Hey, this one didn't take me nearly half a year to do! Go me!
Chapter 11: Shield of Seals
Getting his equipment ready hadn't taken long. Robin had already had his essentials on him from when he had left Ylisstol last time. Pikachu had curled up the bed as soon as they had entered his room, seemingly oblivious to the weight of what had just been thrust on them. Already prepared to depart at first light the next morning, Robin busied himself pouring over tactical manuscripts at his desk.
A phalanx sounds like it could work with the Shepherds in a desperate situation, Robin thought. He frowned. No, we don't have the equipment for that. Only Kellam really could pull it off. And Frederick, if I could get him off the horse.
Robin jotted down a note saying as much in a separate notebook. Miriel kept a similar journal for her 'science,' he had discovered, and it seemed so obvious that Robin was kind of embarrassed that he hadn't thought of it first. Or maybe he had, and had forgotten it. Imitation was a form of flattery, he supposed.
This was not a volunteer based mission. Everyone in the Shepherds was going West with the Exalt. Even Donnel. Chrom had thought it curious that the Shepherds had returned with more people than it had left, but gave his consent both for Donnel's tutelage under the Shephards and his membership. If this meeting came to blows - or rather when it did, if Chrom was to be believed - Donnel would be tasked with a support role similar to the one he had play in the bandit's hideout days before. A true trial by fire for the poor kid.
Naturally, the boy had been reduced to a sputtering mess the moment his Prince had walked into the barracks to tell him this and welcome him to the Shepherds.
'Trust me, Donny. You'll forget he's the Prince soon enough,' Robin had joked. The ensuing laughter had brought a bit of levity to Chrom. Judging by the rings under the Prince's eyes, he had needed it.
Robin had hoped he'd have time to get more familiar with some of the Shepherds he hadn't worked with yet before they needed to head out again. What little he knew of Stahl and Sully's fighting prowess had been from their duel that he had walked in on a week before. He knew less of Lon'qu except that Khan Basilio vouched for him and that Vaike had become familiar with how the sparring ring's dirt tasted when he challenged him. Whilst knocking Vaike on his arse was not the greatest of accomplishments with blunt weapons, it was made impressive by how few bruises Lon'qu had in turn.
Lon'qu also managed to keep his half of the room clean and his bed made. Robin could have forgotten he was sharing the room with someone if Lon'qu hadn't rested his sword against the side of his bed.
Robin licked his finger and took it to the next page of his book. Robin let out a bitter laugh as he read the next page, detailing the weaknesses of a phalanx formation. The front line should be prepared to die. I'm not liking this strategy. We don't have enough Shepherds for that.
There was a light knock on the door. Robin kept reading anyway. Maybe it wasn't important...
"Excuse me, Mr Robin?" The young sounding voice in the doorway asked. Robin sighed.
"Come in, Bandana," Robin said, marking his place in his reading and putting the book down on his desk.
Bandana Dee pushed in the door, hanging from the door knob as it swung open. He let go and dropped the few inches to the floor. He left the door wide open as he waddled in, and then evidently thought better of it and closed the door. Pikachu eyed him curiously, jumping off the bed to stand closer to Robin. Bandana Dee fidgeted under the mouse's gaze.
"Um... Where's Lon'qu?"
"Outside training," Robin answered. A peak out the window painted the Ylissean blues in the orange tint of sunset. How long have I been reading?
"Oh good. I wanted to talk to you about something," Bandana Dee said. He put a hand where his chin would be, and shook his head. "Actually I wanted to talk to Virion, but he said you'd have something better to say than him."
Robin raised a brow.
"Okay then," Robin said cautiously. He motioned to his lockbox at the foot of his bed. Bandana Dee took it as a seat. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Um..." Bandana Dee fidgeted. "The new boy, with the pot hat? He said something unkind about me and the Waddle Dees."
"What did he say?" Robin asked. Did I make a mistake bringing him back? He hadn't had any trouble with Meta Knight on the road, I'd thought-
"He called us furry brown critters," Bandana Dee said. Robin blinked. "And I didn't like it."
"Ah. Okay. Of course..." Robin trailed off. "Did you say anything to him?"
"No. I went straight to Virion. He called the new guy a peasant, and then took a deep breath. After that, he sent me to you to ask what to do."
Why, Virion? You'd know better than me.
"Well, I'm honored by his confidence," Robin said. "Do you know why Donnel said that?" Bandana Dee shook his head. "Maybe he just didn't know what to call you."
"I'm Bandana Dee." The Waddle Dee's cheeks puffed out in a pout at the declaration.
"I'm aware who you are. Donnel, however, doesn't know that. Donnel also just traveled halfway across the country with relative strangers, leaving behind everyone and everything he knew to fight directly under his Prince. He's probably a bit overwhelmed, and there's a lot that he doesn't understand. Perhaps if you talked to him, asked him not to call you that, he might apologize?"
Bandana Dee looked into the distance, considering this. At least, that's what Robin figured out was happening. He followed Bandana's gaze to a wall that wasn't particularly interesting.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay, I'll talk to Donnel," Bandana Dee said. "If you and Meta Knight trusted him enough to bring him here, he can't be bad, right? Not like the Plegians that attacked?"
"Of course not. Donnel fought to defend his home, even though he didn't know how to fight. The Plegians are destroying the homes of others. The difference is night and day, if you ask me."
Bandana Dee thought about this for a second, giving Robin time to process his own words. How could anyone stand by and watch someone else's home burn and still be innocent?
The Shepherds would be arriving long after Meta Knight had at the gate. King Dedede would be arriving with the Exalt for the sake of image. A message of unity for the Ylisseans who had just yesterday been so scared. A reminder to the city that they were not alone in this trial. A message that would keep riots at bay whilst their Exalt was away, and while the central figures of authority were Phila and the Hierarch. It was a message that Meta Knight had no need nor desire to be a part of.
For how much Her Grace speaks of peace, I find it odd her first choice to watch her city is a lady of war.
The guards at the gate were eying him wearily. He had passed through the Southern gates of the city before, as beyond it lay the camp the Waddle Dees had set up. The Western gate was new to him, and he was new to its keepers. They must have heard of us by now. The Exalt has not been quiet about us.
They did not attempt to talk to him, and so he saw no point in talking to them. Watching the streets kept him busy. The children that gaped as they passed by. The adults the turned away as his eyes landed on them. Even the birds on the rooftops stared at him, a curiosity in their midst. They at least didn't seem to be afraid, meeting his look. The Exalt's arrival didn't come soon enough, the eyes parting to make way for her.
The guards at the gate stood straighter and kept their eyes forward. Meta Knight gave her a respectful bow as she and Dedede approached. He pointedly did not bow to Dedede.
"Sir Knight, it is a pleasure," the Exalt greeted cordially. "Have the Shepherds arrived?"
"Not yet, Your Grace," Meta Knight answered. Dedede groaned and folded his arms over his chest.
"Why not? Where are they?"
