"Dad," Severa called from across the crackling campfire. "It'll take us a couple more days before we're even in sight of Port Ferox; why're we keeping Gaius all bound and gagged the whole way?"

I looked up from the piece of jerky I'd been nibbling on, turning my head to regard the sleeping Gaius to my right, all nestled up in a bag.

"I let him take walks," was my succinct reply as I went back to chewing. "And it's not like those bindings are tight. If he wants, he could escape in no time."

"Still," Severa began to say, before shaking her head and grumbling. "This is so stupid. Robin's plan is stupid."

"It's, er, unique, I'll give you that," I conceded. "Although I guess you don't get to be the Grandmaster Tactician of Ylisse without knowing how to think outside the box. Admit it, though, Sev, you just don't like the logistics of it." I chuckled. "Just glad we're doing this in the summer; Feroxi winters are fucking brutal."

"Like us camping out in the middle of nowhere isn't?" Severa asked, irritated, before throwing her hands up. "Fine, I'll admit it, it's not a bad plan. Wearing the enemy's armor and crap and going inside Port Ferox to let the army in isn't that bad." She fixed me with a look that was more scathing than any curse. "But do we really have to be out here all by ourselves? With him bound and gagged on your horse!?"

"Robin wanted to make sure there'd be no difficulties. The army's only, like, a few hours behind us at the most," I replied, finishing my jerky. "Your mom's patrol only intercepted one of theirs. There could be more out there. And, as it so happened, you and I were the best fit for the armor we got from 'em."

Flavia's reports that they weren't leaving Port Ferox were false. Good thing, too.

"Gah, whatever." Severa crossed her arms. "Still think it's stupid."

"You guys wanna know what's more stupid?" Gaius whispered suddenly, turning over in his sleeping bag to glare at us. "Being bound like some sorta freakshow, and when you're finally free to go to sleep, your two companions won't stop bickering. Twintails'd make chocolate bitter, and you'd turn delicious fruit sour, Sailor."

"Oh no, is that backtalk from our prisoner I hear?" I said dramatically. "Whatever shall I do about this? Shall I perhaps tie his fuckin' legs to his neck and watch as he chokes?"

"Don't threaten me with a good time, Sailor!" Gaius rebuked.

I sputtered and heard a retching sound from Severa. I began chuckling a second later.

"Alright, alright, you win this round, Gaius! Jesus, I wasn't expecting that." I said, preparing to turn in for the night. "Fucking, quit grossing out my little girl, though. You hear me?"

"No promises," Gaius chortled. "Maybe now both of you will quiet down. Only a few more days till we get to Port Ferox, right?"

"Probably less than that, honestly." I grunted. "Anyway, both of you, get some sleep. I've got a feeling this coming battle's gonna be rough."

I could feel my heart racing as we came in sight of Port Ferox. Ferox apparently did not know the meaning of the word 'unfortified', because even the relatively small port had thick walls, from the looks of it. Luckily for us, there was a forest near it that we could shelter in before we went out and revealed ourselves.

"Alright, looking at it now," Severa began, shrugging. "I guess I can see why Robin didn't wanna just assault this place."

"Heavy fortifications, civilians most likely held prisoner inside," I murmured to myself. "Hopefully they'll take the bait."

Gaius mumbled through his gag.

"Oh, and I gotta thank Robin for gagging you, too." I smirked, turning to face the bound thief. "Finally got you to shut your mouth, huh? No more innuendos for you."

Gaius stared at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Sorry, Gaius; can't read facial expressions. Man, if only you could talk, I'm sure you'd have something to say, heh."

Severa looked at me like I was the dumbest thing on the planet. She did that to a lot of people, when I thought about it. "Are you just gonna sit there and tease him or are we gonna get this show on the road?"

"I dunno. Maybe we'll just stay here and waffle for a few minutes."

"Dad!"

I waved my hand placatingly. "Just trying to ease my nerves a bit, Sev. We're about to initiate a bloodbath here. You're right, though. Get your helmet on."

We wore the cavalrymen's outfits: Thin plate armor over gambeson, with a thick and pointy helmet. The armor didn't fit either of us perfectly; I could feel myself chaffing in some places. Nothing serious, but I couldn't wait to get my sorry ass out of it.

