As Lunearc approached the town at full speed, he took stock of the current state of the battle. Chrom and Frederick were fighting a pair of brigand swordsmen and a brigand axe man in the market square, while Lissa was a large distance behind them, watching the battle with her staff at the ready. Chrom and Frederick were performing adequately fighting the trio, though it was obvious that Frederick was currently the more skilled fighter of the two.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lunearc could see movement. An enemy, unseen by both fighters in the market, the brigand having flanked their position. Lunearc understood the brigand's dastardly plan in an instant: he wished to attack Lissa while Chrom and Frederick were preoccupied with battling their respective foes.
The brigand charged towards Lissa, revealing his axe and laughing devilishly as he darted toward her. Lissa, surprised by the intruding foe, began to yell for help as she attempted to move away, but her speed was not going to be nearly enough to escape.
Oh no! I need to get there now! Come on legs, work with me here! Run, run, run, RUN!
Lunearc was the only person in range to protect Lissa, and he knew it. He sprinted with all his might, pulling out his diamond sword and ignoring the pain of the decrepit armor searing into his skin as he ran.
A life held in the balance.
….….….….….….
Lissa's point of view, leading to the predicament:
When Lissa had run into the village with Chrom and Frederick, she had been appalled by the scene occurring before her. Brigands were rampaging throughout the town, setting fire to buildings, and attacking the townsfolk.
Some of the townsfolk had tried to fight back with makeshift weapons, but had failed, judging by the many wounded – or worse. It was difficult to tell if any had died at a glance, but they certainly needed immediate treatment regardless.
"I'm going on ahead to take down those dastards!" Chrom had said, rushing ahead into the market without a second thought.
"Wait, milord! You cannot possibly take all those brigands down alone!" Frederick chided, mounting his horse and riding after Chrom.
Lissa had enough sense to know that as a healer, she should stay far away from the active battlefield. Even so, as a healer she had a duty to save the injured. She had spotted a wounded villager near her location, and he needed immediate attention.
She ran to the man's side and focused magical energy into her staff. Once enough energy had been stored, she directed the flow of the staff's healing in the areas of the man's body that were the most critical to his survival.
"Uhnn… Thank you…!" the revitalized villager opened his eyes fully and thanked the one who had brought him back from the brink.
"I'm happy to help. Can you walk? Find somewhere safe to hide and rest, okay?" Lissa grinned to the man, glad to see her healing had a positive effect.
"Y-yes! Thanks again! You've saved my life." the villager thanked as he followed Lissa's instructions, moving to safety as quickly as his body would allow him.
With that taken care of, Lissa turned her attention back to the market. Her brother had caught the attention of the brigands. Plural. Even with Frederick there to protect him, she was certain that she was going to need to use her healing staff again before this fight was over… How troublesome he could be sometimes.
And then she heard a laugh. A brigand's? They had gotten around Chrom and Frederick?
Lissa turned her head abruptly towards the source of the noise, and her worst suspicions were confirmed. The malicious laugh had indeed belonged to a brigand brute, with nothing but bad intentions on his mind. And to make the situation even worse, the brigand was now approaching her, already running at full speed.
Lissa did her best to dash away, but she was far too late to escape from the pursuing brigand.
"Time to die, missy!" the brigand taunted, now within range to perform a killing blow on Lissa. He raised his axe, and Chrom and Frederick realized what had happened all too late. They could only call out to her as they watched with horror the event unfolding before them.
Lissa for her part was absolutely mortified. After all, she was a non-combatant; a healer, and had never been so close to a live battle before.
The brigand brought down his axe, and Lissa saw her life flash before her eyes. Is this how her life would end? She closed her eyes, bracing for the end to come.
SHINK, CLANG.
What Lissa heard next was the sound of metal on metal, as opposed to the sound of metal on flesh. She quickly opened her eyes, shocked to see who stood between her and her attacker.
Lunearc.
….….….….….….
From Lunearc's point of view, moments before:
…. Run, run, run, RUN!
Lunearc had closed the distance needed to reach Lissa, but drastic measures still were needed to protect her from the incoming axe.
Lunearc's plan was to somehow disrupt the axe from slicing Lissa in two. The only problem? He had no concept about how he could use the blade currently in his right hand to stop its natural trajectory. All memories of what to do with a sword were gone. Heck, he didn't even know if this "diamond" sword would even survive the impact. Diamond, while extremely hard, is a very brittle gemstone.
My only option is to leave it my instincts. Don't think, just act.
Running directly between Lissa and the brutal brigand, Lunearc raised his sword to parry the downward moving axe. The axe connected with the sword's side, and Lunearc used the axe's own momentum against it to direct it to his right side.
But Lunearc's technique hadn't been skilled enough, as while much of the axe's force had been deflected, the axe head still hit his outer right shoulder. Lunearc grimaced in pain as the axe drew blood, the decrepit armor only reducing the damage slightly.