"Peace, Your Greatness," the Exalt asked. "My brother would not be late without good reason."
Meta Knight wasn't sure he could tell what emotion passed by her face. There was a sound in the crowd of the street that was far less dignified. The form of Chrom emerged, followed by the misshapen unit that made the Shepherds.
Meta Knight had grown so used to the uniformity of most of the Ylissean military that the Prince's own team confused him. It had worked for dealing with bandits, and it had gotten Dedede to and from Ferox with only a single kidnapping, which may or may not have been an accomplishment given it was Dedede's fault. This wasn't bandits they were marching to meet. It was an enemy nation that Meta Knight knew little about, and a king he had only heard described as mad.
By Chrom's side was Frederick and the Princess Lissa. Just behind them was Robin. Meta Knight took a deep breath at the sight of the tactician. Bandana Dee followed nearby, talking with the farm boy they had picked up on their mission. The boy scratched at the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed about something. Meta Knight also picked out Sully on horseback near the center of the ragtag column. She nodded her head at him.
"Look who decided to show up," Dedede said loudly. Meta Knight winced at the same time Chrom did.
"Apologies, Your Greatness. Emmeryn. We had a sparring injury that needed attending to. And a... a disagreement regarding the Shepherd's roster." Meta Knight blinked.
"Only one of those was the Vaike's fault!" An unseen voice declared from the back of the group. Chrom sighed. Frederick rode forward, cutting off any explanation Chrom could have offered.
"Your Grace, Your Greatness. The Shepherds are prepared to move out if you are."
The Exalt nodded. Meta Knight took his place by the King's side, and the gates opened Westward.
'I'm not a kid anymore Chrom! Let me fight!' The speaker was young for a 'not kid,' his pointed Mage hat the only thing bringing him near Chrom's height. It was an impassioned plea from the boy named Ricken.
Chrom had had to say no, because he was a kid. He didn't regret the decision either, as even he was feeling the march to the Plegian border pass near Themis from his waist down. An inexperienced Mage wouldn't fare well at all. Chrom imagined the only reason he was letting the matter weigh on him at all was that it was a distraction from where he was marching. The brooding thoughts was in turn a distraction from the sores in his leg. He looked enviously towards his sister riding on horseback near the center of their column.
His sister was marching to negotiations with a tyrant, that she knew. Chrom in turn knew he was marching to war. He had seen the destruction many of Plegia's bandits had reaped on Ylisse's countryside firsthand. The pillaging of Bathoneo still burned fresh in his mind. He dreaded what the Plegian military itself could have done to his homeland while Emmeryn made them sit idle in Ylisstol.
And Maribelle was captured as well. Lissa was keeping a strong face, far stronger than Chrom had expected. He was proud of his sister, and he only hoped she could hold until Maribelle was safe with them again.
He was thinking about it again. It must have shown as Robin approached him.
"Are you alright?" Robin asked. Pikachu stared into the Prince from his friend and tactician's shoulder.
"I'm preparing myself for the worst," Chrom said. Robin frowned.
"That's my job, Chrom. You're supposed to swing the sword and lead."
Chrom let out a dry chuckle. "Yes, I suppose so."
The silence between them dragged on as they marched. Chrom looked at Pikachu again. Pikachu didn't seem to rebuke Chrom as he had others. Chrom wondered why. A stray thought crossed his mind, and demanded he voice it.
"Hey Robin, when do I get a monster to ride on my shoulder?"
"Pi?" "What?" Pikachu was suddenly regarding him with the coldness he reserved for crowds.
"You've got Pikachu, Anna has Delibird. Frederick brought back that pig thing that's still at the barracks, and even Virion has a bird." Virion and Rowlet turned at their mention. The owl let out a 'Roo' and turned forward dismissively just as Viriom did the same. "I'm just saying, I should get a monster too."
Robin regarded him oddly for a minute. He and Pikachu shared a look, communicating silently as pet and owner, before facing the prince.
"Pikachu and I are in agreement, I think. I can say with absolute certainty that..." Robin paused. Chrom raised a brow curiously. "I've got no idea."
With a laugh, Chrom shook his head. He cleared his throat and forced a look of exasperated hurt.
"Why not? Am I not worthy of a monster companion?" Despite Chrom's best efforts, Robin didn't seem to be buying the act at all. Damn, I guess puppy eyes only work when Sumia does it on me.
"No, that's not why. None of us have gone out of our way to get a companion, or at least I don't think so. They have been picking us as owners as much as, if not more than, we've picked them. Miriel would likely say we don't have a large enough sample size to judge, but I have a feeling that if you get a... ahem, monster, it'll be an unplanned mistake."
"A pity," Chrom sighed. "I'd love to have a trick like Pikachu there in my pocket for a fight."
"I suppose you would call it a Pocket monster, if I'm hearing right?" Robin asked. Pikachu's ears perked up at the term. The mouse actually nodded. Damned thing is smarter than Vaike, I swear. "Huh. Pikachu likes the label."
"Seems fitting, somehow," Chrom agreed. "Think we could get it to stick?"
Robin shrugged. For a short time, the two of them tried to guess at what kind of 'Pocket Monster' Chrom would get. Chrom made it very clear he wanted one. Robin suggested a bird, like Virion's. Chrom shook his head, saying that the leader of the Shepherds should have something fierce. Robin countered by suggesting a sturdy beast, like what they ate in Regna Ferox. They went on and on, knowing the reality would be unpredictable.
As they talked, Chrom didn't worry about the child who he didn't bring into danger or about the war upcoming. For that short while only worried about what good the future held for him and the monster he was going to own.
Ylisse was not a small country. Lissa had learned this time and time again in the year since she started traveling with the Shepherds and her brother. A year since she had started to really see the world, and the land she was serving as much as her sister and brother. It had been incredible and awful all at once, and she wouldn't give it up for most anything.
The cost weighing on her heart now might have been enough a price to make her quit. She tried to join in Vaike's banter. She had hoped to chime in on her brother's chat about the magical creatures, but she found herself without any words. Emmeryn was in Exalt mode, and Lissa didn't want the Exalt. She wanted her sister. So she looked forward as they marched through the countryside approaching Themis, the border, and her best friend's captors.
I'm coming Maribelle.
"You look grim princess," a voice said. Lissa blinked. That would've scared me on any other day. She looked down from her horse to see the small dark figure keeping pace with her mount.
"Hey Meta Knight," she greeted. "How's your leg?"
He considered the question for a moment. She hadn't seen him hobbling at all, and the monks at the temple had said he recovered well. Even so...
"It still aches sometimes. Nothing too bad, of course. I have endured worse."
"I know you have. I'm the one who fixed you up. Remember?"
Meta Knight grunted. Lissa smiled despite herself. For all of his supposed strength and forced coldness, Meta Knight was an awkward dork when it came to basically anything that broke away from his script.
"I still am in your debt for your aid. I was and am a stranger to your lands, and you didn't need to do anything."
Lissa snorted. "Yeah I did. What kind of princess doesn't help wherever she can?"
