DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTERS DON'T BELONG TO ME.
Inexorable Death 1
It was past noon, the setting sun's orange glow bleeding into the once blue sky.
The red headed seller kept the hood of her cloak over her head, scanning the Fortress's approach with unwavering eyes as she sat at the coach of the head wagon.
As the horses trotted up the now gravely road, wagons in tow, she could feel the stares of the Valmese troops marching up and down either side of the path. Their steely gazes indicated distrust, a reasonable reaction towards any outsider headed for their stronghold. Had it not been for the Valmese that had commandeered their convoy earlier, they would have no doubt been stuck with a shower of arrows by now, or worse.
But unbeknownst to the others she was smuggling, her face was not the only thing she had been keeping hidden.
In actuality, she was not the merchant Anna, but rather the Anna who had joined the Shepherds. It had been a last minute change up that took a lengthy explanation to convince her sister to let her take her place. The primary reasoning behind this, was that Anna felt her own silver tongue bested that of her sister. It may have sounded life a trivial affair to anyone unfamiliar with art of persuasion, but among their family, even the most minute details of their craft that went unnoticed to buyers were easy to spot among the sisters. And Anna felt it her duty to assure that her companions made it into the fortress safely. If they were to find out, they may very well brand her a coward. Expel her from their services even. Despite the consequences, she held fast to her decision. And even regarding the risk, she wholeheartedly wanted the mission to succeed. It was equal parts good will and compassion for her friends, as well as the long term investment in helping Ylisse win the war.
It would take a very special Anna to persuade Steiger to buy up over thirty containers of flour for whatever bogus reason she would cook up. And while she had faith in her sister's ability, as arrogant as it sounded, she knew she was better. And they needed the better of the two in the spotlight in order to fulfill such a tall order.
Changing places with her nomadic sister did not however mean she would be fleeing from battle as soon as she would successfully sneak the others in. Although her opportunity to work within the walls would pass her by, she intended to regroup with Basilio and Flavia's forces once they sprung their attack. In its own right, the battle that would ensue just outside Steiger would be no walk in the park. For as practical as Anna thought herself to be, she knew the overall importance of such a decisive battle.
They were getting closer and closer to the front gate. Every three hundred or so meters, the caravan would be stopped by the patrolling guards. Luckily for her, the Valmese escorting them did the talking, so for the moment, she merely needed to nod and put on a cheery smile. And by the looks of it, her sister's travelling companions, the other merchants in the caravan manning the two other wagons, proved to be quite the veterans themselves. They've managed to stay and appear levelheaded and unfazed by their treacherous mission. And just how far they were willing to stick their necks out to earn a hefty sum of gold was a testament to just how powerful money was in the world of mortals.
To be quite honest, the eight hour journey to get out here had been nerve wracking for the red headed woman. Every so often, she'd hear faint laughter or thumping coming from the wagon behind her. She prayed to the god of fortune that the ruckus went unnoticed by the Valmese, and like always, her luck hadn't failed her yet. However, she did make a mental note to quite literally 'drown Teach in booze' for his earlier near fatal slip up. They should consider themselves fortunate that the sounds of horses and wheels crushing against the rocky path was enough to drown out their rabble, lest they find their barrels being harpooned by the very enemy they were trying oh so very hard to elude.
But whatever costly mistake could've ended their lives before, was simply just that. In the past. Anna found herself mentally preparing herself for the forthcoming verbal battle. It would be a first for her. Not the first time she'd be selling goods to such dangerous people, but the first time a successful sale would spell death for her patron. And although she was sure that she must have been breaking some rule in her illustrious family's code of conduct, she knew it had to be done. A world ruled by the Valmese Empire meant less lives, and less lives to sell to. It was common knowledge that news of war brought delight to every merchant such as herself, meaning lifetime supplies of gold in sales of weapons and equipment. But based on the rather disconcerting news her sister had brought to her about Walhart's apparent enactment of an embargo and other strict regulations, if the Valmese were to have their way, one could only wonder just how long the free market would remain 'free'. The Anna's were always a mercantile family, so she assured herself that such a cause would be, in respects to her heritage, a noble one worth fighting for.
Suddenly, a large mass swooped down, flying just above Anna's head.
On instinct, she jolted in her seat, but immediately tugged on the reigns to settle down her startled horses as she cursed beneath her breath.
It had been a Valmese Falcon Flier, who sure enough must have been sent from the fortress to observe what business a merchant caravan had in their territory. The reckless flier seemed to care little for the well being of her sister's poor horses, whose inexperience in and unsuitability for combat had them riled up at the very sight of the fearsome, carnivorous griffon.
