Chapter 3 – Opposite Fangs
Chrom strolled through the royal gardens on his way to his chambers, eager to see his wife and child. Longing to be with the two of the most important people in his life, the Exalt ended court for the day an hour earlier than normal. Frederick was sure to make a fuzz about it, but he didn't care. Lucina was just a baby, barely four months old and was always crying for one of her parents, so he felt it was his duty to be with her over another boring harvest report.
He entered the room to find his dear wife rocking their crying daughter, trying to calm her down. He made his way to his wife, rewarded with a surprised moan as he tenderly kissed her neck. The queen laid the little princess down in her crib, before reciprocating the gesture, pushing their lips together into a passionate kiss.
Breaking the kiss, the Exalt looked at his crying daughter with a worried smile, "I just wish I knew why cried so much…"
"Oh, I already know why she cries so much, my love," Robin said, still clinging to his embrace.
"Really, why is it?" asked Chrom, eager to know how to help his darling daughter.
His wife looked up to him, giving him the sweetest smile he had seen, "She's crying for you, dear."
"…What?"
That would get his answer a moment later, as his wife's hand pierced through his chest and ripped out his heart. The Exalt didn't have time to scream as shock overcame him and he dropped to the floor, life slowly leaving him.
"Now my love, you know how I felt when you pierced my chest with your sword and broke my heart," Robin said as she dropped the still-beating heart on the floor, crushing it under her heel. The queen licked her fingers, the blood in her lips matching the glowing crimson of her eyes, before turning to her daughter. Lucina cried harder as her mother softly sang a dark tune to her child.
A cruel smile appeared on her face, "Don't cry, my Little Light. You will be seeing daddy again very soon."
Little Lucina kept crying, but not for much longer. As her mother's hand descended one more time, silence overcame the room.
Rose awoke with a silent scream, cold sweat drenching her skin. Small wisps of dark fire ran across her fingertips, ready to take on any threat. Realizing she was safe, she clutched her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart.
"Ah… Ah… Tch! So much for a restful sleep…" She moved to her bathroom; the water from the day before still resting in its container. Washing her face, she glanced at her reflection, once again having to will her eyes to their original purple shade. Shaking the last remnants of sleep she thought back at her dream, "Like what really happened wasn't horrible enough, now these nightmares try and make it worse. Must be the effect of meeting Chrom…" Looking at the sun's position she guessed it must be around seven in the morning. "It would be easier if I could see the clock tower."
The tactician used a simple spell to light up the wood under the bathtub, heating up the water to a comfortable temperature. Moving her naked body into a comfortable position, she enjoyed a relaxing bath. "Mmm… I should get some bath salts… No reason not to spoil myself every now and them." She glanced at the window while scrubbing her long, white hair, "The tournament is at midday, so I got time for breakfast and some warmup." A small smirk crept on her face, "I wonder how the little prince is doing this fine morning."
"She totally kicked your ass, Chrom."
"I know."
The prince wasn't doing too well this morning.
"Yeah, she totally wiped the floor with you."
"I know."
"She took you to school almost as good as Teach would!"
"I know, ok! I was there!" Chrom gritted out through broken patience and sore muscles. Sully and Vaike had been grilling him about his fight all morning. Yesterday they looked ready to tear Rose apart, but today they found the entire display way to entertaining. Lissa even found it funny to just heal some of his bruises and going to Anna would mean ending with far less gold that he went in with.
Most of the Shepherds were still upset at the champion's words, but they had to admit that they lacked experience against stronger opponents and organized armies. They were a militia, dealing mainly with bandits and small threats. They weren't prepared to fight the Plegian army. Even with the Ylissean Guard and volunteers that knew what was coming bolstering their ranks, Plegia still vastly outnumbered them. They couldn't just order the reformation of the army or issue a conscription decree; that would destroy everything Emmeryn had been working towards during her reign. That didn't mean they weren't training hard, far from it, but maybe some additional measures to catch up with their newest members would be necessary.
"I must admit, her style was quite interesting. The way she moved reminds me a little of our good tactician's sword style, but much more refined." Robin perked up at that. "She used the Ylissean azure-sword style and Plegia's dark-blade style, but she also included forms from foreign styles," commented Virion, gaining the attention of the group. "I recognized styles from Valm, Chon'sin, and Ferox. Even some of Rosanne's elegant fencing was mixed in there. She's quite the experienced little vixen."
"How in the blue blazes did you figure all that out?" Sully asked, astonished at the knowledge of the noblest of archers.
A smug expression appeared in the noble's face, as he dramatically put a hand over his heart, "My dearest Sully, you wound me! I'm a man of the world, so it's only natural that I would know of such things!" Virion finished with a dazzling smile, failing to amuse the cavalier.
Before she could start bickering with him, Donnel dropped his two copper, "A'yup. A real butt-kicker, that Miss Rose. She ain't gone and changed a single bit." He was too busy nodding to himself to notice the incredulous looks of his comrades.
"Wait, you know her?" Stahl asked, voicing the confusion of the group.
The farm boy blinked, before confirming his words, "Darn tootin' I do. She saved my pa and ma from some bandits. She also killed that dastard, Rodrick. He was the head honcho of those dastards that ya'll help us with before I joined ya."
Robin kept staring at the farm boy, unamused, "You didn't think it prudent to tell us this before she wiped the floor with Chrom?"
"Hey!"
Donnel scratched his head sheepishly, "Well, ya see. I didn't know she was his Majesty's opponent until the fight started…"
Robin blinked at that, before conceding, "Ah, fair enough… So what can you tell us about her?" For some reason, he was really interested in learning more about this tactician.
"Well, as y'all saw she's mighty strong. She was inside Old Lady Gumbert's tavern when the leader busted in. The good-fer-nothin' tried to kill my pa fer defendin' my ma, but Miss Rose sent him flyin' through the window with one kick, right into the pig's pen. She then killed the dastard with one of them magic spells. The rest of his gang tried to kill her, but she ended the lot of them with some scary magic. The rest of the cowards skedaddled before she got them. A few of the ones ya guys helped us with were part of that gang," the farm boy said, earning a whistle from Stahl and deep thought from the rest.
