Hello dear readers!
I'm back from Dragon*Con and this is late enough as it is so here's the chapter.
[[]]
[Irwin P.O.V.]
I honestly couldn't help but smile at the reaction Kilvia gave everyone, and Corrin allowed her to join our group.
A full blooded Laguz in our crew is nothing to sneeze at I can tell you that much.
We docked pretty soon after that so we don't have to worry about anymore pirate attacks... for now at least.
Now we begin our walk to the nearest settlement, Cyrkensia.
"So where are we headed right now?" Kilvia asked as she hovered alongside me, Camilla, and Corrin, something that surprises me a little considering Laguz have an instinctual unease around Branded.
"The nearest city is Cyrkensia." Camilla said as she walked next to us, guiding Marziah by her reigns, "It's neutral territory in Hoshido and Nohr, neither Kingdom attacks the city as nobles from both visit it's famed Opera house, including Father."
"So we shouldn't expect to be met with hostility there right?" Corrin asked.
"Not a chance." Camilla said.
"Bandit's if they are desperate enough." Kilvia said, getting a slight glare from Camilla.
"We can't forget about the Invaders." I said, "They've been quite but you never know when they'll attack."
"You're right." Corrin said quietly, "We can't put them to the back of our minds."
[]
It didn't take us too long to arrive at Cyrkensia, however...
"...What happened here? Cyrkensia is in ruins!" Camilla cried out.
"It looks like a warzone." Corrin breathed as she shivered.
"Damn those Invaders." Camilla growled pulling out her axe.
Before I could even contemplate going to calm down Camilla Corrin's head turned to the streets, "Hmm? Do you hear that? Someone's coming!"
This caused me, Camilla, Kilvia and an approaching Sakura (Who quickly clung to Corrin) to turn our heads to the direction Corrin was facing.
Coming down the street was a male blonde kitsune and a male white and black haired Wolfskin, more specifically Kaden the Kitsune and Keaton the Wolfskin.
The two of them collapsed to the ground as they got close enough.
"You... You all should run... Run away..." Kaden groaned.
"It's not safe here... Get away...while you can." Keaton moaned.
"Laguz?" Kilvia mused, "Not, not of Tellian origin."
"These poor creatures...they've been horribly injured. Princess Sakura, could you tend to them?" Camilla asked.
Sakura nodded and pulled out a Sun Festal, "Oh! Y-yes! I'll heal them right away!" Sakura said, using the rod to heal the wounds of the two shapeshifters.
While Corrin and the others were trying to figure out what happened here with Kaden and Keaton, I turned to Kilvia.
"Think you can fly up and take a look around the area?" I asked.
Kilvia nodded, "Sure." She said with a smirk, "My eyesight might not be as good as a hawks, but I'll see if I can spot anything."
"Good." I said, "And just remember that the Invaders are usually invisible unless they've been hit or have taken a hit, and they are coated in ethereal flames."
"Got it, just look for fire that's moving around and not spreading." Kilvia said taking to the air.
"Hey." Kaden called out to me, "Who was that girl with black wings? I've never seen a shapeshifter like her before."
"That was Kilvia." Corrin said, "A Raven Laguz from Irwin's homeland of Tellius."
Corrin probably would have continued, but Kilvia landed next to us with wide eyes.
"I didn't see the Invaders, but I saw Hoshidan's and Nohrians fighting near the town plaza." Kilvia said.
"What?" Camilla asked surprised.
"The Nohrians were led by some blonde guy on a horse with a black sword and the Hoshidan's were led by a guy in red armor that's overdue for a haircut." Kilvia said.
"That sounds like Xander and Ryoma." Corrin said.
"We better go sort this out." I said pulling out my new Steel Greatlance.
What? Didn't think we'd let all the money the pirates gathered go to waste did you?
[]
A few minutes later we arrived at the square, Kaden and Keaton deciding to officially join our group.
And naturally when we tried to explain the Invader situation to Ryoma and Xander they were firm on the position that the other attacked the city.
"Once we've convinced those two to join us I'm going to smack their heads together." I growled as Corrin and I began to move the debris that was blocking the allyway into the plaza itself out of the way.
