"Okay... Maybe that was a bad idea." Roy said as he struggled to handle the enemy soldiers.
"Yeah, why the hell... *Gasp! Did you put Lucina with the other group!?" Rutger yelled out while clashing with a Mercenary.
"Quit complaining, kid. If you're as good as you say, you don't need some girl to help you out." Dieck replied to him while dodging a javelin.
"Shut it. I can do this all day!" Rutger said confidently.
"I think you both need to focus on the task at hand!" Marcus told them sternly.
"Hrgh... Dammit..." Rutger said as he was nicked in the arm by a lance.
"You see? Get serious." Marcus said.
Rutger mumbled angrily to himself and Dieck stayed silent.
'Gods bless your soul, Marcus.' Roy thought.
"Okay! Chad! Where are you!?" Roy yelled.
The young thief emerged from the shadows where he was completely hidden. "I'm right here, what do you need?"
Roy pointed to the locked doors. "Unlock the doors for me please."
Chad smiled. "Of course."
o - o - o - o
In her cell, a young girl was tied in a chair with a young man.
"Ngh... What is this noise...? Is there... A battle?"
Her cellmate was tied in a chair the opposite direction. He was awoken by the noise as well.
"Ugh... Quiet down, I'm trying to sleep..." He said.
The girl tried to shake their chairs to wake him and succeeded.
"Wah! I'm sorry!" He exclaimed.
"What's your name?" The girl asked.
The man shook his head to get rid of his dizziness. "Oh, hi. My name is Inigo. I... Don't really know where I am. I was knocked out by some people when I was helping this pretty girl who had a bow."
"That was you? I appreciate the help, but now we're in a dilemma." She said while trying to break free of the rope.
"Yeah, I suppose so. There are people fighting outside, so maybe they're friendly." Inigo said, looking around for a sharp object.
"I hope so." The girl responded.
"By the way... If we get saved, would you care to go on a walk? Perhaps some tea?"
The girl paused. "No." She said bluntly.
"Oh well. I guess my luck carries over in this world as well."
She looked at him with confusion. "What?"
"Uh, you didn't hear that!" He said.
She decided to pretend to ignore what he said, as she heard footsteps from outside.
o - o - o - o
In Lucina's group...
"Hah! Take that!" Cynthia threw javelins at their foes.
"Don't ge-Ah! Phew... Don't get cocky, cousin!" Owain said, narrowly dodging an enemy from behind. He promptly retaliated with a horizontal strike.
"Wolt, this is a good place to get off my pegasus." Cynthia said after she looked for enemies but didn't see any.
"Got it!" Wolt said. He jumped off and took a sip of water from his waterskin.
Lucina scanned the battlefield. They were making quick work of their foes. They had cleared all the Thria soldiers on their side of the castle. She ordered her group to wait at the end of the hallway. She was going to check on Roy's group.
"Sis, are you sure?" Cynthia said, somewhat worried.
"Yes. I'll be careful, I promise."
Cynthia nodded and Lucina went on her way.
o - o - o - o
Chad unlocked the door and Roy ran in with sword in hand. Only to find a girl and a guy tied in their respective chairs.
Roy lowered his blade. "Huh? Prisoners?"
The girl crossed her fingers. "You aren't a person from the castle?"
"Ah, no I am not. My name is Roy. And you?"
She released her fingers and was about to speak until someone cut her off.
"Hey, are you here to help us? Not to rush you or anything, but these ropes are starting to get uncomfortable. Can you untie us first? Then we'll talk." The boy said.
"O-oh. My apologies." Roy sliced their ropes, freeing their now raw wrists.
"Whew! Much better!" The boy said.
"So I didn't get your names. Who are you guys?" Roy repeated.
"I am Sue," The girl spoke.
Roy looked at her thoughtfully. She had quite familiar clothing. It was a patterned tunic with light armor attached. 'She is Sacean, I'm certain of it.' She had long, dark green hair with a red headband.
