A Summoner's Journey
Chapter 12: Bitter Enemies
Team for this chapter: Alfonse, Sharena, Catria, Minerva
"Ugh… I haven't been to archery practice in so long. My body isn't used to it anymore" I grumbled to Catria as we headed back into the castle together for lunch "My fingers and back are so sore…"
"That often happens when you neglect your training. The only way to adapt to rigorous activity is to do it everyday" Catria replied "But you being the summoner and chief tactician, I doubt you have much time for that"
"Yeah. Because of my role here, my progress with archery is slow as a snail" I sighed "I've been on hiatus for so long that I forgot the proper form and how to hold a bow properly. Needless to say, Jeorge and Klein were a bit disappointed in me"
"Are you sure you want to learn how to fight? Remember that you aren't a hero" The pegasus knight reminded me "If you fell in battle, you'd permanently be dead. Then suddenly, Embla has a massive advantage over us in the war"
"Anna can always just summon another summoner. It's fine" I joked "But seriously, I'm fine. I want to do more on the battlefield than just bark orders all the time. Supporting the heroes from the back with my bow is one way to do it"
"Well, you're going to need to find time to get serious with it. You still aspire to learn how to fly a mount, right?" Catria distantly stared out the window as we passed the castle's indoor garden "Take it from me. Taming your mount and learning how to control it isn't easy. It took three tries and a dislocated shoulder before I could master my pegasus"
"How did you dislocate your shoulder?"
"Got thrown off when I was still trying to safely ride her. Landed on my arm pretty hard"
"Ouch. Still, I think a dislocated shoulder was the least of the injuries you could of gotten" I winced "You sound like you're trying to dissuade me from learning how to fly"
"Truth be told, I am. You already have the burden of being the legendary summoner along with the chief tactician of the order. Learning how to fight and fly is just an extra layer of work and pressure for you" Catria placed her hand on my shoulder "You told me about your world before and it sounds like you never experienced war before now. Are you sure your body can handle all of this?"
"I may have not experienced the stress of warfare before, but I know myself. I can accomplish a lot when I'm passionate about something" I replied defiantly "So I'll still try to learn archery and flight until my body can't handle it anymore. If I eventually return to my world, I want to try something new here at least once"
"That's understandable. I'll help you out in flight training once we find a mount for you" The Whitewing nodded "Although Minerva has gone out twice to search for wyverns all over Askr and both attempts were fruitless"
"And Embla is too dangerous for a solo flier to search alone" I finished "But one day, maybe we'll go somewhere where wyverns are a local species. Then I can try to befriend one"
"Try not to get roasted by it's fire or clawed to death. Wild wyverns don't exactly welcome strangers" Catria pursed her lips "Maybe if we find one, pleasure it with a large amount of food. That should stop it from eating you outright"
I swallowed. I didn't think befriending a dragon would be this dangerous, but I probably should of saw it coming. I didn't really give this a lot of thought "I should probably bring some guards with me as well in case. But that's a problem for the future"
"We'll plan it out once it arises" Catria nodded, then turned to her left "Hey, what's Alfonse, Sharena and Anna doing in the war room? They look to be in deep discussion:
"Let's go see what's going on" I took Catria's hand and led her into the torch-lit war room, where the magic war table pulsed with astral blue light. Many maps lined the walls of the room along with several bookshelves of history tomes. There were maps of Zenith, Elibe, Magvel, Ylisse, Archanea and every other world currently known. There was even a map for the so-called "Fateslandia" as Robinne jokingly dubbed. Wedged in between two bookshelves was a mini kitchen, in case any of our strategists got thirsty while studying maps.
"Good afternoon everyone. What are you all talking about?" I asked as me and Catria took Alfonse's side of the table. Alfonse, Sharena and Anna rarely had discussions as a trio in the war room, so it must of been serious.
"Me and Sharena were mulling over Zacharias and Anna caught wind of it. She took us to the war room to discuss further" Alfonse explained, then gestured to the enlarged hologram of the map of Valentia "We last saw Prince Bruno in the World of Shadows, so maybe we can find him there. If he really did kill Zacharias, then he's the only one who knows the truth"
"It's worth a shot. We might encounter enemy heroes there, so it'll be best to bring a team of four just in case" Anna suggested, then turned to me "Lucian, who would you like to accompany you? Pick two heroes, since Alfonse and Sharena are practically required to go"
"Two heroes, huh? I'll bring along Catria and Minerva" I decided and Catria nodded in agreement "We don't know who we'll be facing in the World of Shadows and last time I encountered Bruno, he wasn't acting exactly… normal. It'll be best to have two fliers in case of an emergency"
"Sounds good. Catria, do you know where Princess Minerva is?" Alfonse asked the Whitewing.
"I think she went to the training tower with Prince Michalis and Cordelia. I'll go find them" Catria replied "Take some time to prepare and have lunch. The tower is a fair distance from here, even for my pegasus"
"Alright then. It's settled" I pressed a button on the table and disengaged the holographic map "Me, Alfonse, Sharena, Catria and Minerva will go to the World of Shadows to interrogate Bruno about Zacharias. But first, lunch"
"I heard Peri and Rebecca volunteered to cook alongside the chefs today. Even Felicia is getting into it, although Peri and Rebecca keep a close eye on her food" Alfonse said "Maybe we can try their dishes out"
"Sure. Let's see what they've cooked up" I nodded, then turned to Catria "Stay safe on your journey, alright?"
