DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN FIRE EMBLEM OR ITS CHARACTERS
Inexorable Death 2
Anna gripped the reigns of her horses tightly from her seat on the coach seat. She stared lifelessly out the fortress entrance, back down the winding path. The Valmese had finished unloading all of the 'flour' and the wagons had been turned around in preparation for their departure.
"You look as if you're about ready to pass out."
Anna glanced to the side to meet Pheros's gaze. "Yeah, I'm... beat. It's been a long day after all. I'm just glad I was able to make the sale, otherwise I wouldn't hear an end my sister's scolding." she replied, attempting to put on a cheerful face.
"I see. For a moment there, I was beginning to think that talking to me left you so exhausted... Do I seem that intimidating to you?"
"Oh, not at all! I actually thank you for getting rid of that Rodrigo guy when you did."
"Think nothing of it. I despise men like him. But, I better not keep you any longer, lest you end up late with your arrival and suffer the wrath of that sister of yours."
"Hehe... I appreciate it."
"My men will take care of you until you're out of the area. Until we meet again." Pheros said, before turning to head back inside.
Anna stared at her retreating figure, jaw clenched.
With a heavy sigh, she tugged on the reigns and set out on her journey.
Pheros strolled through the inside of the castle, her staff, used as a sort of cane, rhythmically clacking unto the ground after every few steps.
She passed through the dining hall on her way to the throne room.
As she continued with her march, her eyes caught the sight of one particularly gleaming candelabra upon one of the long tables.
She walked towards it and ran a hand down it's metallic neck.
'That girl was interesting one...' she thought to herself, stepping away from the table and continuing with her stroll.
'Perhaps we should get to work putting all that flour to use. I can place a few barrels of the stuff along the high road up to the fort, they look innocent enough. They'll make for a spectacular welcoming gift for the Ylisseans if they come.' she mused.
When a certain source had given her word of Cervantes's humiliating performance at the Mila Tree, she knew it was only a matter of time before they'd learn of Steiger's whereabouts. And while the reports of nightmarish creatures having taken part in the battle was certainly a cause for alarm, she still found herself more concerned with the actual enemy forces.
Word of the Ylissean's various victories against their Empire quickly spread like wildfire throughout Valm. She believed the hope such tales could instill in the already bitter citizens to be far more deadly than some story of monsters. And what more, they had evicted Cervantes from his post and now had the Voice in their custody. With the news about the Empire's embarassing string of defeats as well as word that the Voice was free from captivity surely to be making their way across the continent, a rebellion was all but inevitable.
If the people of Valm were all to suddenly rise up, the damage to the Empire would be unprecedented. And while she was confident that the Empire could eventually stamp down the dissenters, the problem lay in the possibility of the Ylissean forces suddenly mounting an attack while they had their hands full.
She was almost certain that Steiger would be their next target. The Ylisseans had to have noticed the troops she had sent from the south to aid Cervantes during their first attempt to take the Mila Tree. But that would be their fatal error. She had far more troops then what Cervantes had under his command and the defenses of her fort were vastly superior to those of the fort at the Mila Tree. And even if the Ylisseans were somehow able to miraculously pull a victory here, a thought she shuddered at, she had received word today from the Emperor himself that Yen'fays forces would be moving out of Chon'sin and into Valm's central region.
When the Ylisseans would attack, and if they were to win, they'd find themselves with no time to breath with Yen'fay's forces suddenly leaping at their throats. But if things turned out for the best, Yen'fay would arrive at Steiger before the Ylissean assault even happened, allowing them to combine their forces. It would then only be a matter of locating the enemy and finally putting an end to their crusade with their overwhelming forces.
But for now, she needed to bolster their defenses for the coming attack.
Pheros finally reached the throne room. In comparison with the typically more grandiose and spacious throne rooms one would usually imagine, the one at Steiger was far smaller and more modest. That was not to say it was any less fitting for the one who once ruled over the fort, for the room was filled with priceless furnishings such as several beautiful paintings, regal carpeting, and chairs which almost looked as if they were made partly of gold. Pheros, headed over to her seat at the far end of the room, to wait for their war council to begin so they may plan for the upcoming attack.
But before she could even turn to sit down, she heard the sounds of various hurried footsteps behind her.
Several Knights escorting an exhausted looking Falcon Flier rushed into the room.
"What is going on?" Pheros asked, eyeing the battered and bruised flier.
One of the knights stepped forward. "General, this man, he re-"
"The Ylisseans... They're on their way.." said the Falcon flier, cutting in front of the Knight. His hand seemed to be clutching his right thigh, where a blood soaked bandage made obvious that he had just been attacked.
