Day 3, Nightfall
"Seeing that we're mostly here," Corrin began ambitiously, only pausing when a blank faced Lucina ran into the tent. Dried sweat and dirt stained her face, which was her usual look considering the intensity of her daily training.
"My apologies for my tardiness," the Princess panted, taking a seat quickly and nodding to those who glanced at her. No one said anything as all had a good implication on why the future witness was late. She was a hard worker, so it was par for the course that Lucina would find herself sidetracked in her own ethic.
"...We should probably talk about the coming-"
Stopping again when the tent door opened, the leaders were greeted with an oblivious tactician standing in the doorway. Robin stepped inside a few moments later, unaware he had a few dozen eyes glued on his movements.
"...operation."
"Looks like I arrived just in time," Robin exclaimed, nodding at his fellow commander and the royals in the room. "Good afternoon, my friends."
"You're horribly late," Chrom clarified. "...it's already night."
"I... had prior engagements," Robin stammered, nodding to Corrin as he shifted to his position, eyeing the tension between Xander and Ryoma before glancing at Chrom, who appeared rather suspicious of Lucina and Robin's joint entrance.
"How engaged were you?" his co-commander prodded, trying her best to maintain a civil face despite Chrom and the two Princes wincing at the comment.
"What?" Robin asked innocently, before turning to Lucina. "Oh... I see. It's... not what it looks like."
"And what does it look like?" Chrom countered, joining in on the fun.
The tent door opened once more, shifting everyone's attention away from the argument to where a slender silhouette waited patiently in the moonlight.
"Commander Robin was looking for me," Azura covered, walking inside and nodding to the tactician who smiled back. "My apologies, I got lost, even with Corrin's directions."
"I had some worries you wouldn't be able to find us," Robin admitted, still a relative stranger to the songstress. "Though... my colleague covered for me, for which I am grateful."
Azura took Corrin's seat between Ryoma and Chrom, nodding to the former and barely regarding the latter, though out of shyness and not rudeness.
"Anyway, here's the plan we devised," Corrin continued, looking to Robin for approval. Going off his nod, she began the briefing with renewed gusto.
"The Plegian Navy has sent us a manifest of their present ships and supplies that are soon to come in the next few days. The Shepherds have access to a small variety of Plegian warships, which will be put to use transporting not only us, but the main body of Feroxians and Ylissean volunteers that our standing army consists of. We shall use what little time we have left to plan and to prepare, and here's what we have so far."
Looking at the three groups of royals, the dragon princess smiled faintly before resuming.
"We, meaning the all sixty-something soldiers the Shepherd vanguard now consists of, will be manning a singular ship, namely, a small speedy one: a modified runner called The Course of Action."
Hiking her thumb at Robin, Corrin stole his chair as soon as he rose to begin his segment of the briefing.
Robin glanced around the room before turning to his board, pulling out chalk and creating a diagram on the dark surface.
"Most of us have never fought a naval battle. I, unfortunately, am among that number. From what I've read of historic battles on the sea and sharing insights with Commander Corrin, this is going to be a struggle on a very unfamiliar field for nearly all of us. Our legs will constantly be unsteady, the water will be dark and perilous, and on top of that, Plegian ships are rather outclassed by the Valmese Navy. Not to mention, Valm outnumbers our fleet a decisive nine to one. Which is why," Robin drew the Course of Action, but in front of it diagrammed a number of larger vessels: ships of the line, "We will use the bulkier ships as a shield, as it were."
"To breach their line," Ryoma realized, nodding his head as he pictured the scene unfold.
"Precisely," Corrin nodded. "The Valmese will believe the lead ship to be our flagship and will no doubt unload a good amount of troops and fire onto it. However, the Course of Action will actually be a ways behind it, near the rear. The initial breaching element will be relatively unmanned, though we would have a surprise waiting should they board our battering rams."
"That's why you asked about the torch fluid," Xander recalled, noting his conversation with Robin earlier.
"Yes," Robin confirmed.
"The ships in the front will be doused with flammable liquid, which is why they are being manned by a literal skeleton crew for their own safety. Once we give the signal, they'll bail out and rejoin the crews aboard the rear guard."
"For what purpose are we willing to set fire to our own ships?" Xander wondered.