"Come on Lucian. It's just a trip to the tower on my pegasus" Catria joked "But thank you regardless. I'll be back soon"
The Whitewing quickly left the war room while us four headed towards the mess hall. The dishes Rebecca and Peri cooked up were surprisingly incredible. The baked potato Rebecca made was flavorful and delicious while the steak Peri cooked was nice and juicy. Not to insult the order's chefs or anything, but I wouldn't mind eating meals prepped by Peri and Rebecca for the rest of my life.
"I talked to Peri a little bit about this whole cooking idea" Anna said as she dug into her pasta "She said that the reason she became so good at cooking is because she often done it herself, in fear of poisoned food. Partial natural talent as well"
"I heard that she also delights in cutting meat because of the blood spewing" Alfonse remarked "But why would she be worried about poisoned food?"
"Ask her yourself if you want. I don't remember everything" Anna shrugged "You might want to have your hand on your sword though. She can be unpredictable with her dagger"
"Noted"
We were too distracted by our food to continue conversation. We wrapped up just as Catria returned with Minerva.
"Lucian, Minerva and Cordelia seemed to have encountered a problem at the tower" Catria reported when we left the mess hall "Apparently, they found Emblian soldiers there"
"They stuck out like a sore thumb among the training automatons and hero statues" Minerva continued "The leader of the squad noticed us and demanded that we release Prince Bruno of Embla. They must of recognized us as part of the Order of Heroes"
"They think we've kidnapped Bruno?" I frowned "I guess Embla doesn't know about him wandering the World of Shadows"
"They attacked us, so we managed to rout them" Minerva continued "But just in case, I'd say to reinforce the border patrol and castle guardsmen. Embla might attempt to send in spies to 'rescue' Bruno"
"Good idea. Anna, dispatch the border guards in the outposts to watch out for Emblian soldiers. Also tell the castle guards and heroes to be on high alert. Embla might send thieves to infiltrate the castle through the vents" I ordered.
Anna frowned "The vents are too small for anyone to crawl through"
"You get my point. Just tell everyone to look out for anything suspicious"
"Alright. I'll do that" Anna separated from us and went into her office for paper while we headed down to the courtyard. I did a last minute check on everyone's equipment and skills. Alfonse had his specially forged sword, the Folkvangr along with Swap, Bonfire, Death Blow, Swordbreaker and Spur Attack in his skillset. Sharena had the Fensalir, Reposition, Moonbow, Fury, Renewal and Hone Attack. Catria had her Killer Lance, Reposition, Luna, Fury, Desperation and Goad Fliers while Minerva had her Hauteclere, Reposition, Draconic Aura, Life and Death, Axebreaker and Goad Fliers. Everyone was set and ready to go. Conjuring the magic to view everyone's skillsets fatigued me slightly, but it wasn't too much trouble.
"Alright everyone. Let's get into the World of Shadows and ask around to see if anyone has seen Bruno. He should stick out like a sore thumb among the Valentians" I said "Everyone ready? Let's move"
All of us leaped into the World of Shadows portal and we landed on the outskirts of a sluice gate, very similar to the one we saw in the last Tempest. Instead of Terrors however, the top of the gate was populated by two pegasus knights, a cavalier and two mages. The thunder mage in particular was a young girl with short brown hair tied with a yellow ribbon.
"Finally! I was getting bored waiting around for you" The girl grinned and opened her astral purple tome. It looked remarkably similar to Linde's Aura tome that Robinne chronicled in the resource hub.
"You've been waiting for us?" I asked and the mage giggled.
"Of course I was. Some random army popped in just a few hours ago and managed to defeat me. They put me under this contract thing" The mage shrugged, like she didn't really care all that much "They warned me of another army coming in led by a man wearing white and gold. They said you were going to be a good challenge"
"That army must of been the Emblians. They came here to find Prince Bruno…" Alfonse realized, then raised his voice "Did they mention anything else besides waiting here to fight us?"
"Hmm… they also mentioned something about looking out for a tanned, masked man, but I don't remember anything else" The mage brushed her hand over the pages of her tome, conjuring a collection of light rings "Anyways, my name's Delthea. I hope you aren't thinking of underestimating me just because I'm so darn cute. That would be a big mistake. My magic will blow you off the battlefield. So, who's first?"
"Let's see your magic firsthand then. Catria and Minerva, flank the enemy from the left and right. Alfonse and Sharena, take the front!" I commanded and the battle begun with Delthea throwing her spell at Alfonse. A tower is dark purple rings descended from the sky above Alfonse's head, but he darted away just in time before the rings smashed a hole through the solid stone gate. Catria swooped down to catch Delthea, but the sword cavalier reached Catria first, delivering two stinging blows with his Brave Sword.
"Minerva, flank behind the enemy team and take down Delthea quickly! She's the most dangerous enemy here!" I ordered and the wyvern rider quickly finished off the enemy sword flier with partial injuries. Minerva flew towards the enemy team's backlines while Catria quickly took down the sword cavalier. The wind mage tried casting Rexcalibur at Sharena, but Alfonse cut the mage's head clean off before the wind blew.