Chrom thought back at his fight and could now tell he was entirely over his head. It a blow to his pride, but that woman was talented in both swordsmanship and sorcery, and quite capable is she was able to take on a bandit gang alone. He would be the first to admit that he lacked experience against magic users; Miriel and Robin could only help so much as magic is not something you can reduce to sparring levels without losing potency. If she traveled a lot she must have fought many opponents all across the world while he had been limited to a peaceful Ylisse almost all his life; something he looked forward in correcting in the future.
Frederick frowned, refraining from scoffing, "I sincerely doubt a mercenary did that out of the goodness of her heart. Such people only care about gold."
"That's where you is wrong, Sir Frederick," Donnel said, shaking his head. "She didn't take a single coin from us, even when the mayor insisted. Miss Rose said that since she did it outside of a contract, we weren't needed to pay her. In the end, she stayed with us for two weeks and trained some of the villagers to use weapons along with setting traps and defenses in exchange for the gold. She's the reason we held long enough until yer Majesty arrived."
The Prince felt a new respect for this woman. At first, he thought she was just a sellsword trying to make some coin but, according to Donnel and his experience, she was more than that. Though this only added more questions about this person. Why did she try to teach him a lesson? Why participate in this tournament if coin is not her aim? Why save him? And he couldn't help but wonder if she had any relationship with his amnesiac friend, after seeing the similarities between the two.
Unknown to him, the same thoughts were running through the young Plegian's head.
The Shepherds kept talking through the breakfast, talking about the fight and the oncoming war, when the door of the kitchen opened. Robin and the rest saw the subject of their conversation walk into the room. Rose was missing her armor, her casual outfit almost an exact replica of Robin's. The mercenary was wearing a tanned, low-cut shirt with black hems, fingerless black gloves, baggy pants, and knee-high leather boots. The red sash still held her blade, and her coat's hood still covering her face. She noticed their presence, but only gave a nod of acknowledgment and a curt "Good morning," before leaving the room.
Curiosity finally overwhelmed Robin as he ran out of the chamber, leaving behind his startled comrades. He noticed that Chrom followed him, probably after requesting the group to stay put. The two finally caught up with the champion as she reached the gate to the courtyard.
"Please wait!" Robin shouted between panted breaths.
Rose froze at the shout. Slowly turning, hand resting on the hilt of her blade, she glanced at the source. Upon seeing who it was, she relaxed a little, though she still looked wary.
Robin panted slightly—a clear contrast to the physically-fit prince— before he finally asked, "I—we wanted to ask a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind." Chrom nodded in agreement, as he also had questions for her.
The woman crossed her arms giving both a once over. Her eyes lingered on the tactician for a moment longer. Robin could almost feel her eyebrow rise, probably at their similar choice of attire if her smirk is anything to go by.
"I need to get ready for the tournament, but I can spare a few moments, sir…" she trailed off and Robin almost slapped himself.
"Of course, pardon my lack of decorum. My name is Robin, tactician of the Shepherds," he introduced himself, with a slight bow, "And you already know Prince Chrom Lowell of House Ylisse," he motioned towards the prince.
The champion nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm Rose Sustrai. A pleasure to make the acquaintance of a fellow tactician," she greeted politely with a small smile, before turning at the prince, "I hope you're feeling well this day, your Majesty. It wasn't my intention to harm you, but I might have let myself get overwhelmed by the heat of the moment. I apologize for my actions if they caused you any trouble."
The bluenette waved it off, "No harm done, just a few bruises, mainly to my pride." He gave her a wry smile, "Though I'm sure you could've done much worse in a real fight. You were holding back, didn't you? You didn't use any magic like at the gate and one of our members, Donnel, mentioned how you saved his village with magic."
"So little Donny joined the Shepherds, huh?" The smirk returned to the hooded woman's face, "As for the battle…" She just shrugged, "I would hardly go to the trouble to save your life just to immolate you in front of your friends and the Khan. Having a Plegian kill the Prince of Ylisse in the Feroxi Arena would be more that is needed to start this war."
Both men were shocked by her admission. "You're Plegian?!" Chrom shouted, hand instinctively moving to grasp Falchion.
Her muscles tensed, as her own had gripped the hilt of her own blade. "Yes, I would've thought the coat was a clue." Robin flinched, thinking back at Frederick's accusations. He didn't need to see her face to know she narrowed her eyes, "Is that a problem?"
Robin intervened before another battle started between the two. He was unarmed and knew Chrom couldn't win in his condition. The rest of the Shepherds were not close enough to provide help. But most of all, he didn't want unnecessary conflict. Resting a hand on Chrom's arm, trying to de-escalate the situation. The prince blinked and relaxed, realizing what he was doing, "I… My apologies. To both of you." He let go of Falchion, bowing his head in embarrassment, before glancing at his friend. "I trust Robin, despite his possible ties to Plegia, so I shouldn't have reacted that way to you." He apologized before continuing, "But if you're Plegian then why did you help us?"
"Not all Plegians worship Grima or follow Gangrel, Ylissean. Nor are we all barbarians or monsters that I'm sure many in Ylisse make us up to be," Rose said, releasing her grasp on her blade, but not completely relaxing.
"That's not what I meant," Chrom retorted. "But these are tense times, and it's very suspicious that a Plegian saved Ylissean royalty when it would be more beneficial to their country to let them die."
"Please understand our situation," Robin added, a more diplomatic tone taking hold of his voice. "It's worrying for us that gaining the support of the Feroxi army depends on a Plegian whose allegiance is unknown to us."
"If you're afraid that I'm going to throw the match, don't be. Had my intention be to harm Ylisse's war effort, I would've let Raimi kill you and throw your corpses into a shallow grave." The matter-of-fact tone she used sent shivers through their spines, "I've my own reasons to win this tournament, so it's in both our best interests for me to win. As for helping you… Well, I hold no love for Gangrel or the Grimleal. In fact, I believe Plegia would be much better without them. This war would benefit only them, not Plegia as a whole."
