Throughout the land the monsters have suddenly started appearing from the shadows... Despite this lingering threat, Eirika and her entourage press on in order to provide support to her older brother Ephraim. The town of Serafew, on the border of Renais and Grado, is one of the long-standing markers of the friendship between the two nations, but now...
CHAPTER 5 :: DEADLOCK
KARLA:
Ah, looks like there's an arena there. Good timing, I could spend a bit to make some money here. Ah, hey, is that a sister? Why yes, it is... she's quite the looker.<< :3 >>
KARLA:
Sister? You look like you're in a hurry......NATASHA:
Ah...
NATASHA:
S, sorry...KARLA:
No, I should be the one to apologize. I did not mean to sneak up on you like that.NATASHA:
No, it's fine... It was my fault in the end, now, if you excuse me, I must get going... Have a nice day.
KARLA:
And there she goes, just like that... Hmm... Doesn't look like I'll be getting what I want around here...
ZEPHIEL:
Captain Saar of the Serafew Guard... How do you fare? I bring orders from His Majesty. Rumor has it that that Princess Eirika of Renais is going to go to Grado. You are to find her and to bring her to us immediately.SAAR:
Yes, sir.ZEPHIEL:
Oh, and one more thing... a traitor to the empire has fled Castle Grado. We believe she's hiding somewhere here in Serafew from our reports. I dno't care if you have to burn this town down. Find that rat.SAAR:
Yes sir, General Zephiel. May we execute her if she resists?ZEPHIEL:
...You may do so if necessary.SAAR:
At once. Grado's will be done. The Grado Empire will punish betrayal through blood.ZEPHIEL:
His Majesty places much trust upon you, Captain. Be sure it is not in the wrong place. That is all.SAAR:
Yes, sir.
ZEPHIEL:
What loyalty to the crown... If only I had such zeal in the proper righteousness of our emperor.YOUNG ZEPHIEL:
What's wrong, brother?ZEPHIEL:
No... Do not mind me. Come now, let us ride. From here, we go northeast, back to the fort.YOUNG ZEPHIEL:
As you say. Let us go.
EIRIKA:
It's been so long since I last visited Serafew. My brother and I used to go through here to get to Grado. I remember the peace and harmony in which the people of the two countries lived... nothing divided our borders. No soldiers stood guard in high towers... It... really was a symbol of the trust between our nations... To me, anyway.BRUNYA:
And now...EIRIKA:
Everything I remember here... it seems like something from another time... it seems lost now...BRUNYA:
Well, the city itself doesn't seem to be very heavily patrolled, they must believe it's not worth guarding with Castle Renais under their control. Let's try not to draw much attention to ourselves.
VOICE:
Sorry, but I would like to ask a question of you.
EIRIKA:
What is it?SONIA:
Oh, I'm looking for someone. Have you seen a young girl with indigo hair?EIRIKA:
Hmm, indigo hair? No... I'm sorry...SONIA:
Ah. Well, thank you. Sorry to take up your time.EIRIKA:
What a beautiful woman.BRUNYA:
(Is that you... Sonia...?)<< Yes it is. >>
VOICE:
Get her! Don't let her escape!VOICE 2:
There! She's over there!EIRIKA:
What's that?BRUNYA:
Sounds like it's coming from there.EIRIKA:
Let's check it out.
SOLDIER:
Traitor Natasha, please surrender peacefully. Come quietly and you may have the chance to explain yourself.NATASHA:
W-w-wait, please, you have to listen to me!SOLDIER:
Get her.NATASHA:
Can't you see?! The emperor is not himself! You have to see that!SOLDIER:
Don't say such things about the emperor! We've been ordered to execute you if you offer any resistance, but your words condemn you!
EIRIKA:
That sister is a traitor to the Grado Empire??? What on earth is this?
NATASHA:
Ah...!EIRIKA:
Are you okay?NATASHA:
Who are you?EIRIKA:
I'm from Renais. Why are these Grado men after you?NATASHA:
You're from Renais... ah, there's something I have to tell you! It's about Grado--EIRIKA:
Hold, Grado soldiers are coming this way! We'll have to talk later. Now we must fight kick ass!
<< We give Pent an axe. Because he can use them. Because we can. >>
<< We also give Brunya a sword. Because she can use them. Because we can. Anima mages can use a specific melee weapon in this game. Pent uses Axes and Brunya uses Swords. By the way, I bench Louise, Clea and Brunya for this fight. >>
KARLA:
Eh... So much for making my fortune here...
