Day 8, Morning
Usually, the gentle sounds of water did nothing brought nothing but comfort to Azura. The soft waves, the subtle rocking, even the smell of the ocean-
Rocking?
With a start, the songstress sat up, immediately regretting that action as the headache that came with the panicked motion sapped any peaceful energies in Azura's mind. Opening her eyes after the quick rush of blood to her head, Azura took a few seconds to re-affix herself in this chaotic world. Judging from the smell of things, she was still on board the Course of Action. The brightness gave away that a couple of hours had passed since... since...
Ah, right.
Feeling her pendant just to be sure, Azura rose to her feet, not thrilled in how weak all of her limbs felt. The ship was rocking gently, but not to the degree that it was on the open sea. There was no sense of momentum, so was the ship docked? Had the Shepherds already made landfall in Valm?
Before she could make it up the stairs, she heard a commotion on the other side of the below-decks. Finding Subaki and that Ylissean cleric (what was her name?) still on board, her suspicions were confirmed.
Lissa. That was her name. Good, everything was coming back, slow as it was to do so.
Sakura's retainer was lying down, bare chested but with a fresh wrapping of bandages all over his rather toned abdomen. There wasn't so much blood and the Pegasus Knight seemed to be in high spirits so the injury sustained must have been only a minor hindrance at best. If anything, the one with more difficulties was Lissa, who was having the time of her life trying to get the wounded retainer to calm down enough to finish patching him up.
"Ah, if only Lady Sakura could've taken notes of that display. Such a moment will set the standard of servitude Hana will have to match!"
"Well, one of you had to get shot. I bet Hana is just beside herself knowing a big strong retainer like you is outdoing her."
"...Ah, don't be so sure! We have a sense of competition when it comes to our duties. Keeps things interesting even if I always end up winning."
Lissa pretended to be attentive, more focused on her staff that was working its magic under the bandages. Azura watched in curiosity as Subaki's complexion got healthier, while Lissa's seemed to diminish in contrast.
"Well, between the two of you I'm sure Princess Sakura is plenty safe. Now hold still just a minute more..."
"A true retainer is a shield of steel or flesh and the situation is hardly picky, dear Princess. Once you find someone who'd use their body for your protection, you will understand the honor it is to defend royalty with your will and blood."
"I'm not saying I doubt you. On the contrary, I think you're doing a very good job keeping Princess Sakura unharmed! Annnnnd, there. I would say to take a quick breather, but the battle isn't stopping anytime soon. Now get back in there. Jeez, I'm getting tired already!"
Subaki rose, testing his legs before discovering Azura watching from her corner.
"Ah! The Lady of the Sea awakes. Are you well, Princess Azura?" Subaki greeted, punctuated with a polite bow depsite his abdominal wound.
"Azura! Oop, didn't notice you up. How are you feeling?" Lissa joined in, having caught her breath and joining her patient.
Taken aback by both retainer and Princess swarming her, the songstress backed up a second before nodding in greeting.
"I'm a bit drained, but not hurt. It appears the war has started without me."
If Lissa knew Azura better, she'd think that the songstress was disappointed to be missing out. Well, that certainly was relatable. The other two healers got to be in the front lines, while she was stuck here! However, with Azura awake Lissa was free to rejoin the front. And rejoin she would.
"On the contrary milady, you set the tone for the war quite well!" Subaki comforted, clearly in high spirits. "It's good to see you awake, Princess." Lissa cleared her throat, demanding the two's attention for a second.
"...Well, we landed in Valm about an hour ago and near everybody's been busy ever since. We stormed their beachhead and took care of the garrison in short order, though Subaki here and some others were among our first casualties. However, there is still a large swarm of Valmese cavalry and armor in the nearby city, and Robin is regrouping to stage a defensive while the other Feroxians unload and assemble at the Port."
"Just in time then. Where are they now?" Azura asked, getting impatient and starting towards the stairs. Lissa and Subaki followed in short order, the latter immediately saddling up on his Tenma once he reached the deck.
"...I suppose you're fine. They're still on the beach-head. But we're a little off shore and-"
"I don't mind a swim. I will see you for proper medical attention after the battle."
With that, Azura traversed the bowspirit of the Course of Action once more, making sure she wasn't about to jump headfirst into the shallows. Slightly after, Lissa heard a slight splash as Azura dove overboard and made her way to shore.
Turning to Subaki, Lissa didn't even have to say a word as she was promptly helped onto the Hoshidan Pegasus.
"She's pretty cool."