To that Meta Knight had no answer. He seemed like the sullen one now, though that might have just been his natural state.
"Your friend will come home today, Princess," Meta Knight said, and trudged ahead of her before she could answer. She watched him go. Yeah, I can believe it.
"Are we there yet?"
Frederick sighed. The King had been heaving for the for hour, and pestering the knight for the past three. Compared to their trek North, they were moving at a harsher pace. The knight could have gone twice as fast for the sake of his duty and country and not broken a sweat, but that wasn't the purpose of their journey. They would arrive all together or not at all.
"No, Your Greatness. We'd not reach the border pass for another hour at a even a breakneck pace. If you would like, I'm sure I could convince the others to move at a quicker pace. Say, twice as fast?"
The King grumbled at that. It was obvious why he was so perturbed by the march. Meta Knight had made him leave their personal supplies behind but for the most basic essentials. Dedede's travel wagon and the Waddle Dees that would pull it were considered nonessential. Neither would any Ylissean horse support the Kings weight nor any saddle hold the King's body shape atop it. Thus, the king had to walk.
The mountains that formed the border between Plegia and Ylisse stretched out in either direction, forming a natural wall between the two countries. Snow collected at the tips of the highest peaks. None were quite so tall as Mount Prism in the East, Frederick knew, but he would still be hard pressed to climb any of them without good cause. Cause like being asked to by Chrom, or the possibility of a rock slide.
"Hey Freddy, what's that in the distance?" The King asked with his mitten pointed south of their destination. Frederick flinched.
"I would prefer you call me 'Frederick,' Your Greatness. As for your question, I believe there was a village near the pass." Frederick saw smoke. He sighed. "It is the one that the Plegians pillaged. We shall be bypassing the village entirely if we follow the road as planned. It... The Exalt does not believe seeing the destruction would be good for maintaining a good mindset going into this parley."
"What do ya mean? I never agreed to that!" The king said. "I wanna see it, and to rub it in this stupid king's face that he burned down your stuff!"
"Oh? And with all due respect, Your Greatness, you would be making settling the matter amicably that much harder."
The King's beak tightened in offense, as did his fist around his weapon of choice. The oversized hammer had been dragging behind the King for the past hour, leaving a trail in the dirt.
"I'm sick of this peace talk. I wanna clobber this idiot king quickly so Meta Knight and me can fix the Halberd."
Frederick sighed. He was quietly grateful that the king was keeping his voice quiet enough to be drowned out by the rest of the conversations around them. How did I get stuck with someone who could test my patience better than the Prince?
"Not long now, Your Greatness. We march today to ascertain peace." He left the possibility of war unsaid. It wouldn't be a welcome reminder.
The southbound wind didn't penetrate the valley. The only sound to accompany the Shepherds on their march was their footsteps. Conversation had died before they entered the pass. For Chrom, every crack and crevice bore an assassin. Every rock and boulder was a weapon.
Their monsters sensed the tension as well. Rowlet had left Virion's shoulder for the first time since they left Ylisstol. He flew lower than Sumia's Pegasus as they watched for any sign of a trap around them. Even Dedede had quit his bawling, and picked up his hammer. They weren't especially far into the valley when they started to hear other noises and Rowlet returned to them. The owl pointed a wing forward. Sumia landed behind them shortly after.
A pair of figures stood on rock, looking down on them as they approached. One was a relatively thin man, dressed in a yellow cape with a fur collar and the finest clothes ever to grace Plegia. A crown adorned his head. At his side was a woman with white hair and a revealing black outfit. As they approached, Chrom found it curious to see what appeared to be a ghostly cloth floating behind the woman. It had large eyes on what could be called its head that stared straight through him. In the pass below the two was gathered Plegian soldiers. Chrom rested his hand on Falchion's hilt as they approached.
Emmeryn stepped to the front of the group and looked the thin man in the eyes.
"Finally!" The man bellowed. "The Exalt arrives at last. It is rude to make a king wait!"
"King Gangrel," Emmeryn greeted curtly. "I have come to put this incident between us to rest."
Gangrel laughed. The mountains themselves desired to cringe away from the noise, but they could only echo it.
"This incident? That makes it sound so innocent. I almost could believe it," Gangrel chuckled. His eyes lay solely on Emmeryn. "I'd fear I need to shield my eyes from your radiance, but those things you travel with have dimmed the light so much."
"Hey, watch your mouth!" King Dedede yelled. "I'm the king of Dreamland, and I demand your respect."
Gangrel balked at the retort.
"I've heard much of your kind, so called king. I can't say I'm impressed by your kidnapping," Gangrel waved away Dedede, much to the Dreamlander's chagrin. He never looked away from Emmeryn. "Truly, Exalt, your company is not what I expected. I expected that wench and your butcher Knight Commander. Last I heard, he was eying my lands a few weeks ago. Whatever could have happened to him?"
Chrom tensed. There had been no word of Belisar and the Knights since they started their sweep of the border. Has Gangrel done something to them?
"Gangrel, I would know the truth of what happened here," Emmeryn interjected. Gangrel rolled his eyes, an action that carried through his entire body. The woman beside him stepped forward, the cloth creature keeping close behind her back.
"I believe I can tell you the truth of what happened," the woman beside Gangrel said, putting a hand on her chest.
"I see. And might milady first give me her name?"
"Of course. I am Aversa, servant to his Highness." The woman bowed. "The truth of the matter is this, Your Grace. The girl crossed into our lands. When our brave soldiers who found her tried to escort her home, her and her company attacked them."
"You lie!" Lissa shouted out. "It's all lies! Where is Maribelle? She can't defend herself if she's not here!"
"My, my, the princess has a tongue on her doesn't she?" Aversa cooed. "Shall we humor her, your Highness?"
Grangrel shrugged. "I hardly think it fair to give in to them, having been insulted as such, but very well. Bring the girl out!"
There was a break in the Plegian formation. A large man with an axe the size of Chrom pushed through the opening, carrying a girl over his shoulder. Out in the open, he threw her down. She rolled for a few feet. Her arms were bound, and she floundered for a moment before the brute grabbed her by the arm and hoisted her to her feet.
"Maribelle!" Lissa screamed. It was taking more self control than Chrom knew himself capable of to keep Falchion in its sheathe. Maribelle had blood rolling down her cheek and she stared towards them with darkened eyes.
"Lissa, darling? Is that you?"
"We're here to take you home, Mari," Lissa promised.
"Yes, yes, very heartfelt. I feel a tear coming to my eye. Don't you, Aversa?" Gangrel laughed, not receiving an answer. "So, your most radiant, shall we count the allegations we have against this girl? We have assault. Trespassing. My, we might even have espionage, should she come to admit to it during interrogations. All from one of yours, Exalt. My, what a list of crimes. I can scarce imagine the sizable reparations you've come to offer me."
"He lies, your Grace!" Maribelle shouted. "His men crossed the pass and burned down the village! I was captured defending it, and they dragged me across the border! Let the burned shops and homes of that village serve as my proof!"
