Summary
The cold splash of the river water on my hot face and burning hands felt soothing as the touch of a soft towel.
I exhaled in relief as I wiped my soaked face with my wet hands, rubbing away the droplets that dripped from my face. As my eyelids fluttered themselves open, I saw my reflection in the water.
Plastered onto the wavy surface was the tired-looking face of a young girl with short, messy, cobalt hair. My facial features showed my sunken cheeks on the pale skin, along with my baggy eyelids that had faint dark lines beneath, showing me just how half-dead I was; the reflection of my face made me grimace at the horrid sight. I looked more dead compared to the Risen’s grotesque faces.
My eyesight drew to my dark, brown eyes, but as it did, I scowled at the sight. It sat there in my left iris, a mark holding the horrid truth, reminding me of my blood ties.
The Mark of Grima.
I growled in annoyance and slammed my right hand at my water reflection, breaking the surface with a splash. “Damn it!” I cursed under my breath. My teeth clenched in anger as I brooded darkly at my birthmark. When my eyesight wandered over to my bare hand over the water’s surface, I spotted another birthmark, its polar opposite.
The Brand of the Exalt.
I felt my anger being slowly whittled away as I longingly stared at the Brand, leaving me with a bitter loneliness. I gave out a wistful sigh and pulled out my hand from the water, shaking off the wetness.
“Marc!” Called a familiar voice.
I alarmingly jumped at the voice echoing in the woods and panicky grabbed my green cloak that lay beside my feet. I scrambled in putting it on as I hid my face with my cowl.
“Marc, where are you?!” Yelled the voice again.
I fumbled my coat pockets trying to find another object. “Glove, glove, where the bloody hell did I put it?!” I anxiously cussed at myself as I heard the person’s footsteps getting menacingly closer. I tapped my back pocket on my pants and successfully found a small a leather cloth.
The rough rustling of the bushes caught my ears along with the voice. I immediately turned around as I scrambled in equipping my glove.
“Ah, there you are.” Said the voice.
After barely managing to cover my Brand, I nervously looked at the person behind me.
There stood a swordswoman clad in the blue attire designed after the famed Hero-King. Her matching colored long, locks stood beneath the sun’s rays that snaked through the roof of leaves from above, almost as if the light made her hair gleam. Her strong, kind-looking, azure orbs were locked onto me, as I stared at how picturesque she looked under the golden light.
“I did not expect that you wandered this far into the woods.” Commented Lucina.
I coughed as I lowered the pitch of my voice. “To what do I owe the pleasure milady?” I humbly asked.
“We’re about to move out,” Lucina took a second glance at me as she noticed that fidgeted in nervousness. “Is everything okay?”
“I am well. You need not waste your concern on me milady, however, I am grateful nonetheless.” I feigned to honestly assure her.
She gave a small smile, silently telling me that she took my words. I followed the future princess as we left the riverbed.
Lucina and I walked in silence and I began to immerse myself to the many sounds that invaded my ears. Our footsteps sifting through the dirt, the slight chirping of the birds, the buzzing insects; it was as if the woods like a giant orchestra playing soft music. The sounds of the forest felt serene compared to the harsh roars of war, and it soothed the stress the fights have brought. I continued droning in the comforting atmosphere until Lucina spoke up.
“How come you were way out here in the forest Marc?” The future princess asked.
“I was looking back at the strategy notes and noticed that most of our tactics have the same method, which is a bait-and-switch. I wanted to create a new tactic method for insurance in case if our enemy figures out our fighting patterns, however, I’m drawing a blank,” I explained disappointingly. “I was hoping I could find inspiration from my surroundings but none has caught my eye.”
“Your dedication is admirable. But please, do try not to separate yourself from the army. It’s quite difficult to find you when you wander away from camp, especially when you go afar.” She scolded me in a doting manner.
“If it will ease your worries, I will try to not make habit of it.” I said. One thing that never changed about Lucina, be it another world or through a disguise, was her kind nature. Her concern for others was appreciative but can be worrisome at times. It was usually the kindest people who would get hurt the most.
“You really are like him.” Commented the future princess.
Not understanding whom Lucina was comparing me to, I asked, “Him? Who may you be talking about?”
