Fire Emblem: Ballad of Dragons

The festival had been fun, while it lasted. Crystal had arrived with her troupe, a group she had begun travelling with in a little less than a year. She enjoyed their company and they were like an extended family. Occasionally, she would attempt to send letters home but never knew of they were recieved. She could only hope that one day she could see her parents soon.

Praying for a safe trip and the safety of her troupe mates before a performance was something she always did, be a short simple prayer hoping and asking for no form of injury to them. Once the group had arrived and had started their performances all was well until the first cries were heard, sounds of metal meeting metal and bodies fell left and right.

"Oh gods." she hissed and grit her teeth, knives in hand as she ducked and rolled out of the way of an arrow. With a quick throw, the archer would find a knife lodged into his mid section. She would charge then, closing the distance to grab for her knife. Giving a small twist she yanked it out and didn't so much as gave the man a second glance, not wanting to linger to long. Frowning deeply the dancer's gaze glanced to and fro for her troupe, blades in hand as she made sure to stay light on her feet, prepared to fight any Vallian forces she could and hopefully use her dance to rejuvenate any ally soldiers still standing and having any chance of still surviving, even if it was small.
 
Elise was in no conidicon to resist, as she was still exhausted from everything she had just encountered. She felt so much better after Gwyn played for her, it was miraculous. His spritely little time had uplifted hey spirits. Following closely behind him she kept an eye out for any Vallian soldiers. But amidst the chaos they were too busy to bother with the bard and mage, for now at least.

"How are we going to get out of here?"

Elise looked around her. The castle was practically in flames. How could this have happened? Enemy soldiers stood everywhere and Elise wasn't even sure she could carve a way through right now.

"We need to find someone. Someone who knows a way out."

In the castle seemed like the only place. Or feel like suicide, but charging deeper into the castle might be their best chance. There could still be nobility, or soldiers who could help then escape. She gripped her tome tightly, as a few pages slid out.

"We need to get inside Gwyn"
 
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Illyia gritted her teeth as she looked over the scene before her. It was a lost cause but this was her home. Her memories rested her be them good and bad. How could she just abandon them to these Vallian ruffians? She slipped her rapier between the weak spot in a soldier's armor before he could attack her.

She looked over at the traitor who was too busy enjoying watching the chaos on her father's throne. It was a disgusting sight but if they didn't move, they would soon be overrun and be at the mercy of a traitor. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the two men in her company and a woman that recently joined them. She was about to speak when she noticed three other people that seemed out of place among the chaos. Despite her entourages' reservations, she made her way across the battlefield weaving through different attacks.