The guard shoved Maribelle to the ground. Gangrel spat in her direction as she was dragged to her feet
"Lies, lies, and lies, they all say. You'd think I haven't said an honest word since we started! I shall weep into my pillow tonight for your poor villagers. I had oft heard of late that Ylisse has a bandit problem but for it to be so close to my country? Some nights I fear it will pass into my own lands."
"Enough, Gangrel," Emmeryn shouted. The Plegian King snarled. "Surely we can speak without the need for hostages."
"Hostages? She attacked my men, on my land! I'm in my rights to have her head on a pike and be home in time for supper! Or you can give me what I want!"
"Pray tell, fiend, what is it that you want?" Chrom demanded.
"Please, I'm the fiend? You waltz in here with a monster king and his lackeys, and call me a fiend? Bwa haha! You humor me so," the king waved dismissively at Chrom. "Your oh so radiant, reign in the pup lest I get the wrong idea of your intentions."
"Who you callin' a monster, skinny? I could-"
"Dedede!" Meta Knighy hissed. "This is not the time." Dedede quieted, settling for an angry look at the king.
"Ha! So the beasties can be taught! Exalt, you should ask the ball how he trained his troublesome royalty." Gangrel shook his head. "I grow bored of this banter and your pets, Exalt. I want the Fire Emblem!" Chrom heard Meta Knight growl.
"The... The Fire Emblem?" Emmeryn asked.
"It's a ploy, your Grace!" Maribelle shouted. "I'm not worth-" Maribelle was thrown to the ground again.
"Such a mouthy girl," Gangrel spat as she struggled to stand. "Yes, the Fire Emblem! The artifact of great power locked away in an Ylissean vault." Meta Knight and Dedede shared a curious look. "It is said the Fire Emblem could grant its bearer anything their hearts desires. Well, I have desired it for years! Yet year after year my birthday passes and Ylisse gives me nothing."
"The Fire Emblem has but one purpose, King Gangrel. It is to protect the world and its people in its most desperate hour. Would you claim so noble a goal?" Emmeryn asked.
Falchion slid a bit out of its sheath as the king laughed. The Plegian column tensed as the laughter grew longer and harder. Aversa beside the king smiled her own subdued evil, her hand reaching behind her to touch the cloth creature behind her. Emmeryn stared hard at the man that Chrom knew to be mad. We're out numbered. If they attack... I hope Robin has a plan.
"I'm so-o-o sorry, your... Grace. But I have the most noble goal of all. The will of my people, manifest in a single wish. A wish that I share near and dear to my heart like a loving wife." All humor vanished from the King's face. "The wish to see this world rid of each and every hypocritical and self-righteous Ylissean that pollutes it."
"Wha... What?" Emmeryn faltered. Gangrel waved his hand.
"You'll never see the Emblem, black hearted devil!" Chrom said, drawing Falchion and holding it out in challenge.
"Enough talk! If you'll not give me the Emblem, then I will take it." Gangrel turned to his men. "Bring me the Exalt, and the girl while you're at it. These dogs will know the price of their arrogance."
Maribelle was grabbed and dragged back into the crowd. She struggle to break away towards Lissa's desperate cries, but disappeared into the crowd as two Plegians in furs stepped towards them. Chrom stood his ground as they approached. When he didn't back down, one of them charged at him. Chrom swung at the first one to charge and cut him down. The second swung his axe at Chrom, only for it to be blocked by Fredericks lance. Chrom drove Falchion through the man's chest.
"Back away, or I'll cut down every last one of you!" Chrom announced, pulling the bloodstained blade out and flicking it towards the ground. Around him, the Shepherds all formed up. It was a haphazard formation, doing little more than presenting a united front and waiting for Robin's orders. Emmeryn quickly retreated to the back of their formation, pushed by Frederick.
"Ha!" Gangrel laughed. "That's a declaration of war if I'd ever heard it! Kill her guards, but bring me the Exalt!"
The Plegian line started to run at them, bellowing mindless shouts of war and vulgarities. A small volley of arrows flew over the Plegians, landing just short of the Shepherds. Kellam appeared suddenly beside him, arrows breaking against his armor and shield alike.
In the back of the Plegias, dark scales stood above the Plegians heads. Jaws that could tear a man's head clean off, with equally viscous men straddling their backs. The reptilian monsters spread their wings and took to the sky. He brought wyvern riders.
So it truly is to be war.
"Kellam, Frederick, Chrom, hold the frontline!" Robin shouted out. His mind was racing to get everyone in there place. "Virion, Miriel, stay back. Pick off flankers and fliers. Donnel, cover them!"
The pass was only so long, but the Shepherds were few. They could hold the Plegians off, but they didn't have enough people to form a wall that extended the whole distance of the pass. He had kept silent during the parley, only listening for the tone. He knew that the phalanx strategy he read up on wouldn't work here on its lonesome. It was a base, though. One he could supplement. Who am I forgetting? I got Kellam...
"Vaike, Sully, Lon'qu! Swap in with the front if they tire. Keep their sides covered. I'll help you with this. Sumia! Keep their wyverns off of our back line and the Exalt. Lissa, Anna, keep us standing."
The idea was sound. A phalanx would wait until a man in the front was dead before replacing him. They would have stood shoulder to shoulder. Having so few people was a luxury in that regard. They had room for their back lines to poke through to pick off enemies, and then retreat. Alternatively, they could replace injured or tired frontline soldiers. That was Robin's theory anyway.
Steel met steel as the first wave of Plegians met their front and the Shepherds scrambled to match Robin's orders. Robin felt Pikachu jump from his shoulder and disappear into the brawl. He nearly called out after him, but decided against it. His decision was vindicated as a a bolt of lightning fell from the sky in the midst of the enemy wave, throwing it into disorder. He's good in a fight, and fast. He'll live. Please let him live Naga.
"Stahl, help on the flanks!" Robin shouted, parrying a blow from Kellam's side. His opponent was thrown off balance for a moment. Robin spun a sparking open hand towards his foe and shot a bolt of lightning at him. A phalanx's side would have been exposed, as it faced in one direction and allowed little loose maneuvering. The Shepherds now were somewhat spread, allowing for flexibility. Robin had also had cavalry to work with, which certainly helped things. Who am I forgetting?
A short spear flew past Robin's side to pierce the chest of a charging soldier. The man stumbled back in shock as a brown blur ran past Robin and jumped at the man's chest. Bandana Dee grabbed the spear so he was hanging off, twisted it, and pulled it out. Bandana Dee landed at Robin's feet as their foe fell over dead and looked up with innocent eyes that did not betray what he had just done.
"Mister Robin! What do I do?" Bandana Dee asked innocently. Blood was dripping off his spear. Nothing about this image seemed quite right, but there was no time to dwell on it. I forgot the Dreamlanders.
