Der Langrisser - Side Imperial

Chapter 3: The Blood-stained delta

Written by Spiritblade

Disclaimer: Der Langrisser belongs to Masna. Special thanks to the people who have spent over five years translating it; had it not been for you guys and girls, I would never have understood the storyline and would have not been inspired to write these stories. This story comprises of multiple one-shots, each from the eyes of the characters from the game, and is set on the Imperial path.

Now, the only thing I have done is take some very small liberties with the story. Names of cities and commanders not seen in the game are mine. I may seriously consider putting some scenes that will not take place in the game – but that is a bridge I will cross when I get to it.

Let us begin, then.

X X X X X

Cherie's POV

Princess Cherie, Crown Princess and ruler of Kalxath, descended upon the town of Azure Vale on the back of her dragon, its wings pounding powerfully as her bodyguard of recently summoned Angels took their places beside her, their gleaming swords and silver-gold armour framing their lithe, lush forms. The town of Azure Vale was a port city, built on the Azure Delta over two hundred years ago. The rich seas and fertile farmland had seen to the town's prosperity. Over seven thousand souls lived here, protected by its local lord and his army. But now, today, Cherie was not on a courtesy call. She was here to evacuate the citizens and fortify the town before Erwin and the Empire came. And she didn't have much time to do it.

Erwin's army was advancing swiftly, after having beaten Lester at the Sky Bridge. Few of the units were of the heavier variant, with the exception of those led by the Blue Dragon General, Leon. A tribe of Chaos-aligned berserkers, led by a Succubus of the Demon Tribe, had recently joined Erwin's entourage, augmenting his troops further. Cherie frowned. She knew that those who knelt before Chaos looked upon their Light-worshipping counterparts with disdain and contempt; that they viewed the Empire as worthy allies told Cherie that its Kaiser, despite being a Light-worshipper, had won their respect and admiration in the only way that mattered to them – by deed and action.

The Imperial commanders had done much to increase the reverence that the Chaos Tribes had for them and their Emperor. Cherie had seen a good majority of them leading from the front, emulating the strength and skill of their Emperor they honoured in thought and deed. The devotion and discipline of the Empire's military leaders and its soldiers made Cherie realize that, even if Erwin had stayed by her side, defeating the Empire and their Chaos allies would be difficult. And now, he – a Descendant of Light – was part of the Empire.

And Erwin's legend was growing. The fall of Caer MacDonald and the conquest of the Kingdom of Dun Carag had been the beginning. Salrath, Kurdrast, Kelfarion and Trigos were fortifying their borders in preparation of the Empire's invasion. Already, elements of the Silent Dragon Legion and the Shadow Dragon Legion, the advance guard divisions of the Empire, had clashed and fought vicious running battles with the militia and standing armies of the four duchies.

Keith had gone to the aid of Kelfarion with several thousand troops, hoping to break the back of the Imperial advance. She was cheered by the fact that Keith had sent the Imperial army into retreat. Losses had been moderate, but the fortifications at Kelfarion's frontier citadels had been strengthened. The Empire would be bled white before it could take them. That is, provided that Kalxath and its Army of Light could prevent the Empire from becoming more powerful than it already was.

And that meant that the Army of Light had to get to Baldea ahead of Erwin. They had to get to where Langrisser was sealed after the end of the Holy Sword War over a century ago. It was truly ironic. Here they were, two Descendants of Light, born from the same King who had sealed Langrisser after the end of the Holy Sword War over a century ago. Jessica had been melancholic, speaking of her grandfather's birth, after Nahmu had married Lance. The two Dragon Knights had no children, but it was clear that the latter cared for the former even as she loved his former adversary. Strange indeed were the ways of the heart, Jessica had said, for it can make men – and women – do strange things. And endure the unendurable.

Cherie dismounted from her dragon, her angelic guardians drawing awed looks from the town's populace and its soldiers. Many whispered prayers to the Goddess Lushiris upon seeing the Goddess's royal guard, and many nodded respectfully to the Princess who dared to stand up before the Imperial juggernaut. Cherie strode towards the Lord's mansion, a squad of her Angels behind her. The Lord emerged from his residence to meet her, clad in battle armour and surrounded by his retainers.

"Lord Belenous," Cherie nodded to the man, "I apologise if the appearance of my army has alarmed your people."

"It has, Princess, but I surmise that the reason you have come here is the same reason as to why I have mobilised my army," the Lord said, "We do not have much time. Bring your commanders here. My servants will bring you to my war-room, and we can go over the details on how to send the Imperial dogs scurrying."

Cherie nodded, and turned to one of her Angels, "Do as he asks. Bring my army within sight of the town."

