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Hope will never die : a Fire Emblem Awakening quest

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Chapter 2-12: Anger and Fear
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    • [X] "Fight me. Unlike a conversation, I know you won't run away from a fight. Then we'll talk."

    Oh no you don't.

    You have no intention of simply letting her walking away after that little display. And you know exactly how to make sure she stays. After all, if there's one thing Kjelle cannot resist, it's a challenge.

    "Very well. If you don't have time for a talk, maybe you'll have some for a fight instead? I know you don't usually run from that."

    That stops her, you notice with grim satisfaction. She turns back, her scowl meeting your own glare.

    "Watch it, Lucina."

    Oh, now she's offended? After what she just said to you and Severa, you don't feel very sorry. Instead, you distractedly notice that even when going on a run, she apparently brings her armor and spear with her. How typical. At least there won't be any time wasted.

    "We'll talk about... this... after that."
    "Assuming you'll be able to talk."

    You ignore the taunt, instead looking at Severa, who still looks pretty furious, but is holding herself back in a rare display of control, though you can guess she'd like nothing more than to take on Kjelle herself here and now. You're pretty sure she'd lose right now... but you also know that wouldn't stop her in the least.

    "Sorry Severa. You don't mind?"
    "Tss. Just give her one good wack for me, will you?"
    "Letting others fight your own battles, Severa? Perhaps you should spend more time with Cynthia. You play the distressed damsel so well."

    That does it. You offer Severa a grim nod, the two of you wearing almost similar expressions.

    "I believe I will."

    You then turn your full attention to Kjelle, eyes cold.

    "I don't care what you say about me all that much. But my sister jumped on an assassin to save my life, risking her own in the process. Doubt her courage again, and I really won't be able to forgive you."

    To your satisfaction, Kjelle flinches at that, as if realizing she might have gone too far. Still, it isn't long before her looks of defiance come back.

    "What, not going to say anything about Severa?"
    "I know she can take care of herself, and I have no doubt she'll find a way to get you back for your words. But that's quite enough. Are you ready? Or would you like a moment to catch your breath?"

    You get your answer as Kjelle charges you - what you have been expecting, really. As your weapon clashes, it is pretty apparent that this fight is quite different than the one you had a few years ago. That one had been intense, but a spar nonetheless. This time, it is clear that she wants to hurt you - and you're only too happy to return the favour. The calm part of your mind tells you your form is sloppy, a poor approximation of the almost flawless stances you almost mastered, but most of you don't care. Beside, Kjelle isn't exactly doing much better either. Each of you barely pay attention to defense - in fact, your opponent barely uses her shield, and only to bash you with it - instead raining blows upon each other, with as much strength as you can muster. You grunt as the knight's daughter catch your side with the shaft of her weapon, before retaliating by crashing into her, forcing her back despite her armoured weight.

    "Gh. I see all that fancy magic training or time playing the lady didn't soften you up too much."
    "You don't need to worry about that. Or are you vexed because I didn't make time for you?"
    "As if!"

    With an angry growl, she charges at you once more. Were you in a more calm state, you'd have simply side-stepped the obvious attack and stroke before she could recover. Instead, you stand your ground, swinging your weapon in a literal attempt at knocking some sense into her head. The blunt edge of her spear catch you in the stomach, knocking the wind out of you, while your wooden blade hit the side of her head, a blow that staggers her, but do not bring her down. Hmph. You should have known this would be the hardest part of her anatomy, you probably wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't. Once again, you're back at trading hits, letting in far ore than you ever should. Had Father been here, you'd know he'd been appalled by your technique right now. Well, there'll be time to be angry at yourself later, right now you're angry at someone else. With a shout, you manage to rip the spear out of her grasp. Before you can capitalize on that though, Kjelle punches you in the face, hard. Judging by the blood coming from your nose, you're pretty sure she broke something, but you can't worry about it right now. Instead you sweep her legs from under, causing her to crash on the ground, with your sword pointed at her face.

    "Now are you willing-"

    You cannot finish your sentence when Kjelle's foot hit your knee, making you fall away from her. As you both pick yourselves up, Severa steps in between you two, a disturbed expression on her face.

    "Okay, I think this might be enough."

    Kjelle looks at her with a confused expression, as if trying to make sense of her words. Maybe you hit her head harder than you thought, she seems a bit out of it. She blinks, before the fight seems to literally leave her, as she sits back on the ground, head lowered.

