[X] Grab a sword. Your dagger and training sword are still in your room, leaving you nothing to defend yourself with. You might manage to retrieve a guard's arming sword, but you'll have little time to even draw it before the assassin is on you. And even then... do you have a chance against a trained killer?
-[X] Doesn't matter if you can't get the scabbard off or not, your blows will just crush intsead of cleave. Hell you could make it slip off mid-swing into him to make an opening for a nasty follow-up.
Charging for the sword is bad news. Mostly because who's to say the assassin is gonna aim for us first? There's also the off chance that even if we somehow managed to grab the sword, that leaves us farther from Cynthia and she's nowhere near as trained as we are.
Can't we opt to scream as loud as we can before anything first? And then, I dunno, dive for the bad guy's legs and try to elbow one of his knees to stagger his movement speed? Something to keep the attention/anger on us while Cynthia runs the moment she's out of immediate sight?
It's not supposed to be a contest, or even one to begin with though. I'm not saying we try and raise fisticuffs against the guy, and more of maybe somehow just fucking up a limb long enough in a surprise counter charge to maybe get out of this alive.
He's diving. We're diving. His hands are more or less occupied. Ours are not. Because lord, this would be a great time to tell Cynthia that she should've taken her training more seriously.
[X] Grab a sword. Your dagger and training sword are still in your room, leaving you nothing to defend yourself with. You might manage to retrieve a guard's arming sword, but you'll have little time to even draw it before the assassin is on you. And even then... do you have a chance against a trained killer?
-[X] Doesn't matter if you can't get the scabbard off or not, your blows will just crush intsead of cleave. Hell you could make it slip off mid-swing into him to make an opening for a nasty follow-up.
Then let's hope that our stats are enough that we do this fast enough to make sure Cynthia doesn't get fucked up too.
If only we'd started on that Marth card again, would have been nice to have a pocket bodyguard... Although we might have forgotten it in our voting anyway.
And we really need to start up on magic next turn as well if we want it to be useful by the time shit starts going down. I'm thinking Tharja myself for our teacher actually. Henry's good but... He's a sociopath. He doesn't respect what Dark magic is in the way most others need to in order to use it safely I think.
Also, yes, we're probably not coming out of this unscathed, but I'm hoping and thinking we have enough on our side that it won't maim us at least.
[X] Grab a sword. Your dagger and training sword are still in your room, leaving you nothing to defend yourself with. You might manage to retrieve a guard's arming sword, but you'll have little time to even draw it before the assassin is on you. And even then... do you have a chance against a trained killer?
-[X] Doesn't matter if you can't get the scabbard off or not, your blows will just crush instead of cleave. Hell you could make it slip off mid-swing into him to make an opening for a nasty follow-up.
With only an instant to take a decision, you decide to trust your instincts, and dive for the nearest sword, hanging at Micah's belt. Every second is now an eternity to you ; you can feel the cold sweat running down your neck; you can see Cynthia's mouth opening, about to let out a scream; you can the assassin narrowing his – wait, her, now that you watch more closely – eyes at your move, her gaze going back and forth between you and Cynthia, and at that moment, you realize that your attempt at seizing the sword is leaving your sister defenceless. If she goes after her now...
She doesn't. With one twist of the ankle, she redirects her run right toward you, apparently having decided you to be the greater threat. As your hand closes on the sword's handle, you realize that taking the time to draw it is likely to get you killed; so with a strength born of desperation, you simply rip the scabbard from its belt, swinging the still sheathed sword at the assassin almost blindly, just as your sister let out a shrilling scream. The masked woman manages to stop her course just in time, avoiding the hasty strike, but she seems nonetheless surprised by the unexpected show of defiance.
"Cynthia, run!"
You don't have the time to make sure she follows your plea. With a desperate cry, you immediately charge forward, trying to strike as hard as you can, and overwhelm her defenses.
