Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ Fire Emblem Tellius Saga: Book 2 ❯ CHAPTER 35: NEVASSA ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Talrega was the last highland hold in Daein, and from here north, the land leveled. But that didn’t mean the trek was easy. These flatlands were arid yet dotted with bogs, and Soren found much of his time was spent planning routes that promised drinkable water, especially during the summer months. The Crimea Liberation Army crisscrossed the country, heading west before continuing north, and they followed safer paths despite the extra time. The Daein Army knew how to use the terrain, and Soren only permitted festering swamp battles when the enemy gave him no other choice.

Most often, however, the Daein Army merely sat on forts and key townships, waiting for the invaders to come to them. Usually these targets were located beside or directly on top of valuable water, so victory was a matter of survival as well as progress.

Soren spent countless hours thinking of ways to draw them out from behind their protective walls—but this was quite difficult considering Ike and Elincia forbid marauding or taking hostages. When they couldn’t lure their enemy outside, Soren devised ways to penetrate the walls with moles who could destabilizing garrisons, remove sentries, or simply open a back door for the rest of the army.

If this wasn’t sufficient, he had no choice but to lay siege. However, the Liberation Army wasn’t equipped with siege engines, and neither did they have the engineers or time to build them. Battering rams and ladders could be thrown together in a pinch, but these were weaker tools of war than Soren would have liked. Needless to say, forcing doors open from the outside was never his first choice.

Targeted missions were how their little army truly excelled, and Soren directed Ike to send small teams where they could do the most damage: hindering Daein supply chains, burning military stables, ambushing messengers, eliminating scouts, and sabotaging whatever they could get their hands on. In this way, the mercenary army was conquering the nation like an infection slowly devouring a body.

 

After thirteen months on the campaign, they were finally ready to take Nevassa—and end the war. Their numbers had dwindled, but so had their enemy’s. The Liberation Army had defeated Daein at every turn, but Ashnard still ignored their demands for surrender. It had been a bloody year, and yet even more blood would have to be spilled to defeat the Mad King and take back Crimea.

As the cool winds of autumn blew down from the north, everyone seemed eager to put this conquest behind them. Even Soren yearned for quiet days doing regular mercenary work and to never have to orchestrate another invasion again. Of course, he had to survive this one first, which was why he restlessly patrolled the camp’s perimeter.

The Liberation Army had put down their stakes on hill just a few hours’ march from the city, which was already visible in the distance. The view was strikingly similar to when Soren had ridden away with Sileas, and although that day felt like lifetimes ago, memories of his life in Nevassa were slowly creeping back. He found himself wondering if Galina was still alive somewhere in those backstreets.

Tearing his eyes from the city, Soren resumed his patrol. He usually left these checks to Titania, but this evening was far too important. They couldn’t afford to be attacked unawares tonight, not when they were sitting on Ashnard’s doorstep and so outnumbered.

While he walked, he recalled Nasir’s latest report. The dragon claimed to have new information from Gallia, although he’d yet to reveal how he came by his intelligence (Soren suspected the whispering crystal). He said the Crimean people were suffering greatly under Daein oppression, but after two years, the occupying armies had established total control. Now they were finally prepared to launch an attack on Gallia.

Soren was reluctant to believe anything Nasir had to say, but he had to admit these reports sounded plausible. He knew the only reason they’d reached Nevassa with such a small army was because much of Daein’s military might was still deployed in Crimea. But if those armies were swelling for another invasion, it seemed Ashnard truly believed he would crush the Liberation Army tomorrow. He’d had ample time, and yet he hadn’t called back any forces. Despite a years’ worth of defeat and thousands of Daein lives lost, the Mad King still didn’t consider them a threat. The thought was maddening in and of itself.

Soren glanced at the city, which was speckled with the lights of people’s windows. It seemed darker than it should have been, the lights more scattered than he remembered. But perhaps that was not unexpected on the eve of battle.

