Chapter 17: Naga's Voice.
Several days passed as the Ylissean League continued to disembark from their ships. All the while, the remaining Shepherds remained on watch for any Valmese counterattacks. But to their surprise, nothing came. Maybe the Resistance was drawing their ire more than theirs? But, according to Inigo and Brady, after introductions, the Resistance was not making any major offensive attacks on the Valmese. Some minor skirmishing and hit and run, but nothing that would draw the Conqueror's attention from them.
But even so, they faced a daunting challenge. Even if they could disassemble Walhart's forces in small engagements, they would also be losing valuable men and supplies. Not to mention, they were on their enemies' terrain. Depending on the weather and sea, supplies and reinforcements would take days or weeks to come. As noted by Chrom, unless they had the support of the people of Valm, Walhart would forever remain in power. It was then that Say'ri suggested a destination for them.
"The Mila Tree? What's so special about it?" Say'ri gives Roxas a disapproving stare before shaking her head while the blond winced. Naminé also gave her husband an unamused look at the question.
"I was going to explain why before you interrupted me, Sir Roxas." Say'ri says with no heat. "Since ancient times, many of our people have worshipped Naga after Mila and Duma passed away. But to be more precise, we worship the divine dragon's oracle. Lady Tiki, companion of Marth."
"OH! OH! I heard about her!" A very excited Nowi interrupts, much to everyone's amusement. "It was said that she was one of his most trusted friends after he saved her from an evil wizard. She's the example that all of us Manaketes want to aspire to."
"But that was thousands of years ago. Will Tiki still be able to help us?" Ventus innocently asks.
"Actually, according to the Legends, Lady Tiki looked no older than Lady Nowi does when she fought beside Marth. And even though her age is in the thousands, her appearance is that of a young woman." Say'ri replies with a thoughtful look. "I have visited her on numerous occasions, so I can tell you it is true. The life span of Manaketes is something I shall forever be amazed by." Several of the Shepherds turn and give Nowi looks of surprise, while some also provide eyes of jealousy. Nowi, however, gave a glimpse of sadness.
"It's not something I enjoy, though. While I can live for thousands of years, everyone I know will die long before then. Even everyone around me now. Soon, I'll be alone all over again." That took everyone by surprise. But now that they looked at it, they understood Nowi's sadness. Sure they were all here together right now, but soon, they will all grow old and pass away. And even before then, when all is said and done, everyone will go their separate ways. It was a stark reminder that, no matter what happens, even the most tight-knit of groups have to split up eventually.
"Nowi, you won't ever be alone." Naminé suddenly speaks, walking up to her before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I might be stealing someone's words right now, but you need to hear them. Even if we are apart, even if we are no longer around, we will still always be with each other in our hearts." Naminé casts a glance over to Sora, who looks at her with a mixture of impression and a look that says, 'I was going to say that', while Kairi chuckles next to him. This is a sort of Sora-esk thing she was doing, but no matter. "So whenever you feel yourself down or lonely, simply look into your heart, and you will find us there. After all, memories will never fade away."
Nowi stared at Naminé, letting her words sink into her. Sure she had a perchance to act childish, but she knew when to take words to heart. And this was one of them. Feeling Ricken's comforting hand on her shoulder only cemented it. Not trusting her voice at the moment, she could only give a slightly watery smile with a nod of thanks. Deciding to steer the conversation back on track, Riku turned to Say'ri.
"So, how important is Tiki to the people of Valm. We already know she is a powerful warrior, but I take it she holds more influence than that."
"Aye, you are correct, Sir Riku. Here in Valm, we call Lady Tiki by a different name. One that reflects her status and relationship to the Divine Dragon Naga. We call her the Voice. As the speaker for Naga, one could say he is the closest we can be to the Divine Dragon. However, because of this, Walhart has had her imprisoned at the top of the Mila Tree in a shrine. But if she was freed…"
"The Resistance could unite around her!" Robin says with building excitement. "Not only would we gain a powerful ally, but she could help eliminate the divisions that plague the Resistance. It may even force some of Walhart's own men to abandon him as well." The Shepherds and Guardians all looked at each other with hope in their eyes. This might be their way to end this war quickly! But Say'ri did not share their optimism.
