DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO.
A/N: For this Chapter, I need you all to envision the Mila Tree not only as a massive tree, but something along the lines of a fortress. The Valmese had taken measures to actually establish a base around the tree. For that to be possible, the tree as depicted in this Chapter is much larger than the one in the game.
Naga's Voice 1
It was almost dawn. The Shepherds gathered around, in preparation for the assault. They lay behind a small hilltop, by the shore. They'd need to act fast before the enemy could locate them.
Chrom called for the group's attention. "Shepherds, let us go over the plan once more. We're about to march straight into enemy territory. The enemy will vastly outnumber our forces until the others can join up, so we'll need to be methodical with how we fight until then. Robin?"
Robin walked up to continue. "Our mages and newly allied Sages will be our main assault force for as long as we can keep the Valmese at bay. The rest of you fend of any Valmese that manage to evade our volleys. Stay close until our reinforcement shows up. After their attention isn't focused solely us, we can all let loose. We're going to advance up the tree. Like always, if we can find their commander, take him out. We need to establish a secure position and locae Lady Tiki. After which, we either wipe out, or drive away their forces. Be safe out there, I'm confident that if anyone can pull this off, it's us. However, don't let your egos get ahead of you."
Several of the Shepherds snapped their attention to Vaike.
"W-What the hell?" the muscled man stammered.
Robin chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about him. He can't do any fighting without that axe of his anyways."
Vaike frantically looked around. He stared to his left to find Miriel with a displeased look, his axe in her hand.
The Shepherds laughed.
Robin smiled. 'At least they're in good spirits.'
Chrom stepped up. "Alright everyone, get into positions. The sun will rise any moment, so we need to gain as much ground in the darkness as we can."
The Shepherds got into formation. Robin stood near the front alongside Vaike and Frederick.
Lucina walked up next to him. "Are you ready?"
Robin nodded. "I am. Lucina, be safe out there."
"I do not plan on falling here. There is far too much to be done. Be safe too, Robin."
Owain crept up behind them. "Well aren't you two just awfully chummy?"
Lucina frowned, elbowing her cousin.
Robin laughed, turning to mockingly bow to Lucina. "It would be a grave dishonor if I, a mere subject, allowed any harm to befall our fair princess."
Owain bowed as well.
Several chuckled from behind Owain. "Is our leader blushing?"
Kelley merely laughed. "Perhaps the present has changed our leader more than she imagined."
Lucina groaned.
After they got in formation, Chrom led the march up the hill. They couldn't spot any sign of the enemy troops.
"Chrom, something's off." Robin whispered.
As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of flames launched into the sky, illuminating the area.
The flames flew in an arc, spiraling down to towards the Shepherds.
Robin pulled out his Forseti tome. "Mages! Prepare to fire wind magic!"
The mages readied their tomes, waiting for the balls of flame to reach the right distance.
"Fire!" Robin ordered.
The mages fired a wall of wind magic, repelling the barrage of flames.
"Basilio and Flavia are sure to have noticed! They'll be down here any moment. Charge in!" Chrom yelled as he sprinted downhill towards the tree's roots.
The Shepherds and company raced for the tree, enemy soldiers coming into view.
A wave of Valmese troops ran towards them.
Chrom, Frederick and Robin led the Shepherds at the front in cutting down the incoming enemy soldiers. As soon as the line of Valmese were defeated, the Shepherd mages and Sages fired off a barrage of lightning towards the Valmese in the distance.
The Valmese brazenly kept sending more and more waves of men, hoping to crush the Shepherds with their numbers.
The Shepherds fought like a well oiled machine, cutting down one line of enemies before shooting down the next.
The Valmese, seemingly distraught with the Shepherds advancement, ordered the rest of their troops currently on the field to rush in all at once.
"Damn, they're pulling out all the stops. Mages! Get ready" Robin cried.
The mages charged their tomes as the horde of Valmese rushed forward. They unleashed a storm of flames upon the enemy, a wall of fire forming where the blasts had hit.
The wall of fire roared, forming a barrier between both forces and obstructing each other's views.
Through the the flickering flames, Robin could make out the Valmese forming a line of Archers. 'We need to get to the tree as fast as possible,' he thought. He reached for his Mjolnir. 'Only a limited amount... But if I can cut down a path through their forces...' With their group outnumbered, Robin figured the situation warranted the use of the spell. He approached the wall of fire.