'That little dastard! What if the horses had gone berserk, causing the wagon to tip over? Had it been actual merch I was transporting, imagine the loss in profits I'd suffer from the damages!' she fumed, but making sure to appear unbothered and keeping her eyes on the road. After all, she wasn't in any position to give an attitude seeing as she was at their complete mercy at this point. But if given the freedom, while she couldn't exactly say that she'd be able to shoot the rider down from his altitude, she'd at least settle for dazzling him to the sight of both her adorable middle fingers.
The Falcon Flier circled over head a few times, passing over the other wagons at the back before judging them to be non hostile and making his way back inside the fortress walls.
"You better run." Anna muttered as she watched the retreating figure disappear into the mountain of stone.
And mountain of stone was a rather accurate description of the fortress.
Anna feasted her eyes at the now close Fort Steiger. It seemed the Resistance members stretched no truths in describing just how massive the encampment really was. True to the rumors, a small town could have easily fit within its walls. And what stuck out the most from the already eye catching sight was the towering castle like structure that stood at the center. It wasn't as big as the one in Ylisse nor Feroxi, but for such a thing to be out in the middle of seemingly nowhere was impressive in its own right.
At the corners of the triangular prism shaped castle like structure stood four tall watch towers. A tad excessive, she thought, given that the actual walls were already home to several of them. But she couldn't help but wonder just what kind of lavish life the man who built such a fortress lived, as well as how sweet it would be to, in the sales sense of the phrase, rob him blind.
She couldn't recall any information about some sovereign presiding in this area long ago, but what offered her a clue as to the history of the fort was the architecture in combination with Berkov's, who claimed to be local to the area, story. If she remembered correctly, Berkov mentioned that his people were devout worshipers of Naga. He also claimed that his people were driven from Steiger a few years back. Next came the serpentine like motif tracing the borders of the walls and castle. There were also several spots on the wall with niches, that now only held varying amounts of rubble. She deduced statues of sort used to have been nestled within them before they were torn down. All of that coupled with the fact that Walhart apparently showed great dislike for the worship of gods made the once mysterious origins of Steiger painfully obvious.
Anna came to the conclusion that Fort Steiger had once been a community slash establishment for some order in Naga's service. A sort of grand temple and center of command for the religious. It would make sense given it's geographic proximity to the Mila Tree.
And now, where such an assuredly important spiritual site once was, stood a symbol of the Valmese's power and conquest.
'At least the Valmese had the decency to keep the original name...' Anna thought sardonically.
She was soon snapped away from her thoughts as the light from the sun vanished behind a giant stone wall. She looked up to see that she had just arrived at the front gate.
Her horses came to a halt, finally putting an end to the long series of clunking she had grown used to over the last few hours.
After a few metallic clanks, and with a loud rumbling, the large gate slowly split open, revealing the neat, spacious area within.
Soon, two lines of several armored men carrying lances marched out and stood in place on both sides of the wagon.
A tall, slim man made his way through the large archway of the entrance and walked up to Anna. With a wave of his hand, everyone single one of the soldiers had the tips of their lances trained for the red head.
Anna remained, calm, trying her best to keep up the appearance that she was unintimidated and well versed with such exchanges. She stole glances up the walls, spying a line of Archers with their bows at the ready.
She smiled lightly for appearance's sake, and redirected her attention back to the slim man.
The man, who's pale face and long brown hair swayed with each movement, paced back and forth before her. He'd turn his head up and down, seemingly inspecting every inch of the wagon in a subtle manner.
His pacing finally came to a halt as he turned to face her directly. He offered her a slight nod before speaking. "You have arrived at Fort Steiger. I am one of the division captains, Rodrigo. How fare thee, merchant?" he spoke in a surprisingly gentle voice.
"Tired. I'm quite tired to be honest. We would have arrived here far sooner if your men had not insisted on marching at the pace of their grandmothers." Anna replied. She was careful not to seem apprehensive, for it would make obvious she was hiding something. For that reason, she decided to go with a more witty and casual approach. But would it work?
Rodrigo's head seemed to tilt back slightly, most likely out of surprise at her response. He raised a brow, before lowering both and further scrutinizing her under his gaze.
Anna, in response, raised her own brows, feigning impatience.
The flat expression on Rodrigo's face faltered slightly, before he let out a hearty laugh. "Bwaha, pay them no heed. Those fools have marching for hours on end. As you might have already noticed, the terrain in this area is anything but gentle."