"I wish I shared your optimism, Sir Robin. But I fear Walhart's forces will not crumble so easily. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we rescue Lady Tiki as soon as we are able."
"Then we have our plan." Chrom declares with finality before turning to the Shepherds. "Sumia, take Cordelia, Xion, Nowi and Cherche with you and scout ahead. Frederick, you do the same with Panne, Riku, Sully, Stahl, Maribelle, Donnel, Roxas and Aqua. Everyone else will follow behind. Meanwhile, Basilio and Flavia will lead the Army while we rescue Tiki."
A series of nods follow as the Shepherds break into their assigned groups, with Sumia leading the flyers into the sky as Frederick leads the riders ahead out of the port. Then, as Basilio and Flavia leave to take command, Chrom gives one more look over the remaining Shepherds and Guardians before uttering one more order.
"Everyone, move out!"
It took longer than they wanted before they reached the Mila Tree. A whole week of marching and resting, all the while they were scanning the surrounding hills and forests for signs of Walhart's army. Or any Heartless roaming about. But for all their searching, there was none. Not even a shadow. Another factor that led them to slow their march, was the fear of walking into a trap fresh on everyone's minds, at least until they saw the Mila Tree.
It was not hard to spot, as the first thing they saw with the giant foliage rising from behind the hills. It was so large that it looked like it could support an entire village! Then there was the tree's trunk, its size and shape equal to that of a giant fortress tower. Finally, all around the tree lay a vast forest, deep and dense, while crystal clear rivers stream to and fro. Even from a distance, the Guardians could feel the light radiating from it.
But where the light shined the brightest, darkness would not be too far away.
Such were Xion's thoughts as she flew above the trees, flying as close as she could to the base of the Mila Tree. She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong during their journey here. After all, they should have encountered SOME form of opposition. And yet nothing.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid. She thinks to herself before casting a glance at the river below. It has been rather quiet on our way over here. But I still can't shake the feeling that something is about to happen. The sudden stop of her horse shook Xion from her thoughts as she turned her gaze to her mount. "What was that for?" She asks before looking forward, her eyes widening as she sees the glint of red below the trees. Valmese soldiers. I knew it! The Valmese are waiting for us!
Xion narrows her eyes as she stares at the Valmese, hiding behind the trees to avoid detection. At the base of the Mila tree, standing on its large roots, she could see a prominent General with a giant moustache. That must be the leader… Wonder if Say'ri knows who it is. Silently motioning to her mount, Xion flies away, staying low near the trees before coming across the rest of the Shepherds, who were moving slowly due to the foliage around them. Diving fast, Xion appears before them, startling them in her usual fashion. "Sora! Chrom! We have a problem!"
"What's wrong, sis? What's got you spooked?" Sora asks while calming down his nerves. Why does Xion always have to do that to them?
"There are Valmese surrounding the base of the Mila Tree. They seem to be led by a General with a large moustache."
"Cervantes." Everyone, sans Lea, turns to look at Say'ri as she crosses her arms. "One of Walhart's four Generals. He values defence over offence, with flanking manoeuvres to envelop his foes. Unfortunately, many Resistance members have fallen from his tactics."
"Then we shall endeavour not to join them. So Robin, what are our options?" Chrom looks at the Grandmaster as he stares at the ground with narrow eyes. Already he seemed to be thinking of a plan after hearing Say'ri's brief explanation of Cervantes. It was not long before his eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers.
"I have an idea, but I still need more info on the area. Xion, can you take Cordelia and Sumia with you? We need more details on his placement and the routes we can take. After that, Cherche and Nowi can cover for you." The five flyers nod at Robin before taking to the skies. "As for the rest of us, I have an idea of turning Cervantes's strategy against him…."
It was a bold plan, if he could say so himself. First, wait for the Ylisseans to arrive, have them charge against his well-positioned troops, then push them between the roots and drown them in the water below. And for those who didn't, a storm of arrows and magic awaited them. And if they proved to be hardier than expected, the troops on the wings, waiting in the shrubs, will be more than enough to crush them! Now, all that he needed were the flies themselves to appear in this web of his.