"Simply put, we don't have the numbers to handle a fleet, nor do we have the experience to wage naval warfare. The best we can do is strike hard and fast and do our best to ensnare them in their own formations. We take out our pursuers and make way for Valm so we can put our actual force to use. Pragmatically, there is no reason for us to stay longer than necessary to engage the blockade. We will rush through, tangle their ships with our decoys, break their line and it's smooth sailing for the coast."
Ryoma nodded, seeing the wisdom in that strategy. Robin nodded back, turning back to the briefing.
"Among our inventories are a number of long range fire-class tomes, both Nohrian and Ylissean in practice. We will station our best mages on the crow's nest and bow, setting ablaze with long range artillery any ship that has been boarded. So not only does the Course of Action get a few critical moments to pass the Valmese, but it also will leave a trail of smoke and fire in our immediate vicinity, halting any pursuit parties in a sudden, albeit temporarily chaos."
"What of our other troops? The main army?" Xander asked, leading Robin to shake his head.
"Unfortunately, we can only squeeze a small number of ships through the hole we create before the Valmese reconfigure their blockade. However, I believe that if we can take out the lead vessel and disrupt command, it will allow our main army the momentum it needs to independently break through with minimal casualties. I can't guarantee they'll make it through unscratched, but we'll be landing in Valm proper with a full force no matter what."
"So after we break through the initial blockade, we target the commanding vessel and bug out?" Chrom asked, already understanding the plan but asking for clarification.
"Rightly so. Thankfully, I checked our new stock of items and we have a few new interesting implements that will give us the edge against an unsuspecting foe."
Holding up a tome that none of the Ylisseans recognized, Robin opened up the pages and cast a wisp of the tomes energy. Ice floated on his fingertips and a cold chill rose in the air before the tactician closed the book with a slight exhale, dispersing the mist.
"Fimbulvetr, the Great Winter, according to Nohrian lore," Robin announced, "Not your everyday cool breeze, mind you. A focused caster can manipulate energies powerful enough to freeze seawater solid."
"You mean to freeze the sea?" Ryoma asked, doubting the tactician's intent.
"Not entirely, no," Robin corrected, drawing another diagram. "A second group of mages, ones not focused on lighting up our own ships, will be focused on halting any pursuing craft -ideally the commanding one- to a standstill by creating ice-fields, as it were, which will be big enough to act as its own land mass, deterring most ships that strike them at speed. However, their main purpose will be to form a barrier around our ship to prevent us getting boarded, as the fire mage team will handle any chasers."
"Ships are not fast, especially when loaded down with troops and supplies. Will we be fast enough to break this blockade without getting swarmed?" Xander asked, and Robin nodded, pulling out another tome, this time, familiar to the natives.
"It occurred to me that neither Nohr nor Hoshido have many wind tomes. Fire, Thunder, Spirit, yes, you have those. But Wind class magic? Aside from the exceptionally rare 'Excalibur' tome, Wind magic is something only Ylissean mages have common access to. Luckily, we have quite a few varieties at our disposal. Our third group of mages, including myself, will be focused on casting light channels of wind magic onto our sails, granting us speed far beyond that of a normal ship. If I calculated right, with the proper tailwind we could clear the Valmese Sea in nearly twice the usual speed for a ship our size."
"Interesting," Ryoma noted, gazing upon the map which seemed so vast in comparison to the time frame Robin mentioned.
"I just realized we're embarking by night," Xander inquired. "How will we know the enemy command ship?" The tactician paused, before scratching his head and recalling his notes.
"The blockade is stationed closer to the shore, a great distance away from Ylisse. It will be sunrise by the time our ships make it to Valm and by then we would be able to identify the colors and markings of the command ship."
The delivery of the line was rather weak, Robin had to admit, and he wished enough confidence made it past his own skepticism. To be honest, he had no idea where the flagship would be.
"Right..." Ryoma said in hesitation, causing Lucina to purse her lips. "Though I still think that part of the phase to chance isn't a wise option considering our limited manpower."
Xander nodded as well, adding in his input.
"I didn't realize the main army would be so far behind us. A blockade without a commander is breakable according to history, but if we don't get that essential piece, all of us, including our main force, will be stranded..."
"Is there a problem with the current plan? Commander Robin knows what he's doing and-"
"Lucina!" Chrom ordered harshly, and the Princess shut her mouth, realizing how-out-of-line she was.
"...My apologies, Prince Ryoma." Lucina cowered in the shadows of the tent now, hiding from Ryoma and Corrin's peripheral.