Valm Harbor Outskirts, Day 8 of the Valentian Liberation
Robin analyzed his opponent's movements, slowly edging toward the higher ground atop the sandy dunes that comprised of the beachhead. Now having the height advantage, the tactician waited patiently as the Valmese soldier made the first move to strike his unarmored foe. When the Valmese knight reared his lance for an upward-aimed lunge, Robin parried and jumped down, putting all his weight into knocking over his heavier foe and using his position to aim at the right leg. Wincing at the snap and the subsequent screams of pain, Robin confirmed that the Valmese soldier's leg was at least fractured.
Rolling away from his prone position, he blasted open the knight's neck armor with a wind spell, the vortex sucking all the air out of the enemy's lungs. Quickly, Robin took advantage of his foe's incapacitated state, drawing his Nohrian long sword (A defensive blade Robin had chosen from the newly-expanded armory) then stabbed it through the knight's neck clean into the dirt, aiming to end his opponent's misery as quickly and quietly as he could. Once the gurgling had stopped, Robin closed his eyes, catching his breath as he scanned his surroundings.
Waiting a few more seconds for confirmation, Robin stepped on top of his foe, yanking his sword out of the impromptu pedestal he had just created. Sighing in relief now that the coast was clear, the tactician found himself in the clear, swiftly peeling away to regroup with the Shepherds further down the beach.
Chrom and Frederick found themselves caught in an alleyway with two cavaliers staring them down. Frederick immediately took a covering position in front of Chrom, readying his lance for a joust with both of the knights at the same time. Chrom jumped on, knowing the sturdy warhorse could handle the added weight for a few seconds.
"You're not going to take them both out," Chrom murmured, settling in a crouch behind Frederick's saddle and drawing Falchion. "I can be a grown up and share."
"I follow your lead, my liege." Frederick , but Chrom spurred the horse and smiled lightly.
"Veer right, I'll take the one on the left."
As the soldiers grew closer, Frederick readied his reins to prepare for a collision with the knight on the right. Behind him, Chrom grabbed Frederick's armor and brought himself up on his feet, ready to jump.
"Now!"
Leaping off the horse, Chrom dove straight into the Valmese cavalier on the left, slicing his foe's lance with one motion and using his armored arm as a shield to brace his impact into and through the man's neck, knocking him clean off his horse and shielding Chrom's fall. Finishing off the moaning dismount with a clean stab to the chest, Chrom rose to his feet and groaned in pain from the impact, but was otherwise unharmed. Frederick, in an inhuman display of speed, avoided the other cavalier's lance entirely and grabbed the Valmese warrior by the armor when he was close enough. Ripping him off his horse, Frederick grunted in exertion as he felt the dead weight in his hands. Discarding the unconscious and possibly dead body from his sight, Frederick nodded at Chrom as they headed back to the makeshift base they had established.
The Shepherds had assembled on the beachhead, having used the small town on the port to hunker down as they repelled any counterattacks from within the safety of the port town's walls.
Corrin, having recovered from her energetic morning, found herself side by side with Lucina as the two Princesses were manning the eastern gate of the town. Archers made certain that any attempt to venture outside would end in death, so the two women resorted to staving off any cavaliers that made it through the gate. More used than anything on fighting a mounted foe, Corrin made quick work of an enemy rider, Yato carving clean through the Valmese armor and into the squishy bits underneath. Lucina was having a bit more trouble, having picked up a spear to better engage the mounted foes. Not quite mastering the techniques required, Lucina could only ward off their lances without any hope of a counterattack.
In any other situation, this might have been a problem.
When the opportunity arose, Corrin entered the fray, nimbly jumping into the air and drop kicking Lucina's target off his horse and backflipping so that she hovered over the fearful Valmese for just an instant. Channeling her dragon-blood, Corrin's left arm turned into a spear and skewered the knight through the chest into the ground, leaving the princess suspended over the newly-turned corpse much to the dismay of any Valmese archer unlucky enough to see.
Throwing her spear at one of the archers in an attempt to distract his aim, Lucina scrambled for the gate control, kicking the lock and sending the sturdy grates coming down with the click-click of heavy chains. With the portcullis finally lowered to stave off any additional reinforcements, Lucina turned her attention back to Corrin, making the connection that that was the move Corrin had pulled on her during their spar, albeit with more lethal effect. The other cavaliers stuck inside were helpless to retreat now, deciding to make a suicide run towards the still-suspended dragon-shifter.
"Look me in the eyes!"
...Only for a familiar looking lance to come from the walls, the wielder having much better aim than Lucina's previous throw. The javelin pierced the first rider through the back, knocking him off his horse and causing his body to get trampled by the second. Working in tandem, Corrin mounted the Valmese horse and threw off the rider while Lucina finished the dismounted rider with Falchion, checking around to make sure that the fort was secure on their end.