I took deep breaths. The rest of the army was literally right behind us. As soon as the gates opened, pegasus knights and griffon riders would swoop down from the sky and distract them while the rest of the army charged inside. That was one thing we had over Valm: Air support. They'd most likely have wyverns in Valm proper, but for the moment, we had the advantage. I wouldn't be surprised if they had archers to counter that, but with the sheer amount of fliers we had on our side, I was confident.

We moved forward. The sound of our horses' hooves hitting the dirt felt like explosions in my eardrums. It was strange though; the port looked almost abandoned from so far away. That didn't last long, though. When we were about halfway there, I saw someone on the wall. We were spotted.

Another soldier came up, spoke with the one already there, and left. Once we were close enough, I heard the one that stayed shout.

"Oi!" He called. "What took you so long? The last patrol was due yesterday!"

"Sidetracked," I shouted back. "Found this lump behind me. Decided we might be able to learn something from 'im."

The armored soldier leaned over the side of the wall like a child trying to get a better look at an animal in a zoo. "That so, huh? Looks like a little skinny dastard to me. Just get in here, will ya? Commander Dalton thinks these Archaneans will try something soon."

If only he knew.

He disappeared into what I could only assume to be the gatehouse, and a moment later the portcullis into the harbor rose. The metal rattled and moaned, like the noises of an ancient monster.

I gave one last glance to Severa. "Stay be me, alright?"

Severa sniffed. "Alright."

"It'll be okay."

"I know."

I nodded, and we entered the belly of the beast.

Port Ferox was a mess. Clear signs of battle marred the stone buildings; scorch marks from fire spells, dried blood splattered against the cobble, and broken weapons scattered about. It was like walking into a horror novel. No bodies, at least. If I saw any I probably would've blown our cover then and there and let Severa and Gaius get the main gates opened.

I was able to calm myself down easily enough. Long enough for us to slip away, at least. We retreated into an alleyway that barely saw the light of day if the disrepair it was in was any indication. Calmly, I took a knife out and cut Gaius' bonds. He was on his feet in less than a second.

"Phew," He whistled. "Damn, being stuck in bonds all day really does a number on the old joints. Don't think you could've made 'em looser, Sailor?"

"And miss out on your complaints?" I asked back, "Never."

"You know, you, Red, and Twintails all've got this family resemblance. Whenever you go smiling like that, it only makes me wanna rile you all until its wiped off your face," Gaius replied, rubbing his wrists. "Then again, don't think we're in the place to be doing that kinda stuff."

"If you did, I'd break your arm," Severa said nonchalantly, taking her helmet off, her dark red hair finally freed.

"Eesh, good to know you ain't a fan of comedy, Twintails." Gaius shrugged. "Anyway, we've got a job to do, yeah? Best get to it."

"Agreed," I said. "The army is probably just past the treeline by now. All we gotta do is raise the main gates. By noon, the pegasus knights will attack to distract the Valmese, if we haven't already lifted the gates." I took a deep breath. "Thank fuck Robin put that failsafe in, at least. Anyway, if anyone tries to stop you, don't hesitate to take them down."

We had our swords, at least. We weren't powerless. If we came across any giant fuckers in heavy armor, though, we'd be screwed.

"Alright." I clapped quietly. "The gatehouse has two entrances. One on either side of it. Sev and I will go in from the right, and you'll come in from the left, Gaius. Stick to the plan, and we'll all get out of here in one piece."

"That's great- er," Gaius stopped. "My left or your left?"

My mind blanked. I raised a hand to clarify, but no words came. "Alright, you come in from the south entrance, and we'll do the north. Is that clearer?"

"Gawd, if we can't even figure out which direction to come from, we might as well just give ourselves up now," Severa bemoaned. To be fair, she wasn't wrong.

"Nah, I got it," Gaius said, his arms behind his back. "Come in from the south, huh? Should be easy enough. They got a lot of soldiers, but nothing I can't slip past."

I raised a brow. "As slick as honey, right?"

"Didn't you point out honey's more sticky than slippery? Nah, I'm more sugar water, yeah?"

Severa gave me an incredulous expression. "I take back what I said a while ago; I'm glad he was gagged on our way here. If I had to go through a week of that bullshit-!"