That didn't matter now. That could be addressed later. What mattered now was protecting Lissa. Speaking of…
"Are you unharmed, Lissa?" Lunearc inquired, not turning away from the brigand, who had been knocked back a few yards from the immolating parry. The brigand looked furious from the interruption of killing his target, yet he also seemed apprehensive of the sudden interloper.
"Y-yeah! Are you alright?!", Lissa shakily responded to Lunearc, still shaken from her mortifying experience.
"I'm… fine." Lunearc responded, his blood beginning to boil from distress.
At the mention of the name Lissa, the brigand perked up and ditched his furious scowl for a deranged, evil smile.
"Lissa? THAT Lissa? Hahaha, you've done me a real service, boy. Killing her would have been a waste of such a pretty face.", the brigand cackled, as he assessed the lady behind Lunearc, "Tell ya what, hand her over to me and I'll forgive and ferget your little interference. I'll even let you live! I can see by the way your hold that sword yer an amateur. Best to give up and run away!"
Lunearc was shaking with nervousness, but he had already made his decision long before the brigand's offer was even on the table.
"I-I'm not backing down! I will not let you lay a finger on her." Lunearc shouted, hoping that pure volume of voice would conceal his fear.
"Fancy yerself a hero, huh? You should'a ran when you had the chance. I'll show you how the real world works. I'll dispose of yer sorry ass, take yer pretty sword and give it 'ta the boss. After that, I'll do whatever I want with the lass."
"Stay behind me, Lissa. I'll hold this chump off until help comes." Lunearc reassured Lissa with a guarded smile, trying not to convey just how afraid he truly was.
Lunearc knew that his previous defense of parrying his foe's blow had been blind luck more than anything. The bleeding wound on his shoulder was proof enough that he wasn't an expert. Even though Lunearc held this incredible sword in his hands, he was unsure of how to use it in any capable capacity. He wasn't winning this fight. He knew that. So, he was going to buy time.
The brigand, sensing Lunearc's hesitation, went on the offensive. The brigand's fighting style was unrefined, yet erratic and dangerous. Typical for a brute with low self-control, even lower intelligence, and high violent tendencies. One could liken his fighting style to a hornet: aggressive, angry, stupid.
As the brigand approached like a bat out of hell, he grabbed the axe with both arms, and twisted his hips to the side with the axe head behind him.
He must be preparing for a horizontal strike! I need to dodge it!
The brigand grunted in exertion as he swung the double handed axe with all his force. A clean strike from this technique would no doubt be lethal.
Lunearc knew this. Which is exactly why he jumped backwards to avoid the strike. It wasn't a clean jump, causing him to stumble backwards slightly more than necessary. On the bright side, the axe was left to slice nothing but air.
With an inhuman growl, the brigand continued his assault by raising his axe in the same way he had when he had first attacked Lissa. Still off balance from his previous jumping dodge, Lunearc knew he wouldn't be able to dodge in time.
When the brigand brought down his axe once more, Lunearc once again attempted to parry. The sword contacted the axe, but it had not been nearly forceful enough to stop its momentum. The axe struck the right side of Lunearc's chest plate, and Lunearc felt a twinge of pain in his body.
"No!" Lissa watched wide eyed, a face of concern growing as she saw the strike Lunearc had received.
Out of instinct, Lunearc pushed his sword outward, causing the brigand to move backwards to avoid the blow. Lunearc was most certainly bleeding and in pain, but he still stood. He couldn't back down, or else…
"Pathetic. Yer not even worth my time." the brigand snarled as he jumped in the air with his axe held high above his head.
That's right, jumped. An extremely aggressive, but equally lethal strategy.
Lunearc did not even bother attempting to parry this blow, opting instead to slide to the left. Time moved to a crawl as Lunearc viewed the axe come down a mere few inches away from his face, with the wind the axe's forces produced hitting him like he was a leaf in a hurricane.
Not letting this wind knock him off his feet, Lunearc swung his sword once more, finally contacting the brigand and drawing blood.
"Yow! Ye'll pay for that!" the brigand howled in pain, angered by Lunearc's retribution.
Emboldened by his first successful strike, Lunearc decided it was now his turn to go on the offensive.
I need to act on instinct, not memory!
Lunearc surged as he thrust his sword forward, intending to put a hole in his foe. The brigand reacted too slowly, as he had not expected the previously timid Lunearc to turn the tables by going on the attack.
So when Lunearc's diamond blade successfully struck the brigand's gut, the brigand gasped in agony. Stumbling backwards, mouth ajar, the brigand only now realized that he was at a disadvantage.
Intending to finish this quickly, Lunearc dislodged the sword from the brigand's gut and sliced once more at the chest, mortally wounding the brigand.
Bleeding profusely, the only thing the brigand could do in retaliation was emote an unbelieving look of shock as the life drained from his body.
At last, the brigand collapsed, unmoving. Dead.