"You," Corrin huffed, catching her breath, "Have an awful lot of explaining to do," she greeted with a smile. Azura nodded back, also bowing to Lucina who was cleaning the blood off of Falchion.
She didn't know that the song drains me. None of them did. Now...
"You asked for my power," Azura reasoned, feeling her pendant for reassurance. Corrin grunted, crossing her arms.
"Your power?" Lucina wondered to herself, not having given Azura a second thought before today.
"We know what happened the first time, and you seemed fine. Well, despite me punching you with my dragon claws. But what was that on the sea? Why did you collapse?" Azura backed off, her brows furrowing as she yelled back.
"I did what I had to. Don't... don't make me regret doing that."
"I won't."
Azura nodded, retrieving her lance from the fallen Valmese soldier without a word.
"Wait. Azura, we'll talk later, please? I just need to know that you're okay," Corrin asked after a beat, prompting the songstress to relax as well.
"...Yes. I'm feeling fine."
A sudden banging on the gate shook the three princesses out of their reverie, and the trio turned to see a near battalion of soldiers right outside the gate, not attempting to bear arms despite their formation.
"Surrendering?" Corrin whispered, not believing her eyes. She walked to the gate cautiously, singling out the unarmed soldiers.
"No milady. We are not your enemies," one of the Valmese cried in appeal.
"What is the meaning of this ruse?" Lucina asked harshly, pointing out the leader of the Valmese element. Immediately, he rose to his feet and, without his weapon, ran to Corrin and knelt again.
"Servants of Raijin! I am the Captain of this battalion! We have all seen the wrath of the Thunder God, and we know that it is our duty to atone for our sins! For all it is worth, Ylissean, my battalion and l pledge loyalty to the Ylissean League! Please, let us Chon'sin overthrow our Valmese captors! We stand with you and Emperor Ryoma!"
Emperor?
"Wait, what?" Corrin asked, clearly confused beyond belief. "You're of Chon'sin, who is a Valmese supporter, and now we're just switching sides just like that? And... Emperor?"
Turning to Lucina who shrugged in return, Corrin faced the captain again.
"Please, we are unarmed! Allow us to join you. We have waited so long for an opportunity to reclaim our home."
Any thoughts that could've been said were interrupted when Takumi, Ryoma and an unknown woman appeared from atop the walls. To their surprise, Ryoma jumped down from the walls onto the sand, raising the portcullis himself. Instantly, the Chon'sin soldiers bowed in reverence, their faces digging into the sand in a sincere pledge.
"We were just as confused," Takumi assured, lowering his bow as he extended a hand towards the stranger of the group.
"You are..." Lucina tried to remember, only for Takumi to fill in for her.
"This is Princess Say'ri, Princess of Chon'sin. I'm not questioning it, but the Chon'sin have a legend regarding the Thunder God and the Wind God, who they claim will liberate their home when all others have been led astray."
"That sounds awfully convenient," Corrin mused.
"Hey! I'm not about to question it. Also, Ryoma... Well, he... might also have just claimed the Chon'sin throne."
"W-what?" Lucina gasped, the realization coming together in her head. A large portion of the Valmese forces were Chon'sin. If they could all defect... "This changes everything!"
"It is a gift from heaven itself," Say'ri affirmed, speaking for her own.
"Again, don't question it," Takumi repeated.
"Emperor Ryoma and the rest of the Ylissean League was clearly sent by the gods to liberate our kingdom at this time of need. To teach us that we have been led astray by Walhart's lies. Perhaps we cannot atone for our sins, or the sins of our fathers before us, but we can honor this gift with action. Know this: Emperor Ryoma is now the rightful ruler of Chon'sin. Her people... and I, will fight and die for his cause."
Thirty Minutes Before
"I'm counting seven, and one civilian," Saizo observed, his mask covering his grimace even as he started a magical flame on his shuriken.
"They are all distracted. That one they're chasing seems to be a hostage," Kagero added, her eyes pointing out the woman being pursued by Valmese knights.
"Takumi and I will blow past them and rescue the woman," Ryoma affirmed, motioning for Takumi to cover him along with his two retainers. "You two, be discreet and thin their numbers while the factor of surprise is with us. We move quickly and fluidly. Do not be hung up on prolonged engagements until we secure the area around the hostage."
"Yes my lord," the two ninjas replied in unison, both retainers already in position to move.