SOLDIER:
Mercenary! What are you doing in the arena! Get back here!KARLA:
Aw, hey, why don't we train in the arena? Come on, I'll take ya on. Maybe get some money out of it.SOLDIER:
Don't think I'll cut you some slack just 'cause you're a woman! I'm reporting you to the captain! You'll be lucky if he just docks your pay! You better not forget that you can be replaced easily, you little cur!
KARLA:
Ah, I know, now, for my next job... Eh, women... Really?
NATASHA:
They may not want to hear what I have to say, but I got to speak with one of the Grado soldiers... oh, if only /one/ of them will listen to me...! Please, God, grant me courage!TURN 1
<< Exactly the same as she was in vanilla FE8, even comes with the same items - A Mend staff and a vulnerary, complete with D rank staves. She has very low magic but she has good speed, luck and resistance. >>
<< I have Isadora and Celica block two of the paths up, and have Vanessa move to the village. >>
TETHYS:
Ah, hello. Have you come to watch me dance?<< Oh bby lesbian lapdancing >>
TETHYS:
I apologize, but I just finished a few moments ago... well, would you be interested in one of these? A wealthy patron left me a small fortune in gifts after watching my performance. You can sell it for money if you need it or use them to improve your abilities. I don't think I can carry this all by myself, so, please take one. Wealth is useless if you can't use it to bring happiness to others, right? Thanks for stopping by, who knows, we might see each other again some day.<< yes baby we will >>
<< It's Dragonshield! It increases DEF by 2. >>
<< Move up to position and end turn. >>
Enemy phase
<< Isadora destroys a soldier who comes up to her and gains a level. It's okay. >>
TURN 2At the start of turn 2, brigands start to appear in the map. In vanilla FE8 just 2 appear in one turn but in ChinaFE all 6 appear at once. In this run I don't bother saving the village where
leaves her Torch so I don't get the bonus item for saving all the villages. But seriously fuck doing that, it's too much of a hassle.
BANDIT:
Oh, would you take a look at that! Now's our chance! Let's join the chaos and plunder our way through this pathetic establishment!
<< Pent destroys the Soldier there. >>
<< I have everyone move into position and end turn. >>
TURN 3
<< I have Celica and Sophia kill the approaching Archer, which yields Sophia a level. >>
<< A decent level. >>
<< Our positions at the end of our turn. Note that Isadora and Klein have sort of charged in to kill the bandits there. >>
TURN 4
<< Klein finishes off that bandit... >>
<< And Pent kills the Archer. We end turn. >>
TURN 5<< Celica kills a fighter who suicides into her, netting her a level up. >>
<< :] >>
<< I park Vanessa there, note
Pent and
Isadora's positions. They will lure out the enemies that are right next to Karla, who we can recruit by having Natasha talk to her. However, Karla isn't like Joshua - Karla
will attack Natasha if she's in range, and will definitely kill her. We must have someone to bait her out. >>
<< we end turn. >>
TURN 6
<< One of the fighters harassed Vanessa, so we had her retreat and get healed by loli Guinevere, who levels up. It is an awesome level up. >>
<< We then have Isadora enter this house. >>
MAN:
Serafew has some Renais and Grado people, but it's been very difficult on us who live here... Since they singled out families from Renais to do their awful awful things... We want it to stop. Please, take this sword... It is an armor slayer, that can pierce through even the toughest armor! Take it and cut down that evildoer Saar...