Lunearc had killed for the first time, or at least the first time he could remember.
….….….….….….
After defeating the bellicose brigand, Lunearc's adrenaline caught up to him like a child coming off a massive sugar rush then subsequently scraping their knee. Every cut and wound received from the scrap bled, searing the pain directly in his mind. He kneeled for a moment, attempting to rest. He was also breathing choppily, completely exhausted aerobically from his sprint into town and subsequent duel to the death.
And then, he felt the darnedest feeling. It felt like a cool burn, all over his skin? He had not thought it possible for a body to feel like it was both freezing and being warmed at the same time, but clearly he was wrong. What was going on!? He attempted to turn around to understand what was causing this, but he was interrupted by a girl's voice.
"Hey, don't strain yourself! I'm using healing magic on you. It may feel strange at first, but please deal with it for a moment, please?" Lissa pleadingly pursed her lips as she explained to Lunearc that what he was feeling was crucial to his recovery.
"That's healing magic? I don't understand how this is supposed to improve my condition in any capacity. But fine, I'll trust you." Lunearc questioned before finally giving in to Lissa's demands. After a few moments the strange "burning cool" feeling disappeared from his body, taking the wounds he gained in battle with it.
"There, all done. How are you feeling now? Better?" the young healer smirked, assessing her handiwork.
"Incredible. Healing magic can do all that? Thank you! I feel ready to take on the world! Woo!" Lunearc excitedly thanked Lissa as he stood up, punching his fist in the air to slightly exaggerate just how good the healing's effects were. He then grimaced in pain again, the decrepit armor shifting unexpectedly against his body as he moved. Yeah, this armor certainly wasn't very useful in its current state of disrepair.
"Hey. Good job taking down that brigand."
Behind him, Lunearc had heard a voice that was meaning to make itself heard.
Turning around, Lunearc could see that Chrom and Frederick had been watching him.
"Ehh? How long have you two been standing there for?" Lunearc asked, surprised to have more than Lissa as a spectator.
"Long enough to see the end of your fight, but short enough to be in your debt." Chrom spoke, gratitude on his face plain to see, "You held your own against that brigand. Can we ask for your assistance to finish off these hooligans?"
"I'm already involved in this mess, so I may as well finish this fight." Lunearc cracked his knuckles, starting to think of a plan. "What is the current status of the brigands? How many remain?"
"Milord and I have cleared the marketplace of enemies prior to returning to this position. I believe the remaining handful of enemies are all standing guard outside of the church and Town Hall to the North, which is only accessible via a single bridge. It is highly probable the leader of this band is located there as well." Frederick remarked calmly, relaying the state of battle to Lunearc.
"Understood. In that case, I have a plan. Will you hear me out?" Lunearc announced, having a basic plan of attack ready to be implemented.
"Of course, let's hear what you have to say." Chrom stated, with curiosity in his eyes.
"With our current numbers, we'll create a makeshift battle formation. The vanguard will consist of Chrom and myself, and we will be the primary attackers of the brigands." Lunearc began, going over the positioning of the two swordsmen.
Lissa will be the middle guard, healing the members of the vanguard. Frederick will act as a flexible rearguard, whose primary objective will be to protect Lissa from any foe that manages to get past the vanguard, and occasionally strike a blow against the enemies if the vanguard loses momentum. Lissa will stay away from the battle, and the injured will need to go to her position." Lunearc explained, intending to add one additional point to his plan.
"We will also attempt to lure in our enemies in waves, so we can divide and conquer." Lunearc explained before pausing for a moment, and then turned to Chrom, "How does that plan sound? It isn't the best, but with our numbers it's the best we can do."
"It sounds like you've thought this through." Chrom complimented, impressed at the detailed plan created on a whim, "Any oppose the plan?"
"Nope!" Lissa immediately nodded as she agreed to the plan.
"I am still cautious of putting you alone with our suspicious newcomer, but… this may be our best current possible action." Frederick remarked, finding sense in the plan provided.
"Then we're decided. Let's move out!" Chrom energetically declared, in a bid to motivate all present.
With the plan in motion, Lunearc and the Shepherds moved North, past the market, and to the bridge leading to the church.
"Lunearc, how are you going to get their attention?" Chrom inquired about what the plan to lure in the brigands would entail.
"I think I have an idea. Let's hope this works." Lunearc sighed to himself, knowing he was about to do something possibly very stupid.
Facing the church, Lunearc raised his voice to the absolute highest decibel he could muster and yelled at the brigands.
"Hey you! You weak and pathetic brigands! I'd fight you, but you wouldn't even be worth my time!"
Yup. That's my plan. Insult them, then use reverse psychology. Simple. Stupid. But effective? Brigands aren't known for their intelligence, after all.
Of the five grunts at the church, the two swordsmen, as well of one of the axemen immediately took the bait and came running towards the market.
The slightly more intelligent brigand mage did not fall for this ruse, and immediately began cussing out his fellow brigands.