Swords B- vs Swords C (base B, surprised)
Ylissean royal style C+ vs Shadowblade style C- (base B-, surprised). Keeping the shadow at bay.
Your first strike is dodged. The second is blocked, and you can see the assassin's eyes widen under the strength of your strike, almost dropping her sword in surprise. She still manage to step out of the way at the last instant, but your follow-up thrust actually connects, as you drive the scabbard's end in the woman's stomach. The blow is more surprising than painful, especially after being softened by her leather armor, but it forces her to take a step back, giving you just enough breathing room to properly draw the blade. You can hear your heart racing, as you prepare for the next exchange. If you can manage such a hit one more time...
Dexterity B- vs Dexterity B. Blades dance in the dark.
The two swords clash again and again, your shouts only answered by complete silence from your opponent. She is fast... faster than you, in fact, if just so. Your only advantage is your small size, her short reach making it more difficult for her to react to your strikes. But she manage to dodge or parry every swing, each of you trying to create an opening to end this fight. Despite the critical situation, you are strangely calm; in fact, your opponent seems flustered by the trouble she's having fighting a kid, and that knowledge is enough to give you courage. Despite the fear that threatens to overwhelm you, despite your rage at seeing two people you knew dead, and your sister threatened, part of you have never felt more alive. Those two years of training are clearly paying off.
Unfortunately, there are some things that can only be taught by experience. And as the assassin reaches for something in her belt with her free hand, you learn one of those lessons : people don't always fight fair. Before you can react, a grey powder is thrown in your eyes. Pepper! For a moment, you're blind, trying desperately to see through the tears welling up. The sound of a blade swinging reaches your ears, and in desperation you stumble back, almost falling on your rear to avoid a strike you can't see. The sword only manages to nick your arm, inflicting a superficial cut, yet you can feel the wound burning. Before you can react, the attack is followed by a kick to your stomach, sending you flat on your back. To your horror, your sword escape your grasp, and already the assassin is lunging...
Strength C+ vs Strength C+. Death closes in.
You manage to grasp the arm holding the sword, keeping the blade within a few inches of your throat. Gritting your teeth, you do your best to push back, while with a soft grunt, your would-be killer is doing the opposite, once again giving signs of frustration at your continued resistance. Yet you quickly realize you're in a really bad spot. You are almost as strong as her, but she's taller and heavier, and in this situation, it's a pretty big advantage. She is also in a better position, putting down all her weight on a downward push, while you are struggling to hold the sword back. And despite your best efforts to block the pain, your right arm is still hurting. You can see your death looming closer and closer, when a small shape pushes the assassin out of the way.
Your eyes widen in horror. Apparently, your sister did not heed your advice and run. In an eerily familiar scene, you see a crying Cynthia throwing herself at your aggressor. Except this time, she is not charging your playful cousin, but a trained killer. You can almost feel your heart stopping. Your unarmed, untrained, little sister just charged an armed adult assassin. Though taken by surprise, it isn't long before the masked woman recover, easily slamming Cynthia against a wall before aiming her sword at her stomach, intending to remove the nuisance.
"No!"
This time, it is your turn to charge blindly, without weapon or plan. You seize the arm before it can strike, and using the only tool at your disposition, you bite. You're rewarded with a muffled scream and the sound of a short sword dropping to the ground, before the assassin shakes you off, sending you sprawling to the floor with another kick. Still, in a last ditch effort you manage to take Cynthia with you in the fall, putting yourself between her and the killer. If you can hold only for a few more seconds, that might be enough for her to escape... Above you, the dark silhouette pulls out another dagger from her armor. You hurt all over; that last kick may have broken a rib, and you're having trouble feeling your right arm. Still, you send her a defiant glare, frantically trying to find a way to at least save your sister.
The sound of a metallic boot make everyone pause.