X X X X X X

'Can we win?' Cherie wondered as she saw her troops disperse through the town. The close confines of Azure Vale would severely hinder Erwin's cavalry, and force those on foot to fight without support from their mounted brothers. The plan the Lord had suggested was a good one…but Erwin had proven that he was more than capable of turning the best plans to ruin. The cool sea winds ruffled Cherie's silver-azure hair even as the sun warmed the parts of her body unprotected by her armour or covered by her bodysuit. It reminded her of his touch and his smile. The sea and sky reminded her of his eyes and their endless horizons, his goal.

An end to war – a dream the Empire wishes to use force to achieve. A future the Army of Light was struggling to make reality.

"Princess?" a voice called out. Cherie turned to see one of her subordinates walking towards her.

"What is it, Commander Tiana?"

The female Paladin's lovely face was grim, "He's here, my lady."

Cherie nodded, "I see. The people…?"

"The evacuation is almost complete, Princess, but there is no way we can get everyone out of the city before the battle begins," Tiana replied, "Should we ride out and meet them, Princess?"

"And sacrifice the advantage of terrain? No. We will fight them here where the strength of their cavalry will avail them not. And with the only point of entry close to the sea, it will allow our Serpent and Dragon Knights to smash into their flanks. We fight here, Tiana. And we will not take a backward step."

"Yes, Princess," the paladin replied.

X X X X X X

Rohga's POV

Honestly, Rohga was not surprised. He had been in enough battles to know that the best place to set an ambush was at the one place that an enemy had no choice but to go through. And true to form, Cherie had caught them when they least wanted to be caught. A good choice of terrain, too, the mercenary had to admit. The buildings and confines of the town would cause problems for cavalry. That means that he and his boys would have to do much of the work today. Good – Erwin and his needed a break, but Rohga would bet every last coin in his purse that Cherie was not going to give it to him.

And if his scouts had not been lying; Cherie had brought along three squadrons of Sky Guard and two of Kalxath's famed Sea Guard. This was going to be tricky. And more so, since he could see that the populace was in the midst of being evacuated. But, the Princess of Kalxath was no idiot. She knew Erwin drew the line at innocents being caught up in the fight – and Erwin knew that she knew, and agreed to the unspoken rule. Rohga had seen one Imperial Commander lose his head, literally, after he had defied Erwin's edict.

Rohga swore that he had never seen a sword drawn so fast and re-sheathed as he did that moment. The kid had the makings of a Master Swordsman. Given time, he could be one of the strongest in El Sallia, and Rohga would have a laugh as they beat each other silly to see who could claim the title of the strongest.

But, before that, they had to get to Langrisser before the Army of Light.

"The civilians are still evacuating, Erwin. What should we do?" Hein asked.

Imelda, the sexy and cold commander of the Water Dragon Army, sniffed disdainfully, "What a pain in the ass. I say we wipe them out as well."

"I will have none of that talk," Leon thundered, glaring at Imelda, "Killing innocents goes against the wishes of His Majesty, Commander Imelda. So unless you want to explain to him in person why you had ordered a massacre, I'd advise you to keep from harming a hair on their head."

Rohga chuckled. Leon's subtle remark was to remind the chick general what had happened to one of their own some weeks earlier. Erwin knew when to put his foot down. And damn, ever since he parted ways with the Army of Light, he was one single-minded individual. He set his eye on a single goal and was not about to be distracted. That was one thing Rohga liked about Erwin. He knew what he wanted; he knew the price tag and he knew what needed to be done – and no illusions would make the task any easier.

The mercenary wished that Erwin would take it easy from time to time. There were plenty of pretty girls in the Imperial Army (including the camp followers) he could bed down with instead of training and preparing for the next battle. It would even do him some good. And maybe, he could save Hein from being skinned alive. The last one had been yesterday night when the mage had tried peeping at the female elves; they had heard him and fired arrows at him, shrieking bloody murder. Erwin had (instead of saving his friend) proceeded to make bets with his soldiers on how many lumps the poor mage would have to tend to before they reached the town of Azure Vale. Rohga won the bet, much to Erwin's and Leon's annoyance. Good Goddess, Hein was a man watched over by the gods themselves. 40 hits and counting – those elf girls had bricks in their gloves.

"Indeed," Erwin answered, breaking Rohga out of his train of thought, "We are not here to wage war against civilians. Our fight is with the army of Azure Vale and Kalxath. We must get to Langrisser before…"

"Before we do, Erwin?" a familiar voice called out from the sky as Rohga craned his head to see the form of a massive dragon descend, bearing on its back the lovely Princess of Kalxath, "Rest assured, you won't get it. You may be a Descendant of Light, but I won't give Langrisser up to you."

Rohga heard the sound of bows being stretched, and a brief look over his shoulder told him that his ears had not lied to him. Every elf in the advance guard that Erwin had brought with him – over a three-hundred strong – had their arrows trained on Cherie.

"We shall see about that, Cherie," Erwin readied his sword, "Let's do this!"

Rohga pulled out his greatsword. Trust Erwin to get the party started. He turned to his boys and girls, "Okay, you maggots. This is what you were paid for. Get into it!"

