Two Falchions.
After the misunderstanding at the outpost, The Shepherds were finally escorted to meet the khan of Ferox. To think people almost died due to a misunderstanding was not a pleasant thought. But at least the matter was settled without needless death. There was a trip to travel, but soon enough the finally made it to the khan's meeting room, thanks to Raimi and Siegfried escorting them. Cassandra looked around the room, not as stylish as what she saw in Ylisse but it wasn't bad either. It suited the warrior people well.
"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the khan" Raime said.
"Of course" Chrom said and Raimi leaves.
"The khan is away?" Robin asked.
"Out training, I'd wager. The khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics. Or rather, battle IS their politics" Chrom answered.
"I figured as much" Cassandra said, remembering how they were nearly killed due to a missunderstanding.
"A warrior ruler, eh? I can picture him now… A giant of a man of unparalleled thew, his broad chest covered in hair, heheh…" Robin said, earning a small giggle from Cassandra.
"What makes you assume the khan is a man?" Siegfried asked, before another voice was heard.
"Yes, why would you assume that? ...Please, do go on!" Everyone looked and saw a dark skinned woman walk in. She looked really well built, and Cassandra could tell from simply looking at her, if she made her mad she could crush her head with her bare hands... Better stay on her good side.
Chrom looked surprised "You're the—?! Er, that is to say... The khan, I presume?".
The woman nods "One of them, yes—the East-Khan. My name is Flavia. I apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox".
"Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding behind us. Is it true bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?" Chrom asked.
"Yes. Those Plegian dogs! We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours" Flavia answered.
"That does make sense. If Ylisse and Ferox allies with each other, Plegia would be in serious trouble" Siegfried said.
Chrom growls in anger "Damn them! I... Forgive me, Your Grace. That was...indelicately put".
Flavia only smirked "Ha! Damn them and damn delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech".
"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards…" Chrom said.
"Ha ha! Now that's Feroxi diplomacy! Yes, I like you already. I know why you have come, Prince. But regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse" Flavia said, and that was the last thing they wanted to hear.
"What?! Why not?!" Lissa asked loudly.
"I lack the authority" Flavia answered.
Chrom looked confused "Forgive me, but I don't understand. Aren't you the khan?".
Flavia almost sighed and began explaining "As I said, I am ONE of the khans. In Ferox, the khans of east and west hold a tournament every few years. The victor acquires total sovereignty over both kingdoms. And that means they have the final say when it comes to forging alliances. The West-Khan won the last tournament, you see, and so…".
"So we are to receive no aid at all?" Chrom said, sounding defeated.
"Did we really come all this way for nothing...?" Cassandra wondered as she looked down.
"Not if you always give up so easily! The next tournament is nigh, you see, and I am in need of champions" Flavia said.
"What does that have to do with us?" Chrom asked.
"The captain of my border guard informs me your Shepherds are quite capable. Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the upcoming tournament? If you win and I become ruling khan, I will grant your alliance" Flavia answered.
"I would have assumed Ylisseans had no place in such Feroxi traditions" Chrom said.
"Ha! On the contrary. The khans themselves do not fight, they choose champions to represent them. Otherwise our land would be rife with blood feuds and dead khans! We don't involve comrades or kin for the same reason. Over time, it was decided the tournament should be fought by outsiders. Although the outsiders have never included foreign royalty. ...That I know of! Ha! Regardless, it is your choice to make2 Flavia explained.
"Then why isn't Siegfried your champion?" Cassandra asked.
"My father was from Ferox, so that technically makes me one of them. Meaning I am not allowed to enter" Siegfried answered.
Cassandra rubs her head "This is getting confusing...".
"Regardless. There is no choice, East-Khan. My people are desperate. We face not only Plegia's constant attacks, but now the added threat of the Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel" Chrom declared. His people needed help, and they couldn't return empty handed.
Flavia smirked "Ha ha! Oh, I like you, Prince Chrom. I do hope you survive the tournament! Come, I'll show you the arena where the tournament is held. But be wary! I hear an equally able swordsman champions the West-Khan".
"He shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity" Chrom said in confidence.
"Well spoken again, I look forward to seeing if you're equally skilled with a blade!" Flavia said proudly.
This trip really hasn't been what Cassandra expected it to be. But fighting in a tournament didn't sound to bad. And if winning it means they will get the help they need, then it's worth entering it. Still Cassandra knew she would need to be ready for anything, as tournaments normally attract the most skilled fighters.
They soon arrived in the arena, and everyone was getting ready. Cassandra made sure her sword and shield were in top shape. They need to win this, or the battle against Plagia was going to be very difficult.
"Cassandra" She looked up and saw Chrom.
"You need something?" Cassandra asked.
"Yes actually. Do you mind if you and I fight together for this tournament?" Chrom asked.