Pheros's jaws clenched. "How close are they?"
"They should have just crossed over the river that runs through the valley right about now."
"Damn. They'll be here before the hour's over." one of the Knights cursed.
Pheros slammed the base of staff on the ground. "Why have we not recieved word of this sooner? For what reason do I have all of you scouts if you cannot even do your job?" she questioned the flier.
"T-They're all dead! All of the fliers in the scouting party."
Pheros's eyes widened."...What?" she asked angrily.
"The Ylisseans, they pursued us relentlessly with their own aerial units. I'm all that's left..."
"Rally the troops! Do not allow them to even touch these walls." Pheros ordered.
The Knights scrambled out of the room.
The Falcon Flier was in no condition to be running about with his injury, so he found himself limping away.
"You." Pheros said.
The man turned back, a slight look of fear in his eyes.
"That leg of yours. Are you still fit to fight?"
He was surprised to hear she even considered the condition of a failed soldier such as he. "I'm having a bit of trouble walking..."
"Get yourself to the barracks. If you can't fight, you've got no place on the battlefield."
"N-no. I can fight. I can't walk, but atop my mount I should be fine. It's just my leg after all.
"...Very well. Perhaps this will serve as opportunity to redeem yourself and avenge your fallen comrades at once."
"Yes, General." The man saluted, limping away at a slightly faster pace than before.
Robin was in his barrel, ear pressed against the wall.
From what he felt and heard on the inside over the past several minutes, he had been taken out of the wagon and dropped of somewhere.
From the silence, he assumed he was somewhere indoors. It had been minutes since the sounds of what was presumablt the other barrels being carried and dropped around him ended. From what he was able to gather, they had finished transporting them into the castle and they were now alone.
Carefully, Robin undid the rope securing the lid of the barrel shut. He slowly rose and lifted the lid a tiny bit, peering at his surroundings. They appeared to be in a storage area of some sorts, a pantry even, given the other things scattered about the room.
No Valmese where in sight, and the door at the entrance of the room was shut. Robin climbed out, gently placing the lid back.
He took quiet steps towards the door, opening it a crack. He held the door handle, waiting just a moment longer, in case anyone outside noticed.
When he felt it to be safe, he opened the door a bit further, enough for him to stick his head out and take a peek outside.
To the right was a long hallway leading to a dead end. With Several other doors ran down that path. And to his left was another hallway that split up into left right paths.
At the sudden clanking of foot steps Robin quickly yet quietly shut the door. He pressed his hear against it, hearing many soldiers leaving the area at a hurried pace.
"They'll be upon us in a matter of minutes. Get your arses moving!" yelled one of the men outside.
'Perfect, the attack's starting.' Robin thought to himself, cautiously stepping backwards a few paces.
When the rumble of footsteps ended, Robin was sure that they were alone and free to begin their operation.
Robin grabbed his new wooden sword and held it out for its tip to hit the rows of barrels as he walked pass them. "The coast clear, everyone get out." he called.
One by one, the barrels's lids came popping off, the Shepherds finally breaking free from their wooden prisons.
"About damn time." Vaike groaned, stumbling out of his barrel.
"Here already, are we?" said Sully, as she rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn.
"Where the heck are we?" Gaius asked.
"I think it's their pantry. Go on and help the others get out." Robin replied.
At the row further to the back of the wall, Robin spotted a certain blue haired princess having a bit of trouble as to where exactly to step in the sea of barrels.
Robin held his gaze on her for awhile longer before shaking out of his trance and heading over to lend a hand.
Lucina lifted a leg out of her barrel and back down into an adjacent one. She lifted her other leg, but her foot bumped into the barrel's rim causing her weight to tip her over.
Before she could pull her arms in front of her to prevent herself from falling, she found she was being hoisted up by the shoulders.
"...I got you."
Lucina raised her head, meeting Robin in the eyes.
She immediately freed herself from his grip. "T-thank you."
"You need some help?" he offered, holding out his hand back to her.
"...I can manage on my own." she replied, as she hopped over into the next barrel.
Robin was a bit taken back, but decided that the trip just wasn't kind to her.
As soon as Lucina was out, she spotted Morgan standing over by Severa and Owain.
She immediately walked over to the girl.
"I trust you enjoyed the trip?" Lucina started in a stern voice.
Morgan jumped at the sound of the voice. "Oh, hey mother."
"You should have told me you were moving spots. When I awoke and you didn't answer when I called, I was worried sick."
"But you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you. Besides, I was with Severa the whole time."
"...I'll let it go this time. But next time let me know first. I don't care if you have to wake me up, think of the situation we're in."
"Okay, mom... ...Sorry."