Henry laughed. "Nya ha! He's gonna do it!"
"Do what?" Sully asked, eyes glued to fire, trying to pick out the shapes of the enemies.
Henry began backpedalling, "Mjolnir! So I say we all stand back if we don't want to die from shock! Nya ha ha!"
Chrom looked on as Robin headed towards the inferno. "Everyone move back! That spell's got a massive kill zone!"
Robin took a deep breath, aiming through the wall of flames, Mjolnir glowing brightly in his hand.
The Valmese archers had taken their kneeled positions, getting ready to unleash their hail of arrows.
Robin called forth the mighty spell, the air above once again beginning to quake, heralding the coming of the mighty bolt.
The Valmese Archers looked upward, as the sky was engulfed in a brief flash of light. They barely had the chance to blink in recovery from the flash when a gigantic bolt of lightning silently fell behind the line of archers. The pillar of electricity struck dead at the center of their forces. The strike annihilated dozens of the tightly packed Valmese instantly. The electricity ripped through their ranks, leaping from one soldier to the next.
In an instant, the battlefield grew silent.
Robin cautiously pulled out Forseti and blew down the wall of flames to reveal the entire battalion of Valmese soldiers lifeless on the ground.
Chrom, satisfied with the stillness of the enemy forces, marched forward. "Let's get moving before they deploy another group!"
As the Shepherds, advanced, Robin cringed as he passed over the charred bodies of the enemy soldiers. Over a hundred lives lost in the blink of an eye. The image of the Valmese fleet, burning down on the ocean invaded his minds. Robin felt time slow down. He stared down into the eyes of a Valmese Myrmidon, whose face had been paralyzed into an expression of pain. Robin felt himself heat up, perspiring at a drastic pace, as he stared into the dead man's eyes.
'This is who you are... Accept your destiny and power will never be beyond your reach...' he thought he heard a voice called from within.
Robin trembled, his breathing get harder and harder. He could feel his heart pounding, the pumping blood causing his head to pulsate.
He felt someone grip his hand. His eyes trailed down to see small hand, squeezing his gently. He traced up the arm to find Lucina, staring sadly at him. Robin squeezed back, as he gazed into her eyes. "Let's go. This only the start." he breathed softly. He let go of her hand and made his way over, carefully walking over the corpses.
Lucina stared over her shoulder at his retreating figure, her eyes glazed with worry. An odd pain surged through her. She shook off the feeling, and turned to follow.
Basilio leapt to the side as a Valmese Cavalier charged at him. Basilio swung his mighty axe at the man's side, knocking him dead to the ground.
He wiped his brow as he surveyed the area. He had just witnessed what he thought must've been an act of the gods. Whatever it had been, it had hit on the opposite end of the tree from where his men charged. He dreaded even to think that it was some sort of Super Weapon the Valmese possessed. They'd have to quickly get to the tree's base and under the cover of the branches lest they be targeted themselves by a possible second strike.
His forces had come down from the rear of the Mila Tree and were welcomed by a large amount of enemy soldiers. The enemy were large in numbers and once again had the advantage of fortified positions. Despite the odds, the Ylisseans fought through the raging crowds of Valmese, knowing just how much was at stake.
A lance dove through the air, straight for Basilio. He lifted his axe up in a slant, the lance sliding of its surface. Basilio leapt forward, bringing down his axe onto the Knight who had thrown it. His immense strength drove the Silver Axe through the Knight's armor, and into his chest.
A Myrmidon charged at Basilio, swinging his sword from the side. Basilio stepped back from the swing, and stepped forward into the Myrmidon's follow up. Basilio having closed the distance, he was merely struck by the hilt of the Myrmidon's sword. Basilio grabbed the man's sword arm with both arms. As the Myrmidon struggled in the Khan's grip, Basilio pulled his right arm across his chest, slamming his elbow back and into the man's face. The Myrmidon's nose was smashed as he fell unconscious on the ground.
Basilio retrieved the fallen enemy's sword, eyeing down a Pegasus Rider above an adjacent root. He took aim, and with a mighty swing, he threw the sword at his mark. The sword spun through the air like a buzzsaw, digging into the pegasus, sending them crashing down into the waters around the tree.