He let his mind wander and considered who might be leading the occupation forces in Crimea. He assumed it had to be one of the Four Riders, if not all of them together. They were Ashnard’s top generals, but the Liberation Army hadn’t faced a single one—at least, not yet. Tomorrow they may very well meet Petrine, the Black Knight, and the rest in addition to King Daein and whatever elite forces he’d assembled. It was a daunting prospect, but at this stage in the campaign, it seemed seizing the castle and killing the king was the only way to force the troops in Crimea to return home.

“Are you ready to go?” Ike’s voice interrupted his thoughts. The young general fell into step beside him.

“I was just checking the perimeter,” Soren replied curtly, pulling to a stop.

“Titania and I have already done that a dozen times,” Ike groaned. “It’s time to see the city!”

Soren knew he couldn’t persuade him to leave the reconnaissance to more capable scouts. Ike wanted to be the first to set foot in Nevassa, and if he was going, so was Soren. “I am prepared to depart whenever you are.”

“Then, let’s go!” He handed Soren a dark cloak with a deep hood, and lifted his own so it shadowed his face. Soren accepted the garment and put it on.

Then they joined the rest of the reconnaissance team—among them Volke and Sothe, who would be especially helpful in getting the lay of the land. Titania was assembled with her best cavalry scouts (although no one was mounted tonight), and the beast laguz were here to lend their superior night vision. To Soren’s irritation, it seemed Nasir was joining them as well. Then Elincia emerged from behind Nasir, and Soren was even more surprised.

“The princess is joining the reconnaissance team?” he hissed to Ike. “I strongly advise against this!”

“She wants to see the city,” was Ike’s excuse.

Soren could hardly believe his blasé attitude. “This is not a leisure visit!”

“It’s fine,” Ike assured, “We’ll look out for her.” Soren swallowed any further protests. Elincia and Ike were equally important to this army. Losing either one of them would be the end of the campaign, so he supposed they might as well be together.

 

It was not yet midnight when they entered the city streets, but the capital was oddly quiet. Before long Soren realized entire districts had been evacuated, and the buildings on either side of him were just as empty as they appeared.

The reconnaissance team divided into six groups. Ike led the largest one, which consisted of Soren, Elincia, Titania, two scouts, and himself. Volke and Sothe comprised the smallest groups, each embarking on a solo mission. Lethe, Mordecai, and Muarim led the rest. Everyone was wearing dark cloaks to hide their weapons with hoods to hide their faces. No one carried a lantern, and they kept their voices quiet. Even so, it was foolish to venture into the city with such a large party. They were the only ones on the street and would surely stand out if anyone peeked out their windows.

That being said, Soren saw no one in the windows. They were crossing through a wealthy neighborhood, but most of the houses didn’t have even have candles lit. No smoke rose from the chimneys, and there were no soldiers or constables patrolling the streets.

“So this is the Daein capital?” Ike whispered, looking around in awe. Soren wondered if he realized how suspicious it was that the city was missing its people. Then Ike turned his gaze straight ahead to where the walls and towers of Nevassa Castle rose over the rooftops. “If we can just defeat King Ashnard, this war will be over.”

“Ike,” Nasir’s voice called softly. He jogged up to them with muffled footsteps. “Here you are.” The dragon had been assigned to Lethe’s group, and Soren wondered what nefarious purpose might have led him to abandon it.

“What is it, Nasir?” Ike asked, immediately on edge.

He waved his hand casually, as if he could brush off his sudden appearance. “It is nothing, only… Are you sure that you have enough soldiers to lay siege to the capital? You opponent is called ‘Mad King Ashnard’ after all. Who knows what sort of traps he has in store for you.” He glanced at the castle looming in the distance, and there was something undeniably fearful in the squint of his eyes and the tightness of his jaw. Soren wondered what he was afraid of—that they would win, or that they would lose?

Neither Ike nor Titania, however, seemed the least bit suspicious. They accepted Nasir’s casual tone and immediately relaxed. “He may indeed have something planned,” Titania agreed, keeping her voice soft. “Surely they’ve received reports of our advancement. Yet, it’s so quiet…” She glanced around the street uncertainly.

“I suspect every able-bodied man has been conscripted,” Soren explained, gesturing to the empty houses, “while women and children have evacuated the area.”