"Hey! Where are you fuckin' dumbasses going?! We were ordered to hold down the church, not go dallying in the market!" the mage echoed belligerently, hollering at his idiotic cohorts.
"H-hey, I'm still here, ya know? I didn't go nowhere." the axe brigand next to the mage stated nervously.
"The only reason you didn't go is because you're a damned coward, Dorkus! I've seen old men with more courage than you!"
The mage's angry tirade did not reach the three grunts on the bridge, who were far too aggravated to stop and turn around. They were fully committed to slaying the one who had taunted them. It seemed that bandits had an ego more fragile than most...
"Oh wow, I didn't expect that to actually work. I'm… concerned for the fight ahead." Lunearc remarked to himself, beginning to get jittery and anxious for the coming fight.
"Calm yourself. Just keep your wits about you and you'll do fine. I'll be fighting side by side with you, so let's defeat these foes together, yeah?" Chrom said, attempting to ease his battle companion's apprehension.
"You're right. Let's focus on taking down the swordsmen first, and then the axe wielder." Lunearc schemed.
Chrom and Lunearc stood together, both unsheathing their swords in preparation of the incoming foes.
Taking a brief look at Chrom's sword, Lunearc could immediately see that it was one of a kind. It was ornately decorated, with an intricate design. The guard area of the sword was the most notable, with a tear-drop shaped hollow form in the interior of the guard. The blade itself seemed to shine in a divine gleam...?
Maybe I'll ask about that later. Lunearc thought to himself, quickly snapping back to the more pressing matter: the three agitated brigands.
The two swordsmen were the first to engage in combat against Lunearc and Chrom, with the axe wielder still slightly behind. Lunearc marked one foe as his main target, while Chrom took the other.
Sparks flew as Lunearc's diamond blade clashed with the iron sword of the brigand. Lunearc put some extra muscle into pushing his blade, and to his surprise he was able to knock his foe backwards.
Taking a better look at his foe, the brigand wasn't exactly a physical specimen. Strength wasn't prerequisite for brigand life, it seemed. The willingness for unadulterated cruelty and killing? Most certainly a prerequisite.
Lunearc stepped forward to slash at his foe, who managed to shield himself but not without being knocked back again.
Due to the ease of knocking his enemy back once more, Lunearc surmised that he had the physical advantage in this fight. What was holding him back was his lack of any sort of technique or offensive prowess, but it wasn't like he was facing a very skilled opponent, either.
He'd find an opportunity at some point, he just didn't know when it would occur, and what it'd be. At least, that had been Lunearc's train of thought before the axe man made his appearance known via a reckless axe strike.
The axe clipped Lunearc, thankfully only tearing through some of his armor, his skin underneath left unperturbed.
Shit! I got careless. So now I'll have to contend with two enemies?
Lunearc had been confident in being able to fend off the lone swordsman, but having to deal with multiple enemies at the same time would up the complexity, and with it, the chance of defeat.
Going on the offensive against one foe would only leave him open for the other opponent, so he'd need to go on the defensive and look for an opportunity.
The swordsman, emboldened by the new strength in numbers, went after Lunearc with a series of quick slices, while the axe user batted for the slow, powerful deliberate strikes.
Lunearc gave up ground in order to block and evade the dual pronged attack, hunting for any opportunity to turn the tides, which felt more akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.
Thankfully, it seemed that these foes were just as disciplined and patient as the previous foe Lunearc had beaten. That being, completely lacking on both qualities.
As the axe wielder motioned to perform the same leaping strike technique as the prior, downed axe-man, Lunearc knew just the blueprint to avoid damage.
Nimbly sliding to the side, Lunearc pushed away the axe-man with a quick strike, and then defended himself from the swordsman by deflecting and quickly parrying the blow.
With a quick flick of the wrists, Lunearc dealt a solid strike against the swordsman's hip, causing him to yelp in pain and bleed. Sadly, he wasn't knocked out of the fight just yet.
The displaced axe wielding brigand seemed to attempt to look for an opportunity to attack once more, before his eyes settled on someone nearer: Lissa.
His eyes suggested that he had found his next target. He obviously planned to use a captive Lissa as leverage. Thus, he ran towards her toting his axe in a threatening position.
Only to be – immediately and utterly – annihilated by Frederick's lance.
All according to plan.
Shifting his attention back to the now lone swordsman, Lunearc planned the next steps needed to turn the fight to his favor. His foe's bleeding hip inhibited his movements, so a speedy strike should do the trick.
Lunearc closed the distance between the combatants as quickly as he could, motioning to strike at the brigand swordsman's hip once more. Predictably, the swordsman positioned his sword to block at that location.
This was exactly what Lunearc had been hoping for. Lunearc quickly adjusted his attack to aim upwards, as he cut through his foe's upper chest. The initial motion of attacking at the hip had been a feint, which he knew the brigand would attempt to defend due to his already existing injuries in that location.
