Chapter 8

"Head up big guy, head up!" Nathan yelled at the top of his lungs across the battlefield. A timely blast of his arcfire tome had just prevented Gregor from having one less leg. The tactician was already in quite a bit of stress, having to think on his feet yet again in the heat of battle. However, he had to admit, nothing could quite get his blood boiling like a good fight.

As the group had arrived in Port Ferox, they were just in time to cut off the Warships from Valm as they docked at the shipyard. The crates scattered about the place made for excellent cover, giving the Shepherds force the upper hand. It was sorely needed as well, due to the overwhelming number of Valamese soldiers on the boats who were coming on to the land. Nathan had tried to get his troops to 'hem in' the fight in the shipyard, and do their best to ensure the enemy could spread no further into the town.

Nathan pulled Mystletainn out from it's sheath on his back, turning to Lon'qu, who was ducked behind some crates next to him, occasionally getting up and firing a shot from his bow.

"We need to press forward, take them out at their source!" He called. "You know who I want!"

Lon'qu nodded, his eyes scanning the battlefield before he picked out Chrom, Ricken, and Donnel, scattered about. Over the course of the previous war, the five of them had turned into a cohesive unit on and off the battlefield, with Nathan often turning to them as a 'strike team' of sorts when needed.

The assassin stood up, and ran out into the fray of colliding shepherds, Feroxi warriors, and Valamese soldiers. Lon'qu put his bow back onto his back and drew his curved blade from it's hilt, cutting down any Valamese units who were foolish enough to get in his way. Nathan followed close behind, his Arcfire tome open in one hand and Mystletainn, his gold and black blade, in the other.

"Hey! Get over here you three! We're moving in!" Nathan yelled as loud as he could. As if on cue, Chrom, Ricken, and Donnel, quickly slid into formation with the Tactician and Assassin.

Chrom took the front spot, of course, using his sheer force and strength to cut through the enemy lines. Nathan and Lon'qu took his right and left flanks, picking off any magic users or soldiers Chrom couldn't take out. Finally, Ricken used his tomes to shield the group from any long-range attacks that could possibly ambush them, with Donnel guarding the sage to ensure he wouldn't be taken out by oncoming enemy units up close. Nathan had called it the 'pair up' system, having two shepherds work as one unit, each using their strengths and weaknesses to complement each other.

It didn't take long for the five of them to reach one of the ships that were docked in the port. They charged on board, Nathan switching tomes and using Rexcalibur to blow a large hole into a side of the ship where some Valamese soldiers were standing. Lon'qu's keen eyes spotted an older looking man on a horse waiting near the back of the ship. His crimson armour was decorated with a Valamese crest up near his heart.

"Is that the one?" The assassin called out to Nathan. The tactician took a peek at the man, quickly nodding. He then turned to Chrom.

"We can hold off these guys if you think you can take him!"

The Exalt nodded, turning his blade to the man and rushing for him. A few Valamese soldiers tried to step in the way, who Chrom simply tackled aside and knocked away with Falchion. The Valamese General turned to Chrom, glaring and drawing his sword, beckoning his horse to move. As the man charged towards the Blue-haired Great Lord, Chrom leaped out of the way, using his hand to grab the Valamese warrior, and pull him off the horse, slamming him forcefully onto the ground.

On the other side of the ship, Nathan, Lon'qu, Ricken and Donnel were protecting the entrance, doing their best to ensure no one would interfere with the battle being fought between Chrom and the Valamese General. As they held the line, Nathan scanned the battlefield, trying to find where Lissa had ended up. She was normally far to the back lines, healing any wounded, but he had decided to pair her up with Frederick for this battle. The great knight was beginning to slow down physically and show signs of his age, so Lissa's help with her tomes would more than likely provide good assistance for the man. He breathed a sigh of relief to see the two trying to board another one of the Valamese ships, fire shooting from Lissa's fingertips on the back of Frederick's horse, while the great knight in question swung his lance about, knocking around the nearby Valamese warriors. His attention returned to his own fight as an enemy soldier had slipped in close to him. Nathan put his Rexcalibur tome back in one of the pockets of his black cloak, and put both hands on his sword, sporting a feral look as the enemy soldier charged at him.

Chrom and the Valamese General's swords clashed, sparks flying from them, as they jumped about the ship. Each had landed a few quality blows at this point, but neither showed any signs of breaking.

"I have to admit, scum…you're not bad…what's your name?" The Valamese warrior grunted.

"I am Chrom…of Ylisse…not that it should matter to you!" He grunted back, slamming the butt end of his sword into the chest of the man, who cried out in pain, falling backwards. Chrom swung his sword forwards to try and land the finishing blow, but the enemy general quickly rolled out of the way, Chrom's blade smashing into the wood of the ship's deck. The enemy general stood up, panting, his sword at his side.

"Well, Chrom, of Ylisse…I am Dalton, a warrior from the grand army of the Conqueror, Walhart." The man spat back to Chrom, forming an evil grin.

Chrom stood for a moment, facing the man, both warriors taking a second to catch their breath. After a brief moment, they plunged back into battle. However, this time, Chrom got a bit of help. He spotted a black-and-gold blur from the corner of his eye, seeing Mystletainn swing in and swiftly behead Dalton.

Nathan exhaled loudly as he spun his blade before sliding it back into its hilt on his back. He then turned to a panting Chrom, who nodded at him, smiling weakly.

"You had that one in the bag, but I figured I'd help wrap this thing up anyways." The tactician told the man, high-fiving him.

Not long after, the battle had finished, as the Shepherds had successfully repelled the assault. However, much of the town was left in shambles, along with the port and any Feroxi warships stationed there.

"Yikes." Nathan simply said, observing the damage with Basilio. The tactician rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

The warrior nodded. "It doesn't look good. And we need warships to get to Valm. I have an idea on how we can get them, but I don't think Chrom will enjoy it…"

Nathan sighed, reluctantly nodding in agreement. "I know what you're thinking of, and he definitely won't…I'll have Frederick send a messenger to Plegia right away. Looks like we're going to need their warship supplies. They're the only other country built on the sea here."

Basilio grinned slightly. "I'll let you break the good news to Chrom." He replied, as he turned and walked away.

The tactician scratched his head. "Well, this'll be fun…"