"Alright, I'm out," Gaius interrupted. I gave him the knife I used to free him, and he quietly left the alleyway. "I'll meet you guys at the gatehouse."

And then he was gone.

"Say what you will about Gaius, Sev," I began, turning to her. "We all may poke fun at him, but when it comes to his job, he's damn good at it."

"Does that change the fact that he's an absolute loon?" Severa asked pointedly.

"I never said that."

Severa put her helmet back on, complaining a small bit before we got going. I could imagine wearing the stuffy Valmese helmets was hell on her, considering she had a lot of hair to bunch up. Then again, she was the one who refused to cut it for the mission, so I supposed it was her fault.

Or Robin could have chosen someone else and not put your daughter in harm's way.

Severa could handle herself. I saw as much at Dolorous Guard. I worried a little but I knew she'd be fine.

We traveled the streets of Port Ferox, the sun beating down on our armor and soldiers going to and fro. Archers, dismounted cavalrymen - I had to put Pippin in a Valmese stable as soon as we entered, which still hurt. I hadn't known the creature for long, but I'd grown fond of him. I made a note to myself to get him as soon as shit went down.

We were nearing the gatehouse: A stone building on top of the wall, heavily fortified and sturdy. Giant portcullis gates sat beneath it, blocking the main entrance into the harbor. We'd entered through a smaller entrance to the south of it. All we needed to do was open the gates, and the fireworks would start.

It was supposed to be simple. It was simple.

That was until a commanding voice barked at us.

"Both of you, stop," The man ordered. I had to admit, his voice was intimidating. Just the right amount of gravel. Frederick's was more commanding, though. Even with his chest still fucked up. Still, I felt myself stop and swivel on my heels to face the man.

He was tall, with tied brown hair and a goatee. He wore similar armor to us, although his was more extravagant.

The enemy commander.

"I believe I made myself clear when I told everyone to retrieve the whale oil from the warehouses," He said, analyzing both of us. "Did you not receive the order, or did you think it was merely a suggestion? The walls are already manned; there is no reason for you to reinforce them."

"Beg your pardon, sir," I managed to say, bowing. "I did not mean to-"

"Didn't mean to, hmm?" He interrupted rudely, stepping closer to us. "Tell me, what are your names? I would want to know the names of disobedient cavalrymen."

I gave Severa a glance. She was holding her own under the commander's gaze, thankfully. And she was keeping her mouth shut as well. Had to hold in a sigh of relief at that.

Thinking quickly, I came up with the most Valm-esque names I could. "Caius and Selene, sir."

"Mhm, is that so? I would expect, with those names, that you are from the Old Province. In which case, you bring shame to Walhart for your ineptitude," The Commander said, disappointment practically dripping from his words. "Were I to catch you both disobeying orders again, I will have you hanged. Understood?"

I stood up straight. "Aye, sir!"

"Good," He grunted. "Now, go."

My heart was flip-flopping in my chest as we went the opposite way of the wall. I silently cursed myself as we slipped away. It wasn't a major setback, but considering the walls weren't expecting to receive any more men…

Once we were away from prying eyes, safely tucked away in a corner, I spoke: "Alright, I guess this'll be a bit more difficult than I anticipated."

"No plans survive contact with the enemy." Severa chimed in, her voice surprisingly calm.

"That they don't, sweetheart. That they don't." I sighed. "Things could get messy; keep your hand on your pommel. We're going to take an alternate route to the gatehouse. Don't bother answering questions. If they ask us why we're there, just off them. We don't have time to play games with these fuckers."

Severa nodded silently.

"Good. Let's go."

We had to go a roundabout way, avoiding as many people as we could. We got a few strange looks from some of the other Valmese soldiers, but they didn't say anything. Every glance, every odd movement wound my nerves up just a bit more. The new course of action we were taking was risky, but in my somewhat panicked state, I didn't care. I reverted to an old, primal way of thinking, the kind that didn't care about subterfuge. I just wanted to get to the gatehouse, kill anyone inside, and let the army in.

Severa was either in the same state as I was, or she decided to keep her comments to herself.

Finally, we ascended the wall and arrived at the main gatehouse. It was decently large, with a few Valmese within. Gaius was most likely already in position, or he would be soon. He probably had an easier time of it, I thought bitterly. He was a thief and had been for his whole life. I envied his coolness, at the least.