In the doorway stands Frederick, who only needs one instant to apprehend the situation. The next, he's already on the move, with a speed one wouldn't expect from someone so heavily armored. Without even bothering to draw a weapon, he sends your opponent flying with his shoulder, before stepping protectively in front of you. Only when your safety is assured does he take the time to take his weapon. To the assassin's credit, she immediately stands back up, and charge the knight without hesitation, her dagger aiming from the neck. Frederick simply bats the hand away with his armored forearm, before bringing down his axe, almost slicing the woman in two. Your hear the noise of the body hitting the ground, before silence falls on the scene once more.
"Lu-Lucy!"
Your sister is the first to break it, throwing yourself at you, pale as death, shaking, crying. You do your best to reassure her, but you are just as shaken as her by your recent brush with death. All you can do is hold her, trying to ignore your throbbing arm.
"I'm-I'm fine, Cynthia. I'm..."
You barely manage to choke back a sob, before Sir Frederick is in front of you, kneeling, his face showing more concern than you've ever seen him express.
"Miladies, are you alright?"
You can only nod weakly, as you see several other guards rushing in the hallway; they are visibly taken aback by the scene, before Frederick takes control of the situation.
"Don't just stand there! You, go fetch the Exalt immediately! The others, with me. I want this wing secured right now!"
You try to say something, but the words don't manage to come out. Your head... is spinning. So tired...
"My lady?!"
Frederick sounds concerned. You're not sure why.
"By the gods. Poison! Someone get Lady Lissa! Now!"
… Aunt Lissa? That would be nice... She has the best stories...As the world begins to grow dark, the only voice you manage to focus on is the one of your sister.
"Lucy? Sis! Stay with me! Please!"
You try to reassure her, to tell her it is okay, but you don't seem to be in control of your body anymore.
Darkness seizes you.
***
When you open your eyes again, you can see you're not in your bed. This is your parents room, you're slowly realizing. As you try to focus on your surrounding, you see your mother, sitting in a chair next to the bed while holding a sleeping Cynthia. On the couch is aunt Lissa, fast asleep too. And in the adjacent room, with its door still open, you can see your father talking with Robin, Frederick and Cordelia, a furious look on his face.
[] Call out to someone
[] Pretend to still be sleeping
[] Go back to sleep
That didn't go too badly, considering our relative sizes and experience levels. Even so, if Frederick hadn't shown up, we'd be dead. We still have a ways to go before we can handle our own fights.
The part with Cynthia knocking the assassin away reminded me of the in-game mechanic where your fighting partner will sometimes block an incoming attack. The value of fighting in pairs cannot be underestimated!
[X] Pretend to still be sleeping
I used to do that all the time as a kid to try and eavesdrop. Let's see what we can hear before someone notices we're awake.
Ha! Frederick just bitchslapped her down. And we probably could have won that if we had dived for her sword instead of jumping in front of our sister at the end there.
And we still nearly held our own against a trained assassin. (I'll eat my hat if she wasn't an elite or close to at least. She was invading the home of the family and the Shepard's.)
I'm not actually sure what to do here. I'd like to listen in, but getting involved in the discussion also appeals since they're probably talking about what happened. Maybe speak up part way through?
Only half opening your eyes, you do your best to pretend you're still asleep ; which isn't very difficult to do, given how tired you still are. Your mother doesn't notice the change, her attention on the conversation taking place in the other room.
"Chrom, you have to calm down."
"Darn it, Robin! They tried to kill my daughters! And you want me to calm down?!"
Your father sounds angry, more angry than you've ever seen him. You can see him walking back and forth, fists clenched. Somehow, you're pretty sure he will go to the training grounds at some point in the day... and that the palace will be short a few mannequins by the end of it. Perhaps there'll be another hole in the walls, too. Next to him, Robin is looking pale and tired, as he tries to make his case.
"I know the few items we retrieved on that assassin points to Plegia, but we can't be sure! For all we know, it's a ploy trying to drive a wedge between the two nations! Chrom, you have to think this through."
Frederick chooses the moment to take a step forward, face blank.
"My apologies. I should have tried to take her alive."
