy soldiers "It's ok, you are safe now".
The Maiden was shaken up and clearly upset "There's no standing against the emperor! All who question him are slain on the spot. I am a refugee here... The dastard razed my entire village just for sport! If you truly mean to fight him, I'd have you take this. You can use it to heal the wounds of comrades from afar".
"Thank you, this could help save lives and aid in our battle against our enemies. Stay safe" Lucina said as she accepted the gift and left.
Cassandra helped another home that was being attacked by enemies. She blocked an attack and stabbed the enemy solider in the chest, before shield bashing another and killed him with a swift slash to his throat. She saw the villaiger and walked up to him but he was on guard and she could not blame him after what he had to endur.
"It's ok, we are here to help" Cassandra assured.
The Villager looked at her for a moment before calming down "Oh, well, you don't look imperial, do ya! Care for a wee bit o' gossip? I hear tell of resistance movements all across the continent. Each one strivin' to end Walhart's cruel tyranny...but they're divided. Scattered. They say a beautiful swordmistress is tryin' to unite 'em! Cor blimey! Now, I've never even seen me this lady, but I wish to help her all the same. Should you find her, ask that she read this. It'll make her even keener with a blade!".
Cassandra accepts his gift "I'll make sure she gets it, thank you".
At the last home, Chrom found an Elder who was hiding "Are you ok?".
The Elder hushed him "Talk quietly now! The Conqueror has ears everywhere...Between us...I support the Resistance and all, but I'm not about to stand against him. If his men even knew I talked to you, they'd slice me open and wear me like a jacket! ...Er, but good luck to you, though! ...Oh, fine. Here. Take this. Just don't tell anyone I helped you!".
"I wont, keep your head down and wait here. This will be over soon" Chrom assured.
As the battle was turning in Ylisse's favor, the enemy commander, Farber rides up on his dark horse and was confronted by Cassandra and Lucina. He snarled a the women as he readied his blade.
"Long live the emperor! Death to all who oppose him!" He declared before ordering his horse to charge.
Not wanting to harm the horse if she could avoid it, Cassandra got ready as Farber approached. Once he was close enough, she tossed her shield and hit him in the chest, knocking him of his horse who bolted from the battle. Lucina quickly rushed towards Farber who blocked her blade with his own before pushing her away, but Cassandra picked her shield back up as she charged at him. She blocked his strike, before attacking with her own sword. Farber avoided her strike and tried to counter her, but his attack was blocked by her shield and she kicked him in the chest, making him stagger back. Lucina resumed her attack, clashing blades with Farber for several seconds before he tried to press the attack. But once again his effort was blocked by Cassandra's shield who pushed him back and opened him up for Lucina to stab him with her sword.
"I may fall...but we are legion... You cannot stop...the Conqueror..." Farber said before he fell to the ground dead.
"He was strong. Our enemies are true warriors" Cassandra admitted.
"Indeed... And mother, despite all this, it felt good to fight alongside you" Lucina said.
Cassandra smiled at her "Likewise, Lucina, you are much stronger than you think you are".
"Not as strong as father..." Lucina said, but Cassandra wasn't so sure about that.
After Battle, everyone gathered to speak with the woman they helped.
"Mercy, friends! The tales of your strength were no exaggeration... I am called Say'ri, and I fight with the Resistance" She said, relieved to finally have some help.
"So there is an organized resistance?" Chrom asked.
Say'ri nodded "Aye, of sorts. Several groups formed to seek liberty for the states of Valm".
"I thought the emperor had stamped out all dissenters..." Chrom said.
Say'ri narrowed her eyes in anger of the mere mention of that brutal tyrant "He tries, but we Resistance are a slippery lot. We strike hard and then vanish again into the dark of night. Even now rebels ride to the banner of dynasts across the continent. United, we could pose a veritable threat to Walhart. And so, for some time I have struggled to bring us together".
"What's stopping you?" Flavia asked.
"Greed. Jealousy. Sloth. All the old weaknesses of man. The dynasts all would have freedom, but on their own terms. Some refuse to take up arms unless their territory is threatened. Others thrive under the Conqueror's heel and will not join unless there is profit in it. Liberty is a fine word, aye, but not always enough to rouse men from foolishness" Say'ri said, clearly frustrated by the other's reasons for refusing to fight.
"Tyrants thrives of fear and manipulation. If we are going to have more allies, we need a way to convince them that bringing down their cruel emperor is the right thing to do" Cassandra said.