"Tell me about it. It's been rocks and pebbles for miles, and then it turns out the place I was headed to was the biggest one of them all. So what say you? Willing to help a girl turn a day filled with granite into a day filled with gold?"
"Ha, straight to business, huh? I think some of my men can learn a thing or two from a lass like you."
"I take pride in my efficiency. And if you haven't guessed by now, time, to me, is a valuable resource."
"Now isn't that true for all of us? know, you're a lot different from the last one of you that came around a month or two ago."
"Ah, you must be referring to one of my sisters."
"Gods, I'd hate to imagine what your family get togethers look like."
"Lot's of beauties all in one place?"
"Now aren't you confident one?"
"What's wrong? Am I not pretty enough for you?" Anna asked, adding a cute wink at the end.
Rodrigo seemed to have grown slightly flustered. And all though his face remain unchanged, how his words came out spoke novels."N-no, n-not at all! I mean, of course you are!"
Anna inwardly smirked. 'Too easy..'
"In fact, I told that sister of yours the very same thing."
'Alright, mess with him just a bit more...' "So you're the type to hit on all the girls in the family, ehhh?"
"...Only when they're all as good looking as you are."
'Now give him something to grab on to...' "Heh, well aren't you a smooth one? I like my men devoted, but I think a man with honesty is a keeper in his own right."
"Well they don't come as loyal as we proud Valmese, that's for sure. Isn't that right, men?" he spoke, starting to feel confident enough to flash her a grin.
'Ew' Anna gagged.
The soldiers all cried out with a resounding 'aye!' at their captain's beckon.
"Well then, a man with power certainly has his charms as well."
"You should expect no less from a Captain of the Valmese Empire." Rodrigo said proudly.
"Oh, wow. You must be some hot stuff!" 'Heh, and there's the title dropping... Get your head out of your arse, you self-absorbed fool.'
"Hehehehe... Say, why don't you stick around for the night? I'm sure you must be exhausted from such a long trip."
Anna looked off to the side bashfully. "I don't know..." 'I'd sooner go broke, sicko...'
"Come onnn. Don't be so shy. We've got plenty of room to accommodate you and your friends here at Steiger." he persisted.
'FRIENDS? ...No wait, he's probably referring to the other merchants. Keep it together, Anna. You're supposed to be your sister...'
Rodrigo continued with his attempts. "And I'll see it to that a lady such as yourself get's a nice cozy room. So, what do you say?"
With a sweet smile, Anna pulled a finger to her chin, and closed her eyes, assuming her trademark pose."Wellll, that does sound pretty nice... Are you going to be free later? Orrr... will I have a room to myself?" 'That should work...'
Rodrigo was practically drooling. "O-of course I am! ...I'll obviously have to attend to my duties first. A guy in my position's got a lot on his plate after all. But I guess I can squeeze in some time for you."
'Disgusting... Is this guy actually trying to play hard to get now? Does he think that's hot or something?' "Heh, you know what? I just might take you up on that offer. Just maybe... But first, I've got to get business out of the way."
"That's right, that's right. So, err... I didn't catch your name."
'Naga help me, he's still at it...' "It's Anna, Captain Rodrigo."
The man seemed to take pride at hearing both his name and title leave her lips. "So now then, miss Anna, what have you got for us today?"
"It just so happens, I've got quite the essential item for any militia. And what more, I'm selling in bulk! I've got eighty barrels of flour, along with four crates of the stuff."
"Flour, huh? Sounds like just what we were looking for!" Rodrigo said enthusiastically.
'Is this idiot for real? He's going to buy eighty-four orders of flour, no questions asked, just because he thinks he's got a chance at bedding me? Hah! Why can't all sales be this easy?' "Then I'm sure you'll be most pleased with the ones I've got. They're of the finest quality, from grain fields to the west."
"The west you say? I'm from the west!"
'Gods, just please stop already...' "What a coincidence! But given that it's from your homeland, there's no reason to be surprised with such exquisite products, right?"
"Absolutely. Anyways, let's get you and your wagons settled inside and we can unload your cargo. Soon as that's done, I'll go fetch the gold."
"How very fast and efficient of you."
"Heh, and isn't that how you like it?" he asked, offering her a wink of his own.
'Go 'Heh' yourself. You walked right into that...' "Aww, you're a good listener as well? If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm in love!"
The pale man's face lit up, a stupid grin on his face. "Hehe, easy there. We'll have time for that later." he said. Rodrigo turned towards his soldiers, his demeanor instantly changing. "What are you all waiting for? Get out of the girl's way and help her get her stuff unloaded!"
"Aye!" they responded.