"I do understand your doubts, Xander, Ryoma," Robin began, his confidence restored by the sudden interjection from Lucina. "But as much as I'd like to prepare, we're up against a fleet. We don't have the agility to pick and choose which ship is the commander, but I can assure you by sailing straight through the middle of the blockade, we'll run into it without having to guess."
"I... I understand it's not the most solid-plan," Corrin hesitated, before nodding. "But Princess Lucina is right. It's the best plan we could come up with that wasn't as far-fetched that no one will follow behind us. Then again, I have no experience as Commander and-"
"But I do. I need everyone here to trust me. I... Corrin and I have a plan and when it comes together, each one of us will make it onto Valmese soil unharmed," Robin said with a faint smile, backing up Corrin as she only smiled in response.
"So... now that we know the plan, we should rehearse our parts immediately. A smooth mission depends on each individual part, and it'll be a while before our three groups can perform our functions smoothly. I'll keep the Shepherds posted if any revisions come up, but we should be able to prepare with what we have so far. I... I think I'm done here. Thanks for coming; you're dismissed. Rest assured, I'll do my best to figure out the markings of the Valmese Naval Commander."
Robin watched as one by one, the leaders left the tent until it was just him and Corrin staring at the chalk on the board.
"So... what were you up to before the briefing? Azura never saw you on her way here."
Robin smiled faintly as he remembered cradling Lucina on his lap, but he decided to withhold on that tidbit of information.
"I... I had a private issue to attend to. It took longer than expected."
Corrin bought that, turning back to the board.
"She's not a commander or a general, so why did you invite her?" Robin wondered. "I don't have qualms letting others attend the strategy meeting, rest assured..."
"She's a good friend of mine, you'll like her," Corrin replied, humming along as she went over some figures in Robin's strategy book. "I should bring her back."
"No, it looked like she was rather out of place. I'll talk to her on my own, probably with your company," Robin assured. "For now, let's go over the plan again."
"Are you planning on staying here for a while?" Corrin wondered, looking at the night sky that surrounded the camp outside Ylisstol. "It's pretty late, and we have to be up early tomorrow. Even if we're not setting sail, all these supplies and requisition orders... I didn't realize the time it takes to figure out logistics."
"When it goes smoothly, it takes little time at all. We need something to help our Shepherds put the gears together and start grinding."
"A few more battle drills wouldn't hurt either. But still, we have a bigger issue at hand, don't we?"
"Our plans won't revise themselves," Robin sighed. "A few hours of work ought to do it."
"You're adding a few to a lot," Corrin corrected, closing the tent behind her. "But you're right. You could use some help. And I could use some experience."
Day 4, just after midnight
It felt like a blink of an eye, but Robin found himself still huddled over his plans five hours after reassuring Corrin that he was done for the day. She had left the tent last, going over his notes intently in her time spent with her fellow Commander. Diligently and relentlessly she worked, trying to find holes in the plan, and making the small revisions as few and far between as they were. Both of them had gone over the strategy far too intently for amateur mistakes to appear now, but Robin was sure there could be some way to improve his-
"The plan will work, Robin."
Robin turned his head to see the Ylissean Princess console him from the doorway, and he couldn't help but smile at her stern but reassuring gaze.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"No. And I am pleased to see that neither are you." Robin nodded slowly at Lucina's off-compliment, but returned to his plans with heavy eyelids.
"I'm assuming you're here to tell me how Virion pulled a similar stunt when it was his turn to free Ylisse," Robin jested, but Lucina remained blank. "Oh. He did," the tactician answered for himself.
"He and some Feroxians boarded the enemy commander's ship, lighting it on fire in a suicide mission, while the rest of the Shepherds sailed by, knowing that the hole they just squeezed from was bought at a steep price." Robin double took, questioning the story.
"You said Virion was the tactician in Valm."
"He was. His retainer, Cherche, rescued him from the sinking flames and flying arrows, though both of them were badly injured in the rescue. Virion never took up the bow again, instead leading from the back lines. Cherche died soon after they disembarked the ships."
"I see..." Robin began, not wanting to think of his own comrades being cooked alive and bleeding out simultaneously.
"But don't worry, Robin. I know for a fact that you'll pull us through, but I know as a gut feeling that no one will get hurt. I know it isn't much but-"
"Your instincts are sharper than anything here. Thanks Lucina... I hope I can prove you right."
