DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO.
Smoldering Resistance 2
"We are the resistance movement against the conqueror, Walhart. You may call me Say'ri." The raven haired woman said.
"There's an organized resistance movement?" Robin asked in surprise.
"Aye, of sorts. Several groups formed to seek liberty for the states of Valm." Say'ri explained.
"But I've heard that Walhart had stamped out all deserters." Robin said.
"He tried, and many of us perished. But we are a slippery bunch. As long as a single soul in this country opposes his rule, the Resistance can never be truly 'stamped out'. We strike hard and vanish into the night. Even now rebels ride to the banner of dynasts across the continent." Say'ri said proudly.
"Then that's very good news for us. If we're going to take Walhart down, we'll need all the help we can get. You also said you were sent here to spy on the... Imperials?" asked Robin.
"Yes, Imperials are what we call those who serve under the conqueror. As for your question, I was chosen to lead a group to rendezvous with another branch of the Resistance in this town. They had sent us word that they were able to infiltrate the Imperial troops stationed here, and we came to pry as much information as we could from under their noses. But before we could even meet up with the others, we were captured. I've already... told you what comes next." Say'ri said sullenly.
"I apologize. They were brave men to have taken up such a task." Lucina said sympathetically. She knew very well the anguish of losing comrades.
Say'ri nodded. "They were. I was held captive for 3 days. Those scum said that they could... make use of me. It was from my cell that I heard them speaking of an incoming invasion by Ylissean forces. While the soldiers made haste to prepare for the attack, someone had come to my cell. It was an Imperial soldier. He unlocked my door and told me to flee. As I ran from the building, I could hear the others tackle him down..."
"That soldier.. he was Resistance." Robin deduced.
"Aye, and he gave his life to ensure mine.." Say'ri said quietly.
"But that means there is a Resistance group somewhere in the city." Robin said hopefully.
"That's right. I was just on my way to them when I stumbled upon you all."
"Can you take us? To meet with them? They must know the layout of the town better than we, and we need their help if we want to find Farber."
"You seek to take out Farber? I must warn you, I've heard stories of Farber's skill with magic. He won't be easy to beat."
"I know, and that's why we need to get the jump on him. If we take him out swiftly, our forces will handle the rest."
Say'ri thought it over. "..Very well, I shall take you to meet with them."
"You have our gratitudes" Robin bowed.
Say'ri picked up her blade from the ground and sheathed it. She cautiously took a few steps out into the streets and scanned the area before heading back into the alleyway. She motioned for the group to follow.
The group made their through the town. They've yet to run into any Valmese soldiers.
Virion walked up next to Say'ri, "My, my. I must say, I am most enamored by your exotic beauty. Tell me, from where does such a fine lady heil?" he said, attempting to woo her with a charming smile.
Lon'qu shook his head.
Nowi giggled and mentioned something about him being a 'lame fart'. Some of the archers and swordsmen let out a chuckle.
Say'ri shot him a side glance as she walked, "I come from a land in Valm called Chon'sin." Say'ri sped up her pace.
Virion quickly followed, "What a most extravagant place this Chon'sin must be, to have bred such fierce yet alluring women such as yourself."
Say'ri didn't even bother to turn her head as she responded," Aye, we women of Chon'sin take pride in our strength. The strength to crush even the most persistent of scoundrels."
Virion slowed down, having clearly got the message.
Gregor made no effort to even stifle his laughter, the rest of the troops joining in.
As he passed him by, Robin gave Virion a soft smack on the backside of the head. "Stay focused, lover boy." he said with a smirk as he caught up with Say'ri. "How much farther is it?"
"Not far. We were told that they've established a base of operations at a nearby tavern."
Gregor scratched his head, "Secret base in tavern? That is very, how you say... Clique? Cliche'? Closure? ..."
"Yes, but the tavern is frequented by the Imperial troops. This is what I meant by 'right under their noses'." Say'ri explained.
Gregor nodded, satisfied.
Robin fell back and whispered to Lucina, "Was it the right call? Trusting her?"