The white-haired man frowned at a thought, "I would think a mercenary would love war times. It means easy coin," Robin commented in confusion.
"I understand why you would think that," Rose admitted with a nod. "It's true that in war a mercenary can make a lot coin, but it's also more likely to kill you and your employer who might see you just as fodder. Working for someone like Gangrel would mean an early death, yet many fools are throwing their lives away for a man that cares not for them." She gazed at the prince once more, "I saved you because while I believe in what Exalt Emmeryn preaches, Gangrel will never accept peace, even if it means a mountain of Plegian corpses. So I might as well prepare Ylisse by giving their commander a little lesson and hope this war doesn't last long. As long as Ylisse respects Emmeryn's vision and don't pursue vengeance, the Ylisse's victory is the best outcome." She gave a small shrug, "Plus, there are always contracts to take, so money is not a problem."
"You're not worried about the effects of the war in your country if they lose?" Robin was trying to get a reading on the mercenary, but he couldn't figure out her motivations. Something about her was nagging at the back of his head, but the answer remained beyond his grasp.
"It all depends on how this war ends. If the war ends fast, Plegia has the gold to rebuild much faster than Ylisse. As long as the new monarch is willing to compromise for peace and the people are willing to lay down their weapons, there shouldn't be much damage."
Chrom nodded, "Emmeryn hopes to achieve peace, but as long as Gangrel remains I doubt that will be a possibility."
"He will need to lose support first, and many of the Plegian just see you as Exalt Augustus' children. That's why you need to get better control of your emotions, Prince Chrom. If you go running in looking for a fight after Gangrel provokes you, and he will, the Plegians will see you as just another Naga fanatic wanting Plegia's demise and will fight harder."
"But that's not true!" Chrom protested. He hated the idea of becoming like his father.
"It doesn't have to be. Gangrel will tell his people what they need to hear to justify this war. You must remain steadfast to Emmeryn's beliefs if you want to maintain the moral high ground." Rose turned to look at the window, checking the sun's position, "Now, I gotta go prepare for the battle, so is there anything else I can do for you before I go?"
"Actually, yes. But this is a bit more personal." Robin answered, surprising Chrom slightly. Rose just stood there, waiting for him to continue. "I… don't have any memories prior to the last month, other than my name, tactics and combat skills. The only clue I've is this Plegian coat, which as you might've guessed doesn't endear me to a lot of people. I wanted to ask if maybe we had met before, as our outfits and fighting styles are similar, maybe in an academy or unit. But since you introduced yourself and didn't recognize me…"
"…Amnesia, huh?" Rose gave him a long look before sighing, "I'm sorry to say that this is the first time we have met. While I'm Plegian by birth, I've no part in the Plegian military nor did I grew up there. I learned the culture from my mother as we traveled the land. This coat belonged to her and she taught me almost everything I know tactics and sorcery. I don't recall you from any of the groups I served as tactician for." Robin couldn't sense any deception from her words and was disheartened at another dead end. "But I'll contact some people and see if they heard anything about a missing person with your description. Anything I find I can forward to you at Ylisse's barracks."
Robin was surprised at the generosity, but smiled none the less, "That would be much appreciated."
Rose returned the smile, "I'm glad to help." She turned to Chrom, who looked like he had his own question, "And you, your Majesty? Anything else I can do for you?"
"Pardon my curiosity, but why hide your face?" The prince asked the small question that had been bothering since yesterday.
"If you wanted to see more of my, skin you could at least buy me dinner first, Prince Chrom," she teased with a mischievous smile, giving a once over to the royal and earning a blush from him. Call it intuition, but they thought she really enjoyed watching him squirm, "I tease, don't worry. The reason I hide my face is very personal. I have… trust issues, so I like to keep certain things to myself. I hope you understand." A nod was her answer, "I'm glad you do. Now then, I shall go prepare for battle. Farewell, Sir Robin. Prince Chrom, I look forward to dueling you again." The champion left for her quarters to prepare, leaving behind the two men to their thoughts.
"Welcome, one and all, to the main event of the bi-yearly Khan Championship!" The announcer shouted thought the enchanted voice amplifier, eliciting cheers from the crowd. The arena was packed, its stone stands filled with Feroxi people. The arena was beautiful, with stone statues carved around the edge of the walls. The cold breeze flowed through the open ceiling, with torches and pyres around the arena warming the crowd and accentuating the Feroxi' barbarian roots. The Shepherds were sitting in the Eastern balconies with Khan Flavia, who was sporting an arrogant smirk as she gazed at Khan Basilio across the arena.
Flavia was surprised to see Lon'qu next to the Khan. Her smirk returned, as she chuckled to herself, "Well, well, you big oaf. It seems I'm not the only one with surprises this day."
The statement confused her guests, a sentiment voiced by the prince, "What do you mean, Khan Flavia?"
"That man next to Basilio is Lon'qu, his champion. He should be inside the gate, but since he's there that means Basilio also got himself a new champion; one strong enough to best Lon'qu."
A worried grimace appeared on Chrom's face, "Well, I'm sure Rose will be fine. This will certainly be an interesting match."
"Oh, of that I've no doubt."
Rose stood inside the eastern gate, thinking about her talk with her kind-of twin brother. 'He has amnesia, so that means Grima has already traveled in time. If there was any doubt of which timeline I'm on, then it's gone. So far everything is moving the same, meaning Marth will be my opponent.' She frowned as her thought's moved to the third Chrom she had met, 'Still naïve and impulsive. Will you become like my husband or my killer.' She shook her head to clear her thoughts, 'Bah, no time for that. Let's see what this Lucina has to offer." A stray thought appeared in Rose's mind, causing her to frown, 'Thinking about it, why she's even participating in the tournament?'