"I... I- me too," Lucina whispered airily, leaving the tent. "Good night, Robin."
Day 8, a few minutes before dawn
Robin walked along the Course of Action's stern, running his hand along the handrail as the night sea air bit a pleasant chill on his ears and neck. Taking a deep breath of salt and cold, Robin couldn't help but feel very relaxed at the calming chill. Sea air was something entirely new to him, but for some reason, it felt very natural. Relaxing, even, if not for the war that awaited him beyond the horizon.
Singing.
Robin gazed past the web of rigging and sails towards the bow, where a solemn and solitary white figure stood, blue hair fluttering in the wind behind her. Even as she faced the other way, Azura's clear voice echoed past the waves and back towards the tactician. Like a man ensnared by a siren's song, Robin slowly crept closer and closer, the songstress oblivious to her guest.
Her voice was as haunting as the ocean below, yet had a serenity to it that nothing else could compare to. Much like Olivia's dancing, there was a beauty and a danger to her song, captivating and paralyzing all at once. Robin had heard the songstress hum at times, espeically during the early morning while he patrolled the Shepherd's camp. But to hear her sing? Now that was something special.
"What a beautiful voice," Robin whispered to himself, entranced to the point that he blindly continued walking closer, even without his realization.
Was she... floating?
The pendant that adorned the Hoshidan's chest was glowing a pale blue, providing a jarring source of light that contrasted with the orange pale of the torches lit on board. Unlike fire, Azura's pendant glowed with an energy that could only be described as ethereal. There was no warmth, no comforting flicker of flames, Robin thought.
Her feet, thought to be firmly atop the deck, weren't even touching the ground. As Azura sang, her body elevated ever so slightly so that she hovered a few inches off the ground. Some mages were skilled enough to levitate, Robin recalled, knowing Tharja could pull off a similar stunt. But as far as Robin knew, Azura wasn't much of a mage. She was a songstress, a dancer that could reinvigorate allies just like Queen Olivia. Her skills with a lance was dazzling, but she wasn't meant for combat.
But yet... there was this power to her.
Azura seemed to halt her song, but the words did not fade into the ocean. No, what happened next startled both Robin and the songstress herself, as the Valmese sea in front of the ship seemed to open up slightly and stir at some unknown force: a tempest within the depths glowing teal for just an instant, before calming again and fading back to the murky indigo in the night.
"What was that?" Robin called out, causing Azura to react to his voice in shock.
"C-Commander!?" Azura cried out, too stunned to react properly as her body hit the ground hard. Robin quickly ran to the fallen dancer, helping her back up as he evaluated the waters that flickered and came alive just a few moments ago.
"We're on guard duty, didn't you remember? Are you alright?"
"It is indeed my shift, though I could be doing a better job at it, I suppose." Azura was surprisingly eloquent for one so shy. Robin nodded along, putting his hands in his pockets to stave off the chilly air.
"We're not expecting trouble quite yet, so no need to fret. Still, I'm more curious about that song you sang. Corrin didn't tell me you could control the ocean."
"It wasn't my song that did that," Azura lied, but it was confident enough that Robin believed her. "It was me though, I just wish I knew how to control that power."
"So that whirlpool that almost happened..."
"That was my own power, not the song I sang. I apologize, but I don't quite understand it myself."
"Interesting. I suppose I understand, somewhat. But the song was beautiful, nonetheless," Robin acknowledged, causing Azura to tilt her head in confusion.
"Most consider my voice to be disturbing. Did it not bother you?" Robin glared in bewilderment, but laughed it off.
"If you're calling your voice unbearable, I believe you are gravely mistaken. That was no doubt the most beautiful singing I've heard in a while. And I've heard singers like Queen Olivia and Cordelia, who are great in their own right. Hearing you, though... you're something beyond that."
"Hah," the songstress mused, searching for any discrepancies in Robin's posture. Seeing none, she relaxed visibly and decided that she was overreacting with her thoughts. The only reason she had sung was so she could test out her pendant's power with the ocean, just in case the opportunity demanded she use it. Any more than that and the expenditure would have permanent effects.
Ideally, she wouldn't have to do anything and trust in the mages, but Corrin had insisted that she be careful.
'Your songs are powerful, we know that. Do you think you could do something like that again, if we're in trouble?'
Azura laughed at Corrin's request, given that she didn't know the true cost of wielding that double-edged blade. But she agreed, smiling to Corrin as she always did. She would help.