"On my mark," I whispered. Severa nodded. "Three… Two… One… Mark."

We entered the gatehouse.

"-and then I said to him, 'Heron, that's no way to treat a lady. You have to ease 'em into it. If they don't-' Huh?" A Valmese soldier turned to us, his brows furrowed as our entrance interrupted his story. "What're you lot doing here? Commander Dalton told us there wouldn't be any-!"

I unsheathed my sword, and in the next moment, it found itself plunged deep into the soldier's neck. His eyes widened in surprise as he choked on his own blood, the red liquid dribbling down his chin. Several other soldiers shouted and mobilized, only for Severa to show me just how adept at combat she was. Within seconds, two Valmese soldiers fell to the floor like puppets with their strings cut, blood pooling onto the floor beneath them. The soldier I'd attacked fell to the ground, his eyes glass-like and lifeless.

Three more to the right, two more to the left. Leave the two on the left to Severa. You get the others.

I followed my own instructions.

One soldier drew an axe and attempted a blow to my side. Easily side-stepping the swing, my blade found its way into his flank, piercing through the gambeson. He cried out in pain before my iron hand smacked him across the face. He fell to the floor with a 'thump' as his two other fellows attempted to avenge him. I lifted my right hand up and blocked the blow of a sword with my plate armor while I dealt with his friend who had a spear. The one with the spear missed me just barely, grazing my breastplate, which granted me an opening to stab my sword right below his own breastplate. It traveled up through his chest, and I felt the blade nick his sternum.

He dropped to the ground in a heap. That left only one more.

He backed up, trying to gain some distance. I pressed my attack, swiping him with my iron hand and catching him across the stomach. This caused him to stumble and fall to the ground. A swift stab through the neck was enough to do him in.

It only took roughly thirty seconds. All the Valmese were dead. I turned to Severa to see her share of the troops dead on the ground, their blood splattering the ground in several places.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that." Gaius whistled, sauntering into the gatehouse. "You guys are… damn, well, brutality must also run in the family, huh?"

"What matters is that they're dead, and we're not," I replied simply, sheathing my sword. "Now, let's get these gates open."

"Won't hear any arguments from me." Gaius shrugged. "Probably would have done the same, were they in our shoes. What's Twintails gonna do?"

"My daughter is going to make sure we're undisturbed," I growled out, looking at the mechanism for the portcullis. It was an ugly thing of chains, with handles on either side. "Now, get over here and help me with this fucking thing, will you? Kinda hard to get a good grip with only one hand."

The sounds of combat from earlier did not go unnoticed, as evidenced by another squad of soldiers entering the gatehouse to investigate. I already knew Severa was practically a monster when it came to combat, but even then she surprised me with her ferocity. It was like someone took Cordelia's speed and my strength and just mixed them together to create the perfect little killing machine.

Future you and Cordelia did that. That's also probably not something you should be thinking about in regards to your own daughter, boy scout.

It also wasn't the right time to be feeling guilty about my own future ineptitude at raising a child, so I shoved that thought to the wayside. We had more important matters to deal with, anyway.

The portcullis was heavy, but we were getting it open. Something kept it from slamming back into the ground below us. I wasn't an engineer and never would be, so I chalked it up to magic and rolled with it.

Soon, I heard fighting, shouting, and the flapping of feathered wings outside. The pegasus knights had arrived.

"Sailor, I think this is as far as this thing's going," Gaius breathed out, giving one last heave before taking a step back. "If what I'm hearing outside's not a hallucination, then I think we better get going and join the fight, yeah?"

In response, I took my helmet off and threw it to the ground. "Fucking finally," I hissed out, turning to Severa. "Go ahead and take your helmet off now, Sev. We don't wanna get speared by our own men."

"Thank Gawd. I hate helmets. They make my hair all sweaty!" Severa growled, taking off the offending metal hat and tossing it to the ground. "The next time Robin does something like this, I will deck him in the face."

"As his retainer, I'd be forced to stop you," I said, before smirking. "As your dad, I say go lower, right between the legs."

"Now there's an idea," Severa trailed off half-seriously. "But whatever. We need to get out there. I doubt these morons'll win the battle without our help."

I nodded, turning to Gaius. "What're you gonna do?"