"Elise?" she only met the girl once when her family visited to sell some exotic goods to the crown. She doubt the girl would remember her since it was so long ago. But she pushed the thought aside and looked over at the other two that seemed to be entertainers. She hoped they could fight. "Follow me, I am Princess Illyia and I may know a way out. Since you're with Elise here, I trust that you're not a part of this attack now follow me!" The princess gripped her rapier and led the group back to her entourage, only suffering an attack from a hastily casted fire ball. "Randal, we have to use the escape tunnel, you remember where it is?" She asked as she winced, the pain from her injuries catching up to her.
~~~
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Camilla nodded at her partner as she gave him much needed cover fire. She couldn't help but chuckle a little as the fire spells seemed to be bouncing off her dark aura. Obviously these mages weren't trained properly. They would probably volunteers that were given a spell book and the basics on how to cast before being shoved into the army. It was also a bit sad to her that Vallia would do such a thing to her people. But that was all the Immortal Emperor's doing. He was a power hungry tyrant bent on domination. But he was still a dangerous foe.

She glanced over to see if Caldric made it safe when an arrow flew her way. It was a glancing blow but somehow it struck the vulneary at her side, spilling the rest of its contents on the floor. "Really?" Camilla mumbled to herself, summoning a flux spell in the direction of the archer. Yet the archer easily dodged her attack and sent another arrow her way but this time she anticipated it and moved away from itd trajectory. But she didn't have time to deal with this lowlife, she needed to get to Caldric's side.

A couple of the palace guard took care of the archer and yelled a rallying cry to protect the princess. Once she made it to Caldric's side, the princess was off in the opposite direction. Camilla looked over at the man who was suppose to be watching her and sighed. "So is she usually like this? Runs headlong into danger?" she asked as she casted another spell at a Vallian troop trying to charge the girl. When she eventually returned she looked pretty beat up. She cursed under her breath at the archer who ruined her vulneary. Once the group was gathered, she followed the princess and soldier towards this escape tunnel.
 
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Caldric Van'Ike
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Caldric suppressed a growl of irritation as the princess ran off again to collect others that were on the opposite side of the battle field. Not that he was opposed to more allies or helping other people, but that in the given scenario where she was the target, the lady was putting herself in needless additional danger.

"You should have sent one of us," he grumbled using a long knife to deflect a sword strike above his head and lunging in with the knife in his other hand to hamstring his opposition. "You're the target, remember?!" he yelled after her.

Caldric couldn't help but share an annoyed look with Camilla as she asked the princess's soldier if this recklessness was a normal occurrence. It seemed they were once again on the same page. A moment later the royal lady was back with them along with her friend, or so Caldric assumed, and two performers.
"Well this is a roughshod alliance we have now," he commented rather dryly. "But a secret passage is good news at lest. We could do with a way out and the way Camilla and I got in is a no go for this group. Let me know if you need any doors opened along the way."

He did his best to keep an eye on Camilla as well. He was the one that had insisted on breaking into the palace. If anything happened to her it would be his fault and Caldric doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself for it.

When they moved toward the tunnel he did his best to ensure than none of their little rag tag group were left behind.


Loraine Castelbia​

The first news they had of the attack was the sight of smoke rising above the city walls. the second was a group of citizens fleeing the chaos. Immediately Loraine found the security ring tightening around her as Jagan and her knights debated what to do.
"Absolutely not!" she shouted when she understood they meant to retreat and take her to safety. "You will rescue our allies and if the castle cannot be retaken, retreat with them as well!"

The looks they gave her bordered on annoyed, but Loraine saw understanding and sorrow as well, along with... was that pity? She knew there was quite a bit about the world she had been sheltered from. She certainly knew nothing about battle or war, but she did know the right thing to do when she saw it.

"We will not abandon our allies," she stated again forcefully, "but I will not ask anyone to go fight alone either. We will go as a group, but I will stay wherever you put me and follow directions exactly, and heal anyone I can." They looked less annoyed now that she had acknowledged the danger and promised to behave herself.

"Besides, there's a tunnel Illyia showed me once. It might get us behind enemy lines so we can rescue who we can and run, or if we're lucky we might find them already escaping. I think I remember where it was if someone will bring me a map?"
 
"You have no idea," Randel replied to Camilla as he snapped the shaft of the arrow in his shoulder. He scowled both in pain and frustration. Illyia was running around the battlefield as if she was invincible. It was only a matter of time before she would get in a fight she could not win. Fortunately, more allied soldiers rallied around them, providing enough of a protection detail to get them out of the castle. Maybe the princess wouldn't have to resort to fighting as much.

Illyia's suggestion to take the escape route was their best option, but not without risk.

"Of course," Randel said to the princess. "All soldiers knows the routes out of the castle. But that would include Gunnar as well. That route could be crawling with Vallians. We may still have to fight our way out."

As Randel led the group out of the ballroom, he spun his lance into an enemy soldier. Blow after blow met the foe's head; even with a helmet, the enemy was felled. This cleared a path for the princess and her allies to escape. Whether those allies could be trusted was another matter. Caldric was talking sense, but what were he and his companion doing in the castle in the first place? They were already betrayed once. The soldier wasn't about to let it happen again.

"Stay in the middle of our forces, milady," Randel said to Illyia. "If you fall, we all fall."
 
During the commotion, it's easy enough for the pair to hide behind a few pillars. Few would be able to hear the conversation.

"This seems a bit out of place. There's nothing here, but they've planted a security detail? No door?"

"We were told that, in evacuation drills, we should find a soldier and follow their instructions. I'm guessing they knew something the rest of us didn't, but...."

"Then, they were either not smart enough to keep this a secret, or one of their closest knights has a big mouth. I shudder to think of just what we're watching."

"Miss, if that's where the secret passage is, then these soldiers could be all that stand between Vallia and her royal highness' safety." The maid frowns, steeling herself. "They know what they're doing. And, though I said I wanted out of here, I could scarcely live with myself if she met her end here."

"You want to wait? Here?"

"I know, it's tantamount to suicide, but-"

"No, it's doable."

And with that, Ember steps out in front of the Chevalian soldiers, the maid behind her. Immediately beset with spears pointed at her, her response is to sheath her sword. "I'm not with Vallia," the girl states with a hand up in the 'hold' position, "but they'll overrun this location soon enough. Please, I wish only to leave them a nasty surprise."

"And who in blazes are you?" comes the predictable response.

"She's... She's with me!" the maid stammers out, "I found her in the halls, and we haven't long to prepare!"

Of course, the soldiers might not have been convinced by a mere servant and her flimsy explanation, but upon seeing the jugs of oil and learning just what could be done with them, they were eager to cooperate. Any Vallian soldiers looking to occupy the area in front of the escape tunnel would find the chamber devoid of life, as the soldiers and any passing servants were hidden away from the open view.

Flour-sacks were hidden under rugs, strewn about under pots, and in some places, in plain sight. An odd sighting, but not entirely implausible with the current chaos about. Ember leaned against the wall, looking somewhat pale as she clutched her arm. She wouldn't be much use after springing the trap, but perhaps she could yet survive.
 
Crystal was rather surprised to have bumped into a Bard and his company. Knives in hand, she blinked as the Princess herself had found and approached them. She wouldn't risk not following Princess Illya, and with their rather diverse looking group, safety truly was in numbers it looked like. Unfortunately, she didn't see the rest of her original group, not a single body, living or dead it seemed. She prayed they at least escaped to a safe place if still living.
 
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