Worlds Collide: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim x Fire Emblem: Awakening

Lady Tiki

After what seemed like an eternity on the road, the group had finally arrived at the sacred Mila Tree, though like one would expect, they would not be there alone. They had been met with yet another massive force of Valmese soldiers. Standing at the base of the stairs leading to the shrine housing Tiki was a bulky looking general, one sporting a rather impressive set of whiskers. "They've finally arrived.. it's a shame they came to face me and invincible mustache." Cervantes said, raising his tomahawk. "Remember, do not give them a chance to fight back! Make them tremble before the wondrous Valmese Army!" He ordered, standing back as he watched the battle commence.

Chrom unsheathed his sword, releasing an annoyed sigh. "I should've figured it wouldn't have been that easy..." He grumbled, quickly engaging the opposing army in battle. Despite the sheer numbers the Valmese forces possessed, it didn't seem the Shepherds would have as much difficulty this time as they did back at the Valm Harbor. Being separated into numerous factions, they had been able to make quick work of those who came after them. The battle would go just as one would expect; the Shepherds and their allies pushed back, with Chrom and Say'ri eventually reaching the general. "General Cervantes.." The princess grunted, raising her silver sword. The mustached warrior glared towards her, "I'm surprised to see you, Say'ri, my mortal enemy.. I was sure that we'd win, at least that was until you appeared!" He grumbled in response.

"Seriously? Is your beard all that you can talk about, idiot?" Say'ri asked in response, shaking her head. "We're locked in combat and that's the first thing you say?" In response to that, Cervantes slammed his tomahawk into the ground. "Are you deaf? I said appeared! Oh, forget it.. it's time you learned the errors of your way. When Walhart stands on top of the world, none shall oppose him!" Once he finished his statement, he was quick to engage the royals in combat. While Chrom and Say'ri had the advantage with their speed, Cervantes was able to stay in the game by matching their speed with his incredible strength and defense. Fortunately for them, the rest of their allies were able to do a good job holding off the Valmese soldiers. Blades clashed against his axe, with neither gaining any traction. "Ja'vassa!" Chrom shouted, turning towards the Khajiit. "Use that shout of yours if you're able! The one that increases our attack speed!" He suggested, having just barely avoided a swing from his enemy's axe.

Fortunately, Ja'vassa had just finished off a soldier he was facing off with. "Mid... Vur Shaan!" He shouted, giving all of his allies the needed boost in speed. This was enough to help both Chrom and Say'ri overwhelm Cervantes; disarming him before they were both able to strike him with a fatal blow. Now that the general and much of the Valmese forces had been defeated, they were finally able to make their way up the Tree. Yet another eternity would pass before they managed to reach the top. Once at the top, Lissa had almost collapsed from exhaustion. "I... I think I've seen.. enough stairs to last me a lifetime." She huffed, leaning against Robin for some support.

"So, the Oracle really lives up here then?" Lucina asked, looking towards Say'ri who would nod in confirmation. Once at the top of the steps, she had looked around. "Lady Tiki? Are you here?" She called out, a relieved sigh escaping her when she heard the yawn from the manakete. "Thank the gods you're okay.." Say'ri smiled, watching as Tiki scanned the group, her eyes landing on Lucina; the peaceful, serene look being replaced with a confused stare. "Marth? There's no way it's really you, Mar-Mar.." She muttered, though Lucina was quick to decline this. "Though I did call myself Marth for a while, my name is Lucina.. have we met before?"She asked, slightly confused herself.

Tiki shook her head in response, "My apologies, you just remind me of an old and dear friend of mine.." She responded, waving off the confusion before turning to Chrom. "Ah.. I can feel the exalted blood coursing through your veins. Do you have the Fire Emblem?"

The prince nodded in response, "Yeah, I do." He said, showing it to her as confirmation. "I'm glad to see it hasn't been lost.. I see Argent, but where are the other Gemstones?" Tiki asked, studying the shield. Unfortunately for her, Chrom only stared at her in confusion. "What Gemstones?" He asked in response.

"There were once five Gemstones mounted upon the Emblem; Argent, Sable, Gules, Azure, and Vert.. each holds a portion of the Divine Dragon's power and when placed upon the Emblem, it allows the bearer to perform the Awakening ritual. The First Exalt scattered gems following Grima's defeat.. I had kept Azure." She started before Say'ri chimed in, "Chon'sin protected Vert, but the gemstone was ultimately stolen by Walhart and his men."

"Unfortunately the likes of Sable and Gules are lost to me." Tiki added, but that's when Basilio also spoke up. "Back during the Schism when many of the nations were formed, the West-Khans of Regna Ferox held Gules, though it was lost long before my time." After everyone had finished speaking, Tiki had since given Azure to Chrom, "If you are wanting to stop the rise of Grima, you need to collect the other three stones.." She yawned slightly, tears of exhaustion propping up in her eyes. "I would join you, but I fear my strength hasn't yet returned to me. When the time comes, I will fight right alongside you." She bowed towards the group, smiling softly.

"Thank you, milady.. we owe you a great debt." Robin said, bowing towards her. With their conversation now over, the group would make their way back to the base of the Mila Tree to begin their next course of action. "Any idea where the Valmese forces are garrisoned, Say'ri?" Chrom asked, leaning against the massive tree. The princess of Chon'sin was silent for a few moments as she gathered her answer. "The Valmese army is broken up into three divisions... Walhart leads the north, my brother leads the south, and the third would be located at Fort Steiger." She explained, her eyes trailed to Robin. "I can see it in your eyes, sir.. what's on your mind?" She asked, a confident smile spreading across her face.

"Perhaps our best bet is to attack Fort Steiger.. if we could interrupt them in the center, it could impact communication, supply caravans, and if we're successful, perhaps the dynasts will see this as a reason to act." Robin started, rubbing his chin. Ja'vassa would soon chime in, nodding in agreement to what Robin said. "He makes a good point.. though, if we end up disrupting this, then there's a good chance that one, if not, both armies will end up coming after us. I'm not sure who we'd rather face in battle. This Conqueror sounds horribly strong, but so does this Yen'fay." This effectively silenced the group for a moment, at least until Say'ri spoke up.

"Both the north and south divisions are tough, but perhaps if Yen'fay is out of the way, it might give the southern dynasts more of a reason to act. I do not know if they haven't done much out of respect or fear for him, but if he's gone.." She paused, she knew full well what would happen if they met her brother in combat; either they'd have to kill him or they'd be killed themselves. "I wish there was another option, but it's the only one we have." Unable to find a proper argument, the group silently agreed.

"Alright... so, our next objective is Fort Steiger." Chrom said, beginning to head off. "Robin, I'll leave it up to you to plan out our strategy as we walk." He suggested, with the tactician nodding in response. Many of the Shepherds were equal parts nervous and equal parts excited to see how this played out; should they win, this could easily be a deciding factor for how the war effort goes, if they lose, it's likely the Ylisse and the rest of the world will fall to the Valmese forces, but for now, they only worried about getting to the fort in one piece.