A/N:
*Streeeetch* Sup, guys. Howzit been? So sorry for the delay, but I got sucked into some other fandoms temporarily, and I'm not very good at multitasking, even with all my various projects.
In other news, Shadow Dragon is finally available on the NA eShop, which was the last Fire Emblem game I had yet to play. Kinda weird that I'd played, FE1, 3, and 12, but not 11. Hmm...
Anywhos, I'm exactly where I wanted to be in this story and it's REALLY surprising. Like jeez, it feels weird, and I allow myself a lot of leeway from the plot skeletons usually. So then. Hope you enjoy. Read, relax, put some music on. ENJOY! Word Count (1,847)
With the search for the runaway princess, a journey through the mainland was out of the question. A new plan of approach was considered. Travel by sea. Of course this meant skirting the Archanean coast, but the risks of travel by foot were far too great. Thus the intrepid group found themselves in a port town. Dirty and rotten to the core, nary a plate of armor to be seen. The perfect place to evade the law.
A few members of the group had headed into an inn, finding someone who would take them out west, for a price. Diana finished handing off gold to the fighter before them.
"I hope that settles it?" The Iris then asked.
The man weighed the purse placed in his posession. His golden eyes looked down intently as he scratched his broad chin. "Yes, we'll get ya 'cross the sea." He said, tucking the purse away within his thick leather armor. "Not often these days I'm smugglin' folks out west. 'S usually the other way around." The man added with special attention to a certain dark mage.
"Yes well…" Iris trailed off. "I guess you could say we're under some unique circumstances."
"In my line o' work, you learn not to question things." Some sort of ruckus could be heard outside the inn which the fighter waved off.
"What of that partner you told us about?" The princess inquired, ignoring his comment of questions.
The man stretched back, bringing his tanned arms over his jade mohawk. "He's on the ship, bein' responsible an' all that."
"Well then… Dacre, you said?" Iris started, earning an affirmative nod in return. "I'd like to thank you in advance. This truly means a lot to my companions and myself." The princess got up from her seat, she was the last to do so. She headed to the door, trailed by this fighter by the name of Dacre. Most of her comrades were waiting just outside, avoiding the awkward situation of them all shuffled into that inn at once.
This port town they had been led to by Kaiser was quite busy, as they'd found. Most of the group was worried about running into solders on the way, but so many mercenaries and bandits patrolled this town that nothing the nobles who originally ruled this land could say or do would apply. Out here, strength was the law. As they ventured further into town, the scuffle they had heard outside was only that. Two men, who had nothing to lose tumbled through the sludge of these streets as their drunken brawl continued.
The group was given a variety of odd looks. In this sort of town, soldiers and nobles armed to the teeth were the suspicious ones.
"I'd most certainly feel safer if we made it to the ship before someone ends up robbing us." Celeste muttered as her pace quickened.
Iris let out a nervous titter, "What are you talking about? Hehe… We fit in just fine."
"You can't certainly mean that?"
"Sarcasm, Celeste. Sarcasm."
"Hey, you!" A voice called from around an alleyway.
"Just keep moving." Whispered Dacre, guiding the princess forward with one of his massive paws.
The voice called again. "You! What're a bunch of highborns doing out all this way?" The face of the mysterious voice finally revealed themselves. Stepping out of the shadows was a woman. While her once bright hair was nearly gray with age, matching the wolf pelt hood over her shoulders, her cyan eyes felt as if they could pierce the thickest armor. She wore the garb of a hero and nearly everything was black. Her balance was shifted to her back foot, light boots she wore, tapping impatiently with the one to her front.
Iris came to a stop, despite the urges of all the others.
"Just helpin' some customers, Ylva." Dacre spoke up before the princess could open her big mouth. "So, if ya wouldn't mind excusin' us?"
"I wasn't asking you." The woman's hand shifted to a steel sword by her side, her tone matching the heavy alloy. "What – are you doing – in this town?"
Iris forced a smile, turning around to face this woman impeding their progress. "Just passing through." She explained, making her best attempt to keep an even tone.
The woman crossed her arms, hiding a smirk behind her hand when she saw a glare flash her way. "Well I certainly haven't heard that excuse before. You should have ignored them, Dacre."
"Well f'give me for carin' about current events, lass." The fighter retorted. "Maybe you an' your thugs should head back to the roads if ya want someone to rob. This town ain't exactly profitable for your type. Now I'd 'preciate it if ya leave my clients alone here."
The older woman scoffed, casting her gaze down to the ground, looking almost defeated. "Well you can't say I never warned you." Ylva pulled a whistle from her belt. That was it. Hostiles poured in from every alley this way to the docks.
"Damn, damn, damn…" Dacre muttered under his breath. This time, it was one of Iris' comrades to take his hand and drag him away.
"Everyone to arms! We must reach the docks!" The princess called, rallying her comrades as her feet carried her down the street. "We can't head back through the mainland…"
Watching them run off like cowards, Ylva chuckled, inhaling sharply as she withdrew her blade. "Run, run, run, little sheep. You cannot escape the Wolf."