"It's fine. In my future, I heard that someone by the name of Say'ri was a valuable ally during the War of Valm. I believe she was Chon'sin's princess." she whispered back.
"Princess!?" Robin whispered a little too loud.
Say'ri heard the outburst. "I see you've heard of me. It surprises me to say the least. We are a small nation, but a proud one."
"I've done a bit of traveling the last couple of years, so I've come across a wealth of informational tidbits. I hadn't heard anything about you being in some kind of Resistance though." Lucina covered.
"Yes well, I was among the two successors of our nation, along with my brother... Yen'fay." she mentioned his name disdainfully. "But that backstabbing dog forsook our land and now grovels at the feet of that conqueror. He serves the very man our people risk their lives to dethrone."
"Your brother?" Robin asked in shock.
"Pay not any attention to it. If I even so as catch a glimpse of him.. I'd cut him down myself. He's family no more." she said bitterly.
Robin and Lucina decided it best not to continue the conversation.
The grouped turned the corner and Say'ri held out a hand, "Halt. Someone's there."
Lucina and Robin peek around the wall.
There were 5 men standing around a few dead Valmese soldiers. They seemed to be inspecting the bodies.
The group moved cautiously and approached the 5 men.
"You there!" Say'ri called.
The men immediately stopped fiddling with the corpses. A blonde man in a blood stained shirt, holding the helm of one of the dead Valmese walked to them.
"Are you, the one they sent?" the blonde man asked in a hopeful manner.
Robin whispered to Say'ri, "Resistance?"
She nodded, but quickly turned to the man, "Who are they?" she asked, referring to his question.
The blonde man sighed, then tossed the helm towards the bodies. "Look, I've little time to spare with idle chit chat. As you can see, those dogs are already on to us. We need to get back to command. If we can rally our men, we can catch those Imperials off guard while the Ylisseans do battle with them."
Say'ri was satisfied with his response. "How did they find out?"
The man looked towards the bodies. "I don't know, but they did. We're checking their belongings for any hint as to how."
Say'ri looked to the man's bloodied shirt. "Fie, must have been some fight. Are you and your men fine?"
The man looked down at his shirt and laughed, "Worry not, this is their blood. And as you can see, we were quite lucky their party came with equal numbers to ours. They didn't stand a chance man to man."
A man wearing a large feathered hat came up to the two. "Sir, there's nothing on them. All that's certain is, they know we're here."
"Damn them. We need to warn the others." the blonde man said, looking to Say'ri.
"Let us make haste." she said.
"Lead the way."
"Shepherds! Gather up!" Chrom ordered.
They grouped up before the prince.
"We're acting as our own unit. I've left the rest of the forces to the Khans and our commanders. We're about to begin our second phase of the assault. Stick together, and keep an eye out for those Dark Knights. They're notorious for possessing high level magic tomes. Fliers, as per Robin's suggestion, remain grounded like the rest of our cavalry." He said.
"..Where's Henry and the rest?" Olivia asked.
Cordelia and Sully shot her a look.
"Our own mages are leading the others. They'll handle the Valmese's magic division, we just need to keep the heat off of them."
"Any word on Robin's team?" asked Frederick.
"Nothing yet, but we've got to give them time. They're scouring a quarter of the town for one man." Chrom pointed out.
"Oye Shepherds! We're moving! Our Wyverns are going to lead us in and tear down those barricades!" Basilio yelled from across the sands.
Chrom turned to his men "Alright, we can do this. Don't hold back, they won't."
They followed the Khans through the beach, dodging a hail of magic spells.
Hundreds of Ylissean soldiers fell on their way off the beaches, and still the group pushed on. If they could just make it into town, the cover of buildings would block off the clear shot the enemy now had on them.
"YOOUGHHHH" roared the Wyverns, as they glided across the sand and careened into the wooden blockades at the town's entrance. They burst through viciously, sending any poor soul behind the wooden wall flying.
Once inside the town walls, the wyverns were met with a shower of magic. Their riders tugged back, commanding the beasts to retreat backwards into safety.