The Khan, reclaimed his axe and looked around to regain his bearings of the battlefield. He yelled to the men fighting alongside him. "Push on! We need to regroup with the others! Watch out for all of their blasted fliers!"
Flavia's forces cut through the Valmese hordes. They were battling it out atop the various roots around the great tree.
Flavia was currently dueling with a Valmese Swordmaster. The two had created distance from one another and took a brief moment to recuperate when they noticed the large thunderbolt.
Flavia's eyes were glued to the women across from her, yet her thoughts wandered elsewhere. 'What in god's names was that? That was no ordinary bolt of lightning...'
Her thoughts were interrupted as the Swordsman spoke up, "It seems you Ylisseans have quite the trump card." she breathed.
Flavia eyed the woman curiously. 'Hm. So that wasn't the Valmese's doing...' She was once again snapped from her thoughts as the Swordsman rushed forth.
Flavia slammed her sword furiously into hers, trying to knock her off balance. However, the Valmese Swordsmaster proved to be far more observant than Flavia thought.
As if she had predicted that Flavia would retaliate with brute force, the Swordsmaster allowed the force of Flavias blade to slam into her own, causing her body to forcibly lean to her right side. The Swordsmaster utilized the momentum of her body's sudden reaction as she kicked her left leg up high, slamming her boot into Flavia's face.
Flavia's eyes shut as the foot made contact. Flavia quickly swung her sword in a wide arc, hoping to either slash at her if she sought to take advantage of the successful blow or merely create space.
The Swordsmaster evaded the slash, hopping backwards. She immediately rushed Flavia once more. The woman proved to be a tough adversary. She swung her sword at frightening speeds, in accurate strokes, pushing Flavia back.
Flavia was having trouble keeping up with the onslaught, minding her surroundings and knowing just how close she was from backing off the roots and into the waters below. The Swordmaster was swift and agile, but Flavia knew she had the advantage in terms of brute strength. It hadn't quite worked the first time, so she reassessed her strategy.
Flavia sidestepped a downwards slash and quickly pulled out her Short Axe with her opposite hand. She caught the Swordmaster's blade in her axe, the axe's irregular hook-like shape allowing her to lock the sword in place.
With a twist of her wrist and forceful tug, Flavia disarmed the Swordmaster. She brought both axe and sword over her head and cut downwards into a cross chop into the Swordmaster's chest. The woman let out a cry as the metal pierced her torso, falling to the ground.
Flavia's small victory was short lived, as a javelin sailed through the air and slashed at her thigh. Flavia gasped in pain as she clutched her leg, looking up to find 3 Pegasus Riders circling above. "Damn..." she panted, as she gripped her axe. She eyed the enemies, waiting for them to strike.
One of fliers spun around erratically, before falling into the water.
Flavia snapped her head to find a group of allied Archers lined up to take care of the aerial units.
The Pegasus Riders redirected their focus towards the Archers, evading the arrows that rained down upon them.
"Commander Flavia!" a Ylissean War Cleric yelled as he scurried over. He pulled out a staff and immediately tended to the Khan's wound.
Flavia, panted as her wound glew in a soft glow, sealing up. "I owe you one." she said with a gracious smile.
"Not at all, it's my duty." he said humbly.
"Hurry now, we need to defend our Archers." she spoke as she dashed towards her troops.
Atop the Divine Mila Tree, the Valmese were discussing the ensuing invasion on their stronghold. They had just witnessed the gigantic lightning bolt plummet from the heavens.
A Valmese Knight stood beside a larger armor clad man. "General Cervantes, they're encroaching on our territory from three fronts; To the North, East and South. Their forces at the southern end of the tree are vastly outnumbered. I'd say no more than fifty men." he reported.
The large General, Cervantes, stared down below from the ledge. He seemed more engaged with the hair upon his face than the battle brewing below. "50 men you say? And what of that glorious light show just now?" he asked, twirling the tips of his mustache.
The Knight looked unsure of how to break the news, fidgeting slightly. "About that, sir. It seems the bolt has wiped out an entire squadron of our men. The 50 men we speak of are unscathed and are advancing. So the logical conclusion..."
"Ho ho, so that was their doing, was it?" Cervantes said with a hearty laugh.