"I will admit they are stubborn." Corrin said, "Camilla, Beruka, Subaki, Reina, Kilvia, grab someone and fly over this debris, we'll join you soon!"
"You got it princess!" Kilvia called out spreading her wings.
And in a flash of light and particles a crow the size of a pegasus was there flapping it's wings to stay afloat.
Camilla grabbed Sakura and pulled her onto Marziah, Saizo climbed onto Beruka's wyvern, Selena onto Subaki's Pegasus, Orochi climbed onto Reina's Kinshi, and Kilvia picked up Kaden in her talons.
The group's promptly fly over the debris in our way and into the battlefield.
"We better hurry, a few archers could quickly turn the tides against them." I warned.
[With Selena and Subaki]
[No P.O.V.]
"Yaah!" Selena shouted as she cut down the Nohrian Outlaw that was aiming at Subaki.
"Thanks for that." Subaki said swinging his Naginata at a Mercenary.
"Don't thank me." Selena said, "I want to make sure you're alive so I can prove you're not so perfect after all."
"Selena?" A male voice familiar to Selena asked.
Selena turned to see her old friend, Laslow walking up to her with his Steel Sword drawn and Peri riding up beside him with her personal lance ready.
"Laslow, glad to see you're okay." Selena said as Subaki landed next to her.
"I'm surprised you ended up joining the enemy." Laslow said, "Didn't you say you were going to get revenge on the woman that beat Lady Camilla."
"That was the plan." Selena said looking away, "But the one that beat Camilla... I could feel just how powerful she was."
"Pardon?" Laslow asked raising an eyebrow.
"She was stronger than Walhart." Selena said with narrow eyes.
"Guh!?" Laslow choked taking a step back.
"Who the heck is Walhart?" Peri asked.
"Someone from our past." Laslow said, "And he was a powerful opponent."
"We can't spend all day talking." Subaki pointed out.
"He's right~" Peri sang, "We've got to fight to the death. Your death to be exact."
With that the four warriors charged each other.
[With Ryoma]
"To think Corrin would go on about invisible enemies when the Nohrians are clearly the cause of all this." Ryoma muttered.
"She's just in denial." The red armored, blonde Wyvern Lord next to him, Scarlet, said, "Listen I'll try not to kill her okay?"
"Thank you Scarlet." Ryoma said.
"No problem Ry-" Scarlet started, only to be cut off when a black blur streaked by her, leaving slight claw marks in her armor, "What the-!?"
"Caw!"
Scarlet and Ryoma turned to face what had attacked the former and saw a crow that was big enough to rival Scarlet's Wyvern.
"That is a big bird." Scarlet said as said bird was coated in a flash of light, reverting into the woman known as Kilvia.
"Who are you?" Ryoma demanded readying Raijinto.
"Isn't it proper etiquette to introduce yourself first?" Kilvia asked as she crossed her legs in the air taking a sitting position.
"I am Ryoma, crown prince to the kingdom of Hoshido." Ryoma declared.
"Scarlet, leader of the Chevois resistance effort." Scarlet declared drawing her Killer axe.
Kilvia chuckled, "Oh, I just asked for names, but since we are going with titles." Kilvia said getting out of her sitting position and 'standing' straight, in an almost noble posture, "I am Kilvia, niece to the current King of the Tellian Kingdom of Raven's, Kilvas."
"Tellian?" Ryoma asked.
"Oh so you've heard of Tellius?" Kilvia cooed, "From the Branded one right?"
"I wasn't aware that Laguz had left Tellius." Ryoma said while Scarlet was looking between the two in confusion.
"Not many of us leave I'll admit." Kilvia said, "But why are we here talking when we've got fighting to do."
"I take it you are on my sister's side." Ryoma said.
"Well she is friends with Irwin, who busted me out of a pirates brig." Kilvia said.
"I'll take care of her Lord Ryoma." Scarlet said as her wyvern lunged at Kilvia.
The Kilvas Raven smirked as she flashed back into a raven and flew into the air, out of the range of the archers.
[Back with Laslow, Peri, Selena, and Subaki.]