    "Shit."

    You're not long before joining her in a sitting position either. Now that your anger is fading, and with it the adrenaline from the fight, pain and exhaustion are catching up to you fast. You're pretty sure you're going to sport bruises for the next few days, not to mention the fact that you'll need to have someone to look at your nose. It wasn't like you to be so sloppy. Still, you think you've made your point.

    "So, what was that all about?"

    Kjelle briefly looks a you, before looking away, a vaguely ashamed expression on her face.

    "It's stupid."
    "I'm sure. I would like to know nonetheless."

    She sighs, but there's n longer any sign of anger on her face. In fact, now that her severe expression has melted down, you realize she looks... tired. And not from the rather brutal fight you just had - though there's that too.

    "I'm sorry, okay? I mean... well, it's true that I was a bit disappointed that you did not come back to train together after last time. I mean, you're pretty much the only one of our age who's a challenge. Owain comes close, but he's infuriating."

    You never thought so, but you can see how his more... exuberant traits would grate Kjelle's seriousness.

    "And then someone tries to kill you, and we're at war and our parents are gone, and I don't know what will happen anymore."

    That, at least, is something you can sympathize with, and from the look on Severa's face, you can guess she does to. In fact, you'd be surprised if any of your friends didn't struggle with the same demons - though you suppose it's just your luck that Kjelle's preferred method to deal with her problems is violence.

    "And then I'm all alone, and I hear from Cynthia you're spending time in that stupid... er, I mean, that thing Owain created. Told myself I didn't care. Going on a run helps me clear my head, you know? And then you're here, acting as if everything's fine, and I just acted like..."
    "A jerk?" Severa helpfully supplied. You shot her a glare, but Kjelle only smiles at that.
    "Ah yes, I suppose I deserved that. For what its worth, I'm sorry. I... I didn't really mean it, you know?"

    Well. You're pretty sure you've never seen Kjelle that open. And you think you can see where she's coming from, though you still think most of it was uncalled for.

    [] Do you want to add something?

    Lost the first half of the update to technical difficulties. Not that much, but annoying nonetheless.

    Also, this vote is rather optional, if you want to add something in particular. If nothing comes to mind, Lucina will simply let bygones be bygones and renew her offer of training together, this time with more chances of success, one might think.

    However, the real vote... will be here in a few minutes!
     
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    • Interlude 1-1: A knight's failure
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    • And now for something entirely different: an episode of Frederick Emblem!



    You are Frederick, guardian of the royal family of Ylisse, and as you watch the lifeless corpse of your lord laying on the cold stones of the temple, you begin to realize the magnitude of your failure.

    And to think the day had started rather well. With the Dragon Table finally in sight from the Ylissean forces, the army had begun its assault, intent on piercing Plegia's last lines of defence and drag King Validar from its hiding place. The battle started at dawn, and once again war's fortune seemed to favour Ylisse. The green troops Plegia had hastily gathered in a last ditch attempt could not hope to stand against the veterans of two wars, not when outmatched tactically and qualitatively. It appeared the battle would be a short one. That, of course, was when things began to go wrong.

    From afar, the lone figure of Validar could be seen, standing at the gates of the Grimleal temple. And in his hands, shining brightly, he held the legendary Fire Emblem, thought to have disappeared that fateful night where Exalt Emmeryn was murdered. The implications of seeing it reappears now, and in those hands were not lost on any of the Shepherds, least of all Chrom. The new Exalt charged forward, intent on avenging his sister, and the Shepherds followed, Robin being the closest. The Grimleal had yet another card to play, and very quickly, the advancing group found itself fighting summoned undead abominations, those "risen" that Plegia had used sporadically during the war. It was a weak move nonetheless, barely slowing down the Shepherd's charge – despite their psychological impact and great resilience, those creatures were slow and unskilled, certainly no match for a unit boasting some of the best fighters and mages in the world. Things turned out a little trickier inside the temple, when Grima's worshippers joined the fray by casting their foul spells, but up until this point, you had no reason to doubt the final outcome of this fight.