"You're awfully good at running away from home, Princess," one of the Valmese mocked, taunting the cornered Say'ri. "We have orders not to kill you, but you abandoned your own throne. Aren't you folk supposed to be the honorable type?"
"I am the Princess of Chon'sin! You will not capture me here!" Say'ri responded, her kick having some effect on the well-armored knight and giving her a bit more space. The struggle was futile in the end, and with a bit of effort the Princess was taken down, bindings quickly applied to her mouth and wrists.
"You dogs will never have your victory-"
"That's enough insurrectionist talk," The Valmese knight warned, roughly shoving Say'ri into the sand to shut her up. Spitting out grit, the Chon'sin Princess could only sputter about as she was dragged around by her binds by her captor.
"Bring her to Ignatius," he ordered to a subordinate. "He should be back from his little sailing trip any moment now. Best put him in a good mood and show him our present."
The underling nodded, roughly dragging Say'ri away from the town towards the main base. She tried to resist, but the binds were tight and her strength was already diminished from her days of running. Not willing to risk another escape, the knight kicked in Say'ri's leg from behind and dragged the writhing body behind him across the sandy path.
But as he did so, a knife of unfamiliar design embedded itself in his arm, causing him to let go of the rope in pain. Using his other hand to wrest the dagger out, the knight realized that the projectile was glowing red-hot from a magical fire of sorts. That dilemma was solved a second later, the knife detonating and amputating the knight's hand at the elbow. Screaming in pain, the knight stood up and made a commotion of curses and screams before a streak of bright blue pierced his chest, punching clean through his thick plate and knocking him to the ground. Blood gushed outwards from the sucking chest wound, spurting crimson even as the life faded from the quickly dying soldier.
In the moment of shock, another blue streak wedged its way between Say'ri's binds and set her free, though her head was still reeling from the shifts in momentum. Her senses were not so dulled that she couldn't see two clouds of smoke manifest from the fort's walls, nor could she miss the deft cuts of an assassin's blade, expertly dispatching two more of her pursuers without as much as a sound. The clattering of armor, the choking on blood, they all masked the footsteps of the one who had freed Say'ri.
"Shinobi? Here?" Say'ri gasped. Assassins were not under the employ of the royal family, so who could have wanted her out of Valmese-
Lightning from the heavens struck another guard, electrocuting him and leaving nothing but a smoking pile of motionless metal where a proud soldier once stood. Looking upwards, Say'ri could notice that there wasn't a single cloud in sight.
"What is this?" she could only wonder.
Ryoma quickly dashed in, answering every question that could be asked with his blade alone. The gentle curve of Raijinto suggested it was Chon'sin, but nothing except those arcane levin swords could carry lightning... lightning?
Lightning, with no storm clouds. No, that wasn't a natural disaster that had struck the unfortunate guard.
It was a divine punishment!
"Raijin!" Say'ri realized, the stories of her childhood not lost to her in that moment. Everything was making sense! The rumors of an Ylissean League coming to liberate Valentia from Walhart's grasp... That could only mean that the gods were here to free Chon'sin once more from the evils around them. Yes, yes!
Running recklessly towards the samurai, Chon'sin bowed at his feet, ignoring the slaughter of the chaos around her.
"Bearer of Lightning, you are most welcome here! I am Crown Princess of Chon'sin, Say'ri, and I vow that my country and I will forever more support thee! By the blade you carry and the blood in my veins, I swear upon pain of death that my allegiance is true."
Ryoma was still too focused to process that, but Kagero and Saizo were not as susceptible to this seemingly random declaration of fealty.
"My lord? What do we do with her?"
"It matters not at the moment. Can you fight?" Ryoma asked instead. Say'ri nodded, still prostrate before the Hoshidan.
Unsheathing the twin katana at his side, he gave them to the unarmed Say'ri who accepted the blades with the utmost reverence.
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but help us clear out this fort and you will have earned my trust," the High Prince decreed, almost entering the fray without giving Say'ri a chance to respond. The Princess stopped him with a raised arm, much to Saizo and Kagero's discomfort. Thankfully, a hand from Ryoma made them stand down.
"W-wait, are you not here as a sign from the Thunder God? Are you not the Ylissean League, here to liberate this continent?"
"I don't know about this 'Thunder God.' But yes, we are the Ylissean League," Ryoma confirmed.
"...I appear to have put my information together in quite the wrong way," Say'ri realized. "I am sorry, but your sword- My people have a legend, you see... ah, I have vexed myself and I apologize."
"Well, that's fine, but we're not Ylissean. We're from Hoshido," Takumi butted in, secretly hoping his bow would elicit the same reaction as Raijinto did, but Say'ri did not quite seem to notice.
