Chapter 22 – Of Mixed Blood
She knew this day would come.
Rose wondered for years if she should've dealt with Walhart from the start. It certainly would've made things easier. But it would create a domino effect that she could barely predict. Virion would've not become a Shepherd, nor would Cherche, Say'ri, and maybe Priam. It was possible it could still have happened, but she had no way to know for sure. It was callous to sacrifice so many lives for those of her former comrades' counterparts, but she had to keep the things relatively close at the time to not tip her hand and lose her advantage to too many changes. It was a miracle that Grima had not homed in on her yet.
But she could feel in her bones the time was getting closer.
The tactician watched as the Feroxi messenger left for the guest chambers. It wasn't Reimi, so that was already a change. Not a big one, but she was a general. She was spared in her time to help convince the Exalt about the Valmese, but that was clearly not the case anymore.
The messenger said as much.
Valm had invaded with a sizable force earlier than she anticipated. It didn't make any sense to her. Their troops should be tied up with Chon'sin, Rosanne, and the other southern territories. Why send troops to start a war on a second front? Was Grima baiting them to their territory? That's what she would do in his place. Send a force overseas so Ylisse and Ferox would send their troops to assist the Southern Alliance. Force them into large battles to deplete their armies against each other. That way The Shepherds wouldn't try to perform the surgical strikes she used before. With the South on their side, Chrom and Robin would be more tempted to use regular military tactics. And of course, that would create plenty of corpses for his Risen army.
Bloody and brilliant. Shit.
Was it bad that she was jealous that her own Grima didn't think of that? Probably. It wounded her pride a little.
Frederick's voice brought her back to the present. "What do you make of this, sire?" the knight asked Chrom. Emmeryn may still be the Exalt but Chrom lead the army. Any campaign would be led by him and the Shepherds.
Chrom frowned standing next to Emmeryn, Aedan, and Lissa. "Ill business to be sure," he said before turning back to the messenger. "We will meet with Flavia at onc–"
"We will," corrected Emmeryn, looking at her surprised siblings.
Rose could feel a headache coming. Keeping this woman alive was an exercise of patience and perseverance.
"Emmeryn…" King Aedan started before his wife interrupted him.
"I know what you're thinking, Aedan, but we owe Regna Ferox a great debt. We will honor our alliance. I will go to Regna Ferox and appraise the situation. In the meantime, I want Chrom to lead our troops to assist them while I talk with the Khans about the information they have."
Aedan shook his head. "No, I understand that. What worries me is the possibility that this is just a prelude to a bigger conflict. Are we really ready to fight Valm?" the king said, turning to Robin for an answer.
Her brother frowned in thought. "We reformed our army, so we have troops. But experience is a problem. Most are rookies that haven't fought anything harder than a bandit camp in their area." Robin explained. "Most of the troops that fought against Plegia came from Ferox and they are already taking the brunt of the attack."
"Plegia is a wild card. Are we certain they won't throw their lot in with the Valmese?" Aedan asked. He might not be a military strategist, but he had quite a mind for the geopolitical situation of the continent. He and Emmeryn made quite the pair.
Chrom frowned at that. "I don't think so. They just got free from the yoke of a madman. I doubt they would want another."
Oh, Rose had to bite her tongue at the naivete of those words. No matter how he came back, Validar made Gangrel look like an eccentric uncle in comparison.
"They won't," Rose assured, finally stepping into the conversation, holding little Jon in her arms. She rocked the little prince to keep him calm. She didn't have time to find someone to take care of him before the meeting was called, but at least he was a calm baby. "There might still plenty of Plegians that hate us, but a foreign dictator is not something they want. Better the devil you know."
That and Grima wanted them to bleed each other.
Chrom sighed and relented to her logic. He knew a losing battle by now. "Fine, but you are taking a strong escort with you once we separate." The prince turned to his fellow Shepherds. "Come on. We need to send messages to rally our troops and prepare for a long march."
They left, leaving only Phila and Rose with the Royal couple.
"Take care, my love. I can't bear the thought of losing you. Not after Plegia…" Aedan said, holding his wife in a tight embrace.
"I will return to you. I swear to the gods," Emmeryn said, kissing him in reassurance.
"I love you," Aedan breathed, barely separating their lips.
"I love you too."
Jon gurgled as they watched the sappy display.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Rose said towards the confused infant in her arms. "Trust me, never get married. It's not worth it. You become a sap and then it's all downhill from there."
Phila turned to her with an incredulous look on her face, finally breaking her silence. "Are you telling a baby, and the heir to the throne at that, not to marry?"
The tactician shrugged. "Someone has to teach him life's harsh truths. Who better than his favorite aunty?" she said, tickling the baby's nose.
Jon gurgled happily and Phila just glared at her.
She enjoyed this little fun. Who knew how long it would be before she felt this calm.
"And so, we march again to war..." Robin muttered as he set his horse down to rest. They were making good time, especially since they were moving a sizable number of troops. A day and a half march were all that remained before the battle.
Thankfully provisions were not a problem due to the frontier garrisons having been fully restocked after the conflict with Plegia. No one was willing to drop their guard down even if Gangrel was dead. The longer they marched, the more troops joined their caravan. Some had separated from them to escort Emmeryn to the capital while the bulk of their troops made their way to the port city.
Much to his chagrin, his mother had accompanied Emmeryn. He hated the idea of putting her in danger, but he couldn't deny Morgana was one of the strongest warriors on their side. Tiki had also gone with them. His girlfriend–and it still made him giddy to call such a woman that– was powerful in her own right. He hoped that would be enough.
"Not something I'm happy about either, Robin, but we can't abandon the Feroxi. We owe them," Chrom said at his side, letting his own horse drink from the river they stopped by.
"I'm not saying to not help them, I'm just lamenting that they need our help. It's not even Plegia." Robin said, closing his eyes in frustrations. "Valmese troops on our continent..."
"That's the way of the world, Bubbles. Someone is always ready to wage war," Gaius said, walking towards them. "What do you think the situation is going to be?"
Robin frowned, running through the possibilities in his mind. "The Feroxi had little to no warning, despite knowing of the situation on Valm thanks to Virion. While they have fortified their garrisons and port cities they don't have ships to deal with the Valmese fleet."
"But they have home advantage," Chrom added. "Clear supply lines, the full support of their population, and thanks to the war they are by no means green recruits. The Valmese will depend on their supply ships as well as any resources they capture for their campaign."
The grandmaster nodded at the prince's words. "Correct. But no doubt this is something the Valmese have already considered."
"Could they have support in the continent? We already have Plegia in the middle of a civil war, and let's not forget that Ylisse had its own traitor in the war," the thief added.
"It's possible, but I doubt it," Robin said, considering the words as the trio walked towards the camp. "Very few ships have come from Valm in the past few years. Trade all but stopped. Gangrel didn't let any ships come into his ports, so the other possibilities are Ferox or Ylisse, and going to Ylisse would mean a longer journey. Rose's network has no information on any envoys coming before this attack."
"There is no point in worrying about those suspicions for now," Chrom added with a frown as they entered the tent where the other Shepherds were waiting for them. "Everyone's here. How will we proceed with the offensive?"
Robin looked at the map and proceeded to outline the situation. They might still have time, but it was better to get everyone on the same page. "The main issue we will face is routing the Valmese before they receive reinforcements. They will already have taken the town and dealt with the garrison of Port Ferox by the time we could mobilize. Ferox will be able to respond, but due to their large and rough terrain, it will take them time to gather their full military strength, hence why they called us. Our roads are in better shape and we can respond faster to their aid."
"In terms of troops, it's hard to say. Valm has the strongest cavalry in the world but Feroxi terrain does not lend itself for cavalry charges so they can't use their best advantage. At least not that close to the coast. Plegia has its deserts to protect them from large charges, so they will depend on infantry and aerial units there. It will become a problem if they come to Ylisse, though. We have too many plains, which makes us vulnerable."
Chrom got a grim look at the prospect. No one wanted more war in their lands. "Then we need to destroy their foothold now, or we will pay for that later."
"Right," Robin agreed. Leaving vulnerabilities was not something he wanted to do. "We have our own cavalry, but the bulk remains in our territory for now. Still, they do not have the level of experience of the Valmese. We do have plenty of pikemen and archers, as well as mages, so we are not entirely at a disadvantage."
"Rose and Phila have been insisting on training in anti-cavalry tactics for nearly a year," the prince mussed. "I guess you saw it coming."
"...Yeah, I suppose so," the grandmaster said, glancing at his sister who just shrugged.
"We didn't face much cavalry from Plegia, and I did have my suspicions, but I had no concrete proof. Better not to start making accusations and cause panic."
"Fair enough," conceded the prince, though not without a note of doubt.
"Ferox has plenty of heavy armor infantry, so they can stop cavalry charges," Robin continued, pointing at the upper side of the Feroxi territory. "But according to our latest reports, they are currently holding the northern ports. We will take Port Ferox as its the southernmost port town and the one that currently needs the most assistance. Once we secure it, we will go north if needed or fortify our position in case Valmese troops that landed on the northern ports come down south."
Frederick nodded in approval. "Good. Either way, we will take the pressure from the Khan's troops."
"Port Ferox has walls around, with a fortified garrison and four watchtowers. That means archers and scouts will have an advantage unless we take them out. At least, we won't have to worry about cavalry if we fight them in narrow streets once we are inside." Robin then pointed to the various piers across the coast. "By now they must already have disembarked all they needed from their boats. I would prefer to capture them, so we can use them, but I doubt we can do it without heavy losses. We can capture their supplies and then our flying units can go high in the sky, out of range of any archers in the ships, and drop oil bombs to torch them."
Cordelia stood at attention, with two other women at her side. "We have ten squadrons composed evenly of veterans and new troops. Once the sky is clear in the port we can take out the ships."