With one final stab, his foe had been taken care of. Lunearc looked to his right, pleased to see that Chrom had been able to defeat the swordsman he had been fighting without too much difficulty.
"Now that we have thinned their numbers, we should advance on the church to defeat the brigand in command. We'll keep the same battle formation, just in case we are flanked by unexpected arrivals. Any objections?" Lunearc explained, looking each of the Shepherds in the eyes as he spoke.
None of the Shepherds had objected to this plan, so it was put into motion immediately. The Shepherds plus Lunearc crossed the bridge to begin combat with the next group of foes, which consisted of a brigand mage and a brigand axe man.
"I told those fuckin' idiots to stay here, and they didn't listen to a damn thing I said. Now look at them, they're dead! Dumbasses!" the brigand mage could be heard complaining to no one in particular, as he prepared his tome.
As Lunearc ran towards the mage, he could notice a certain crackling coming from the mage's hand, and their other hand holding a tome.
What is that? It seems almost… Electric?
"Watch out, milord! That mage is wielding a Thunder tome!" Frederick cautioned the group but singled out Chrom for his warning.
"I'll draw his attention, so he targets me. Chrom, sneak up on the mage if you have an opportunity. If you don't see one, stay far away." Lunearc voiced loud enough so only the adjacent Chrom could hear.
As Chrom nodded in approval, Lunearc dashed towards the mage in a zigzag, yelling as loud as he could to get his foe's full attention.
There's no better way to get someone's attention than annoying and pestering them constantly.
Those were Lunearc's exact thoughts as he made this harebrained scheme.
The mage instantly put his eyes on Lunearc, and he was simply bulging with frustration and annoyance. "Will you just shut up and stay still!?" he yelled back, the charging of the Thunder tome nearly complete.
Lunearc could sense that the mage was almost ready to launch his magical thunder, and he did not wish to learn how painful it'd be to get hit by it. So, he wished to dodge instead. But how?
Perhaps observing the magic's angle of release will help…?
As the mage pointed his arm outwards to release the magical incarnation of lightning, Lunearc attempted to observe the exact angle it was pointing towards. Due to how Lunearc's strategy of running in a zigzag, the mage had been forced to shoot his lightning based on a prediction of where he would at the time of the spell's release.
All I need to do is reverse direction the moment the spell is unleashed!
With a plan in place, all Lunearc had to do now was wait for the fateful moment of truth and hope his plan wasn't a massive mistake.
Then, finally, the mage zapped his magic all at once. Lunearc jumped backwards, leaving his feet in a rather clumsy maneuver. He didn't have a need to look elegant, survival was the main priority. And it was a success. The sphere of electricity had flown harmlessly a few feet ahead of him, a complete miss, before colliding with a wall behind. The mage had a look of shock.
In this commotion, Chrom had silently snuck towards the mage. By the time the mage had realized he had used his Thunder spell on a mere decoy – a distraction –, Chrom was already within a stone's throw away. The mage hurriedly attempted to cast another spell, but Chrom had already stuck a sword in him. Another enemy down.
"What the hell is going on out here?!" a threatening brigand angrily stormed out of the town hall, alerted by the noise outside and astonished at how his entire group had fallen.
"Garrick, a group has been fightin' back against us!" the cowardly bandit Dorkus relayed to the leader.
"And just when friendly negotiations with the village elder were getting somewhere, too… I'm not even surprised you somehow survived, you coward. Pathetic. I, Garrick Grendel, will have to slaughter these sheep myself!"
"I'm guessing that's the leader? He looks tougher than the others." Lunearc questioned Chrom while assessing the monologuing brigand.
"Looks can be deceiving, but it certainly seems like he is. Let's take him down together and finish this." Chrom responded assertively.
This brigand looked a good deal stronger than the previous foes Lunearc had encountered. He had a heftier build, and an even more wicked and heinous aura. He had red paint adorning his face, sinisterly reminding Lunearc of blood. Blood was something these brigands would spill without a second thought, with the innocent people of Southtown caught in their wrath. He had seen the fallen townsfolk who had attempted to defend their homes from these invaders.
Lunearc could not stand for this brutal slaughter of innocents. The mere thought that this very brigand leader had ordered this callous destruction of these lives caused a pit in his stomach to form in anger.
For the first time today, his anger had the opportunity to boil over. Lunearc was pissed.
"Hey you, Gremlin! Stop harassing the townsfolk!" Lunearc called out Garrick, purposefully butchering his name in the process.
"The name's Garrick, sheep. I see you've come willingly to me for your slaughter, eh?" Gremlin Garrick taunted menacingly, slowly withdrawing his hand axe from its holder.
"I won't let you harm another person! And I'm no sheep!" Lunearc yelled in return, clutching his sword.
"I'll show you it was a terrible idea to approach the infamous Garrick Grendel! Come closer if you dare, sheepy sheepy!" Garrick cackled, coarsely mocking any who would entertain the thought of combating him.