"I'm sorry, I know this isn't the time for song. It comforts me, you must understand. I am nervous."
"We all are, Az- Princess. You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I would prefer you keep singing. Your voice is just as relaxing as these waters."
"That's a compliment I take gladly. These oceans are beautiful," Azura sighed wistfully, wishing she could just jump in and swim in those waters. But alas, there was naught but war waiting for her. The time to swim would have to come later.
"It's my first time seeing the ocean this close," Robin agreed. "A shame it had to be under these circumstances."
"Ah, the sun is rising too. A sunrise over the ocean. I never had the chance to see this in Hoshido," Azura admitted. "The Shepherds are stirring below-decks. Are they waking up?"
"We're not in any immediate danger, so I ordered them to get a few hours of rest," Robin explained. "I woke them up a few minutes before you started singing."
"Ah, they all heard me."
"That isn't so bad, is it?"
"...I don't know."
"In any case, here they are," Robin sighed, pointing in the distance. "That's a whole lot of ships."
In the distance, past the Feroxian body of the fleet stood at least three dozen ships, all in formation on the far horizon. Their white sails stood tall and proud, and the red markings on their hulls were just starting to become visible with the morning sun. With the sun rising behind them, the Course of Action cast long shadows in front of her, her black sails and purple-trimmed bow speeding onward.
Robin quickly ran to the center-mast, ringing the bells for a few seconds and rousing the Shepherds for battle. Azura hopped off the bow, picking up her lance from its fallen position on the ground and twirled the shaft between her fingers deftly.
"I suppose my song will have to wait."
"Battle stations! This is it, Shepherds! Battle stations! The Valmese Fleet is here!"
"Ah, it's morning?" Chrom asked, groggy but already suited up in combat regalia. Robin screamed orders from nearly everywhere, dashing around and directing mages and archers to their stations. Falchion hung loose by the Exalt's side, not expecting much action today. Chrom would instead be ferrying tomes to the mages that needed them, which was a bore but oh well.
"Good morning my Exalt. Let's get our morning exercise in," Robin called from above, waving to Lucina and Laslow as well. "The royal family is all up! Is Queen Olivia getting ready?"
"Right here," Olivia yawned, her hair a mess but otherwise ready for action. "Good morning, Chrom."
"Good morning, my love," Chrom greeted, pecking his wife on the lips before nodding to his future children. "Let's do our part," he ordered, climbing the ladders to get on deck.
Robin had already assumed his position behind the center sail, still directing the Shepherds to their posts.
"Bring the ship starboard, Chrom! Line us up behind our allies! Signal team, wave down the Galeforce, Bowbreaker and Vengeance! Tell them to prepare for scuttle! Fire mages, wind mages, stand by!"
His training adequate thanks to a practical implement back home, Chrom knew how to handle the Captain's wheel with moderate expertise. Without a word, the Exalt quickly manned the helm, swinging the ship over and causing everyone on board to stumble at the sudden shift in inertia. Once the turn was completed, the rest of the Shepherds found themselves on a collision course with the enemy fleet, with only a pair of Plegian ships shielding their immediate front.
"Fires are ready on your order!" Leo yelped from above, Camilla and Miriel supporting him atop the crow's nest. Robin affirmed his acknowledgement through a hand gesture, letting the crew atop know that they were understood.
"Set sights on the Bowbreaker! Once the Valmese are in range, open fire! She'll open up a hole!"
"Fimbulvetrs are ready as well, hero tactician!" Owain called out, confidently flanked by Lissa and Ophelia. They weren't as strong as the fire mages, but they had sufficient talent to handle the ice magic effectively.
"Create ice along our aft flank! We're gonna dash starboard and we're going to get rammed if we're too slow through the gap! We can't let them come close, so make that barrier as fast as you can!" Robin hoped worry didn't cloud his voice. Everything was going according to plan and even then, the threat of being outnumbered made him on edge. He just prayed he could-
The plan is going to work, Lucina voiced in his head.
"We're going to get through this," Robin reassured himself, not even noticing Azura by his side who was examining his posture, not panicking herself.
"Commander R-robin!" Sakura timidly called, standing with Ricken, "We'll wait for you before we start our wind magic!"
"Right!" Robin acknowledged, running over to the helm where he could properly see the situation develop. Nearly bowling over Corrin, he grabbed her arm and looked her in the eyes in a wild rush.