"What will you have us do? We've got another group of men readied at the base of the tree. Shall we have them march out?
"No, no. Have them take up positions where they stand. I believe that would be the wise decision."
"I-I don't mean to question your word, sir, but would it not be best to halt their advance?"
"Aye, it would be best. However, we've no intel on whatever weapon they have that caused all that destruction. The closer to the tree they are, the less likely they are to repeat that attack."
"...How do you figure?"
"Think about it lad. Why would the Ylisseans attack here of all places in Valm? Definitely not for any strategic geographical advantage. This tree is in the middle of nowhere, and as far as the masses are aware, days away from any major settlement."
"Why indeed..." The Knight said ponderously.
"What value does this location hold? Why were we stationed here?"
"...To ensure the Voice's captivity."
"Precisely. Lady Tiki is the only thing of any real significance here, and my bet is whatever plans they hold involves her in some manner."
"So they wouldn't wish to cause harm to the tree in fear of harming the Voice? But we were told this tree was nearly invulnerable to damage."
"Yes, and I'm sure the Ylisseans are well aware of the fact. But take into account the sheer size of the lightning bolt and the common knowledge that Lady Tiki is known to dwell at the top of the tree. Any miscalculation would cause the bolt to damage what lies on top as well as down below. If they're willing to risk pitting their forces against ours in order to secure Lady Tiki, they wouldn't be so careless as to jeopardize their entire mission in order to get rid of a few hundred men."
"...So with our forces having the higher ground and the Voice's presence, we should be able to crush them as they reach our defensive lines worry free."
Cervantes nodded. "Now that you've got the gist of it, alert all of our men to pull back and to stick near the tree's trunk."
"Aye, sir!" The Knight saluted before heading down.
Cervantes gazed at the battlefield below, his face showing no signs of intimidation or concern. He felt an odd presence behind him. "It appears as though things are going according to plan." he spoke as he turned around.
With a flash of light, a large man appeared before Cervantes.
The large round man wore a devious smile, clad in dark orange robes. "Eee hee, it seems that you've some wit about you to deduce the reason for the Ylisseans being here."
"When you've been left in the dark about the details of an impending invasion, your mind tends to be quite active." Cervantes said as he narrowed his eyes.
"Oh what difference does it make if I leave out such a detail? You said so yourself, things are going like planned. Those Ylisseans thought their movements after Valm Harbor went unnoticed? Ha! We merely drew them into marching into their own graves."
"It's only a matter of time before they're overtaken by our forces."
"Hee hee, it'll be much sooner than you think."
"What are you scheming now?"
"My scheme will save us both time and men. You see, I've taken the liberty of paying a small visit to Fort Steiger. Upon notifying Pheros of the situation, she was glad to provide a wealth of her troops and send them here. As soon as those Ylissean fools gather 'round the base of the tree, struggling to breakthrough your defensive positions, Pheros' forces will rush in and annihilate them. Eee hee hee, those dogs will perish just within reach of their beacon of hope." The man laughed wickedly, seemingly proud of his swift response to the Ylisseans.
"It's a shame such cunning is wasted on such a... err man like yourself. To be frank the mere sight of you makes my insides curdle. "
The man grit his teeth. "Know your place, fool. As Walhart's Tactician, I am your superior. If you've any qualms about my position in the Empire, take it up with the Conqueror himself."
"Like I'd waste time pursuing anything to do with someone like you. Now, if we're all done here, I best be headed down myself." Cervantes said as he left the man.
"Tch, yes, just go on an ogle at that beloved hair of yours, you swine. Just know that you'd be dead had I not intervened." With that, the man vanished.
The Shepherds sprinted across the massive roots, towards the tree.
"They're not sending any more men after us." Chrom breathed as he ran.
"They probably figured that they'd be better off fighting around their own walls. I won't be able to use Mjolnir again anytime soon." Robin replied, keeping up with Chrom's pace.
The Shepherds' movements came to halt. The Valmese were gathered around the tree, prepared to hold them off when they charged.
Robin tried to get everyone's attention. "Let's take a moment to assess the situation. They don't look like they plan on sending any more men out just yet, and from here, we're out of their spells' and arrows' effective range."
The ceasefire held for awhile, both sides readying themselves.