A younger member, bearing a strong resemblance to the older woman, ran up to his leader. "Isn't that the princess those knights on the road were talking about?"
"Aye."
"Any special orders you wanna pass along to the Pack?" The youth asked.
"Convoy will help our supplies," She silently mused, turning back to the boy when her thoughts were finally in order. "Tell them they can do what they will with the others so long as the princess remains unharmed. I'm sure we'll receive quite the reward for bringing a little bird to its nest."
The boy nodded and ran off.
As their group fought their way out of this town, Iris had come to realize that this was more than just a petty group of thugs. They were organized and probably set up ambushes like these on countless occasions. Neither did they fight like novices. Each of them had training, knowing exactly what to do with their weapons; all the while targeting down Jake's convoy and Iris herself before anyone else in the group.
"So, you two know each other?" Iris asked her newest recruit, sidestepping as a hand axe flew past.
"Ylva?" Dacre recalled, knocking a young archer over someone's fish stand. "Oh, too well. S'pose I could tell ya 'bout her when we… make it to the ship." He grunted, nearly taking off the head of a poor myrmidon.
"Yeah… I suppose the battlefield is hardly the place for idle chatter…" The young princess nodded, considering their current situation.
Street by street, their flight was heard earned. Every step of the way, a struggle. These mercenaries, bandits, whatever they were, had them in a vice. Of course, things were going smoother with Dacre in the company. Swordreaver in hand, he became a one man army.
Only thing to stop his advance was the sight of a young brunet among their enemy. Someone far too young to be leading this sort of life. Dacre approached the youth as best he could. "Conan!" He called out, grabbing the lad's sword arm as he whirled to face him.
The boy looked shocked, staring up at the muscular man with his cyan eyes. Mid-teens, hair disheveled, and a scar over the bridge of his nose, he was mostly clad in red, wearing the attire of a typical mercenary. His only difference being the pelt of a wolf pup strapped over his left shoulder. "I heard the rumors, but what are you doing here?"
"I'm doing what I was paid for." The fighter stated. "Does your mum know you're out here?"
The teen sighed. "She trusts my choices."
Dacre pinched the bridge of his nose. How much he wanted to smack this kid upside the head. "I thought you were smart enough t' know which targets were worth the trouble…"
"But this is worth all the trouble."
The fighter puffed out his cheeks as he held in the urge to chew this kid out. "Listen, Conan – Either you come with us on your own, or I carry you out."
"What?"
"Kicking and screaming if I hafta."
"Why would you…" The brunet paused, taking just a moment to survey his surroundings. His old friend was right. They'd robbed and kidnapped nobles before, but none had put up this much of a fight. And things were only devolving further for their band. "I know you would…" He sighed, defeat admitted. "Egh… fine."
The large man guffawed, picking his axe up already set for the next target. "That a boy! 'M sure the Princess'll be eager t' have ya."
Conan couldn't help but let out one last groan before following along.
The rest of the fight saw the boy hesitating. Many of these men and women were like family to him. Iris herself never looked kindly upon the teen either. She'd picked up many strange folks in the past, eager to follow her. None of them had been ready to take her head off just a moment before though.
As the group reached the docks and boarded their exit, everyone could breathe easy when they passed out of range of the last arrow.
"So, could you finally tell us what that was about?" Iris asked their host.
"They call themselves the Wolfpack. Mercenaries that'll run with anyone if boss thinks it's profitable. An' that lass we met earlier, Ylva, well she's the boss." The fighter finally explained. "Brother an' I used t' run with 'em back in the day."
"So why did you leave?" Diana broke into the conversation.
"Wolfpack's nice 'n all, tight knit. But runnin' around with a group like them got t' be more trouble than it's worth. And Ylva…" He added with a whistle. "What a piece o' work."
Iris hummed, already agreeing after what she saw. "She did seem rather… abrasive."
"'S what the northern territ'ries do t' ya, lass. Be glad ya'll never hafta live that sorta life."
One of the hatches from below deck opened. A pirate carrying a sack of grain over his shoulder emerged.
"Dale! Bout time ya joined us!"
Quite different from his own brother, golden goatee and clean-shaven head covered by a bandanna, his jade eyes looked at them with worry. He gave a nod, retreating back below deck before too much attention could be called to himself.
Iris saw his reaction to all these new faces, almost feeling pity for the man. She turned her attention to the, younger brother, who looked out to the open sea before them, unable to help thinking of her own. "It's alright, Harold. I'll bring you home."
A/N:
I know some of you want to see more of the other characters we've picked up! I'm going to be making a side story along with this one that'll have all the conditional dialogue and supports after I've finished with the main story. I'm only showing one perspective for the recruitment, but even with these characters picking the others up, Iris still would have her own dialogue with them, and that's also something to keep in mind.
I repeat!
This is just the main story and only the CANON (When I say canon, I mean canon to this fic. Do fics have their own canon?) route. All other things like alternate chapter endings/dialogues/supports are going to be in a side story later.
Alright then.
Behind The Name is a blessing of a website and a godsend, I could marry it for all the names it's provided me for this fic, highly recommend to all writers out there.
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This is your lovely Squish, wishing you all a pleasant day! :D