Lucina waited inside the western gate alongside the men Basilio had assigned as her team. Two knights, two warriors, and two mages stood by her side. She was ready to face her father and the Shepherds in battle. This way, Lon'qu would not be injured and he would join the war earlier, hopefully saving more lives. The fact that she could measure up against her father and prove herself to him was another, more selfish reason for her participation. Demonstrating her worth would help her gain their trust to prevent Emmeryn's assassination.
At least that's what she hoped.
"Representing the West in the name of Khan Basilio, we have a surprising new contestant replacing the favorite Lon'qu! Let's hear it for the mysterious Marth!"
Lucina adjusted her mask and walked into the arena. Her team flanked her and walked tall, imposing and ready for battle, receiving cheers from the audience. They shouldn't be much of a challenge to the Shepherds, but they didn't have to be. As long as her father won and she could fight him she would be happy.
She glanced at the opposing gate, looking up to the balcony and her heart nearly stopped when she saw her father and the Shepherds sitting next to Khan Flavia.
'What are they doing there!? They're supposed to be down here!' Panic ran across her face, luckily covered under the mask and hidden from the public. She recognized all the Shepherds, her family, sitting there with her father. The announcer interrupted her thoughts as he announced the entrance of her opponent.
"And now, we got another surprise! Representing the East in the name of Khan Flavia, a force of nature that defeated all her opponents in the trials! This flower is not without her thorns! I present you the fearsome mercenary, Rose Sustrai!"
The roar from the crowd was lost to Lucina, as her mind had only one thought.
' Who!?'
The eastern gate opened and a single cloaked figure walked out. The public quieted down, confused at the absence of more fighters, but none more so than the Ylissean guests.
"Why is she alone?!" exclaimed Chrom, highly bewildered at the situation. "I know she is strong, but she can't so arrogant to take seven heavily armed career soldiers!"
Flavia just shrugged, amused at their reactions, "I wanted to use the Shepherds as her back up, but she declined. She said she was enough for this and I was inclined to believe her. Plus, I think the show will be much more entertaining this way."
"It is indeed a big risk, but I think she must have a plan. Rose herself said she had a stake in this," Robin commented, using his hooded cloak to warm himself. The arena was pretty cold, despite all the people and torches surrounding the arena. "I doubt she would take this gamble if she wasn't sure of her victory. She said she wouldn't jeopardize our chances of getting the army. Rose doesn't strike me as someone who makes unnecessary moves without being sure of her victory." He then glanced at the western champion, 'So that's the so-called Marth that saved Lissa, huh? Interesting...'
"Hoi! Can we really trust the Plegian? The Vaike doesn't think that's a bright idea."
"Damn. If Vaike thinks something is stupid, then it must be a terrible idea." Sully commented to Stahl, who chuckled before being silenced by a glare from Frederick.
"I must agree, sir. It wasn't prudent to put our trust in another Plegian. We've already taken many risks with Robin."
"We're not having this conversation again, Frederick. Drop it." The prince's tone was one of finality, not even turning to look at his knight.
"I…yes, milord," the knight's tone was anything but pleased.
Trying to move past the conflict, Sumia tried to change the subject, "Still, I'm kind of excited to see what she will do. She was very impressive in her fight with Prince Chrom." She released a small sigh, before whispering to herself, "I wish I was a strong woman like her…"
"I'm sure we all can learn something from this," commented Stahl, his normally mellow demeanor giving way to his warrior side.
Miriel nodded, adjusting her glasses as she stared at the arena, "Indeed. A display of skill would be most beneficial and educational."
"This should be fun," agreed Kellam, startling his comrades.
"Darn it, Kellam! When did ya get here?!" Donnel said between calming breaths.
"I've been sitting next to you the whole time…"
' This is wrong. It's not supposed to happen like this.'
Her opponent moved into the arena, a distinctive purple cloak moving with the cold breeze. The garment was familiar to Lucina, having seen it her whole childhood, always at her father's side.
'But that can't be!' Looking at the balcony, she confirmed her doubts. Another purple cloak sat next to her father, where it should be. 'Two tacticians? But there should only be one! Who is the other one?!' Confusion and worry kept nagging at her mind, 'Did we change so much already by coming back? Did the changes go so far back?'
'Another Lucina, from a world where I don't exist…' Rose thought as she looked at the masked princess on the other side of the arena. Her butterfly mask hiding a mirror image of her daughter's face. 'What does it say about my worth as a mother, if she will be Chrom's daughter no matter which village harlot he marries?' she thought in bitter self-deprecation, hiding it all behind an indifferent expression.
Looking around she saw her opponents looking confused, trying to see if there was anyone else behind her.
"Oi, girly! Ain't ya missing some people?" One of the mages yelled at her.
"Yeah, does Flavia wants to lose too badly that she sent only one cheap mercenary?"
Her opponents kept taunting her, even as Marth stood still. 'Probably in shock that Chrom isn't here.'
"Look, just go back and pick some of those Eastern guards, we don't want to disappoint the crowd with you falling in one strike!" The biggest knight called, earning a laugh his fellow warriors.
'Oh ho… They want to play? Let's have some fun with them, before the main event.' Rose sighed dramatically, putting on a show for the crowd. "Oh woe! Oh mercy! I'm vastly outnumbered! How could things go so wrong, fighting against such examples of virility?" she drawled theatrically, earning a laugh from the public, and rage from her opponents.
"Hey bitch, are you mocking us?! Do you really want to die so eagerly?!"
She exaggerated a frown, scolding at the warrior as if he was a little child, "Now, now, there is no need for name-calling. You will give a bad name to former-High Khan Basilio." Her proclamation to the title earned cheers and yells from the crowd and a laugh from her sponsor. "I expected to fight Lon'qu and his warriors, so color me surprised when the Basilio sent his second-rate team into the arena."
One of the knights snarled at her derisive comments, "That's it! We tried to be nice! Hey, announcer! Start this fight!"