A soldier walked up to Anna and motioned for her to let him guide the wagon inside. She obeyed and got out of her seat, standing off to the side.
She watched as one by one, the the three wagons went into the fortress. 'This was just too easy! ...Why was it this easy? Was that man not a true blue fool? There's no way a horny idiot like him would be the type to have something up his sleeve...'
And Anna was right for the most part. In a matter of minutes, she had the Valmese Captain eating out of the palm of her hands.
"What the hell are these wagons doing inside of my fortress?" A voice boomed.
'It's never this easy...' Anna cursed, turning towards the entrance. She peeked around the archway and into the courtyard, to see a tall blonde woman with half her face covered by her long blond hair. The woman wielded a long staff and wore some eye catching attire. Everything about her, from the defined features of her face to each of her purposeful strides, seemed to exude a sense of power and control. Even among the sea of mostly men at Steiger, it was obvious she was the dominant figure.
Rodrigo was down on his knee. "G-general Pheros! This is Anna. She's a merchant."
"I'm aware of her and her family. I'm asking what she's doing inside my walls."
"She's hear to sell us some goods..." Rodrigo said softly.
"Is that so. So tell me, just what are these goods that have you nearly drooling at the mouth?" she asked in disgust.
"...Flour, mam."
"You intend to buy flour?" she asked in a harsh tone, punctuating her question by slamming the base of her staff down unto the floor.
"I-I figured we could use a li-" Rodrigo was cut off as this time, the length of Pheros's staff came slamming down, stopping to hover inches from his face.
"You do not even have the sense to consult with your General before making such decisions? Get out of my sight at once." she ordered.
Rodrigo slowly rose to his feet, offering one final bow before heading inside the castle. He had not even spared a moment to look back to Anna.
Pheros watched his retreating figure, then turned her attention towards Anna.
Anna would be lying if she said she wasn't breaking into a cold sweat right about now.
Pheros held her gaze, slowly making her way over. "You. Girl."
"...Yes?"
"Was that fool Rodrigo bothering you?"
"Huh?"
"I asked if he was bothering you."
"Oh, well... He was coming on a bit strong if that's what you mean." Anna could've sworn she saw the corners of her lips gently turn upwards.
"I shouldn't have expected any better. I'll see to it I give him a proper punishment later. I apologize, he's an infamous philanderer. But with his looks, I fail to understand why he even tries."
"Hehe, now that's a bit much, don't you think?"
"I know better than most how he truly is. He's been under my command for years."
"Uh, don't mean to be asking things I shouldn't, but if he's a problem, why not fire him and be done with it?"
"Because despite his repulsive nature, he's a damn good soldier. It'd be foolish to dismiss him for the reason that he's got no tact with women."
"But isn't that true of most men?"
"Heh, to be a woman in a world of men." Pheros said cynically.
"That's life, I suppose."
"But, I digress. What business do you have selling flour to Fort Steiger? And just flour? Surely that's not all you have in stock."
"...No, actually that is all I have. I've been tasked with getting rid of our surplus, so I'm selling it in bulk. I'm feeling a bit generous today, so I might be inclined to cut you a nice deal."
"I don't see how any amount of price cut will change the fact that you're trying to sell us flour. What use have we got for it?"
"Come now, surely a woman such as yourself knows the significance of the necessity of flour in times like these. I'd say it's duly important given the fact you've got so many men under your control." Anna explained. Seeing how Pheros seemed to pride herself as a woman in possession of such power, Anna decided to drop some subtle flattery, making mention of 'her being in control of men'. It was nothing to big, but tiny nuances such as these could be used to work into the mind of the buyer.
"You make a fine point... But I still find myself unconvinced. It's just flour."
"Perhaps I should elaborate?"
"If you plan on making a sale, I suggest you do."
"Right away. So as you may know, I come from a long line of merchants."
"Yes, and all are identical if I'm not mistaken. I'd hate to imagine what your get togethers look like."
'Why does everyone keep saying that...' "That's correct. And yes, they can get a bit hectic, hehe. So like I was saying, as a merchant from a long line of merchants, if I may be so proud to say so, I know a thing or two about many ways the average person wouldn't even begin to imagine to be able to do with flour."
"Many ways to use flour? ...I fancy myself a person who admires innovation. Speak more of these other uses."
"For example, aside from the usual use of flour for cooking, are you aware that it's able to be used to polish copper?"
"Copper, you say?"
"That's right. And surely you've got a ton of that lying around, right? Take those bells up their for instance." Anna said, pointing a finger up one of the watch towers of the castle. "Just mix some flour together with a bit of vinegar and salt to get some nice thick goop."