“Robin. The way you dedicate yourself to your work often reminds me of how my fiancée contributes to the Shepherds cause. Whenever he was stuck on a tactic, he would usually go for long walks.”
“It is in my job description lady Lucina,” I dismissed her recognition. “As a tactician, I am merely being told what to do by my client.”
“True, but did Robin or Chrom ever asked you to develop new tactics?” She countered.
I stayed silent as Lucina disproved my denial. “…………..As I said before lady Lucina, you not need not waste your concern on me,” I walked ahead of the blue swordswoman before she got to say anything. “I’ll go on ahead and reconvene with you back at the camp.” I said back to her.
It was still alien for me to accept. My time travelling journey brought many mixed feelings as I travelled with the once deceased Shepherds. Even though I knew that that the past was not my world, seeing the many familiar faces insistently reminded me of my lost home, bringing a bittersweet nostalgia.
However, I cannot afford to let sentimental values slow me down. I needed to guide the Shepherds towards the correct future or all will be lost.
I continued trudging through the maze-like woods and came into an open field. I made my way back to camp as the sun’s warm rays beat down on my cloak. I arrived at the Shepherd’s camp and the first thing that caught my vision was seeing a few of them dismantling their tents as they loaded their cargo.
I strode to my tent that was on the outskirts of the area and began to pack up as well. In the midst of my clearing, I came across a familiar object hidden in one of the crates and paused stiffly at the sight.
Hiding beneath the mountain of books was my Grima-patterned cloak.
I was about to store the object when a voice suddenly called out to me.
“Marc!”
Again, I jumped at the sudden visitor and hid my black cloak beneath the books. I stood sharply as he walked into my quarters. There, stood another blue-haired lord that also looked picturesque by the sneaking rays of sunlight. I was caught by that same, kind-looking gaze as his vision fell on me.
“Sir Chrom, do you need of me?” I asked, noting his search for me.
“I need your advice regarding our march,” The Exalt handed a map to me and I rolled it out. He stood beside me as he debriefed the situation. “Right now, we need to head to Torban city, which is south of here and restock on our supplies,” Chrom pointed to the chart. “There’s the main road around the forest and a pathway through the woodland. However, our scouts have spotted a fortress on the main road and a Valmese camp near the other side of the forest.”
“Quite troublesome,” I mused. “Either way, we will have to engage combat should they spot us. We need to keep the attention to a minimum and since supplies are low, we’ll have to march through the forest. Going through the fortress would pin us down. We should send some of our foot soldiers ahead and have them clear the area. And keep our fliers on the ground, there may be archers hunting in the woods.”
“Who should be in the commando group?” asked Chrom.
“We’ll need to keep the numbers to a minimum so that they could easily navigate. Four people would be best, so the ones who should go are Gaius, Lon’qu, Say’ri and I.”
“That’s way too small!” Chrom echoed in surprise. “Why only bring that much support?”
“That’s the idea.” I repeated.
The exalt looked at me in confusion.
“Since supplies are low, we’ll be needing a mobile group, what’s more, since we’ll be fighting in the forest, the commando group will have to covertly clear the camp. Once the camp is cleared, we’ll take the Valmese munitions. It will lighten the trouble of restocking for a small respite before we get to the city. A small covert group would be best in quickly clearing the camp.” Besides, it’d do the Shepherds some good to have that other tactician with them in case any stray enemy shows up. I thought to myself.
As Chrom took my explanation, he sighed, hesitantly agreeing with me. “Alright, I’ll share the details with the others and gather the army.”
As soon as Chrom stepped out of my tent, I sighed in relief. I silently scolded at myself to be more careful. Twice now I have been almost caught in slipping up my real identity, and by a distant relative no less! If it was Frederick who waltzed in, there would be no escape for me. I counted myself lucky that they didn’t notice, however I shouldn’t expect them to be blind of me. Chrom and Lucina were really alike; the princess truly emulated her father.
“Like parent like child, I guess.” I said aloud.
I grabbed a nearby satchel laying around and stuffed my black cloak along with two tomes and a few vulneraries. Hm? One of them is empty. Ah, well, I could probably use the container for something else. I hoisted the bag on my back and continued packing away my belongings. It wasn’t the smartest idea to carry my black cloak everywhere with me, but I didn’t have much of a choice.