"Are you ready for your part?" he blurted, heart and breath racing.
"W-what?" she replied, still in a frenzied panic.
"Don't tell me you forgot!? Your dragonstone, do you have it?"
"O-oh! Y-yeah!"
Fumbling about, Corrin pulled out the glowing stone and showed it to Robin, who nodded and patted her shoulder.
"I have a feeling you'll need it in about three minutes!"
Corrin nodded and ran past him, grabbing Azura and muttering incoherent gibberish before running off again, this time towards Xander's location. Azura was still considering what she'd heard from Robin's exchange with Corrin.
"What use would her dragonstone be?" She wondered, but alas, there was too much going on now to scheme. She couldn't be seen in her own thoughts at a time like this. She gripped onto the yardarm, eyeing the surroundings as time seemed to slow.
In just a few minutes, the three Plegian decoys had engaged the Valmese fleet, pulling five Valmese out of the blockade in attempts to intercept. Behind the Course of Action, the crews of the three decoy ships had been retrieved, leaving three empty husks doused in torch fluid and ready to burn.
"They're taking the bait. Fire mages, on my mark!"
Even from a couple hundred yards away, the sound of wood smashing into wood could be heard, and the Bowbreaker collided hard with a Valmese warship. Ants crawled on board, and the Bowbreaker was boarded.
"Fire!"
A trio of bright orange streaks flew overhead, whistling and crackling through the air until they slammed into their first target. The Bowbreaker quickly caught ablaze just as it collided with the second of the Valmese ships, colliding into it violently and setting all three vessels into a vigorous inferno that nearly blurred everything else within the dawn sky. Screams and yelling were heard from the newly destroyed ship, and Azura couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the Bowbreaker's crew were still on board.
A few moments later, the Vengeance and Galeforce had caught afire as well, opening quite the hole for the Course of Action to break through. Six Valmese ships were down, at the cost of three Plegian ones.
Even with the roaring fire getting closer and closer, faster still were three more ships close enough to pursue.
"The others are swinging around the wreckage! Fimbulvetr, now!"
Azura watched as the second team of mages let loose their spells, creating a field of floating ice blocks in their wake, colliding audibly with each other and crashing into the Valmese ships on their trail. They were no larger than a horse, but at the speed the Valmese had been sailing, the sharp ice punctured even the sturdy wood of the bows, damaging and crippling their pursuers.
As one unlucky ship began to list and tip over, a sigh of relief was heard from Robin, who took little respite knowing that at least their backs were safe. Watching Corrin, he held up his hand, signaling her that she didn't have to do her thing just yet. Corrin gulped, looking straight up towards the crow's nest where Leo and Camilla were, not quite liking the jarring height.
"We're still in the clear, stand fast for now, Commander."
"Thank goodness. I can't swim," Corrin laughed, her smile contagiously spreading to Robin and Azura.
"Wind, let's get out of here!" Robin called out, leading his own spell on the sails and causing it to billow fully. Azura jolted when the ship lurched forward suddenly, causing her to stumble backwards from the rapid acceleration. Judging by the lack of opposition, everyone had to admit that Robin's plan had worked admirably. The Feroxian navy would hang back, waiting for the blockade to break before splitting into two around the wreckage. Now, all that was left was to hunt down the commander...
"Second wave of ships off our bow! It's a second blockade!"
Or not.
"Robin! There's a second blockade!"
Robin cursed aloud as Corrin gazed at him, fearfully clutching her dragonstone.
"Ready when you are, Commander!" Corrin called down, but Robin shook his head and his arms violently.
"No, we can't risk you going alone. We're doing this the hard way, it seems." Robin made his way up the yardarm and used his telescope to scope out the ships details.
"Well, at least it's the commanding ship," Robin called out optimistically, but Xander and Ryoma voiced their concerns.
"We have no ships in front of us. How are we going to break through?"
"When we pass," Robin tried to explain, "We'll broadside them with everything we have. Hopefully it should at least disable the ship..."
"Or..." Corrin goaded, smiling excitedly.
"Actually... now's as good a time as ever. Commander Corrin, if you may be so kind to open the way for us?"
"I'll get ready to jump..." Corrin replied, climbing up towards the rat's nest and pocketing her dragonstone.
If anyone else was up with her, they would have seen her smile fade quickly into a pout.