"Goop?"
"Well that's kind of what it is. Anyways, you rub that stuff all over the bells, let it sit for a bit and then buff it off. Presto! You'll swear those bells had just been newly forged!"
"Most intriguing... But I find that hard to believe. You couldn't possibly be lying to me, could you?" Pheros asked with a harsh but restrained tone.
"Gods no. I'm not some cutthroat salesman from the slums, I've got a reputation keep up."
"Then let us put your claims to the test." Pheros raised a hand, and immediately a Valmese solder came running up to her.
"General." The man addressed her, as he saluted.
"Fetch me some vinegar, salt, and a few rags. Also, bring a candelabra from the dining hall."
"Yes, mam." the soldier complied, making haste to gather the materials.
Anna offered Pheros a smile. "So it's a demonstration you seek?"
"Indeed. Tell me, what will be my reaction to the outcome? Delight? Or disappointment?"
"Although I'm sure you'll be pleased with the results, for a woman like yourself to be 'delighted' over something as useful, yet trivial as this would be a tad insulting, don't you think?"
Pheros smirked. "Good answer."
"And not only bells, I'm sure you've got bevy of kitchen utensils, horns, and even the occasional bronze statue lying about that are just dying for a quick shine. Also... I'm sure those buckles on your army would appreciate a nice makeover as well. A leader's got to look her finest, right?"
Pheros looked down at herself, before nodding slightly. "So the method works for other metals other than just copper?"
"Mhm, you can try it on bronze and stainless steel as well."
They said little more in the coming minutes, Anna finding herself standing awkwardly before the General, who was currently twirling a strand of her hair.
'Come to think of it, she looks like she takes good care of herself...' Anna mused to herself, plotting her next move.
Finally, the soldier Pheros had sent out returned with the requested materials.
Pheros grabbed the small containers and the candelabra and dismissed the man. "Might you do the honors?" she asked, handing the materials over to Anna.
"Fine by me." she replied, setting them down on the ground. "Let me just go scoop up a bit of flour for us." she said, as she made her way back to the wagon.
She opened up the door at the back and pulled down out the wooden step stool for herself. She stepped on and scanned over the sea of barrels. Anna had memorized the locations of each of the barrels that contained the Shepherds, as well as the 'false' barrels with the actual flour. "Row 1, Column A... Row 1 Column B... Row 1, Column C... and here we are. Row 1, Column D." she spoke aloud, scooting closer to the container.
She grabbed a metal crowbar hanging on the side of the wagon's interior and pried into the crease of the barrel's lid. Although the barrels and containers concealing the Shepherds had been arranged so that they could open them from within, the actual flour barrels were tightly shut. Anna heaved on the metal crow bar, slowlt prying open the top. As soon as it was off, she quickly tore open on of the many sacks of flour within. She had nothing to put the flour in, so she grabbed a scoop of the powdery substance with her hand and got out. She kicked the door shut and made her way back to Pheros, whose folded arms posture indicated impatience.
"Sorry for the wait. And, I hope you don't mind if I make a slight mess of the floor."
"It won't be an issue. I'll have one of my men clean it up later."
"Then let's get started, shall we." Anna said, bending down and opening up the jar of vinegar with one hand. She saw it was less than a quarter filled, but found it was still far too much. She tilted the jar on its side, pouring out some of its contents.
Pheros eyes her suspiciously.
"Sorry, you've got to have the right amount of each or it won't turn out right." Anna said in response.
The General nodded in understanding, observing the merchant's every movement. She watched as Anna poured the her handful of flour into the jar of vinegar. Next she opened the jar of salt, and carefully pinched an amount with her hands. She sprinkled it into the jar of mixture, then took another handful of salt and did the same thing. Then, she stuck her hand in the jar and began mixing together the ingredients.
Pheros leaned in, growing slightly curious. "How long does this usually take?"
"Not long. Just... a little... more... and there." Anna pulled her hand out of the jar and held it out for Pheros to see.
The General peered into the contents. "Well, it does seem to be... goop, as you described it."
"What did I tell you?" Anna said proudly.
"But let's not be hasty. I've yet to confirm it actually does the job with the copper."
Anna gave her a nod before reaching for the copper candelabra. "Take a good look at how it appears before the process."
Pheros noted how hazy the metal was, and it's lack of shine. "I've got it."
Anna then took a handful of the 'goop' and applied it to the dull surface of the copper. She rubbed it evenly all across, until the entirety of of the exterior was coated in the substance. Anna set the candelabra aside. "We'll have to let it sit for a few minutes."