Robin nodded, happy with the numbers. Flying units were always less numerous than their grounded counterparts. It simply required more time and skill to become proficient in aerial combat. And with the pegasi preference for females, it halved the number of candidates. While wyverns or griffons had no such preferences, they were harder to tame, breed, and feed than pegasi. And while Valm had the best cavalry in the world, Ylisse dominated the skies.
"Good. From what I know, the Valmese use both wyverns and pegasi, usually they prefer the former. You know what to do by now, so I will leave the finer points to your discretion. Keep clear from the town until we take out the watchtowers, then move in to engage their air units," he said as he turned to the next person. "How are the new shields, Miriel?"
The mage adjusted her glasses and looked at her notes. "They are adequate. As requested they were enchanted and reinforced to resist magical attacks to mitigate the vulnerabilities of slow, heavily armored units. However, they are not completely magic proof. They will give eventually, so using them to stop a constant barrage is not an option."
"I don't plan on using them like that. Our heavy units will hold the line with a phalanx of shields and spears against their cavalry charge. If we manage to keep the battle in the town, their mobility will be hindered. What about the armors?"
"As per your request, we standardized the armors of our units. Non-reflective dark blue with golden accents armors representing the Ylissean royal family. We have trained for moving in armor, in particular mages such as I. I dare say this will increase our chances of success."
"That's the idea," Robin added, pleased at the information. "How is our own cavalry?" Robin said, turning to his mounted comrades.
Sully was the one to step forward this time. "We got some with us, but not enough to challenge the Valmese one on one. Stahl and I have been running the rookies through the wringer, but only a handful had to face anything tougher than bandits. Risen simply don't use the same tactics as a living commander."
"There is the matter of numbers, too," Stahl added, looking serious. Something rare for the normally mellow man. "As you said, we have more cavalry, but spread out across the country. We have picked what we could from the outposts along the way, but we are mainly dependent on infantry. And we will suffer the same disadvantage of narrow streets."
"We got around two hundred horsemen, along with the sixty pegasi," the grandmaster muttered, running the numbers. Current estimates put the forces in the town at around twelve hundred troops, after all the others spread across the land and engage the Feroxi. Possibly there were between two and three thousand Valmese in Ferox at the moment. Not enough to conquer it, but enough to gather a foothold. Robin had only eight hundred right now.
He had sent twenty-three hundred soldiers with Emmeryn to assist the Khans, dividing his forces.
Three thousand… Much less than what he commanded in the last war, but this was just the beginning. Ferox had suffered casualties during the war and skirmishes in the past two years, as well as soldiers too injured to fight again.
Risen raids hadn't helped at all.
From the original forty-five thousand troops they had when they first meet, now they had around thirty-three thousand. Not only that, but they had sent around ten thousand to help Virion and the Resistance in Valm. Around five thousand were in Ylisse under contract, helping to train Ylisseans and garrison towns until they could do it themselves.
So they now had eighteen thousand troops in Feroxi territory but spread out. From the initial blow by the sudden arrival, he guessed the Khans could move four thousand in short order while recalling troops from the farther regions.
The three thousand Robin brought were just the first wave of reinforcements. Though green, Ylisse could now call around thirteen thousand soldiers if they left their territory vulnerable. Better than the measly three thousand soldiers they had in peacetime, not taking into account guards on their towns and cities. Recalling former soldiers as teachers and offering youth that lost family during the war jobs as soldiers helped not only secure the morale of the populace and nobility but also increase security and offer a deterrence from further attacks.
"Your role will be to surround the town and deal with any Valmese that either tries to escape, or to alert other troops. The last thing we need is them getting reinforcements."
Both knights nodded, understanding the importance of their role.
"For support, we have around eighty good archers and around a hundred and twenty mages, including medics. We will try to hit the watchtowers and any camps outside the city at the same time," Robin said before sighing. "That's all for now. We will have one last meeting once we reach the port. I will send some scouts to gather more information and then proceed from there."
The Shepherds nodded but before they departed Robin spoke again.
"Guys. I know that we don't want war, but once again that has been taken out of our hands. I hate the idea that any of you will not return to your children, so I promise you to do my best to ensure you return home." He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of guilt in his shoulders. "I know it might sound callous to our other soldiers, but you guys are my family. I can't help but feel some favoritism," he added in jest.
His comrades laughed, though there was still a tinge of grim acceptance to their situation.
"We all know we can perish at any moment, Robin. Not only us but all of our fellow soldiers," Sumia said, earning nods from the others. "But I plan to see my Cynthia grow up, so I will do my part!"
That sentiment was echoed by the others and he could only feel pride in his friends.
He would not let them down.
Rose was proud of her brother. His plan was good and he had more troops on his side than she had on her own wars. Then again, she had faced less than five hundred soldiers with four hundred of her own, though that was after a bloody fight between the Feroxi and the Valmese. She wasn't sure why the numbers were much higher this time, as well as landing on three points when the Valmese were still fighting in their own continent. Even if Grima was subtly influencing the outcome, why would Walhart attempt this? It was foolish to fight a war on two fronts.
The tactician was missing something, and she didn't like it.
She was supposed to know the script to the story and yet every so often this Grima threw her for a loop. It was strange. The events happened as they were supposed to in a general sense but with new variables. Rose had been pondering this for the past two years but couldn't come to a reason why her counterpart had more resources than her, other than the universe having a twisted sense of balance.
She would have to leave that for later. For now, the Plegian needed to focus on the fight at hand.
The plan started well enough, using the moonless night to cover their movements. The sea was rough and loud, covering the sound of their march. Gaius and other stealth units in combination with a short-range teleportation spell made short work of the sentry towers. They had no anti-porting wards, which made the work trivial. After dealing with them, they made sure to secure the warehouses that were housing the Valmese resources. While destroying them with one of Miriel's tome bombs was possible, it would be a waste. Better to take them and use them in their own war effort. Locking the Valmese outside would also ensure a lot of them would not have access to weapons and armor.
Strangely, there were only around ten large galleys, six decks high, on the port. Not enough to transport all the men, animals, and supplies. A larger amount of smaller ships could actually dock, and the port would be secured.
Once the first stage was done, the large initiative started. Mages and archers launched their attacks on the stables and the camps outside the town, as it was not designed to hold so many troops. The men and beasts were taken by surprise, with many running wild into the open, right into the patch of the Ylissean cavaliers. Stahl and Sully lead the charge, making sure to cut down as many troops as possible.
It didn't take long for the disciplined Valmese to mount a defense though. The walls would hold against the Ylissean offensive, but even magically reinforced gates couldn't resist Miriel's bombs. The Ylisseans poured through the gates, cutting down Valmese with impunity even as the archers on the walls were trying to slow their advance. The invaders had taken the deserted houses for themselves and were as ready as they could, but with their equipment locked in the warehouses many couldn't put up a fight. As soldiers moved to the walls, the archers tried to take the rooftops but were felled by the Ylissean spells and arrows. But they didn't go down without taking their pound of flesh.
The war galleys weren't idle, though. While they only had a skeleton crew, they could still man half of the ballistae and catapults on their decks. The projectiles started hitting the outside of the town, while the burning projectiles crashed on his backline, pushing his troops towards the city.
"Infantry, move!" he shouted as he moved next to Gaius. "Stick to your groups and fight one street at a time." He then turned to the Shepherds' scholar "Miriel! Signal the Pegasus knights to start the attack! We need to stop that bombardment!"
The mage nodded and launched three fireballs into the air, and soon he heard the flapping of wings as the female warriors took flight, moving under the cover of darkness high in the sky.
"This is it everyone!" he shouted, rallying his troops. Adjusting his new helmet to complement his armor, Robin rose Mystletainn in the air. "For Ferox! For Ylisse!"
His troops cheered as they followed him on to the breach.
Yes, she felt pride in his growing skills.
If only he had chosen a different partner for her...
Chrom had to admit he was surprised how easily he and Rose synchronized their attacks, despite the little actual experience they had together. She had always shown herself to be a proficient fighter, but it was like she had fought at his side all his life and took to it like a fish to water. Not even Frederick nor Robin was this in synch with him. And he found himself moving quite as easily as her, following her movements like it was second nature.
The Prince slashed at a mage, and his gut told him to duck, just as Rose launched a thunderbolt at an incoming axeman. He wasted no time, swapping from Falchion to his rapier. The magically-enhanced weapon punctured through the hardened plate armor of the knight that tried to sneak up on his partner. Something that would be hard or impossible with regular rapiers.
This deadly dance repeated itself as the duo covered each other with eerie precision until the pair made their way to the commander. The Valmese wore armor relevant to his rank, with a gray beard and long hair in a ponytail. He stood near the pier, with three soldiers at his side.
The man snarled at the two Shepherds that faced him and his retinue. "So the Ylissean Prince and one of his dogs come to face me," he said, looking at them with contempt before standing taller and drawing his sword. "Hear me now, you filth! I'm Commander Dalton Felsen! The Conqueror himself, Emperor Walhart, claims dominion over these lands! You will grant your new emperor your ships! You will grant him all your provender! You will bend the knee and surrender the Fire Emblem to his Majesty!"
The Ylissean prince could only stare at the man. After centuries of keeping the Fire Emblem, suddenly a lot of madmen were after it. And they actually expected them to surrender it.
"Do this, and your lives will be spared. Resist, and your lives are forfeit! Now kneel and swear fealty to the mighty Valmese em–!" A series of loud explosions rang through the air and caught their opponents by surprise. "What!?"
Chrom smirked as the bombardment against the port stopped, silencing the monologue of the invader. Looking at the sea, he saw the smoldering wrecks of the war galleys, with the Ylissean Pegasus Knights flying overhead. The Knights were facing the few flying units that were on the ships and making short work of them. The wooden ships, despite their sturdy construction, were still consumed in flames. It seemed Robin was right, and they had flammable supplies onboard, like oil or explosive powder.