The only problem was that said flies were not showing up. It infuriated him to no end. By all accounts, the Ylisseans were heading straight here to rescue Tiki. Heck, they were spotted entering the forest by Naga! He mental hit himself on the head by saying that. If they didn't show up soon, he would march to the top of the tree himself and drag Tiki down here and force them to fight!
"General Cervantes! The Ylissean League approaches!" It would seem his prayers were answered regardless, for as he turned his eyes to the bottom of the roots, the League emerged from the trees. He couldn't help but grin in anticipation of the coming battle as he walked to the edge.
"So! They arrive at last, eh wot!" He boasts while stroking one of his staches. "They took their time in arriving here, but no matter. We will show them the meaning of the word 'fear' in due time…" While he chuckled to himself, the troops around him gave perplexed looks, some even befuddled. Soon, one of them decided to voice their opinion.
"The meaning of 'beard', sir? Well, sure, I suppose they would be most impressed…." His reward for speaking? A smack to the top of his head by a livid Cervantes.
"Fear, you deaf ignoramus! FEAR!" He yells in anger to his men before his ire seemingly evaporates at once. "They are impressive, though, aren't they? My whiskers?" He twists one end of his stash in happiness. "I've not shaved since my very first battle. And have I ever lost? No! Not even once! Ergo, my moustache makes me invincible. It's science, my boy! Science!" The men around him didn't even bother to give him a reply. There was no science in his claims! But even though Cervantes boasted about his wins, he could not help but feel a sense of worry. The League arrayed before him was just as reported, a mixture of disciplines. Sure they had some form of cavalry, but it was nothing compared to them. In fact, this force was far too small even to be called an army. Did they really intend to oust him with such a small force?
Logic had always stated that you need triple his strength to defeat an entrenched foe. And yet they were not. They weren't even charging at him, simply strolling along! So he couldn't help but feel perplexed by this band of soldiers marching towards him, following a blue-haired man with a whitish blond man on his left, a young man with the spikiest hair he ever saw, and a young woman with deep red hair. It was then that his eyes flew open. He had heard of these descriptions before from Maleficent and Pete, not long after they had joined. And of those four were who he thought they were, then this was no mere band, this was…
"Great Ox! These are the Shepherds! The Ylissean League's most powerful warriors!" he exclaims in shock before his eyes narrow in determination. "Form our defences up! Do not let them past!" His men quickly formed up, heavily armoured knights blocking the roots while archers and mages stood behind them. He even had several myrmidons, swordmasters, and fighters ready to push them back. But no sooner do they form up than he encountered a nasty surprise.
The moment the knights formed into their lines, a storm of thunder, fire and holy light blasted from above, smashing apart the lines while sending several unlucky souls into the lake below. For a moment, Cervantes was in shock. How did they do that when their mages were nowhere near them. He then looked to the sky, his eyes narrowing in anger.
High above was a Falcon knight, two dark flyers, a Wyvern Lord and a Manakete. No doubt one from Ylisse had joined them, yet he could already see the fear and hesitation in some of his troops. Yet, despite their best efforts, many of the soldiers still respect Tiki. No doubt witnessing this one, they believe it to be Tiki herself, aiding the Ylisseans.
He didn't have time to ponder, though, for the Manakete and a dark flyers soon turned their attention to the sides, letting off blasts of fire at the foliage. He could only gasp in shock as the flames tore through his ambush units. He then heard one of the Ylisseans give out an order to charge. Again, Cervantes could only glare in anger as the Shepherds broke from their light march into a full-on charge, smashing through his already weakened defence before falling upon his exposed missile troops.
There was still a chance of victory, though! His line has not been broken, and already his archers were aiming for the skies, keeping the airborne magic far away. His mages even put up magical barriers to prevent any of the ground mages from blasting them. At least, that was what he thought until a sword of pure fire cleaved through one of his knights like butter. He finally understood why Maleficent had warned them of the Shepherds and the Guardians that fight with them. Their tactics and skills are unmatched. He was happy that he had some powder to teleport himself from this situation—a gift from some adequateness from Telius.