After dismantling my tent, I grabbed the crate as I loaded it on one of the cargo wagons. In the corner of my eye, I noticed that the Shepherds were gathering with Chrom at the front. I also spotted Lucina standing beside him, guarding the captain as usual.
I was about to place myself beside Chrom to relay the plan when all of a sudden I spotted a face I knew too well. My feet suddenly stopped as I began to cower in fear.
He stood there beside the exalt with his iconic white-hair and his Grima-patterned cloak. I grimaced at the sight as I hesitated to approach the Ylissean tactician. I hid myself behind the sea of people and watched him from afar.
"Thank you for coming,” started Robin. “Our destination will be Torban city, so we’ll be taking refuge there for a little while to restock on supplies. However, there is a heavily guarded fortress along the way. So instead of taking the main road, we’ll be travelling through the forest just west of the area. There is a Valmese camp nearby and we’ll need to bypass the area. We’ll be sending a small group ahead to clear the place while the rest of us will follow pursuit. The group will be Gaius, Lon’qu, Say’ri, and Marc.”
The Shepherds looked at one another in askance, wondering out loud about the glaring difference of numbers.
“The idea is to covertly clear the camp,” Robin continued. “We only have a small number of units who are able to pull off this plan, so we’ll be relying on them. Since they’ll be fighting in the forest, it’ll be a huge advantage for them.”
I thought to myself thinking that Kellam could come with us, but later rejected the idea as he was a knight.
“Hey Bubbles.” Called Gaius.
“Yes?”
“Before that, where’s Shady? Blue talked to him, but I haven’t seen the guy.”
“Here.” I called. Shocked faces darted onto me as they turned. I ignored their surprised looks as I was getting impatient in repeating the strategy. “It is just as Sir Robin has explained. Before we exit out of the forest, clearing the Valmese camp will be our top priority. We can’t sit around for too long in one place, otherwise, the Conqueror’s soldiers will take notice of us. Sir Gaius, Sir Lon’qu and Lady Say’ri; once you’re done preparing, come see me at the convoy wagons. I will give the details of the strategy once you are all present. That’s all! Dismissed!”
I walked away from the crowd and as I made my return to the convoy. I then climbed onto the wagon as I searched through the crates of weapons. “Now where are the daggers?” I mumbled to myself. I didn’t realize how long I was searching when a another voice called out to me.
“Marc!”
Just in time, I spotted a short dagger at the bottom of the crate. My eyes then travelled to a brown cloak lying behind the crate. I quickly grabbed both the cloak and dagger and climbed out.
Wondering who the owner of the voice was, I found out that it was none other than Lon’qu. “All set to go?”
The silent swordsman gave me a nod. I noticed that his eyes moved downward. Following his eyesight, I looked at my hands. Through another silent gesture, I realized that he was wondering about both items. “Like I said before, I’ll give the details once everybody is here.”
“Fine.” He curtly replied.
I strapped the dagger to my belt and waited in silence with Lon’qu. I began to plan many strategies in my head on what we needed to do. As I mulled over the many different scenarios, I saw Gaius and Say’ri arrive. I glanced at Lon’qu as he nervously stepped back from the foreign princess.
“Good, we’re all here,” I said, ignoring his gynophobia. “I’ll get to straight to the point. First thing we need to do is take out any patrols so that they don’t sound the alarm. Once we do that, Sir Gaius will sneak through the camp and take out the commander. After that, go back into hiding. I’ll need you to send a signal when you’ve eliminated the commander.”
“How do I do that, Shady?”
I ignored the annoying nickname he gave me and continued. “With this,” I showed him an empty glass vulnerary. “Break the glass, and I’ll pick up the noise by amplifying my hearing through the wind with my wind tome. I’ll give the go to Sir Lon’qu and Lady Say’ri; you two will act as the bait for the soldiers. Since you’re both the fastest in the group, you two will need to gather all the soldiers to the exit. Also, since Lady Say’ri is infamous among the Valmese, it’ll be much easier to attract their attention.”
“Fie!” She shouted in surprise. “That is the reason you required my presence?!”
“What’s wrong with that? Your notoriety will bring a boon to our cause, and besides you are a skilled warrior in your own right, am I wrong?” I countered.