"So you were the one who was causing the noises outside." The young nomad spoke.
"Ah, I guess so? We are fighting denizens of the castle. You see... It's kinda complicated."
"No need. I am on your side. They are my enemies as well. Do you have a bow?"
"Oh. Uh, sure..." Roy motioned for her to come outside but then saw the boy sitting on the floor.
"And who might you be?" Roy asked.
'I certainly don't recognize his clothing.' Roy thought. He wore a basic brown armored tunic with a shield strapped to his shoulder.
"Oh right! My name is Inigo," He said with joy but then wore a face of caution. "You wouldn't have happened to come across a girl named Lucina would you?"
"Yes! You must be one of her friends!" The young lord exclaimed.
"Indeed. And I am happy to hear she is fine." Inigo said.
"Oh, Cynthia and Owain are here as well!" Roy responded.
"Really?! That's great news! I suppose I'll be joining you."
"Of course. Follow me, I'll take you to our storage for a weapon." Roy said.
"Thank you, I am in your debt."
Roy walked outside and motioned for them to follow. There were no enemies in sight and the rest of his group was guarding the entrance.
o - o - o - o
Cath was excitedly running through the castle. "Ha! Suckers! While they are at each other's throats, I can get all the loot!"
Just as she turned the corner, she bumped into Lucina.
"Oof!" Cath fell over, but Lucina regained her balance.
"Who are you?! A spy? I won't hesitate to cut you down." Lucina asked pointing her blade at Cath.
Cath chuckled nervously. She quickly jumped up and ran. Being a thief, she was exceptionally quick. However, Lucina managed to catch her by her scarf.
Lucina threw her to the ground and pointed her sword at the thief's face. "Last chance. Talk." She threatened.
"Ouch... Do you have to be so rough...?" Cath asked, but then quickly spoke. "A-ah, I'm sorry! Hey, don't hurt me! I'll put all the stuff back, I promise!"
Lucina raised an eyebrow. "What 'stuff' do you speak of?"
Cath blinked. "Your loot I stole from this castle. Are you not with these jerks?"
"No, I am not."
"Then you must be with Roy! I helped you guys!"
"Really? I was never told of this."
"N-no, no, trust me, you can even ask Roy yourself."
"I think I should take you to him in that case. I think he would want to thank you," Lucina said. "Maybe you can even join us."
"Join you guys? Ha! Never!"
Lucina gripped her blade audibly to let her know who had the upper hand.
Cath gulped. "F-fine, I'll see what I can do..."
Lucina nodded, then led the way to Roy's group. She made sure Cath was within her reach.
o - o - o - o
Roy had just given Sue and Inigo weapons. However, he told them to sit out the rest of the battle, as they were slightly injured. They were both reluctant to comply, but Roy ordered them to stay as sternly as possible.
He quickly ran to the rest of his group.
There he saw Lucina holding Cath by the scarf talking with them.
Roy approached. "Lucina? Is that Cath?"
"Oh, Roy. I found her wandering the halls. I was wondering if she was the one who helped us."
"Yes she was. You may release her." Roy said.
Lucina finally let go and Cath was quite nervous.
"So, I think I will be leaving," Cath said quickly. "Catch you guys later!" Cath unceremoniously ran off.
"Should I try to stop her?" Lucina asked Roy.
"No, just leave her be. She helped us out. Besides, I think we'll see her again someday."
"Very well. I was just wondering how you guys were doing. It appears that you all didn't need our help." Lucina said.
Rutger spoke up. "Are you kidding? We were close to death!"
Dieck smacked the back of his head. "Shut up, tough guy. We've heard enough of your complaining."
"Gah! What the hell!?"
"Okay, guys! Focus, we must finish this battle," Roy said sternly. "Lucina, move out with your team and we will catch up with you."
"Understood."
Roy smiled. "By the way Lucina, I have something I want to show you after this battle is over."