"And where do you think you're going?" A voice suddenly jolts him from his thoughts as six of the Shepherds surround him. Now joined by the Falcon knight, the four from before advanced towards him, along with a red-haired assassin wielding that blade of fire and, oh dear…
"Eh wot!? Say'ri!? My mortal enemy!"
"General Cervantes… Your reputation, and your gut, precede you." She points her katana at his abdomen, pointing out the bulge in his armour. That somehow got a chuckle out of the people with her, much to his annoyance. Even so, he could tell he could not win this. His men were broken and scattered, and now he was surrounded. He pondered his following words carefully as he held the powder behind his shield.
"But we have met before in battle already! Have you forgotten? Not long ago, you and I were locked in deadly combat. I was sure it was a forgone win before you appeared!"
"What's this about a beard?" The spiky-haired boy asks as he pulls out an axe from his back while holding a sword in his right hand. The other five seemed to agree with him, asking why he was so fixated on his beard.
"Answer me this." The man with blue hair asked him, his similarly blue eyes narrow in anger. "You invade kingdoms and bully them into submission. Why? What does it achieve?"
"Do you even need to ask whelp? Emperor Walhart is destined to rule this world, plain and simple. His mind is beyond the grasp of common men." Cervantes replied, continuing the distracting conversation while readying the powder in his hand.
"So you don't even know what you're fighting for?" The red-haired woman asks with disgust.
"I tend to my own beard, girl. A soldier does not question orders. But he gives loyalty, even his own life, in service to greater men. And what could be greater than that! I once had dreams myself of commanding a nation… but Walhart? He dreams bigger; aye, he does. He would unite the entire world! Have you not tasted the thrill of being part of something bigger than yourself?"
"We've been there and done that, Cervantes. We didn't like it then, and we won't like it again when it's forced on us without our consent!" The spiked-haired boy replied with what looked to be anger in his eyes, a look shared by the woman and the assassin. Maybe he touched a nerve. But, considering his circumstance, not a good option.
"Then we have nothing more to discuss." He simple replies before dropping the powder. The moment it touched the ground, a sigil appeared beneath him before vanishing just as quickly as his vision turned white and blue before he found himself back in the throne room. "You win today, Ylissean's. But next time will be different." He mumbles to himself before staring at the throne. How will he explain this to Walhart? And would he take his moustache as punishment?
"What was that? Where did he go?" Sumia asks in shock as the flash of light dies away, leaving behind nothing. Say'ri groans in frustration as the opportunity to remove one of Walhart's commanders slip through their fingers.
"We will get him next time. But, for now, we have a Voice to rescue." Chrom replies before looking at Say'ri. "Say'ri, do you know the way to the top?" Shaking her head of the anger, Say'ri points towards a flight of stairs, its width the size of Nowi when in dragon form, leading up into the trunk of the tree.
"Wait, you mean we have to walk all the way to the top?" Ventus asks as the colour quickly drains from his face and the rest of the Shepherds and Guardians. Sure they could probably run up it with Flowmotion, but even they had limits. Say'ri nonchalant reply of a nod only made things worse. Why couldn't there be an elevator system they could use?
"Ah, don't worry about it, Ven! It's just some stairs to walk up. We will be fine!" Vaike claims as he beings to walk up the flight of stairs. Everyone couldn't fault the Warrior for his straightforwardness and soon followed after him. It wasn't long before they soon regretted the decision.
"How many stairs are there in a case of stairs? Because I'm already sick of this stupid staircase!" Lissa shouts after what felt like an hour of consistent stair climbing. Those who could reply gave varying replies, while those who couldn't just kept climbing. Who could have thought that climbing stairs were more taxing than fighting?! Thankfully, they were almost at the end if the abundance of leaves was any indication. That was soon proven as they soon found a marble temple nestled in the branches. It was not big, but it was by no means small either. But that was not the critical fact.