"Let's make this quick!" Delthea fired another spiral of dark rings towards Sharena and Alfonse, this time in a horizontal path. Thinking quickly, Sharena shoved Alfonse aside and took the brunt of the Dark Aura blast by herself.
"Now Minerva!" I called and the wyvern rider rocketed down towards Delthea, axe raised. The lance flier tried to intercept, but Minerva's wyvern literally chomped the pegasus's head off, causing the rider to scream in shock.
"Finishing blow!" Catria's lance pierced the lance flier's throat and Minerva smashed Delthea's head clean in half with the Hauteclere.
"Well, Delthea wasn't lying about her magic" I noted, staring at the hole she made in the sluice gate "Sharena and Minerva, drink these. They'll help heal your wounds"
I dug into my supply/orb bag and gave two Vulneraries to Sharena and Minerva. Abel managed to find some in the market and bartered down the price. The reason he had to? Because these Vulneraries were apparently from the World of Holy War, where the herbs used to make them were three times as strong as the ones from other worlds.
"Yuck… I know what they say about medicine being the bitterer the better, but that Vulnerary was NOT pleasant" Sharena grumbled as she set down the empty clay bottle.
"This Vulnerary is definitely stronger than the ones back in Archanea. It feels magically blessed somehow" Minerva finished drinking the Vulnerary and examined her wounds. They closed almost instantly, only leaving dried blood over her skin "Definitely blessed. The same magic used in Elixir concoctions"
"Huh. These apparently came from the World of Holy War, so maybe they had some strong stuff there" I paused, cocking my ear behind me. I could hear the clopping of a horse coming towards us.
"You hear it too? Who could be-" Alfonse instantly turned, gripping his sword tight when the rider approached us. It was a tanned man wearing a mask with a tome emitting particles of frost, just like Delthea said. Prince Bruno.
"Well, well, well. How nice to see you again Bruno" I greeted the mage knight nonchalantly "Are you feeling less… insane this time?"
"Ugh... argh... Ha... Hee-hee... Hah!" Bruno groaned while clutching his head. Yep, he was still as crazy as before "Ha… You finally made it. Good. I'm tired of waiting! Alfonse, Sharena and Lucian, I'm going to gut you just like I did to Zacharias!"
"Come on then. It's four versus one. You can't win" Catria glared at the Emblian prince, who only sneered in response.
"I'm not insane. I only came here to intimidate you" Bruno did a hand gesture, conjuring a warp circle under his mount's feet that pushed us back "But I like games. I'll warp ahead and gather as many heroes as I can. Try to stop me before I stop you!"
And with that, Bruno vanished into thin air, with his laughter echoing through the empty sluice gate.
"Well, he issued his challenge. Let's move before he grabs too many for us to handle" I said and we passed through the sluice gate into Rigel territory. On the way, Sharena and Alfonse tapped my shoulder to talk privately. I excused myself from Catria to talk to the duo.
"What's up?" I asked. Sharena had a worried look on her face while Alfonse's was stern, but conflicted.
"What happened to Bruno? I doubt he acted this way in the invasion of Askr" Alfonse said "Was he like this when you first ventured to the World of Shadows, Lucian?"
"Yeah. I have a feeling he's starting to go a little crazy" I replied "Not only is his speech and mannerisms becoming increasingly unstable, he seems to remain in the World of Shadows. He's been here for so long that Veronica is sending forces here to bring him back"
"I wonder if Bruno can avoid the Emblian soldiers wandering around here. I guess he could, given his ability to warp" Sharena pursed her lips "Still, he always gives me this weird familiar feeling. Like I know him"
"You think he could be Zacharias? I mean, we DID try to call him using the sending stone and Bruno was the one who showed up" I theorized "Perhaps he has an ulterior motive to claim he killed Zacharias and took up a new alias"
"That's… really far fetched. Besides, if Bruno was Zacharais, then who was the one who threw the spear at Veronica in the World of Radiance?" Alfonse asked "You said that Zacharias was the one who threw a javelin to distract Veronica"
"That's true. As far as we know, Bruno doesn't know how to use lances" I bit my lip "I guess we'll find out once we corner and defeat him. For now, let's turn to the port town and see if anyone's seen him around"
We turned right on our path through the forest and ended up on the outskirts of the port city. Several rivers cut into the land, which were connected by several bridges. An axe fighter and a lance flier patrolled the outskirts alongside Saber, Sonya and a purple haired archer.
"Ugh… this is so boring! Those damnable Emblians sent Valbar to another location and left me to guard this desolate valley" The archer grumbled "Who are we even waiting for anyways?"
"Askrian troops. We'll know it's them if there is-" Sonya's eyes rested on us "...A boy wearing a white and gold robe. Just like the one right there"
"Finally. Stupid contract bound me here for hours" Saber drew a sword that looked near identical to the Killing Edge, except the hilt was blue "Good time to test this new Slaying Edge I found. Let's move, Sonya and Leon"
"We can't give Bruno more time than he should. Let's clean these up quickly and move on" I decided "Alfonse and Sharena, charge ahead to take down Leon and the axe fighter. Catria and Minerva, take Sonya and Saber. Watch out for her dangerous wind magic. Go!"