"You heard them, folks! They all seem eager to fight! All fighters get ready! Once the gong sounds the fight will start!"
The warriors and knights stood in formation, protecting the mages and their leader.
The masked princess spoke up, trying to regain control of the situation, "Don't underestimate her! She wouldn't be here alone if she wasn't sure of her victory!"
"Bah, don't worry, Marth. We will humiliate her and then feast like champions," boasted one of the knights.
Rose reached inside her robe and taking out her personal grimoire, containing an assortment of spells she had collected from her time as Grima as well as her travels. The tome had a purple cover, with her new mark branded on the cover. Magic was leaking from it, eager to run wild.
"Well now, it's not a good move to start outnumbered. It would certainly hurt my pride as a tactician to lose to such an oversight, so how about we change that?" She said in an arrogant tone, as magic gathered across the fingers.
The gong rang, signaling the start. The physical fighters charged forward, each wanting the credit for the victory. The cheers of the crowd accompanied them as they closed the distance.
Rose stood as she as her magic flowed freely from her body, a wicked smile forming in her lips, "It's time to tip the scales!"
Golden light gathered in her hands, glowing with an intensity that betrayed their power. Wild arcs escaped her hands, cracking the stone floor. The knights slowed down, now wary of the power of their opponent.
"Surge forward and strike, Thoron!"
Two bolts of golden lightning exploded forward, slicing through the floor like a hot knife and slamming into the armored knights. They tried to protect themselves, their shields enchanted to resist basic magic, but it did little to slow down the powerful spell. The current engulfed their bodies, only to be enhanced by the conductive metal of their suits. They screamed as their skin burned from the electricity, only to drop to the floor, muscles twitching and barely alive.
The two remaining warriors stood frozen, now cautious about engaging the woman after this turn of events. Rose certainly demonstrated that she was not to be trifled with. The knights represented the defense of their team and they were taken out in one spell, so the offensive will have to change their tactics.
"It seems like the fools walked right into the dragon's den," Rose's voice echoed through the arena, the crowd still in shock at the magical display. She put her tome away and took a step forward, just to jump back as a fireball flew past her.
The mages were the first to regain their composure and were not wasting time. One of the warriors tried to rush her, but Rose moved inside his stance, grabbing his arm and stopping his hammer mid-swing. The brute tried to break away but, much to his shock, couldn't overcome her physical strength. She twisted his main arm as she trusted her open palm against his elbow. The joint snapped backward, bending the arm in an unnatural angle. His hammer fell to the ground as he clutched his broken limb, just as her fist impacted his nose.
As Rose turned to watch the remaining warrior, who took a defensive stance, a flash of light at the corner of her eye got her attention. Another fireball came towards her, as one of the mages tried to force her back. Fast as lighting, she grabbed the fallen warrior by the neck and used him as a shield from the attack just as the small fireball slammed into his back. The flame burned his unarmored skin, leaving burnt muscle exposed to the cold air and his throat raw from the screams of pain.
In a show of astonishing physical strength, the Eastern champion picked him up and threw him towards the remaining physical fighter, knocking both to the floor. Closing the distance, Rose slammed her armored foot against the leg of the healthiest warrior, snapping his femur in half. She silenced his scream by slamming her boot on his head, knocking him out. The Plegian repeated the action with the other warrior as a small act of mercy to spare him the pain.
The knights tried to power through their injuries, but the mercenary wasn't about to give them the chance. She pulled her tome once again, as the cold wind swirled around each of the fallen contestants.
"How about you guys leave the arena now? Here, let me give you a hand." Her tome glowed again, this time with a green aura as the wind gained speed, "Blow them away, Rexcalibur!" The four contestants were picked up by the magical wind, sending them crashing against the wall of the arena, eliminating them from the competition. Only Lucina and the two mages remained standing, one cautious and the others enraged.
"What the fuck is with the crazy bitch?!" One of the mages shouted, both anger and fear oozing from his body.
"I don't know, but I'm not losing this fight! There's no way she still got the strength to fight after using those spells! Samuel, let's get her!" As they channeled power into the fire tomes they grew more confident and stepped forward, ready to face the powerful mercenary.
Lucina once again tried to get them in line, "Don't be idiots, we've to play this smart!"
"We're not taking orders from some rookie! Thomas! Hit her with everything you got!"
They each pulled a red tome with silver markings across the cover; a common spell book used buy experienced wizards. They pooled their magic power into a single spot, combining their magic into one spell. The fire burned brightly as a fireball four times the size of the previous ones appeared into the air. The mages pushed forward, launching the attack in hopes to end the match.
"Arcfire? Now, that won't do," Rose shook her head in disappointment. "Let me show you a real fire spell. Writhe in the fires of Bolganone!"
Her tome shone with an angry red light as a pillar of fire rose from the floor, rushing towards the incoming attack. Both flames clashed against one another, before the pillar overpowered the fireball, devouring its energy and increasing in size before exploding in a terrifying display of power. Too close to run, the mages could do nothing but use their magic to try to cushion the blast, but it wasn't enough. The pair were blown away as their unconscious burned bodies fell at the edge of the arena. Still feeling merciful, Rose cast a quick wind spell, gathering snow and snuffing the remaining flames.
The crowd stood in silence at the brutal spectacle, before bursting into cheers. Even the Western Feroxi were cheering, always happy to get a good fight, whatever one-sided. Chants for "Marth!" and "Rose!" resounded through the arena, awaiting the battle between champions.
"Chrom… she really took it easy on you," said Lissa in awe at the display. Her brother could only nod along, cringing as he looked at the defeated contestants.
"Those spells…" Miriel murmured to herself, eyes still wide in shock at the display of sorcery; an uncommon look on the sorceress.
Stahl looked at his comrade in confusion, "What about them, Mir?"
"Those are highly advanced spells she used," the bespectacled mage commented.
"Really? How so?"