Lunearc went running into fighting distance of Garrick, with Chrom not far behind, special sword in hand. Lunearc was the first to strike, but Garrick quickly dodged out of the way and delivered a quick punch to Lunearc's face with his free hand.
The power behind that punch hurt a good amount. Someone that strong swinging an axe… would certainly be lethal.
Chrom went in for a blow next, only for Garrick to dodge once more and raise his axe in retaliation. Lunearc dove in and parried the incoming axe blow intended for his ally, allowing for the off-balance Chrom to regain his center of balance.
Grunting in annoyance, Garrick seemed to be formulating a plan as he began to focus his attacks on Lunearc, in a bid to remove the most inexperienced fighter from the field quickly.
Garrick's powerful maneuvers were difficult for Lunearc to counter, as the swordsman's inexperienced technique had been put on full display against the more difficult foe. Merely attempting to defend, Lunearc successfully managed to avoid the first few axe strikes, but each subsequent attack in the sequence knocked him ever slightly more off balance.
Garrick could clearly sense that Lunearc's center of balance made him highly vulnerable, so the bastardly bandit pounced on the opportunity. Rocketing forth, Garrick strove to take Lunearc's life in a clean sweep.
But instead, Chrom jumped in front of the incoming strike, parrying the axe away before any harm could come to Lunearc. Garrick had focused on only a single opponent, and that meant he was prone to being caught off guard by the other.
Now, Garrick decided to go in for the offensive against Chrom. He seemed as though he going to strike from above, only to feint a strike to the side instead. The small sized hand axe provided him plenty of flexibility, due to its light weight. Chrom had not predicted the feint, and thus the axe grazed his side, causing blood to flow out as he was knocked backwards.
With Chrom on the defensive, Garrick raised his axe high in the air once more, this time certainly intending to use his full forward momentum to slice the swordsman in two halves.
If I don't do something drastic, Chrom will…!
Lunearc drew forward, his anger and will to protect unlocking something within him. He didn't know what exactly "it" was, but "it" almost felt like a glowing warmth of pure energy. Lunearc resolved to reach out to it, putting his whole focus into this feeling.
As he drew his energy into this, his diamond sword burst into flame. A beautiful scarlet flame, contrasted by the diamond blue blade it enveloped. Strangely enough, the flame's heat did not bother Lunearc to be nearby. It gave off a familiar warmth, one that gave him a certain satisfying sensation of fullness inside. This flame was one that was benevolent to allies, malevolent to evildoers.
Lunearc swung his flame-infused diamond blade forwards to stop the lethal strike against Chrom, and Garrick adjusted his trajectory to attempt to block.
To Garrick's credit, it was a successful block. Or at least, it should have been, had the diamond sword's flames not seared the hand axe into smithereens. The contact between the fiery sword and the hand axe had been like a hot knife cutting through butter.
Garrick fell backwards, dumbstruck at the wizardry that had just occurred. Still in some pain from his slice to the side, Chrom gingerly but quickly sliced at Garrick once more to slay him while he was off balance.
"Grrr… damn you… sheep." Garrick uttered as he breathed his last, vengeful to the bitter end.
"Would you… stop… calling me that…" Lunearc retorted, heaving from the difficult fight.
Lunearc, exhausted from the battle, turned to the last surviving foe: Dorkus, the cowardly axe man. To his surprise, Dorkus was already booking it out of the town, and pursuing him would be impossible. Nothing to be done about it, sadly.
….….….….….….
"Phew, we've won." Chrom said, taking a quick look at the cuts he had received over the course of the battle.
"Milord, your wounds must be treated right away! They might get infected if they aren't treated immediately!" Frederick erratically rode up to Chrom's position, panicked about his wounds.
"Relax, Frederick. These are nothing more than surface level scrapes and bruises." Chrom teased, though it was clear he was underplaying his injuries slightly due to how he was leaning much of his weight on his right side – the opposite side of his wound.
"Leave the cuts and bruises to your sister! That's the reason I'm here, after all! But wow, you both were really on fire out there!" Lissa exclaimed while healing Chrom with her staff, before turning to Lunearc and emphatically pointing, "And you, Lunearc! You're literally on fire! How are you standing there so calmly?!"
Lunearc, still panting from cardiovascular exhaustion, hadn't been paying continued attention to his sword once Garrick had been felled. Thus, at Lissa's mention, he too had been surprised to see his sword still producing the same scarlet flames as before, though now in a lower strength and intensity.
"I-I don't really know. But this flame doesn't feel hot to me at all. I honestly didn't even realize it was still there until you told me a moment ago." Lunearc stated truthfully, while waving his sword around and looking at it curiously. He also noticed something even stranger on his left wrist, which bewildered him even more.
"Remember when I asked if Lunearc was on fire too, Frederick?" Chrom rhetorically asked.