Say’ri’s glare tempered as she understood my reasoning. “Nay, you speak the truth.”
“Moving on, Sir Gaius, I’ll need you to assist Lady Say’ri and Sir Lon’qu, in case of any stray soldiers arrive at the captain’s quarters. I’ll need all of you to lead the soldiers towards the exit. I’ll deliver the final blow by erupting them with a bolganone spell.”
“That could work.” Gaius whistled.
“It will work. And one more thing; Lady Say'ri,” Said person turned to me. I handed the brown cloak to her as she wore a bewildered expression. “Wear this when we march. We’ll be marching out in the open, so we need to avoid detection as much as we can.”
Say’ri donned the cloak along and hid her face beneath the cowl. “Very well.”
“Hope we’re not interrupting anything.” Chimed a voice.
We all turned as a small group of people approached us. There stood Cherche, Cordelia, Tiki, and much to my dismay, Robin. In the corner of my eye, I saw Lon’qu tense up at first, but he later relaxed his stance.
“Cherche.”
“Thought we would see you off love.” The Rosanne rider smiled.
Lon’qu glanced at me, silently asking me for permission.
“Do what you need to do.” I answered gruffly.
I walked away from the crowd, giving the Shepherds a private moment. As I waited for them, another voice called out to me.
“You’re also part of this too you know.” He commented.
I bit my lip as I didn’t need to turn around to the owner of the voice. “Of what?” I coldly questioned.
I heard his boots scrunching until he stood in front of me. “What else? This army. You’re just as much of a Shepherd as the rest of us.” Robin insisted.
I tried to analyze his words and his reason for seeing me. “Is that why you’re here? To see me off?”
“Why else would I be here for? Ever since you joined the Shepherds, you’ve been a great help. I can’t count how many times you managed to save my neck and my friends whenever I hit a wall for the next move. The least I can do is see you off.”
“You make it sound like as if I’m going to die out there.” I countered.
“N-no! That’s not what I meant.” Objected Robin.
“Sure sounded like a death wish to me.”
“L-look!” The Ylissean tactician interjected as he tried to change the grim talk. “What I’m trying to say is that you be careful out there, okay?”
“Impossible,” I curtly replied. As Robin shot me a look of confusion, I irritably shook my head by his obliviousness. “I’m a tactician who fights on the front lines Sir Robin. You should know that in war, there are no guarantees. So I cannot uphold any personal promises.”
I saw Robin’s mouth open about to object but closed itself, telling me that he couldn’t refute the truth in my words.
“Go back to the others. And do not concern yourself with someone like me,” I looked back at Lon’qu, Gaius and Say’ri as they bid their temporary farewells. “Pardon the intrusion, but we must move out. Time is of the essence.”
They all nodded as they gave one last look at their closest person and walked back to me. Just before we were about to move out, I said to Robin, “We will wait for you within the camp. Until then, Sir Robin.” I didn’t bother to glance back at him or listen to anything he was about to say.
We began our march in silence on the main road as the warm sun shone down on us. The only sounds I picked up between our mute march was our scuffling boots through the dirt and the buzzing insects. I began to feel a tense anxiety grow within me from the stillness, the kind of anxiety I always knew before the big mission. My father would often call it the ‘calm before the storm’ sort of feeling.
I was so immersed in the anxious silence when my ears suddenly picked up a ruffling noise from behind. Instinctively, I turned around trying to find what the source of the noise was, only to discover that it was Gaius unwrapping a tootsie roll.
“What?” The sweet-tooth thief asked incredulously.
“………Nothing. I’m just keeping my ears open for any out of place sounds. Never know what kind of friends we might meet on the road.”
“Whatever.” Shrugged Gaius, as he popped the tootsie roll in his mouth.
“How is it that you’re able to pick up such sounds?” asked Lon’qu.
“Magic. It depends on how much the user amplifies their senses, though the level of sensitivity is dangerous.”
“How so?”
“An example would be the user’s hearing. With a wind tome, no matter how weak or strong, the user can pick up sounds from the surrounding air. They can have hearing close to that of a Taguel, but imagine a sudden loud noise banging onto their eardrums. It’d ring their head like some sort of gong.”
“Interesting.” Mused Lon’qu.