"Oh really? I suppose that gives me more motivation to finish this battle then."
"You'll be thrilled. Go now."
"Got it!" Lucina ran off.
"If you are all ready, I would like to get this over with." Marcus said.
Rutger nodded eagerly. "Yes please..."
"Alright, time to move out. On me!" Roy commanded.
o - o - o - o
The two groups were nearing Wagner. They had taken out his guards and were preparing to advance with an all out attack.
Roy commanded Marcus, Wolt and Cynthia to hang back to hit Wagner from a distance while Lucina, Dieck, Rutger, Owain, and himself would fight Wagner head on.
Roy gave the signal for the javelin attack and the sword fighters charged.
Wagner was hit in many different places, though they were minor injuries, it made any motion he made hurt. Wagner cursed under his breath. "Damn you, useless vassals! Fools! I suppose I shall show you my power!"
Wagner tried to take aim, but the swordsmen were moving so quickly that he couldn't keep up. Right when he thought he had Roy in his sights, he rolled forwards and they all attacked him with a thrust from all sides.
"No... That roll was only a... Distraction...Ngh... My plan was... Flawless..." Wagner's eyes drooped as he took his final breath.
"Finally... It's over..." Roy said, taking a seat on the ground.
"Yes, thank you. Those traitors were starting to get on my nerves." Rutger said with a sigh of relief.
"Why? Because they were kicking your ass?" Dieck questioned.
"Hah! I can see the warrior quaking in his boots!" Owain said.
"What!? No! Come on, you have to admit, traitorous acts are happening more often now, so we should tread carefully." Rutger explained.
"I think you're just dodging the question, but you're right." The battle hardened mercenary said.
"Hmph."
Lucina approached Roy. "Roy, how are you faring?"
"Me? Oh, just fine. I was just thinking about what Rutger said. Traitors are becoming more common. Its kind of intimidating, you know? Lots of lords and nobles are choosing the 'winning side.'"
"I wouldn't worry about that too much. We have the Lycia Alliance army on our side after all. We will just have to prove them wrong." Lucina replied.
"I hope you're right. Heh, and I thought I was the optimistic one." The young lord grinned.
"It appears your optimism is rubbing off on me." Lucina considered.
Roy gave a small chuckle and rose from his resting place.
He stared at the battleground filled with bodies and sighed. He wished there was another way to end the war. He felt guilty, not only because he killed his former allies, but also because he knew he could've saved them if he had quickly struck Wagner down when he had the chance.
However, he tried his best to cast those feelings aside.
"Alright everyone, time to get some rest.'
The four swordsmen sheathed their blades simultaneously and went back to regroup in their rooms.
o - o - o - o
Roy walked into Sue's room, hoping to know who exactly she was and why she was kidnapped.
"Hello Sue."
"Roy." She nodded.
"I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me."
"I will do the best I can to answer them." She said.
Roy grabbed a chair and faced it backwards to sit on it. "So, who exactly are you?"
Sue paused. "I am a nomad of the Kutolah clan from Sacae."
Roy wasn't too surprised she was from Sacae. "Kutolah clan?"
"Yes, my grandfather was called the 'Silver Wolf,' perhaps that may sound familiar to you." Sue said.
"Yes, I do believe I've heard of him. But... Why are you in Lycia? Sacae is to the east.
Sue looked to the carpet with anger. "Sacae was invaded by Bern. The Kutolah clan had no choice but to fight. Some of the women and children escaped to Lycia, but there was... A traitor."
"Traitor?" Roy asked wearily. He was getting sick of all the traitors on the continent.
"The Djute clan. They've turned to Bern and ambushed us. We were separated from each other, but somehow I survived. I found my way here and was saved by Lord Orun... But as you may know, he was-"
"Yes, assassinated." Roy finished.
"...Your army is fighting Bern, correct?" Sue asked. Roy nodded. "Please, take me with you. I may be able to save my grandfather. I would also like to avenge Lord Orun."