“We’re not invaders.” Ike frowned. “We wouldn’t lay a hand on the citizenry…” 

“There’s no way for them to know that,” Soren reminded him, “They do know what their army is doing to the people of Crimea, however. If they fear they will be punished for that, I’m sure they decided to err on the side of caution.”

“What?” Elincia exclaimed, as if something had just occurred to her. She lowered her voice before continuing. “What’s happening to the Crimean people? Surely only the soldiers were imprisoned or killed…”

Her question may have been rhetorical, but Soren felt a sudden desire to answer it. She hadn’t heard Nasir’s report today about the conditions in Crimea, and that needed to be rectified. Perhaps it was the proximity to his childhood home, or the persistence of the parasite Nasir who remained stuck to Ike’s side, but Soren found he had no patience for the princess. She had even wormed her way onto this mission, where she had no business being. Now she would pay the price.

“You truly have no idea how to rule a nation,” he began. “Do you even know what happens to a country that loses a war? Everything is reaped or destroyed. Homes, land, crops—even the citizens. Families are torn apart and forced into service. Men, women, children—they’re not even treated as human. Even now, your precious subjects, especially those near the capital where Daein’s presence is strongest, are being treated worse than subhu- than laguz.”

Elincia sputtered to regain her composure. “That’s- Why would they- That’s horrible…”

Soren continued: “The common people understand this. Those born with nothing know that nothing stands between them and being robbed blind, raped bloody, or used as target practice by the first bandit or soldier who looks their way. Which is why they pay for protection in the form of taxes. The royals and nobles charged with protecting the Crimean people have been failing in their duty for decades, but even that pales in comparison to the sin of being defeated in war. It is the ultimate betrayal of the people’s trust.”

“Gah!” Elincia gasped as if his words were a knife. She began weeping openly (albeit gracefully). “By the Goddess, I am a fool…”

“Enough, Soren!” Ike scolded with finality. He hadn’t bothered to keep his voice quiet.

Soren winced and glanced around. There were no additional lights appearing in the houses, and still no one looked out the windows. But even if these houses were empty, it had been foolish to pressure the princess into making a scene in the middle of enemy territory. He didn’t know what had come over him. 

“Elincia,” Titania chirped with forced optimism, “be that as it may, the majority of people want to see the royal family restored to power. They believe that you will help them reclaim their old lives and restore peace.” At this, Elincia wiped her eyes.

Ike nodded in agreement and seized the princess’s tear-dampened hand. “Now it’s time for us to throw down Ashnard and drive his army from Crimean soil! You’re the only one who can do that. Do you understand?”

Elincia offered a faint smile. “Yes…yes, I do. I… I will save the people of Crimea. This I swear.” The pair stared resolutely into each other’s eyes and then, on unspoken agreement, moved their gaze to Ashnard’s castle.

Soren realized Ike had been speaking to himself just as much as Elincia, and he wondered if he’d wanted her to come on this foray for touching a moment exactly like this. Releasing Elincia’s hands, Ike turned back to Soren and the others. “As I’ve said before, I won’t be turned away. If there are traps, we just fight our way through. This war ends here!”

“Yes! I’m with you all the way!” Titania crowed, immediately covering her mouth when she remembered they were supposed to be quiet.

To charge in relying on pure grit not to be killed, to push forward in disregard of any future breaking point—such a course of action was a mockery of war. But, when Ike was leading the charge, it always seemed to work. Soren had learned it was usually better to believe in Ike than to hold him back. “I hope it all goes as planned,” he finally replied. “I will do my best to make it so.”

Nasir remained silent, but he looked like he’d just swallowed a sour grape. Soren was oddly pleased by his discomfort, even if his distress was likely caused by trials presently unknown to the mercenaries.

 

Shortly after this episode, Ike suggested they return to the camp, and the two scouts stayed behind to finish the mission. It’d been a leisure visit after all, and this irked Soren. They returned to basecamp safely, and yet he couldn’t help but feel angry. Everything had turned out fine, but it’d still been a foolish risk.

He tried to distract himself with another walk around the perimeter. The camp was almost as quiet as the city, and yet the atmosphere was completely different. There was an electric current of excitement and anticipation connecting everyone, but no one dared give voice to it. The weight of the coming battle stifled the air, like atmospheric pressure before a thunder storm.