The Ylissean mages rushed in and exchanged fire with the Valmese. Blasts flew to and fro. What the Valmese mages lacked in numbers, they made up for in sheer strength, most of them boasting high power spells such as Arcthunders. As the mages were occupied, the rest of the Ylissean forces charged in.
The Shepherds stayed close, guarding one another's blind spot.
Kellam rammed into a Dark Knight's horse charging for Gaius, knocking him over. Panne pounced the fallen enemy, rending him to shreds.
A javelin was thrown from the crowd of Valmese and scraped along Vaike's ribs.
"Agh, damn it!" he yelled, as he threw a hatchet towards the crowd.
Lissa ran up to his side with a Mend staff. "This is what you get for showing up to battle naked, you idiot." she quipped, tending to his injury.
A Valmese Knight went for Donnel. Donnel was quick to block the thrusts from the lance and jumped back to create some space. Before he could lunge at the Knight, Stahl had come from the side and slammed his lance into the Valmese's throat.
"Dang it, Stahl! I had that one!" Donnel whined.
Stahl smiled sheepishly. "Donny, behind you!" he yelled.
Donnel whipped around and came face to face with a Valmese Cavalier. The Cavalier charged at him
Donnel jumped over the horse's head and to side of the Cavalier's lance. Donnel tackled the Valmese off his horse as it zipped by.
As they hit the ground, he swung his sword down hard on the enemy.
The ground rumbled.
From up the street was a line of Valmese cavalry man, looking to run down the Ylisseans.
"Everyone watch out! We've got more of them coming in fast!" Chom shouted.
The battle raged on in the streets of the portside town.
Robin and the others finally reached the tavern along with the five Resistance members. Like many of the other surrounding stores and homes, the doors and windows were closed shut.
The troops and resistance members waited out on the street while the Shepherds and Say'ri walked up to the tavern's doorstep.
Say'ri banged on the doors, "Open these doors! It is I, Say'ri from the western branch!" she yelled.
No answer.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Robin asked.
Say'ri rubbed her temple, "Aye. This has to be it. The building with the crest of a lion."
Lucina took it upon herself to bang on the doors as well. "Hello!? Also with her are us Ylisseans! We require assistance in defeating the Valmese!" she hollered.
She banged on the door for moments more until they heard someone inside.
The curtains in one of the windows rustled, revealing a tanned man peeking out onto the patio.
The sound of locks coming undone could be heard followed by the doors cracking open.
The man stuck his head out and looked Say'ri up and down. "You are indeed Say'ri of Chon'sin." he confirmed, opening the doors.
"That's correct. My group and I were captured before we could make contact with you. I managed to get away and ran into these people from Ylisse. They wish to aid us in defeating the Imperials." she said.
Nowi ran up to the tanned man. "Alrighty, now that we're all introduced, you gonna let us in?" she asked, despite walking into the tavern without waiting for a response.
"Nowi! What are you doing? Ughh." Robin groaned, embarrassed at his fellow Shepherd's rudeness.
The man looked to Robin," I don't mind. A child shouldn't be outside amidst such chaos to begin with. More importantly, how goes the battle?" he asked.
"I wouldn't exactly call her a child.." he muttered as he walked up to the man. "By now, our forces should have taken the beach. They've probably already charged into town."
"I see. Then we best take advantage of the situation."
"That's what we're here for. We were hoping you could help us locate their commander. "
The tanned man looked at Robin in surprise. "So you wish to cut the head off the snake, do you? Ha Ha, how bold of you. I like that. We'll see if we can outfit you and your friends in some Imperial armor. After we locate Farber, you can slip past the enemy and take him out without them even knowing you're there."
Say'ri spoke up, "Then we must act fast, the Imperials are already aware of the Resistance's presence in town. Their suspicions have surely been roused."
The man looked at her in bewilderment. "W-what? But how? Where did you hear out about this?"
"We had come across a few of your men on the way here. They told us they'd been found out and the Imperials had dispatched some soldiers for their heads. Worry not, they were all unharmed." she stated with a reassuring smile.
