Chapter 8 – The Battle of Ylisstol


The explosion was a beautiful sight for Aversa. Thinking about how the death of their commanders will leave the defenders in disarray and make the invasion a walk in the park made the woman all tingly inside. The illusion spell they used to mask their arrival had worked wonderfully. It was based on the one protecting the Mirage Village if she recalled correctly. At least, that is what the Hierophant told her. It was irrelevant, though. It was time to earn her place in the history books.

Bringing Ylisse to its knees will certainly earn her due fame in Plegia. Lord Grima will certainly be pleased when he awakens from his slumber.

"Vasto," the Dark Flier called the man behind her.

A young man kneeled before the tactician, awaiting her commands. "Yes, milady? What are your orders?" Queried the Wyvern Commander.

Aversa didn't spare him a glance as she continued her watch over the battlefield. "What's the status of the siege weapons?"

"Ready to deploy, ma'am."

"Perfect," the woman purred in delight. "Breach the walls. Once they're down, march the army and take the city. Do try to capture the Exalt alive, yes? We need to make an example of her."

Vasto chuckled. "Of course, milady. Ylisse shall pay for their sins."

"Yes, they will," Aversa agreed with the man, internally scoffing at how little he knew about the true purpose of this war. "Oh, and remember to plant our banner on the tomb of Exalt Augustus. It would be only polite to pay our respects to the man responsible."

A wicked grin spread through Vasto's face. "As you desire."


Rose scrambled to her feet, trying to regain her balance after the sudden attack. She gripped Thorn's hilt and coiled her body ready to fight anything that came her way. The tactician glanced at the room, seeing all the soldiers doing the same. "What's going on?! I need an update right now!"

"The explosion came from the eastern side!" yelled a Feroxi man, pointing towards the window where smoke was visible.

Wasting no time, Rose ran out of the room and was quickly followed by the rest of the soldiers. The hallway was filled with smoke that they had to be careful not to breathe. She was moving swiftly through the corridors when one of the doors busted open, revealing a hooded figure wielding a wicked looking knife.

The man charged at her with hatred in his eyes, "For Plegia! For Grim–!"

He didn't get to finish his battle cry as Rose sliced off his arm and then slammed his head against the stone walls, producing a sickening crunch indicating a broken skull and neck. The corpse fell to the group with a thud, allowing the tactician to see the gear the man wearing. A dark ensemble with a hook and rope for climbing walls.

Around her the rest of the soldiers made quick work of the other assassins that came out of their hiding spots, gathering no injuries on their side. A testament to the skill of these warriors.

"Infiltrators," Rose snarled as she kicked the corpse of the fallen assassin. Her mind raced as she spoke her thoughts aloud, "Eight men. A small team trying to take out the chain of command by blowing the central tower. But we were in the barracks. Outdated information. No mages were present." The pieces finally clicked into place as she understood what happened. "They must have sneaked in with explosives! But how!? We closed all the passages and screened the castle staff! Unless… The explosives were already here! Damn it all! They must have brought them during the attempt and hidden them! We killed them before they could detonate them, but the next team must have known of their location! Shit!"

Damn that bitch of a sister, Aversa. So that's how they managed to conquer Ylisstol in the other timelines. As much as she hated to admit it, Rose had to respect her ruthlessness. They must have killed or wounded most of the command chain with that explosion. And with Phila escorting Emmeryn alongside the Shepherds, there was no one to take command, making quick work of whatever defenses were in the city. Lucky for them, she had to move the meeting to a bigger space to fit all the officers. Aversa must not have been able to adapt to this new parameters, but didn't waste the chance to try. A risky move that could have worked.

"Phila! You and Lon'qu make sure that the Exalt is safe. I wouldn't put it past them to try to assassinate her again and we don't know if the war clerics will be enough. Once you verify it, I want you to rendezvous with the other Pegasus Knights and keep our skies clear. "

"Shepherds with me!" She turned to the rest of the soldiers that were standing at attention. "The rest of you! What are you waiting for?! You already have your orders! Get moving!" the tactician yelled, spurning the soldiers into action.

"Miriel! Go to the Arcanum and activate the countermeasures." Rose glanced at the back of the formation, "Kellam, you will accompany her." The Shepherds' heads whipped around to see the armored knight, surprised and ashamed that they didn't notice him again. "No offense, but we can use the fact that people ignore you to get them the drop on them if they try to get close to her. Her long range magic and your close range capabilities will complement each other."

"Got it," replied the man as he held his shield and spear.

"Stahl," she spoke to the knight, who stood at the ready. "Organize the central guardsmen and be ready to respond to the side that needs more help. We still do not know where the bulk of the attacking force will break through. You will also make sure that the evacuation of civilians proceeds to the safe zones according to plan."

"Yes, Ma'am!" the cavalier saluted and departed in haste to gather his team.

"Donnel, Anna, and Maribelle. You will assist the central medical camp in moving and protecting the wounded. Follow the orders of the central"

"What about you, Rose?" Questioned Anna.

"I will take care of the southern side like I had planned from the start. While I can't sure yet, I'm confident that is where the invasion will hit the hardest." As Rose started running she yelled one final message. "Do try not to die! I don't want to hear the prince's whining if that happens!"

"Gee... Thanks for your concern," deadpanned the secret seller as she and her fellow Shepherds moved to their stations.


Fastening her helmet, Cordelia quickly climbed the saddle of her trusty steed, Perseus, ready to take off. The strong stallion was geared for battle, with light armor plating protecting him. The silver armor they managed to find will help the Pegasus Knights in the upcoming skirmishes.

Trotting to the courtyard, the redhead stood with the rest of her squad, awaiting the orders from their superior officer. They didn't have to wait long as another figure descended in front of them. Captain Eleanor Summers was a veteran of the last Plegian War and it could be argued that there were few soldiers that loved Ylisse more than her. The older woman gave a quick glance to her squad, assessing their status and apparently deeming them ready.

The Squad Captain didn't waste them in useless greeting and got to the heart of the issue. "Listen, soldiers! Our squad is going to protect the skies above the central section while the other engage their air forces in other theaters. Any stragglers either on land or air will be dealt with at once! We can't let them reach the castle or central camps! We're the last line of defense! Am I clear!?"

"Yes, sir!" chorused the eleven soldiers. They all were ready to fight and die for their kingdom.