"You may. We are on our way to Ostia... It is in the exact opposite direction of Sacae, so is that, uh, okay with you?" Roy asked.
"It does not matter to me. No matter where we are, neither our Mother the Earth or our Father the Sky will ever disappear."
"Right... Welcome aboard. We are spending the night, so just make sure to get some rest for now, okay?"
"Yes. Thank you, lord Roy."
Roy nodded and took his leave.
Roy walked to his room, and was greeted by Merlinus.
"Ah, Master Roy. Just in time. The spy I sent to Ostia just returned, and he says that Ostia Is in a state of chaos!"
"Huh!? You sent a spy to- never mind, what happened!?"
"There's been a rebellion among those who want to surrender to Bern!"
"No... Is Lilina safe?"
Merlinus visibly cringed. "The spy said... She has been taken as hostage... The Rebel group has taken over Castle Ostia and are fighting the soldiers who wish to retake the castle and Lady Lilina."
"Merlinus, hurry, tell everyone we leave right away!" Roy said in a state of panic.
"Yes Milord!" Merlinus quickly ran off to tell everyone that the break is cancelled.
Meanwhile, a visibly frustrated Roy was left in the room.
"I cannot let anything happen to her. This time, I will not fail." He said with determination.
Roy walked off stoically.
o - o - o - o
Roy met up with Lucina in her room. After all, he told her he had something to show her. Or rather, someone.
Roy knocked on the door. "Lucina?"
A few seconds passed until she responded.
"Sorry Roy, I'll be just a moment..."
Roy waited patiently, wondering what exactly she was doing.
Since he was lost in thought, when Lucina opened the door, it startled him a little. "Oh! My apologies!"
"No, no. It's fine." Roy assured her.
"So I suppose you're going to show me that thing you said you would show me?" Lucina asked with curiosity.
"Oh. Uh, yeah. Come with me." Roy said stiffly.
The princess frowned. She could tell when someone wanted to distance themselves.
Roy led Lucina to Inigo's room. He knocked and waited yet again.
Inigo answered slightly annoyed, but upon seeing Lucina, he laughed with joy.
"Lucina! We meet again!"
"Inigo!"
Inigo took Lucina's hand and attempted to kiss it, but was swatted away. He settled for a hug, which she did not shy away from.
"I'm so glad you are safe." Lucina said.
"Yeah, me too. I was honestly kind of afraid I would never find you guys. Lucky me!"
Roy smiled. He walked away to let them catch up.
Something was eating at Roy. He was paranoid again for no reason at all. Sure, there was the Lilina situation, but he was confident he would be able to save her. No, this was something different, and he didn't like it.
o - o - o - o
The Pherae army quickly travelled to Ostia, which was only a half a day's march. According to the spy, General Leygance, one of Lord Hector's advisors, was one of the people who started the rebellion along with Lieutenant Devias to se Ostia to Bern.
Lilina was captured and taken as a hostage by Leygance. She has since been imprisoned in castle Ostia.
The city of Ostia, the largest and most active city in Lycia, was going to turn into a battlefield with much bloodshed.
However, something much darker was about to take place...
o - o - o - o
In Ostia...
Leygance went to see Devias to ask how the city was doing. However, he wasn't on the throne for whatever reason.
"Devias! Where are you!?"
Confused, Leygance went outside. He heard sounds of battle.
"What the...?" As soon as he stepped out and saw the city, he saw what was causing all the fighting.
"Ah! What are these things!?" A rebel soldier screamed.
Leygance ran out to find the closest friendly soldier.
He found one sitting near the wall with a fatal wound.
"You! What's going on!? Where is Devias!?'
The man coughed. "I... Think Devias is... Dead... They came... Out of nowhere..."
"What!? Who!?"
"These... Things... Are... Not..." The man fell short as he took his last breath.