Alfonse and Sharena took the bridge closest to us, heading straight towards Leon and the axe fighter. The enemy pair did a similar approach, but with the axe fighter protecting Leon while he prepared to fire. The lance flier flew over to flank Alfonse and Sharena on their left.
"Minerva, leave Saber to Catria and move to assist Alfonse and Sharena. Prioritize Leon and then the lance flier" I called and the wyvern rider parried Saber's sword, headbutting the mercenary with her wyvern's head before changing course. Leon aimed his Slaying Bow at Minerva, but Sharena stabbed him in the waist while Alfonse handled the axe fighter.
"Hands off!" Leon elbowed Sharena in the face before headbutting her, forcing the Fensalir out of the archer. However, he couldn't nock an arrow before Alfonse cut Leon down with a Death Blow-boosted strike. The lance flier rocketed towards the Askrian prince with her Silver Lance, but Minerva had other ideas.
"Make peace with your gods!" Minerva's Hauteclere grew scales and dragon horns as she smashed the lance flier into roadkill with Draconic Aura. Both pegasus and rider fell into a nearby river, mutilated to oblivion. Meanwhile, Catria easily finished off Saber and flew back to avoid Sonya's Dark Excalibur.
"This won't be easy. Sonya has massive range thanks to her weapon, so getting someone in safely will be tough" I stroked my chin in thought "Catria and Minerva, circle Sonya to confuse her targeting. Her spells can only be fired in vertical gales and not spread out"
My two fliers rushed into action, kicking their mounts into high speed as Sonya blasted more waves of purple winds. They managed to get in a good position and circled the mage like vultures, making it near impossible to hit either of them.
"Stand still you…!" Sonya balled her hand into a fist as a crescent moon blazed above her "Moonbow!"
The crescent gale flew towards Catria, who simply flew upwards to avoid it. However, the gale also sliced several trees in half and actually lifted them up. One of the trees unexpectedly smacked Catria's pegasus in the head, making it stagger dizzily.
"Now's the chance!" Sonya began to cast Dark Excalibur, but she forgot about Minerva. The wyvern rider split the mage's skull with her axe and ended the battle.
"Alright. Let's continue moving" I fished through my supply bag for more healing items "I have some Archanean Vulneraries here for minor injuries. We don't have a ton of Judgrali Vulneraries on tap"
I handed one each to my four heroes as we continued past the valley and followed the road into the desert kingdom of Rigel. I vaguely remembered the Valentian map, but I don't recall the desert kingdom being after the sluice gate. That was odd…
"Catria, mind if I hop onto your pegasus for a quick look in the sky? I just want to check something" I asked and Catria nodded, helping me onto her pegasus before rising into the air, giving me a large view of the Valentian land.
"Something wrong?" The Whitewing asked and I put my hand over my forehead to block out the sun, scanning the land.
"Yeah… we were at the sluice gate before we tackled Sonya's group in the valley outside the port town" I said "But looking at this view, the sluice gate is at the border of the desert kingdom. Realistically, we should of been at Zofia Castle before fighting Sonya and her posse"
"Lucian, you're the summoner of a magical realm who can pull heroes of ancient legend out of that 'gun' of yours" Catria replied dryly "And the weirdest part to you is the geography? I'm sure you experienced similar scenarios before"
"Eh heh… I guess you're right. Just felt a bit… nitpicky today" I shrugged and wrapped my arms around Catria's waist "It's not like I wanted to be alone in the sky with you for a little bit"
"Maybe I should remind you that my pegasus is sentient as well" Catria said slyly and the pegasus neighed in response "But thanks for being honest and… comforting with your touch. Shall we descend?"
I let go "R-right. Sorry. I guess now wasn't the best time"
"They'll be plenty of time for us when we get back. Don't you worry" The Whitewing smiled as he descended back to ground level. I explained to Alfonse and Sharena that I simply wanted a view over the land, but Minerva's amused expression told me she saw and heard everything.
"While you two were in the air, I scouted the next location inhabited by Emblian troops and Valentian heroes" Minerva said to break the awkward air "Up ahead, we'll cross into the desert and find a small fortress. There are four Valentian heroes and one Emblian archer"
"Thanks Minerva. Me and Catria were a little… enamored with the landscape to notice" I smiled at the wyvern rider and focused ahead. Just as Minerva said, the dirt path beneath us slowly shifted to sand as the desert came into full view. I guess the invasion of both Askr and Embla warped the world around us, which was why we transitioned across the continent so fast.
"Good grief… this heat is unbearable…" Gray grumbled as he leaned against a fortress wall. He popped open a waterskin and took a guzzle of water "Any idea when they 'Askrians' are going to show up?"
"I'll go scout. The messenger said that the Askrians defeated Sonya's squad at the port town, so they should be heading our way now" A blonde paladin named Mathilda said "Let me take a look"
The cavalier rode out of the fortress, peering through the vast desert wasteland. The glare of the sun made it hard to see, but she could make out several figures walking towards them. One pegasus knight and wyvern rider. Just like the messenger reported.