"Damn it, boss," one of his soldiers said as he drew his sword, "No need to rush. The Kalxathians are about to welcome us with open arms."

What did he mean? Rohga turned around to see a unit of Grenadiers advancing on him with supernatural speed. The mercenary cursed under his breath. Damn mages. He hated those bastards, especially when they did something like this! An arching fireball shot overhead, exploding with earthshaking force, sending the charging enemy infantry flying in every direction. Rohga whipped around, seeing Hein give him a thumbs-up before turning his attention on the swiftly-advancing Kalxathian Sky Legion. Rohga grinned and charged towards the disoriented Kalxathian troops, his blade tearing through several of them in one mighty stroke and sending the rest flying as the shockwave of his Earthshaker sword-technique was unleashed.

X X X X X

Erwin's POV

Cherie had retreated briefly, to rally her troops, forcing the Lord of Azure Vale and his bodyguard to stand against alone against the advance. This they would do, Erwin saw, to buy Cherie the time she needed to mount a counterattack. The Lord of Azure Vale, Belenous, and his bodyguard were clad in plate armour and armed with weapons ranging from swords to halberds. The bodies of over four dozen Reyguard soldiers littered the ground before them. Erwin nudged his charger forward, stopping only when he was several feet away from the closest bodyguard. The man took several steps back, his great-sword held at the ready, as his companions moved forward to aid him.

"So," Lord Belenous spoke, "you are Erwin, the Imperial General who conquered the fortress-city of Caer MacDonald and brought the entire kingdom of Dun Carag under the rule of the Empire. And this was done in less than sixty days. It is truly a magnificent accomplishment for a man who has yet to see his thirtieth summer. I have heard stories about you, general, and I am glad to see that the ones that depict you as a demon are untrue."

"I do not care what others say about me, Lord Belenous. I only care that the long wars that have plagued El Sallia for over a century come to an end. I only care that the children born then can live without fear of losing their homes and their loved ones," Erwin replied, raising his bloody sword, "Please, Lord Belenous, surrender. You cannot win this battle. Your army has been crushed and your allies are close to being routed. Do not give me a reason to kill you."

"And what's stopping you, general?" Lord Belenous asked, readying his halberd, "Fear?"

"Hardly," Erwin replied, "Your people need you, Lord Belenous. Should you die today, all that would happen is that the Empire sends another official to rule in your place. This may very well lead to dissent and insurrection. Your people do not trust the Empire, not yet, but they trust you. Should you yield and join the Empire, I promise that your lands will remain in the hands of your family and your people will be under the aegis of the Empire for as long as it stands."

"Which will not be for long, Erwin!" a voice called out, causing Erwin to turn in his saddle to see Cherie and her dragon land on the roof of the town hall, "Why is it that you cannot see that? The peace that the Empire espouses is an illusion! How long before the Empire faces insurrections from within its own borders? How long before the people, sick of its tyranny, rise up in rebellion?"

Erwin was not slow on the uptake. He was standing alone, in the town square, with Cherie blocking his one path of escape and the Lord of Azure Vale and his bodyguard blocking another. He was trapped. Damn it. His lips curved into a mocking smile. So, that was it...Cherie had planned to isolate him all along. And with the Azure Vale's Lord and his bodyguard backing her up, there was no way he would get out of this engagement without a scratch.

"Do you have a better alternative, Cherie?" Erwin asked the Princess of Kalxath, "Does Kalxath? How do you propose to end this war? We can talk about peace all we want, but the fact remains that without a strong hand to impose it and to enforce it, we will return to this bloody age we are fighting to bring to an end. For as long as I can remember, Cherie, I have seen war at its worst. I have fought in sieges and witnessed atrocities enough to know that I want it all to end. And for that, the Empire needs Langrisser."

"Erwin..." the emotion in Cherie's voice caused Erwin's heart to waver, "stop this. Surrender and I may forgive you for everything you have done..."

"It is too late to try to change my mind, Cherie," Erwin replied, his voice rough as Riana's face appeared in his mind, her golden eyes filled with sorrow, "I made my choice that day. I chose to side with the Empire. Whether or not the peace that will come when the Empire finally unites the continent is false, I will fight to ensure that – for as long as I live – that peace is as real as we can make it."

Cherie was silent for several long moments.

"So be it, Erwin. If you will not surrender, then I must stop you."

Erwin raised his sword and pointed it at Cherie, "Try."

X X X

Cherie's POV

Cherie coughed up blood, the wounds inflicted on her by Erwin as grievous as the ones inflicted on her dragon by Hein and Imelda's elven archers. She gritted her teeth. She had underestimated Erwin, even though Lester had warned her not to. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes stinging as she saw the battle-flags of the Reyguard Empire fly over the conquered town.

She turned towards one of the surviving angels of her bodyguard, "Sound...the retreat. Get my warriors out of here. We must get to Langrisser before the Empire."

To be continued...