"We categorize spell in a ranking from E to A, weakest to strongest. E-class tomes allow the user to cast simple, but weak spells like Fire and Thunder. As the rank increases so do the difficulty and the prowess necessary to cast them. There are few mages in Ylisse's forces that can use C or even B rank spells. Stronger spells require certain chants in addition to the tomes to be able to cast them. It depends on the origins and method of creation," She explained to her comrades, at least the ones that showed interest.
"So what rank were those spells?" Robin was curious about this new information. He was thinking of increasing his arsenal of spells and this might give him a clue on where to start.
"Those were B rank spells. But what confounds me is the ease that she cast them with," Miriel said as she adjusted her glasses once again. "Normally one requires a dedicated tome and much focus to cast such spells, otherwise the spell matrix will not form accurately. And yet this woman used her personal tome to cast the spells without much effort. I would dare say she can cast A rank spells with some exertion, indicating she is highly experienced in the magical arts. I would love to get her opinion on some of my theorems. This will require further study."
A whistle escaped Robin's lips, once again impressed by his fellow tactician's strength. 'I wonder I can gain such strength.'
"Now that the distractions are out of the way I think I'll go easy on the magic. We don't want to end this too fast for the audience, right Marth?" Rose addressed her opponent as she put her tome away and drew her sword.
"Who are you?" Lucina asked, as she pulled out Parallel Falchion and get into her own stance.
"I should be the one asking you that. Why use the name of the Hero King? Why hide your face with that mask? Although… that would hypocritical of me, I guess," she gave the Future Exalt a coy smile, not giving out her inner turmoil at seeing her not-daughter, birthed by another woman with the man she once loved.
She wasn't bitter at all.
Lucina didn't relax her stance, ready to attack at the first opening.
'Cautious. Good, she has her father's prowess at least.' Rose took a loose stance, not serious, but ready to attack all the same. "You know, I was hoping to fight Lon'qu. I heard so many things about the reigning champion. So imagine my surprise when I see a young man, dressed up as a mythological hero, standing in front of me as my opponent. I really hope you can give me a challenge if you bested Lon'qu. The people will be very disappointed if you go down too quickly."
The former queen got some small pleasure as she saw Lucina's mouth twitch at her certainty on her defeat. The Exalt didn't waste time and closed the distance in an instant, almost a replay of her fight with Chrom. But Rose didn't survive so long by being unprepared. Her muscles tensed, as her sword intercepted the strike.
"Nice sword. It's identical to the Falchion the Exalted bloodline uses, but it can't be. There is only one and it's resting in the stands," her comment was punctuated by kicking the bluenette away. Strike after strike, Lucina tried to break her guard but to no avail. She simply lacked the experience against more experienced opponents, let alone one familiar with her style. 'Lon'qu must have instinctively sensed her gender. She would not have been able to best him otherwise. She should be stronger.'
"Please don't tell me that's all you can do, or else I'll very disappointed," the Plegian taunted, but to her slight surprise, Lucina's anger didn't overcome her like her father. 'Her experience at least amounts to playing it smart and controlling her emotions. That's good. Hopefully, she will be more open-minded than my Lucina. Otherwise, she will present a problem to be dealt with.' "Come on, I think you can do better than that. Who taught you how to fight, anyway?"
Lucina broke away, putting more distance between them, before leaping into the air. "My father!" she shouted before she started spinning toward Rose, just like Chrom did.
This time Falchion struck, but not the target the Exalt hoped. Lucina's eyes widened behind her mask as the tactician intercept her attack with her own blade, stopping it in its tracks. Cracks formed underneath Rose's feet, a testament to the power of the strike.
"Nice! But sadly for you, Thorn isn't a cheap blade you can break easily." With a mighty push, Rose sent the princess flying back. Lucina managed to land on her feet, panting from the exertion.
"That's impossible!" Chrom jumped to his feet, checking his side to confirm that Falchion was indeed there. "How can Marth possess his own Falchion?!"
"There should only be one… Even if there was another, only those chosen from the Exalted bloodline can use it," Lissa observed, equally surprised as her brother. "Chrom, you don't think father…?"
"I wouldn't worry much, milady," Frederick interrupted her question with the best intentions. "Your father may not have been perfect, but Exalt Augustus was forever faithful to Queen Elissa. Of that, I'm sure."
Lissa only nodded, not entirely sure. 'Maybe he was disappointed in me, for not having the Mark of the Exalt?'
Chrom didn't like watching his sister suffer, but words wouldn't work this time. He ended up just putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, showing his support. "We can ask him later. I have my own questions for him. This, his rescue… It's all too strange."
"Indeed. Not only that, but his style is almost identical to yours," the tactician commented, before chuckling, "Heh, and Rose has a more refined version of my style. It's like watching a fight between you and me... If I had more skill." Robin was one to admit his own weakness, even going so far to put himself down. He hated to admit it but he lacked confidence, always doubting himself and worrying if his plans will kill his only friends.
"I sure you will reach that level someday, my friend. Still, this whole trip has been very bizarre," Chrom said as he shook his head.
The future Exalt was desperate. None of her attacks, not even her father's special move managed to scratch the Eastern champion, while she sported multiple shallow cuts. That sword was easily a match for Falchion, for it didn't even chip from the blows of the bigger blade. Lucina gritted her teeth in frustration, as blood and sweat dripped through her wounded body. This no longer was a fight to earn respect for now it was a matter of pride. She wouldn't be bested here, regardless of whoever her opponent was. She would have to convince Khan Basilio to give his support, which she was sure he would do anyway, so she decided to go all out and earn her victory.
Forgoing all pretense of subtlety, she called the power coursing through her blood. Azure fire started to gather on her hands, as the Flame of Naga engulfed the sacred blade.
Rose let out a whistle of admiration at her attack, "Oh, nice trick."
'I won't lose!' Lucina thought before she rushed forward for her final strike.
Sadly, tunnel vision prevented her from seeing the smirk on her opponent's face. She didn't hear the last comment from the tactician, as the wind rushing through her east silenced the low voice. "But that won't be enough."