The air became silent again, however I felt less nervous in the dead air. Though the conversation was short, it managed to ease the anxiety within me. I noticed that my shoulders were less tense compared to before. I’m getting way too anxious. I need to keep my cool, otherwise the others will start to get worried over how I’m terrified of my own plan. I inwardly scolded.
We marched through the wide field for who knew how long. My patience was starting to thin down as I began to wonder where the fortress was, but all of my thoughts were halted as a large fortress finally appeared from afar. “That’s it alright. Now let’s head to the west forest before those people see us.”
We travelled away from the main road until we encountered another forest and continued our march. We sifted through the blanket of greenery as the occasional leaves and branches rustled from our hands. The forest started to feel more like a jungle from all the intertwining shrubs and bushes.
“Phew.” Say’ri sighed.
Say’ri’s tired voice flashed me a concern on her health. “Why we don’t we take a short break? It would be disadvantageous if we became tired before we even reached our destination.”
“But, Sir Marc……”
I raised a hand as I gave an understanding nod. “Peace, milady. I wish to quickly complete our mission as well, but we must not neglect our health. We’ve come quite a long way, so there is no harm to catch our breath. You could most certainly use it, since you’re dressed twice as heavily.”
Say’ri complied as she sat down beneath a nearby tree.
“Sir Lon’qu, you will be the first one to be on lookout. I’ll go next, then Sir Gaius.”
Gaius said ‘sure’, while Lon’qu wordlessly nodded. The Feroxi champion sat a few feet away from the group as he observed the woodland ahead of him. Gaius and I sat down to rest our feet from the long travel and just like our march, neither of us said a word to the other.
That was until Gaius, once again, broke the still air.
“Hey Shady.”
“Yes?”
“Are there any other tacticians like you out there? The wandering for hire kind?”
I shook my head. “No. In this day and age, it would be extremely rare for anyone to encounter a tactician, let alone a travelling one.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“It is literally a job that nobody wants. A tactician can only work during war, and the heavy burdens it carries brings little reward for anyone.”
“Then why did you take up a sour job?”
“I only care about the work as a tactician. I care not for rewards, the cause, or the recognition. I only wish to learn the ways of war and test my skills.”
Say’ri dubiously raised an eyebrow at me. “You wish to fight for fighting’s sake? That is your reason?”
“Does it matter why a soldier fights?” I refuted. “So long as they are willing and are able to contribute to a cause, knowing the reason is of little importance. Is that not so?”
“Nay, your words ring true.”
“In war, there is no good or evil. There is only one question that you must prove to the world; how much you believe in your cause.”
Another moment of stillness hanged in the air for a few minutes. I stood up from my spot and stepped over to Lon’qu. I tapped him on the shoulder, mutely telling him that it was my turn to watch. Wordlessly, he took my offer and stood up. Though, he still kept his distance from Say’ri after the rotation. I closed my eyes and heightened my hearing, imaging the surrounding woodland. Bubbling brooks, whistling leaves, chirping birds; all of mother nature’s multiple tiny voices softly sang in the serene air.
I opened my eyes again and looked at the light from above. I noticed that the angles of the sun’s rays were wider compared to when we entered the forest. I stood up thinking that we had enough rest. “I believe that we have rested long enough. Let’s move out.”
We wordlessly continued our march through the forestry; no doubt that hours must have passed since we entered the woods. I didn’t realize how deep we were in the green maze until my eyes caught a small camping site. I saw some red flags with a Valmese emblem along with armored soldiers with matching emblems.
“Everyone knows what they need to do?” I affirmed.
“Ready when you are, Shady.”
“Ditto.”
“I as well.”
I pulled out the dagger hanging on my belt and twirled the blade in my hand. “Then let’s get started.”
We sneaked through the bushes until we came to the outskirts of the camp, seeing the guards on duty. Just as the guards turned their backs on us, Say’ri, Lon’qu and I moved in and took them down, muffling their pained yelps. I waved at Gaius and the thief swiftly entered the camp. We moved and hid the bodies behind a mountain of crates nearby.
With baited breath, we waited for Gaius to complete his part. I touched my wind tome in my bag, amplifying my hearing by the surrounding air. My breathing began to slow down as I eagerly waited for Gaius’s signal. After a few minutes, I finally heard a glass being smashed. “There’s the signal. Lady Say’ri, Sir Lon’qu, if you would.”