More important was the person sitting in the chair at the back. There, sleeping in blissful sleep, was what looked to be a young woman, with pointed ears and long green hair tied into a ponytail with red fabric. A golden dragon circlet sat upon her head while a red string wrapped around her neck. A light pink cape that stopped just above her knees rested on her shoulders, while a pair of red and pink gloves encased her hands, with golden bangles underneath. A pink sash wrapped around her waist while a sleeveless dress falls up her thighs with two slits on each side, making a 'skirt' around her hips. A pair of thigh-high red boots stretch up past her knees while a couple of long pink socks reach her thighs, while a series of clips connect the socks under her dress. Next to her were what looked to be two gemstones. One seemed to be the same as Nowi's Dragonstone yet radiated with more power than hers. As for the other, it resembled the stone in the Fire Emblem, yet it glowed with a gentle blue hue. While most of the Shepherds look around in awe, Robin cannot take his eyes off her. He had to shake his head before turning his gaze away. What he was doing was undoubtedly disrespectful!
"Lady Tiki? Are you alright?" Say'ri asks as she walks up to her, the Shepherds and Guardians following suit. It was surprising how big it was on the inside, easily accommodating them all. But, then again, it would make sense for it to be so large considering Tiki's importance. Seemingly on command, Tiki stirred from her slumber before opening her eyes, revealing them to be an emerald green. She stretches her arms as she rises from her seat, a yawn escaping her lips as she glances around the room until her eyes land on Lucina.
"Marth?" she asks with hopefulness as she looks at her, Tiki's vision not quite woken from its slumber. "Oh, Mar-Mar, is that you!?" Lucina takes a slight step back at Tiki's question before replying that she wasn't. Tiki's eyes widen slightly as the last vestiges of sleep left, and her vision becomes clear. "I see. I am sorry… You reminded me of someone I knew. But he is gone now. He and so many others. Lost during my endless sleep…." Her gaze scans the room before landing on Sora and his friends. "You, you radiate the same power that Yen Sid did. Are you-?"
"We are trained in the same arts as Master Yen Sid was, Lady Tiki." Aqua replies, giving the Voice of Naga a polite bow. "It is an honour to meet one of his companions. I'm sure he would be pleased to speak with you again."
"Yen-Yen still lives?" Tiki asks happily. The Guardians were taken aback slightly at Tiki's nickname for Yen Sid, with Xion, Ven and Roxas struggling to hold their laughter.
"Yes, Master Yen Sid does live. But he had retired a long time ago. So honestly, there is a lot about him we don't know." Sora replies. Tiki nods in acceptance before looking at Chrom and Lucina, a power flowing through them that brings a smile to her.
"You two are of the exalted bloodline, are you not? Child of the future and ruler of Ylisse?" Everyone was taken aback by Tiki's words. Some even wondered how she knew about Lucina being from the future. Chrom shakes off his shock before confirming that he is. Do you yet possess the Fire Emblem? It should have been passed down through your family…." Chrom shows her the shield on her arm, much to her joy, before she notices a change in the shield. "Where are the Gemstones? I see only Argent."
"Gemstones?" Kairi asks before glancing at the shield. "Is that what fits into the holes on the shield?" She did wonder what the remaining four holes were for.
"Yes, there are five of them. Argent; the Lightspere, Sable; the Darksphere, Gules; the Lifesphere, Vert; the Geosphere, and Azure; the Starsphere." She picks up the blue gemstone behind her, holding it like it was a fragile object. "Each holds a portion of Naga's power. When mounted upon the Emblem, they allow one to perform the Awakening."
"The right by which the first exalt channelled the divine dragon's power…." Chrom breaths as he looks over the shield. He knew that it held significance to his family, but not this. Maybe the information was lost to time, or Emmeryn knew but had no time to tell him.
"If that is true, then it's clear we will need it to be restored if we hope to beat Grima." Riku says before looking at Azure. "We already have Argent, while Tiki holds Azure. But that still leaves the other three…."
"My kingdom had long safeguarded Vert for generations. However, it was stolen by Walhart's men, no doubt as a trophy." Say'ri sadly informs. "But that leaves the location of the other two."