Cassandra blinked in confusion "Well, I don't mind. But why would you want to fight with me specifically?".
"I talked to Robin and he agreed us fighting together would be effective, with my sword and your shield" Chrom answered.
Cassandra had a feeling he was only telling her half the reason, but saw no problem with it "Alright, let us fight together, Chrom".
Chrom smiled "Thank you. Let's win this tournament, regardless of who our opponent is".
Cassandra nods, feeling confident that they could win this. But they were in for quite a surprise.
Once they arrived in the arena, a large crowd of people had gathered to watch. Their opponents looked strong, but Lissa spotted a familiar masked sword fighter among them.
"Chrom! Look!" She said.
"I see him…Marth! One question, before we begin?" Chrom asked, but Marth did not answer "Fine, then. Our swords can speak for us!
Chrom draws his Falchion... But when Marth draws his own blade, Chrom finally got a good look at it. To his shock, it was another Falchion.
"Where did you get that? There's no way..." Chrom said.
Chrom and Marth begin to fight. Chrom attacked first, leaping in to the air before performing a and came down with a powerful strike, which Marth blocked with some effort. They began clashing blades, and seemed evenly matched as both blocked, dodged and countered each other perfectly. In fact, their fighting styles were very similar, and Chrom almost felt like he was fighting a mirror.
"Tell me—Who taught you to fight like that?" Chrom asked as they entered a brief blade lock.
They broke the blade lock before both entered a similar fighting stance, and both performed a thrusting attack with their swords, causing them to go past each other. Chrom looked behind him, but Marth was gon. He quickly looked up to see Marth performing the same somersault Chrom had done earlier.
"My father!" Marth finally answered as Chrom dodged the attack.
Chrom looked suspicious at how they could have such similar fighting styles. Just who was this Marth? While this was happening, Cassandra managed to defeat one of her opponents before noticing Chrom being locked in a stalemate with Marth. Narrowing her eyes, She rushed towards them. Chrom grunts as Marth came in for a leaping attack, but was blocked by Cassandra's shield.
"Not today!" She declared.
Chrom quickly strikes at Marth who leaps back with a smirk "I'm to fast for your sword".
"Who is your father?" Chrom asked.
Marth was silent for a moment before answering "I've said enough for one day, sir".
"Hmph. Is that how it is? Lissa owes you her life, and for that you have my gratitude. But within these walls, I represent the East-Khan and the interests of Ylisse. I can't promise to stay my blade, but I vow not to shame you" Chrom said.
Marth smirks "Heh, never expected such youthful arrogance... We shall see who shames who!".
Cassandra stepped up next to Chrom "Wait, Chrom. Let me give it a try".
Chrom looked surprised but also worried "You sure? He is very skilled".
"I know, just like you. The two of you are too evenly matched. He clearly knows your sword techniques, but he hasn't faced me yet. I believe I can beat him" Cassandra explained.
"But you-" Chrom began but Cassandra interrupted him.
"Trust me Chrom" She almost begged.
Chrom hesitated before he nods "Alright. But if things gets to bad, I'm stepping in".
Cassandra smiles before walking forward to face Marth "You face me now".
Marth looked surprised "You? I've seen you fight, and while your skills are noteworthy, you are not of my or Chrom's level. What makes you believe you'll have an better chance at defeating me?".
"Because, I don't fight like most people" Cassandra declared as she got ready.
Marth was silent before getting ready "Very well. Let us fight with honor. May the best soldier win!".
Marth rushes at Cassandra with a quick slash. Cassandra quickly parried with her shield, stopping the sword fighter's offence. After multiple failed attempts at breaching Cassandra's guard, Cassandra bashed Marth in the chest with her shield before swinging her blade in a overhead strike, which Marth blocked with his sword. Cassandra attempted an side slash, but Marth jumped into the air to dodging the attack, then planted a kick to Cassandra's back, causing her to stumble forward, but she still remained upright.
"You are no match for me. Surrender and avoid further harm" Marth said, though his tone was less arrogant and more concerned. Like he really didn't want to fight her.
Cassandra got in to her stance "You haven't seen what I can do yet. I am not surrendering!".
Marth sounded frustrated before rushing his foe again, attempting a crosscut for Cassandra's side, but Cassandra blocked the strike with her shield, again holding off the swordman's strong offence. Marth delivered several more quick strikes, forcing Cassandra on the back foot as she struggled to hold of his offence. She knew she could not beat him like this... maybe it was time to resort to her special technique.
"You can barely hold me of! You can't win!" Marth said before delivering a pommel strike to Cassandra's face, making her turn around and fell on her knees "It's over... you fought well, but the victory is mine".
"Not yet, I got one more trick to show you" Cassandra declared.
Before Marth could react, Cassandra did the last thing he expected. Cassandra jumped and... slammed her butt into his chest. The impact actually knocked the air out of him as he stumbled back. Cassandra jumped back, slamming her butt in to Marth's face, which knocked him on his back. Cassandra then stood over him and simply fell on her butt on to his stomach, making him let out a pain filled grunt.
Cassandra the put her blade close to Marth's neck "Well?".
Marth was utterly speechless for several seconds before finally answering "I... concede... Impressive...if not surprising...".
Cassandra smiled and got of her defeated foe "You're right. In terms of pure skills, you and Chrom have me beat. So I need to even out the odds by being unpredictable".
"Looks like I still have much to learn..." Marth muttered.
Cassandra smiled before Chrom ran up to her "Cassandra, you ok?".
"I'm fine... I see everyone else finished their fights too" Cassandra said as she looked around.
"Yeah, thanks to you taking care of Marth, we were able to make a clean sweep of the rest... But, mind telling me what that attack was?" Chrom asked with a blush.
Cassandra blushed too "Well, my training is limited to what my father taught me. But he was very clear on that the best way to win was to use my whole body as a weapon... So I decided to weaponize the one part of my body no one would ever expect me to attack with".
"Believe me, no one would ever expect that... But never mind that now" Chrom said before grabbing Cassandra's hand and raised it in to the air "They're celebrating us!".
Cassandra blushed but smiled as she cheered in victory along with Chrom. Hidden behind a pillar, Marth had removed her mask, revealing her real female face. She smiled at her parents, happy that her plan worked. She only became the champion of the opposite khan in order to make sure Ferox would ally with Ylisse, and she planed on loosing... but she didn't plan on loosing to her mom... nor did she plan on loosing in such a way.
'Wait... was that mother's super secret technique!?' She thought to herself as she remembered her mom telling her she knew a super secret technique which she promised to teach her when she got older.
She puts a hand on her face, unable to believe her own mother beat her by using her butt. She needs to make sure the others NEVER hears about this... She would never hear the end of it.
Flavia walked up to her winners with a big smile "Well fought! You have my respect. And, perhaps more to the point, you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs".
"Truly? Thank you, East-Khan" Chrom said.
"I should thank you! It feels like ages since I've held full power" Flavia said before walking up to Cassandra and gave her a nice smack on her butt, earning a loud yelp from her "And you sure are an interesting one. Keep your arse strong, it could save you life one day. Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!".
Cassandra blushed as she rubbed her butt as Flavia leaves. Then a large man with an eye patch walked up to them, his name was Basilio.
"Bah! Any excuse for a party and Flavia jumps on it…" He said.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Chrom asked.
"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power! You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure I'd picked the stronger man" Basilio answered.
"What do you know about him?" Chrom asked.
"You mean that "Marth"? Bah! He's just some sellsword with delusions of grandeur. All I know is that he turned up one eve and knocked my old champion flat. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things! Baha! Anyway, he's gone now. Up and fled the moment the tournament ended" Basilio explained.
"He's so dark and mysterious..." Lissa said with a smiling sigh.
"Sounds like Marth's got at least one fan…" Robin said.
"Well, I mean, c'mon... He IS sort of dreamy, isn't he?" Lissa asked.
Chrom gave her a look "And YOU'RE sort of dreaming!".
"Yowch! Lighten up, Big Brother. I was just kidding" Lissa said.
Frederick spoke up "Milord? Milady? If this fascinating discussion is over, we'd best return home. The exalt will want this news of our new alliance immediately".
Chrom nods "Right as always Frederick".
"Hold, boy. Before you go, I have a little present for you" Basilio said as another man entered "This is Lon'qu, my former champion. Not much for talking, mind you, but he's peerless with a sword. As good as Marth, in my mind. To be honest, I can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly".
"Marth beat him? But he looks so big and strong…" Lissa said as she approaches Lon'qu.
"Away, woman!" Lon'qu snapped.
"Hey! Wh-what did I say?!" Lissa asked.
"Ba ha ha! Let's just say that ladies tend to put Lon'qu on edge. Nonetheless, he is capable. Perhaps he even has the makings of a khan. Consider him West Ferox's contribution to the Ylissean cause" Basilio said.
"You're certain about this?" Chrom asked.
Basilio nods "Yes, yes. He's your man now".
"And Lon'qu? You have no objections?" Chrom asked.
"He gives orders. I stab people. I think our roles are clear" Lon'qu answered.
"All right then. Welcome aboard" Chrom said.
Cassandra smiled, what a strange bunch of people she's joined... However, upon returning to Ylisse... They received horrible news that Lissa's best friend Maribelle had been kidnapped.
.
You didn't really think I had forgotten about Cassandra's most famous and most powerful attack right? Of course it was going to happen at some point.
.
Tell me what you think.