They both nodded, and they dashed out from the crates. I saw Say’ri tear off her cloak and the two sword warriors attacked the nearest Valmese. The death cry of the Valmese rang out through the entire camp.
“Intruders! The princess is among them! Call the commander!” Shouted one of the Valmese.
Footsteps began to pound around the camp as the army began to chase the quick footed sword users.
I opened my bag and quickly pulled out my bolganone tome. Distressed cries, shouts, and pounding footsteps resounded in the air. I didn’t bother to look at back at the scene unfold as their cries were informative enough.
“Urgent news! The commander is dead!”
“Damn! It’s an ambush! Capture the intruders and gyah!”
“Hey guys! Missed me?”
“Stop the assassin!”
A small smile crept on my lips as the entire camp went into mayhem. I opened the red leather bound book and felt the overpowering surge of anima flow into my hands. I felt an incredible amount of heat dance into my gloved hands as I crouched behind the crates. I breathed out as I began to charge the anima, waiting for the others to come back. I then heard footsteps gradually becoming louder, telling me that they were coming. I saw the figures of Lon’qu and Say’ri zoom by. All that was left was the thief.
“C’mon Gaius, where the hell are you?” I whispered impatiently.
Answering my distress, a blurb of orange hair finally passed by. The three looked behind and didn’t dare glance at me, as they didn’t want to blow my cover.
I began to softly chant the spell. “Rise from the earth and burn my enemies.”
“Now Sir Marc!”
“Bolganone!” Spews of lava sprouted from beneath, burning a wide field of greenery. Screams of pain from the Valmese rang through the air as they were helplessly burned. The cries slowly died out as they collapsed simultaneously, dead. Small flames whisked and whipped on the burned plains. After a few seconds of silence, I breathed out in relief as we completed our mission.
However……….
“Sir Marc, behind you!”
I whirled around and tried to dodge who was behind me only to feel a sharp pain graze the side of my stomach. “Gah!” I fumbled behind and held my bleeding stomach.
Say’ri charged at my attacker as she swiftly sliced him down. I looked ahead and noticed that a few Valmese soldiers were hiding from our assault. Lon’qu stood with Say’ri while Gaius knelt down beside me.
“Hey Marc!”
“Forget about me, we have bigger problems.” I grunted from the pain as I wobbly pushed myself up. I quickly scanned the Valmese in front of us.
We were outnumbered by four to eight people and all were spear users.
“Get the princess!” yelled one of the Valmese.
“Marc! Your orders!” barked Lon’qu.
“Cover me! Same as before! Push them down and I’ll end it! Attack!”
And like a bolt of lightning they charged at the Valmese. I stood in the back and began to quickly chant another bolganone spell. “Rise from the ground and burn my enemies.” I felt the dancing heat of the anima flow into my palms once more. Shining runes encircled me and my hand twitched from the overpowering surge. I watched the three surround the soldiers as they pushed them into one spot.
Now! “Move!”
Gaius, Lon’qu and Say’ri leapt away as another field of lava spewed from underground. Silence filled the air once more. I panted heavily from my wound and sighed in relief. “Should’ve known that not all of them would take the bait.” I mumbled angrily.
“Sir Marc!” Say’ri ran back to me.
I held my stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. “I’ll live. Good work, you three. You go and check their crates; see what we can use. I will tend to my wounds.”
“Please allow me.” offered Say’ri.
I held my hand out. “I appreciate the concern but I can tend it myself. If you’ll excuse me.” I walked away and secluded myself in a nearby tent. I removed my bloodied hand and wasted no time in pouring a vulnerary on the wound. I winced at the sharp pain but later sighed in relief as it gradually dulled. I walked back to the others seeing them search the multiple crates.
“How fare you, Sir Marc?”
“I am well. Find anything that is of use other than the usual weapons?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Ah sweet; they got bonbons.” commented Gaius.
Seeing that wasn’t anything to note in their inventory, I turned and walked away from the three.
“Where are you going Shady?”
“I’m going to check out their meeting tent. See if they have any useful information. Let me know when the others arrive.”
“Sure.”