"You know me, Sailor," Gaius replied. "I'm not meant for the front lines like you and Twintails. Doesn't mean I ain't gonna fight, though. I'll cover you all from the rooftops; think I saw a spare bow around here somewhere…"

I nodded. "Alright, then. Let's go and liberate a harbor!"

First order of business was getting Pippin back. The battle was in full swing; the ground troops had charged the gates and were spreading everywhere, engaging the Valmese at every turn. They didn't even have time to mount their cavalry, which was a damn shame for them considering cavalry was where the Valmese shined.

It also meant that, hopefully, none of them had taken Pippin.

I made it to the stables, avoiding combat wherever possible. Severa went to help a struggling group of soldiers. As far as I knew, the other Shepherds were fighting as well, although I didn't see any of them on my way to the stables.

I was right that the Valmese didn't have time to really saddle up, so to speak; a majority of the horses were still there. As for Pippin, I had to shove my way in, but I eventually found him, the little miscreant. He looked at me with his beady eyes expectantly, as if he knew what was going to happen and had prepared himself accordingly.

Either the horse is smarter than you think it is, or you're just dumb. Take your pick, boy scout.

"C'mon, boy," I said, settling onto the saddle. "We got a battle to win."

A sharp whinny was his response.

We burst out of the stables and back into the street. I wasn't used to riding with only one hand on the reigns, a hand I couldn't control, but after a moment I got the hang of it. A sword was in my good hand, and my first kill on horseback soon followed. The poor soldier didn't even see me coming before my sword found its way into his back, I heard a sickening 'snap' as his spine was smashed in half and the scream that followed as he tumbled to the ground chilled me.

Safe to say, after several years in Archanea, I was still not used to war. I could block it out, separate myself from the violence and carnage, but I would never like it. Never get used to it.

I kept telling myself that as I cut down several more Valmese soldiers, all scrambling away from our assault. It probably would have been better if I had a polearm or something like it, but for the moment the sword was doing its job. The added momentum granted by riding on horseback was a godsend. Pippin didn't seem to panic, either. He followed my commands easily and quickly. Thank God for that, too, because if he didn't I would've been fucked. Especially in a warzone like Port Ferox.

A pegasus slammed into the ground in front of me. The crunching of bone rattled in my ears as I looked at it. Arrows covered its lower body, and the rider had been crushed beneath.

Pegasus knights are weak to arrows.

I scanned the buildings to find a building with a flattened top, with several archers peppering any Pegasus Knights that got close.

I figured out my next destination.

It took only a minute to arrive, but I could hear another pegasus knight slam into the ground in that amount of time. If I heard correctly, she fell onto the top of a building and rolled off the side while moaning in pain.

When I was there, I saw a familiar black-haired swordsman waiting for me. I climbed off Pippin and approached him.

"Lon'qu," I greeted curtly.

"Alexander," He grunted back.

I pressed my back against the cold stone of the tower, the door inside just beside me. Lon'qu stood on the opposite side.

"I'm going to kill those archers," I said succinctly. "You in?"

"There are soldiers with them."

"Then I guess we'll take care of them too."

If I wasn't mistaken, Lon'qu smirked at that. "Then let's move."

"Yeah, let's," I snarled, turning and entering the tower, Lon'qu just behind me.

No words were said, only shouts and screams. A soldier charged at me, only for me to aim low and strike him in the gut, sending him to the ground to be quickly taken out by Lon'qu. I hadn't talked to the guy much, but damn if he wasn't amazing with a sword. Certainly better than me. Unfortunately, he wasn't the one wearing plate armor, so really, I ended up being a glorified shield for him. Not that I was complaining, but there it was.

I knocked another soldier down with a quick jab to his face. Lon'qu and I steadily ascended the tower. A few moments and bodies later, we were there, and the archers were none the wiser to our presence.

That didn't last long.

They wore lighter armor than their compatriots, which made it easier for my blade to get through them. They drew daggers and shortswords, but none of them had anything in the way of real protection. I blocked one blow with my gauntlets and sunk my sword deep into an archer's chest. He fell to the ground, his blood pooling beneath them. I saw Lon'qu cutting down several of them. The guy was just a blur. The Valmese barely had time to react before his sword cut off a limb and then their head.