<< Armorslayer obtained! In Chinese, it's called "Mail-breaking Sword." We'll be giving this to Celica later so she can
utterly destroy Saar. >>
<< We move Pent to that exact position in the map so the first brigand will approach Pent and the second brigand will approach Isadora. >>
<< We end turn. >>
TURN 7<< Isadora cuts down the brigand blocking her way, getting a level. >>
<<
what happened, Isadora?!?!?!?! >>
<< With that done, we end turn after moving everyone into position. Note that Celica is in that little spot there next to Sophia in the woods - that will lure out the Soldier. FE AI is silly - they will always attack anyone they can if they are able to, and if there is only one character in their attack range,
they will always go for them, even if it's WTD. But in this case, the enemy has WTA. Not that it matters for Celica anyway. >>
TURN 8
<< Notice that the soldier is now gone - Sophia destroyed him. We move Isadora to that forest indicated by the arrow. She will be our bait to lure out Karla. >>
<< End turn. >>
TURN 9<< Operation success! We have Natasha talk to Karla. >>
NATASHA:
You... you're that woman I met... are you here to kill me? You've been hired to silence me, right...KARLA:
...Well... It's hard to refuse money. Nothing personal.NATASHA:
Uuu... please, it doesn't matter to me, but you have to hear me out. The emperor has changed! He's not the person we knew anymore! Other nations must be warned...KARLA:
Sorry, no offense, but I'm just a mercenary. I don't care about Grado or its emperor. I don't really care.NATASHA:
But...!KARLA:
Even so... Killing someone as beautiful as you would make me feel sick... and, you know... I think women should stick together, you know?NATASHA:
Eh?!KARLA:
Actually... well, I think I changed my mind. You know? I'll work with you instead.NATASHA:
Are you serious.KARLA:
Sure I am.
<< Karla replaces Joshua, and has -1 HP, -1 STR, +1 SPD, -1 DEF and +1 RES compared to him. She also has 2 levels more than he does. I'd say Karla is worse. Sorry Joshua fanboys! She has the same loadout as he does - Killing Edge, which improves crit rate, and a C rank in swords. She has Lightning affinity instead of Wind as well. She's hurt in that image because when she hit Isadora, Isadora countered. :derp: >>
<< More shuffling about before we end turn. >>
Enemy phase
<< Fuck it. I don't give a shit. >>
TURN 10
<< Isadora enters the remaining village. >>
MAN:
In my youth, I was a swordsman of some fair renown, you know! I've even crossed blades with one of Grado's most famous generals, yes I have... but... Eh, I'm an old man now... What if I die without passing on my knowledge? So I decided I should write down all I learned in a book. Here it is! You seem like a strong warrior... Please, I would be honored if you would accept it!<< We get a Secret Book, which increases Skill by 2. >>
<< We do some more shuffling about and end turn. >>
TURN 11
<< Loli Guinevere is running out of healz, so we buy her another Heal staff. It's freaking expensive. >>
<< Pent moves over to explode the Archer. >>
<< And Sophia hits the mercenary. We shuffle about and end turn. >>
TURN 12
<< Celica kills the soldier and levels up. Why no STR? You have
60% STR growth! Also, she's 1 point off from capping RES. >>
<< Shuf shuf shuf >>
TURN 13
<< Sophia finally kills the mercenary up there and gains a level. It sucks. >>
<< Celica runs up to Saar to smack him with the Armorslayer. Note that even with WTD she not only doubles Saar and takes only 5 damage from him, but she deals 17 damage per strike AND HAS 80 HIT RATE. What the christ Celica :dragonforce: >>
<< Like so! >>
EIRIKA:
Well, that was quite a thing dangerous.NATASHA:
Yes... it was... thank you so much... I don't know how to--BRUNYA:
You're from Grado, right?NATASHA:
yes... I'm Natasha. I was a servant of the people at the Imperial Temple.EIRIKA:
So, why are they chasing you? Care to tell us?NATASHA:
Of course... a few days ago, my mentor was suddenly arrested, then they executed him! They said he was a traitor... but those are totally untrue! The emperor had him silenced... a holy man, silenced!BRUNYA:
What do you mean?NATASHA:
My mentor said that the emperor planned to break the Sacred Stones before he died...EIRIKA:
Whut? Destroy the Sacred Stones?NATASHA:
You should know, that they drove back the evil forces long ago! Now, each of our nations houses one of these powerful and legendary treasures. There's one in my homeland of Grado and one in your Renais...EIRIKA:
Yeah, that's true.NATASHA:
The emperor... wants to destroy these five stones, one by one!BRUNYA:
That makes no sense. Legend says the Stones are all that keeps evil at bay!NATASHA:
I do not know... you must know that our emperor was once a gentle man, but one day he changed all of a sudden! I don't even know... Before my mentor passed, he said the keepers of the Sacred Stones must be warned! I tried to get out, but I was caught.EIRIKA:
I see... well, Brunya, what do you think?BRUNYA:
She is from Grado. I'm not sure if we should trust her yet...
EIRIKA:
Hnn... Well... if what Grado wants to do is really that... Eugh, I pray that it's not true! But we have no choice but to take her word for it.