The man's face was still painted with confusion. "Our men? But I hadn't sent anyone out today for business... They're all downstairs, accounted for."
Say'ri was startled, "W-what do you mean? You mean to tell me that they aren't with you?" She said as she frantically pointed to the 5 men on the street.
They all turned to see the 5 men standing over the now lifeless bodies of the archers and swordsmen.
"W-what is this?!" Robin yelled in terror.
The blonde man turned around and offered them a rather calm look.
The tanned man stepped back, visibly shaken. "F-Farber!?"
In an instant, the blonde man who was now identified to be Farber, pulled out a tome from within his shirt. He fired off a devastating Bolganone straight for the tavern.
"GET DOWN!" Lucina yelled, diving out of the way.
Everyone dropped to the ground.
The flame ruptured across the ground, ripping through the doorway and scorching the wood as it passed. It ate through to the back of the large room and exploded in a wave of heat.
The blast shook the tavern to its foundation, blowing everyone out into the streets. Debris were violently ejected from the building, a cloud of dust pouring out onto the street.
Robin slowly got up, head throbbing. His blurred vision slowly began to clear. In front of him, he could make out the tanned man, face down on the floor in a puddle of blood. A large wooden plank embedded into his back. In the background, the tavern was engulfed in flames, slowly collapsing on itself. 'Nowi...' he grimaced, balling his fist tightly.
Farber strolled up to Say'ri who was still on the ground.
He grabbed her by the hair and raised her head to meet his gaze. "Didn't we tell you that you could be of use?" he said, narrowing his eyes.
Say'ri spit in his face.
Farber merely let go of her, wiping the spit off.
Say'ri's petrifying stare did little to bother him.
The man in the feathered hat walked up to him. "Sir, was that all of them?"
Farber nodded, "Yes, you heard the man. They were all downstairs, accounted for." he said simply.
Say'ri shifted her attention to the man in the feathered hat. She finally got a good look at him from under the brim of his hat. Her eyes widened. "..You!" she gasped weakly.
The man smiled.
It was the same man that had let her out of her cell.
Her hands trembled, collapsing back onto the ground.
They had planned it all. They let her go knowing that she'd lead them back to the others. She'd gotten even more of her comrades killed...
Say'ri was in too much of a state of shock to move a muscle, as she laid hopelessly on the floor.
After some struggling, Lon'qu managed to flip over and draw his bow while still prone on the ground. He set his sights for Farber, but he was swiftly kicked in the side by one of Farber's men.
Farber looked to the Shepherds lying on the ground, meters before him. "I had figured that the Resistance would make their move as soon as word of the Ylisseans had spread. But to my surprise, you've already managed to slip past our ranks. Well done. Well done for handing yourselves right to us."
Robin sat up , "Y-you knew?"
"Of the Resistance? Yes. That Chon'sin women's friends found our interrogation rather... persuading. Then we got rid of them. They did do a good job though, those traitorous swines of a Resistance. Even having the gall to operate from within my men's favored drink hall."
"You.. you tortured them?" Robin asked as Farber's words sank in.
"Don't play the fool. If you've managed to destroy our fleet, then I'm under the impression that you people are very well familiar with the cruelties of war. We do this not out of hate, but only to ensure that our Empire remains untarnished. Does your army not do the same? "
"We don't torture people!" Robin yelled in anger.
"That's beyond the point. You slaughtered tens of thousands of our men in one fell swoop, yet you have the nerve to speak as if your hands are clean? Surely you jest." Farber spat.
Robin felt pain surge through his body. Not bodily pain, but of tremendous guilt. This man had burrowed straight into an emotional wound that he had sought to cover up.
He killed all those men at sea.. Friends.. Lovers... Sons... Fathers...
...And now, nearly 14 of his own lay dead here..
Before his thoughts completely ensnared him into a downwards spiral, he heard a voice call out to him.
"Robin, don't listen to him. They invaded us. You did that to save those you cared for.. You're not that kind of monster... We need you to pull yourself together." said Lucina in front of him, supporting herself up with her Falchion.