"Damn!" Leygance cursed as he went back in the castle.
The Risen were everywhere, they were almost finished killing all of the soldiers. They made sure no on would be left alive. They destroyed all the homes as well, leaving only rubble in their path.
o - o - o - o
Pherae Army's march to Ostia.
Roy rushed everyone to get to Ostia as quickly as possible. He learned that a portion of Ostia's troops had joined the rebellion. Merlinus told him of Mercenary knights from Ilia that would help them out. This gave Roy slightly more confidence in their circumstances, but he was still nervous for no apparant reason.
He looked around, as if he was expecting something to happen. A trap, Risen, anything.
"Hey, you okay?" Said Wolt as he approached Roy.
"No. No, I'm not okay. I have no idea what it is, but something's wrong."
Wolt blinked. "Another one of your 'gut feelings?'"
"Something like that."
"So what do you think?"
Roy looked at him curiously. "About what?"
"What should we do?" Wolt said.
"You believe me?"
"Of course. Why not? As you always used to say: Better safe than sorry." Wolt reminisced.
Roy chuckled at that. "Gods, that was ages ago."
"But those are still words to live by... As unoriginal as they may seem."
Roy slugged him on the arm playfully.
"Heh, don't worry. I'm sure that brain of yours can think of something so that we don't get killed." Wolt said.
"That's reassuring." Roy said bluntly.
Wolt raised an eyebrow. "I cannot tell if that was sarcasm, or..."
"Eh, that was kind of in between." Roy shrugged.
"Well, I know you're aware of what day the day after tomorrow is..." Wolt said, changing the subject.
Roy blinked. Then he came to a realization. "My birthday... I had nearly forgotten..."
"So... We should have a party! It would raise morale, give us a much needed break, and I get to spend time with my brother!"
The young lord gave an empty smile. "Sorry pal, but I don't think it would be for the best."
The bowman stopped in his tracks. "What...?"
"Well, it is not a very good option right now. We are in quite the dilemma. We have no time for such things at the moment."
"But..." Wolt started to say, but couldn't find the words.
"Wolt, next year, okay?" Roy promised.
"..." Wolt said nothing. He was obviously unhappy with Roy's decision but decided to follow his orders.
Wolt hung back to talk with Cynthia, who was chatting with Owain.
Roy looked to the horizon. He prayed to whatever god that might listen that nothing would go wrong.
o - o - o - o
"Owain, so I never did ask, what were you looking for in that forest anyway?" Cynthia asked him.
The swordsman confidently spoke. "The legendary blade: Mystletainn. I know for a fact that I am destined to wield that blade. It sparked a burning fury in my mind that I could not find it. Nevertheless, I will continue my search for it."
"I see..." Cynthia said, utterly dumbfounded.
"Ah, Cynthia!" The green haired bowman said as he approached her.
"Oh! Wolt! How are ya?" Cynthia asked excitedly.
"I'm great, but Roy is being a dummy right now, so I decided to come over here."
Owain looked at Wolt. "Pray tell young warrior, what did he speak of that made you irritated?"
"Nothing. It isn't important." 'Yes it is, but I won't tell anyway.Wolt told himself.
Cynthia chose to change topics. "Wolt, I was just thinking... How would you like to join the Justice Cabal?" The pegasus knight questioned.
"Justice Cabal?"
o - o - o - o
Meanwhile, Lucina and Inigo were also talking.
"Lucina, it's been a while, huh?" The mercenary said.
"Yes. I'm happy we're finding so many of our friends." Lucina said with a blank face.
Inigo analyzed her face. "...Well, you certainly don't look it..."
"Hm? Look what?"
"Well... Happy."
"I assure you, I am in quite a good mood."
"If you say so..." Inigo said unconvinced.
Lucina sighed. "Look, Inigo. No matter what, I am glad to find any one of us. It's just that... I cannot guarantee everyone's safety. That bothers me by an astounding amount. I can only be satisfied if everyone is here, safe and sound."