"Stupid water..."
"Enemy ship is roughly half a minute away!" Chrom called backwards, eyeing the galleon rapidly closing in.
"Dammit..." Robin sighed, beating himself up for blowing all his cards too soon.
"Commander Robin, I'm ready!" Corrin called from above, waving her dragonstone which glittered a light blue in the dark morning sky.
"You know when, then!" Robin ordered, causing Corrin to shiver in apprehension.
"If I miss, sorry," she joked in a rather youthful show. Robin shook his head, focusing on the issue at hand.
"Enemy warship is closing," Chrom repeated, motioning people away from the edges of the ship lest they get sniped by an archer or mage.
"This is it! Hold your fire until my command!" Robin ordered, lining up all the mages on the aft side, gently nudging the ship starboard to open up her angle.
"Everyone, heads down!" Ryoma shouted, even as arrows whistled overhead. A few struck some of the pegasus knights, whom Robin had advised to fly overhead once the fighting had started. Sumia quickly landed, Snowflake having suffered a minor wound.
"Don't fire even if fired upon..." Robin commanded, "We can't risk hurting Corrin."
As if on cue, Corrin leaped off the nest, a mighty roar signalling her rapid vector towards the Valmese command ship. Shifting partially, the humanoid form of the young princess suddenly sprouted wings as, while incapable of unassisted flight, helped to guide Corrin off the height she had just dove from towards the rapidly approaching Valmese ship.
"Come on, Corrin..." Robin whispered.
At a few hundred feet, Corrin found herself near screaming at the sheer speed she was travelling, and her arms shifted into her dragon form's massive claws mostly out of fright. Less than a second away, the rest of her body changed into its draconic state, letting loose a massive roar just as it collided with the core of the commanding ship.
The combined weight of her body along with its immense momentum caused her to pierce straight through multiple layers of the ship's hull, completely shattering the center mast and sending a couple Valmese troops overboard. Almost instantly, the deck began to collapse from the falling pillar of wood, and the giant gaping hole in the ship grew bigger and bigger more of the deck split. Almost right after, a light sparkle glittered where she punched through, and Corrin's soaking body reappeared next to a beaming Elise. Wet and battered up, Corrin collapsed on the ground with a tired smile on her face.
"...Ow."
Elise giggled, eyes wide from that daring move by Corrin's dragon form.
"I-I'll a-admit... T-that was pretty cool," Corrin admitted, shivering as her grin alone warmed her up. Elise tried drying up her sister, but Corrin shook it off and ran to Robin.
"A congratulations is in order, Commander, on sinking your first enemy ship," Robin announced, before raising his hand to the mages who were ready to fire.
"Do you see them?" Robin asked, waiting for the Valmese to present themselves.
"I do, master tactician," Owain replied, the closest mage to Robin.
"I don't want to."
Almost instantly, Robin felt a collective chill and rush as spells of all varieties flew overhead, crashing into the Valmese ship and obliterating its hull from sheer magical force alone. Without a chance to even retaliate from both the magical assault and the previous dragon strike, the commanding ship plummeted into the depths without a fight.
"And we are in the clear! Excellent work, people. Let's... ah."
Robin froze, eyes on the horizon as the rising sun illuminated a large warship, far larger than the pieces of the blockade.
"That's not supposed to be there."
"...It's just one ship. I think that's the commander," Corrin guessed. "Unless the one we just sank was a decoy?"
"I'm not quite sure about this one," Robin wondered, gesturing to Chrom to maintain course. "We have the speed to avoid it... but that's a mighty impressive looking ship. I think someone is on board that would prove problematic to our plan."
"It's Commander Ignatius' personal ship!" Virion exclaimed, recognizing the markings. "He's the one responsible for the entire navy! Robin, we take that monster down and we'll be controlling the seas from here to Ferox!"
"...That sounds great. Alright, we'll do that. Battle stations, Shepherds! One last story before bed."
"The adrenaline from the first two fights dying down, the troops assumed their positions once more, eyeing the massive ship that bore straight for them.
"Standard warship crews go from fifty to a few hundred. Being that that is a rather large ship, this Commander 'Ignatius' is bound to have a large complement of marines aboard."
"We can take him in a fair fight, or we can blow him away with mages. What do you think Corrin?"
"...Azura."
"What?"
"Azura," Corrin asked, walking to the dancer. "Do you think you could help us?"