"Understood. In the mean time, inform me of what other miracles you intend for me to believe flour can create."
"Let's see... Do you grow crops around here?"
"We usually have supplies delivered to us, but yes, we've got a few fields for plowing in the area."
"Then I'm sure you've got quite the pest problem, no? I mean who doesn't?"
Pheros nodded.
"Well if you just sprinkle a bit of flour over your crops, it'll work as a natural pest repellent."
"Flour?"
"Mhhm."
"What else?"
"Well, you can also make dough for molding."
"Dough? Do I look like a child to you?"
"Oh, not at all. But surely you can up with a few ways to put it to good use. For example... to make... miniature models of your units!"
Pheros raised a brow.
Anna continued. "You know, don't you military types often do those mock battle things with the wooden pieces and the map? Models made of dough will be much easier to make than having to carve them out."
Pheros pondered the idea. "A rather poor example to give if you intend on swaying me, but I'll admit it is interesting nonetheless."
Anna was grateful that at the least, she was able to keep her interested. "Alrighty, I believe the candelabra's just about ready." she announced, picking up the copper mass.
The goop had slightly hardened over the surface. Pheros handed Anna a rag and motioned for her to proceed. The redhead, forcefully rubeed up and down the neck of the candelabra, working away the hardened substance. In time, the candelabra was clear of the goop once more. Anna admired her work then held it out for Pheros to see.
Anna saw how Pheros's brows raised ever so slightly. "What do you think?"
Pheros lowered the object and looked to her. "I must say, it's noticeably shinier that it had been before."
"And I only used a small amount, too." Anna said, satisfied with her reaction.
Pheros set down the candelabra and with another raise of her hand, the soldier from before came sprinting over to gather the materials and leave. Pheros cleared her throat. "It appears you were not lying about the properties of flour."
"I told you, I've got a reputation to keep up. Now, what next? Would you require me to sprinkle your fields with flours as well?"
"That will not be necessary. You've already proven the ridiculous idea that flour could polish copper. I'll choose to accept your claims. That is, assuming you have any more."
"That's definitely not all." Anna announced. Gathering up a bit of courage, she took a few cautious steps towards the General.
Pheros didn't seemed bothered by the gesture in the slightest. Perhaps it showed just how confident she was in our martial prowess.
Anna was now steps away from her, eyes gazing up at Pheros's face.
"What is it?" the General asked.
"I was just admiring your lovely complexion."
"Ah... Thank you."
"I bet getting proper cosmetic supplies all the way out here is no walk in the park, huh?"
"Not as easy as one would hope."
"Well have I got a quick fix for you. Flour happens to also be a wonder for maintaining hygiene. Feeling a bit icky after running these men into the ground all day, yet you're a bit too tired for a proper shower?"
Pheros couldn't help but chuckle at the scenario given.
"Ever heard of a dry shower?" Anna asked.
"Dry... Shower?"
"It's exactly what it sounds like. No need to step into a bath or even get wet, just apply ample amounts of flour into your hair, work it through those lovely golden locks of yours, and the flour does the rest. While it obviously isn't a perfect replacement for a real bath, the flour gets rid of all that built up oil in your hair."
"Fascinating." Pheros replied, this time more open with her awe.
"Not just the hair, but it'll also get rid of those pesky blemishes that tend to pop up at the worse times."
From the look in her eyes, Anna could tell Pheros wanted her to go on. "Just mix some flour with a bit of honey, and you'll get a nice paste like product. Apply that to the afflicted area and leave it on overnight. You'll be delighted to find out the next morning that the blemish has vanished! As if it were some rebel having caught sight of the Valmese."
Pheros seemed to appreciate the jest, and let out a laugh.
Seeing how Pheros seemed to be just on the brink of being persuaded, Anna sided it was time to seal the deal.
"You know, there is one thing particular that would be sure to catch your interest. Especially seeing as you've got an army to run here."
"I'm listening."
"It's called a dust explosion."
"An explosion?"
"That's correct. Ever spilled some powder before, then end up with it fluttering around in the air and what not?"
"I've had it happen, yes."
"Be grateful there wasn't an open flame anywhere near at the time, or you would have been toast."
"Hmm, but flames are easily produced by tomes. Would value would it have to offer?"
"But a flame and an explosion are as different as night and day! While the dust explosion may not be right for jobs where you're looking to scorch or incinerate something, they make up for it with the sheer force of the blast. With enough, I've no doubts that the resulting shockwave of the explosion would be enough to knock down a battalion of over 50 men. And I'm sure you must know that while fire spells are neat, they don't quite pack that certain punch. Think of the method with the flour as a simple Fire spell, but with the force of an Arcwind."