Lucina shook her head as she let out a sigh. "I'm just glad you're okay. So what did you and Severa talk about?"
"I was just giving her some fashion advice." Severa explained, cutting in.
"Oh, fashion eh? Wait until you see the dress I bought Morgan!" Lucina gushed, her face lighting up in comparison to her previous demeanor.
"...I've heard." Severa stated simply.
As if a light had been lit in her head, Lucina faced her daughter. "That reminds me Morgan, why didn't you choose to wear that cloak I bought you? You were elated when you first saw it."
"I'm still more comfortable wearing this for the time being. I figured I still needed to break it in with some training sessions. I can't wait to see the look on Robin's face when he sees, though. Hehe, I can already imagine his envy!"
"And what exactly am I going to be envious of?" Robin asked, making his way over to the young women.
Lucina turned away at the sound of his voice, walking off to speak with her mother,
"It's a secret." Morgan answered with a grin.
"A secret, huh?" Robin said replied, but his attention was still on Lucina's retreating figure. "Say, Morgan? Is your mother feeling alright? She seems a bit, uncomfortable."
"Really? She looked fine just right now."
"...Maybe it's just my imagination."
"Why don't you go ask her yourself?" Severa huffed.
"...Later. I've got to prepare for our next move. Also, I'm glad to see you're all in good spirits, but remember why we're here. This battle will be crucial to our advancement on Walhart's forces. Are you ready for this?"
"I definitely am! ...But, I'll try to stay close." Morgan announced.
"We don't need you to be worrying about us." Severa spat.
"That's where you're wrong. I take each and every one of your lives into account with my plans. I'd be heartbroken even if someone like you were to get hurt."
"W-w-what the heck do you mean someone like me?" Severa fumed, with a mixture of embarrassment and offense.
"We'll stick to the plan, Robin. But I can't make any promises as soon as my sword hand gets a taste of the action." Owain said, striding over with his new Levin Sword, which seemed to tremble in the grip of his excitable hand.
"...Do try to keep that under control though." Robin said, patting him on the shoulder as he headed to Chrom and Gaius.
"Well, we managed to make it through the first stages of the operation." Chrom stated, noticing Robin approaching.
"Yep, all that effort just to make it to the starting line." Gaius remarked with a joking grin.
"Would you have preferred we just threw ourselves at their walls?" Robin replied lightheartedly.
Gaius just chuckled.
Before Robin could address the situation and further details of the plan with Chrom, a small commotion sparked on the opposite end of the room.
"Where is she? Lissa? Lissa!" cried a distraught Lon'qu.
Several other Shepherds turned to man, but didn't seem to get a grip on the current dilemma. Seeing only Lon'qu in a frenzy, they urged him to lower his voice lest they be discovered.
"Don't you tell me to calm down! My wife's missing!" Lon'qu barked. He glared amongst the crowd in a haze of panic, his eyes locking with Chrom's.
The King to be's eyes were dead, his mouth agape. In an instant, he bolted over to the barrels, ripping the lids off every barrel withing his reach as he frantically called for his sister.
Lon'qu rushed to join him.
"W-where is she!?" Chrom wailed, his heart pulsating erratically.
Some of the Shepherds, finally realizing the gravity of the situation, followed suit.
Owain furiously cleared each barrel, knocking the lids onto the ground with little care for the loud thunk they made as they fell.
Robin was petrified. His first instinct was to help in searching through the sea of wood, but his body didn't move. He had to stay calm. As their Tactician, he needed to carefully assess each situation and act accordingly.
He wanted to confirm Lissa's safety as bad as everyone else, but at the same time, he felt he was the only one sober enough to realize that they were still in the critical stages of their assault.
No, he was not putting some plan before a friend in need. On the contrary, he was worrying about the safety of over two dozen.
He could join in, and rip each barrel to shreds in hopes of finding Lissa. But at this rate, the chaos within the room was bound to attract attention to them. One Elfire shot into the small storage room from a passing Valmese Mage would spell certain doom not only for them, but possibly the entirety of the world.
He could also opt to call for order, reminding them of the operation. But in the current state of things, he had doubts as to whether he could quell the unrest of the group. Lissa's apparent disappearance was nearly certain to cause some type of fluctuation within the morale of the group.
And lastly, in the corner of his mind, he felt hatred towards himself for letting such a situation happen in the first place. It was his plan. He knew the risks of such a stunt, but decided it was the best course of action at the time.
Robin was afraid it would be the second time he had let them down.
What he had just recently thought a success quickly descended into a state of hopelessness. His plan could very well collapse right after it had begun.
He thought deeply, everyone scurrying about seeming like blur to him.
His next move could very well decide the fate of the battle and their lives.