Rose exploded forward once more, taking her own stance just as Thorn was engulfed into purple flames. The flames radiated wild power, melting the stone as the Plegian dragged the sword through the ground. The champions of the East and the West clashed in the middle of the arena, as both blades clashed forward.
"Aether!"
"Ignis!"
Fallen and Exalted blood resonated in their veins, as the flames exploded outwards in a fight for dominance. The audience was shouting in excitement at the most impressive display of swordsmanship and sorcery that had every graced their arena. Eventually, the purple fire proved superior, as it consumed the azure flames. An explosion rocked the arena, engulfing the contestants in a cloud of smoke. The spectators were at the edge of their seats, silently waiting for the result. They got it once the blue lord was sent flying through the air and crashing into the flood, Falchion ripped from her grasp.
Lucina tried to push herself up, but she didn't have the strength. It was a miracle her hair and mask remained intact, since the blast burned her clothes, leaving her cape in tatters. She saw through her mask as Rose walked out of the smoke. Her coat was slightly singed, but otherwise, she was in excellent condition.
The Plegian moved forward and took Parallel Falchion from the ground. She couldn't wield it though, for she lacked the Exalted blood. That didn't calm Lucina's thoughts as the dull blade was raised above her head, ready to strike her down. The audience was thirsting for blood, and the judge looked ready to stop the fight, but he wasn't fast enough. Falchion came down and the Exalt could only close her eyes, preparing for the blow.
The pain never came, though. Lucina opened her eyes once she heard the blade pierce the rock next to her head, inches from being a fatal blow. Even while dull, Falchion was pushed with such force that is embedded itself in the stone. Lucina turned to see the violet eyes of her opponent looking at her with an expression of longing and conflict, which banished almost instantly.
"Yield." Rose's tone was commanding, like one worthy of a queen.
Lucina dropped her head in defeat, unable to put up a fight any longer.
"I yield."
"Girl, I'm gonna adopt you and keep you as my champion forever!" Flavia guffawed as she slapped Rose in the back, making her flinch in slight pain.
"Thanks?" The tactician grunted. Durable as she was, Flavia has some mean arm strength.
The victory party was going in full force. The eastern guards were celebrating with barrels of ale, sharing with Vaike and Sully. They looked happy to finally getting on up on the West. Looking around, Rose saw Chrom in a corner, a frown on his face.
' Seems he did notice Lucina's blade and attack. No surprise there. Only those with the Exalted blood can use Aether, so it must be eating him inside.'
She remained next to Khan Flavia, drinking and celebrating. Not that alcohol did much to her new body, which she considered unfortunate. This continued until some of the Shepherds made their way towards them.
"Congratulations on your victory, Rose. It was certainly an impressive display," Robin praised her, showing genuine respect.
"You were so cool!" Lissa was bouncing on her feet, still excited from the fight.
Frederick only grunted, watching her warily.
"It was certainly exciting. It made me feel a little better about losing against you," The royal cringed, remembering all the broken bones and severe burns from the other contestants. "Even so, was it necessary to be so… brutal?"
She shrugged, "They knew what to expect when they entered the arena. If a single person is confident enough to challenge a whole group, they're either bluffing or a serious threat. They called it wrong and paid the price."
"She speaks the truth. In a fight, you never underestimate an opponent," a deep voice commented behind them, startling the Shepherds' duo. Khan Basilio entered the room, accompanied by Lon'qu.
"You big oaf! So nice of you to come and give me the title in person!" If Flavia's grin grew any bigger, it would split her face.
"Yeah, yeah… I knew I shouldn't have put so much confidence into that Marth guy, but he did best Lon'qu. I didn't expect you to have your own trump card, though." He took a look at the new champion, "So this is Rose, huh? You certainly deserve the victory after such a demonstration."
Rose bowed in respect of the Khan, "Thank you for your kind words, Khan Basilio. I apologize if anything I said in the arena offended you."
The one-eyed man just waved it off, "Bah! Think nothing of it. Thrash talking is all good in the arena. I'm just glad all the injuries are treatable, those were some good men, however rough. A few scars will help them with the ladies."
"Then why are you still single?" snarked Flavia, earning a glare from her counterpart.
Chrom cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the Khans, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just want to make sure of something Khan Flavia. Will we still be receiving the support of your troops?"
The High-Khan just waved him off, "Don't you worry about it. I'm a woman of my word. Raimi is already organizing the army to march. We will send an initial force of a 2,000 soldiers with you, and the rest should arrive in the coming weeks. It should be enough to reinforce your border fortresses and increase Ylisse's security. I'll leave 25,000 soldiers on our side of the Plegian border, while the other 20,000 march into Ylisse. Can't spare much more than that without leaving out own territory up for the taking. Just you wait, soon we will kick those Plegians like the dogs they are."
"Ahem!" Rose cleared her throat, giving her sponsor a pointed look.
Flavia gave her a cheeky grin, "Present company excluded, of course." Rose just rolled her eyes in good humor, while the Khan directed her attention back to the Ylisseans, "Still, while we do have many more warriors, this is what we have registered into the army right now. I'll issue an order for rearmament and gather more troops."
"That's also why I'm here," Basilio interjected. "As you should know, I'm Basilio, Khan of the West. I came here to show my support for your cause. You know, I would've helped you guys anyways even if I had won, so you didn't need to worry. My own people had been preparing to move against Plegia for their harassments. So I'm going to do something more to show my support." He motioned his champion forward, "This is Lon'qu, my former champion. Not much for talking, mind you, but he's peerless with a sword. As good as Marth, in my mind. To be honest, I can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly."
"Marth beat him? But he looks so big and strong..." Lissa approached the man, who looked panicked for a moment.
"Away, woman!" The swordsman yelled, taking a step back.
The princess jumped back at his outburst, "Hey! Wh-what did I say?!"
Basilio gave a hearty laugh, "Bahaha! Let's just say that ladies tend to put Lon'qu on edge." Unheard by him Rose snorted, earning a glare from the swordsman. "Nonetheless, he is capable. Perhaps he even has the makings of a khan. Consider him West Ferox's contribution to the Ylissean cause."