Summers nodded, pleased with their conviction. "Good! Now move!" The captain took off, quickly followed by the rest of the squad.

Now that she was in the sky, Cordelia could see how the sudden engagement was affecting Ylisstol. Catapults and trebuchets unload their payload on the oncoming horde of Plegian soldiers. Arrows, boulders, and spells pierced the air with the intent to kill. Flames and smoke were visible all across the capital.

It was a massacre.

A shrill cry snapped her back into attention as a trio of Wyvern Riders appeared from below their formation.

"Dammit! Move! Prepare to flank them! We will fly around and div–"

Summers couldn't continue issuing her orders for she suddenly plummeted to the ground with an arrow lodged deeply in her neck.

"CAPTAIN!" One of the younger recruits panicked and tried to grab the falling knight, but was hit by a wind spell, knocking her out of her mount and crashing head first into a tiled roof, killing her instantly.

Cordelia could only watch in horror as her comrades were killed before her eyes. Her hands gripped the reins of Perseus in panic. She could hear the other knights scrambling to dodge the sudden barrage of attacks all around her. Training kicked into effect for the redhead as she took control of the situation since she was now the highest ranking member of the squad. She was entrusted with leading her team and was mentally prepared to do so. Time to see if she was the genius everyone said she was.

"QUICK! USE THE TOWERS AS COVER!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to make her voice overpower the rushing wind and hoping that her comrades followed her into cover. The Wyverns followed them closely behind, seemingly confident that the Pegasus Knights were an easy target now that the death of their captain left them in disarray.

Cordelia wasn't about to let that happen. Putting into action the strategies Sir Robin and Lady Rose had pushed on the army, the new captain sprang into action.

"PAIR UP! FORMATION B!" Cordelia bellowed her order.

Discipline was something was beaten into every recruit by Phila since the moment then joined the academy. The knights reacted and paired with their closest comrade. The pairs gave a sharp turn and, now that they were out of range of the Plegian support, were able to fight at their full ability.

One from each pair flew straight forward while the other dived under their opponents. The Wyvern Knights must not have been very experienced as the move took them by surprise. Hooves stroke against the scaly hide of the wyvern's head as Ylissean spears clashed with Plegian axes.

While the riders clashed against one another, their partners did not lose time. Striking from below, their spears met the soft scales from the Wyverns underbelly. Even though the strikes were not fatal, they managed to make the draconic beasts cry in pain, losing focus and giving the knights the chance to end the skirmish.

The redhead would later than Stahl and the tactician for giving them these new weapons. Silver is normally a soft metal, but when tempered with magical fire its tensile strength became much greater, capable of easily piercing steel.

Steel like the one that made the armors and weapons of the Wyvern Riders.

The spears pierced armor and flesh or cleaved axes as they reached their wielders. The three Plegians screamed as life left them, quickly joined by their draconic mounts when their scales were fatally pierced one last time.

As the invaders fell to the ground the redhead guided her team in search of shelter. They managed to land in a safe spot atop the towers of the central cathedral. Perseus' hooves touched the roof, quickly followed by the remaining steeds.

"Status report!" she ordered her squad, who was coming down from their combat high and were getting overwhelmed by the recent events. Trained as they were, this was the biggest, and for some first, battle they ever took part in. "NOW!" she shouted once no one responded.

"Two w-wounded and t-three dead, including Captain Summers, ma'am," stammered one of the newest members. Caroline, if Cordelia remembered correctly.

"Shit." Cordelia cursed her luck. That was nearly half their squad dead. Things were taking a turn for the worse and the battle was just starting. "Ok… Ok, put the wounded inside the tower and lock it up." The redhead gave an overview to the wounded members. "Their wounds aren't lethal, but they can't fight. Leave then crossbows and bolts to defend themselves and a first aid kit to patch their wounds. Sadly, we can't spend more time here."

"What do we do now, Cordelia?" asked Samantha, one of the members that joined with her upon graduation from the academy.

It was strange that her battle-sisters were looking to her for guidance. Normally they joked about her status as a genius or proved difficult to work with. But it seems now they understood it wasn't the time to be petty.

Biting her lip Cordelia looked around the cityscape. "Going our original route is suicide. I don't know how but they managed to sneak anti-air units too close to our stables. They were ready for us."

"Maybe the Hierarch gave them the information? Or another spy?" a rookie named Anise proposed.

"Or maybe they sneaking in as refugees!" Elsa, another veteran, exclaimed her doubts. "Who knows how many more sneaked in!"

The redhead needed to keep her squad on topic or they will lose valuable time. "It's irrelevant right now. Let's focus on getting our butts out of the fire." An idea struck the prodigal knight like a lightning bolt. "Fire… Sorano! You're good with magic, correct?"

The girl in question nodded, not understanding the point of the question. "A little. I have a fire tome with me, but I'm no Dark Flier. I'm not ready to use spells in combat."

The redhead could feel the smile tugging at the edge of her lips despite their dire situation. "Do not worry, that's just perfect. Remember the signal for calling support that we practiced last month in our joint exercises with the guards?"

"Yeah, it was three bursts four seconds apart, but I don't–" Sorano replied uncertainly until the revelation hit her. "OH! You want them to attack the anti-air units on land so we can retake the skies! Just like we practiced!"

"That's correct. We can't really do much as long as they have can attack us at a distance," explained Cordelia, pleased that her team was finally understanding her idea. "If we can reach the Wyvern Squads their long range support won't be able to attack us freely without risking hitting their own troops."

"What if we run into another ambush?" asked Samantha nervously, looking over her shoulder as if expecting such attack.

"We will fly low, using the buildings as cover and striking fast on any squads we see. Pair up! Once we end the signal!" Mustering all the leadership skill she could find in herself, the redhead issued her orders. "We all took an oath! To give our lives for our people if necessary! Our kingdom is counting on us! Ylisstol will not fall on our watch!" Cordelia raised her spear towards the sky in determination, the sun glinting on its sharp edge. "For the Exalt! For Ylisse!"

More spears joined hers in the air, all held with equal conviction. "For Ylisse!"


Emmeryn barely had time to drop to react to the explosion when an assassin broke into her room. The man had no intentions of hiding or playing it safe. Discarding all pretense of stealth, he charged with his blade ready only to be intercepted by the swift ax of a battle priest. They battled with ferocity as the Exalt was forced to hide behind a shelf. The pained cry of the priest as the blade pierced his heart made Emmeryn stumble back. The Plegian silenced the dying priest with a stab to the throat with a look of sick pleasure on his face.

