Chapter Fifteen
The calm sea became more violent with the waves pounding our boat. Eventually numerous Valmese ships came into view. Some of the sailors were heard mumbling about the sight.
"Chrom, I think some of the men onboard may need an inspirational speech. They seemed nervous." I was worried for the morale, so I volunteered our fearless leader.
"Oh sure." Chrom cleared his throat, turning to the crowd, "Hm…everyone, I know the Valmese look intimidating and we are on their waters, so let's just quit and go home. We have never been in a more dire situation, so I have placed our tactician in charge. Good luck." The prince smiled as he took several steps to his left, then went back in place. "Hahaha! I can't keep this up…"
I started to laugh as well as every listening. Chrom wasn't known to cast jokes, and perhaps now wasn't the best time, but the morale amongst the men and women improved. The prince went on with a real speech that encouraged all the troops. I was zoning out, looking ahead to the sea, so I didn't remember anything Chrom said.
Am I making the right choices?
I shook my head and mentally returned to the land of the living. I nodded to Flavia, who asked if I was ok.
"Ready for battle!"
"One ship against three of ours? They're either very brave or very stupid." The Valmese general Ignatius ordered three of his best ships ahead of the naval fleet. "Either way, their bodies will float on the long sea before the day is done."
Ignatius' ships docked alongside our ship to the port, starboard and stern. The red dressed soldiers charged at us, lowering wooden planks to run onboard. The Shepherds were divided into three sections, ready with their individual silvered weapons aimed at the intruders. Vaike made it a competition (once again) to see how many soldiers he would off against the Exalt (Chrom won).
The battle could have gone a lot worse if it were fought on land. The Valmese came across as well-trained back at Feroxi Port, but not so much at sea, which lead to them attempting to compensate skill for numbers on water. Cordelia, in all her glory, swooped down after finishing off the last of the wyvern riders in the sky and grabbed her husband as the pegasus landed next to Ignatius. The exalt royalties jumped off Aurora and stabbed the general underneath his armor with precision blows that sent him to the ground bloodied.
"Strike me down," Ignatius began to vomit blood and mucus. "Ten will take my place…for you have…lost!"
Losing wasn't an option. Chrom yelled to the Ylissean and Feroxi men and women for the next order.
"Their general has fallen. I'm giving the signal. All appointed ships, change course! Head right at them! Ramming speed!"
The Valmese didn't take into account the deadly use of fire and oil. Numbers were no longer a factor as our boat and allies' cut through the water at blazing speed toward as many enemy ships as possible. The chain reaction of explosions started as we jumped off the main ship and onto a safer ship that picked us up. Once crystal blue, now became a seascape of bright red and smoke, as Lissa pointed out.
Flavia added her excitement, "Only you could hatch such a brilliant scheme, Phil. Who else would desert half our vessels and turn them into flaming cannonballs? And there was still enough room on the remaining ships for all our troops. It was so simple, and yet the Valmese never saw it coming. They never considered anyone might be willing to sacrifice half a fleet."
Chrom looked at the carnage left done to the Valmese, "We may have won the day, but the war still looms. We must continue on and seize control of their main harbor…full speed for Valm!"
"Two pair! Queens and fours!"
"Well just damn my luck, Bubbles. You got me."
Gaius reshuffled the deck after I collected my winnings in that hand. Playing cards helped kill the time on the voyage to Valm. In my other world, I played a fair amount of poker, yet it was difficult to find a good core group to get a consistent game going. I pretty much stopped playing after college since everyone moved and went their own ways. It got me thinking about my other home. I only thought about my own family: a wife, two dogs, and too many snakes. I missed them all, but from what I've inquired about, any gates back home, outrealm gates, were non-existent. Sure, I cried for days at a time, but I got used to this world, the world of Awakening, which I call my home now. I accepted my fate was that I'd probably die in these foreign lands, or at least until Grima was defeated. Grima. The name still makes me at unease and anxious.
"Hey Bubbles, speaking of queens, you got an eye for any 'queens' if you know what I mean?" Gauis snapped me out of my daydream of home.
"Nah-n-no, not at all. Teach, my man, how's Sully been treating ya?"
"Hold on a sec!" Gaius grabbed my arm after he passed out the cards.
"Ya! You didn't answer his question, Phil! Ol' Teach needs to know about this and how he can help!" Vaike folded his arms with a big smirk on his dumb face.
"There is no one." I picked up my cards and threw in gold.
I looked up to see all faces staring at me. "What?"
"Phil, we know ya a big fat liar! Ha now spill the beans!" Sully laughed.
"Really? I thought I had a good poker face? Right, Donnel? Stahl?...oh come on, Gregor! You are losing! All of you!"
"Oy, tis true, Phil. Ye face and eyes are a dead give-away. We are just letting ya win. Ho ho!" Gregor folded his hand.
"I learned a thing or two myself, I reckon, Phil. And you be lying like a pig swimming down thee river down 'er back at home with Ma." Donny threw in more gold.
"Stahl? Buddy?"
"Sorry, pal, but the gang is right. You got your eyes on someone. So, you may as well fess up…unless you got food on you, I can be bribed." The green armored man also threw in gold.
"Hmm…candy…" Gaius was caught dreaming of mountains of sweets, as he loved nothing more, except Sumia. But candy was a close second.
"Hey this isn't fair." I threw down more gold. "Just because I'm not married and all you are, doesn't mean there is someone for me. In fact, there's no one here for me! No one! Knock it off, people!" I slammed my cards down. Jaws dropped and glares showed the anger behind the eyes. I think I saw Kellam cover his face to hide tears.