There was an awkward silence as neither knew what to say.
Finally, Inigo spoke up. "I-I think I'm gonna go talk with the girl I was with. Let me know if you need anything."
"Of course, thank you Inigo." She said plainly.
Inigo took his leave and Lucina sighed to herself.
While she told him the truth, she didn't tell him all of her worries. She was also worried about what the future had in store for them.
How would they defeat Grima? How would they fight off both the Risen and Bern's forces? If they managed to defeat them, would they stay in Elibe, or in Ylisse?
These types of questions were plaguing her the whole march.
o - o - o - o
As the Pherae army marched closer to Ostia, Roy ordered Rutger to scout around the area.
"Go in? How far?" Rutger asked Roy.
"As far as possible. There will be soldiers defending Ostia. See the approximate number and report back to me."
"And if there are too many?"
"We'll have no choice but to try. Hurry along now, there isn't much time."
"Understood."
Rutger went on his way. Roy chose Rutger instead of Chad because he could defend himself much more efficiently.
Roy ordered the whole army to wait until Rutger got back from his mission to take a breather.
The young lord sat on his back on the grassy hill and taking in the sight of the vast plains. He was glad he had the chance to rest.
He closed his eyes, listening to the peaceful ambience of the birds and the pleasant breeze.
He heard footsteps approach him. He opened an eye cautiously, but he saw it was a comrade.
Lucina walked up to Roy slowly. She did not want to put him on edge.
"Roy. Can we talk?" She asked in a low voice.
The lord sat up. "Sure, what do you wish to talk about?" He asked.
She shifted uncomfortably. "My-I mean, our future."
Roy turned a bright red. "Um, wh-what do you mean by that?"
"I mean, what will we do to end this war? How will we defeat our foes? Is there a way we can save as many lives as possible?"
Roy facepalmed. 'Yes I should've known. That is not what she meant. Curse the Wolt part of me!'
Roy looked away shyly. "Oh, well... There is no way to predict the future. Things may go south, things may go our way, but one thing we can do is try." He spoke.
He wasn't expecting a response, so he continued. "We might have to take risks, sure. But as long as we have each other, we can overcome any obstacle."
She looked at him with admiration. "Do you truly believe that?"
He smiled. "Of course. Look how far we've gotten already. Without you and your friends, we would have failed a long time ago."
"I..." Lucina could not form the right words. "I cannot say anything else but 'thank you,' I feel that I would have been lost as well without you and your army."
"Thank you too. I-" Roy was cut off by a traumatized looking Rutger.
"Roy! You're not gonna believe this!" Rutger exclaimed, bending over due to lack of breath.
Roy quickly stood up. "Rutger! What happened!?"
As soon as Rutger caught his breath, he told him of the awful news.
"Roy... Ostia has been destroyed."
Roy blinked. He was in such a severe state of shock that his entire body went numb. He eventually snapped out of his predicament and ran, without a word, to Ostia by himself.
"Roy! What the hell are you doing!? Get back here!" Rutger yelled, immediately running after him.
Lucina commanded the Pherae army to follow Roy to Ostia as quickly as possible.
The princess was no stranger to this type of behavior. She saw it in soldiers angry at the Risen for taking their homes. Those soldiers ended up dying. Recklessness was something she had as well; a characteristic passed down from her father, but Lucina tried to limit it as best as she could.
She just hoped they would reach him in time.
o - o - o - o
Roy ran as quickly as he could with his adrenaline fueling him. When he reached the entrance, his suspicions were confirmed.
"Risen..." He said bitterly.
Wasting no time at all, he stepped forward, gradually breaking into a run to attack the creatures.
He unsheathed his blade as they drew near him. He charged the first one he saw that was next to the arena ruins. He easily beheaded it.
He felt a disturbance behind him. He ducked, narrowly dodging a spear thrust directly aimed at his head. He sliced the beast clean in half.