Father shakes his head, but Mother is the first to answer from across the room.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Frederick. You saved my daughters' lives."
You're surprised by the steel you can hear in her tone. While she expresses it less than Father, you can feel that she might be just as furious as him, which isn't something you're used to. Then again, today seems to be a first for many things. And thinking back about what happened... how the blade flashed toward Cynthia... Yes, it is easy to feel angry right now. Better than being scared.
"Be as it may, they never should have been in danger in the first place. And from what little I've heard and seen, if your eldest daughter had been a little less proficient with a sword, I would have been too late. No matter how you look at it, it is my failure."
Your father simply dismisses the argument with one hand gesture.
"Nonsense. You made it in time, in the end. And I seem to remember you training Lucina for quite some time now; clearly this seems to have paid out. Don't beat yourself over this, Frederick, please."
The knight doesn't quite seem convinced, but nonetheless let the matter drop, while Robin is turning to Cordelia.
"By the way, do we know if we lost more people?"
"Besides the two sentinels in the royal wing, we found a guard dead on the outer wall. The assassin seems to have climbed her way in."
Three deaths. You and Cynthia almost murdered. You have a hard time making sense of it, truly. Who could hate you enough to send an assassin after you? From your history studies, you know royal families are occasionally targetted by such attempts, but to experience it yourself... Nonetheless, you take pride in the fact you were able to protect yourself and Cynthia, if barely. Speaking of Cynthia, she chooses this moment to stir up, slowly opening her eyes.
"Hnnn. Where's..." She only takes a few seconds to wake, before her eyes begin to search for you. "Lucy! You're awake!"
Huh. Maybe you should have seen this coming; she always had been rather perceptive when it came to you in the past. Opening your eyes in full, you do your best to offer her a smile, as she leaves Mother's arms to hug you.
"Hey."
You suddenly find yourself at the center of the attention. Your mother is instantly at your bedside, quickly joined by your father, the others remaining at a respectful distance, with Frederick gently waking up aunt Lissa to check on you. You try to straighten up, but you find your body extremely sluggish, barely responding to your attempts at moving.
"Lucina, honey, how are you feeling?"
" 'm good."
Even your voice seems to slur a little, as you try to reassure your mother, before relaxing in her embrace, as her warmth pushes back the last remnants of fear from your mind. You feel your father's hand seizing yours, and you squeeze with what little strength you can muster.
"Frederick told me you did a great job at protecting your sister."
You can feel yourself slightly blushing at the compliment.
"She protected me too."
The image of her pushing the assassin aside flashes through your mind. And you can't help but wonder... if she hadn't woken yourself up, what would have happened then? Your mother is quick to cut your thoughts short, though.
"Then I'm blessed with the two bravest girls in the world. I'm very proud of you two."
Cynthia makes a content hum a that, while still clinging to you. A concerned expression on his face, Robin chooses this moment to intervene.
"Lucina, can you tell us anything more about what happened? Did that person say something? Did..."
"Oh no you don't!"
The strategist finds himself cut off by a disapproving Lissa, and has the good grace of looking embarrassed at her reprimand.
"All right, I know you're all worried, but you need to give her space. She's not in danger anymore, but her body is still fighting the toxin. She needs rest, not an interrogation!"
Your father is the first to react.
"Right. Clear the room, everyone, there will be time for questions later. Lucina, rest well. If you need anything, let us know."
[] Ask to talk to someone before you go back to sleep
-[] About what?
[] Begin your convalescence
Skill : unarmed combat raised to D-
Temporary status inflicted : convalescent. -1 action, and results from physical training decreased for the next six months.
Skill : unarmed combat raised to D-
Temporary status inflicted : convalescent. -1 action, and results from physical training decreased for the next six months.
Only partially. Don't expect to get a DEX increase that occasionally happen with these kind of actions, but it will still serve you well to strengthen your bond with your mount and getting used to aerial manoeuvers.