"I-I am sorry. I admit, there once was someone I liked, but she is married. Plus, I have a wife – "
"Oy! You got a special lady friend?" Gregor was shocked by my bombshell.
"You gotta tell Teach! Who is she?" Vaike and Sully held hands in anticipation.
"Well, she ain't from around here."
"No kidding, Bubbles." Gaius pulled out a lollipop from his coat.
"Why you calling me Bubbles? And yes, she is away. Far away."
"In Plegia?" Farm boy was getting more curious.
"N-oh um, sure Donny."
"What is she like? I bet I can take her on and easily defeat her sparing!" Sully flexed her muscles.
"You could easily beat her. She has never used a weapon. No need to. She is perfect though…smart, gorgeous, always caring for others, often working on chores at home or knitting…oh, she is gifted at many skill sets, too. What else?..."
"Red." Gaius cut me off. "You are describing Red. She reminded you of your wife. You had a thing for Red before she married Blue."
Everyone turned from shocked expressions from Gaius back to me.
"Well…hey, doesn't everyone like Cordelia? Who doesn't like her?" My defense was weak.
"So, it is true! Teach knew it! Honey, I called it! Phil has a thing for Cordelia! Good taste in red heads, bro." Vaike gave me a thumbs up.
"You called nothing, Vak! Anyways, three Kings, read 'em and weep boys."
Everyone folded their cards and turned their attention to me after Sully scooped up the coins.
"Listen, Cordelia is beautiful. But I wouldn't say I had a 'thing' for her. Besides, I was the one that set up Chrom and Cordelia together, thank you very much. Or do you all not remember Chrom giving me the credit?"
"Sure…we believe you, Phil!" Donnel smiled.
"Thanks! I got one guy on my side!" I nodded at Donnel.
"Sike!"
I hate myself for teaching Donnel the sike-out. The poker group all laughed, eventually including myself.
Stahl dealt for this round. "Not sure if your wife is a red head, buddy. But there's plenty other red heads around if you can't get back to your wife…let's see, there's Miriel…"
"Nope. And already married to Libra." I calmly stated.
"Hmm. Well, Cordelia and Sully are off the boards. Does Olivia count as a red head?" asked Donnel.
Stahl coughed.
"Oh right. Sorry, pal."
"Who is the new girl? Cherche? She is a red head." Vaike raised.
"No, Vaike…I-I am sure she has someone in mind anyway." I threw away my cards, but my disgusted with my self-loathing. Besides, in my mind, no one could ever match up to Cordelia.
"Get outta here, Phil! She just got here…go bust a move!" Sully tossed her cards.
"Ha! If that damn dragon didn't scare him away, she will." Gaius surrendered.
"Gregor not so sure. Phil likes dragons, no?" Gregor folded as well.
I nodded in agreement.
"Oh right! I remember you telling everyone you wanted to be a wyvern rider, but are deathly afraid of heights…oh, I fold. You win, Vaike." Donnel forgot about Kellam, as did everyone else.
"Hey! I'm still here! I fold, though."
"Ya ha! Teach wins this round!" Vaike flexed in celebration, which irked Sully, who also flexed to show her hubby that she was in charge.
"I'm beat. Calling it a night. Good night, everyone. Thanks for your concern, but I'll be ok." I left the poker gang to go upstairs to bow side. Unfortunately for me, a certain crimson pegasus knight was star gazing, the last person I wanted to talk to but had no choice.
"Nice night, isn't it?" I coughed to get her attention. The waning moonlight made her figure glimmer in the night, the image of perfection.
"Phil! Why yes, a lovely night."
"Can't sleep?"
"Well, not exactly. I have a lot on my mind. I have a daughter and the exalt as my husband, whom I've always loved. I'm basically the queen of Ylisse. My life couldn't get any better and this is what I want, yet…"
"It isn't enough for you?" I interrupted one of her sighs.
"No no!" Cordelia waved her arms and smiled, almost making me melt. "I am very happy, never been happier. Happidelia you can call me!"
I could tell someone bothered her. "Cordy." That got her attention. "Cordy, I know you well enough. You got something you need to get off her chest. And I'll listen."
"Ok." Cordelia sighed again. "But tell me first – did you ever…you know, liked me?"
I paused. Pondered on whether to tell her the truth.
"Well, I mean – everyone loves you! You are perfect and have a lot going for you. You are smart, inspiring, beautiful – "
"Friends? Looks? Intelligence? Is that all I am to everyone?" A tear streamed down her left cheek.
"No!" I grabbed her hands. "Listen, if you need to know, I am jealous of Chrom. He has everything I want. And I have – "
I remembered my family from my old home. How could I just discard them, my wife? This wasn't right.
"Cordelia. I had to push you to get to Chrom. He needed you. You needed him. Be happy. And know this: I will always support you and love you, as a friend. I care for you. But go, go back to Chrom in bed. I'm sure he is missing you and your warmth. I'm your friend and will always be. Remember that. Nothing will ever change that. Ever."
Her demeanor completely changed. She lit up like a rose. She thanked me and smiled as she went back to Chrom. I sighed, thinking about how blessed he was to have her. No way I could ever compete with him; I was no Chrom.
NoR WiLl yOu EvEr bE! So sUbMiT to mE!
I grabbed my head. The voice came back.
Validar. Or Grima. Messing with me. I reached into my coat and pulled out the 3DS. I studied it and flipped it around countless times. I should have tossed over the railing, but I didn't. A mistake on my part…