Soon enough, all of them were dead, and the pegasus knight had free reign of the skies again.

I cleaned my sword as best as I could given the conditions. Lon'qu walked about, making sure all the archers were truly dead.

"I've gotta say," I began. "These Valmese aren't nearly as bad as I thought they'd be."

"It is clear that they are conscripts," Lon'qu replied, looking towards the sea. "Not true warriors."

"Makes sense," I mumbled, following Lon'qu's gaze to the sea. Several Valmese ships, at least a dozen, rested in the harbor. "We've been trouncing them. I," I saw one of the ships begin moving. "I've got a bad feeling, though. In my gut. Something's not-"

Whale oil.

I saw the first trebuchet launch a ball of flames into the sky. It landed on a house and exploded.

For a moment, I was stunned, looking at the destruction that was being wrought. The fireballs came over and over as the Valmese ships withdrew from the harbor. They burst onto buildings, onto groups of our soldiers, onto groups of their soldiers. Stone and fire spread like an infection, burning anything it came across. The screams and shrieks reached my ears like a nightmarish melody.

I nearly vomited when I smelled burnt flesh.

"Lon'qu-" I gagged. "We need to- We need to get down there, now!"

Lon'qu looked at me wildly, and I didn't need him to say anything to know that he got the message.

The world was on fire. The bodies of our men and Valmese soldiers alike littered the ground, burnt and broken. The smell was nauseating, burned hair mixed with cooked blood. Just this metallic, awful stench that made me want to gag. Lon'qu had gone to find civilians and lead them to the main portcullis. They couldn't stay; the Valmese were still pummeling the place.

Pippin was panicking, I could tell that much. I didn't have time to calm him down, considering the fireballs. I jumped onto his back, grabbed the reins, and he moved forward.

I saw a group of people heading in the complete opposite direction of the main gates. I screamed at them to go the other way, that they needed to move or they'd-

A fireball fell right on top of them, exploding directly in the middle. I watched as their bodies burned, as the flames engulfed them and licked the flesh from their bones. I heard their screams as they perished in pain with unrecognizable faces. Their broken, charred bodies were all that remained. Pippin rose on his hind legs and let out screech I didn't know he was capable of making. I fell off, landing on my hip. It didn't stop me from getting up to try and do something. But I knew I couldn't do anything.

There were still a ton of civilians here.

I couldn't move. An entire group, maybe even a family, was murdered right before my eyes. Time passed by slowly. Or did it go by quickly? I honestly couldn't tell. Felt like I was trapped in another dimension, completely cut off from all senses and feelings.

It was only after a couple of minutes or a few seconds that I noticed something. Just at the edge of my hearing, I could've sworn I was hearing something, like a person shouting at me. But that was impossible because the only people there were right in front of me. Tim, Bob, and Jerry the charred corpse brothers. Those probably weren't their real names but for all I knew they were. It wasn't like it mattered, though, right? They were dead and broken and I could still smell their-

I felt someone slap me across the face.

"What the fuck are you still standing around for, idiot!?" Severa snarled, her hand raised at me. "We need to get the hell outta here, now!"

I stared Severa directly in the eye, my vision finally focusing. A building next to us crumbled after being struck by a fireball. I forced myself to move, following my time-traveling daughter through the destroyed streets as fire rained from the sky. The world was burning. Nothing was whole. No one was spared. I saw another person attempt to run out of their house only to have it obliterated. The stone crushed him, pulverizing his bones.

After a minute of running, I could see the gates, still opened. I willed my legs to move faster, grasping Severa's hand, so that if either of us started to fall behind, we'd know.

My right hand ached and I looked up, a ball of light just above us.

I shoved us both to the side as the ground where we once stood was decimated utterly. Shielding Severa with my body, I pulled her back up and practically jumped through the gates.

I fell to the ground just as another fireball crashed into the gates, and it came crumbling down. A sense of vertigo and nausea accompanied my survival. To my side, Severa gasped for breath, occasionally gazing at the beaten and broken port.

"I-I…" I tried to say, stumbling over my words slightly. "That… What-What happened!?"

I felt something nuzzle against my face. Turning my head slightly, I saw Pippin's familiar mug. He still appeared a little agitated, but at least he made it out.