Hearing her voice had calmed him down. Robin shut his eyes and breathed slow, deep breaths.
He reopened his eyes and clenched his fists.
Having re-assessed himself, he quickly reached for his tome. "Lucina! Jump at him!"
She snapped her head back to see him preparing a spell. She didn't know what he was planning, but took his word.
She mustered her strength and leapt forward at Farber.
She heard his tome crackle from behind, then felt a gust of wind propel her towards the Dark Knight.
She closed the gap between them in a second, aiming the tip of her blade at his core.
Farber spun out the way, but the Falchion ate through the edge of his shoulder.
"AGHH!" he cried in agony, as he clutched at the wound.
Lucina recovered from her jump then quickly dashed back towards Farber, attempting to finish him off.
Farber instantaneously shot out an Arcthunder towards the princess.
Gregor managed to tackle Lucina out of its path, the blast flying off towards a nearby store. More debris showered from the sky.
Two of Farber's men charged at Gregor and Lucina. Lon'qu quickly sliced one down, the other jumped back. The soldier swung his sword down, but Lon'qu effortlessly parried the chop. The man was left imbalanced as Lon'qu thrust his blade deep into his chest.
Virion shot the remaining man before he could even draw his sword.
Lon'qu stared down at the corpses of the Ylissean archers and swordsmen. He turned to glare at Farber murderously.
*CRAAAAGHHHSSSHHH*
A large mass slowly rose up from the incinerated tavern.
"A dragon?!" Farber yelled in shock.
"Yeah, you like dragons?" The beast spoke with irritance.
"Nowi!" Robin yelled in relief.
Farber backed up. He was surrounded.
The Shepherds had all gotten up, weapons trained on the Valmese Commander.
"Tchh, I've got what I've come for. The Resistance is no more." Farber said.
*VWOOSH*
Farber had vanished in a flash of light.
"Wh-what is this?" Lon'qu asked in frustration.
Robin looked around at Farber's dead men, finding one in particular to be missing. "It was that man wearing the hat."
Lon'qu looked to him in confusion.
"He was a kind of rogue known as a Trickster. Kind of like Anna. What sets them apart is their extensive use of staves." Robin explained, dusting himself off.
"A Rescue staff." Lucina concluded.
"Right, but its range is limited. That means they're still nearby." Robin pointed out.
"We need to go after him before he can resume control of the Valmese." Lon'qu said.
"I'm gonna crush him!" Nowi roared.
"Alright, let's hurry. Virion, I need you to go back to our men in the forest. Tell them to march into town. We've taken much too long and Chrom and the others need all the help they can get."
"Right away" Virion said as he ran off.
Robin turned to Say'ri. "Hey, you need to get up! If we don't stop them, your comrades would've died for nothing! You can't let their lives go to waste.." he said, trying to talk some sense into her.
Say'ri sighed deeply, "Fie, such a mess I've made..." She slowly got back up," But, I don't intend to hold you back any longer. I am with you." she said with fierce determination, as she grabbed for her blade and followed after Lon'qu and the others who had already taken off.
"Hmph, you managed to whip her into shape quite fast." Lucina remarked.
Robin smiled, " Think of it as the result of me being around someone so, charming." he said rather unsarcastically.
Lucina couldn't help but blush. "It seems Virion has rubbed off on you."
"But really, thanks back there. You always seem to know how to pull me back up after I've fallen." Robin thanked her warmly.
"..Yes, you're welcome. But now's not the time for pleasantries. We need to catch up with them."
Robin nodded, as the two ran off in pursuit.
A/N: I know I said they'll be fighting side by side, but I decided to put this chapter out by itself as I work on the rest.
I tried to elaborate on Say'ri's business in town rather than just her being cornered by two Knights like in the game.
As for Farber and his men, they pulled a reverse on what the Resistance in Valm Harbor often did. They killed off some men and swapped their armor. Just who those dead men were... I'll leave to your imaginations..
Who else is excited for the new Fire Emblem game?! I am!
Next chapter will be out soon.
Til next time!