[OST: Fire Emblem Awakening- Conquest (Ablaze]
Selena and Laslow locked blades as Subaki slashed at Peri, who pulled her horse back to dodge, followed by throwing her lance at Subaki.
Subaki reared his pegasus, guiding it over Peri's lance and followed it up with a slash that Peri failed to react in time to dodge.
"You've certainly gotten stonger haven't you Selena?" Laslow asked deflecting one of Selena's slashes and countering.
"Tends to happen when you fight almost as often as we did back with The Shephards." Selena replied blocking Laslow's attack and jumping back, before dashing forward with a slash that caught Laslow off guard.
"We did fight fairly often back then didn't we?" Laslow said ducking under a follow up slash, "It's no wonder I don't feel nearly as strong as I used to."
Selena smirked as she leapt as Laslow to strike, non-leathally of course, when Peri rushed in and blocked Selena's strike and pushed her back. Selena landed on Subaki's pegasus, the rider of which slashed at Peri and knocked her off her horse.
"Peri!" Laslow called out, before a golden glow coated him and he made a leaping slash at Subaki, knocking him off his pegasus.
"Whoa!" Selena cried out grabbing the reigns of the pegasus, remembering the lessons her mother gave her about taming pegasi Selena quickly began to stroke the neck of the pegasus, quickly calming the creature.
"Seem's you're not as bad with pegasi as you believed." Laslow said lifting his sword and lunging at Selena.
Only for it to glance off a large axe head.
"You!" Selena shouted at the Reaver standing before her.
"Take your friend to Sakura." Merida said hefting her Steel Poleaxe back onto her shoulder, "I'll cover you."
[With Kilvia and Scarlet]
[OST: Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn- March]
Scarlet may have had the advantage in battle experience over Kilvia, but there are some things that experience and even strength can be useless against.
Such as the fact Kilvia was born to fly and out sped the Wyvern.
"Stay still!" Scarlet shouted swinging her axe at the Raven, however Kilvia flapped once and flew over the attack and clawwed at Scarlet, causing her she lean slightly off her mount, though she quickly recovered.
Kilvia perched on top of a roof after she had made that last attack, panting. Dispite her natural affinity to the air, she had the same weakness as all Laguz save for their King's and Queens.
Stamina, a Laguz could fight for a long time, but they had to rely on hit and run tactics as they couldn't maintain their transformation.
"Getting tired already?" Scarlet asked smirking, then she noticed Kilvia reach into the leg pouch on her avian ankle, pulling out an odd orange herb that had only one leaf left on it.
Olivi Grass, one of the few ways a Laguz could quickly recover the stamina need to maintain their beast forms. Kilvia quickly gulped down the herb and did her best to smirk with her beak.
Kilvia took off again and this time grabbed Scarlet off her Wyvern and threw her into the building, knocking out the wyvern rider.
Kilvia looked down and gave out a caw of victory, with more than one reason.
Corrin and the others had taken down the debris in their way, and Saizo had slipped Sakura to the Dragon Vein that was near Ryoma, who was too focused on the battle between Kilvia and Scarlet to notice.
But for now Kilvia needed to find cover, Olivi Grass doesn't give a Laguz too much stamina, in fact she rather have used it to refill her stamina when she wasn't shifted...
Maybe there was something to the Half-Shift her Uncle had told her about, the way a Laguz could stay shifted for extreme periods of time at the cost of only growing 1.5 times stronger instead of becoming twice as strong as they usually become when transformed... Or maybe see if she can find a Demi-Band.
[With Laslow, Peri, and Merdia]
[OST Fire Emblem Path of Radiance: A Mighty Foe]
Laslow looked at Merdia while Peri was more focused on getting her knocked out Horse off of her. And Laslow was actually rather nervous at the sheer aura of Power his opponent gave off.
"Selena wasn't joking." Laslow said as he put away his sword and pulled out one he hadn't used in a long time.
A Ylissian Silver Sword, forged for 5 damage more than normal Ylissian Silver Swords.
"Hmm, looks like you're not going to hold back are you?" Merdia asked, "Well then, let's see what you've got."