Sorry for the long delay, I went through the classic "lost the first half of the update, then procrastinated for a while" phase. Anyway, let's get this show back on the road, shall we?
[X] Ask to talk to someone before you go back to sleep
-[X] About who the assassin was after. You only ran across her by chance(?)
As everyone begin to clear the room, you can't help but ask the question that has been nagging you since you woke up. You suspect you know the answer, but you have to be sure...
"That assassin... who was she after?"
Your words are barely above a whisper, yet it is enough to make the whole assembly stop. Even in your weak state, you notice the worried glances the adults exchange with one another, trying to think of what to say. After a few instants, Cordelia is the one to step forward, a closed expression on her face.
"From what we've seen, the assassin was aware of our patrol schedule, and of the palace's layout. We can safely assume she was also aware your parents wouldn't be in the royal wing so early in the night. Her most probable target was you or Cynthia, possibly both."
A heavy silence falls upon the room; Lissa seems she want to protest, but choose to remain quiet. As for you, you have trouble to comprehend the information, despite having guessed the answer already. Someone had wanted to kill you. Someone had deliberately targetted your sister, who was in your totally unbiased opinion the sweetest girl in the world - if a bit of a pest sometimes. it was hard for you to make sense of it all, though you suspected being still weak from the poison and subsequent healing was also to blame for your difficulties to think straight. Cordelia notices your trouble, and her face soften, giving your hand a gentle squeeze.
"Don't worry too much about it for now, okay? It is our job to protect you and find out what happened. You just focus on getting better."
You weakly nod, before falling back to sleep.
***
Your convalescence takes only a few weeks, but for you, that is a frustratingly long time. The only positive thing from these long days spent doing nothing is that this is the occasion for your friends to show up to visit you. Owain is uncharacteristically subdued during his visits - though from what you hear, he's already telling to everyone who would listen how you and Cynthia repelled an army of assassins for one hour before help got your way, so you think he's fine - and simply spends time with you. You also knows he kept company with Cynthia a lot these days, something you're definitely grateful for. Noire is one of the first to come, with Severa in tow; the former seems pretty shaken up by what happened, and you end up being the one comforting her for the most part, while the later does her best to play it cool, but the lack of real bite in her voice and the worried glances she sneaks your way tell a different story. Laurent simply comes to offer his get-well wishes, in his usual collected manner -which is a bit refreshing, you admit; having everyone to worry about you constantly is quickly getting old- and so does Brady, only rougher. Miriel's son also had the good idea of bringing you your board game, giving you a welcome distraction for the few hours of their visits. Yarne seems even more skittish than usual when he comes to see you, and you have to forcibly convince him that none of it was his fault, and that it was all right, really. Kjelle is the last to come, both to congratulate you - how very Kjelle - and to warn you that she fully intends of taking advantage of the lull in your training. It's fine, you can't help but retort. You needed to give her a handicap anyway. That impulsive display of bravado earns you a grin, which is quite rare coming from her.
Finally, Lissa decides you're well enough to get out of bed, but advise against overdoing it in the coming months. Your body is still weakened, and needs time to recuperate, not endure another of your self-imposed gruelling sessions. Oh, and apparently Frederick is prohibited to suggest any "recuperation regimen". On account of not knowing what "recuperation" actually entails, if your aunt is to be believed. Anyway, you are now able to return to your regular schedule, more or less.
[X] Sword training (Ylissean royal style) (LOCKED)
[X] History, Laws and Politics of Ylisse (LOCKED)
[X] Diplomacy lessons (LOCKED)
[X] Studies on the state of the Realm (LOCKED)
Reminder: -1 action this turn only, results of physical training reduced Select 5 actions
[] Final lesson Back to training: taking it easy is one thing, but surely a bit of sword training can't hurt, right? Plus, you made some good progress with Lon'qu these last months, you'd hate to see them go to waste!