"...It's not to say that I still doubt you, but would you care to demonstrate just this last bit?"
"Would I care? I was practically waiting for you to ask." Anna said cheerfully. "Let me get some more flour."
"I need a barrel."
"Wha?"
"A barrel. I wish to see the effects of an entire barrel. Is that not possible?"
"No, sure it is. But... you do realize this barrel's coming out of the stock I'm selling."
"If all goes smoothly, consider your entire shipment sold."
"I-I'm happy to hear." Anna said with a smile. 'Alright! I actually pulled it off! Way to go, Anna!'
Pheros raised her hand once again, this time, several men running up to her beckon. She ordered them to retrieve an entire barrel of flour.
Seeing the group of men headed for the wagon, Anna panicked at the risk of them discovering her comrades and jogged after them.
Pheros looked on at redhead, her eyes slightly narrowing.
Anna stopped in front of the group just before they opened the wagon. "Wait, wait. Just wait one second. I'll handle which barrel will be used for the demonstration. I've already taken some from one, so we'll use that one again. After all, you'll be saving flour."
The men nodded and followed her lead. Anna reopened the wagon's door, eyes scanning over the containers. '...Row A, barrel 4.' "Here we are, this one right here." she pointed out. The men pulled the barrel out and hoisted it over to the middle of the courtyard.
Anna went back up to Pheros.
"So how exactly do we go about doing this?" the General asked.
"You need to cut open the sacks and empty the flour back into he barrel."
Pheros nodded, turning back to her men. "You heard her! Get a move on!"
The men complied, taking the sacks out and cutting them open. While they were busy with that task, Pheros turned to Anna. "Then what?"
Anna put a finger to her chin. "Well the whole idea is essentially blowing it up as a cloud. You'll need to get the flour airborne... You've got mages on the walls, right? When all the flour's in the barrel, leave the lid open. Have one of your mages fire a basic Wind spell towards the barrel at a safe distance. The breeze should weaken enough by the time it reaches the barrel so it's not enough to destroy it, but it should kick the flour up into the air. You've got to be quick. You don't want the flour spreading around the area too thinly, so when it's still a visible mass, just a spark should ignite the thing ablaze."
"Sounds simple enough." Pheros concluded. She waved for two men to come over. She gave them orders to set things up on the walls to Anna's directions. They nodded in understanding and made haste up the wall.
"So how do you plan on introducing the fire?" Ana asked. "Maybe a simple Fire spell would suffice."
Pheros shook her head. "If what you're saying is true, I want to see the resulting explosion at it's purest, without the use of magic. I've instructed them to light an arrow on fire and shoot it into the cloud when ready."
"Sounds like a reasonable approach." she admitted.
After a few minutes of preparation, the spectacle was ready to begin.
The barrel stood in the middle of the courtyard, lid open, the flour now out of its sacks and piled up within.
The audience of solders all stood in wait, a safe distance away from the site of course.
Pheros looked towards the wall, where stood and Archer and Made. The Archer raised up an arrow, with it's oiled tip ablaze, to indicate all things were clear on their end.
Pheros raised her staff into the air to commence the experiment.
The mage on the wall charged up his Wind tome, the energy channeling through his body. He outstretched his palm down at the barrel and shot forth a powerful breeze. The wind traveled the distance, slightly petering out before making contact. As suspected, the wind crashed into the barrel and kicked up a cloud of flour.
The archer readied his bow, drawing back on the string and taking aim. He observed the white cloud, waiting for it grow. When he felt it was large enough, he let go of the string, sending the flaming arrow out.
The arrow sailed into the air, and just barely punctured the outermost layer of the cloud before the the flame began to spread all around.
The arrow had set fire to the tiny particles of floating flour, which then spread to other nearby particles as they passed each other.
Such a process happened at an extraordinarily fast pace, so to those watching, all of what they got to see of the process was the flame just barely enshrouding the arrow before the entire cloud vanished into an explosion of fire.
With a thundering boom, the shockwave raced through the inside of Steiger's walls, knocking down several skeptical soldiers who were still a bit too close to the incident.
Anna covered her face with an arm, as the resulting gust of wind blew towards her direction. She glance at Pheros, whose entire expression could only mean that the first step of the Shepherd's mission was all but complete.
Pheros shook herself out of her state of awe, turning back to Anna. "Most impressive. You were definitely being true to your word regarding its power."
Anna winked. "So do we have a deal?"