"Hoshido... Hoshido? I read stories about the White Kingdom! As a girl, my obaasan would read me stories... that isn't important at the moment," Say'ri realized, her confusion being replaced with excitement. "B-but... Are you not the Ylissean league the Valmese Resistance has been waiting for?"
"Whatever legends you heard and whatever rumors your intelligence has been feeding you are one and the same," Chrom interrupted, stepping into the fold along with Frederick. "Brave soldiers of Hoshido and Nohr have aided us on our journey to take down Walhart's reign of terror."
"Exalt Chrom!" Say'ri realized upon recognizing Naga's brand. Smiling in recognition at her ally, she shook his hand and gave a proper bow. "May I be the first to welcome the Ylissean League to my homeland. When I heard rumors of Ferox, Plegia and Ylisse rallying to our aid, I was beside myself with joy. But now you are allied with Hoshido and Nohr? Have you found some mythical land where the stories of our childhood have come to life?"
"Yes, actually," Chrom replied in a straightforward admission. "We asked nicely."
"I wasn't aware we were from a children's tale," Ryoma chuckled, taking it in stride.
"...And apparently we're a pretty big deal out here," Takumi added, whistling in rather fond astonishment.
"Princess Say'ri," Chrom continued. "This is High Prince Ryoma of Hoshido. That is as much as we can spare so far, as there still lies a crucial turnabout at hand. If you'll look around for a second..."
Say'ri stared as the few Valmese that were left alive had taken off their helmets, revealing their Chon'sin features for her to see. None of them were standing, but in fact on one knee, bowing to Ryoma.
"Can this be..." Say'ri started, to which one of the Chon'sin prone replied eagerly.
"Empress Say'ri, by the honor of my ancestors which I have disgraced, I pledge my heart and blade to the Ylissean league! May my deeds or my death restore my honor: thus is my pledge!"
Another echoed his claim, and then another. Then another. Soon enough, the survivors recited their rallying cry of allegiance to Ryoma and Say'ri, laying down their blades and stretching themselves to the ground in reverence.
"Chrom, is there something I'm missing?" Ryoma wondered.
"No, we're just as lost as you are," Chrom admitted. "I'd go along with it though- Robin would appreciate his job becoming easier."
"Soldiers of Chon'sin!" Say'ri cried, rallying her exiled countrymen eagerly. "This is my last decree as your Princess! The crown of our people no longer belongs to me nor to my brother who has betrayed the throne to the Valmese..."
With that, Say'ri stood face to face with Ryoma, taking off her ring of office and placing it at the clueless Ryoma's palm.
"High Prince Ryoma of Hoshido, bearer of Lightning... I bequeath upon thee the throne of my people! Chon'sin will forever serve the gods, and you as our Emperor!"
With that, the newly-converted soldiers let out another cry, pledging their all to the startled and confused Hoshidan.
"Surely this is some mistake," Ryoma muttered, clearly not anticipating this turn of events.
"If you don't want it, I do," Takumi whispered.
"Whatever position I had before is null," Say'ri said with a relieved sigh, "As the throne is now yours, so too are her people. Will you guide us back to freedom, Emperor Ryoma?"
With this rather unforeseen turn of events, Robin realized that he had both a standing army of Feroxians (when they finished breaching the blockade) and the entire population of Chon'sin at his command.
Well, Ryoma's command, if one were to come to specifics. But they were on the same side, fighting for the same thing, so that was essentially the lay of it.
Said samurai was at a loss, not prepared for anything political once he stepped through the portal to Ylisse. Say'ri was eagerly at his side, treasuring the twin katana he had given her even if they were of typical Hoshidan steel: spares lest Ryoma be disarmed in combat. Briefly advising her new Emperor on the history of Chon'sin, she had made it clear to Ryoma at least that she was fully serious on this odd yet veritable commitment.
Either that, or Ryoma was convinced this was the best prank of all time. He wasn't quite set on either verdict yet.
Regardless, the Ylisseans had won their first battle and had conquered the Valmese and routed them from the coast. With an established headquarters and the prospect of many deserters due to the divine blade Ryoma held, Robin had many reasons to believe that the war had taken a turn for the better. Best push that momentum while it lasted.
Corrin on the other hand had seen that Nohr and Hoshido had found their purpose in this battle. Ryoma was hard to convince, but at least now he had some sort of purpose to discover. No doubt it would take time, but for the forseeable future, Nohr and Hoshido were well on the path to peace.
And thus, with five countries behind them and a war in front, two legends began their tale.