[] Find a training partner: you're reaching a point where your progress could benefit from regularly sparring against someone close to your level. The only question is who to pick. -[] Suggest a name
[] Checkmate: if you can't train your body, you might as well train your mind. With rumours of war on the horizon, Robin's free time has been drastically cut out, but he's still willing to teach you, something you're grateful for.
[] Tomes of magic: magic certainly seems to play a larger role in your life as of late. You already know a bit about healing, but what about the other forms? Maybe you should look into it.
[] Spend time in the library : your first foray in Ylisstol's library had been a fascinating experience, and you suspect there is still a lot more you can learn from its tomes. Who knows how much knowledge you can still dig up from it?
[] Any specific topic in mind? (no extra action)
[] Duties of the crown: your father seems to have noticed your restlessness these days. Given the recent interest you took in public matters, he offers you to start attending some of his private councils. You are his heir, after all, and the sooner you learn what it means to rule, the better.
[] Spend time in the stables: between your mother and Cherche's lessons, you have become more eager to learn about the best ways to care about animals these last weeks. And what better way to learn than to spend time with them? Well, it would be pretty strenuous, probably.
[] Train with the pegasus knights novices: the pegasus knights are without a doubt the finest flying unit in the world. And you finally reached a level where both your mother and Cordelia think you might hang out sometimes with their greenest recruits. You'd still be at least four years younger than any trainee, but it might be a precious experience.
[] Spear lessons with Cordelia: your flying lessons went pretty well, but you admit, you'd be interested to learn more about the martial aspect of aerial combat, something Cynthia showed little taste for until now. But you get the feeling aunt Cordelia would be more than happy to help in this matter.
[] Wings of freedom: one of the major benefit of finally being out of bed is that you can visit Cu again. You may feel a bit weak still, but flying is more strenuous for your mount than for yourself to begin with. And after weeks spent lying around, soaring through the air is an appealing feeling to you.
[] Spirit of the Hero King: with Tiki's help, you're close to a breakthrough, you just know it. All you need is a little more time to unlock the einherjar secrets...
[] Double down on your lessons: studying is one thing, but things worth doing are worth doing well.
[] Sword training (Ylissean royal style)
[] History and customs of Ylisse
[] Etiquette lessons
[] State of the Realm studies
[] Spend time with the other children : you try to keep in touch with everyone still in Ylisstol, but your busy schedule often leaves you with less time than you'd like. Still, your friends are worth the effort, you think.
[] Owain
[] Severa
[] Kjelle
[] Brady
[] Yarne
[] Noire
[] Laurent
[] Cynthia
[] Write-in: thinking hard about it, maybe there's something else you could do?
[] Special - slack off: some of these lessons are... hard to bear. Surely no-one would mind if you were to take it easy on some of them? Or even miss them? (doesn't take a choice, but instead gives one extra choice or each lesson you pick with this option.)
[X] Checkmate: if you can't train your body, you might as well train your mind. With rumours of war on the horizon, Robin's free time has been drastically cut out, but he's still willing to teach you, something you're grateful for.
[X] Tomes of magic: magic certainly seems to play a larger role in your life as of late. You already know a bit about healing, but what about the other forms? Maybe you should look into it.
-[X] Tharja
[X] Duties of the crown: your father seems to have noticed your restlessness these days. Given the recent interest you took in public matters, he offers you to start attending some of his private councils. You are his heir, after all, and the sooner you learn what it means to rule, the better.
[X] Wings of freedom: one of the major benefit of finally being out of bed is that you can visit Cu again. You may feel a bit weak still, but flying is more strenuous for your mount than for yourself to begin with. And after weeks spent lying around, soaring through the air is an appealing feeling to you.
[X] Spirit of the Hero King: with Tiki's help, you're close to a breakthrough, you just know it. All you need is a little more time to unlock the einherjar secrets...
[] Final lesson Back to training: taking it easy is one thing, but surely a bit of sword training can't hurt, right? Plus, you made some good progress with Lon'qu these last months, you'd hate to see them go to waste!