    You should have noticed the way Chrom and Robin's progression went almost unimpeded, while those monsters kept throwing themselves at your blades to slow you and the other Shepherds down. Yet at the time, you simply focused on slaying the enemies before you, confident in your lord's victory. From afar, you could see him and Robin locked into a confrontation with the Plegian King himself. Validar was a fearsome opponent, a very skilled mage in his own right with a surprisingly fit physical condition. Yet against the Exalt and his tactician, you never doubted the final outcome, and were proved right when the Grimleal leader collapsed to the ground. Then Robin stabbed Chrom through the heart, while you could only watch helplessly the scene unfolding, wondering where you went wrong, what you had missed, how you could have let this happen. Everything seems to happen in slow motion now, as you hear Sumia's desperate cry, Sully's roar of outrage or Gaius's sharp intake of breath. Even Henry has lost his legendary smile, you note distractedly. And Nowi seems utterly frozen at the sight of her husband killing his lord. Maybe you'll be able to sympathize later, but right now, the only thought going through your head is that you should have gutted him like a trout the very first day you met him.

    You do your best to keep a clear head – which isn't easy considering the man who treated you like a brother just got murdered by one of his most trusted friends – and try to analyse the situation. Chrom's body lies in a pool of blood –wrongwrongwrong!- with only a few steps separating him from you. Nearby, Robin has fallen to his knees, his hood preventing you from watching his facial expression. You don't know what's going through his head, and you frankly don't care, feeling only an irresistible urge to split his head in two for what he just did. At the back at the temple, an entirely uninjured Validar –of course the one they fought was a fake, helped to create the perfect opportunity for his assassin- was standing near the altar, his laugh of triumph echoing through the building. Behind him, you can see more risen crawling back from the shadows, ready to advance on his command, while others are coming from the sides, threatening to surround the Shepherds. Still, there might be enough time for you to…


    [] Retrieve Chrom's body: you will not let your lord's corpse be desecrated at the hand of his hated enemies. No matter what, you're bringing him back to Ylisse.

    [] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    [] Kill the traitor: you don't care at his motivations, killing the Exalt earns only one sentence, and you would be happy to carry that one out. If he insists of remaining prostrated on his knees, that will only make it easier for you.

    [] Kill Validar: this day is turning into a disaster, but killing the Plegian King would certainly make it better. A risky proposition considering his magic skills, but you're feeling murderous enough to take your chance. And you really want him to stop laughing.

    [] Retreat now: with Risen incoming from all sides, your window for retreating without a fight is closing fast. If you withdraw now, you still have chance to join the main encampment of Ylisse's army before the Shepherds are put under too much pressure.

    [] Write-in.

    Happy new year? :oops:
     
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    • [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    Fredrick, dare to hope you will not fail everything: as now his eldest rules.

    ShadowAngelBeta said:
    Is Frederick the only competent/Shepard there?

    I was hoping we had a little bit longer as well...
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    It was a trap, shock and magic giving an opening for Grima to exploit and exploit hard.

    The "At long last." was not Robin.
     
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    I'm split between retrieving the falchion and killing Robin. Retrieving the body and killing Validar is of secondary priority.

    Does Grima actual need Robin to manifest? I suspect killing him will at least force Grima into a sub optimal host. Or it might derail the plot entirely. Damm it's been a while.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.
     
    Indeed you can. I was going to point which Shepherd was present in the next update, where everyone would be more or less ready for action, but I might as well do it now.

    Basically, everyone's here, with the exception of Virion, Cherche, Olivia and Vaike (in Rosanne), Say'ri and Tiki (in Chon'sin), Flavia (in Ferox), Lissa and Stahl (in Ylisse) and Basilio and Donnel (dead. Yup, sorry man, blame a subpar Robin). Keep in mind that they might have somewhat delayed reactions, depending on each emotional response.
     
    Macros said:
    Keep in mind that they might have somewhat delayed reactions, depending on each emotional response.
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    Sumia's right the fuck out then. Cordelia... might need a good snap at from Fredrick, but he's got the drill sergeant voice down I think, so that should at least get her into a functioning mind-set.

    I think everyone else will be at least able. ... Except uhh... shit, the (totally-legal) dragon-loli? I forgot her name.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    Need to make sure Lucina will have Mirror Falchion once the time travel sequence starts.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    Not too surprised that this happened, there was a reason I pushed for learning Dark magic and wanting us to learn from Marth as early as possible, alas our training time will be taken up fighting the zombie hordes and running our country, but that could be considered training of its own /shrug.

    I imagine we might see a blanket WIll drop for losing the Exalt's body, especially when he returns as a deadlord but it is still better than increasing the body count of the actual Shepherds so early on.
     