He moved forward, mindlessly slashing at groups of Risen. Even though he sustained palpable wounds that would hinder his performance.
After he finished, he scanned near his vicinity to make sure he was clear.
Roy heard Footsteps behind him. He turned and saw a furious Rutger.
"You idiot! What are you thinking!? You could've been killed!"
"..." Roy was silent, he ignored the lecture and stepped past the myrmidon.
Only to be grabbed by the cape.
"Hey! I'm talkin' to you! Don't you dare ignore me! Not after that stunt you just pulled!"
Roy's emotionless demeanor turned into rage, but he forced himself not to act on it.
They turned and saw the rest of the army catch up to them.
Rutger glared at Roy and motioned for him to follow.
The first person that came up to him was Lucina.
He was more intimidated than he thought he would be. She gave him an ice-cold glare.
"U-uh, Lucina..."
"We're going to talk about this later. Right now, we must clear out the Risen." She said.
"..." Roy looked to the destroyed city.
Too late yet again.
"I suppose you all don't mind me leading this time," Lucina said to the army. They nodded. "Right, on me now!"
Lucina's strategy was to head inside the castle as quickly as possible, as their time was running short.
She decided not to divide anyone into teams, as the path to the castle was a linear one. The destroyed houses to the east were giving her bad flashbacks, but she did her best to curb those thoughts.
She gave the order for everyone to follow her.
"Roy, you will stay close to me. I've got my eye on you." She said.
Roy was still silent. He thought that was a bit unnecessary for her to do, but he followed her orders regardless.
Lucina led the way up north, killing Risen wherever she found them.
There were Risen, but not enough to become a problem. Her fear was that the majority of the Risen went inside the castle.
Wolt flew with Cynthia on her pegasus to scout over the walls. Risen were grouped together, breaking the door to the castle entrance. They relayed that bit of information to Lucina, who quickened her pace.
As they made it to the entrance, they found that the Risen were already inside.
The princess ordered everyone to go inside, and after making sure that no one was left behind, she went in last.
Sounds of a struggle was heard close to the entrance. As Lucina ran closer, she saw that a man with purple hair was on the floor with terrible wounds. Owain managed to clear out the Risen attacking him.
The army looked over him. Clarine quickly checked his wounds.
"One of his lungs were impaled... He may not last much longer..."
Roy flared with anger. "No! You have to try to do something, anything! Help him!"
"Don't you understand? He will not be able to survive! The air is already filling up on the other lung! There is not enough time!"
"You-" Roy was saying but was cut off by the man's words.
"You... Are Roy, correct...?" He said.
"Y-yes. Yes I am." He said shakily.
"I am... Or, I suppose will soon be was Astol. I used to work here... Serving Lord Hector. I was a spy for him... I came back from my journey to Lycia to gather information... And saw them..."
Roy let him continue. "I have failed Lord Hector twice now... Please, do what I couldn't and save... Lilina... Go now, she is in a cell... In the... Center of the... Room..." Astol coughed and exhaled his final breath.
Roy closed Astol's eyes with his palm. "Yet another person I have failed..."
Lucina could not look at Roy. This scenario seemed all too familiar for her.
Wolt walked up to Roy. "Come now, we must save Lilina."
Wolt helped Roy up.
Unfortunately for Lucina, she caught a glimpse of Roy's lifeless eyes.
Eyes that showed despair, fear, and worry. The emotions that tortured Lucina in her world.
She cleared her throat, attempting to steel herself. "Okay, time to move out!" She said slightly shakily.
The army wasted no time in traversing the long hallways. Luckily for them, the Risen were just standing around in different places.
Lucina's first goal was to locate Lilina, who was apparantly in the middle of the castle.
Lucina ordered the swordsman to be up front and ranged attackers behind them. They entered the first room.
"Gods..." Lucina gasped at the sheer number of Risen.
"This isn't going to be easy..." Rutger said with worry.