Pheros nodded. "You have me convinced of the usefulness of such an ordinary commodity. What will be your price for the entire stock?"
"Normally, all of this would sell for around 8,000 gold, but seeing as I am simply trying to get rid of our surplus... How does 6,000 sound?" she offered. Although under normal circumstance, the red headed seller would usually opt for squeezing out as much profit as possible, she knew she had to play this one safe for the sake of the mission. She just had to make sure the barrels got inside the castle.
"6,000 sounds like a grossly fair price."
"Like I said, I just needed to get rid of the stuff. However, it's back to 8,000 the next time."
"Fair enough." Pheros ordered a Myrmidon to fetch Anna her gold, before ordering the others to unload the shipment of flour. "Get them to pantry as soon as possible." Pheros began walking towards the wagon. Anna soon followed.
"Where you headed?" Anna asked.
"Just... observing." Pheros replied.
Anna found herself a bit unsure of what exactly that meant.
One by one, the barrels were lifted out of the first wagon. As they passed her by, Anna did a mental head count. 'Row 3, Column C... Row 3, Column D... Gregor... Row 3, Column F ...'
"Something on your mind?" Pheros asked, startling the red head.
"Wha? No, just making sure they don't drop the the merch. After all, it's still mine until I receive the gold." Anna saved. While she directed her attention to Pheros, she stole glances from the side of her eyes to not keep track of which barrels were currently being taken out.
"The person I sent should be back any moment now. So, what do you plan on doing after?"
"As soon as the barrels have been taken care of, I'll have to depart if I intend to make back tomorrow by noon."
"And where are you headed?"
"...A small fishing village by the lake before the Mila Tree. My sister and the rest of our main caravan are stopping over there." 'Okay, now they're onto Row 5... Row 5, Column A... Sumia... Miriel... Row 5, Column D...'
"I see. I'll have my men escort you until you are out of our territory."
"Much appreciated. There a bandit problem in the area or something?" 'Tharja... Row 6, Column B...'
"If there were, I'd love to meet the fools with enough stones to think they can commit such acts on my land."
Yet another barrel was being taken out. Two men held from each end and made way for the pantry.
'That's Row 7, Column D... Wait... Who was in there?' Anna thought. She eyed the barrel as the soldiers carried it passed her.
Then wihtout warning, Pheros stepped forward, right arm shooting out for the the hilt of the sword attached to the man on the right's side.
Anna looked on in terror. "W-what are you doi-"
But Pheros paid her no attention, forcibly pulling the blade out of its scabbard at angle, a metallic shriek filling the air. The without a moment of pause, she pulled the blade back and drove it straight it the center of the barrel.
"...I-Is something the matter?" Anna asked
Pheros reached for the sword sheathed on the man on the left's side. She pulled the blade out and quickly drove dead into the center of the barrel.
Anna jumped as she watched the mass of steel sink deep into the wood. Her eyes were wide, mouth hanging open, and her heart beating erratically.
Pheros observed held the sword, the blade still in the barrel. After a moment, she let go of the hilt and stepped back. "Have this one taken to my quarters." she commanded.
"...What was that about?" Anna asked softly, hair cast over her eyes.
"Nothing." Pheros answered, turning to walk to another wagon.
Anna stood silent. Watching as the barrel disappeared into the castle, sword still pierced at it's side.
The mission was a success. She did what she, nay, her sister was tasked with. Basilio and Flavia's forces would attack anytime within the hour.
All that's left for the Shepherds were to defeat Pheros from the inside.
Her duty within the walls was done, and was time for her to depart.
Anna forced a shaky smile, slowly following after Pheros as she mustered all her strength not to collapse with each step.
'Lissa...'
A/N: The first installment in the Inexorable Death arc, and the third chapter of the marathon.
Surprisingly enough, Anna was the star of nearly the entire chapter!
Pretty different from the previous chapters, as I've never really focused on Anna herself as of yet. It's why I started having her show up more during the Innocence arc. It was also strange that the other Shepherds where for the most part, absent from this chapter. I mean, the were actually there the whole time in the barrels, but they got no speaking roles this time around. So yes, this chapter was a new experience for me, but I had fun with it.
What more, I'll have you know that all of the little things Anna was teaching Pheros about the many uses of flour, are actually all true. The one tiny exception being sprinkling it over crops. While it 'can' be used in that manner, I believe it's only limited to certain vegetables such as yams and potatoes.
I hope I showed Anna in the proper light. A bit of an attitude, a silver tongue, and whole lot of wit.
As for the ending... War isn't all sunshine and rainbows, is it?
Once again, see you in three days!