"They're here. Get ready to fight everyone" Mathilda picked up her Ridersbane that was leaning on the fortress wall "We should use the fortress to our advantage and force the Askrians to funnel through the tight entrance"
"Sound plan Mathilda. Gray and Tobin, hold the front and keep the enemy busy. Me and Mathilda will flank from both left and right to catch them in a pincer attack" Clive told the two villagers as he armed himself with a Silver Lance. He took one last look outside the fort "Looks like they're here. Time to fight"
"Are you feeling alright, Clive?" Mathilda whispered to her lover "Your illness is getting gradually getting worse day by day. You're losing strength"
"I can last long enough to break this contract and find a doctor. Don't worry Mathilda" Clive assured the paladin "As long as you're by my side, I'll never lose. Not again, at any rate"
"Hey! You two are the squad commanders, right? You forgot about me" An Emblian archer interrupted the two "What do I do?"
"Uhm… stand behind Gray and fire arrows through the window to disrupt the Askrian force. Try to snipe down their two fliers" Clive ordered and the archer ran off "We'll talk later Mathilda. We need to start fighting"
"Right beside you"
We arrived at the desert fortress, another location where we fought in the Tempest. Inside the barricade were Gray, Tobin, Clive, an Emblian archer and an unknown, beautiful and blonde paladin. It was going to be hard to penetrate this fort without being swarmed by foes, especially since Alfonse and Sharena were our only forms of ground combat.
"We need to find a way to get through their defense" I looked the fort up and down. No way in except for the entrance "A shame we didn't bring any mages. We could of bombed the fort with magic from a distance"
"There might be cracks in the walls we can capitalize on to open up another path for us" Alfonse suggested "I already see one next to the entrance"
The prince pointed to the right side of the fort's entry gate. Several cracks and chinks were lining the sandstone wall and was also partially barricaded by wood. Sloppy barricading though.
"Let's try that one. Minerva reported that an archer is inside, so Sharena will guard us with her shield while Alfonse knocks down the wall. Once it's broken, we'll rush in and take the defenders by storm" I said "They'll probably be dazed by the dust of the fallen wall, so we'll use that to our advantage"
I turned to our two fliers "Catria and Minerva. Remain a little above the fortress and be ready to swoop in once Alfonse knocks down the wall. Surprise attack the archer"
"Got it" Catria nodded and she shot into the sky, along with Minerva. Meanwhile, Alfonse made his way to the cracked wall with Sharena guarding him. The first arrow flew and it bounced off Sharena's shield, rousing the enemy troops.
"The Askrians have arrived. Take your positions everyone" Clive ordered and I heard shuffling as the Valentian heroes got ready to fight. Another arrow sailed over Sharena's head and she ducked under her shield while Alfonse continued hacking at the wall.
"Hey… they're chipping away at the cracked wall here. We should get out there while they're distracted" Tobin pointed out, but Mathilda held him back.
"Not yet. I don't see any of their fliers, so they must be above the fort. Going out into the open will leave you open to ambush" Mathilda replied "Wait for the wall to fall and we'll take out the Askrians all at once"
Meanwhile, Alfonse slammed his Folkvangr one more time into the damaged wall, cracking it to pieces and sending it falling into the fortress. The crash kicked up a cloud of sand and dust, blinding the Valentian heroes.
"Now!" I called and my two fliers swooped down into the expanded entry, buffeting the enemy with gusts of wind from their wings. Catria stabbed Gray in the face while her pegasus slammed it's hoove into the Emblian archer's neck, snapping it. Sharena and Alfonse double teamed Tobin while Minerva flew overhead, annihilating Mathilda in one blow.
"Here I go!" Catria parried Clive's lance thrust, her pegasus knocking the weapon out of the cavalier's hands. Catria followed up by running Clive through his throat, ending him instantly. With the fortress cleared, I sent Minerva up to scout our next destination.
"Great job everyone. Everything worked just as planned" I grinned "In fact, I don't think anyone has taken a single injury this battle"
"Tobin got a lucky hit on me before he went down, but it's nothing serious" Alfonse assured, taking a quick swig of the Vulnerary I passed to him "Two of the Valentian heroes had weapons I've never seen before. Do you have any idea what they were?"
"The lance that blonde paladin had looked very similar to one in my world. It was called the Ridersbane" Catria explained "It was a lance made especially to slay cavalry. I believe that's what she wielded"
"And I fought alongside Gray in the first Tempest here. His sword's called the Zanbato" I said "Like the Ridersbane, it's a longsword that was made to slay cavalry"
"Does that mean we'll get the axe version of it soon?" Sharena turned to Catria "Do you have any of those in your world?"
"Yes actually. It's called the Poleaxe" The Whitewing replied "Also known as the Halberd. Commander Minerva was quite fond of it during the War of Shadows"
"Because god forbid does Grust, Gra and Dolhr not deploy anything but mountains of cavaliers" Minerva said as she descended down from the air "Our next battlefield is just left of us. There appears to be a temple atop a hill, crawling with enemies at the entrance"
"That must be the Temple of Mila I fought at in the Tempest" I nodded "Alright then. Let's move out everyone"
A trail led from the desert fortress straight towards the Temple of Mila, letting us avoid the devilishly burning sand under our feet. Atop the hill at the temple's entrance housed Sonya, Leon and Saber, alongside a red mage knight and a lance flier. Now that we had fliers on our side, we could employ a different strategy than the one in the Tempest
"Catria, fly up to the temple's main entrance and take on Saber, the lance flier and the red mage knight. Minerva, support her with Goad Fliers and assist in fighting if they're distracted" I ordered "Leon and Sonya will either hold their position inside the temple or come reinforce the entrance, so clean up the enemies quickly"
"What about us?" Alfonse asked and I turned to the duo as my fliers dashed off.