"Thank you for that obvious statement." Dieck said to him. In which Rutger rolled his eyes.
"Well, I think that this will be a piece of cake!" Cynthia said.
"Dammit Cynthia, now I want cake..." Wolt said.
"Cake isn't a bad idea. Perhaps Clarine can make some for the army. Yes, I will see to it." Marcus said.
"I think I'm gonna go to a tavern, there should be plenty of girls to pick up. Plus, my pickup lines are reusable now." Inigo said with a grin after coming to that realization.
"I wouldn't harass the girls in this world if I were you." Sue told him.
"Hey, it's not- Wait, how did..."
Sue smiled. "Don't underestimate us."
Inigo chuckled nervously.
Owain walked up to Lucina and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ready, cousin?"
Lucina was still looking at the rest of the army with a degree of shock that everyone seemed so calm. She then saw Roy standing away from them, all by himself.
"I may be ready, but someone else isn't." She told him.
Owain followed the direction of her eyes and saw who she was referring to. "Go speak with the young warrior. He needs you more than anyone else right now."
The princess nodded and made her way to him.
As she approached, Roy made no move to look at her. He just kept his eyes fixed on the floor.
"..." Lucina looked at him with worry.
Surprisingly, he spoke up. "...Lucina, how have you done it?"
She was quite confused. "What do you mean?"
"How did you manage to get through... Everything in your world... So many comrades... How did you handle seeing them die?"
Lucina sighed. "I... Don't know. I still have nightmares about them to this day, but... The hope to see my father again... The hope that everything would be fixed and no deaths would have to occur is the thought that kept me going."
She continued. "Every failure of mine was discouraging, but I pressed on. Heh... I guess that can't be fulfilled now, can it?"
Roy was listening to her words in awe. "I have a hope... I suppose, had a hope, that this war would end without bloodshed. It appears that I was wrong. It was foolish and childish of me to believe that."
Roy scoffed at himself. "How naive of me. War costs lives, no matter what. There is no way anyone can prevent death in any way, shape, or form."
Lucina was appalled by his words. Though they unfortunately rang true. "What will you do now?"
For the first time since their interaction, Roy looked to her. "I will find my hope, as how you had once found yours, and fight for that hope. I would have a reason to fight... And a reason to live..."
Lucina smiled at him. "Roy... I hope you never change. You are much stronger than you realise. I will fight and die for our cause if that's what it takes."
Roy smiled back, though it was much more restrained. "Thank you. Your words alone give me strength. Now come on! We have to rescue Lilina!"
"Right! Lead the way!"
Lucina let Roy lead the rest of the charge, as it seemed that he was doing much better.
Unknown to Lucina, Roy had already found his hope.
It was her.
He was absolutely smitten with her, there was no denying that. She was the light at the end of the tunnel. Lucina had been through many hardships in her world, far more than any person should endure. He wanted nothing more than to be by her side. However, he decided to wait. Best not to get false hope over something so important.
Upon moving to the front, Roy spoke to his army.
"My friends... I must apologize for my behavior. I acted wrong and it was something that a leader should never do. But now, I am ready. Ready to retake Ostia and save Lilina!"
The army gave a cheer.
"Now... We strike!"
o - o - o - o
A/N: Hi... I'm not dead.
Alright, not gonna beat around the bush withh this one. I was getting bored of writing. (Also smash Ultimate) Don't worry, I am continuing this, but don't expect constant updates. (Plus I had to study for my finals which turned out to be easy as hell...But mostly smash ultimate)
Can't say for sure when the next update will arrive, but here you go.
To make up for my absence, I have decided to redo the first five or so chapters. You know, the really awful ones. Not to say my recent chapters haven't sucked, which they do, but the first ones... It is not pretty.
So that is my christmas gift to you. (I absolutely hate myself because I said once a week but lied, I am so sorry.)
No I'm not doing a christmas special, screw off!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS