Sumia hummed to herself, or rather she tried to. Her notes left her throat in tight inarticulate squeaks with only the vaguest semblance of meter and notation.
They were watching her as the others unloaded the carts and horses, she knew. She could feel their eyes sweep over her as she worked.
Two Feroxi men - tanned skinned with beady eyes - were leaning against the posts to the gate she and the other Shepherds had just passed to enter the Khan's dwelling place.
Her mouth was a tight nervous line as she undid a bag from Belfire's saddle. Belfire constantly surveyed the area and gave her rider many worried glances as if to ask what was the matter.
A particularly squeaky hum finally got on Vaike's nerves.
"Couldja pipe down?! If you gotta make music could you do it when we're not working?!" He hollered. "You're gunna break a window."
"Sorry! Sorry… it's just…" Sumia tried to cast a discreet glance over her shoulder. They were still looking. She pretended to look up at the sky and study a cloud… but which one? The sky was completely gray! She looked away and back to her work and from the corner of her eye… yep, they were still there.
Move carefully, don't draw their attention… Oh, I nearly dropped that… and it's on the ground. Great. I'll just - NO! Don't lean over for gods' sakes! Just grab something else...
"It's just what?" Miriel asked gently as she hefted a pile of books from her cart. "Something the matter?"
Sumia took a different bag and sidled over to Miriel. "Those two…" she whispered. "No! Don't look right at them! ...You see them?"
"I do…"
"They're watching me! My every move, I swear! I can feel their eyes burning holes in the back of my head!"
"So what, you're the fairest in all of Ferox all of a sudden?" Vaike asked.
"Vaike," Virion said harshly. "She is clearly distraught. Delicacy is key."
Vaike shrugged and carried on as if he had never heard Virion's answer.
The rest of the party eyed the onlookers, all except Sumia of course. The two men spoke a few words to each other but otherwise did nothing in response to the party's sudden interest in them.
"To be fair…" Kellam finally spoke up. "Between us guys and Miriel, Sumia's probably the most likely star of the show…" Miriel scoffed. Sumia let out a whimper. The two men almost seemed ready to take a step forward.
"They made their move…" Miriel cast a glance at Virion. "Are they friends of yours, perhaps?" she murmured with a raised eyebrow. The nobleman didn't take that kindly. "Perhaps such minds think alike. How best do we go about this, Noble?"
Virion pulled at his collar. "Allow me," he said. "Hullo there! To whom do we owe the honor?!" He called over. The two men halted and shared a glance. "Mayhap you'd lend me and my comrades with the luggage? We've got a ways to go!"
The two men said something to each other, shook their heads, and finally turned to leave. Not before they cast one glance behind them. Their eyes met Sumia's and a chill went down her spine.
A Feroxi guard happened by and Virion called him over. "My good sir, did you see those two men?" He asked hurriedly.
The guard caught a glimpse of the men before they disappeared into the cityscape beyond the gates. "Aye, none of ours. Those are from West Ferox, judging by their armor."
"What would they be doing over here?" Miriel asked as she adjusted her lenses.
"I reckon they were sizing you lot up."
"S-s-sizing me up?!" Sumia sputtered.
"Aye, new faces around here usually means the Khan's chosen champions for the tourney. No doubt they saw you paradin' through town."
When the Shepherds didn't seem to have anything to add, the guard took his leave. Vaike said something offhanded about the staff helping them unpack.
"Wait… did he mean the same tourney the Khan was talking about?" Sumia asked.
"Probably," Miriel said. "Hopefully he misunderstands. No offense to the Khans, but the less we partake in their 'honor' and 'laws' the better. Frankly speaking, I'd like to return to Ylisstol and catch Ricken up on his studies as soon as possible."
"Afraid that's not going to happen," a new voice called over. Robin appeared from the main entrance and ran to meet with the others. Lissa followed behind him, but Frederick and Chrom were nowhere to be seen. "We're going to stay at least two more days."
"Says who? What happened in there? Did the Khan agree or what?" Vaike spat question after question.
"Er, not exactly. Chrom's inside, he'll give the full details."
"But we're not even done putting the wagons away!" Sumia said.
Lissa spied a pair of guards and waved over at them. "Excuuuuuse me!" She called. "Hey, over here!"
The two guards didn't look very amused, but they humored the little princess.
"...Can we help you?" One asked.
Lissa held her arms out to the carts. "You could tidy up our wagons and take them inside, and take care of our horses for us, if you'd be so kind!"
The other guard snorted. "We're not bloody maids ya know, and this ain't Ylisse. What gives you the right to boss us around, anyway?"
Lissa clasped her hands behind her back and beamed. "Flavia," she said. The guard's jaws dropped. "She might've said something about… consequences… but I'm sure that was nothing to worry about." She said as she shut her eyes and waved a hand about.
The guard's boots kicked up mud and gravel as they ran for the wagons. They even called over their shoulders to summon more help from the fort's staff. With no choice it seemed, the Shepherds backed away from the wagons and followed Robin and Lissa back inside.
"That wasn't exactly called for…" Robin grumbled.
"But she said 'anything we wanted,' didn't she?" Lissa asked with a pout. "Woulda been rude if I didn't take her up on her offer!"
"Flavia commands such fear even over the men of the Khan?" Miriel pondered aloud.
"As only a Khan should," Robin said.
The Shepherds occupied a small hallway, a short ways from the barracks that would serve as their lodging.
"So the gist of it all, so far as she's told us anyway…" Miriel spoke as she adjusted her glasses. "Before the Khan lends Ylisse help in any meaningful capacity, we are to lend our own help first, in a blood sport no less?"
"Unfortunately so…" Frederick said gruffly.
"And with just under two days to decide no less!" Miriel added. "Whatever are we going to do? That's hardly any time at all to send word to her grace, or to synthesize a believable alibi."
"Alibi?" Robin asked.
"Yes, an alibi!" Miriel's lenses flashed. "A reason to abstain, that is. You don't expect us, emissaries of the Halidom, to risk our own men in vanity such as this do you?"
"I mean, no but—"
"And what would Her Grace think should we accept? Between her and previous rulers of the Halidom… such behavior would readily reflect only the Exalts who came before."
"Hey, Miriel, isn't that a little uncalled for?" Stahl said,
"She's right," Chrom had been completely silent up till now and had let Frederick and Robin take care of the talking. "Emmeryn herself would not attempt such a thing… But I'm not Emmeryn." Chrom cleared his throat once. "In my mind there is no choice… not for me at any rate. I've already decided to lend my sword to her cause."
This was news to Robin. "You don't mean—"
"I'll enter the Tournament," Chrom said. "It's my responsibility as Prince to see this through."
"D-don't you got this in reverse?" Sully asked. "If anything we should go in and you should hang back! What would Her Grace do if we told her that her little brother got axed in a bloody arena?"
"Way to put it delicately," Stahl grumbled.
"Who cares about responsibility? She saw us all fight, din' she?" Vaike asked. "Why go alone? It doesn't make sense."
"It's not Chrom's responsibility to our hosts, but rather to the rest of the Shepherds," Frederick said. "Flavia made her terms clear, so Chrom's making sure he's not putting you at any more risk than he already has. And though I personally doubt that our host will care, the Prince has made his decision. I myself, and perhaps Robin at most will join the Prince and whatever Feroxi are able to fight." Frederick cast a discerning glance across the room. "The rest of you are to stand by and prepare for the journey home."
An unsteady silence filled the room. Lissa hadn't spoken since she arrived. She looked tentatively back and forth and waited for somebody to say something.
"I mean—" Sully scratched the back of her head. "What was the point of us coming along in the first place then?"
"We protected our lieges through battle after battle, per the terms," Miriel said coldly. "We have done all that's expected of us up to this point. I respect the prince's decision." Nobody voiced their agreement with Miriel, but none protested either.
"We have a little over a day to change our minds," Robin reasoned. "Maybe Flavia will come up with a better plan by then."
"But till then," Chrom said. "I'll go tell Flavia my decision." He looked to Vaike, to Sumia, to Sully and Stahl. "I've put you all in a strange position by showing my hand like this. If you disagree with my decision as a captain you may speak with me and Robin afterwards, but I encourage you as your prince to count the cost of joining me in battle. We're not dealing with Risen anymore. These are living, breathing people. Raising our arms against them whether in sport or not should never be taken lightly." Chrom waved his hand. "You're all dismissed. It's getting late, so you should secure your lodgings for the night."
"I will take care of this," Frederick said quickly. "You all may resume packing once we're done securing our beds."
"That won't be a problem, I sicced Flavia's men on the carts," Lissa said with a smile. "They should be all done any minute now."
Chrom smiled. "Clever girl."
"If Maribelle was here she'd certainly disapprove of those men handling our things," Miriel said with a soft laugh.
Chrom nodded to his men and walked away to leave them to Frederick, and Robin followed after him. Sumia dolefully watched them leave.
"Will you go to Flavia now?" Robin asked.
Chrom shook his head. "I'll do that later tonight if not tomorrow morning. I thought I'd scour for more information about these tournaments. I don't want to go in blind for something like this."
"Good idea," Robin said. "But I didn't see any libraries on the way in. Books aren't important enough to be kept in Flavia's castle, apparently."
Chrom laughed. "No, you're right. I wouldn't expect something like this to be written down. The Feroxi seem more… practical than that."
"Then why not ask Flavia?"
"No, I wanted to meet the ground level."
"Ground level of what?" It was only after he spoke that Robin realized Chrom was not heading deeper into the fortress, but rather he was leaving. He left the heavy walls and walked out into the streets, where droves and droves of Feroxi men and women were wrapping up their day; their hoots and banter filling the chilly night air.
The bustling streets made Robin nervous. He stuck close to Chrom as they weaved around people, past campfires and past buildings. Did Chrom really know where he was going?
"What looks like a good spot?" The Prince asked him.
"A good spot to get lost, beaten up and robbed?" The memories of his first day in Ylisstol were still raw for Robin.
"I meant something like a bar."
"My point still stands."
"Look, over there. That looks about right," Chrom pointed to a single story building. For some reason Robin decided that something so ramshackle and slapped together belonged in the seaport of a bad pirate ballad and not a northern kingdom's street. Inside was no less choked by voices, smells and smoke than the outside was. Robin had to cover his face to dampen the stink of meat, alcohol and sweat that bombarded his nose.
Their arrival did not silence the merrymaking. If anything they were the least conspicuous in the entire bar. Robin spotted several foreigners from neither Ferox nor Ylisse mingling inside.
"What exactly is the plan again?" Robin asked.
"These people know more about the tourney than either of us, and I'm betting they know things Flavia does not. Their Khan has already told us her side of the story. I want to see what these people have to say. Maybe we can bring an edge to our next chat with her."
Robin wasn't so sure. He knew the tournament was just another sport to these Feroxi, but that didn't guarantee what they knew was valuable.
"There, that man looks almost like the border guards further south, I bet he's seen some action. I'll go talk to him, see if he knows about the Western Champion."
Robin nodded. "Alright, and I'll just… Er," the truth was he wanted to bolt like a rabbit. But then he made eye contact with an older gentleman, or what passed for one in Ferox. He seemed friendly enough. "I'll see what this one knows about etiquette."
Chrom blanked. "Etiquette?"
"Maybe he knows something we don't about that warrior's code. Maybe we can invoke something so we don't have to fight, or don't have to kill at the very least."
The prince smiled and clasped Robin's shoulder. "Punctual and resourceful, the Shepherds are lucky to have you." And then he slunk away.
Robin hesitated to engage his own contact and watched Chrom melt into the crowd. The stranger regarded Chrom aloofly for only a few moments. Words were exchanged, Chrom bought a round of drinks, and suddenly the man was laughing and chatting with the young man as if they'd known each other forever.
He'll have no trouble finding what he's looking for, Robin decided as he met with the older man.
"'Aven't seen your kind this far north in a long while,'' the man said jollily. His dark skin was cracked and wrinkled. His weathered features tugged and moved with every word he spoke, and the cold air gave his dark skin an almost frosted look.
"Yeah, just passing through," Robin said as he sat across from him.
"Had enough of yer king?" The man asked, Robin's confused look drew a worried expression from the man. "I didn't misstep did I? It's the rum, I tell you. Wife tells me to drink less in-the-case I get to talking with someone. Loosens my lips like nobody's business. I'll buy you a round if you forgive my senseless remark, I normally got nothing against Plegians."
So that's what that was about. The fact was Robin didn't care too much. He almost wished the man hadn't pitied him so, it was a little irritating. The face of a fighter and a man I have not, apparently.
While Chrom took his time with his own and soon other patrons, Robin got to talking about day to day life in Feroxi with the older fellow. He ordered a drink for Robin, of which he took one sip and instantly regretted. Sully, Vaike, or even Chrom may not mind, but he had no interest in dousing his tongue with washing fluid that night. He called for tea instead, which earned him a look from the bartender.
"You wouldn't happen to be holding out for the Battle of East and West, wouldja?" The man asked. "Draws folks from all over the continent this time of year."
"Yes, absolutely," Robin said. "In fact, some colleagues of mine were looking into participating, to represent the East Khan perhaps."
That earned him a knee slapping guffaw from the weathered man who kept shaking his head. "Well no offense to yerself, but I sure hope you brought an army! Hah!"
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Robin muttered. "My team can hold our own outside the city walls, we figured we'd give the tournament a shot." Not a complete lie.
The man swished his drink about. "Normally, I wouldn't be so hard on a lad like yerself, you look like the sort who knows yer magics or whatnot. But when it comes to Regna Ferox you look green as a boy. 'Need a wise old fella to tell you your right from your left here in Ferox, yer east from yer west that is! Ha!"
And the man got to talking, and Robin merely sipped his tea as he spoke. "Now see the west have always been more aloof than us, more isolated. They stopped openly trading with Plegia and the rest of the south a while ago, but even before then most of their business come from their seaports and tradin' with the Valmese. They're not self-sustaining per se, but they're independent from the rest of the nation so far as they're concerned. Makes 'em more pragmatic if you ask me."
"Pragmatic?"
"That's just the polite way of saying cold-hearted 'round here, and believe me we Ferox know about the cold. They don't pull their punches when it comes to the Warrior's Code, that's for sure."
"Ah, I see," he pretended to understand. "And what is the Warrior's Code exactly? What is the first thing you'd tell a foreigner before they stepped into the arena."
"The first thing I'd tell 'em? Don't." The man thought it was awfully funny and guffawed for a good minute as Robin looked on. "That is, it goes like this. The long and short of it is, if you pick a fight with someone you better be ready to do one of two things; kill the guy, or surrender. Starting a fight over a drink is one thing, fighting over a pig is another, and the Battle for East and West is a completely different beast.
"Trouble being that killing or surrendering is damn near impossible depending on what kinda person you are. That's why only special kinds of people last long in the arena life."
"Special meaning they don't mind killing?" Robin asked warily.
The man nodded. "Not as uncommon as you think. Look at it like this, ifn' someone opposes you politically, he may very well be an enemy because the decisions they endorse may get yer kin killed. On the flip side if he's an arena fighter, he very well may have already killed several of yer kin, so you have every right to try at his life. Whicher makes it easier to sleep at night, I don't judge. 'Course, that just sets you up for the same thing if someone else challenges you in the arena! Ha!"
The man laughed again, while Robin found himself both impressed and frightened by his honesty. "If you realize partway through a fight that it just ain't worth it you can throw down your weapons. A good fighter will respect the code and spare you. Some like to interpret it as 'putting your life in their hands,' but if they're in a bad mood they'll kill you anyway, so it's almost a raw deal no matter how you slice it, 'scuse the jape."
"So if a guy's about to kill me, all I do is throw my sword away? Even if he does spare me, what if I just grab my weapon again?" Robin asked.
"Can't. Code says no."
"But you just said that someone can ignore the code and kill me anyway if I surrender."
"No, not ignore. Experienced warriors can weigh their options. The dishonor for killing a downed opponent may not be as bad as letting your team fail the tournament. Now if you give up just to reach for your weapon again, that makes you a liar. That means you can't be trusted and every word out yer mouth till then might've been a trick. Puts a big red X on yah for every other fighter to stab at. Ya dig?"
"I-I think so…" So you could be as brutal and pragmatic as possible at the risk of some severe karma from another fighter, but if you're found to be a liar or a coward that makes any and everybody liable to try and kill you? Feroxi was only becoming more and more confusing.
"So what if we just disarmed every opponent so we didn't have to kill them?"
"Depends, right or left?"
"No! I mean knock their weapons away, or just hurt them bad enough that they can't fight. Wouldn't that force them to surrender?"
The man thoughtfully stroked his chin before he answered. "I see where you're coming from, but someone more traditional than me may argue there's no difference. You take a man's arm and he can't fight no more, he may lose his livelihood and go the rest of his life wanting you dead. You force a man to surrender, he'll live another day most likely, but he may face disgrace for throwing the towel in, and he'd have to find a new job either way. I know some men who fought in the arena who were spared and wished they were killed. It just ain't the warrior way."
"Maybe life is more important than the warrior way."
"Perhaps, but that's a very southern sentiment 'round these parts, I won't lie," the man finished his drink. "Then again, the Khans these days have been more liberal than I'd like with the damn arena."
"So you think it's not worth trying?"
"Oh, no! Do whatever you want. Yer foreigners, you weren't raised on the code, people won't mind if you're fast and loose. Just keep in mind that some Feroxi see themselves as… obligated to be just as loose with the code if you're a foreigner. Not all Feroxi, but some."
Robin nodded. "You'd think there'd be a law against foreigners fighting in the arena if the Warrior Code is so forgiving to them."
The man laughed once more. "Hell no! Haven't ya heard? It's the reason we hire foreigners to fight in the first place! Makes for a clean conscience and more enjoyable show!"
So much for 'don't enter,' Robin thought to himself.
The two would keep talking for another hour or so. When it was time to leave, Robin offered to buy the man a drink before he left, but he was turned down. The man wouldn't even give Robin his name or take his. "I'd rather know yer name after you leave the arena, and not before. Hate to know the name of a guy who gets totaled by an axe, ya dig?"
Once they regrouped, Chrom didn't look too pleased as they left the bar. "Learn anything new?" Robin asked.
The prince let out a laugh. "Nothing Flavia hasn't already told us. They saw my clothes, saw my mark… tried to get me drunk, joke's on them. They're under the table and I feel fine. I thought I could pass as an everyman out here, apparently not. What about you?"
"More about the Warrior's Code than I ever wanted to know. Basically as foreigners we get a free pass to completely do as we please in the arena. If we slaughter or get slaughtered, all the better. Neither Ylisse's reputation nor Flavia's will be tarnished."
"Charming."
"But the way I see it, if we have nothing to lose, we may as well fight like no arena-goer has fought before."
"What's that supposed to mean? What's your plan?"
"Tell Flavia we accept. I won't make you say anything, but I think we should encourage the other Shepherds to join us if they're inclined. We're going to need the manpower." Flavia's fort finally came into view again. "We're going to fight in the arena, and not one person is going to die."
Sully crossed her arms and smiled. She tried to imagine what the folks back home would say if she could mount a bear that size on her wall. She'd have it right over the fireplace, the eyes would be completely red so the firelight would dance off them just the right way. And right in its mouth… that's where she'd hide her favorite vintage for safekeeping. Just try and swipe her favorite drink from a dead bear's jaws.
Actually, now that she thought about it, a fancy, tacky container was exactly the kind of thing younger her would try and swipe from just to see if anyone would catch her.
"I might take some of this home with me," she said. "Tack it on the wall back home. See how it looks over the fireplace. I think I'd feel a lot safer knowing my room was guarded by a bear."
"You would," Stahl said, half asleep as he sat against the cold Feroxi wall.
"What was that?"
"Nothing…" Stahl shifted his weight nervously. "Chrom said we're allowed to talk to him about the plan right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"...I really don't want to fight any more Ferox. It's not like I'm scared of them, I just… it feels wrong."
"Then don't," Sully said with a shrug. "He'll understand."
"But I know I'd hate to leave Chrom on his own too."
"He'll have Frederick and Robin with him."
"Yeah, and all three of them could barely take care of the Border Guard."
Sully gave an irritated shrug. "So what are you gonna do about it? Complain some more or make an actual decision for once?"
Stahl sighed and hung his head. "...Sometimes I hate Chrom for being so honest with us," he said.
"How's that?"
"He coulda told us differently. It's almost like he knew we'd all pitch in if he told us he'd go in alone."
"...I wouldn't put it past him, but I wouldn't worry about it too much."
Stahl got to his feet and started back towards the barracks where they were staying. His boots tapped the stone floor as he stepped away. "Where ya going?" Sully asked.
"I'm off to bed. If Chrom's there, I'll tell him to take me with him. If he's not… I'll tell him in the morning or something."
Sully almost laughed. She started to follow him. "Yer kidding?"
Stahl groaned. "No. I wish I was. I don't care if we're swarmed by a bunch of barbarians, I know I'd rather be with Chrom and Robin when it happens instead of in the bleachers or something."
"And you keep saying you're not a real knight. Just try not to show me up, alright?
"Wait, you've already decided?"
"You kidding? I wanna make a good impression on these Feroxi."
Flavia was all too happy to show the Shepherds to her favorite tavern the next morning. It was supposed to be big enough to sit their entire entourage. Apparently great big meals before a fight was a tradition in Ferox. Robin assumed it had to do with packing away energy and strength for the tough day ahead, but it turned out that it was more in line with the idea of a last meal before an execution.
He tried not to think about it too hard.
Just like Chrom asked, Robin had relayed the plan to the other Shepherds the previous night. They had a strategy, at least in theory, to both survive the arena and prove a point to the Feroxi. Kindness can be a strength, and if they could display that in the arena, then maybe Flavia and the opposite Khan would both see the merit in helping Ylisse. Miriel was the only Shepherd to abstain completely, and nobody was comfortable with the idea of Lissa participating. She complained nonetheless, of course. Chrom informed Flavia that he was ready to carry on with the negotiations, but instead she had him and his men follow her through town.
"Thar she blows," Flavia pulled her horse to a stop and pointed. Even as she rode in her own streets she kept her favorite blade strapped to her belt. If it wasn't for the tavern it almost seemed like she was already leading them off to war. "I expect your entire lot in that building by sundown. Eat light beforehand, you'll need the room."
The tavern was a wide and gray building with multiple chimneys. A running fountain of clear water babbled a few paces away near one of the doors. It used to be a sort of guard house, but in times of relative peace it served as an inn. Its massive dining area was built to serve men and women off to battle, so of course it was used for celebrating and parties whenever the Khan fancied it.
"And in the meantime?" Chrom asked. Flavia gave a dismissive wave and smiled.
"Have at the town! Enjoy the festivities, see the sights. I like to make sure my visitors enjoy themselves. We can finish our talk over a roaring fire and some roasted cuts."
The people of East Ferox were all too happy to welcome Flavia into the crowd, and she soon disappeared into the town. The Shepherds stood awkwardly by and tried to memorize the tavern and its location.
"What are you waiting for, directions?" Frederick of all people spoke up. "Do as she said. Stoicism will earn us no favors."
"Diplomats having fun for once?" Sully asked as she cracked her knuckles. "I can get used to this!"
"However!" Frederick pointed skyward and set his hard gaze upon his men.
"There he goes," Sully grumbled.
"We will carry on responsibly. Lissa will stay with me at all times."
"Awww!"
"Virion! Keep your mingling as esoteric as possible. Sully, Vaike, I expect to hear no word of you fighting our hosts."
"Aye, captain."
"And at risk of sounding extremely old-fashioned, I highly encourage Miriel and Sumia to either travel together or stick with a fellow Shepherd. The Feroxi have a very light-hearted view on death and combat that we do not share. It is not unreasonable to assume there may be some individuals with beliefs in other matters we won't see eye-to-eye on."
Robin heard Sumia shudder. She needed no convincing. Frederick dismissed them, and the Shepherds broke up to explore the streets. At first Robin thought he may keep Sumia company, or perhaps he'd follow Sully to make sure she stayed out of trouble. When he saw Chrom walking away on his own, he decided to follow after him. They sifted through droves of Feroxi, their skin colors ran the entire spectrum, and followed wherever the cold, cobbled road would take them.
While the other Shepherds explored or interacted with the Feroxi commonfolk, Chrom simply watched on, or perhaps his gaze went past everything going on in front of him. His blue eyes were deep with thought. "Want to talk about it?" Robin asked.
"Not really," Chrom said. They passed the strong, savory scents of a food stand. The man's grill sent fumes of frying fish and roots their way. Robin opted to try some, and the man had no issue accepting Ylissean gold. He would have to ask Frederick how international trade worked some day.
"It's no Ylisstol," Robin said. "But it all seems so… genuine, in a way." Chrom nodded.
"It's like if the hero's hometown was an entire city," he said. "The Feroxi are such jolly folk, despite their views on life."
"Maybe it just means they appreciate it more, in a way. Their environment didn't evolve to be as cozy as Ylisse's. They know how to enjoy themselves."
"Enjoying yourself doesn't always mean you're doing the right thing."
"...Chrom, you like fighting for Ylisse, don't you?"
Chrom stopped in his tracks, and for a moment Robin was afraid. The prince sidled against a building to let more denizens pass by, and Robin did the same. His gaze wandered and fell upon a group of children. They played with a ball of weaved twigs and cloth. They kicked it between their heels and bounced it on their knees.
"There's nothing wrong with it, I mean," Robin said.
"It seems like it's the only thing I'm good at," Chrom said. "Risen notwithstanding, the only thing we've done since we set off is fight."
"Maybe look at it this way," Robin said. "You've been caught off guard so many times, and each time your option was clear. First the missing caravan, and then the border guard. Here you had the opportunity to consider your next move. Why feel bad about it?"
The boy's game of ball somehow was flung in their direction. Robin found himself catching the ball with his feet and held it with his foot. Chrom watched as he kicked it onto his foot and bounced it into the air a couple of times before he kicked it back to the players. Their eyes were wide. Robin looked back to Chrom. "Everything until now has been curveballs. Now the ball is in your court, that is to say you have time to prepare. At least now you have the benefit of forethought."
The children's game drew ever nearer, and once more the ball was inexplicably flung their way. This time Chrom was the one who kicked it back to them. He was smiling. "Sometimes I wonder if your advice is actually sound, or if you're just good at stroking my ego."
"Look, I totally get why you're nervous, but at this rate I think you're better off just going with it. The worst action right now is inaction."
"You took that from Frederick."
"He gives good advice, but he wasn't gonna tell you for whatever reason."
"He respects the position Emmeryn gave me. But that's why I brought you along."
The children heard some kind of noise and scattered. Shouting. Hooting. Some kind of altercation a few blocks away. Some Feroxi man had just lost an arm-wrestling match. He threw a fist, which his opponent caught. Now they were both struggling in the dust of the road. His opponent hefted him into the air and drove him back into the ground. Their audience cheered.
"...Is that…" Robin swallowed. He saw the flash of red hair. There was no doubt that it was Sully.
"Just look the other way, Robin," Chrom was trying to keep in his laughter. "Look the other way."
Miriel was nice enough to be around, but she didn't make a very effective sightseeing partner. She would rather spy on the building architecture, examine the armaments of the few armored patrol men, or ask questions about local history. This is why when it was just about time to reconvene at the tavern, Sumia slipped away from her sightseeing partner for some alone time. She always kept Miriel in sight as she wandered.
When they first came to Ferox, it all seemed so suffocating. The streets were dirty, the people were bustling every which way, like there was no room to breathe. Now she was used to it. It reminded her of visiting the market with her parents when she was younger.
Ferox was so diverse genetically that she didn't stand out too much. Some people ignored her, some were used to travelers. That didn't stop children, their mothers, or sometimes men from stopping to gawk at her. "A real Ylissean soldier," she'd hear them whisper amongst themselves. "Are all of them like her?" She couldn't help but shyly duck away from the praise to a less crowded part of the street.
Miriel called to her. The sun was about to set, and the other Shepherds were already making their way to the tavern. Sumia was ready to follow after, but she felt a presence behind her. For some strange reason she assumed Chrom or Robin were coming this way, but when she turned around she didn't see either of them. She did see something strange glinting on the ground, right near where two houses met. Sumia decided to investigate.
It looked like a golden pin that might hold someone's cape or mantle securely to their shoulder. It was golden colored with a large, glass piece painted red attached to one side. It looked distinctly Ylissean. How long has this been just sitting there on the ground?
She reached down and picked it up. She turned it over in her hands a few times. "It's so pretty!" she said as she held it up to the light. "Ooh, I can't wait to show Chrom." Sumia got up to leave for the tavern, but she was stopped in her tracks. Two men materialized from the nearby alley. She tried to step to the side and get past them, but they blocked her path. She found herself corralled against one of the building walls.
It was the two West Feroxi from earlier. One was much taller than the other. Both were rugged and plated with armor. Their eyes were small and wild, their faces still like a pulled bowstring.
"Miss," the shorter of them said with a nod of his head.
"H-Hi there?" Sumia held up her hands and covered her mouth. "Can I help you?"
"My friend has something he'd like to tell you." He stepped to the side. His friend, easily a shoulder taller than him, stepped forward. His shadow completely enveloped her. Sumia desperately looked to the side for any sign of Miriel, Chrom or Robin, but she found nobody.
"I've had my eye on you for a while now," the tall one said. "Since you first rode into town. A question has been been burning my tongue this whole time…"
Sumia gulped but her throat was dry.
The tall man clasped Sumia's tiny hands with his massive ones. She dropped the clip she found and it clattered to the ground. She was too scared to scream. Her mouth opened but no sound left her mouth.
The man's gaze was powerful and foreboding. If any of them wanted, they might just carry her away, and she'd never see the other Shepherds again. She could try to fight back, but would she manage to fend them off? She never did that well without a weapon on her. If she did manage to cry for help, would anyone come to her aid? What if the people of Ferox think this sort of thing is normal?
Sumia shrank against the man's hard stare, waiting for what she believed to be inevitable. She willed her heart to slow down as she examined her options and searched for a way out.
But then the man's gaze softened, and so did his grip. The hardness left his eyes, and she now saw that her hands, beside the very forward introduction, were held quite gently.
The tall one gulped, but his throat was dry.
"The, uh…" his voice became very boyish. "The tournament."
Sumia blinked. "What?"
"The tournament's tomorrow," he said. "Me and my pal got front row seats." He swallowed again. "You're really pretty. Would you uh… would you uh… like to..."
Sumia now flushed, but for completely different reasons. The man's demeanor had completely fallen apart. You couldn't pluck a schoolboy from his classroom who was more awkward and naïve. In fact, the way he tripped over his own words, it kind of reminded her of…
"Oy! Back yer asses off!"
"What?" The man's grip was pulled away from Sumia. Sully's red, wild gaze stood in between them and their very awkwardly acquired quarry. Her arms were dirty and there was dried blood on the corner of her mouth.
"Would you back off? Can't you see you're making her uncomfortable?!"
"What do you care?!" The shorter one asked.
"She obviously ain't interested, so you two better just turn around and walk away."
"You didn't even let us finish!" the shorter one snapped. "We weren't gonna hurt her or nuthin, we ain't that type of Feroxi. We just wanted to see if she had a fella for the tournament. It's a very romantic option this time of year and-"
Sully grabbed their collars with both her hands and pulled them until she was right up in their faces. "You lugnuts are embarrassing her!" Sully hissed through clenched teeth. "She already has a fella!"
Their eyes widened. They looked between Sully and Sumia. Sumia flushed even harder than before and covered her mouth. "We uh… didn't… er…" the tall one swallowed again. "Good gods but I'm sorry…"
"Yeah, I hope so."
"We could host the two of them," the other offered. "They can have our seats if that makes up for it-"
"I think you've done enough." Sully grabbed Sumia by the shoulder and pushed her forward. "C'mon sis, let's go."
Sumia never went back for the pin. She forgot all about it. She was too busy smacking Sully in the shoulder. "Why'd you have to tell them that, Sully?!" Sumia whined, her face still red.
"Look, I kinda panicked, alright?" Sully ran a hand through her hair.
"You could have put it a different way."
"Look, when Sully sees Sumia cornered by two buff guys, her brain thinks 'hell no, get her out of there, ask questions later.'" When Sumia was silent and obstinate, Sully scrambled to explain. "Look, when you're getting unwanted attention there are two things you can tell guys to get them to back off. I knew you wouldn't thank me for either of them, so I went for option number one, cause I sure as hell knew you'd hate option two."
Sumia was still frowning, but she gave a resigned shake of her head. "Alright. Thanks, I guess."
"Don't mention it."
Right as they came upon the tavern Sumia spoke up. "Wait, what's option number two?"
"For what?"
"To make guys back off."
"Oh. Well it's… um…" Sully clammed up. "I can't say."
"Sully!"
"Look, I'll tell you when you're older."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're the one who keeps reading ribald... faith... romance whatevers and you don't have a clue?"
With the sun setting, the torches and braziers lit the tavern in a warm, earthly glow. Food and drink thickened the air with a deep, sweet smell. It wasn't quite as bad as the tavern Robin and Chrom had visited earlier. Flavia took her first large swig from the tankard and slammed her boot upon the nearest table. Every dish and cup atop was rattled. Raimi managed to contain her discontent if only faintly as she stood nearby. The Khan pointed with her cut directly at Chrom. "Today is a blessed one my brothers, for here do the gods of Ferox and Ylisse both come together!"
Every Feroxi fighter and citizen in the tavern cheered and roared. The walls shook with their noise. The Shepherds shuffled awkwardly by their seats and waited for the noise to die down. Frederick winced at a now swinging brazier.
"Drink deep and be merry my brothers!" Flavia cheered once more.
"~For tomorrow we die!~" echoed back the Feroxi men. Laughter followed as the men claimed their seats and served food to each other. None of the Shepherds were completely comfortable.
"It's like we're toasting to our own funeral," Sully whispered to Robin.
There was no beef and hardly any vegetables being served, at least no green ones. Pork, or boar in this case, and wild game with tubers and nuts and berries of all things were passed around on thick, stone dishes that held their warmth. People's plates were stacked as high as they could manage without making a mess, and just when Robin thought they would serve no more another dish would be added and then stacked with food. There was enough grub to spare for every soldier, every countryman, and every Shepherd present in that massive meal hall.
Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa sat closest to Flavia, who never sat at her own table. She dashed from table to table and would talk and jape with her men, but she stuck to Chrom mostly. It was here that they discussed the rest of their terms, over a fine meal no less. The other Shepherds were divided up amongst several tables that sat four to five at a time. They clustered together, and no Shepherd was without a table of comrades nearby. Robin found himself seated with Sully, while Sumia sat with Chrom. Her presence pleased Lissa greatly, who constantly watched her and Chrom as the meal went on.
"What's the oldest stuff you got to drink around here?" Sully asked a Feroxi servant. "I want a tankard of it filled to the brim."
"Have you ever tried a Feroxi drink before?" Robin asked.
"Sure have, Flavia let us have some earlier."
"Then why are you taking more?!"
"It's called having fun, Robin, you're allowed to do it every once in a while."
Robin would have complained more, but the servant didn't seem to mind one bit. "The same for you, kid?" he asked bemusedly. "Or would ye rather have a nice, sober tea?"
The cheer left Sully's face instantly. She was about to get out of her seat for a rebuke. "Do you have earl grey by any chance?" Robin asked. The servant laughed as he shook his head and walked away.
"That joker was making fun of you," Sully said as she tapped the table.
"No kidding," Robin helped himself to a piece of the boar. "Why give him the satisfaction?" Sully shrugged and didn't answer.
From several tables over, Robin heard Flavia talking to Chrom. "I don't take your decision here lightly, Prince," the Khan said as she gripped his shoulder. "Ferox both East and West will recognize your sacrifice."
Robin was pretty sure he heard Stahl choke on his food.
"If all goes well there won't be any to recognize," Chrom said confidently.
"Heh, you're young and optimistic, I like that!" Flavia smacked Chrom's shoulder. Lissa and Sumia both flinched. "Just don't let it get you killed. I'm a jaded old hag, but if you can get the job done and stay alive and happy, by all means."
It was right after that the drinks came out, and Flavia busied herself with a bottle and left Chrom and his companions alone to enjoy their meal. It seemed she could drink and drink and not even teeter in her step.
He really shouldn't have, but Chrom noticed Sumia shyly studying her own cup of hard, foreign beer, weighing her decisions as she did so it seemed. Chrom motioned as if to find her something else to drink, but instead Sumia bravely seized the cup and downed it in one gulp. Lissa was amazed, and Frederick looked very concerned. She promptly spat most of the drink back up and coughed like she'd lose a lung. Chrom was instantly out of his seat and held her shoulders to steady her.
Flavia and the Feroxi laughed, but it wasn't the sort without pity. If anything they were quite endeared.
Sully must have watched the whole thing too. She snorted and downed some more of that vintage she requested earlier while Robin enjoyed his tea. Sully had cleaned every plate she was given before and had only her drink. She constantly emptied the bottle and her tankard was never less than topped off. Robin tried not to notice the color in her cheeks gradually get brighter as the bottle got emptier.
"You wanna know what's bullcrap?" Sully's voice was exactly a notch too loud for Robin.
"I don't. What's bull… what's the matter?" Robin found Sully's finger pointed right at his nose and had to pause his sipping. She squinted at him.
"Yer smart," she said. "Friendly. Easy on the eyes… why haven't you gotten yourself a girl yet?"
Robin blinked. He gently nudged her finger out of his face and took one more gulp of tea. "You know I've barely been with you guys a month, right? Hardly an ideal timeframe to meet somebody."
"Oh that's plenty!" Sully said, loudly again. If it weren't for the already rowdy Feroxi somebody may have noticed by now. "If you weren't so damned shy and stuck with yer nose in a book…"
"I like to listen to people," Robin said. "I'd like to be as friendly as Vaike, or as confident as you, but I'm content letting people come to me. In the meantime I learn about them whether they know it or not. It's what Chrom's keeping me around for."
"You don't give yourself enough credit," Sully took another swig. "But that's fine. Most rookie Shepherds do. Just wait till we get home. People'll start recognizing you." She winked at him. "Having a new recruit wouldn't be complete without some fan mail. Some… visits from eligible girls, if you catch my drift. Happened at least once to the others. Happened to me if you can believe it. Still happens. Ha!"
Sans Kellam, Robin assumed.
Robin studied his reflection in his tea. His golden eyes and mop of white hair looked back at him, and then he remembered. "I'm pretty sure even if that's all true, most people wouldn't bother with a Plegian. Not these days." Sully was suddenly quiet. Robin still remembered his first day in Ylisstol. All it took was a good look for every layperson to either turn him away or try to seize him. Frederick still didn't trust him completely, so in a way it followed him wherever he went. Not everybody was like that of course. That older fellow tried to defend him in the end, even if he did sic those younger men after him. The folks at the castle didn't mind him much. That pegasus rider during the parade had a good look at him and didn't say a thing. Then again she was a bit distracted… "Maybe it's better that way, I don't know." He shrugged. He saw the appeal, but personal attachment was the last thing on his mind.
"Tch, there you go brooding again," Sully set her drink down. "Everyone knows when you do it." Robin didn't hear her say that, and he certainly didn't hear her climb across the table and grab his shoulder. He nearly dropped his cup when she yanked him forward. He could feel her breath. "You're cute when you're off in your own head, you know that?"
"Excuse me?"
"You get this serious look in your eyes, like you never really stop fighting… a girl could get lost in that, y'know?" She leaned in really close.
"U-Umm…!"
Uncomfortable silence. Sully's cheeks puffed, and she finally cackled like she'd never done before. She let Robin go and held her side as she laughed and laughed.
"You should see the look on your face!"
Robin blushed with embarrassment. "What did you do? Wait till you seesaw the white of my eyes?!"
"They were as big as dinner plates! Ah-haha!" Sully beat the table over and over again with her fist. A plate slid free and shattered on the floor. Yet again nobody noticed. Robin dejectedly reached for his cup and resumed drinking, thoroughly unamused.
"Nah, you're cool and all, Robin, but you're not my type, no offense," Sully wiped a tear from her eye. "But it was worth it, I swear."
"I'm glad you're happy."
Sully gave Robin a friendly nudge. "I'm not gonna steal you away. For all we know, you prolly got yourself a nice Plegian girl waiting for you somewhere across the border. Assuming she's still there after three weeks, that is… and, and…. Huh." Sully studied her drink. "Dammit, I just made myself sad again." She swung the bottle around and swished the liquid inside. "Ah well, only one thing left to do."
"Sully, no!"
"Had enough, your majesty?" Flavia called jeeringly. Chrom had sat up from his table and set his cup down. Sumia looked up at him as he stepped away from the table.
"I just need some fresh air, that's all. Drinks don't tend to bother me." He scanned for Robin. He and Sully were talking about something. Or arguing. He wouldn't bother him right now. Before he could walk away, Flavia had slammed something down onto the table. Sumia flinched in her seat. Chrom looked at Flavia as she pointed at the bottle.
"This here is one of the oldest bottles of mead we have," she said. "My father kept it in his treasure cellar for a special occasion. Never lived to use any of it, of course, but I figured an alliance between Ferox and Ylisse is close enough."
"The alliance won't begin until we win the tournament," Chrom said.
"And you may not get the chance to try this later," Flavia shook the bottle and uncorked it. "C'moooon, the prince of Ylisse isn't afraid of one more drink, is he?" A hush fell over the congregation. She put her other hand on her blade. "Betcha my sword that yer bluffing." Chrom felt his eye twitch. There was zero hostility in Flavia's eyes, in a way she was just like Vaike. She was having fun, joking, but at the same time she was dead serious.
Chrom reached for the bottle.
"Milord?" Frederick asked hastily.
Chrom put the bottle to his lips and cocked his head back. Shepherds stood up in their seats to watch. Feroxi left their tables and crowded behind Flavia. The mead drained from the bottle. In a matter of seconds it was empty.
Chrom put his chin down and coughed. Besides the burning in his belly and a sharp pain running up the side of his face, he was thoroughly unaffected. "Here's what I think of your father's treasure." And Chrom smashed the bottle against the hard stone floor. "And I'll have your sword tomorrow." The tavern walls shook with hoots and laughter from Flavia and the other Feroxi.
Robin was speechless, but smiling.
"Atta boy, Chrom!" Vaike hooted.
When Chrom looked back at his table, he met with Sumia's discerning gaze. She was completely expressionless, and he couldn't read what was going through her head. Awe? Disappointment? A little fear? She thoughtfully rested her head against her hand with her elbow on the table, and she studied the broken glass on the floor. The prince suddenly felt very self-conscious. He nervously waved at his men before he made it to the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really do need some fresh air."
Chrom slammed the door behind him and the cheering, rowdy noise from the tavern was muffled. He let out a long sigh. Dealing with Ylissean nobles was hard enough. He thought a people as jolly and raw as the Feroxi may be easier to handle for long periods of time. They were easier to talk with, but between talking with Flavia and these foreign eyes judging him every step of the way, it hadn't been total bliss.
He made for the fountain and knelt down to the cold earth to splash his face with some clear, cold water. It dulled whatever the mead had done to his face. He thought of the look on Robin and the other's faces and allowed himself a chuckle. Things had been so grave and serious the last couple of days. Maybe a night to enjoy themselves was what they needed after all. He had put them through a lot. He should take the time to thank Flavia later.
"Is this how the Prince of Ylisse spends his time preparing for destruction?"
Chrom jumped to his feet and turned. A new figure had met him. They wore a dark cloak that covered their entire figure. A red pin of Ylissean origin pinned their cloak to their shoulder. A blue mask covered their face, and bright blue, chilling eyes peered out at him in the dark.
"Marth!" Chrom ran up to meet him. "I have looked for you ever since we arrived. I remember what you told me and-"
The boy laughed coldly. "You remember nothing!" he said. "Were not the Risen enough? Have you not seen the destruction on your way here? I've done what I can to warn you..." He pointed behind Chrom and into the tavern. "And here you are celebrating with your friends like a… damned nobleman's son!"
That made Chrom angrier than it should have. He seized Marth's shoulder with an iron grip. "If what you have to say is so damned important, then tell me already!" he shouted.
Marth shook his grip free with surprising ease. He stepped back into the night, and already he was becoming hard to see. "Prince Chrom, I should have known this sooner. You are still just a boy." The moment his bright blue eyes turned from him, his shape was almost completely indiscernible from the Feroxi night. "If you want my help, you will have to earn it!"
And Chrom was left alone beside the fountain.
"Robin?" Stahl's hand on his shoulder stirred him. "Robin? Frederick says it's time to go." Robin shook his head and peered around him. Their hosts were either asleep at their tables or drowsily finishing the last of their drinks. The other Shepherds were already picking themselves up. Where was Chrom? He was standing by the doorway, his arms crossed, his brow furrowed. The cheer and daring from what felt like mere hours ago was completely gone. He was back to how he was when they first finished talking to Flavia.
Chrom and the Khan exchanged a few words before she left to gather her men.
Robin stretched and pulled his chair back. It was only then that he noticed that Sully was fast asleep, face down on the table, her arms sprawled every which way. Her hair sagged in sweaty, sticky locks. He wanted to rouse her, but that sounded like poking a sleeping lion for some reason.
Stahl was much braver than he seemed. "Sully?" he shook her shoulder. She snorted but didn't move. "C'mon, Sully~!" he shook her once more. "Party's over. If we don't get back to the barracks, you won't get any sleep before the tournament."
"Lemmebee, damud pansi." Her voice was slow and loose.
"What did she say?" Robin asked.
Stahl just groaned. "Sumia? Sully's out. Can you help me carry her back?"
Sumia looked between Chrom and Sully. She slid from her chair and ran over. Stahl took one arm, and Sumia took the other. They hefted her up, and Robin finally got a good look at her flushed, disorientated face. Her sharp brow was set in an irritated line, and one eye was squeezed shut while the other darted around the room.
The two pulled her up and stumbled. "Gah! She's heavier than she looks."
"Shudup."
"Robin, could you help?" Stahl asked.
"What do you want me to do?"
"Just kind of… have her lean on you. Just keep her off the ground. We'll do most of the walking."
It was a lot harder than it sounded. Robin struggled to walk upright as Sully's iron cuirass dug into his back. He staggered forward, one painful step at a time with Stahl and Sumia at his side. Sully's face hung limp over his shoulder. The smell of old Feroxi beer wafted over him and made his throat burn.
Chrom cast an apologetic glance their way as they left the tavern.
It was a pretty miserable slog back to Flavia's stronghold. The night brought with it a crisp cold air that an evening in the warm, muggy tavern did not prepare them for. The slush and mud had frozen beneath their feet, and they nearly all tumbled over into the cold twice. The whole time Sully just kept mumbling and complaining. The cold did her good, inasmuch it cleared her head enough that she could form mostly coherent sentences.
"Y'all worry too much," she drawled. "I coulda… gone back myself."
"I doubt that, personally," Robin wheezed.
"Ah, shaddup. Yer just… just jealous…"
"Of who? Come on, Sully. You're not making any sense." Stahl hefted her arm up to strengthen his grip. "The fort's just over there. We can make it."
Robin nearly stopped in his tracks. He could have sworn he heard a sniffle. Was Sully crying? "You um, you okay?" he asked.
Sully's chin was digging into his shoulder. He felt her heave her shoulders as she tried to suck air into her lungs. "I wouldn't…" she hiccupped. "I wouldn't mind having a fella."
"A what?"
"Oh boy," Stahl squeezed his eyes shut.
"I wouldn't mind a fella!" Sully nearly cried out. "But every fella minds me!" Robin was made aware of his now very wet shoulder. This wasn't how he first pictured having a crying girl leaning on him. "Everytime I try to talk to some guy, they're either scared off because I'm more of a man than they are, or they think I'm some kinda butch!" That nearly made Stahl stumble. Robin couldn't tell if he was legitimately uncomfortable or if he was stifling a shameful laugh.
"And what happens to the other girls? We all used to play outside, but what happened?" Sully sucked in through her nose. "They all went and became ladies! They all grown up! They all got at least one man talking to them! But Shully? NAW, not Shully! Shully's shtill just one of the guys!"
"It's frustrating, I know," Stahl said. If she wasn't emotional before, Sully was downright bawling in a drunken stupor by the time they pulled her through the fortress' doorway.
"I'm shorry for making you all put up with me…" she whined.
"It's fine, Sully," Stahl rolled his eyes.
Sully looked up at Sumia through swollen, red eyes. "Shumia, you're a sweet little girl. Don't you ever start drinking, you hear me? Don't you ever get drunk. It shucks!"
"I know, Sully, I know," Sumia said gently. "You told me the first time this happened."
It seemed like forever had passed, but they finally made it to Sully's designated cot. Sumia and Stahl stood her up beside it, and Robin quickly ducked out from in front of her. Sumia undid Sully's cuirass and set it beside the bed. The knight promptly crumpled and fell face-first into the hard cot. Her back heaved and one more whine was muffled by her mattress before she fell asleep.
"Thank the gods, that's over," Stahl said. Robin took off his coat and looked disdainfully at the shoulder and sleeve thoroughly soaked by Sully-tears. "Robin?" Stahl asked. "I'd just kind of… you know… forget anything you heard. She'll get mad if she realizes you know any of that stuff when she's sober."
The Shepherds and Flavia departed early the next morning. They took what weapons and tools they needed and loaded up a single wagon. Some rode on horseback alongside the wagon, others rode inside. They rode at a much quicker pace than even the day before. Flavia was intent on turning their six hour ride into a four or three hour one so her champions had the most time to prepare.
Robin remembered thinking it strange that such massive walls would encompass both the East and the West capitals. It sure seemed like it did when Flavia first pointed the coliseum out to them earlier. Apparently the city walls covered only most of the eastern capital. A large barrier of mountains and rocks took its place as they moved west. After a few hours, this collection of mountains was replaced by the West Feroxi wall. The density of houses and establishments fluctuated. Sometimes it seemed like they'd pass entire towns on their journey, and sometimes it seemed like they brushed past the outer district of entire cities.
As they drew closer to the capital, the roads became congested with travelers and their steeds and wagons. This was why Flavia had them leave so early. The tournament was that night, and by then Feroxi from far and wide would have made the journey. It was incredibly slow going. Even with her special privilege to wade through the sea of citizens, Flavia could only take them so far through the crowd.
It was around noontime when they finally reached the arena. The eastern gates were barred shut, but were opened for Flavia once she hailed the guards. The Khan and her companions were corralled into the inner chambers. The drum and pounding of the audience already echoed through every wall and surface. It felt like a thousand ghosts were booing and cheering around them.
Flavia had to leave to take her place among the spectators. Raimi stayed behind to show the Shepherds and what little Feroxi men were spared to the prep room. It was a large, dark chamber with a dusty floor. Weapons and bits of armor lined the wall. Barrels were propped beneath small chutes that fed water into them when they were empty.
The arena waited for them just beyond a thick, steel door. It vibrated with the cheering and whooping from outside. Apparently some small skirmishes were held to kill time before the big event. They were not to partake, and Robin was thankful. While their Eastern Feroxi backup soldiers congregated in the corner, the Shepherds explored the chamber and tried to relax.
"What about Belfire, Lance and the others?" Lissa asked. None of the knights had their mounts with them. They were all stabled outside with the rest of the horses.
"There will be no mounted combat in the arena today," Frederick said. "That is what the Khan told us. We all will have to make do on foot."
"So, um…" Stahl cleared his throat. "What's the plan again?"
"We'll do as Chrom and Robin have devised," Frederick said. "We move decisively and fight aggressively, but we do not kill our opponents."
"Isn't that like," Lissa sat upon a crate. "A no-duh? It's what we did at the Longfort."
"You'd think so," Virion said as he readied his quiver. "Alas the Feroxi are much more pragmatic about life and death than we are. A few souls in the arena is a small price to pay for peace. I've heard that the Feroxi who fight in these battles have even less to lose than the border guard."
"So, don't hit to kill, but expect to be killed? Again?" Stahl asked doubtfully. "Great. Just great."
Robin looked to Chrom to see if he had anything to add, but the prince was silent. His mood had been rotten ever since the previous night. He wasn't short with the others or irritable by any means, but he never smiled, and his gaze was always focused on someplace far away. He hadn't seen him this bad since they left Hengehaven. Sumia was at his side. She reached for his forehead.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she whispered. "You don't have a headache or anything?"
"It was just one bottle," Chrom said.
"Still... " Sumia looked over to Lissa. "I could get your sister to use her stave, just to be safe."
"I'm fine, Sumia. Besides, it wouldn't work even if I was drunk."
"How do you know?"
Sully marched past the two. Her forehead veins were puffing, and her eyes were half-open and vacant. She held the side of her head and growled.
"I just know," Chrom said as he watched her pass. He smiled at Sumia, but it was hollow. He stepped away and paced elsewhere within the chamber. That's when Robin walked over.
"Is everything alright?" he whispered to him. Chrom had a start.
"… I don't know, Robin."
"Did something happen?"
Chrom was hesitant to answer. "...Life threw me another curveball." And that's all he said on the matter. Robin didn't press him further.
Lissa watched as Sully once more dunked her head into the barrel of water. She shook her head beneath the surface before she pulled it out. She groaned and held her forehead as she walked away. "Come on, Sully, I was gonna use that!" Vaike pointed indignantly with the tin cup he had found.
The crimson knight wasn't listening. She stumbled over to a pile of crates and sat down. She squinted her brow and held the bridge of her nose as if she were deep in thought, but all she did was sigh and wince with her eyes squeezed shut.
"...Everything alright?" Vaike asked.
Sully opened one eye. "Shut. Up." She looked at Lissa. "Lil' sis," she said. She pointed at her head. "Bop me."
Lissa paused. "...Bop you? Again?"
"Get your stave already!" Sully snapped. "Hurry!"
Lissa fumbled over. "Alright then…" She held her stave above Sully's head and cast her healing spell. The stave flashed, and it met Sully's body, but her demeanor didn't change. The knight groaned.
"Try again!"
"But Sully, shouldn't I be saving this for later?"
"It don't matter, c'mon just one more time!"
That didn't do it either. Sully swore and turned away from Lissa. She leaned over and held her head with both hands. Frederick walked over to her and stared down. "What do the scriptures say?" he asked. " 'Be merry but not drunk?' "
"You shut up," Sully hissed.
"Healing magic is a gift from the gods. It makes little sense for their spells to contradict their decrees. I'm afraid you'll just have to live with the consequences of your actions."
"Geez, Freddy," Vaike said. "Can she even fight at this rate?"
"Perhaps the poor lady deserves a rest," Virion said with a smile.
Sully shot to her feet and pointed. "Now you clowns listen here!" she hollered. "I could take on both of you with a splitting headache or not! Just give me… five… minutes… alone and…" She stumbled. Her face went pale and she held her mouth. "Aw dammit…" She curled over and sank to her knees. Sumia patted her back as she groaned.
"So what you're saying is the next time she drinks too much, we need to teach her to use Nosferatu?" Robin asked. That earned him a couple of looks from the other Shepherds, and no response. "Sorry. Magic-user jokes." Miriel was the only one who chuckled.
Frederick passed by Robin and whispered to him. "Mayhap let her hang back for the first half of the fight," he said.
The Shepherds flinched at the sound of a blazing trumpet from outside. Raimi walked up to Chrom. "The doors will open momentarily," she said. "Are your men ready?"
"As ready as we'll ever be."
"Good. You are the challengers this year, so there are certain rules in order. You will hear the whole rundown before the match begins." She held out her hand and Chrom shook it. "Godspeed, milord, and good luck. You'll need it."
"People of Ferox!" the announcer boomed. "For the first time in years, the Battle of East and West is finally here!" The crowd roared in response. The ceiling was closed off, and only a few windows allowed the midday sunlight from outside to hit the coliseum floor. It was composed of large, colored tiles, and it was completely flat. There were no obstacles or contraptions, to Robin's relief.
Giant torches and braziers lit up the walls of the arena, which was no less than two stories tall. The audience seats went up for perhaps three more, and the two Khans had their own seats at the edge of the arena, on opposite sides of course. Flavia was hard to make out from the crowd, and the Shepherds had no idea who the opposite Khan might even be.
"As the gods decreed and our brothers uphold, the champions of this battle carry the fate of Ferox in their hands! We welcome our brothers of West Ferox, the hometeam for this year's tournament!"
The crowd went wild as the opposite door slid open. Fighters with axes, soldiers with spears and swords, and armored knights marched through the portal and took their places in the arena. Some in the crowd knew their favorite fighters by name and called out to them. Some even waved back. They numbered no less than two dozen.
"We welcome our brothers of East Ferox, today's challengers! Brave men and women of valor from the Halidom to the south! Chrom and the Shepherds of Ylisse!"
It was a noisier reaction than what the home team received, but it was nowhere near as dense with voices and cheer. There was a touch of surprise, shock, and even a little outrage. The Shepherds were goaded forward while Miriel and Lissa waited by the gate. She clung tightly to her staff and studied the enemy team warily.
Chrom held up his hand to block the glaring sunlight, but the crowd interpreted it as a sort of wave and erupted in response. He looked behind him to check the other Shepherds. Robin was proceeding stiffly and awkwardly. The booming noise from every direction was making him uneasy, but it didn't look like he'd be any less willing to fight. Sully was squinting and holding one side of her head.
"Somebody tell them to turn off the damn lights," she groaned. "I look and all I see is white."
Sumia was hesitating. She stood at the edge of the tiled arena floor. She clenched her javelin and her knees shook. With each wave of shouting from the crowd she shut her eyes and winced. Frederick had idled beside her and did not move forward to meet with the other Shepherds. Chrom backtracked and went over to her.
"It's not so bad," he said.
"Everyone's looking at us," she said.
"You've fought much more than this before," Frederick whispered.
"But people weren't watching then!" Sumia said.
Chrom gently took her by the elbow and led her forward. Frederick walked in place with her, as if to make things less conspicuous. If either of them thought Flavia hadn't noticed, they were wrong. She was a little exasperated from her perch in the audience, bottle in hand, but she smiled nonetheless.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to Chrom. "I shouldn't be such a fraidy-cat. Everyone's always sticking up for me. I barely have any backbone and…"
"Sumia?" Chrom's voice was gentle. "You're doing fine. Just don't compare yourself to a Sumia who doesn't exist yet, alright?"
When the Shepherds finally took their positions, the announcer continued. "You will forgive me for preaching to the choir, but we have some greenhorns amongst us in need of proper education. The rules of the arena are simple! Kill or be killed! You do so for the honor of Ferox! Those who wish to see another moon may simply lay down their arms if defeat seems inevitable. If you don't want your opponent to chicken out on you, best kill them quick!
"But know this; needless brutality will not be tolerated! Those who denigrate their honorable foe with acts of cruelty will be… escorted away to be dealt with. Your opponent's right to concede will not be ignored! To attack an unarmed opponent is dishonorable. To attack after you have conceded is dishonorable! Warriors deemed dishonorable are considered fair game to either side to be detained or killed! The sacred arena will NOT be violated!"
Robin's blood chilled. He tried not to tremble as he readied his sword. The other Shepherds armed themselves and tried to look as ready as possible.
"Hey, wait a second," Vaike cried. "There's like, ten of us and twenty of them! That's not fair?!" He was off give or take six, but he had a point.
"The current hometeam advantage is thus!" The announcer's booming voice boomed. "They hold the floor and the rule of reserves! No more than a dozen fighters may be on the field at any given point, it's up to challengers to dwindle their numbers. When the last fighter falls or surrenders, the opposing team wins!
However! Should the team's champion fall, the battle is forfeit! Your champion is advised to remain behind the dividing line until the numbers are thinned out."
"Champion?" Stahl asked.
"I guess that's Chrom," Robin said.
"Remember your brothers, remember the code, remember Ferox!" Drums and gongs sounded out as a hush fell over the audience. "The Khans will give their signal."
The Shepherds waited. Their hearts pumped but their limbs were cold and heavy. Robin felt a cold sweat under his coat. He looked over to Chrom, in his center position, and he looked no better.
"Chrom!"
Lissa's voice? Her brother looked back at her. "What is it?!" He cried, more than a little irritated. His sister's face was pale and her legs shook. She held to her stave for support, and she raised a shaky finger at the opponent team.
"Chrom! Look!"
Chrom followed her finger, and what he saw put a pit in his stomach. Past the armored Feroxi knights, past their swordsmen and archers, their champion stood in the center. He wore a dark cloak and a blue mask.
It was Marth.
I lived, dastards.
Proofread by BrandedKing.