"Very well." Laslow said lunging forward, the Ylissian Silver Sword not nearly as heavy as the Nohrian variant.
That still didn't mean much as it clashed with Merdia's Poleaxe and he was pushed back instead.
"You've got strength." Merdia said, "But you've not used it in so long it's begun to wane hasn't it?"
Laslow gritted his teeth at the truth in her words before pushing back as a green glow flashed around him, he then lunged forward at a high speed at Merdia and slashed five times in rapid succession.
Merida sidestepped the first four slashed but was grazed by the fifth one.
"Astra." Merdia said quietly, "Now where did you learn that one from?"
"My father." Laslow said.
"Impressive." Merdia said, "However it pales in comparison to a Tellian Astra."
"What?" Laslow demanded.
"A 'Hoshidan' Astra trades half of your power to achieve the speed to attack at such speed." Merdia said, "A Tellian Trueblade can achieve the same speed without the cost of half their strength."
Laslow blinked in surprise, Tellians were sounded more like a foe that could put his old foe's like Walhart to shame.
"Now then." Merdia said, "Seeing as Corrin's companions have lowered the water level, I'm going to have to end this here."
Merdia glowed golden and threw her axe into the air, before letting it fall back into her hands, the blade pointing at Laslow. She then dashed toward Laslow faster than he could react and spun on one foot with her axe out, landing three slashes on Laslow before seemlessly stopping her spin and leaping into the air and slamming back down with enough force to shatter the ground beneath Laslow and the area around him for about 6 feet.
Naturally Laslow was sent flying.
This was the special technique of the Tellius Reaver, Colossus.
[With Irwin in his P.O.V.]
[Level up!]
[+1 HP]
[+1 Spd]
'There's one of those bad level ups.' I thought, at least my EXP tally was back at an even 0.
While Corrin went over to Xander to try and convince him to join us, at least at the Bottomless Canyon, I made my way over to Merdia.
"Who are you ma'am?" I asked bluntly.
Merdia looked me in the eye.
"Well, let's just say we're a bit closer together than you might think Branded." Merdia said, then she looked over at Kilvia who was resting on a rooftop, "I didn't expect to see the niece of Kilvas's King here though."
"Now I'm even more suspicious of you." I said, I didn't know Kilvia was royalty...ish, but seeing as Merdia knows it she is definitely someone I need to figure out, now.
"Heh, don't worry, I'm a friend." Merdia said picking up her Poleaxe, "I'll make sure to join you and the Princess of the Lost Kingdom when it's time. Until then."
Merida reached into a pouch by her side and pulled out a pinch of dust, dropping it on the ground. When the dust hit the ground a large glowing seal appeared and Merdia vanished.
"Warp Powder." I mused, "A powder that allows the user to warp anywhere they please, at the cost of completely exhausting them."
"Irwin." The familiar voice of Ryoma said, causing me to turn around to face him, and Corrin who stood next to him.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Is it true? Did you manage to save Mikoto?" Ryoma asked.
"Yeah those seven stab wounds weren't for nothing." I replied.
Ryoma nodded, "Corrin, may I please see her?"
This caused me and Corrin to blink, "O-of course, let me just gather everyone else." Corrin said walking off.
"First Kilvia, then Merida, now this?" I muttered putting my Steel Greatlance away, "What's next? Merdia having the Einherjar card for the Black Knight?"
And I just terrified myself... nice one genius.
[[]]
Okay I'm going to cut it there.
Sorry if you all didn't get to see Irwin in action with his new weapon, but this chapter is late enough as it is.
Anyway next one will be a simple Support building chapter so hopefully it shouldn't take as long to come out.
Now, I haven't revealed just how strong Kilvia is... that's because I am not too sure about that just yet myself.
As for Merdia... well, now we know how she's getting everywhere. Too bad Reaver's can't use staves, Rewarp would be way better than the Warp Powder seeing as it doesn't drain stamina like no ones business.
Anyway I'll see you guys later because I've come down with the Con Crud (Basically Sickness coming from within a week at a convention due to so many people and germs) and I need to get some sleep.