    Actually, don't suppose we can gun for the Fire emblem while we're at it? Should have all the gems which all have magic powers, as well as us not needing to go back in time to awaken Falchion.
     
    Macros said:
    Donnel
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    He managed to lose Donnel of all people? If this was pre-promote Donnel, maybe, but he must have made a terrible call to lose Donnel post-timeskip.

    [X] Retrieve Falchion

    If there's more we can do here, I would tell Gaius and maybe Tharja to run for the Fire Emblem and tell everyone else to kill Robin. It would be nice if we could head off the Grima awakening by killing Robin ourselves, but Falchion has to take priority.
     
    Enshuu said:
    If there's more we can do here, I would tell Gaius and maybe Tharja to run for the Fire Emblem and tell everyone else to kill Robin. It would be nice if we could head off the Grima awakening by killing Robin ourselves, but Falchion has to take priority.
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    You know it's too late now, right? They can't kill Grima, let alone make it sleep. You need someone of the line to use Falchion.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.
     

    Macros said:
    No, but right now, he's calling the shots. Though if you want a second in command, Cordelia is probably a safe bet. And guess who gets t pick up the slack if Freddy gets killed here too?




    Sorry about that. :ninja:
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    Invisitext.
    Macros said:
    Indeed you can. I was going to point which Shepherd was present in the next update, where everyone would be more or less ready for action, but I might as well do it now.

    Basically, everyone's here, with the exception of Virion, Cherche, Olivia and Vaike (in Rosanne), Say'ri and Tiki (in Chon'sin), Flavia (in Ferox), Lissa and Stahl (in Ylisse) and Basilio and Donnel (dead. Yup, sorry man, blame a subpar Robin). Keep in mind that they might have somewhat delayed reactions, depending on each emotional response.
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    Wait did Donny die during the campaign or earlier?
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    Fredrick shouldn't carry Chrom's body anyway.

    Validar's Goons are going to take Cheap Shot's at him and with him being a Great Knight his Res isn't going to save him much.

    Though Everyone is going to be Blue Screened and demanding answers while Robin's detained in a deep cellar.
    Edited.
     
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    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.
     
    Yay! Let's return to SV after far too long and see what Lucina's Quest is up to-
    ...
    Looks like I really have probably the worst timing in history :cry::cry::cry:

    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.

    I just have the feeling that killing Robin will just makes things worse, no way that Grima hasn't planned for that.
     
    [X] Retrieve Falchion: carrying him would slow you down. But Falchion, at the very least, must be retrieved. The Exalt is dead, but the Exalted line has yet to be ended, and with what happened today, the sacred blade will be needed against the incoming darkness.
     
    Interlude 1-2: Against the tide
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    • [X] Retrieve Falchion:

    That was pretty unanimous.

    With only a few seconds to act, you jump forward. You do your best to ignore the tactician, still looking dead to the world, kneeling a few meters from you, and who let you pass without any resistance. You do your best to ignore Chrom's lifeless gaze, telling yourself that the accusatory look you see in it is all in your head. You'd like nothing more than to grab his body and bring him home, where at least he'd receive a proper burial, but there's simply no time. He... he wouldn't have wanted for more Shepherds to die, not just for that. Instead, your gaze focus on the sword still clutched in his hand. Falchion is useless to you, you know that. It only comes alive in the hands of a member of the Exalted line, and even then, not for all of them. Chrom's father and sisters never had been able to wield it, for once. Still, the Tooth of Naga proved instrumental in vanquishing evil several times. And you could feel it, this ability would be needed before long.

    Ignoring the bile in your throat, you take the sacred blade from your lord's dead hand, before moving back to your lines without a glance behind. All around you, the Shepherds are beginning to overcome the shock of the dual loss of their lord and tactician, with one dead and the other turned traitor. As Risen begin to press forward, weapons rise once again, and the battle starts anew. It quickly becomes apparent that those creatures are now far more dangerous than in your previous encounters. Whatever magic was at play there, they were faster, stronger, and even displayed some semblance of coordination. And right now, your friends are in shock, demoralized by the blow that was just dealt to them. Yet even now, they prove again and again why they are considered the most able unit in the world.