"Remain here for now. Charging up the hill will only result in Leon and Sonya blasting you down. Wait for Catria and Minerva to draw their attention before running in to engage them" I decided "For now, we wait"
I watched our two fliers race towards the temple's main entrance, catching the enemy by surprise. I suppose they got lazy after being defeated the first time. Minerva easily sent the lance flier spiraling to the ground while Catria dueled with Saber, the pegasus knight having a significant advantage.
"Minerva, pull back! Avoid the red mage knight!" I called and the wyvern rider backed up as the mage knight galloped forward, chanting the incantation for Bolganone. Beneath Minerva, the ground rumbled and erupted into a spire of flame, but luckily, Bolganone was best used against grounded units. It was near useless against fliers.
"You poor fool…" Noticing the mage knight's astonished expression, Minerva rocketed down and sliced his head clean off while Catria finished off Saber. Just as I predicted, Leon and Sonya dashed towards the fliers to try and strike them down.
"Pull back Catria and Minerva! Lure them down the hill towards us!" I commanded and the two fliers descended down to our position. I sent Alfonse and Sharena up the hill while our two enemies were occupied.
"Good afternoon!" Sharena slammed into Leon with her shield, dislocating the archer's shoulder and forcing him to drop his bow. The lancer followed up by stabbing Leon in the stomach before ripping upwards, slaying the Valentian. Meanwhile, a single strike from Alfonse was all that was needed to kill Sonya.
"There isn't any trail here that leads anywhere else. I believe our next fight is inside the temple" Minerva told me.
"Should be. The second to last stage of the Tempest was in the temple's inner sanctum" I began to hike up the hill while Catria and Minerva zoomed up with their mounts "We should find Bruno down there. Something tells me this is the final battle before we rout Embla out of here"
"Hey Lucian! There's a staircase that leads deeper into the temple!" Sharena called "Should we go down?"
"Yes. Don't engage any enemies you see until I'm there. Unless they attack you" I nodded and the duo descended the stairs. Whoever made this clearly catered to fliers as well, since Minerva and Catria were able to go down with their mounts. I was the last to move into the temple's basement and just like I thought, Bruno was there along with five Valentian heroes.
"Heh heh heh… it's time, spawn of Askr. Our little game begins now" Bruno grinned darkly "You survived the trials here well, but now… now it's time for everything to end!"
"You weren't like this when Embla invaded Askr. What happened to you?" I demanded "What happened to Zacharias?"
"Heh... You... want to know what... I did?" Bruno replied in a strained voice "Take... a look... and then... ask me again…"
Bruno snapped his fingers and his tome glowed, pulsing with icy air to condense a weapon in his hands. He tossed the spear on the ground indifferently, which caused Alfonse and Sharena to gasp.
"That's… that's Zacharias's lance!" Alfonse realized "What did you do to him?!"
"I took his life. He peered into places he shouldn't have and brought one of Embla's darkest secrets to light" Bruno balled his hand into a fist as a sadistic smile marked his face "He was so very sad and pathetic when he couldn't save himself from me. He begged for his life. He called out your names. He said that he'll do anything for me as long as he lived. Of course, such a coward didn't deserve to be at my side"
"Zacharias… no…" Sharena sniffled, gripping her lance tightly in both sadness and anger.
"You… you murderer!" Alfonse took the vengeful route, gripping the Folkvangr so tightly that his knuckles went white "I'll kill you for what you did to Zacharias. I'll cut all your limbs from your crippled body piece by piece so you can savor the pain!"
"Alfonse, calm down! This isn't like you!" I growled "Stop it. Don't let anger rule your actions. You're just making yourself an easier target for Bruno"
"Oh no, Lucian. Let Alfonse show his feelings here… with his blade! You'll be seeing Zacharias soon enough if you do!" Bruno's horse stamped it's hooves on the ground "Enough talk. We fight!"
"Everyone, stay on the defensive tiles and don't let the enemy heroes seize them. They'll give us a big advantage in the battle!" I commanded as Bruno's troops all rushed towards us, zerg rush style. I quickly sent Alfonse and Minerva to the left to fight Sonya and Clive while Catria and Sharena dealt with Tobin and Mathilda. Bruno and Gray had to be covered later.
"Ha ha! Foolish Lucian!" Bruno rode over with surprising speed, taking cover behind a temple pillar to cast Valaskjalf at Catria. A spiky permafrost appeared under the pegasus knight, stabbing her with magical icicles. The attack also broke Catria's Killer Lance temporarily, indicating the usage of Lancebreaker. A series of explosions rocked the ground as well, flinching Sharena. He had Savage Blow too? Bruno wasn't messing around.