"You will die for your family's sins!" snarled the assassin as he slowly stalked toward the Exalt, murder clear in his eyes.

The man would not complete his mission as a spear sliced the air and pierced his chest. Emmeryn could see the surprise on his as the light left his eyes. The spear remained logged on his back until it was roughly pulled out by Phila, who had just run into the room quickly followed by one of the Shepherds Chrom left behind.

"Your Grace! Are you hurt?!" asked Phila in concern as the swordsman moved to guard the door. "We need to move you to a safer place! Come on!"

Emmeryn didn't answer. She walked towards the fallen and mutilated body of the battle priest. She closed his eyes and placed a nearby sheet over his body. As the Exalt watched the cloth soak in the blood of the man, she was filled with pain and uncertainty.

Another person dying for her family's foolishness.

"Your Grace?" Emmeryn was barely aware of Phila's concerned voice.

Why did he have to die? Why couldn't her father's sins cease to hurt others? Since she was little and given the crown, Emmeryn had called her a fool for her dreams of peace and understanding. As long as others desired conflict her dreams will never come true. One side will always desire revenge on the other, leading only to more pain and hate. And yet it seemed like no one else could see it.

But should she give up?

"No," she whispered to herself, unaware of the confused looks on her guard's faces.

Others, like the man dead at her feet, were willing to die for that dream. They believed her words. The Exalt was aware that for her dream to become a reality she was hard to achieve, but that didn't mean she should stop trying. She might not be able to lead the army or wield a sword, but there are still things she could do for her people.

"...Emmeryn?" Asked Phila once more.

The Exalt stood once more. Her stance was filled with conviction as she finally understood what her role was meant to be in this situation.

The royal remembered her talk with Rose. The tactician managed to overcome all the tragedies that ruined her life and yet she moved forward despite the pair. She was fighting for a city that was not her own with a fervor that the Ylissean ruler knew was not fueled by a mere contract, doing all she could for the people.

What kind of Exalt was Emmeryn if she did any less?


"Miriel! Wait!" the hulking form of Kellam shouted as he tried to keep up with his lighter comrade.

"Yes, Kellam? Speak your query," Miriel said, not slowing down or bothering to look at him as she conjured a fire spell to one of the invaders on their way. Well, at least, she was now aware of his presence.

"Care to explain what we're doing?" the easily-ignored man asked while he bashed his shield on a Plegian assassin's head, following by stabbing him with his new spear.

"I shall be brief. We shall implement a set of countermeasures developed by my fellow Arcanists and I prepared in the past few days with zealous rigor."

"Countermeasures?" asked the confused knight. He hadn't heard anything about this.

"Speaking plainly, we have rigged modified spell tomes to overload and detonate in a controlled set of explosions with the intention of breaking the Plegian formation and causing confusion in their chain of command," Miriel explained as simply as she could, adjusting her glasses as she looked at her companion. "We hoped to connect and detonate them once we had the army in sight in an organized fashion for maximum output, but that part of the process will have to be adapted due to the sudden change in variables."

"...So we are detonating bombs at random?" Kellam asked for a clarification.

"In layman's term, yes," Miriel answered with slight distaste in her voice. She must not like dumbing down her information. "We shall proceed to the Arcanum across the city. It is my estimate that if we succeed, she would deplete 22.6% of the attacking force."

"Eh… Right." Seeing no point in debating with the mage, Kellam gave a resigned shrug. "Lead the way."


"Milady! Please come back inside!" pleaded Phila, internally debating if she should commit treason and knock out her ruler to drag her back to safety. That idea became more appealing with every passing second.

"No." Emmeryn's determined tone surprised Phila, giving the Wing Commander pause.

"What do you mean 'no'?!" the rider shouted. Decorum be damned, she would not let Emmeryn get hurt!

"I will not hide while my people pay for my father's foolishness."

Taking hold of her queen's wrist, the knight stopped her advance. "Emm. Please! You need to c–"

"Look out!" a voice shouted, stopping the women on their tracks.

It all happened in an instant.

The women turned to see a pair of Plegian soldiers engaging two Ylissean guards. One of the invaders was quickly dispatched, but not before injuring his opponent. The other guard was not as lucky and was sent to the group by a pommel strike from the surviving Plegian. The assassin was poised to strike down the fallen soldier when something unexpected happened.

Before Phila could react, Emmeryn snatched a tome from the hands of the closest mage and powered her spell.

It was in that moment that the Ylisseans and Plegians were reminded that Emmeryn was trained as a Sage.

"Arcwind!" A powerful gust of wind burst forward and slammed the Plegian assassin with all its might as Emmeryn finished her chant-less spell. The man flew across the courtyard, crashing against a tree with a dull crack and falling unconscious.

Those present stared wide-eyed at their ruler, holding a glowing tome in her hands and a hard expression they had never seen before.

"Guardsmen, secure that man. I do not want him running free. Clerics, bring the wounded to me, I shall treat them myself." Emmeryn's orders cut through the shock, pushing the clerics and soldiers to resume their duties, though that didn't stop them from stealing glances at their leader. "Phila, I will entrust you to oversee his processing before you depart."

"Emmeryn..." Phila whispered in awe at the sight of her Exalt. "You… The spell..."

The Exalt closed her eyes as she addressed her subordinate. "I may hate violence, but that does not mean I will sit idle while my people die when I can something about it!" Emmeryn clenched her fists. When she opened her eyes, the azure flames of Naga seemed to burn with passion behind those orbs. The eyes worthy of a queen. "I could not do anything when my father started this conflict. I could not persuade Gangrel. I cannot lead my armies! But… But if there is something I can do to help my people I will not hesitate to act!"

Emmeryn's outburst shocked not only the Pegasus Knight's Commander, but also all those that heard her.

The Wing Commander felt pride swell in her chest as she watched Emmeryn grab a staff and started healing one of the wounded soldiers, gripping his hand tightly in comfort as she let her healing spell wash over his body, mending his wounds. Even from a few feet away, Phila could feel the gentle nature of Emmeryn's magic warming her skin.

"Well spoken," Lon'qu grunted out, much to the surprise of the present Shepherds. From what Phila gathered, he normally he avoided speaking with women at all, and here he was offering the ruler of Ylisse support. "Your people are lucky having such a dedicated leader guiding them," he added. The swordsman noticed the stunned gazes of his fellow Shepherds. "What?"

"Nothing!" They all answered at once, earning a grunt from the swordsman.

As much as she wanted to stay, Phila had her own duties to perform. Her gaze met with the Feroxi. "I trust you will protect the Exalt with your life?"

"Of course. I shall stand guard and make sure no one makes it inside," replied Lon'qu as he took a stance, ready for anything that would come their way.

"You have my thanks, swordsman." Phila moved to depart when a hand gripped her wrist. She turned to see who was responsible, just to meet Emmeryn's eyes. Her bloodied hands and robes did nothing to distract her from the intense look of concern on her face.

"I cannot bear to lose another friend. Please. Take care, Phila," the Exalt pleaded of her friend.

The Wing Commander gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile, touched to hear Emmeryn calling her a friend. "You too, Emmeryn."


"I know you're scared, but please move in an orderly fashion!" a guard shouted to the panicked crowd. Trying to keep order in the middle of the invasion was a daunting task.

Watching the scared and hurt families clinging to each other, hoping to reach safety together, was a heartbreaking sight for Stahl. One of the reasons he became a knight was to provide for his family and help his people, just like his brother did with his apothecary. All his family wanted was to help their people, and yet he felt there wasn't much he could do for his countrymen during this war. He was just one man and not even a special one.

A flash of something in the corner of his eye caught Stahl's attention. Looking up, he saw a fire spell coming from the cathedral. Then it was followed by another set of fireballs in a familiar pattern. He recognized it as the Pegasus Knights' signal for requesting assistance.

"Green Squad with me! The Pegasus Knights require support near the cathedral!" The knight shouted to his subordinates.

As the soldiers galloped across the streets, evading fleeing civilians, they could hear the sounds of a battle getting closer. The Plegian army was making their way inside, slowly but steady.

Stahl had no illusions about their situation: Ylisstol was stalling until the Feroxi arrived and Plegia was going to capitalize on it.

He might be a mellow and cheerful man, but the knight was not one to fool himself. Stahl had always been very observant and he could see the way the tide was going. Even with their new gear, new artillery, the volunteer militia and the strategies made by Rose and the other commanders, they would still be swallowed by the superior numbers of the Plegian Army.

That was the sad truth. Ylisstol used to have a higher population in the past, not that different from those countries in Valm, but the last decade had been harsh for Ylisse and Plegia. Their populations had been depleted and devastated by the zealous war started by Chrom's dad. Thousands of orphans died of hunger and disease, just as their parents died in the field. Conscription hadn't helped at all and only robbed families from their capable hands, sending farmers and workers to die with cheap weapons in their hands. Farms had been ravaged and the tentative trade with Plegia stopped altogether.

The Ylissean army that used to number the 100,000 reduced to just 5,500 guardsmen for the entirety of Ylisse.

Ylisse's demilitarization and the suffering of its people pushed away many possible recruits from joining the guard, not wanting to be associated with the tainted legacy. Stahl won't disagree with Emmeryn's decision of dissolving the army, but they certainly could've been better prepared. Even Ferox hadn't been left unscathed and had their army's numbers halved. Plegia suffered the worst, though, and the size of their army indicated that a lot of their people desired vengeance.

And they certainly were fighting for it.

While Ylisstol had to divert troops to protect civilians and secure their capital, the Plegians only focused on killing the Ylisseans and destroying, much to their advantage.

Shaking his head back into focus, the green-armored knight focused on the invaders squad at the end of the street. "Stay strong men! Our comrades need us!" Stahl yelled as he and his squad charged towards the Plegian formation, prepared to clash against those threatening their home. As Ylissean and Plegian weapons clashed in the bloodstained streets, the knight prayed to the gods that their reinforcements arrived before the situation turned worse.

Until then, Plegia would bleed for every inch they took.


Aversa frowned as she oversaw the invasion. It wasn't going as smoothly as she hoped. They had lost Validar and the Grimleal squad sent with him. The loss of the High Priest of Grima was a heavy blow, but a blessing in disguise. The Dark Flier took control of the church at the same time she played that fool of a Mad King. The idiot still thought he was in control.

He was just a pawn in a bigger game.

And now she had more pieces on the board. The Ylissean Hierarch proved to be another useful pawn, allowing the access inside the castle and the record of the army. The Plegian army was ready to take the city with overwhelming force.

But things weren't going as planned. Even when the Plegian Army arrived ahead of schedule, the Ylisseans were surprisingly prepared to take on their forces. And if things weren't complicated enough, the Prince's little militia departed to get reinforcements. The Feroxi Army might arrive before they secured the city.

Annoying, but not catastrophic.

Aversa wouldn't be a good tactician if she had no backup plans.

A dark spell flew from her hand towards the sky. The signal was reciprocated as dozen more spells came from inside the city and the surrounding countryside, going all the way into the distance towards the Feroxi army.

A smug smirk grew on her lips.

It was time to see if the spells the Hierophant gave them were worth the praise.


The march was coming along nicely. Robin was pleased with the pace they were keeping, despite the extreme hurry they had to reach the capital. If all their information was correct, they should arrive at Ylisstol just in time to intercept the Plegian Army. With the nearly 3,000 soldiers in Ylisstol along with the 12,000 they currently had in the main army, it should have a slight numerical advantage. The tactician would've preferred to have a bigger force to crush the Plegians swiftly or force them into surrender to respect the Exalt's ideals.

Sadly, they were forced to send part of the Feroxi force to various points across the land to cut off reinforcements and escape routes for the Plegian armada. While Ylisstol was certainly going to be the main theater, there were many other targets of value that might be attacked by unexpected forces. Farms, villages, ports… Too many targets without proper defenses to consider for the young tactician.

Robin kept moving submerged in his thoughts until a rush of wind startled him, almost making him fall down. Turning to the side, he saw that the one responsible was Sumia, who landed her steed next to him with surprising grace.

The Pegasus knight matched her pace to the tactician's, looking at him with concerned eyes. "Hey, Robin. Are you ok? You've been distracted for a while."

The young Plegian blinked in confusion before realizing someone was talking to him. 'Shaking his head, he responded to ease his comrades' concern. "Oh, hello there Sumia. It's nothing, I'm just worried about Ylisstol." He tried to smile, though it felt half-hearted to him. "Sorry if I worried you."

Sumia shook her head in denial. "It's ok, you're not the only one worried," the clumsy knight reassured him. "But I'm sure everything will be fine. We left the city in capable hands and we have stopped each of Plegia's attempts. This will be no different," she said with a confident smile.

Robin pursed his lips, not entirely appeased. "Still… I feel bad about dropping all this on Rose and Phila. I hope they don't kill each other," he stated, cringing at the thought. "They don't seem to like each other very much."

"Well… Phila is stern but not mean. She's just worried about the Exalt's safety like all of us, so she is. As long as Ro–" Sumia trailed off as something seemed to have caught her eye. "Hey, what's that in the sky?"

"Huh?" Robin turned his attention to where Sumia was pointing, directed his gaze towards a flare of dark magic flying up in the distance.


"That's the signal," a Grimleal knight stated to his superior.

The Grimleal Priest looked at the object in his hands. A simple silver box with the Mark of Grima, reeking with black magic. The priest gazed across the plain, other boxes glowed with the same ominous light, waiting at the hands of his underlings for the moment to unleash their cursed power.

A moment that had just come in the form of a magical flare.

The zealot looked at his underlings and uttered his order with a wicked grin. "Open the boxes."


"What th–" The ground shook, stopping Robin's comment as well as the army's march. Confusion ran through their ranks, only for the soldiers to grow anxious at the snarling sounds coming from below. A sound many of the Shepherds recognized.

"Robin! Get up here!" Sumia shouted to the tactician, who proceeded to scramble towards the steed.

Sitting behind Sumia, they flew towards the Shepherd formation, with Robin shouting his orders to the soldiers with the use of a megaphone tome. "FALL BACK AND SET A DEFENSIVE FORMATION! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GROUND! WE GOT RISEN INCOMING!"

His warning came just in time. The earth cracked and split apart as thousands of rotting hands bursting from the soil. For many, it was their first time fighting the Risen, let alone watching their cursed forms come back to life.

These Risen were different from the ones they had been fighting, though. Most of the undead the Shepherds had engaged in the past used to be bandits or villagers, who had their bodies twisted into these cursed troops. Not these. The monsters that crawled from under the earth were clad in various styles of armor, from axemen to generals. Some were riding undead horses, pegasi, and wyverns, with cursed mages and archers also filling their ranks.

The symbols of the Ylissean and Plegian armies were clearly visible on their battle standards.

The tactician racked his brain for anything to explain these. A name appeared at the forefront of his mind: The Battle of Hallem Plains. The land they were currently was a battlefield in the last war. It was soaked with the blood of thousands of soldiers from both sides. Their corpses left to rot and eventually taken back by the earth.

Taking a look at his position on the sky Robin saw cloaked forms on the hills, barely visible, but clearly there. If there was any doubt that Plegia was behind the Risen, this insult certainly dispelled it.

A perfect place to raise an undead army. An army composed of the soldiers killed in the last war. This was a terrible problem. If the Risen kept the skill they had when alive, their army would face a monstrous opponent.

Robin took a quick look at the oncoming charge. Their numbers should be even, but that's not useful against an enemy with no regards for their own survival. A strategy popped into his mind, one he says his fellow tactician use against the archest of archers.

"Sumia! Contact the messenger and relay these orders! The legions on the back will keep on reserve, the central legion will remain in place while the side legions encircle the main formation," the tactician ordered once he dismounted the Pegasus and took his place with the Shepherds. "Our Aerial units will counter theirs with the help of the archers and mages. We can't let them start a mounted charge at us. The Risen Cavalry outnumbers us! Move! There is no time to lose!"

"Right away, Sir!" The Pegasus rider replied professionally and took off to fulfill her orders.

At his side, Chrom drew Falchion and took his stance, not taking his eyes of the Risen forces. "Ready to do this, Robin?"

"It will be a nice warmup for Ylisstol, I suppose," the tactician snarked as he drew his Levin Sword and prepared for his biggest battle so far.


Rushing through the streets, Rose was running through all her options. That flare moments before couldn't mean anything good. No matter how prepared, no plan survived contact with the enemy. She will need to adapt her strategies since she never got a clear picture of the fall of Ylisstol in her timelines as most of the ranking officers died. The tactician had to reach the southern outpost and command her troops accordingly.

The sound of footsteps alerted her of an incoming force. A Plegian squad came as they turned on the street. The fourth she had to fight since she left the castle.

"Ah! Grimleal we were sent to rendezvous with. Good, want to join us and make some Ylisseans suffer?" A woman in sorcerer robes asked. She must have assumed Rose was part of their entourage and an ally.

Her last mistake.

"Sorry, you seem to have taken the wrong turn." In an instant, Rose jumped back and pulled out her tome. The grimoire glowed with power and a giant ball of fire flew forward, smashing into the squad. Their screams lasted for a few seconds as the flames devoured their flesh, melting their armor and killing them soon after. The only survivors were two axemen that were thrown away from the spell's explosion.

"What! You traitorous bitch!" One of the men snarled. Burns marked his skin, eliciting winces of pain as he took his stance, hands gripping his axe tightly. His comrade was in the not better state, but both were relatively fit to fight.

The surviving soldiers rushed the tactician in hopes of eliminating her, no doubt making her suffer for her supposed 'betrayal'.

Rose almost laughed at the irony.

"Don't let the cloak fool you. I was never on your side!"

Lightning flew from Rose's fingertips as the bolt of magical energy flew towards her target. Both dodged, well aware of the power of her spells. Sadly, that meant dropping their guards and allowing the tactician to behead one of the soldiers with a swift strike. Muscle and bone did nothing to slow down the blade and the man's corpse fell to the floor.

"What is it with axe wielders and their hatred for armor?" the tactician wondered out loud as she left the headless corpse behind, turning to face her last opponent.


On the other side of the country, Vaike sneezed. The sudden movement affected his swing and allowed him to deflect an incoming attack and split his Risen opponent in two.

One attack that would've grievously wounded him and affected his combat capabilities for the rest of his life.

Vaike would continue to fight, unaware how the female Plegian tactician had inadvertently saved his life.


"Morons," Rose muttered as she cut down the last soldier.

Her breathing had become laborious. Even with her strength and magic, her body still had limits. Cutting down dozens of heavily armed men attacking from the shadows was more challenging than battling in an arena or eliminating a bandit camp. Add to that evading enemy artillery and assisting whatever soldiers she ran into was starting to take a toll on her. Luckily, this squad was easy to dispatch as they didn't expect her to attack them, but the spell still took quite a bit of energy to cast without saying the chant.

A growl resonated through the street, catching her attention. A shape stalked forward from the shadows of the alley. Red eyes glowed with hate. Prowling in four legs, a massive Risen wolf stepped into the light. Its hair was glued to it rotten flesh with dried blood, stinking with a putrid smell that would make most people nauseous. Its fangs dripping with drool and blood, no doubt from its latest victim.

Soon, more growls came forward and four more wolves, albeit smaller, stood at the side of their alpha.

Rose stared at her new opponents. The use of such animals as troops was something her Grima never considered.

"Well… that's new."


An axe almost took Sumia's head, only evaded by pure instinct. Strands of her hair flew away in the winds just as she dived down to drive her spear into the head of the Risen Wyvern. The mount dropped to the ground along with its rider, granting the knight a moment of respite.

Things could be going better, but the army was holding its own. The encircling strategy Robin had used was working on reducing the maneuverability of the Risen horde, robbing them of their numbers as the majority was trapped in the center. The reserves switched with the tired units as needed, allowing them to keep their soldiers fresh and reducing casualties due to exhaustion at least. The Feroxi army was working its way in, but the Risen had no qualms in sacrificing their numbers to take down as many living humans as they could. Launching spells that burned human and Risen alike, or charging into the Feroxi formation with suicidal intent.

Soldiers that could eventually be converted into Risen.

Sumia pushed away the horrible thoughts of might await her friends and family in Ylisstol if she were to fall here. She certainly wasn't looking forward to becoming a zombie and eating her family.

The clumsy knight regained focus just in time to see a Risen Falcon Knight closing in on her position. Sumia readied herself to clash with the undead when an arrow hit the Risen mount, making it flinch. At least, the beast still felt pain to a small degree. Not wasting the opening, Sumia took one of her javelins and threw it with deadly accuracy, piercing the chest of the rider and throwing her rotten body out of her seat.

Taking a moment to look at her savior, she spotted the ginger-haired thief lowering his bow, giving her a two-finger salute from the back of the formation. Nodding in gratitude, Sumia took to the skies once more, ready to resume her battle.

'I hope Cordelia is having an easier time in Ylisstol.'


"PEGASUS SHIT!" Cordelia snarled as she clashed spear against the Plegian Wyvern Rider. "Why won't you die already!?" The redhead broke away from the stalemate as she was forced to dodge the fangs of the wyvern.

"What's the matter, Red? Can't deal with the pressure?!" Taunted the Plegian soldier as he twirled his axe. "You know, I was supposed to capture the Exalt when that useless pig of a Hierarch tricked her into the Breakneck Pass, but this? Capturing and make her watch as we burn her city? Songs will be written about this!

"The only song you will listen to is Ylisse's hymn when we celebrate the defeat of your miserable forces!" Cordelia shot back as she tightened the grip on her lance.

"Brave words, wench," snarled Vasto as he readied for another bout. "Your city is in ruins. Your people are burning and you still stand defiant. Admirable, if foolish." He then grinned mockingly at the Pegasus Knight. "You should be honored! You will die at the hands of Vasto, Commander of Wyvern Riders!"

"Shut up, you narcissistic dastard!" Shouted Cordelia as she dashed for another clash.

The situation was bad for the redhead. Cordelia was forced away from her squad when they clashed against a Wyvern Squad. As luck would have it, it was the squad under the Commander of the Plegian Wyvern Riders, ready to attack the heart of the castle, no doubt with the intent of capturing the Exalt.

Not something they would allow.

The knights clashed in the sky for a while. None could pierce the other's defense, their skills evenly match. Their mounts were idle as they too tried to beat their counterpart. Hooves and fangs tried to overcome their opponent, meeting equal resistance.

"Enough! Just die, Ylissean whore!" Shouted Vasto, whipping the reins of his mount in a pattern

The wyvern's jaws snapped forward, catching the armored neck of Cordelia's steed in its deadly grip, making Perseus cry in pain. The armor was barely holding, but it gave Vasto the opening he desired. He swung his axe to Cordelia with all the intent to split her in two, but the redhead didn't earn her status as a genius for nothing. In a quick motion, she placed the shaft of her spear between the handle and blade of Vasto's axe. With a twist, she disarmed the rider, much to his surprise. Taking advantage, Cordelia slammed her spear against his head, sending the commander off from his seat and crashing into a roof.

The wyvern didn't stop, though. Cordelia stabbed her lance between the scaled of its neck. Its cry of pain joining Perseus'. The draconic beast whipped around in pain, dragging the Pegasus with it as they fell to the ground.

Cordelia was forced to jump just before she was crushed under the weight of both beasts. Scrambling to her feet, the redhead discarded her dented helmet and took her fallen spear. Cordelia made her way to the fallen mounts, carefully paying attention to any sudden movements. The wyvern was dead, its neck twisted from the fall with its jaws wide open. Her Pegasus, though...

"Perseus!" It was no use. The Pegasus was on its last breaths. His front legs were broken and its wings twisted at an unnatural angle. Blood flowed from the gashes on his neck. The stallion gave a pitiful whine, locking hid wide eyes with his trusted rider. Cordelia's heart broke at the sight of her trusted friend, a proud stallion, broken beyond salvation. She knew what she had to do. Cordelia placed his head on her lap and fuzzed his mane one last time, speaking through her tears, "Thank you for everything, my friend. I will never forget you." The redhead then unsheathed the knife on her boot and in a swift movement ended the life of her Pegasus companion.

A sound drew her attention to the end of the alley. There, crawling his way towards the street was the broken and bleeding Vasto. Anger roared in Cordelia's blood. She wiped her tears and stood through pure willpower. Gripping her weapon, the knight stalked forward towards the invader. Vasto took notice of her, his gaze defiant. He snarled at her, flashing her his bloodied teeth, but couldn't do much more.

"Y-You doves think you have won!? We will burn this city t-" Cordelia didn't care to let him finish his last words and stabbed the blade of her spear right through his face. The gruesome action didn't disturb the knight, too angry and battered to care about things like honor and disgust. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion, taking deep breaths of dirty air in an attempt to calm her beating heart.

Slow footsteps came from behind her. Cordelia took her spear once more and glanced. The sight of Ylissean and Feroxi armors calmed her for a moment, but something was wrong. Through the eye-holes on their helmets shone an eerie crimson glow. The shambling steps did nothing to ease her worries.

"H-Hello? Do you need assist-?" Cordelia jumped to her feet as the soldier roared and began running to her. She took a shaky stance and stabbed the first one that came close right in the heart. Sadly, she wasn't fast enough to pull out her spear and the other attacker was already upon her. Bracing herself for the blow, Cordelia was surprised when a green blur slammed into the creature. A green blur that she easily recognized.

The redhead watched as Stahl slammed the flat of his blade against the shaft of the cursed one's spear. Sliding it downwards, the knight sliced the fingers off from the rotting hand of the cursed corpse. The undead roared in anger or pain, the knights couldn't tell, but his strength loosened enough to giving Stahl the opening he needed to remove his head from the body.

Stahl expression softened as he finally could drop his guard. "You okay there, Cordelia?"

"Y-Yeah. Thank you, Stahl," she thanked "Were those the Risen you spoke of?"

The cavalier's eyes widened, clicking his tongue in realization. "Ah! I guess this is the first time you fought one of them. Yes, those were Risen. I didn't expect any in the city, but it seems they used to be our comrade before they were twisted into these creatures," Stahl commented with a frown as he looked at the fallen bodies of his former allies. "I think there is no longer any doubt that Plegia is behind their appearance." The cavalier shook his head back into focus and helped Cordelia back into her feet. "We can talk more about this later. Let's rendezvous with my unit first. I left my mare a few streets away. The rubble blocked my path and had to climb it to reach you."

"Wait. What of my squad?" The Pegasus knight asked in concern, worry etched on her face.

Stahl gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. "When I left, they were finishing off their opponents with my squad giving them ground support. They should be getting their wound patched up as we speak."

Cordelia released a relieved breath at the good news. "I see. You have my thanks."

The cavalier gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't mention it. Can you walk?"

The redhead nodded. "Yeah. I'm tired but still fit to fight. Come, le-" A deep, guttural growl from behind them made Cordelia close her eyes and grit her teeth.

"What now!?" Screamed Cordelia, sick and tired of her situation turning worse at every moment. The constant fighting, the attacks and all their plans crumbled to dust before her eyes. The day was far from over and Cordelia was just done.

Her answer came in a form that made her regret asking the question. A shambling abomination stood nearly double the height of the knights. Its body was composed of multiple rotting corpses. The faces of men, women and children were twisted across its skin like a sick mockery of their former appearance. Dozens of hands reached from its back, with its four main limbs being disproportionately large, like one of those gorillas native from Valm.

"For fucks sake! This is not my day!" Cordelia snarled, discarding all politeness in front of her friend in favor of releasing her stress with curse words. She ignored the startled expression her friend got at her language. No surprise, she mused in the back of her head. She always was polite and the perfect image of devoted knight.

Stahl gave a hollow chuckle, turning and not removing his eyes from the monster. "Ready for this, Cordelia?" Asked the cavalier, taking his sword and readying himself for the next battle.

Ignoring the protests of her body and letting adrenaline dull the pain, Cordelia grasped her spear with all her strength. "I got your back, Stahl," the Pegasus knight replied, taking her place at his side.


The disintegrating corpses of the Risen wolves littered the streets. Rose's breaths were labored as she glared at the alpha. It didn't matter how strong she was, even she had her limits. But worse than that was how the alpha wolf didn't bother to attack her while she slaughtered his pack. She was deeply aware of the extent of intelligence the Risen had, but this was insulting.

Finally stalking forward the wolf opened his maw, ready to devour the tactician.

The Fell Dragon wasn't about to die to a rotten mutt, though.

As soon as he was close the former queen grabbed his front leg, disturbing his trajectory and slamming him against the floor with her remaining strength, and nearly snapping the bone at its joint. The beast ignored the injury, intelligently shifting its weight and jumping once more. Rose was forced to drop her blade and take hold of his jaws with her armored hands. The monster was surprisingly strong, slowly pushing her back with its strength. Gritting her teeth, Rose pulled. The jaws were snapped in an unnatural angle, and finally eliciting a howl of pain from the undead beast. In an instant, Rose jumped on the wolf's back and wrapped her arms around his neck. With a quick, strong twist, she snapped his neck and pulled the rotten muscle apart to ensure its demise.

As the Risen blood evaporated from her body along with the corpse, the tactician recovered her weapon. Rose leaned against a wall to recover her breath and strength. This should have been easier, but it seems her power hadn't recovered enough to feed her stamina indefinitely. Rose would have to work on that if she wanted to succeed in her quest.

A slow, mocking clap started behind her. Rose closed her eyes, hoping against hope it was some stupid child having fun. She was too tired to take fate's shit. Much to her disappointment, the source was a group of Grimleal fanatics, around a dozen in number. Rose was exhausted, too much magic and running finally took their toll. While she might be able to take them all alone, she would be running on fumes for the rest of the invasion. Taking a moment to study their faces, the Fell Dragon recognized the man leading them as Ardri; one of h- Grima's most devout servants.

"My, my. I had heard of the Shepherds' tactician and his skill, but you truly are impressive for such a young man," the Grimleal Priest in charge praised with a hint of sarcasm.

Rose's eye twitched.

"Wrong person," she answered coldly, glaring daggers at the Grimleal with the hope that they would spontaneously combust.

"Ah, a woman," the man at the lead drawled, sadly not burning in hateful fire. "Pardon. I was confused by your outfit. So you must be the one that eliminated Tamara's squad." The man kicked the charred corpse of the Grimleal woman, before shrugging dismissively. "It doesn't matter. Just another corpse in the pile. One that you will be joining soon." He waved his hand at the men to his left. "You five, deal with her. The rest of you will secure this checkpoint."

Said men walked towards the tired woman, wicked grins plastered on their faces, no doubt thinking about the atrocities they wanted to perform on her body.

"Now, come here girl. We ca-" The man barely raised his blade to block Rose's strike.

"Sorry, you're not my type," Rose snarked through her exhaustion and summoned Ignis on her blade. The flame strengthened her blade, melting the Plegian steel as she cleaved through his armor and pierced his heart.

"Jonas! You will pay for that! Nosferatu!" shouted a dark mage in rage, sending the dark spell towards the tactician and draining the tactician of the few energy she had remaining.

Rose couldn't dodge in time, too tired to move coherently. The spell hit her in the chest, sending her rolling through the floor. Strength left her, empowering the spell caster as he sucked her energy. Her muscles weakened, as well as he magical reserved.

"Damn woman. You have some strong and dark energy there," the mage said in awe as he felt her power through the vampiric spell.

Gathering her strength, the tactician used a strategy she had developed for such occasion. "You… want… my magic?" Rose breathed while she gathered magic on her hands. "Here! Have more! Arcthunder!"

Using the connection between them, Rose sent the bolt of lightning through the magic path between them, feeding on the magic and moving straight to the magician.

"Wh-" The man was cut off as he gave a silent scream. The spell hit true, right through the heart of the sorcerer and killing him instantly.

"T-two down..." Rose managed to say before a big man roughly grabbed her and smashed her against the wall.

"Those were my friends, whore!" the man snarled with hatred, pushing his face close to hers and locking eyes with the tactician. "I'm going to make your death sl-"

Continuing her tried-and-true strategy of attacking her enemies in the middle of their monologues, Rose bit on his nose with all her strength, ripping it off his face. Blood sprayed her face as she spat out the disgusting bit of flesh. The man dropped her as he howled in pain, clutching his face in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding. Finishing what she started, Rose pulled a knife from her cloak and stabbed them man in the neck, eliminating another threat.

Rose recovered Thorn, but she didn't have the time to gather her breath before she was smashed into a building by the heavy blow of a war hammer. She crashed into the wooden door, breaking it and rolling inside, only stopping as she smashed against a table. Rose couldn't help it; she screamed in pain. Her arm was broken and she could feel the twisted metal of her chest plate biting into her flesh. The tactician tried to stand, but she made the mistake of putting weight on her broken arm. The pain shot through her body and made her fall once more. Rose was lucky, a small part of her brain mused. Her reinforced body was the only thing saving her life. Her strength was drained with dark magic, while her magic had been spent fighting. A normal person, lacking her robust psychology, would have died from blunt trauma.

Rose never let of Thorn through all these, as if it represented her will to live and fight. She wasn't going to lose and die to some no-name Grimleal.

The mere idea was insulting.

"Serves those idiots right for playing around before securing their target," the brute sneered as dropped his hammer and moves towards the fallen woman. He kicked her broken ribs, making Rose scream once more.

"Not so tough now, huh?" the man mocked, then turning to address his last surviving companion. "Hey, Jahad! Do you want to have a go with the bitch?"

The last man, a dark knight scowled at the sight, "Do what you want Kosha. Some of us have standards."

Kosha chuckled. "Heh, your loss." The brute then took a better look at the fallen tactician, finally noticing her cloak "Those Grimleal Robes… A deserter? Disgusting," he spat in her direction. "I don't know what you planned to do by joining Ylisse, you traitorous harlot, but you failed!"

'Failed?' The word shocked Rose to the core.

She couldn't fail. Too much was at risk. Too much had been lost and sacrificed for her to die in such a pathetic way.

She was supposed to protect her brother.

Save her mother.

Prevent Emmeryn's death.

Earn her redemption.

She would not fail!

Something in her soul snapped. Under her gauntlet, her serpentine mark glowed with righteous intensity. Her blood sang with power, waiting to be released on the unworthy scum that dared defy a goddess. Why was she holding back so much? She was a goddess! She could rule this w-!

No.

No, she wouldn't let this power control her again.

Grima was gone.

Robin Lowell née Surana no longer existed.

Only Rose Sustrai remained.

And she was in control of this power.

Ignis changed. It no longer raged with scorching heat. Now, an icy coldness radiated from the draconic flames. The flames began crawling through her arm, engulfing it and s. And yet they didn't hurt her. Not like they did in the moment of her death when mixed with Exalted fire.

Power she hadn't felt in years flowed through her body.

Broken bone mended back into place.

Torn muscle was sown anew.

Skin closed, stopping the flow of liquid life force.

The disgusting man licked his lips as he crouched over the fallen body, seemingly ignoring the magical flame. "You're pretty for a traitorous harlot. I'm sure we can have some fu-"

The flaming-armored hand shot out in an instant, snaring the man's throat in a vicious grip. The Fell Dragon closed her fist with monstrous strength and crushed his neck with impunity. The force was such that the head was separated from his body, only remaining connected by small tendrils of skin and muscle. Blood spurted from torn blood vessels, splashing against the former Grandmaster and tainting her skin and clothes.

The dark knight that was waiting for his comrade didn't have time to react as the flaming sword cleaved through his armor and sliced his body in two. His expression remained frozen into one of surprise at his sudden demise. Rose made sure that the last thing he saw as life left him was the metallic heel of her boot coming down on his head.


"Where are they?" Ardri grumbled out, bothered by his underlings delays. How hard was it to kill a woman with foot in the grave?

One of his men scoffed at his mild concern, waving a hand in dismissal. "Bah. You know how Kosha. When he gets a fight with a feisty woman, he can't help himse-"

A monstrous roar shook the air. The temperature seemed to drop in as the sound passed through them. Their breaths became visible as they exhaled the air.

"What in Grima's name was that!?" yelled one of the mages, looking around for the source of the sound, unaware of the irony of his statement.

"IN GRIMA'S NAME IS I!"

The headless body of their comrade came flying through the hole, crashing on the floor in front of the shocked zealots. Blood splattered the Plegians, only adding to the demonic atmosphere as an unnatural voice rang through the streets once more, drowning the sounds of battle and leaving the men in their own world.

"So you call for the Fell Dragon!?"

The tactician stepped out of the crumbled building, her body shrouded in malevolent shadows. The cold fire raged through her body with unnatural power visible as the wood and stone around her froze as she passed. Stepping over one of the corpses of the Grimleal, the tactician crushed their skull under her heel. Frozen blood and bone were left behind with every step she took towards her prey.

"You know what they say..."

One of the archers panicked and tried to nock an arrow on his bow. He wasn't finished pulling the string when a bolt of lightning vaporized his upper body.

The men froze at the sight and felt an icy grip take hold of their hearts as her glowing red eyes glared at them with pure, unrestrained hatred.

The most primal of emotions flowed through their veins.

Fear.

"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!"