    The first monster reaching their line is cleaved in two by Lon'qu, whose follow-up attack beheads the next one. An attempt at flanking him is met with Sully's furious charge, soon supported by Gregor, the jovial mercenary having lost his usual smile, instead hacking at the monsters with abandon. Behind them, Tharja and Henry unleashed a storm of fire and lightning, their combined spells tearing through the ranks of the Risen with contemptuous ease, while Miriel countered a magical retaliation from two Grimleal; near her, Gaius was firing arrow upon arrow, specifically targeting the Plegian mages. On the flank, Sumia, tears still flowing, fought nonetheless, supported by a pale-as-death, yet resolute Cordelia, keeping the enemy from achieving their encirclement. Between them all, Maribelle and Libra were moving back and forth, braving the dangers of melee in order to administer their healing arts, in an attempt to make a difference between life and death. Near the gate, Panne and Ricken fought to keep their escape route clear, fending off the attempts at cutting them off. A loud roar noticed everyone that Nowi was joining the fray too, the confused Manakete trying to drown her doubts through action.Kellam managed to save Ricken from a Risen coming from behind, before looking for another opponent.

    Despite the adverse circumstances, they were fighting with everything they got. You would have been proud of them in other circumstances, but right now, you were too busy trying to keep them alive. Cordelia's voice rang clear above the melee.

    "Frederick! We can't stay here!"

    That much was true. Despite the Shepherds' skills, between the Risen newfound ferocity (and seemingly endless numbers) and the Grimleal magical bombardment, their position could soon become untenable. They had to rejoin the main camp, to the relative safety of Ylissean lines. Slaying the nearest undead monster with a swing of your axe, you turned to give the order.

    "Shepherds, pull back!"

    The fighters on the front line made a somewhat orderly retreat, under the cover of the mages, while the ones at the gate maintained their position to keep the way open. Soon, the majority of the Shepherds were outside, only for you to realize you weren't out of the woods yet. A host of Risen were now blocking the road between you and safety - with a grimace, you realize those creatures are the corpses of the soldiers you slew but a moment ago to come here - while in the sky, a dozen of wyvern riders flew in circles, ready to fall upon the retreating Ylisseans. With the Risen inside the temple pressing them from behind, the Shepherds were threatened on three sides, and time was not their ally.

    You're no tactician, but you've seen enough battlefields to know what to expect. Still, you must act, and fast.

    The Shepherds are currently organized in several groups:

    The assault unit, who just exited the temple: Sully, Lon'qu, Gregor
    The mages, following nearby: Tharja, Henry, Miriel
    The flying corps, ready to take the sky: Cordelia, Nowi, Sumia
    The rearguard, still fighting to prevent the others to be overwhelmed: Panne, Gaius, Ricken, Kellam
    Maribelle and Libra can be dispatched to provide healing where they're needed


    It is imperative to clear the road in front of you, or the Shepherds are doomed.

    [] Use the assault unit alone. They won't have an easy time, but you're confident they will manage to do the job.
    [] Use the assault unit and the flying corps. The help of a manakete and two pegasus knights should shorten the battle in front f you, but might leave you vulnerable elsewhere.
    [] Use the assault unit, the flying corps and the rearguard. It will be a race against time with your other flanks unguarded, but you must escape from this encirclement as fast as possible.

    The wyvern riders are a looming threat, who might strike any time now.

    [] Send the flying corps against them. They might be outnumbered, but they faced worse odds and prevailed.
    [] Ignore them. They're mostly a distraction. If they want to take potshots at you, just let them. You'll be able to deal with them if they come close.

    Your mages have proven their effectiveness. You're just not sure where to direct their firepower.

    [] Focus on the front. Their spells might help clearing the road tremendously.
    [] Focus on the rear. Those fighting to hold back the Risen behind might need any help they can get.
    [] Focus on the air. The sooner that danger is removed from play, the better.

    The Risen and Grimleal from the temple are pushing hard.

    [] Let the rearguard continue fighting. The line must be held, but you cannot afford giving them reinforcements right now.
    [] Reinforce them with the flying corps. If you manage to keep the enemy at bay long enough, it might be easier to focus on escaping once the pressure have been diminished.
    [] Pull them back for an all-out assault on the front. Breaking the lines blocking your retreat has priority over anything else.

    Where will you send your healers?

    [] Write-in

    Where will you personally fight?

    [] Write-in

    You can make a more personalized battle plan. I just tried to give you a few streamlined options as to not completely leave you in the unknown.
     
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