Chrom and Robin looked a little uncertain about the situation, "You're certain about this?"
The West Khan just nodded, "Yes, yes. He's your man now."
Chrom "And Lon'qu? You have no objections?"
The man from Chon'sin gave him a stony look, "You gives orders. I stab people. I think our roles are clear."
"...All right then. Welcome aboard. Speaking of Marth, where is he? I don't see him anywhere and I've some questions for him," Chrom said while looking around for his fellow bluenette.
Basilio grunted in annoyance, "Who knows. He crawled out of the arena, refusing aid and left. Brat was lucky to be able to walk. Bah, it doesn't matter. In the end, you're the real winner, prince. You got your troops."
Lissa recovered easily, ecstatic at all the help they were getting, "This is fantastic! Emmeryn will be so happy! Thank you so much for your help!" She bowed to the Khans.
"It's much better than we hoped. If we spread them carefully, we can secure our territory and still have forces for the main army. Ylisse only has about 1500 troops across our land, just enough for the guard, along with the 600 clerics of Naga," Robin's mind seemed to have kicked overdrive, coming to the same conclusions Rose did long ago. "With this, we should be able to meet Plegia on even ground. If I remember correctly they have about 55,000 troops, so it would be pretty even."
"Plegia has around 43,000 warriors, 5,000 horse riders, 8,000 dark mages and 2,000 wyvern riders. But that's without taking into consideration possible conscriptions, hidden units and the navy," Rose added to his thoughts, earning the attention of the group. She just shrugged again, "You gather information in my line of work. You will need to fortify your ports, though. Otherwise Plegia will use its navy to land troops in the south or even the west and overwhelm you while you focus on a land invasion through the north. But I wouldn't worry too much, it's not like you will fight all of them, they also can't leave their land unprotected, nor move so many men easily through the desert."
Robin took the information like a fish to the water, starting planning and unknowingly making his sister proud, "Hmm, we still only have about 400 Pegasus knights, so they have air dominance. We do have an advantage on Clerics and Sages ready to assist the main army as healers and support..."
"Well, it seems you got a nice tactician in your hands, Chrom," Flavia observed with amusement as the boy muttered to himself, thinking of plans and logistics.
"Yes I do, and I trust him with my life. We only know each other for a short time, but I couldn't ask for a better friend," the prince replied with a smile, sending a small stab of pain into Rose's heart. She remembered when both Chrom's she fell for said those words to her, only for her to lose both in the future.
'Not again. He will not suffer as I did.'
"So, Rose. What will the champion of Ferox do now?" Flavia asked, curious about her next step.
Another shrug was her answer, "I'm not sure, really. My victory already dealt with a personal issue I had, so I don't have anything pending. I'm sure after my display I won't be short on contracts."
Chrom and Robin looked at each other, seemingly sharing the same thought.
"Actually, we have a proposition for you," Chrom said, looking at her directly.
"Oh? What would it be?" her voice was perceptibly curious, as if this wasn't part of her plan.
"We would like to contract your services for our campaign," Robin said, earning a surprised look from Frederick and Lissa.
She tried very hard not to show a self-satisfied smirk, 'And so they took the bait.'
She pretended to think about, "I'm not sure... Even though I'm not in favor of Gangrel, would your troops accept my presence?" She directed her gaze to Frederick, who remained silent, but tense, "I can tell some people have their reservations."
"It won't be a problem. You've earned a lot of respect with your fight and saving my life also helps. We will pay you reasonably for your service, don't worry."
Finally getting a foothold, Frederick interrupted, "But sir! She's not only Plegian, but a mercenary! What is to say she won't betray us for more coin?"
The woman gave him a dirty look, "Many reasons, sir knight. As of now, I have the title of champion of Ferox, meaning I'm known by many. If I betray a contract it will ruin my reputation and earn me the scorn of Ferox. Integrity is important in this line of work, for no one will hire a mercenary that will easily break their contracts."
Both warriors emitted an aura of defiance, one clearly saying 'I don't trust you, Plegian' while the other simply said 'Piss off.'
Robin tried to convince her again, "Please, it could also show people that not all Plegians are evil and are willing to work with Ylisse for the good of both."
Rose gave him a skeptical look, "I'm not sure me being paid to be there will issue that message." She paused for a moment, "But all right, I'll accept. You will find my rates to be very reasonable, so I'm sure you can afford it. We can have a contract drafted and signed later tomorrow, with Khan Flavia as a witness. I just ask that you respect my privacy and we won't have any issues."
Both the commander and the tactician looked very pleased with her acceptance. "That will be no problem! I'm sure we can learn a lot from you," Robin said with a big grin.
Rose nodded, smiling slightly at her twin's enthusiasm, "I'm looking forward to it."
"Come, we shall introduce you to the rest of the Shepherds," both men moved to gather their comrades. She moved to follow them, pleased her plans were moving forward.
As she crossed paths with Frederick, he gave her a warning, "I'll be watching you Plegian. My lord might trust you, but I do not. Plegian or not, your kind only needs a few coins to sell their souls.
She didn't bother to look at him, "Worry not, sir knight, for I'm a woman of my word. I'll fulfill this contract to the best of my abilities."
The knight frowned, not convinced, "We shall see. We don't need a wolf among our herd."
She gave him a dry smile, not intimidated by his glare, "A wolf? Funny, I consider myself more of a dragon."
A/N: For Rose's hood, think Kasumi Goto. Semi-visible face, hair in the back.
I'm writing Chrom as an impulsive young man that is still learning, he will mature as the story progresses. He is not stupid, but inexperienced, and Rose knows all his buttons. Lucina lacks experience against non-Risen. Fighting and killing humans it's a whole different thing.
I wasn't sure about the numbers for the army, so we will go with that.
Thanks to robotortoise and Victory3114 for their assistance in editing the chapter.