"Bandana, I need you to help Stahl, keep the enemy off of our sides for now. Where's Dedede?" Bandana Dee pointed towards the front. Despite not having any orders, Dedede was taking a spot in the front wall. With a single swing of his hammer, he knocked a foe to the ground, and another into Chrom's opponent. With two men piled onto each other, it was easy for the prince to drive Falchion through the both of them. Works for me.
"And where's..." Bandana Dee was gone, rushing to protect the front line's side. A wyvern crashed into the side of the pass, where Meta Knight kicked off it. The rider and his mount rolled down the hill to crash into the Plegian line. Another bolt of lightning struck nearby. Damn, only missing Pikachu now. Where the hell is he?
"Gah!" Vaike shrieked, nearly stumbling into Robin. Robin caught him as Lon'qu filled in Vaike's spot. Vaike had a fresh sword wound extending from his shoulder down through his torso. It didn't look very deep, but Robin didn't envy the man. Robin pulled turned him around and walked him to the healers.
"Lay him down, quick," Anna ordered as Robin pulled Vaike away from the front. Lissa agreed mechanically. Together the two set to mending the wound as best as their magic could. Behind them, the Exalt watched the carnage with an empty expression. Lissa looked distracted as well. I can only fix one of these.
"Lissa, we'll get Maribelle back," Robin promised before returning to the fight. I hope any of us can get back home...
"Enough!" Gangrel shouted. He had a blade curved like lightning drawn and pressed against Maribelle's neck. A blue blur was falling through the air straight at the Plegian King.
Meta Knight had taken to the air as soon as Robin had started rattling off orders. He knew where he was needed. A small part of him also didn't want to have to argue strategy with the man at this time.
Meta Knight floated in place as eight wyvern riders approached. It was obvious what they intended to do. Disrupt their backline, or capture the Exalt. The entire Ylissean royal family and Dedede is here without any guard but us and the Shepherds. Fools will lose this war just as it begins. Meta Knight couldn't allow that to happen.
The wyvern in the front was hit in the neck by an arrow. The beast bellowed out, it's balance lost. It veered downward quickly, throwing the rider off its back. Even over the wind and the wyverns wings Meta Knight could hear the sounds of battle starting below him. He heard another pair of wings nearby, far lighter then the heavy beats of leather wings. Meta Knight turned to see Sumia mounted on her Pegasus by his side with a lance at the ready.
A couple more of the wyverns were felled, one thrown off course by arrow and the other seemingly cut apart by the air itself. Magic. That still left five more after them. Once they were close enough to them, perhaps forty feet away, Meta Knight flapped his own leather wings in a loop and glided towards them.
The nearest rider raised his axe over his head, prepared to swing. The wyvern coiled his neck as though to spring it out. The teeth it was brandishing were definitely capable of pulling Meta Knight out of the sky. It was a slow creature however, especially compared to the Pegasi. Meta Knight went the safest direction he could that wasn't away.
He pulled in his wings, and plummeted just below the wyvern. The beast bit at the air he had been in. It made a desperate grab at him with its hind legs, but he was small and it hadn't expect this. It grabbed nothing. It's underbelly exposed to him, Meta Knight pulled his wings out and rose just high enough to slice his short sword down its stomach. It screeched as it fell, and it's rider screamed with it. Four left.
The next rider was on him quick, and Meta Knight barely flew away from the axe. It grazed his mask, throwing chips of it onto the battle below them. Meta Knight didn't have the chance to chase the rider as a third was approaching him with the same attack plan. This wyvern was keeping its neck low and its hind legs bared. His strategy wouldn't work again here. When the rider took his swing, Meta Knight dodged again.
He dodged two more passes as he realized he was stuck. The other two riders were on Sumia, and neither Virion nor the Shepherd's mages seemed willing to chance hitting their own. The girl was barely experienced with aerial combat, and she definitely couldn't fight two wyverns on her own. She was doing much the same as Meta Knight was, only she was less adept at weaving around her enemies. And if she fell, the Exalt was wide open.
Meta Knight needed to break free now.
When one of the riders passed him again, Meta Knight flew straight at him. The wyvern's maw reached after him, and its claws were open to grab him if he tried his trick again. Moments before he would have been snatched out of the air, Meta Knight went the least safe direction he could have gone. Up.
Meta Knight landed hard on the wyverns snout and closed his wings into his cape. He ran down its neck at the shocked rider who flailed to knock him off. Meta Knight easily drove his sword into the man's helmet. The man jerked to the side, forcing the wyvern off balance and losing altitude. It careened into the side of the pass just as Meta Knight kicked off the beast. The wyvern and rider tumbled down the side of the mountain. Meta Knight didn't watch. The other rider he had been engaged with was flying away. Coward.
He rushed to try and help Sumia. The girl parried an axe blow with the steel of her lance, nearly falling from her mount from the force. Virion's bird passed by her, green quills shooting out of its wing towards the wyvern rider. Most of the quills missed or were deflected by armor and scales, but one stuck into the rider's leg. A look at the other showed him with more quills sticking out from the cracks of his armor. That bird is likely the only reason she has held out so long.
The riders hadn't been watching Mega Knights engagement. He was able to throw himself at the first, catching both the man and wyvern off guard. His weight nearly threw the rider off of his mount, and set the wyvern off course. Relieved of some pressure, Sumia was able to focus on only one rider while Meta Knight fought the other.
The rider's helmet flew off his head, revealing a dark red haired man with the slightest set of hairs under his nose. The man shook his head as his wyvern reoriented itself. Both faced Meta Knight with death in their eyes.
"I am Orton, commander of this Plegian platoon!" The man shouted at Meta Knight. "I would know if the beast I am about to kill has a name."
"Meta Knight." Meta Knight answered simply. Orton scoffed.
"It calls itself a knight. Fine, sir monster. Die!" The rider kicked his mount, and they flew straight at Meta Knight. The wyvern's neck coiled low. It is unfortunate that Orton did not see me kill his friend who tried the same trick.
Meta Knight flew upwards as the wyvern bit at him. He didn't bother touch the creature this time as he swung straight at Orton. Orton blocked the blow with the handle of his axe, chipping the wood as both he and Meta Knight kept going on in opposite directions. Meta Knight missed Galaxia suddenly. His borrowed Ylissean short sword couldn't even cut through wood. They both turned in the air to face each other and charge again.
Orton jerked his mount to the side as they neared, swinging his axe downward at Meta Knight as he approached. It was a gamble for the Plegian that nearly paired off as Meta Knight narrowly dodged the swing to the side. This put him in the arch of the wyvern's tail, which swung at him and knocked him squarely out of the air.
Meta Knight plummeted downward, the air burning his eyes as the fight below grew closer. He opened his wings in hopes of slowing himself down. He pulled up shortly before he would have hit the ground. He glided flat near the ground, landing with a skid behind the Shepherds back line. Lissa and Anna looked to be healing the human buffoon in the back. The Exalt was watching the fight, solid as a statue.