"Catria, pull back and wait for your lance to recover. Sharena, engage Mathilda and Tobin on the defensive tile and Minerva, get over here to kill Bruno!" I called. This situation was quickly getting out of hand however. Sonya's Dark Excalibur ripped into Alfonse hard and Clive's strikes were sure and strong. I wasn't sure how long he could last.
"Let me through!" Alfonse's Folkvangr blazed with Bonfire's flames and he smashed Clive to bits. An angry red aura pulsed from the Folkvangr as well, courtesy of it's built-in Defiant Attack. The prince quickly rushed over to strike Sonya, but the mage backed up to dodge. Fortunately, Catria's lance recovered at the right moment and she swooped in to stab Sonya in the back, letting Alfonse finish her off.
"No more of this!" Bruno's Valaskjalf pulsed with electricity before erupting in a vertical line of lightning, electrocuting Catria and Alfonse hard. The mage knight followed up by impaling the weakened Catria through with an icicle, dissolving her into feathers.
"Minerva, hurry up and finish Bruno off!" I yelled as Bruno prepared to attack Alfonse, who was staggering away to the defensive tiles. The wyvern rider swooped overhead and dragon horns sprouted from the Hauteclere, indicating Draconic Aura.
"I will end this swiftly!" Minerva body slammed Bruno with her axe, smashing the mage knight to the ground as Valaskjalf flew through the air. I quickly snatched it as Sharena finished off Tobin and Mathilda. With the battle done, we all gathered around Bruno's mangled body.
"Do it. Kill me Alfonse" Bruno groaned with an insistent tone "Do it now. I told you before... You'll regret it if you don't"
"Tell me one last time Bruno. Did you really kill Zacharias?" Alfonse asked, raising his bloody sword to Bruno's neck. Alfonse's body was worn and torn by gashes, cuts and scratches, but his voice was still steady and strong.
"Hah! This again? Yes! I killed him!" Bruno snarled "And I promised you and your sister will suffer the same fate. But I failed…"
"Very well. The time to avenge my friend... has come" Alfonse raised his blade to strike when I grabbed his wrist suddenly "What?! Lucian, what is it?"
"Hold on. Before we kill him, let's take off his mask. Let's see who he really is" I insisted. Alfonse opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off "Hear me out. The first time we came to the World of Shadows, we completed the sending stone rite. We didn't hear Zacharias, so we assumed he was dead. However, there's another possibility. One person in particular responded to us after the rite"
"No… you don't mean that…" Sharena's eyes went wide "Are you saying that Bruno is Zacharias?!"
"Let's confirm it with the man himself" I turned to Bruno "Tell it to me straight, Prince Bruno of the Emblian Empire. Are you Zacharias? If you refuse to answer, I'll rip your mask right off your face and let Alfonse and Sharena see for themselves"
"No… I can't explain now. Too little time" Bruno pounded the ground with his fist, erecting a warp circle beneath him "This is what happens when you show your enemy mercy, Lucian. But I am not your foe anymore. I need to… I need to find the solution before it's too late!"
"Zacharias! WAIT!" Alfonse cried, but the mage knight and his horse already vanished into thin air.
"So that was it all along. Zacharias is Bruno" I said to break the tension "And he's afflicted by some sort of condition that forces him to fight us. Maybe he's cursed?"
"We'll… we'll ponder over it next time. I'm too tired to think now" Alfonse shook his hand "Pass me a Judgrali Vulnerary, will you Lucian?"
"Sure. Here you go" I dug into my supply bag and handed the prince the medicinal drink "Well, it's a dead end here. Looks like our expedition is over"
"Let's head home then. We need to report this information to Commander Anna" Sharena said, audible traces of confusion and sorrow in her voice "Lucian, if you please…"
"Right" I unhooked the Breidablik from my belt and clicked the trigger, opening a portal back into Askr. Once we arrived back, Katarina and Robin immediately greeted me at the lobby.
"Minerva, go get some rest. Alfonse and Sharena, relay today's events and revelations to Anna" I said before facing Katarina and Robin in front of me "So what's up?"
"Two summoning banners arrived in the mail while you were gone" Katarina handed me two postcards. One was titled "Alm's Army" which featured Delthea, Mathilda and Gray while the second was called "Celica's Army", featuring Saber, Sonya and Leon. I had a fairly high supply of orbs, so I wouldn't mind dropping a few for Sonya and Saber.
"Thank you. Anything else?" I asked and Robin handed me some sort of research paper written by Robinne. It was titled "Heroes and Skill Bracelets"
"Skill Bracelets? What the heck is that?" I asked and Robin tapped his right wrist to reveal a silver armband that had three holes drilled in. The three holes were filled with pins that had Robin's skills imaged on top.
"I'll be brief since my sister details the rest in her paper. Basically, skill bracelets are invisible and intangible bands that every hero has. It's an easy way to check skills and whatnot" The tactician explained "The three holes represent the A offensive skill, B combat skill and C supportive skill. A skill's power is condensed into these pins which can be placed in a skill bracelet to grant the hero it's effects"
"Interesting. So I'm assuming the new way of skill inheritance is to take off a pin, hand it to another hero and then go home?" I watched Katarina tap her own wrist to will her skill bracelet to existence "That definitely makes things simpler"
"For the most part, yes. Anyways, I said I'll be brief, so you can read the rest in Robinne's essay" Robin tapped the papers in my hand "Me and Katarina will be out enjoying the summer festival. See you at dinner!"