"She's right. I take it you're looking for a more convincing argument, then?" Flavia asked.
"Just so, although my efforts thus far have met with meager success. I fear many distrust me because my brother fights for Walhart" Say'ri answered.
"Why does he support the empire?" Basilio asked.
"Would that I knew, good sir. Yen'fay was a good man once, but he is my brother no more! If we meet on the battlefield, I would cut him down, same as any other imperial. Walhart is said to command a million men now. Perhaps more. Sooner or later he will stamp out the Resistance entirely, if we do not unite" Say'ri explained.
Lissa looked shocked "Um, Chrom? Did she just say he has a MILLION soldiers?".
Say'ri smirked "Ha! And what are one million men against the Ylissean dogs of war?! You stopped a thousand of their ships, did you not? Your daring strategy has awoken and inspired people across all of Valm. Together I know we can yet unite the Resistance and break Walhart's grip! Help me, Prince Chrom! I beg of you!".
Frederick looks at Chrom "Milord?".
"This is no easy thing you ask of me. I have my own causes: a halidom to save and a future to win" Chrom said. Lucina remained silent but a small smile flashed across her lips "I know a great battle has been foretold, but is this it? How to know? Still, I admire your courage... Perhaps your mission is the best way to achieve mine. So yes, Say'ri. I will join your cause with my own. And if I'm wrong, it's my life on the line. ...As it should be. Now. What will it take to unite your people?".
"Well, I do have one idea... Since ancient times, many of our people have worshipped Naga. More precisely, we worship the divine dragon's oracle, Lady Tiki. Though most know her only as the Voice. The Voice is trapped in her temple as Walhart's prisoner. But if she were freed..." Say'ri began.
"The Resistance could unite around her. Where is the Voice being held?" Robin asked.
"There is a shrine built in the branches of the divine Mila Tree. She is confined there" Say'ri answered.
"Then we have our plan. Let's get to it!" Chrom ordered.
With their plan set, the Ylissians and their new ally took the chance to rest up and prepare for the coming battles. Lucina and Cassandra were training together as a way to spend some time together. Using a training sword and shield, Cassandra clashed with Lucina's own training sword. Cassandra blocked a few strikes with the shield before they entered a blade lock. Cassandra had an idea pushed her arm up, which also lifted up Lucina's sword. She then gave Lucina a quick butt bump to her stomach which made Lucina stumble of balance.
Cassandra then bashed her with her shield, making her fall to the ground "Looks like I win again".
"Yes... Your fighting style is so hard to predict and I am never ready for your butt attack" Lucina said with a blush.
Cassandra giggled as she gave her own butt a smack "No one ever does, it's my very own style. A little embarrassing, but not as weird as my sister's style".
"Oh? What is aunt Sophitia's style?" Lucina asked, having never seen her aunt in battle before.
Cassandra blushed "Let's just say, instead of slamming her foe with her butt, she used crotch... Loosing to that was so humiliating".
"Oh..." Lucina said with a blush of her own.
"Still, given you own small back side, maybe you could learn Sophitia's style" Cassandra teased.
Lucina blushed even more "I am not putting my crotch in my enemy's face!".
Cassandra burst out laughing at her daughter's embarrassed words, earning a pout from Lucina.
"Oh... You have no idea how badly I needed to laugh, thank you Lucina" Cassandra said as she wiped her eyes.
"I did notice you've been tense recently" Lucina said.
"Yeah... after learning what will happen if we don't win this war... It made the situation far more dire. I do not want you to grow up without me and Chrom, Lucina" Cassandra said.
Lucina looked down "Losing you and father... It cut deeper than any blade... What scares me is that I only know how you died, which is why we need to prevent the Azure Knight from ever returning... But I have no idea who killed father".
Cassandra put a hand on Lucina's cheek "We will stop your dark future, Lucina. This time, both of us will be at Chrom's side. We will not lose him".
Lucina smiled and leans on her mother who hugged her "Thank you... mother".
Cassandra rubbed her back "Of course, my sweet child... You sure you don't want to learn the crotch slam?".
"Mom!" Lucina complained.
Cassandra laughed again, she will treasure every moment with her daughter and she will make sure her future is bright and happy... She deserves nothing less than a good life with both her parents by her side.
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Yeah, I need to find another way to bring in the rest of the child characters, or this story will never move forward.
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Tell me what you think.