Looking to the air, he saw Sumia stab the other wyvern rider in the chest. The rider fell off his mount and hung of the side by his restraints. The wyvern was falling some where out of sight. Orton was flying straight at her now. Meta Knight reopened his cape and-
"Enough!" Meta Knight looked at the source of the shout, the Mad King Gangrel he knew so little of. It hadn't taken long into the 'peace talk' to decide he loathed the man. The coward now held his sword against the neck of his hostage. Meta Knight took to the air immediately. Sumia would have to wait.
"Emmeryn! This game can only go on so long! Give me the Emblem, or the girl dies!"
Meta Knight heard no response from the Exalt. Meta Knight flew up, but not so high as to join the fight in the air. Once he thought himself high enough, he dove towards the king. He had a promise to keep, and a debt to repay. He found it curious when he saw a boy skidding down the rocks behind the king and his advisor. He wore a hat much like Miriel's, pointed and hard to hide. And no one else seemed to notice him over the fighting. Not the Plegians, nor the Shepherds fighting desperately below him.
Maribelle was going to die. It was strange to think. She had put herself in danger all the time, both by being a Shepherd and a prolific member of nobility. Any vagabond would have been happy to tear her throat out to get at her father, the Duke of Themis. Despite that, death had always been an unreal thought. Something that would happen when she was old and grey. It was something that happened to other people, loathe as she was to think it.
The intricate blade of the Plegian King himself that pressed against her throat now was very real, though. His demands of the Exalt were real. It could have brought her to tears. But Maribelle was a proud woman. Beaten and bruised though she was, she kept her back high and her eyes forward. Her tutors would have been proud of her posture, if nothing else.
At the edge of her vision she saw a dark blue form speeding towards her. The king didn't see it until the last moment. The sword left her neck, clashing with the blue form at the last moment. She was thrown to the ground as the Dreamland Knight clashed with the Plegian King. Gangrel parried blow after blow from the monster attacking him.
The attacks stopped, and Gangrel's foe grounded itself feet away from the king, tempting him to attack. The king instead backed away now that he had a chance.
"Tsk. The monster has bite, I'll give it that," Gangrel scoffed. The yellow eyes under the mask scowled. "I dare say you'd win a fair fight, beastie."
Aversa whistled from behind the King. Maribelle cringed at the sound. She had learned to dread her whistle immediately after her capture. From behind her flew the ghostly form of the cloth beast that accompanied her. A spectral nail formed over the creatures head.
"Shuppet?" It asked. Aversa nodded.
Maribelle turned away as the nail drove itself into the creatures head. Maribelle felt a ghost of pain in her skull, though it was dull compared to what she expected. It may have just been her imagination. The Dreamlander, however, dropped his sword in an instant, grabbing at his forehead in pain. Gangrel twirled his sword in his hands as he approached his attacker.
"I'll send the Exalt and your king after you into hell!" He raised his sword. Something struck his back, throwing him forward. Maribelle turned towards the magic's source in time to see a young Mage throw a spell at Aversa's pet. The creature was thrown out of the air, fainting on the ground by the witch.
"Stay back!" The boy demanded. He ran past a surprised Aversa straight to Maribelle and began to untie her.
"Ricken?" She asked.
"Yeah! Let me just..." The Dreamlander was standing again, his sword in hand. He was staring down the king and the witch.
"My, my, what a clever little brat you are," Aversa cooed. Ricken didn't say anything, throwing a wind spell at her instead. She nearly fell over, not expecting to be interrupted.
"Run!" Ricken ordered. Maribelle staggered after him. Both Maribelle and her saviors rolled down the rock's side and tried to break for the Shepherds line.
"Damn it, Ricken. I told him to stay home," Chrom growled, finishing another Plegian. He sounded worn.
Relief was a short lived feeling for Robin. Maribelle was free, thanks in part to Meta Knight and to whoever the boy was in equal measure. Now the three of them were cornered behind enemy lines, and Robin needed to get them out now.
He threw a thunder spell past Lon'qu into a Plegian. The Feroxi swordsman used the opening well. Still, the Shepherds weren't breaking through to the other three anytime soon, and he needed a solution.
It came to him in yellow. Pikachu's tail glowed white as it swept an opponent's legs out from under him. As the man toppled over, Pikachu reemerged from the Plegian lines and took a place by Robin's side. The mouse was breathing heavily.
"Pikachu, welcome back!" Robin greeted. Thank Naga for the little things. "How are you holding up?"
"Pi..." It didn't give Robin confidence.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you Pikachu, but I need you out there again. Get Rowlet, and help out Meta Knight."
Pikachu's ears lowered for a moment. It was quickly replaced with a look of steel. He gave a short 'Pi!' And disappeared again. Robin wasn't even sure if Pikachu could communicate with Rowlet, but he had to hope. He couldn't spare any of the Shepherds right now.
"Robin, we need to retreat!" Frederick called out. "We can't hold out much longer. The Exalt needs to be protected!"
The front line was tiring. Chrom's swings had slowed, Dedede's breaths were labored. Only Lon'qu seemed to have energy to spare. Robin took Chrom's place at the center. Sully practically pushed King Dedede out of the way to get into his. The king practically collapsed behind her. There was no relief for Kellam. They just didn't have the Shepherds.
"We can't!" Robin answered, blocking a blow. "Meta Knight and Maribelle are trapped out there!"
"They aren't the Exalt!" Frederick insisted, parrying an attack and swinging at the offender. "Their sacrifice will be remembered!"
Not if I can help it.
He really hoped he could help it, but things were looking bleak. The only hope Robin had was the slow thinning of the Plegian's wave.
Virion watched every part of the fight anxiously. Where ever he saw an opening he would fire an arrow. Where he didn't, he'd fire an arrow over his comrades heads. He suspected Miriel did much the same beside him. She wasn't much for conversation at the moment though. Or ever, really, but especially at the moment. He would have droned on about how her beauty was ill befitted on the battlefield any other day, but it seemed inappropriate at the time.
Virion wished his bow had a longer reach sometimes. He had gotten lucky earlier, hitting two of the wyvern riders while they were approaching and taking them out of the sky. He feared to take the chance now that Rowlet and Sumia were entangled with the last one.
That left Virion with looking at the ground until an opening appeared against the rider. Gangrel was far away, and Virion didn't trust he could hit him accurately. He was more apt to take the chance now that Maribelle was clear of the king, and had sent a few arrows at the king. He missed them all, and both Gangrel and Aversa retreated where he couldn't see them. Archest of archers indeed.
His attention was now on sending what help he could towards the three that fled from the King. Maribelle was unarmed, and the boy was not a soldier. He was barely a Mage as far as Virion knew. Just a brave fool, something Virion could respect. Meta Knight was wounded by whatever Aversa's pet had done to him. He was doing an impressive job keeping the other two safe. The boy was keeping Maribelle standing by leaning her on his shoulder. He threw out weak wind magic to deter the Plegian's approach.
"Pika Pi!" A small voice demanded, tugging at Virion's pant leg. Pikachu was pointing to the sky. Virion didn't understand. "Pikachu! Pi pika Pi! Chu! Chu!"
"Good heavens, what are you...?" The mouse started to flap its arms. "You want Rowlet? Sumia is in need of his services, I fear."
"Pika!" Pikachu's tail was flicking. I'm arguing with Robin's mouse.
"If you can get Sumia free, I shall call Rowlet," Virion said. He looked up to the sky. He wasn't really sure how Pikachu could possibly do that, but maybe he'd be surprised.
Pikachu actually smiled. He balled up, and then jumped at Virion. Virion was too shocked to react, which may have been a side effect of the electricity build up inside of Pikachu. Pikachu landed on top of Virion's head and kicked off into the air.
"Pika..." Pikachu's entire being was enveloped by lightning, looking for release. Pikachu's momentum carried him fairly far into the air. Surely not enough for...
"Chuuuuuuuuuuu!"
The battlefield was brighter as the bolt crackled through the air straight at the wyvern rider. Sumia noticed the attack before the rider, and distanced herself quickly. Wyverns were slow creatures. The lightning struck it, knocking it out of the air a charred shade of its scales. The rider wasn't cognizant enough to scream.
Sumia atop her mount watched the attack and its result in awe. The sky was clear. This had the unfortunate side effect of opening her up to Plegia's archers. She urged the Pegasus to land.
Pikachu landed on his paws a few feet away from Virion. The archest of archers had just been shown up by a mouse. A deal was a deal, though. Virion whistled, hoping that would actually call Rowlet down to him. Virion hadn't had time to actually train him yet, but his instincts had been simply divine. Rowlet landed on his shoulder.
"Good friend, Pikachu here re-"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu ordered, running towards the trapped party of three. Rowlet took off after him with an affirmative 'Roo.' Virion was left behind, forgetting that he was in a battlefield for a short moment.
Meta Knight jumped over the sword swing and slashed at his opponent's torso. His foe fell, but was replaced just as quickly. Meta Knight jumped back from the swing of an axe. The axeman was stuck for a second, long enough for Meta Knight to jump in for a blow. That man was replaced as well, only to be cut by a blade of magical wind.
He was losing ground, and the three of them couldn't break away. The only thing keeping them alive was the fear in the Plegians of the monster that killed half of their wyvern riders and pure luck. Most of the Plegians were still focused upon the main group of Shepherds as well.
"Look out!" Ricken warned. Meta Knight backed away again, giving more ground to the swing of another axe. Ricken was doing his best to help him hold back the enemy, but the poor boy was already winded by the time they had jumped away from Gangrel. To flee an opponent...
Meta Knight covered himself in his cloak, disappearing from his opponents. There was a moment of panic that only grew when one of the Plegians fell forward, Meta Knight behind him. That bought the three of them time, if only seconds. Meta Knight had hoped the action more of the Plegians would flee. Something kept them in the fight, whether pride or foolishness he knew not. They were on him again in seconds.
His head was pounding. Whatever that thing had done to him took its toll. It had been getting worse until Ricken had stepped in. Yet another debt I need to repay. And I thought today I would be repaying one. While knocking out Aversa's pet had stopped the pain from worsening, the attack had already taking a toll. He felt it in his skull. He felt it in his recovered leg. He felt it in every blow he blocked.
One of the soldiers got lucky, kicking him hard in the side. Meta Knight was thrown back, barely righting himself fast enough to dodge an incoming lance.
Relief came in a green quill. Rowlet struck the back of the soldier's leg, ushering him forward into an attack of Meta Knight's. The Plegians turned to the owl, confusion writ across their faces. Pikachu's tail, glowing white, emerged as if from no where to strike another Plegian in the face. Meta Knight used the opening to cut down two of the distracted soldiers.
They had an opening at last. He turned to the boy Mage and Lissa's friend. They both looked worn. He waved for them to follow. He ran towards the Shepherd's line, carving a path. He met Stahl part of the way.
Ricken and Maribelle were just a few steps behind him. They were pulled behind the front line and brought to Lissa and Anna. The princess looked to be on the verge of tears. She brought her staff up to Maribelle and it began to glow with a healing light. Anna was tending to Ricken. Meta Knight found it curious that Donnel and Delibird both had suffered scrapes and cuts. A couple of bodies lay around them. One's arm was encased in ice. And the Plegians call me monster.
Meta Knight turned towards the fight. It was a shock to see the Plegian's backs. Gangrel and Aversa were gone from their rock.
Somehow, The Shepherds had won the day.
Chrom looked over the pass, feeling numb. The Plegian wave had fled. It didn't seem that Gangrel had actually expected Ylisse to put up a fight. He counted six wyverns, and who knows how many dead. He had cuts in his clothes, down his arm... Everywhere. Most of the other Shepherds looked much the same, as did Dedede. Meta Knight especially looked ragged, even if he was too proud to admit it. He refused treatment until everyone else had been healed.
Chrom had almost gotten away with the same. Frederick, Sumia, and Lissa didn't let him slip away. Only one other person took precedence over him.
"Quick! Quick!" Dedede begged. His coat was torn apart, and he had numerous cuts and bruises all over. He'd given Vaike competition for the most hits a Shepherd could take in a single fight. And in a way, the King and Meta Knight were Shepherds now. Not officially, not like Bandana Dee was.
Dedede yelped as Lissa healed him.
"Oh cut it out, you big baby!" She commanded. Dedede looked offended, but bit his tongue. Perhaps Gangrel had a point. They could be taught. Chrom observed the thought, and cut it down like he had so many that day.
"Lissa, that is hardly the proper way to address royalty," Maribelle scolded. There was no venom in her voice. Lissa rolled her eyes. They both looked happy to even have he chance for such banter. She had a staff in her hands as well, stolen away from Anna's stash as soon as she had the energy. As soon as Anna to the opportunity, Chrom was certain he was going to be paying for it.
"Milord," Frederick said. From his place on the ground, Chrom looked up at the knight. Ever vigilant Frederick the Wary.
"Frederick," Chrom greeted back. "Report?"
"At once," Frederick bowed. "The Plegians appear to have fled the pass. We dared not follow them further then a few miles further, in case they had an ambush waiting. As soon as we are able, milord, I recommend we return home and warn Phila."
Chrom nodded. As much as he wanted to pursue Gangrel and end this now, even he knew it would have been suicide. Plegia itself wasn't far away, and Gangrel had to have the rest of his army lying in wait. Chrom looked to another set of footsteps. Lissa kneel down beside him, a guilty smile on her face.
"You''re allowed to be happy, Lissa," Chrom assured her. "Maribelle's coming home."
Lissa's retort caught in her throat. She just nodded and started to mend his wounds. It always hurt to be healed, a contradiction that Chrom couldn't understand. Almost as much as the wound itself. It made the relief when it was done all the sweeter, though.
Lissa left him to help Anna and Maribelle with the others. No one was unscathed except for Frederick. How the knight managed it was beyond Chrom. It has to be the armor, right?
The prince shook his head. It didn't matter right now. He had a few things to take care of before they moved again. Chrom stood up carefully, and walked towards the back of what had been their line. Ricken was sitting in front of Maribelle, who had a staff in her hand facing towards the Mage boy. His back was to Chrom.
"I'll never be able to repay you for today, Ricken," Maribelle said with an honest smile. She looked straight at Chrom and stood up. "I wish you Naga's mercy."
"The Naga's... Maribelle?" Ricken asked. Chrom grabbed his shoulder, and the boy could have died in his hands at the moment. Slowly, Ricken turned to face the Prince he had disobeyed.
"Ricken?" Chrom started. There was a distinct gulping sound. "It has been a long day, so perhaps my memory is hazy. Remind me, what had I ordered you to do at the Palace this morning?"
"I uh... You... Ordered me to come help?" Ricken tried. It was a weak attempt. Ricken sighed. "You ordered me to stay at the castle and continue my studies..."
"I did," Chrom said. "What did you do instead?"
"I followed you to the border against your wishes." Chrom sighed. He could work with that.
"You disobeyed a direct order from your prince. Father would have had you flogged." Ricken cringed at the admission. "You're lucky I'm not my father, and neither is Emmeryn. And..." Chrom sighed. "Ricken, it's no secret I'm not a smart man." Ricken looked up at Chrom with wide eyes as he continued. "I swing a sword. That's why I hired Robin over there to think for me. Frederick, Virion... Hell, most of the Shepherds think for me. I just point them in a direction when the thinking is done.
"The fact is, you saved Maribelle's life today. Maybe even Meta Knight's. I can't forget that. So I'm going to extend you an offer, Ricken. Being in the Shepherd's isn't an easy job. We're a vanguard for the hardest missions. We're Ylisse's first to answer a disaster. To banditry, and pirates, and who knows what else. The Risen and Plegia's army itself, most likely. And as you will be a specialized member of the unit, with only two other mages on the team, you will have to do more than most would. Especially at your age.
"The job has perks. You get a bed in the Shepherd's barracks, shared with one other person. It's a nice place. Perks of working for the Prince directly. As well, you get good pay to send home or hold onto."
The boy's jaw was reaching for the ground as Chrom went on with his offer.
"So, Ricken. You don't need to answer now, but soon. Would you like to be a-"
"Yes! Yes! I would love to be a Shepherd, my lord!" Ricken was jumping up and down, his freshly healed wounds already forgotten. He had to hold onto his hat to keep it from falling off. "Oh, thank you Chrom! Thank you so much! I promise I won't let you down!"
Chrom clapped the boy on the shoulder. The boy's shaking excitement reverberated through the prince, bringing him to chuckle.
"Easy, soldier. We've got a long march ahead of us to get home," Chrom gave Ricken one final clap on the shoulder. His smile was already fading as Chrom walked away.
Emmeryn was kneeling on the ground in silent prayer.
"Sister..." Emmeryn didn't look up. Her mouth was moving but no words sounded. Chrom sighed. The Exalt went on for a few moments longer before opening her eyes and looking at her younger brother. She looked human.
"Chrom," she said simply. She pushed herself to her feet. "When will we be ready to leave?"
"Shortly, Em. Are you...?"
"I'm fine. I promise," the Exalt said. Chrom knew his sister well enough to not believe it. "We need to go home." Chrom breathed in and out deeply.
"Agreed. As soon as everyone has recovered as best we can."
Emmeryn nodded. She looked over the battlefield. Every body, every wound in the Shepherds, every scar in the land. She seemed determined to memorize every part of the fight. Chrom didn't understand it. A part of him wanted to tell her he had been right from the first. It wouldn't have been right to tell her so, though. She already knew.
I'm going to need some numbers to really express my mindset going into this chapter. Before this chapter, this story was already over 100,000 words long across 10 chapters. The main cast alone for this arc is four people, two of whom will remain the main characters long after. Robin, Meta Knight, Chrom, and Dedede. Major characters are consist of 3-6 members of the Shepherds, depending on who you ask, plus Bandana Dee, Pikachu, Emmeryn, and Gangrel. Add in the less story important Shepherds, and I've got one hell of an ensemble in one place at one time. The whole story so far has largely been building up to what began here, as almost everyone I've built up is in one encounter.
I went in here with a goal for word count, and what to be done by each mark. The first part of the chapter was a quick reminder of many of the things that have happened so far, since there's been plenty of time to forget. By 3000 in the chapter, the parley had to begin. By 4500, the fighting had to have started. At around 10,000 the chapter had to be done. I've done a 20,000 word chapter before, and I dare say as important as this encounter was, it would've been a waste for it to take that long.
So I've got all these people, and I damn well was going to use them. I decided early on that with the exception of Robin's parts, I was going to be focusing on the characters outside of their normal setting. Meta Knight has largely been sidelined since the start, only getting in on the fight once in chapter 10 in a healed state before now. I could have written from Chrom's perspective in theory, but that would've largely just about holding the line. Delving into the Prince's head during this particular fight didn't seem necessary. Before and after the fight were much more important for him.
So I decide to focus on Meta Knight dealing first with the wyvern riders. Writing about Meta Knight doing literally anything while flying is a blast for me. The wyvern's also presented an interesting challenge for him compared to the common ground soldier. He couldn't just dance around them quite like he did against Sully in their duel nor just cut through them like the bandits last chapter. When he dealt with the first one, his foes had to adapt. Through Meta Knight we also had the opportunity to witness Rowlet in an actual fight as well as Sumia fighting on the back of her pegasus.
Robin's part on the other hand focused on him organizing the Shepherds. While he has been able to plan creatively around ambushing his opponents greater numbers before, as with the poachers who took Dedede or against the bandits back in chapter 3, this time Robin had basically no information to go off of. He only had his own knowledge and wits available to give everyone a place, and keep them all alive and fighting. It paid off here, but there were things he failed to account for. Pikachu's own excursion, and his small blunder forgetting the Kirby characters. The latter was a bit of a jab at myself, because on my first go at Robin's first bit in the fight, I forgot about Bandana and Dedede and I had to rewrite it just for them.
Through everyone, we also saw the Pokemon fighting. Pikachu causing chaos in the midst of the enemy and Rowlet providing air support to Sumia. Etc., Etc.
Everyone we dropped the fight had a vital goal in the fight, except maybe Virion who served as something of a 'surrogate' perspective for Pikachu and Rowlet. Everyone suceeded in their first goal fairly cleanly. Meta Knight barely got away alive from his failure to free Maribelle alone thanks to Aversa's pet, and was only saved by Ricken's timely intervention and the Pokemon giving him an opening.
So that's a lot of words to basically say I made this crazy world, I put all of these odd and mismatched pieces together, lets make a puzzle. For once, I'm really, REALLY satisfied with the flow of the fight and the chapter as a whole. I think that's mostly Meta Knight's doing.
Most any aspects that seem neglected or open ended here are entirely intentionally. The only thing wrapped up this chapter was a single fight, and... well, we're going to war.