I stood up and got an eyeful of the destruction. The port had been destroyed. Burned. What little wasn't on fire was going to be soon. Ruined buildings and the stench. That Goddamned stench. It permeated the air, even from our distance.

The ships from Valm sailed off, leaving the ruined harbor to us.

I sighed, looking down and closing my eyes. No use. Every time I closed them, I saw them. The people who burned right in front of me as I ran for my life. Their charred, blackened bodies against the stone, their expressions forever burned into the shape of agony for the rest of time.

I opened my eyes and looked to Severa. "Severa, are you okay?"

"O-oh," Severa wheezed, getting to her feet. "Who, me? Well, don't I just feel fine-! Of course I'm not okay, moron! I just had to watch an entire town get burned to the ground! And then you…! What the hell were you doing, just standing there!? You said you'd make things better, right? Then you just sit there and wait for death to come-!"

I walked up to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. "I saw a family burn, Sev." I murmured. "Right in front of me. There wasn't anything I could do. I… I just stopped. But - Look at me! – I keep my promises. I always keep my promises. But this… This is fucking…"

My gaze turned back to the burning town.

"This is nightmarish," I finished.

"Scenes like this weren't too uncommon in the future," Severa mumbled. "All the time, we'd just see these villages destroyed, all the people slaughtered or turned into Risen, and there wasn't anything we could do. I couldn't help but think that…"

"Sev," I choked out. "It's going… It's going to be alright."

I didn't give her the chance to respond before I enveloped her in a hug. For a moment, she struggled, at least until I heard the first whimper. The waterworks started a moment later. In a way, that was good; it kept me from doing the same.

If Port Ferox was going to set a precedent for the war to come, I didn't like where it was heading.

It wasn't until we got to camp that I began to panic. I couldn't see Cordelia anywhere, nor a good portion of the Shepherds. The camp seemed almost barren compared to what I thought it'd be.

Severa went her own way as I made for the command tent, and I left Pippin at what counted for stables. I could hear voices, angry voices, coming from inside.

"-and then we got to get ships as well! And what with the Port destroyed-!"

"Flavia, please, give Robin time! How could he have known that the Valmese would be so ruthless!?"

"I'm questioning him, Gods be damned! I want to know what we're going to do next! Our armies are mostly untouched, but the civilian casualties are damned high, let me tell you!"

"I don't want to go any further until I know that the rest of the Shepherds are safe."

I chose that moment to finally enter the tent. Three people were gathered around a table: Chrom, Robin, and Flavia. All eyes turned to me.

"I saw it burn," I said vacantly. "I saw it burn. Am I… Are Severa and I the only two to get here since…?"

"Thank the gods," Robin breathed out, closing his eyes for a second. "I almost thought- Nevermind. No, you aren't. The pegasus knights have successfully retreated with minimal casualties, as far as I know. Phila is with them now."

The world grew just a bit brighter with those words. I felt myself breathing a sigh of relief. "T-thank God. I guess we gotta figure out where to go from here, huh?"

"Damn right we do!" Flavia snarled. "My port's been blasted to hell and back! I'm not just going to take that sitting down. We need to act, fast."

"We don't have any ships," Robin countered. "A few down south, but not much more than that."

"Robin's right. We haven't had the time to build a substantial navy," Chrom agreed. "Trust me, Flavia, I want to take the fight to them as much as you do. The sooner we end this war, the better. I have two daughters to look after."

"Then what should we do!?" Flavia questioned loudly. "Just wait for them to attack us again?"

"No," Robin spoke up. "No, we are going to take the fight to them, just as you said."

"A plan, Robin?" Chrom said.

"Indeed, but it involves, er, a nation both of us will be uncomfortable to call upon."

I watched as Chrom thought for a moment, his brows furrowing. A moment later, Robin's words sunk in, and his face grew pale. "Robin, you aren't-!"

"I'm sorry to say that I am." Robin nodded grimly. "We must send word to Plegia."

Hear that? That's the sound of the Valmese committing terrible war crimes. Alex is gonna need some serious Cordy snuggles to get outta this one.

Hope you guys enjoyed that one. Lord knows I enjoyed writing it. Which is a bit concerning, but whatever lol.

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See ya next time!

Edited on 3/15/21. This Chapter was far more brutal than I remember, good Lord.