In time, Basilio and Flavia's forces had also taken note of the Valmese receding back into the tree. They circled the tree's base at a safe distance. All three groups had finally met up after what seemed to them like ages.
"Bwa ha! Looks like we all made it to the party." Basilio laughed as he threw an arm around Chrom and Flavia.
"Hmph, I'm surprised you did." Flavia said jokingly.
"Well we've got these dastards with their backs against the wall. As things are now, they're practically hiding from us." Basilio chuckled.
Robin, who had been pacing around in deep thought, spoke up, "I don't know... This... None of this seems right." he said, voice filled with uncertainty.
"What? That the mighty Valmese Empire's got their tails between their legs?" Flavia asked.
"That's exactly it. Why are they acting so passively? From what our scouts and Say'ri told us, the Valmese have a very large number of men in the vicinity. That's why we tried to take them by surprise and get hold of the tree before they could properly react."
"So what are you saying? They knew we were coming? We've narrowly escaped nearly a hundered of their patrols the last few days. If they've spotted us, they would've taken action earlier." Flavia retorted.
Robin shook his head. He headed for one of horses carrying his belongings. He dug through the pack for a moment before pulling out a large map. "Say'ri, can you come over here for a moment?" he asked, waving at her frantically.
Say'ri hurried over to the Tactician. "How might I be of help?"
Robin straightened out the map on the floor. Basilio, Chrom and Flavia headed over as well.
Robin pointed to a spot on the map. "This is where we're at, correct?"
Say'ri nodded. "Aye, the Mila Tree."
Robin slid his finger across the map and pointed to a spot just a few spaces below. "And this. It's on the map yet it has no identifiable name or label."
Say'ri narrowed her eyes. "...I believe a town once stood there. If I'm not mistaken, it was the site of a massive slaughter. A town once called Steiger. It apparently resembled more of a large fortress than a town, as it had a massive wall surrounding a castle like structure inside. The very walls that kept whatever dangers at bay ended up trapping the inhabitants inside, as the Valmese swarmed the town. I believe there were survivors, but with amount of lives lost during the attack..."
Robin eyed the spot on the map. "So why isn't this area labeled on the map?"
"...During Walhart's conquest of Valm, he tore down several cities and reformed them into new ones. After Valm became his, he issued the publication of a series of new maps. Several towns were renamed as part of the annexation, while some others were completely erased. It would appear as though this particular map was created during the in between period of the Continent's transformation. The Steiger here exists, yet it doesn't..."
Robin pulled at his hair, shutting his eyes. "...Then it's very possible that this 'Steiger' is now a Valmese stronghold.."
The others' eyes widened in horror at the implication.
Flavia slowly spoke. "...T-that means... we rushed in here to catch them off guard, all the while another Valmese base is only a day's march away?"
Robin stomped his foot hard on the ground. "No, don't you get it!? We never had them off guard! They knew we were coming! That's why they're holding out within their walls! Because another army's already been sent to close in us... They're going to pin us down on the roots... And when that happens, they'll swarm us..."
The others wore aggravated looks of disbelief.
"Damn it!" Basilio barked, digging his axe into the ground.
Chrom finally looked up. "Robin... What do we do?"
Robin stared up at the massive tree in its entirety before turning around to gaze at the mountains.
They looked to Robin expectantly.
Robin hung his head, before finally speaking, "We retreat."
A/N: Plot Twist: *gasp* They 'lose'.
The Ylisseans now have to pull back from their little raid and find another way to rescue Tiki. How and when, you'll find out soon.
I am diverging from the story here (a bit) , and will add in a new element to this Arc, but it will still revolve around the Mila Tree.
Also, a certain dastard shows up a bit early.
This is going to change up a few things.
Sorry for the wait, and I hope you're all fine with the route change. I wanted to do something a bit different and fresh all the while sticking to the game's structure for the most part.
In other unrelated news, it would appear that in my drunken 21st birthday extravaganza this weekend, I somehow ended up buying Monster Hunter 4!? How the hell did that happen!? Oh well, the game's pretty dope. Just know that I did not drive during these past nights of debauchery. We had a designated driver, and the dastard apparently just stood by and watched as I threw around my money :O Although I actually might have not been drunk enough, as I didn't wake up to the wondrous site of the NEW 3DS XL along with the Monster Hunter 4...
See ya next time!