"I can tell you where one of them was." The sudden voice of Basilio jolts everyone in surprise as the West-Khan walks into the temple, with a very irate Flavia next to him. "The Khans western Regna Ferox had kept Gules safe ever since the Schism. But, unfortunately, it was lost long before my lifetime."
"And this brute thought that NOW would be a good time to tell us." Flavia hotly informs. "We could have begun a search back in Ferox BEFORE coming here so there would be a chance it would be waiting for us once this war is over."
"Regardless, please, take Azure exalted ones. It is imperative that you secure the other Gemstones and perform the awakening. Grima's life force continues to grow even as we speak. The world must be protected from him at all costs!"
Chrom nods in resolution before taking Azure from Tiki and placing it in the upper right slot of the Fire Emblem. Before, when he first took hold of it, he could feel some holy aura emanating from it, and with Azure, he felt as though a second strength coursed through his veins. "We owe you a great debt, Lady Tiki." Chrom replies with a bow, followed by everyone else in the room. Tiki smiles warmly at them before her eyes fall on Robin, who had been quiet the entire time.
In an instant, she could feel a power coming from him. A power that was all too familiar to her. "You… You have it…" She says as she fights against herself. Already she could feel her strength leaving. She was in no state to fight beside them. But still, she could at least spare energy for this. Returning her gaze to a confused and conserved Robin, she continues. "You have power…like mine." Robin's eyes widened slightly at the comment before Tiki's strength finally gave out. Luckily, she was caught by Chrom and Lucina before she hit the floor. "Forgive me… I am still groggy from my slumber. There is a field nearby that can help me recover my strength. Say'ri will lead the way." And with that, her eyes close as she falls into slumber yet again.
"Guess we have a new objective on our hands." Lea comments before looking at Say'ri. "So, which way to the field she talked about?" Say'ri glances at Lea before turning to one of the many windows in the temple. While most of them were covered by branches and leaves, one window had a clear view of a particular plain nestled in the hills.
"We head south. The plains Lady Tiki talked about are located in the hills nearby. However…" Her gaze turns hard as she turns to the west. "There is Fort to our west that may ambush us from behind if we are not careful. Some of us must stay behind with the Army to fend off any attacks."
"That is not all, unfortunately…." Flavia reports as she walks up. "The oaf and I have some bad news. There is a valley full of wyverns to the south that a group of refugees are sheltering in, and Valmese marauders have been spotted nearby. Those souls could be massacred at any day."
"There is also a report of an enclave of Tagules to the south as well." Basilio reports, much to Panne's surprise. "Seems they have been keeping to themselves ever since Walhart came around. It seems he also has left them alone, but there have been talks of creatures made of shadows stalking around the area, along with the Risen." Panne's eyes widened in fear at the thought of another warren being put to the torch again. And this time, she may indeed become the last of the Tagule.
"We won't let that happen, Basilio. Robin, how shall we proceed?" Chrom turns to the strategist as his eyes narrow before he snaps his fingers.
"Our groups shall be as follows. Chrom, you and I will take Tiki to the hills with Say'ri, Lea, Terra, Aqua, Lucina, Sully, Kellam, Vaike and Miriel. Sora and Kairi will go with Frederick and Panne to the Tagule warren with Xion, Riku, Lissa, Stahl, Owain, Nowi, Ricken and Donnel. For the wyvern valley, Cherche and Lon'qu will go along with Cordelia, Gaius, Ventus, Roxas, Naminé, Virion, Olivia, Inigo, Tharja and Gregor. That leaves Maribelle, Henry, Brady, Anna and Libra here to help keep an eye on the Valmese."
"Very well." Chrom nods before looking at the group. "You heard him, everyone. Let's get out of here and see to our jobs. Basilio, Flavia, we wish you luck in holding down the fort."
"Just don't take too long. Otherwise, we will start the fun without you." Flavia replies before turning to leave with Basilio. With nothing else left to be said, the Shepherds break off into their assigned groups, their goals clear.
No more innocents would be lost in this war so easily.