"..."
"Listen," Robin pointed, gesturing to Ignatius' warship that was getting closer and closer. "We have a fighting force that we've been drilling for the whole week. Azura, stay back."
Azura stayed still, not responding to Corrin's confused reaction.
"Shepherds... PREPARE TO BOARD!" Robin rang out, and a rallying cry arose from the Course of Action. The Princess looked to Robin as she began to climb the ladders again, but Robin shook his head, instead drawing his levin sword and gesturing for her to do the same with her Yato.
"Commander! I'm scouting at least two hundred Valmese on the ship!" Hinoka reported, her tenma winded from its scouting mission. Taking off again, she and Cordelia hovered back, well out of range of enemy archers as not to emulate Sumia's unfortunate injury.
"Alright, a simple 3 on 1. We've done that plenty of times," Robin smiled. "We board them. Bring your fight below decks where we won't have to worry about numbers. The longer we fight above, the more time they will have to swarm us. Mages, hold your fire once the fighting starts. We can't risk setting our own on fire... But until then, it's open season."
Nohrian and Hoshidan looked to each other, then to the Feroxians beyond.
"We fight as one," Corrin called out, leading both dusk and dawn dragon armies from her position at the very front.
"Wind mages, repel their initial archer volley."
As if on command, a swarm of black had flown towards the Course of Action, only to be deflected by a powerful gust of wind from Robin and the other two wind mages. In response, fire rained down from the crow's nest, igniting the bow of Igniatius' ship and obscuring the deck with a thick smoke.
"Boarding parties!"
"Corrin..."
As the Valmese ship got closer and closer, a sole figure abandoned formation and walked atop the tip of the bow, as if she were the figurehead to the Course of Action. Lance in hand, Azura maintained perfect balance atop the narrow bowspirit, having cut away the forward sail to allow her room.
"Azura?" Robin questioned, repeating his question louder when the dancer didn't reply.
"AZURA?!" Corrin screamed, but Azura stopped her, smiling as she calmly turned, her pendant glowing strongly.
"You asked for my help, here it is," Azura bowed humbly, taking a deep breath.
'You are the ocean's gray waves...
Destined to seek life beyond the shore...'
As Azura continued her song, Robin felt the deck beneath him shake, and suddenly it lurched downwards as if the water had simply vanished. A tidal wave, easily as tall as the Course of Action, had appeared from the bow and was rapidly moving on a collision course with Ignatius' ship.
The motion of the bow lurching back upwards knocked Azura clear off the figurehead and back onto the deck, leaving her to roll a few feet before being steadied by Corrin. Everyone else watched in awe as the wave Azura had conjured continued on, even as Ignatius' ship desperately tried too late to steer away.
With a thundering crash, the body of water struck the warship, obliterating both ship and sailor in a thunderous crash and splitting the entire hull asunder. Nothing but sails and bits of wood remained, the rest of the ship having been claimed by the sea as quickly as the wave had come.
"I didn't know she could do that," Robin admitted, before checking on the fallen songstress. She was sweating heavily, and had already knocked out from exertion. Corrin cradled the songstress in her lap, worried sick that her friend had just overexerted herself beyond the realm of recovery.
"Will she be fine?" Robin asked softly, and Corrin nodded.
"I did ask for her to do this... but now I feel... ugh. Well, anyway," Corrin groaned, picking up Azura and carrying the taller woman over her shoulder. "Well, w-we just cleared a Valmese blockade! Let's make landfall and..."
Corrin collapsed as well, exhausted from her own stunt. Catching the two before they hit the ground, Xander and Ryoma nodded to each other and brought the two women to the healers below decks.
The Shepherds stood by, not a word being said among them.
"...All things considered, things went pretty well," Robin attempted, smiling despite everything else. "That's the Valmese shore in the distance."
"You brought us through in one piece. The Feroxians will reinforce us without an issue now," Virion advised, nodding in approval.
With his fellow commander unconscious and the songstress seemingly hiding more power than he could've ever known, Robin was left with more questions than answers. Still, the Shepherds needed a leader for the moment, and this war had just started. The Liberation of Valentia wouldn't stop for anything or anyone now.
"Shepherds, we have just made history. Now, I say we give those two lovely princesses a relaxing and peaceful beach to wake up to. Anyone care to join me?"
It was a dumb rhetorical question. But Robin loved hearing the answer nonetheless.