Dalton turned his glare to the two Shepherds, conveying all his rage with his eyes. "You vermin!" he said as he ordered his troops. "Kill them all! Leave the prince alive, though. He is valuable, but if he is missing an arm or a leg it's inconsequential."
The three warriors obeyed their leader, preparing to deal with them. His partner had other ideas. In a fluid movement, she launched a wind spell, throwing one of the men into the water. Before anyone could react, she closed the distance and shoulder checked the war priest giving them support into the water. The two Valmese couldn't do more than scream as she launched a thunder spell into the water, electrocuting the duo to death. The two other invaders were momentarily shocked, which Chrom took advantage of.
The prince charged the last of Dalton's men, this time with Falchion in hand and pulling the shield he had strapped on his back. The men's armors didn't look as thick as other heavier units, so Falchion sufficed. The man reacted by swinging his axe to remove his head from his shoulders, but Chrom easily ducked under the attack and aimed at his feet. He stabbed at the man's feet, piercing through the hardened leather. Had it been proper grieves it might have resisted but that wasn't the case. The Valmese's screams were cut short as Chrom bashed his jaw with the edge of his shield. With a final thrust, the prince pierced the gap between the neck and helmet, ending his life.
Dalton's rage was palpable as he saw his men be cut down with ease before him. His face then gained a bloodthirsty smirk as the sound of footsteps alerted them of incoming troops.
Rose turned, and he could hear the scowl in her voice. "Tsk. I will deal with the reinforcements," she said, sparing a glance at him. "Think you can handle the loudmouth without me holding your hand?"
Chrom snorted at the banter, not taking his eyes off the angry Valmese. "I think I can manage," he declared as he dashed forward to engage the leader of the invasion force.
Dalton was skilled, more so than the Plegian warriors he had been fighting the past two years. Only some of the more troublesome Risen and Abominations had given him such a challenge. But after suffering two years of training under the Plegian family, especially Morgana, he was prepared.
They clashed swords, dancing through each other's swings. He could recognize the Valmese swordsmanship that Rose used, or at least part of it. But Dalton had tricks up his sleeve too, as he finally landed a hit on Chrom's chest, pushing the prince back, but it failed to pierce the plate armor Rose insisted they all wore. At that moment, he ate all his previous complaints as it might just have saved his life. The prince scowled and decided he couldn't waste time with this man. As such, he called out the power of his blood.
The years of practicing with the Plegian family had allowed Chrom to master Aether. He gathered the azure flame on his blade and swung hard. It cut through the invader's shield with little resistance, only missing Dalton's hand thanks to the man's quick reflexes. Cursing, he dropped the ruined shield and grasped his longsword with both hands.
Before they clashed again, a blast of ice separated the men. Sparing a glance, he spotted Rose engaging with a heavily armored knight with a greatsword in a struggle of strength while a myrmidon laid impaled on a spear of ice. Looking at the frost generated by the spell, gave the prince an idea.
Taking a page of the tactician's book. Chrom used his shield to scrape off some of the ice, throwing it towards Dalton's face. The man was blinded for a moment, which Chrom used to his advantage. Closing the distance, he smashed the hilt of Falchion on the man's unprotected nose. Dalton swung blindly, but the Ylissean deflected it with a shield bash. Aether ignited around Falchion once more and easily pierced Dalton's armor.
The man slackened, his face in shock as his spine was severed and organs began to burn. But he wouldn't go without parting words. "This… is just the first wave…" Dalton said, gritting his teeth in defiance. "Soon, all the lands will bend to Walhart's will..."
"And we will stop him once again," Chrom declared, before pulling Falchion out and kicking the man away.
He turned to assist Rose only to her walking towards him, covered in blood, and leaving four broken bodies behind her.
"Well! They certainly offer more of a challenge than Gangrel troops," she said slightly out of breath. She then looked at him and smirked. "What took you so long?"
"Report!" Robin said, breathing hard. The battle had been hard and lasted for hours. Mystletainn was drenched in Valmese blood and his magical reserves were low, but thankfully he only suffered minor injuries. His muscles burned with exhaustion and only had a short time to rest before duty called again.
"Sir!" reported one of the Pegasus Knights newer recruits. He had yet to learn her name. "The town is under our control and all enemies have been neutralized. We managed to capture a few for interrogation, but most died in the fight."
"And our losses?"
"...We lost around forty mages, one hundred and fifty horsemen, and three hundred infantry," the girl explained, before taking a more solemn tone. "For the Pegasus Knights, we lost twenty-nine pegasi, though only seventeen riders died. We have eighteen more injured. Most of them are fresh recruits."
Robin did his best not to flinch at the numbers. While it was a total tactical victory, with much lower losses than the Valmese, the cost of living was something he still felt on his soul. Not only that, but this girl must have lost friends among her fellow recruits if her reaction was anything to go by. "Understood. Excuse me for not asking before, but may I have your name?"
The young knight stood straight at the question. "Irina Moldova, sir!"
A Feroxi surname. No wonder she was working hard. She must have moved to Ylisse after the last war. "You've done a fine job. I will talk to Phila about your performance. You will catch up to veterans soon enough."
Irina got flustered at the praise. "S-Sir! I'm a mere rookie when compared to the other knights!"
Robin gave her a sad smile. "No one here is a rookie anymore."
That silenced the girl. With a nod, she left for the tents.
"Never gets easier, does it?" he asked out loud once Irina was out of earshot.
"No, it doesn't," Rose said, stepping close to him with a cup of tea, Chrom next to her. "You did well."
"Thanks," Robin said, sitting down on a crate. "All things considered we came out on top, but this was just the start."
Chrom sat down next to him with a frown on his face. "Yes. From what we gathered, it's clear the Valmese won't stop after one defeat," he commented, looking at the pile of bodies his troops were gathering. "They are almost fanatically loyal to this Emperor Walhart."
"I dread to think how our last war would've been had the Plegian been equally devoted to Gangrel. The Grimleal are b–" A horn blast got their attention. Thankfully, it was the familiar sound of a Feroxi horn.
Sumia flew down after a minute, lading next to them. "Sirs! It's the Khans!"
"Send a messenger to greet them. We will be right there," Robin said, nodding to the other to meet the Khans.
"Basilio. Flavia. It's good to see you alive," Chrom greeted them with a firm handshake that they returned. They met at the edge of town while their troops helped assist in the town's repairs.
"Ah! Well met, boy. I knew you'd come." Basilio said with a grin, though it did not reach his eyes.
"And good thing you did. We would've been overrun without your help. These Valmese..." Flavia said with scorn as she saw the piles of foreign bodies. "Chrom, is that all of them?
Chrom nodded grimly. "Yes, but victory came with a price…"
"The port towns are in shambles, as is my army," Flavia said grimly. "They also cut down many of the smallfolk that fought back. And those with Feroxi blood will always fight back."
"Did you suffer that many heavy losses?"
Basilio crossed his arms in with a frown. "Less than it could've been. Your sister and her troops aided us greatly," before he turned to Robin. "Your mother is fucking terrifying in battle."
"Don't I know it..." Robin grumbled.
"She reminds me of your sister here. I like her," Flavia said, gaining some joviality.
"Of course you would, woman..." Basilio muttered, earning a slap to the head.
"Where are Emmeryn and her troops, by the way?"
"She insisted on helping patch up the wounded and her troops are helping keep a safe path back to the capital. She truly is a great woman, that sister of yours," Basilio said, patting him hard on the back. "You are lucky to have strong women at your back. Keeps you on your toes."
"Thanks?" the prince said uncertainly, glancing at his female comrades. "Did you guys learn anything from them?"
Turning back to a serious tone, the West Khan frowned. "Not much more than that, I'm afraid. The details remain hazy."
"We have someone that claims to have insight into Valm's intentions. I believe you've met?" The East Khan said, motioning for a group of people to come closer and Chrom could feel a headache coming already.
"Good day, lords and ladies. How far you all?" Virion greeted them with a dazzling smile. "Allow me the great pleasure, and indeed the honor, of introducing myself…"
Chrom pinched the bridge of his nose. "We all know who you are, Virion. Although I don't believe we've met your companion?" he said, motioning to the pink-haired woman at his side.
Virion scrunched his nose in indignation. "Hmph! You know nothing! Prepare for my great unmasking! Long have I posed as archest of archers! Yet that was but a ruse!" He said with a theatrical flourish. "Yea, an artifice, to disguise me as a mere above-average man. In truth, I am—"
The woman next to him cleared her throat, cutting his monologue off. "May I present Duke Virion Ashurst, Ruler of Rosanne. I am his humble wife, Duchess Cherche Lacroix. Greetings, Prince Chrom. You honor us with your presence."
Virion's shoulders slumped and looked at his wife, askance. "Dear! You stole my moment!"
Remembering his lessons in etiquette, he took her hand and kissed it. "A pleasure, Lady Lacroix," he greeted her, earning himself a smile. He then turned to Virion with a raised eyebrow. "And we already knew you were nobility, Virion."
The archer sputtered at that. "What?!"
"Expensive tastes. Fine clothing. Training and education of a level only accessible to nobles. There were also nobles and merchants that recognized you and mentioned it to me."
The Shepherds stared at the prince.
Chrom scowled once he noticed the reaction. "I'm not that dense," he said offended. "Perhaps you could speak on your husband's behalf?"
Cherche sighed but still had a smile. "That may speed things along, yes…"
"Then please. Time is of the essence."
The Duchess nodded, "Very well, then. First, concerning our origins... We hail from Rosanne, a fertile territory on the continent of Valm. My husband is the head of House Ashurst, and the ruler of Rosanne. A fact he often reminds us of—and loudly."
"Ha! Is she not a true wit? She gets it all from me, you know," the duke said proudly.
"Right… So what brings the Duke and Duchess of Rosanne all the way across the long sea?" the prince asked while ignoring the archer. "Surely, an envoy would suffice?"
Virion, though, took a serious tone. "Valm. Theirs was an unremarkable nation once. Tiny, almost pitifully so. Had our continent not shared its name, you might almost have forgotten it existed. And so Valm might have remained, if not for Walhart. The Conqueror. One by one, he has taken the surrounding realms into his growing empire. I had no choice but to ru–" he bit his tongue. "Er, that is, to recruit new allies to aid my people. That's why I've come."
"...You fled for your life," Chrom said with a deadpan tone.
"More or less, yes," Cherche clarified, much to her husband's embarrassment. "While Virion hastily gathered his valuables and left to look for allies, I remained in charge of the garrison to keep an eye on the Valmese crisis. Thankfully, he secured the assistance of the Feroxi and a mercenary group with the help of a Lady Rose, if I'm not mistaken."
Chrom turned to look to said woman, who stood a few feet back with her arms crossed.
Rose shrugged. "That guy owed me a favor," she said pointing at a man with a strong build and wild hair.
He just accepted it. His life was easier that way.
"A favor we now owe you it seems," Cherche said with a thankful tone. "With their help, we managed to establish push back their advance on the southern portion of the continent after establishing an alliance with the kingdom of Chon'sin and other surrounding territories."
"We have been at a stalemate for nearly half a year. It was then that we learned that that Walhart was launching an invasion on this continent," Virion added. "We gathered half our total forces and came back as fast as we could. Let it not be said that Rosanne doesn't pay its debts."
"It was thanks to then sending their fastest ship with Cherche on board that we learned of this invasion."
"And they were not the only ones to send help."
"Indeed. That's why the two of us came personally instead of a mere envoy. Please, allow me to introduce our Chon'sinian allies. The Crown Prince of Chon'sin, Yen'fay Fujiwara and his sister, Princess Say'ri Fujiwara."
"Greetings, Prince Chrom," the tall man named Yen'fay said. He looked like a powerful warrior, and his mere presence commanded respect.
"Well met, Ylisseans," Princess Say'ri said. She was beautiful, but it was obvious she was a fighter. "Tales of your exploits have reached even our continent. We look forward to fighting at your side."
They had names and armors similar Lon'qu's. He must be originally from Chon'sin, though he never broached the topic with him. That was neither here nor there.
"A pleasure to meet you as well," he greeted them as equals, leaders of their people. "As you know I'm Prince Chrom Lowell. This is my sister, Princess Lissa, and our army's Grandmaster, Robin Surana…."
As the royals made their greeting, two mercenaries met one another after not seeing each other for a long time.
"Rose," the blue-haired warrior said, grunting in respect.
"Priam," Rose said with a nod of acknowledgment. "I'm glad you answered Virion's call for help."
"I always pay my debts, and while I care little for who sits in what throne, the promise of these battles has been interesting."
Noticing them talking, Say'ri walked towards them, quickly followed by the others. "Priam has been a great help in our conflicts. His troops are disciplined and adaptable."
"Well, I hope so. I did train them for a little while, Your Grace," the tactician commented with a smile.
Priam narrowed his eyes at her. "My men still have nightmares about the incident."
If Rose felt anything about the implication, she shrugged it off. "They'd better. Fear is a great teacher. And the women in your group are better fighters now."
The man gave a reluctant grunt. The rulers of each kingdom continued to talk, leaving the two mercenaries alone once more. Rose then turned to the wielder of Ragnell with a smirk.
"So… the network said there is something going on between you and the warrior princess over there?"
The man actually blushed, much to her amusement. "…I preferred when you were a cold bitch."
"Once their full fleet arrives, their host will wash over the whole continent in a matter of weeks." Basilio stated grimly. "There's no way we could repel them and defend our people. Not while we still have the Risen to deal with. It would be a slaughter."
The prince grimaced at the idea. "Ylisse is no better equipped to handle an attack from the sea…" "What do you suggest? Robin?"
"Hmm…" Robin hummed in thought, looking around until his eyes fell on the burning wreckages of the Valmese fleet. "Their greatest strength is their cavalry, which puts us at a disadvantage... on land. But if we were to catch them at sea…"
"But how?" the prince said, his voice laced with frustration. "Ylisse has no warships, nor does Ferox. All we have is the merchant fleet that Plegian gave us as reparation. They won't be enough against a war fleet."
"True. The ships we used to send troops to Ferox were half merchant ships, half refugee ships that we appropriated," Flavia said. "Even against Gangrel, naval warfare was never really the focus of our battles."
"The ships we brought are mainly troop and supply transports. Only a few are war galleys not enough to challenge a Valmese Fleet," Yen'fay explained. "My apologies, but we couldn't leave our coasts unprotected."
"Understandable. You have done more than enough. But that still leaves us with a problem."
Basilio seemed to be forming a plan in his head. "So, we'd need aid from a kingdom that does…"
Flavia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You have someplace in mind, oaf?"
"Perhaps a land that borders the sea, with enough wealth to afford this campaign?"
It was Robin who figured out where Basilio was going with this. "Plegia."
Chrom didn't take that well. "No. Absolutely not. Out of the question." He could not go crawling to them after all that happened. After almost losing Emmeryn...
"They have gold, boy! Countless ships! And more importantly, we have a fart's chance in the wind without them."
Flavia didn't seem any happier than him, but she relented. "The oaf is right. ...Crude, but right. There's only one path forward. It will take time to gather the supplies and troops for an attack, so we have time to build naval weapons, but we need ships to fit them into. And we should leave some behind to not leave our coasts undefended."
"We have the ships they gave us as payment," he insisted. "Can't we just use those?"
"They won't be enough," Rose said. "They aren't dedicated troop transports, they are just merchant vessels. They have weaker hulls and different structures. If we could secure some of Plegia's warships we could actually pull this off."
"If not, well… I think Rose and I could come up with something to even the odds," Robin said, seeming to be running the numbers in his head.
"Oh, I already got some ideas… Though they aren't on the good end of the ethical spectrum."
"...I rather not ask," Flavia said as she looked at the two. "Chrom, will you reconsider?"
He knew he was defeated, and he wouldn't risk his people for his wounded pride. "...Very well. Send a messenger and request a summit immediately. I will meet them. I don't want Emmeryn anywhere near them," he said, running his hand over his face. "Let us pray this new king is more reasonable than their last."
He didn't fail to notice the silent conversations between Robin and Rose.
It didn't take long to get an invitation from Plegia to meet at their outpost on Carrion Isle. A poor venue should things go sour. Going to an island makes any escape difficult if not impossible. But the situation left them with little choice. Chrom was apprehensive of the situation since the last king they met almost succeeded in killing his sister. It had been a challenge to convince Emmeryn to remain in Ferox, for she did not want to accidentally insult Plegia when the peace was still fresh.
Robin, though, had other reasons to be worried. He was about to face his father.
He had to remain calm. Rose had ensured that Validar's soul remained trapped, so this had to be either a future version of him or an impostor. Neither made much of a difference, for he would still carry the title of King of Plegia. Too much power for a man that was so dangerous to his family.
At least Rose had kept any information about her and Morgana from leaking out. She had taken care of quite a few spies. Even if Morgana's identity were to be leaked, it would not be farfetched to believe she heard of him and found him in Ylisstol. Rose's name wasn't really associated with Morgana, despite her relative fame and coat. Small mercies.
As he thought of everything that could go wrong, a woman in a black robe soon arrived and bowed to their party. "I welcome you and your entourage to Carrion Isle, Prince Chrom. I am Lady Sariah Mahim, castellan of Westwatch."
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Mahim," Chrom greeted her. "I wish we had more time for long introductions, but time is of the essence."
"I understand you're in a hurry," the woman said with a polite smile. "I came to greet you and inform you that the king will see you now."
"You serve the new king, then?" Chrom asked as he followed the woman through the castle's main hallway. "This... Validar?"
"I do," she said with pride in her voice. "It's quite the honor to serve royalty, as your comrades know."
"They say he worships Grima…" Frederick said with as a little accusation as he could muster while remaining polite.
Lady Mahim nodded, keeping the polite smile on her face. "He is Grimleal, as it's expected of the King of Theocracy. My liege often says it was his faith that got him through to the throne, after Gangrel's passing. It has been a difficult time, with the civil war and other rebels vying for power," the castellan added with a scowl, before schooling her features. "But he has kept order where there might have been chaos. We had meant to arrange an official visit to Ylisstol, but– Ah, here is my lord now."
They arrived at the large chamber where a man in a black, regal robe waited for them. Robin recognized him immediately, not changing at all from the imprisoned visage Rose showed him. "An honor to finally meet you, sire. I am Validar, king regnant of Plegia."
Chrom nodded, shaking the king's hand. "The honor is mine, good king." He paused, squinting slightly, and Robin could pinpoint the moment the gears started turning. "Is it possible we've met before some... Gods! It can't be," the prince said, as recognition showed on his face.
Validar grinned as if he knew a joke no one else did, and it made the tactician's blood boil. "Oh ho! I'm quite certain I would remember any encounter with Ylissean royalty."
Chrom turned to him and asked in a low voice. "Robin."
"I know," he practically hissed back. "We will talk about it later. Not here."
Validar ignored that breach in etiquette and addressed the tactician directly. "And you must be Sir Robin."
"You know of me, sire?" Robin said, schooling his features and doing his utmost best to sound calm.
Validar's smile widened, sending a chill down his spine. "The whole world knows of Ylisse's master tactician! And indeed, I see the sparkle of wisdom in your eyes."
'If only you knew, you bastard…' he thought.
He knew Chrom wanted to ask more, but now was not the time. "I am sure we can have a proper discussion later, but for now shall we get to the negotiations?"
"Then let us get to it. The Valmese are a threat to us all, after all." The Plegian King said with a nod, motioning for the castellan to bring a book with her. "Dear Sariah, what can we spare without jeopardizing our tenous position?"
The robed woman adjusted her glasses as she looked over her notes. "Plegia can offer no soldiers, as we are keeping our borders secure as well as fighting a civil war," she said with an apologetic tone. "But we can provide eight hundred warships and two hundred transports. In addition, we would be pleased to fully fund the campaign against Valm. Our coffers can handle it thanks to our rich mines."
That generosity shocked all of them, even if Rose had already told him that they would offer support. He didn't expect this much.
Frederick was the only one not speechless. "That is... surprisingly generous of you, milord. We could not ask for more, quite literally. You offer almost all your assets…"
The king just waved it off. "I would give troops as well, but our army remains in shambles from the last war and what remains is busy with our local problems. I trust the gold and ships will suffice as a sign of our commitment to the cause?"
"Of course it will," Chrom said, once again shaking that snake's hand. "Thank you, King Validar."
"The honor is ours, my prince. I look forward to building a strong bond between our two nations."
The Ylisseal nodded, "As do I. Then, if there's nothing else? My men and I must hurry back to Port Ferox."
Lady Mahim frowned slightly. "So soon? I could still prepare a small dinner, and we have one more introduction to make."
Chrom was surprised by this. And he wasn't the only one. "...Yes? And who would that be?"
Validar smiled with too many teeth for Robin's liking. "A hierophant. The highest of his order in Plegia."
Robin felt his skin crawl as he heard the footsteps approaching. The hierophant arrived through a doorway, wearing Plegian robes just like his own. Clearly a man, though he kept his head hidden like Rose used to do. He was just missing the shoulder pads.
"...So you lead the people in worship? Grimleal, I suppose?" Robin asked, trying to be diplomatic despite the bad feeling he was getting.
No response.
"...I'm sorry, have I said something to offend you?" he added as his heart started to beat faster.
"The heart still sleeps, but the blood flows through it. And the blood is strong…"
Strong blood. He knew about his bloodline. Of its power.
Frederick, the ever-wary retainer, looked at the man with hard eyes. "Good hierophant, I would ask you to lower your cowl. In Ylisse, it is a courtesy expected of one in the presence of royalty."
The hierophant gave a low chuckle before he answered, "You are a long way from Ylisse, sir knight, but very well…"
Time slowed down as the cowl came down. The Ylisseans behind him cried in shock as the mop of white hair became visible and a pair of familiar purple eyes looked back at him.
"Is that better?"
Robin felt his heart stop at the sound of his own voice.
"By the gods!"
"What manner of sorcery–!"
'He looks just like... me.'
"My name is Robin," the man said, looking at him with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Oh, and that's your name as well, wasn't it? What a strange coincidence…"
He willed his nerves to still, trying to think about this. The man looked slightly older and had scars on his face that Robin lacked. Not only that but the way he looked at Chrom and Frederick spoke of something deeper going on. Did he also come from the future? Did he side with Grima? He would never do so, not now. But… had he not lost his memories? Had Marth not come back? He was missing too much information and that piece of shit father of his was not helping.
"Why that is rather curious, now that you mention it... What are the odds?" Validar said as if he knew nothing of this. "In any case, I believe we are finished here. We will let you be on your w–"
"Hold just one moment!" Chrom shouted, snapping himself out of the shock.
"M-Milord?" Lady Mahim said, looking nervously between the men. At least it seemed she wasn't in on this farce.
"What is the meaning of this? Why do your hierophant and Robin–"
"I'm afraid we've no time for such trivial matters now, Prince Chrom," Validar interrupted smoothly. "We have aid preparations to attend to, and you have a long, hard journey ahead. Oh, and do be careful on your way back to Port Ferox. The highroads of Plegia can be quite treacherous with the Civil War still going on…"
The party understood that they were being practically being kicked out, but they were unwilling to jeopardize the aid given. Reluctantly, they followed the nervous castellan back to the entrance.
Robin meanwhile, was thinking about the conversation he would have with his sister.
It was a long week for Robin. They rode they ship back to the Port Ferox and rode horses towards one of the forts were Emmeryn and the other leaders were waiting while the bulk of their army prepared around the ports. The tactician couldn't answer Chrom's questions, as he didn't know the answers. His sister wasn't around when he arrived at the camp, so he had yet to have the opportunity to talk with her.
He went to bed early that day, but sleep eluded him as he tossed and turned thanks to his running imagination. Giving up on getting any sleep, he put on his clothes, taking his weapons for good measure, and went for a walk.
"... It's no use. I can't sleep," he muttered as made his way to a hill outside the camp. "Was that my future self? Why was he there?"
He closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, letting the evening wind roll over him. But the chill that ran through his skin did not come from the cold breeze.
"Robin... Heed me, Robin…" a dark, familiar voice rang through his very bones.
"Huh? Who's there?!" he demanded, hand on the pommel of his sword, as he looked around for the source of the voice.
"Heed my call, Robin…"
His hand flew to the sides of his head, clutching it as pain speared his brain like shards of broken glass. "Nngh... This voice is... in my head? Who are you?! What's happening?!" he ground out, trying and failing to keep the pain at bay.
His vision blurred and soon the dark visage of his father manifested before him, like a ghost haunting him from beyond the grave. The man looked down at him with a mix of pity, contempt, and amusement.
"Why do you close your heart to him, my son?" the man asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Have you truly forgotten your lineage? Your destiny?"
"You were... calling me... Augh!" Robin cried out, his nails digging into his scalp. "Get out of my mind."
The Plegian king laughed at his pain, only fueling his hatred for the man. "Heh heh. Such arrogance! You dare take such a tone... with your own father?!"
"...I would," the tactician answered through gritted teeth, glaring at the man.
Validar took his knowledge of his heritage with amusement, barking a laugh at his struggle. "Ha! So you do know! I knew that wench Morgana would not keep this from you! That's why I gave you all those resources! A father has to ensure the safety of his most precious scion."
Robin's glare only deepened as he tried to fight off the pain.
"You are of my flesh, but of sacred blood. You are to serve a glorious purpose! Search deep in your heart. You already know it is your destiny…"
"No... Get... out…" he demanded as it became harder to breathe.
"Why do you resist us, Robin?" he asked disappointedly. "Your rightful place is at my side. Not wasting your time with these doomed servants of Naga! Give yourself to Grima! Let me join your strength to the fell dragon! You can crush the Valmese! Then the entire wo–!"
"BEGONE!"
Validar couldn't react before his connection was severed. Robin sank to his knees panting when he felt a pair of hands take hold of his shoulders. Looking up, his eyes met the concerned gaze of his sister.
"Are you ok?" Rose asked, using her magic to soothe the pain. Not as efficient as a staff, but a welcome relief nonetheless.
"Nngh... Ahh... Ahh... I-I think so," he said through heavy breaths, trying to stand on his shaking legs. "Yes, thank you. I'm... I'm fine, now."
"...It was Validar, right?" Rose asked him, and he was honestly not surprised that she knew at this point.
"Yes," Robin replied regaining his bearings. "I met him in Plegia, as we expected. But there was also this man..."
"... That looked just like you," she whispered.
He looked at her with wide eyes. That, he did not expect. He felt a rush of emotions at the revelation. "H–how do you know? Who was he?! Why did you keep this a secret?!"
"I told you before there were more things I haven't shared with you. This was one of them," she explained. "As for who he is… It's not something easy to explain, though I think you have guessed as much. And lately, I've been wondering if I'm wrong with my knowledge."
"He's the future me, right?"
Rose frowned and looked at the side, avoiding looking at him in the eyes. "...He is what you could have been and could become if you fall to Validar's and the Grimleal's influence. A tool. Yet…" she sighed, rubbing her eyes. "From what I've gathered he is too different from you, even before you lost your memories. I feel like there are gaps in what I know that I wasn't aware of before."
There was something else she wasn't saying, the key to the puzzle and he wasn't about to let her go so easily. "I think–!"
The sound of a horse coming their way caught their attention, accompanied by a distressed voice. "Robin! Rose!"
The pair turned to see a Stahl coming their way. His armor looked hastily put on, making them wary. "Stahl? What's the matter?"
"We are under attack!" he shouted, ordering his horse to a stop. "Risen have encircled the camp! They caused an avalanche that cut us from the main army!"
Robin was shocked, failing to notice the scowl forming on his sister's face. "But... we posted sentries! How did this happen?"
"They made a stealthy approach, and killed the sentries," the knight said, looking around in case an enemy snuck upon them. "I've never seen Risen behave like this. Either they are learning our ways, or someone is commanding them…"
"Validar! This is his doing, I'm sure of it," the tactician gritted out. "Equip anyone who can bear arms and tell them we fight for our lives!"
Janus looked into the tear in reality, intrigued by the turn of fate. It seemed like many pieces were converging in place, without his involvement. It was bound to be interesting if nothing else.
"Should we be following so close to the army, Lucina?" Cynthia asked as their small convoy made their way through the thick Feroxi forests. The Pegasus rider flew down and let her steed land next to the princess.
"We need to keep an eye on the Shepherds or our efforts will be in vain," the princess said, looking at her friend. "If we can, we should hitch a ride on one of the ships. Though I have yet to think of a way to do so…"
"Maybe we could pretend to be a mercenary company working for the Khans?" Kjelle suggested from behind them, making the pair turn. "We are diverse enough, and very few have seen you without your mask. You have a reputation as a Khan champion, so we could just say we are a wandering company and you're our leader." The armored girl shrugged. "Which is not a lie."
Lucina pondered the suggestion. "That's not a bad idea. It might just work," she said, smiling at her friend. "Thanks, Kjelle."
Kjelle chuckled, "Any time, 'Boss'."
Lucina shook her head and looked to Cynthia. "We should stop and make camp. Please go tell the others to start prep–!" Her orders stopped as the ground rumbled, and the forest came alive with sounds.
"What's going on?!" Cynthia shouted as she reined her spooked pegasus.
The princess didn't answer immediately as she drew Falchion from its sheet, looking for the source of the commotion. Yet, it was the Risen jumping from the woods that told her all she needed to know.
"AMBUSH!"
"I blame you entirely for this!"
"Ok! So maybe this time it's my fault!"
"This time?!" Marc shouted as he cut another Risen with his blade.
Morgan followed up by using a simple thunder spell with no incantation. "Less shouting, more killing!"
The twins finally landed in Ylisse, having haggled for passage on one of the cargo vessels coming from Rosanne in exchange for work. It took quite a lot of effort on their part, but after weeks of working as deckhands, they were on their home continent.
Marc wanted to wait on the docks until the Shepherds came around, but his sister insisted on finding them themselves. After losing at a game of "Sword, Axe, Lance", Marc relented and followed her lead.
Which meant things only could get more difficult for them, starting by walking right into the middle of a Risen ambush.
"We couldn't just stay in the damn inn, could we?!" His muscles burned, and the injuries were starting to pile up. Neither of them was good with staves and even if they were they had no respite to use their one staff.
If they died here, he would blame Morgan through their eternity in the afterlife.
Chrom bashed the spear to side with his shield, closing the distance and beheading the Risen with a single swipe. His breathing got hard as enemy after enemy fell to this blade. It felt like hours of fighting before the tide finally slowed, even if it was just a few minutes. He had his comrades' skill to thank for these. They worked together as a flawless unit, suffering no casualties.
The new additions from Rosanne and Chon'sin had integrated well with them. Cherche worked with Virion well, and the Chon'sin royal siblings showed flawless teamwork. The mercenary Priam showed his skill, adapting to all fighting styles which he credited to his band's diversity. All in all, it worked for the prince.
It seemed that for now the Risen had stopped coming but he couldn't let his guard down. Lissa came to his side, staff in hand, and started enveloping him with regenerative light.
"Thanks, Lissa," Chrom said, feeling the strain in his muscles banish under the waves of healing magic.
Lissa returned the smile as her staff did its work. "No problem! I will have you back to full strength in a…" The princess trailed off as her eyes widened in surprise. Before her brother could ask what was wrong she shouted, pointing with her staff to the forest below. "Chrom, look!"
The prince looked to where she was pointing, and his eyes widened as he recognized the figure engaging a pair of Risen. "Is that Marth?"
"Looks like it, and she has comrades," Robin said, coming to his side with Mystletainn in hand. "Look! To the south! More Risen are coming their way!"
"Dammit! If those Risen get to them they will be overwhelmed," he cursed, turning to his comrades to issue his orders. "Robin, guide the troops and reinforce our rear! Phila should be with Emmeryn and Prince Yen'fay. Go there and organize them! We can handle this!"
His grandmaster nodded. "As you command," he said, moving to fulfill his duty.
"Comrades! Follow me! An ally needs our assistance!"
On the other side of the forest, steel clashed with steel as Marc's blade struggled against that of his attacker. The Risen was bulky and wielded his sword with terrifying force. He started to buckle under the strain and yet he knew he couldn't give in. He reached deep inside him for the power of his blood, but it was not Aether which answered, but the power he inherited from his mother. The word came to his mind by instinct and he let the power run free.
"Ignis!" he shouted, letting the words of power resonate through his body.
Marc's blood singed as purple flames emerged from his hands, weaving his magic into his tired muscles and enveloping his blade with power. He pushed the offending blade back and swung his own in a wide arc, cutting through armor and flesh with ease.
As Thorn bifurcated Rose's opponent, a siren's call rang through her body. Rose's head snapped to the side, her eyes wide as she felt something familiar come to life. She hadn't felt anything like this before, yet the presence was familiar. Something she had been missing and could identify on instinct alone. Feeling the familiar pull of Ignis in the distance once again she noticed the familiarity. It wasn't Robin or Morgana, for their power was not dependent on her Grima's. But this one tugged at her with a sense of belonging.
"It can't be…" she breathed, not daring to hope for the impossible.
She drove her blade through the skull of the Risen in her way and burst into a sprint, looking for the source of the disturbance.
Her tome drained of all its stored power, Morgan was forced to use her blade. While her brother was the superior one with a blade, she was no slouch either. The girl cut Risen after Risen but the use of so many spells had taken a toll on her. This cost her when one of the Risen broke through her defense, smashing her with the shaft of its broken spear. The impact belittled its force, sending the girl tumbling through the ground with a cry of pain.
"Morgan!"
The name rang through her ears as her feet stopped cold at the edge of the hill, having left a trail of Risen carcasses on her path. Her eyes locked on the twin figures at the edge of the forest.
It couldn't be. They shouldn't be here. They should be dead. They had to be dead. Were they her brother's kids?
No. She could feel the link to her.
Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter.
She exploded into motion like a coiled spring, jumping from the ledge as her magic gathered in her fingers by sheer instinct. Her vision was red and her heart was threatening to burst through her chest, but her focus had never been more crystal clear.
Her children were alive.
Marc and Morgan were alive.
They were in front of her.
They were in danger.
´I will kill anything that threatens my children!´
Having vaporized the head of the offending Risen with a bolt of magic, Marc stood protectively in front of his sister, ready to protect her with his life. On the ground, he could see Morgan on the corner of his eye, healing her wound with what little magic she could muster.
"Marc…" she said, showing fear for the first time in ages. Her bravado gone as the battle took its toll on her mind.
"It will be alright. We've beaten the odds before and we will do so again!" he declared as he severed the arms of a Risen before cutting his head, pushing away his exhaustion through willpower alone. "We didn't come this far to fall here, sis!"
That seemed to rally his sister. Morgan shakily stood back up, taking her sword in hand. "Right!"
Marc gave her a smile as the pair stood before a dozen undead soldiers. Bad odds, he knew, but he would ensure they both made it out alive. They had no other choice. "We do this like we always do."
Morgan nodded. "Together."
The Risen charged at them.
The siblings held their ground.
And Fate smiled upon them.
"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"
A blast of wind ripped through the ground, sending earth and Risen alike flying. One of the few that evaded the blast looked up only to have its skull crushed as an armored foot smashed it into the ground. Not wasting any time, the newcomer rushed forward, engaging the Risen like she was possessed.
The twins could not believe their luck, much less because their savior was a woman with long, white hair, wearing a painfully familiar cloak.
"Is that…?"
Falchion cut through rotten flesh as Lucina weaved through her opponents. She felt tired and the wounds were starting to accumulate, slowing her down. Her group had been divided into the chaos, but she still had backup.
Very loud backup.
Her cousin clashed blades with a Risen swordsman, spinning into a pose and using his weapon to point at his enemy in a dramatic form. "You dark creatures of the abyss! You shall reckon the day you faced me! RADIAAAAANT DAA–!"
The Risen he was about to engage was bashed to the side by a heavy shield, wielded by an annoyed Kjelle. "Owain! Shut up and fight!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" he squawked, turning and facing his enemies in silence.
The princess sighed and refocused on the right, preparing to meet the incoming Risen when a flock of crows clouded her vision. The birds pecked at the Rise, blinding them and giving them some respite.
"No way..." Owain said, recognizing the technique.
"Nyahahaha!" a laugh cut through the night.
"Henry! Only the Risen!"
"I know, dear!"
Lucina's and Owain's heads snapped to the side, looking at the incoming reinforcements with a mixture of joy, relief, shock, and dread.
"Sully! Kellam! I need you to give us some breathing room!"
The voice froze Lucina's blood. She had talked to him before but on her own terms. She wasn't prepared to talk to her father like this.
The two knights roared in acknowledgment at the prince's orders, smashing into the Risen host and breaking their lines with their heavy armor.
"Fa–Prince Chrom! What a–?"
"Sorry for our late arrival, Marth. We would have come earlier but we had our own ambush to deal with," he added with a smile, before turning to his sister. "Lissa, heal their wounds. Henry, cover her!"
"On it, Chrom!" Aunt Lissa replied as she dutifully fulfilled her duty.
"Awww, ok! I still get to see some blood, I suppose!" Uncle Henry said as he jumped back into the fray.
Lucina watched as her father took on two Risen at once. His skill had improved by leaps and bounds since their first meeting and now he resembled the legend she remembered. Despite his improvements, however, she was still a human. Fallible and vulnerable to sneak attacks. As such, he didn't see the Risen coming behind him with a blade ready to plunge into his spine.
"Father!" she cried as her body moved without second thoughts. Ignoring her aunt's cry of surprise, the future princess blocked the undead's blade. The failed assassin was pushed back. Not wasting a second, Lucina invoked the flames of Aether from her blood to envelop Falchion and used them to split the Risen down the middle. Lucina fought back a grin at her victory over fate once more. A sound behind her made the princess turn and face a very confused prince looking at her.
"W–What did you call me?" Chrom asked, clearly confused by her shout.
"Uh…"
Severa gritted her teeth as her blade clashed against her opponent's. The blade chipped as the struggle for dominance, but the redhead had the stubbornness to spare. Suddenly, the Risen grunted as a spear found his side. Looking at her side, she saw Cynthia as she pulled the spear from the body. Her pegasus was grounded with an injury on her wing. She would live, but that left Cynthia at a disadvantage.
"Leave the girls alone!"
A knight on green armor dashed past her, beheading the Risen. Another undead prepared to attack only for a pegasus to dive and a spear to pierce its skull.
Her eyes widened in shock as her parents moved in tandem, dispatching enemies in perfect sync.
At her side she could see Cynthia frozen in awe as Aunt Sumia stabbed a Risen axeman, with Uncle Gaius shooting down an undead wyvern.
"Gods…" she said, having regained some of her faith in the divine at that very moment.
Alann and Jocasta held their ground against the barrage from the Risen Knights that came after them. With a battle cry, the pair pushed the greatsword out of the weapon lock they had, and they wasted no time on counter-attacking. A bolt from the redhead's Levin sword stunned the knight, while the future Khan smashed the hammed side of her battleax on the knight side, toppling him to the ground. Before he could retaliate, the Levin sword stabbed through the gap of his helmet, letting the electricity destroy flesh and bone alike.