"Clearly, milord. You asked me that directly before this fight. Do you wish for me to extinguish him?"
"I don't like the way you said extinguish. Though I do find it rather amusing that I've somehow managed to speak him being on fire into existence." Chrom stated as he laughed to himself.
"Doesn't seem like there will be any need for extinguishing, as the flame is receding on its own. So please, please, don't extinguish me. Whatever that happens to be a euphemism for, it doesn't sound very enjoyable." Lunearc stated, with a hint of playfulness in his voice.
As he had theorized, in a few moments the flame had fully dissipated. He then silently observed the sword for a few more moments.
How strange… even after that entire fight—and literally turning my blade into a pyre—my sword is in perfect condition. No cracks, chips, burn marks, anything. Even with its material –diamond—normally very prone to fracturing, it still looks good as new.
Cautiously, Lunearc touched the blade. The blade itself was warm, pleasantly so, as opposed to the literal fire it had been spewing only a minute ago.
Content with his observations for now, Lunearc addressed the shepherds. "In any case, I'm glad that's over. Are the villagers going to be alright?"
"Lucky for the town, we were close by. Some villagers were wounded pretty bad, but that can be fixed with some well-timed healing magic. Many of the town's monks had been holed up in the church, and we've been able to make it safe for them to heal everyone without being threatened." Lissa responded, thankful that even the most badly injured villagers would have a chance to recover.
Looking to the town, Lunearc could see bucket lines forming to extinguish the fires the brigands had set alight, as well as the monks busy healing the remaining injured townsfolk.
"But holy wow, Lunearc! You were incredible out there! I thought I was going to die, but you swooped in out of nowhere to save me!" Lissa beamed at Lunearc as she hopped around him in a circle, before beginning to recount his heroic deeds, "You used swords, tactics, and then you even used that fiery sword thingamajig at the end! What can't you do?"
"You're certainly no helpless victim on the battlefield, that much has been made crystal clear." Chrom tersely stated before continuing, "But you risked your life to save the lives of Ylisseans, including my sister first and foremost. My heart says that's enough."
"And what about your mind, milord? Does this not require at least a modicum of scrutiny?" Frederick questioned, attempting to gauge his liege's intentions.
"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Lunearc's talents. Brigands and unruly neighbors are clawing at our country, bloodying our soil. Would you have us lose such an able tactician? And for as odd as it may be, I believe his story." Chrom explained his reasoning to Frederick in a calm and rational tone, before turning to Lunearc. "So Lunearc, how about it? Will you become our tactician?
"No. I cannot." Lunearc replied immediately, absolute certainty in his voice.
"Why?" Was all Chrom could muster, absolutely taken aback by the sudden outright rejection.
"Today's victory was more thanks to luck, not my skill. I wouldn't be a capable tactician nor fighter in a more complicated battle. The only tactics I know are the ones that suddenly appear from the deepest depths of my amnesiac mind." Lunearc stated, explaining his decision.
"In all honestly, when I first entered this battle, I didn't understand how to swing a sword, let alone fight competently. That fire ability? I have no idea as to how that triggered!" Lunearc continuously vented, frustrated at his inability to understand himself.
"Simply put, putting me in charge would only lead to trouble for you. If I knew what I was doing, I'd put thought into joining you. But I don't know what I'm doing. Heck, I don't even know who I am." Lunearc stated somberly, feeling ever more forlorn as he dove deeper into his self-deprecating diatribe.
"Enough! I will not have you undervalue yourself like this. The qualities I've seen from you today were ones that cannot be taught. You can learn tactics from books and refine your swordplay on the training grounds. Those can be trained with time and effort." Chrom exclaimed, cutting through Lunearc's self-doubts.
"What can't be taught is your ability to act decisively under pressure, and the fortitude to valiantly charge into that very same danger – especially when you know next to nothing about yourself. You've shown both of those qualities today, and I'm certain you will make a fine tactician given time. So please, will you reconsider?" Chrom pleaded, a stoic look of determination adorning his features.
Lunearc stared at Chrom with wide eyes and an awestruck expression, deeply touched by his encouragement but even more deeply in thought. "Hmmm… very well. I'll give what you've said a thought. I shouldn't have dismissed you without hearing you out. But who's to say I'd even be able to retain knowledge? It's possible I could wake up one day and forget everything I'd learned once more, due to my amnesia."
"You can think about it some more as we travel to Ylisstol. You're coming along with us. And if such a thing ever happens to your memory… perhaps I'll give you a journal to write in so you can remember who you are." Chrom factually declared.
"Huh?" Lunearc bewilderingly gaped, both at the mention of the unfamiliar location "Ylisstol" and the fact that Chrom was still completely on board on having him join the Shepherds. Even with all the reasons that this was a terrible idea laid out in front of him on a silver platter, Chrom was still dead set on Lunearc becoming a tactician.