I glanced around the dead camp trying to find a large tent when I finally came across it. I pushed the flap aside as a large table scattered with maps, charts and figures caught my eye. Crates of books and scrolls surrounded the tent as I looked around. I scavenged through the mountains of charts and paper, reading through the notes and marks.
“Looks like they were planning to take more areas by Walhart’s orders.” I mumbled.
As I continued scavenging through mountains of paper, I came across a leather bound book. As I opened it, scribbles and diagrams of large weaponry were written. I quickly skimmed through the book as each page held detailed diagrams of war weapons, such as ballistae and catapults. “If Walhart plans to hit us with these war weapons we’re going to be dead before we even reach him on the battlefield.” I slid the weaponry design book in my cloak; keeping it will be useful for counterattacks.
I investigated the crates and books trying to find any other useful information that will help our tactics, but none had caught my eyes. “Dang it,” I was about to give up on my search when my eyes wandered to a locked box beneath the table. “What’s this?” I picked up the item and placed it on the table. I then pulled two small pins from my pocket and began to pick at the lock. After fiddling with the lock, my ears caught a clicking sound.
I opened the box finding a pile of letters inside. “Now why would they lock these letters?” Each letter held a seal of Valm. I read the contents and realized that they were carefully written orders by Walhart’s tactician, Excellus. All the letters composed of which area to take over, and how to do so. Taking a first glance at his tactics, it was generally composed of trickery to expose the target’s weakness.
Most people would view it as underhanded, but I had to admit, it was ingenious. Considering with how much contribution he did in conquering Chon’sin and Rosanne, he had quite the skillset as a tactician. I re-read through the letters trying to find a pattern in his strategies and noticed something.
The result of his strategies were dependent on the first move. The rest was fooling the opponent, and when the guard was down, one should strike at the weakness.
“Mind games,” I realized. “That’s his tactics.” I wonder what would happen if I were use this method on Robin during chess.
“Marc!”
I whirled around in alarm only to realize it was Gaius. “Bubbles is calling for you.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “O-oh. Thank you Sir Gaius.”
The orange-haired thief curiously raised an eyebrow at my tense stance. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just came across new information. I’ll share it with the others at a proper time. If you’ll excuse me.”
I walked out of the meeting tent and found the rest of the Shepherds mingling about as they loaded the cargo. I looked around the crowd trying to find the walking Grima-patterned cloak as my eyes spotted it. “Robin.”
The snow-haired tactician turned to me. “Hey, there you are,” Concern then flashed over his face. “Are you okay?”
“I am well. We had some complications, but none we couldn’t overcome. How was your travel?”
His worried expression softened as he took my words. “Other than having to deal with Lissa’s loud voice, everything’s cool.”
I gave a short huff. “I’m surprised you didn’t get caught.”
“Only because you, Lon’qu, Say’ri and Gaius made the way safe for us.” He pointed.
“Humph.” I crossed my arms as I quietly observed Robin. Thinking about their personality, I began to think just how much Chrom influenced both of them. An amnesiac tactician with a merciful soul and a future princess with an unwavering determination. If it weren’t for Chrom, I wouldn’t even have existed in the first place and for that, I’m extremely grateful. Still, I just hope that my guidance will lead them to a better future.
Thinking that I wanted to end our short report, Robin awkwardly ruffled his white hair. “Well, I’d better help out in loading the cargo.”
“Hold, Sir Robin.”
The tactician heeded my call as his brown eyes were locked onto me. “Yes?”
“When we have the chance, would you mind terribly if you and Lady Lucina were to join me for tea?”
Robin’s brown eyes widened in surprise. “Are you inviting us?” He repeated in disbelief.
“I just wish to enjoy a good conversation, and I also wish to play a game of chess with you.”
The tactician eyed suspiciously. “You’re plotting something aren’t you?”
I smiled in amusement. “And if I am?”
“Lucina told me that you were trying to develop a new tactic. Looking at you, you probably want to test it out on us, am I right?”
I merely gave a scheming smile in return.
“Devious.” He grinned wickedly.
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s a yes. I’m curious but I don’t know if Lucina would agree to come.”
“I have a feeling she will.” I answered. If I ask her to go shopping with me on a later time.
“What makes you say that?” asked Robin.
I shrugged my shoulders, feigning innocence. “I just do.”
END