Finding the perimeter just as well-guarded as it had been hours ago, Soren retreated to the strategy tent where he poured over the contingency plans for the coming battle and reviewed all the maps of Nevassa Castle they’d managed to collect. While he was doing this, a scout came in with the reports from the reconnaissance teams. Soren accepted the large scroll of papers and began reading them as fast as he could.

The reports revealed no secret ambushes or traps placed in the city, so the plans for tomorrow’s attack were unchanged. Soren was confused by the lack of barricades or battalions stationed in the city. It appeared every single soldier had fallen back to the castle. That was where Ashnard wanted the final battle to take place. Perhaps it made sense. Perhaps the king had noticed they struggled most with direct sieges. But even so, Soren had a bad feeling about this.

 

The one thousand survivors of the Crimean Liberation Army divided into three groups and marched down Nevassa’s main streets, heading straight for the castle. Ike led the central column, which included his mercenaries, his laguz allies, Tanith, and her fifty surviving Holy Guards. They didn’t look as uniform or synchronized as the columns of Begnion regulars, but in their eyes and in their gaits, it was clear they were ready for battle.

The streets were empty, and the houses and shops they passed were shuttered. Cavalry scouts ran ahead to be sure the way was still clear. If there was a trap, they would know it, but Soren still felt uneasy. 

“General, Ike!” one of the scouts came cantering back. “Sir, the castle gates are open!”

Ike raised his fist and called the entire column to a stop. The castle was ahead, and the road was wide and straight, but even so, the distance was too far to see if the scout was telling the truth. Nasir handed Ike his spyglass. 

Apparently what he saw confirmed the scout’s assessment. “That’s not good.” Ike growled in confusion, “What are they planning?” He handed the glass to Soren, who looked through it and could see the top of the main gate over a rise in the road. Indeed that there was no wooden door or iron portcullis to be seen.

“It must be a trap.” Elincia declared with a certainty that seemed to surprise even herself.

Soren agreed. “This is unexpected. Making us lay siege would be far and away to their advantage. I have no idea what they’re playing at.”

“Even so, we will not back down. Right, Ike?” Titania asked hopefully. She glanced at the soldiers and mercenaries waiting behind them.

“Right!” Ike squared his shoulders and punched his fist into the opposite hand. “If we can’t tell what they’re planning, it matters not how we proceed. Let’s just fight as we go.” He raised and his arm high and addressed the troops: “Let’s move! Keep your guard up, everyone!” The column began marching again, and Ike turned to the scout, saying, “Tell the other columns to continue the advance.” The soldier saluted and cantered off.

Before long, they reached the main plaza, over which the castle entrance gaped wide like a toothless mouth. There were no soldiers to be seen either here or in the bailey on the other side. The arrow loops were vacant, and no one patrolled the ramparts. The other two columns soon arrived on their right and left, each led by Ike’s favored lieutenants. But even the veteran commanders looked nervous as they trotted over to Ike for new orders.

“We go in,” he announced, before they could ask their questions. He strode forward, and Soren, Titania, and the rest of the Greil Mercenaries were right behind him.

The Begnion lieutenants shook themselves into action, returning to their respective columns and ordering their soldiers to march through.

Soren’s mind raced to predict Daein’s trap. He imagined oil and fire being poured on them as soon as they entered the courtyard. He imagined walking into a firing range with thousands of arrows suddenly coming from all directions. He imagined the iron gate dropping when only a portion of the army had come through, thereby halving their fighting power.

However, none of this happened, and eventually, the entire Liberation Army was crowded into the main bailey. The princess and convoy wagons had entered in the middle, so they wouldn’t be without the protection of more than half the army. Titania was now arranging a protective formation around them, while Ike bid Volke and Sothe locate and secure the mechanisms for the portcullis. Everyone else was ordered to stay in the courtyard until further notice.

Soren and Ike were on the far side of the yard, inspecting the main entrance to the castle keep (which was closed but appeared unlocked) when an enormous crash sounded behind them. “Sir!” a soldier frantically reported. “The gates have just closed behind us! Look out!”