"Yeah, we're bringing you with us! If you even think about saying no, I'll just drag you along myself!" Lissa perked up, anticly attempting to look threatening and strong in a playful way. But it only made her look cute. She was like a small puppy that was attempting to bark, only to let out an adorable sound.
So ferocious… hahahaha!
"Hahaha. It seems I must concede in this matter…" Lunearc chuckled, attempting to hold in a belly laugh spurred on by Lissa's antics. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to convince the bold blue-haired man and puckish blonde girl that this was a very poor idea, he resigned himself to traveling with these endearing Shepherds for a time. He was in a considerably better mood now thanks to their efforts, so he owed them at least that much.
With the conversation at an end, Frederick voiced a pair of interesting observations he had found. "Milord, have you noticed? The brigands spoke with what was undoubtedly a Plegian accent. Also, each of the brigands also had a tattoo of an axe surrounded by a snake on their left shoulder. Was this group of brigands part of a larger organization, do you think?"
"A group of brigands who all have a tattoo of an axe surrounded by a snake? I can't say I've heard tales of such a group before today, for better or worse…" Chrom pondered aloud, muttering the last portion to himself.
"Can we back up a little bit? What's a Plegian?" Lunearc inquired, perpetually naïve to this continent's political entities.
"Plegia is the western neighbor of Ylisse. They are unquestionably the ones responsible for the band of brigands we've fought today. They finance and equip small bands of rogues and allow them free reign in attacking Ylisse. Plegia hopes to instigate a war by doing so, while also hoping that the monetary incentive to sack Ylissean villages will lead to fewer attacks on Plegian villages. If a brigand group sacks Plegia's own villages, the government is known to pull the plug on funding." Chrom explained, giving a thorough overview of Plegia's support of brigandry.
A clever if not morally bankrupt idea, at least in the short term. Long term? Not so much. Feels as though this system would collapse the moment either political entity ceased to be.
"And because of them the poor townsfolk suffer! They are totally innocent to all of this and are totally helpless… it's truly abhorrent to not only enable it, but actively support it!" Lissa glumly stated, recalling the wounded townsfolk she had assisted in healing.
"They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep. Do not get swept up in your anger, it will cloud your judgement." Frederick reminded Lissa, while also giving her advice.
"I know, I know… Don't worry. I'll get used to all this." Lissa said, returning to her normal cheery demeanor.
The way Lissa spoke about being a Shepherd made it seem as though she was an inexperienced member of the group.
Hmm… I wonder if she recently joined the Shepherds rather recently. Maybe I'll find an opportunity to ask her about her experiences when I have the chance. Would be a good way to gauge if I truly wish to join them.
As the villagers finished putting out the remaining fires in an efficient manner, a group of them approached Chrom and the other Shepherds who came to their aid. Of note in the group, a middle-aged man decides to thank him. "Milord, please! You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"
Observing Lissa, she had been very happy with the villager's suggestion. Lunearc could already hear her listing off the foods she would most enjoy. "Dark meat only, medium well, no salt in the soup. I simply adore—"
"A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand… but I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol." Frederick respectfully declined, while simultaneously cutting through Lissa's train of thought.
"Wait, what?! What do you mean we aren't staying?! Look at the sun Frederick, it's nearly dark! You can see that, right?!" Lissa yelped out suddenly in surprise, afraid as to what Frederick could be insinuating.
With the smallest hint of smug satisfaction on his face, Frederick offered his own suggestion. "When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like… a very enjoyable experience, if I may say so." Frederick paused, allowing his smugness to become ever the more obvious, "I do believe I heard you mention you would be "getting used to this", after all?"
"Frederick? Sometimes I hate you." Lissa pouted, puffing her cheeks in defiance.
In the end, Frederick remained undefeated, and the Shepherds plus Lunearc bid their farewells to the townsfolk of Southtown.
As Lunearc began to follow the group of Shepherds, he recalled that there was something very peculiar that he had seen.
He looked down at his left wrist. Observing it closely, he could see a scar that vaguely resembled the letter "v". Other than that scar, it looked relatively normal.
How strange.
He could have sworn he had seen the scar glowing in the same scarlet red as the sword's flames.
….….….….….….
(10/29/2022) Thanks for reading through Chapter 2, and I hope everyone is having a truly spooktacular Halloween weekend!
I want to take a quick moment to shout out a fic that inspired me to get started writing on Victory Fire, and that would be "Retained Memories" by TatsuiChiyo.
It's somewhat of an older fic, but it is definitely worth a read!
I've had the story I'm currently writing in my head for quite a while, but I hadn't even thought about the possibility of writing it until reading that story, as well as a couple of others. The most difficult part is writing the more minor details, honestly.
Oh and also if you haven't seen my updated AN for Ch1, the current title image is Lunearc's special diamond sword. I made some pixel art for it, as I needed something for a cover, and I didn't want to just nab something generic, you know? Little annoyed FFN doesn't support square images, but whatever.
Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 3 of Victory Fire: Bear Necessities!