They were not the only ones fighting in that clearing, though. A short distance away, Inigo and Ke'ri stood back to back, cutting down enemy after enemy in a deadly dance. As different as they were in their tastes, very few could match the sibling's resonance.
Inigo's longsword slashed high, forcing the Risen to block, leaving his underside exposed as Ke'ri moved her katana into a wide arc, cutting his leg under him. As he fell, the girl stabbed his head, while her brother moves to attack cut into the chest of an incoming Risen assassin. But in doing so, he left himself exposed to another enemy. A berserker rushed at him with her axe ready, but before it reached him, another katana blurred through the air, severing the Risen's head from its body. The siblings watched in shock as their father dispatched the enemy with barely a backward glance to them.
"Cover your flank, boy," Lon'qu said, cutting down another attacker with ease before turning to his comrades. "Gregor, with me! Olivia, cover them while Anna heals them?"
The older mercenary laughed boisterously as he followed the swordsman just as Olivia replied. "O-of course! Leave it to me!" the pink-haired dancer said, nodding and taking her position. Unbeknown to her, her future children looked wide-eyed at her as her Feroxi blood showed. Be it a theater or a battlefield, she would perform to the best of her abilities regardless of her shyness.
"Don't worry, guys! Help is here," Anna said to her bewildered audience as the staff in her hands glowed. "Now, hold still! These things are expensive!"
Gerome growled as he guided Minerva to avoid a volley of arrows. Nah was on the ground fighting alongside Yarne to prevent the Risen from flanking their friends. The normally-coward rabbit was fighting fiercely next to the dragon, making quite the strange pair. While he observed, instinct kicked in and he dodged the swipe from a Risen's lance before he cleaved the skull of its mount with his axe. An undead Pegasus Rider came after him, but before it closed the distance, a dark blur smashed against its bulk. Stopping mid-air, he could see a painfully familiar pair of pink and blue hair fleeting on the breeze.
"Go rest, young man, we will take it from here," Cherche said, offering him a smile as her Minerva's fangs ripped the undead pegasus' head off.
The boy was thankful his mask hid his shock at the sight of his mother riding her Minerva, while his father shot arrows with deadly precision to the incoming flyers from the backseat. A deadly duo whose presence filled him with both joy and dread.
A cry made him look down with fear. On the ground, Nah was clutching her side and Yarne was panting as he stood protectively in front of her. He swore and steered Minerva into a dive, but his intervention was not required.
As the four Risen moved for the kill a blast of fire came from above, incinerating the corpses. Gerome looked astonished as Nowi blasted another group of Risen with her flames before engaging a wyvern in an aerial battle.
On the ground, more reinforcements appeared from the woods as the shapes of Donnel, Vaike, and Panne charged to fight the incoming Risen that escaped Nowi's blast.
Vaike smashed a Risen general's armor with his war-hammer, making the corpse crumble under its own weight as if someone had cut a puppet's strings. "Booyah! Who wants another lesson from Teach!?"
Panne looked at the younger taguel for a moment, making him sweat, before her husband's shouts took her out of her inspection. With a huff, she jumped back into the fray, her husband hot on her heels. The wyvern rider gritted his teeth. They needed to get together and leave, or the Shepherds would start asking questions. He got lucky that his… parents didn't get too close to recognize Minerva, but it was just a matter of time.
"Oh! Another manakete!" Nowi exclaimed, having returned to her human form after incinerating her opponent, "And you smell like me! Are you family?!" she added as if to prove Gerome's point.
Nah looked deeply uncomfortable. "Ehmm..."
"Sorry about that ma'am," Donnel said, offering a vulnerary to the younger manakete. "Mah girl here can get mighty excited when meetin' new people."
"Hey!"
"Uhh," was Nah's only reply, as her eyes remained wide in the presence of her parents.
Gerome frowned behind his mask. This day was getting more and more complicated.
"Noire! Laurent! Don't let up!" Sun'fey shouted as he held back a Risen while his companions peppered their enemies with arrows and spells. His katana was getting dull and covered with rotten blood. It vanished in time, but every second was precious to them.
"I'm running out of arrows!" Noire shouted as she swapped to her last quiver.
"I am afraid my reserves are running low..." Laurent added, panting as he launched one more spell.
A scream cut through his thoughts as he saw Noire in the ground, clutching her thigh where an arrow was now buried.
Brady was running towards the downed girl, staff in hand. "I'm comin', Noire!"
Sun'fey was about to reach for the sword on his back when he saw that same sword blur in front of him and behead a
"Come on! Will one of you vermin give me a challenge?!" Priam roared as Ragnell cut a Risen mage in half.
The princess of Chon'sin moved to his side, cutting an undead cleric. "Fie! These beasts know not when to quit!" she added, and Sun'fey couldn't stop the blush at how beautiful his mother looked as she cut down her foes.
He shook his head, now was not the time to be a mama's boy.
"At least they provide a workout," his father said.
"I only have known you for a few months and it's always workouts with you..."
"These muscles didn't make themselves, princess," he retorted
He felt ants crawling up and down his spine as his parents cut down the Risen in front of him while flirting.
A blast of wind blew a Risen wyvern from the air. A young man moved to his side and offered him a smile. He recognized the young mage, though he was much younger than he remembered.
"Don't worry, sir. Backup is here. Libra, Tharja," Frederick ordered, his voice carrying his commanding presence. "Protect Maribelle while she heals the girl. Miriel and Ricken, provide long-range support."
The priest nodded, taking his axe in hand and looking for enemies, "Understood."
"Only because Robin asked me to…" the Plegian sorceress muttered as she too took a defensive position in front of the healers.
The two Ylissean mages simply nodded as they started to chant their spells.
Maribelle kneeled in front of Noire and examined her wound with a scrunched nose. "Hmm, it seems this ruffian knows a thing or two about healing. It will take only a moment to fix his mistakes."
"Hey, now! Wait for just a second!"
The samurai could only stare in bewilderment as the heiress of Themis chastised her son for his manners. This sudden change of fates was almost too much for him.
"You called me father..."
"Ehm... Well… I–" Shit. Lucina knew she was a terrible liar. How could she get out of this? If court had still existed in her time, maybe she would be a good liar, but she didn't have that luxury. Before she could form any semblance of a plan, however, her cousin intervened.
"Lucina..." Owain said walking to her side with a tired expression painted on his face. His voice lacked the theatrical flair it normally possessed. He cast a forlorn look as Aunt Lissa, looking both younger and more mature with her long hair flowing free of its childish twin-tails. "I think it's better if we just… tell them everything. Things have changed too much to continue as we planned."
She whipped her head around, looking at Owain in disbelief. He couldn't be serious! "You know the consequences this could've!"
"We can't continue as we were!" he retorted with surprising force. "As… painful as this could be, it would be for the best."
"What plan?" Chrom asked in a serious tone.
Shit. For a moment, she forgot their parents were right there. But maybe Owain was right, and she couldn't believe those words crossed her mind. This was important and it was clear things were nowhere near going according to plan.
She relented with a sigh, before looking at the royal siblings in the eye. "Prince Chrom, Princess Lissa, maybe it's best if we discuss this in private?"
The siblings looked at each other and nodded. Her father looked at his troops and issued his orders. "Sully, you're in charge here. Make sure the area is clear."
The cavalier nodded, though not before giving Lucina a weird look. "You got it, Chrom."
Chrom nodded and turned to Lucina, motioning them to walk. "Very well, lead the way."
The four walked a small distance away from the others for a modicum of privacy, stopping on a hill. There were still a few battles going around in the distance, but with the combination of both her friends and the Shepherds, the Risen had been routed. Only some stragglers remained behind.
Knowing she couldn't put this off any longer, she took a deep breath and started. "I… Our story is difficult to believe. I know it will sound fantastical but please be assured we speak only the truth."
"You've given no reason for me to doubt your words so far," Chrom said sincerely, though he now had a confused frown on his face.
"Yeah! You helped protect Emmeryn, so the least we can do it hear you out," Lissa added, and it warmed Lucina's heart to know they trusted her.
"Very well." No turning back now. "I have knowledge of future events, because to us, they are the past."
A pause.
"What?" Both siblings replied at once.
"Behold!" Owain said, striking a pose. Whatever willpower he had held back his theatrics had banished, and the princess could feel a headache coming. "We have braved the treacherous tides of time and space, to join forces with the legends of days long past to stop the incoming darkness from consuming the world!"
"What?"
"We come from the future," she offered helpfully and bluntly. Might as well take the direct route.
Their reactions were just as she expected, with disbelief clear on their faces. Her father was the first to speak his thoughts, "But… that's… Pardon me, but such declarations are quite unbelievable.
"I understand your disbelief," Lucina admitted. "But do you remember how I showed up out of nowhere during the Risen attack near Southtown?" she asked, getting tentative nods in return. "I came to the past at that moment, having split up from my comrades during the transition."
"And you knew about the assassination attempt against us and how to infiltrate the castle. You said you had knowledge of the future…" Chrom mused out loud, considering her words seriously. "If you do come from the future, then those were things that had already happened in your time."
"That's correct," she said with a pleased smile. Her father was taking her words seriously, but she could do better. "If you've any other doubts, please look at this Falchion," she said as she handed the sheathed blade to the prince. "It's not a replica. It's the future version of your own."
Chrom took the blade. Lucina watched how his eyes widened and his breath hitched as he saw the blade in detail. "It's real. I can feel it in my blood," he breathed before looking at her once more. "How did you come to possess this?"
Lucina swallowed her nerves and pushed onwards. "I inherited from you. I called you father because you are my father," she confessed, receiving the shocked reactions she expected. "My name is Lucina Lowell, and this is my cousin, Owain Lowell. He is Lady Lissa's son with Ser Henry."
Her aunt was nearly knocked out of her feet. "WHAT?!"