“We’re trapped in the castle! Run! Ruuun!” cried another.

“Attack! We’re under attack! They’re going to kill us!” screamed a third.

Soren feared the claustrophobic soldiers would become a seething mob and end up hurting each other, but Ike took control before that could happen. “Stop, all of you!” he bellowed. “Get ahold of yourselves! You must not panic! No one has attacked!”

The army instantly quieted, and every fear-stricken face turned to Ike.

“Ike!” Titania called, forcing her way between Boyd and Mia.

“Titania! Where is Princess Elincia?”

“She’s fine. She’s with the supply convoy. They’re all under very close guard.”

Ike nodded. “Soren, is this the enemy trap?”

He glanced around. The top of the wall was still empty of soldiers. The loopholes in both the wall and the keep were still without arrowheads. The main door to the keep was still closed. Looking through the archways leading around the keep on either side, Soren could see no suspicious shadows or flickers of motion. The castle was still soundless. “It could be…” Soren finally conceded. He didn’t know what Ashnard was planning, but he feared it had something to do with Lehran’s Medallion.

“If so, to what end?” Titania asked warily.

Soren glanced around for Nasir, hoping his face or behavior would provide a clue, but he was nowhere to be seen. Looking at the crowd like this, Soren suddenly realized all eyes were on him. He needed to answer Titania’s question. “Well, the goal obviously isn’t to divide our troops and reduce our fighting strength. We’re all packed in here together. Whatever they’re planning, it appears they want us all to experience it at the same time.” He imagined walking into the keep only to be faced with Ashnard wielding the medallion. In an enclosed space with that murderous, incomprehensible power—Soren shivered at the thought.

“So they’re absolutely sure they going to win, is that it?” Ike asked, drawing everyone’s gaze back to him. Grinned hugely, he shouted: “King Ashnard of Daein!” He turned to face the keep and raised his index finger high in the air. “You’ll regret underestimating us!” The army roared and laughed in response, and every shred of fear disappeared. Soren, however, was unaffected. He wasn’t fooled by Ike’s bravado, and he knew his friend was scared too.

“No matter what, we must be cautious,” he whispered once the cheering had died down. “We can spare no efforts to protect the princess. We should put together an elite team and head for the throne room. Choose the members of this team with care. Everything will rest on their shoulders.”

“Understood.” Ike nodded. He turned back to his troops, announcing: “Here’s the plan!” He immediately set about dividing them into two regiments. As Soren could have predicted, for his ‘elite team’ he chose the original mercenaries, his laguz allies, and all his friends he’d made since leaving Crimea. Biases aside, Soren was content with his judgment. These people had endured a lot together and knew how to fight as a team.

As for the bulk of the army—the Begnion soldiers and every Holy Guard except for Tanith—they would protect Elincia and the main gate. Ike left his best lieutenant in charge. While assigning this duty, Volke and Sothe returned to report that the gatehouses had been boarded shut and the mechanisms sabotaged. Hearing this, Ike gave a second lieutenant the mission of finding a way to open the gate.

When this was done, Ike bid farewell to the princess and led his chosen team into the castle interior. The doors weren’t locked, but they did have heavy curtains behind them. The mercenaries carefully pushed past these curtains into enter a dark, yet undeniably vast hall. The windows had been covered, and the braziers doused. The mercenaries’ footsteps echoed on the stone floor, but Soren’s instinct told him the room wasn’t empty.

“We’re not alone here,” warned Muarim, and Lethe and Mordecai began circling in place, scanning the dark room with their feline eyes.

As soon as the mercenaries were all inside, the doors slammed shut, a log fell into place barring it, and the room’s braziers leapt to life. The flames illuminated row upon row of glittering black soldiers stationed around the circumference of the hall—including the wall where the double doors had just closed. The mercenaries had barely stepped inside and were already surrounded.

But no one seemed surprised by this. They reacted calmly and formed a defensive circle without Ike needing to say a thing. Now that the fires had been lit, the Daeins banged their shields, roared ferociously, and charged. The last battle for Crimea had begun.