And the two tacticians left. I decided to hold off on summoning and reading Robinne's paper for now. I was way too tired from all the battles today. A shame I couldn't get to the archery range either, but that's limits for you. I went up to my room and tossed Robinne's research onto my desk before collapsing on my bed and taking a nap.
A Tactician's Gift: Robin and Katarina's A support
"Whoa… I've never seen so many people bustling around before" Katarina marveled when she and Robin arrived in the castle town. Dozens of tents and shops were set up, selling food, merchandise, trinkets and anything else you can imagine. The main stage was populated by dancers from all over Askr, as well as Olivia. Even some of the order's resident musicians like Priscilla and Lachesis got into it, playing harmonious tunes for everyone around.
"Yep. That's festivals for you. A time of gathering for everyone to celebrate and have fun" Robin had a distant look in his eyes "Ah, that brings back good memories of all the festivals with the Shepherds. I remember trying out food from all corners of the world as well as finding rare tomes you can't find anywhere else"
"That sounds incredible. I don't even know where to start here…" Katarina looked around like an excited puppy "Maybe let's-"
"Wait hold on. I haven't seen this shop before" Robin took Katarina's hand and led her down to a shop manned by Anna.
"Hey Commander Anna. Weren't you talking with Alfonse and Sharena back in the castle?" Robin asked and Anna appeared confused, staring at the grand castle in the distance.
"Oh no, I'm not the 'Commander' Anna you're talking about. I'm another Anna. I travel across all the realms to sell my merchandise!" Anna explained "So what are you two interested in? I can assure you a good deal just for being heroes"
"I was interested in the skill pins you have over there" Robin pointed to a glass case lined with dozens of skill pins, ranging from Fury to obscure ones like Close Defense and Earth Boost "How much for one pin?"
"Oh these? They typically fluctuate in price depending on how valuable the skill is, but it can range from 1000-10000 gold" Anna replied "10000 is for the top-of-the-line skills like Distant and Close Counter"
"I see. That makes sense" Robin nudged Katarina "What would you like?"
"Hmm… that Resistance Ploy pin looks appealing. The Desperation one as well" Katarina replied "But I don't think I can afford both of them…"
"Don't worry. I can pay for one and you'll pay for the other" Robin took out his wallet from one of his coat pockets. Heroes who often fight or do other tasks within the order are given a weekly salary to spend in the market such as this. Due to being one of the strategists, Robin and Katarina have accumulated a decent sum of money.
"So the Resistance Ploy and Desperation skill pin? That'll be 9000 gold total" Anna unlocked the glass display case, gently plucking out both pins while Robin and Katarina pooled their money. The investment nearly drained both of them of cash.
"Robin, I didn't think this would cut out expenses so low. Now there isn't enough to buy yourself one" Katarina said worriedly to Robin as the two moved away from the stall. Robin simply smiled and activated Katarina's skill bracelet, sliding in the two new pins himself.
"No need to worry Katty. Lucian already supplied me with the necessary skills" Robin opened his own bracelet, showing Triangle Adept, Quick Riposte and Hone Speed "I don't need more than this. Besides, I like showing my affection through gifts sometimes"
"Robin you're… you're so sweet" Katarina blushed "S-so… let me treat you for a bite to eat then. It's the least I can do to repay you"
"Fine by me. Lead the way, my dear"
The two spent the rest of the day at the festival, eventually burning the rest of their money on food. They settled down at the main stage, watching the dancers perform. Among the audience, Robin even spotted Lucian and Catria.
"You know... do you think Lucian will send us all home once the war with Embla is over?" Katarina asked.
"Probably not. I'm sure there's more on the horizon than just Embla. As long as Lucian is here, us heroes will be needed" Robin replied, wrapping his arm behind Katarina's neck "So I wouldn't worry about having to leave"
"That's good. I've gotten so comfortable here that going home sounds like a fever dream" The tactician rested her head on Robin's shoulder "I've made so many new friends and learned so much here. Robinne, Jeorge, Lucian, Nino and of course, you"
"I feel the same. I've learned and experienced things here that I'll never be able to comprehend back home" Robin smiled "And now that my duties as the only tactician are lifted, I can focus on other matters"
"Like?"
"Like this" Robin leaned down and kissed Katarina on the lips briefly, moving away before too many people noticed "You"
"Robin..." Katarina was at a loss for words "This may sound a bit... immodest but I..."
"Shh. No need to say more. I can guess it" Robin smiled lightly at the fire mage "You want more of that when we're alone"
Katarina simply nodded, blush marking her face and Robin grinned, satisfied.
"Your wish is my command"
Phew. This ended up much longer than expected. The whole skill bracelet concept came from a Reddit post about Heroes headcanons and I liked it so much that I'm adopting it for the story. Other than that, the Book I story actually goes somewhere beyond "Embla has invaded x world and we have to liberate it" so that's something. Coming up next is the Nohrian Summer paralogue. If you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to leave constructive criticism or praise, leave a review. Until next time, fellow summoners!