Owain jumped at the chance, taking a heroic pose for his mother. "Blessed Mother! I have crossed oceans of time to find— Oh, forget it. I'm your kid from the future!" he said suddenly, shocking his cousin. "Look at the signet ring upon my finger. Behold, a perfect match for yours! Unique in all the world, and yet here lie two. Proof positive my claims are true!" Owain paused a moment and then nervously asked. "…You are married to my father, Henry, right? We were away from the Ylisse and haven't heard much..."
Lissa blinked at the question. "Ehm, yes. We got married a month ago."
The young man sagged in relief and Lucina had to stop herself from feeling jealousy. It was not fair that her own parents were not married, and she was not born as she should've, but that was not Owain's fault.
"The ring is identical! It has the same inscriptions and I can feel the protective hexes Henry cast on it!" she said in amazement until she saw his ripped sleave her. "you have the Brand," she whispered in realization.
"The one carried by House Lowell," her son said, taking her into an embrace. "So no more need to worry, eh?"
Her breath hitched, and she choked a sob. "Th-then you know? That I don't…"
"That your Brand never surfaced? Yes, you told me as such when I was little," he added, remembering the moment with fondness. "You said it always weighed on you... You should have seen how happy you were the day mine appeared! You were sobbing and laughing for an hour without pause!"
Lissa laughed through her tears, easily accepting his words after all the proof. "I was kind of hoping to grow out of the crying thing…"
"Yes, well. No more worrying. It was by chance alone your Brand never surfaced," Owain said tenderly. "We're all family, linked by blood. You really are Emmeryn's and Chrom's sister. My Brand proves our lineage."
"I believe you," she said with a smile. "Chrom, I believe them. I have a son!"
Chrom smiled at the scene. "I believe them too. Well met, nephew," he said, before awkwardly turning to Lucina. "And daughter… Although… I'm not married."
Lucina grimaced at that. "...Yes, I'm well aware," she said awkwardly.
His face paled at that. "D-Did I…? I mean, your mother… Ehh, was I present in your life...?"
Understanding what he meant, she quickly waved her hands to dispel such thoughts. "You were married! At least in my time. You don't have an illegitimate daughter running around. Haha…" Lucina said with an awkward laugh while she screamed internally. At least, that's what she hoped. Clearing her throat, she continued, "We managed to stop Aunt Emmeryn from being assassinated and she survived the war. As such, you were not required to get married... Or to have an heir."
"So, in your future, with Emmeryn dead, Jon was not born?" Lissa asked with a grimace. It was clear she loves her nephew.
The future princess shook her head. "No. Owain is my only cousin."
"If Emmeryn died, then I became Exalt?" he asked, getting a nod in return. "...Who is your mother?"
Ah. That question. "W-Well, despite our revelations, I think it's better if you don't know. I don't wish for you to get together out of some sort of responsibility."
Chrom pondered the suggestion and nodded. "That's fair, I suppose," he admitted before looking at her more seriously. "But, you still haven't told us much about how or why you came to the past. I doubt it's only to save Emmeryn. As much as I love her, I don't think it would be required you coming back from decades into the future with time travel."
She gulped. How it was time to drop the big bomb. "Ah, yes… Well, Naga assisted us in our journey. As for the reason, we–"
Before she could continue, a voice saved her. "Lucina!"
Turning around, she saw one of her friends coming towards them in a hurry. "What's going on, Kjelle?"
"Come! You need to see this!"
The dying gurgle of the Risen soldier was music to her ears. Rose ripped through the Risen like a natural disaster, slaying each and every one of them with reckless abandon. Anyone that dared hurt her children would suffer for daring such a thought. A group even tried to merge into an Abomination, and the small rational part of her mind took note of the lack of them beforehand. It didn't matter to her, she only saw a threat to her children.
Ignis burned in her palm, feeding into the spell she charged. Uttering the incantation by instinct, Rose launched an Arcfire spell into the monster, making flesh and blood boil under the intense purple flames.
She nearly snarled, looking around for more enemies, though there were none left on the battlefield.
"...Mom?"
Morgan's tentative voice broke through the haze of rage that had consumed her like a wave of icy water. She turned to the children she never thought she would see again. Morgan's blue eyes were wide wonder and hope, not believing what she was seeing. She had grown into a beautiful young woman.
"Mother?" Marc said, his voice hopeful and soft. He was always the polite one out of the two. Her sweet boy was now a man grown. He inherited his father's looks.
They had grown.
And she missed it, being a puppet to Grima.
Her blood sang in their presence. There was no doubt in her heart
"Marc. Morgan," she said, her voice trembling as she walked towards the two. Thorn clattered to the ground, forgotten, as the two teens rushed towards her with tears in their eyes.
"MOM!"
"MOTHER!"
"My babies," she breathed, kissing them and hugging them as if they would disappear at any moment. She didn't care how, but they were here. "I… You're here. You're alive. Wha–"
Morgan interrupted her with her own questions. The excitement made her run her mouth at a fast pace. "Mom, it's really you! How are you in the past? Where is your past self? You look so young! Do we have two moms?! Where is dad!?"
"Morgan, calm down," her twin chastised lightly, though still with a smile on his face.
"How can I? This is great! We got found mom!"
Rose had many questions and a part of her knew there would be plenty for her once the Shepherds met them, but she honestly didn't care. She had her kids back. If only Lucina...
Lucina.
Oh gods, this Lucina. How would she react? Would she think they are Fellspawn too? Kill them?
She heard footsteps and saw two other bluenettes coming her way. Chrom and Lucina were looking at them in confusion and Rose felt her heart hammering at her chest. She needed time. Time to think. New variables. New things to protect.
Time she didn't have.
"Rose? What's going on?" Chrom asked, but she barely heard him as she looked at the blue-haired girl next to him.
"Lucy!" the twins shouted in joy, momentarily forgetting their mother who stood in shock.
She reacted on instinct. She needed to protect them. "Wait! She's not y–!"
"Marc! Morgan! You're alive!" Lucina shouted in glee, tears in her eyes as she embraced the twins.
Her words died in her throat, her hand froze mid-movement.
What.
"We are sorry, Lucina! We didn't mean–" Morgan started to babble.
"I know. And I'm sorry too," the older girl said soothingly, and she ran her fingers through their hair. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I… I thought I lost you and..."
What.
"Never, sis!"
"Hey! We found mother! And you found father! This is awesome!" Morgan squealed as she hugged her sister harder.
What.
Lucina let out a breath but still smiled. "I know you did. I had seen them before, though this is not how I wanted to be introduced to them..."
But she couldn't… No… Nonononononono!
Rose stood there, her mouth dry. She didn't want to believe it. The threat of hope was crawling into her heart. She knew the pain that would come from any outcome but took a gamble that would hurt worse than Falchion if it failed.
"Little light?" she said, swallowing all the feeling bubbling in her throat. "Is it really you? My little light?"
Lucina turned towards her, wide-eyed, before giving her a nervous but genuine smile. "Hello, Mother."
AN: Thanks to Xbro Kong for checking this.
So this is where I make or break the story. I was still debating if I should make this Lucina not Rose's to make it more original, but it didn't work with what I had planned story wise.
Most Shepherds and Pegasus knights are now wearing more armor, similar to Dark Knights and Bow Knights. Chrom is wearing as a less ornate version of the Knight Exalt armor. Robin and Rose are wearing their grandmaster armors but with thighs protectors. Most are wearing helmets too.
The chart explaining a bit of the timeline: sta. sh/01i9hln4h2p8
A more detailed-spoilery one: sta. sh/01mw4wd5jkiy
About Morgan being overpowered. Part of it was the tome. A one-shot super kill move that cost them a lot of gold. So not something she can do again unless someone finances her. There was also explosives in that fort but as well as other flammable stuff. Things that those that hired them wanted. I mean, Rose needed to use a super spell and her Dragon magic to do something similar in Ylisstol. Morgan just bought a nuke and wasted it for funsies.
Ok, so gotta compress the numbers here so I don't backtrack later. Though not as important I guess ASoIaF/GoT influenced me a lot and I'm always a sucker for battle statistics.
During Augustus' Crusade, Ylisse had nearly 100,000 soldiers, but that was taking every man and woman that could wield a weapon decently and sending them to the frontlines. Obviously, keeping more than enough behind to keep a viable population. So more like 40,000 actual soldiers and 60,000 peasant levies.
Plegia back then had 40,000 soldiers and 40,000 peasant levies.
Both were depleted after the war, with Plegia building up the numbers with quantity over quality, which is why the Shepherds succeed more often than not despite being young.
At the start of the Gangrel's war, Ylisse had around 1500 Soldiers, 400 Pegasus Knights, 600 non-combat pages that took the field and 5,500 guardsmen for the entirety of Ylisse. Guardsmen are like police. Not soldiers. Less training, lesser equipment. They lost less than a third of that between the war and the Risen but gained enough recruits to replenish their forces.
Ylisse: 13,000 (Including 600 Pegasus Knights and 2000 mages)
Ferox: 45,000 Pre-War. 33,000 Post-Timeskip.
Plegia: Pre-war 44,000, Post-war: 19,000.
Chon'sin: 20,000
Chon'sin's Dynasts: 10,000
Rosanne: 5,000
Other resisting countries 25,000
Valmese Empire: 90,000 Total. Preparing to send 20,000 to Archanea as part of Grima's manipulation.
So, in canon, I say since Ylisse suffered more losses thanks to the loss of the Capital, but a less creative Grima. The Alliance sent around 22,000 troops to Valm to deal with them. But in that timeline, the total fighting force of the continent was around 400,000 without peasant soldiers. This due to Yen'fay surrendering. As such, they suffered fewer losses. But the Dynasts eventually do turn back to Say'ri's side thanks to the surgical strikes of the Shepherds.
Things are more even now. Does it feel larger in scale and more like a proper war? I have tried to portray it a such through the story.
