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31_days2020-05-18 09:30 pm
gershom_onyx) wrote in 31_days2020-05-18 09:30 pm
Entry tags:
[05 / 18 / 20] [Fire Emblem Heroes] Moving Lines
Title: Moving Lines
Day / Prompt: 18 / Beyond the Wasteland
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Laslow, Veronica, Xander
Rating / Warning(s): Mature / References to death.
Word Count: 760
Notes: And the beat goes on.
The plan has it that Veronica, Xander, and Laslow are responsible for guaranteeing that escape remains possible for their comrades, but pne saying has it that plans never survive contact with the enemy.
* * * *
"The strongest Heroes are supposed to be at the front," Laslow said, kneeling behind one of the trees concealing the entrance to the catacombs, "but that does not mean copies of them have not been left behind. That is the danger." He listened to the night for a second. "Wings. A Pegasus Knight approaches."
Xander closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he raised Siegfried and concentrated, listening for the direction of the sound. This one might not have spotted us. Calm. Quiet. Patience. The flapping of wings intensified. Only one in the air. No match for the three of us. But he had to consider all options. Deception? Archers approaching from a different direction? He nodded to Veronica to handle the problem from a safe distance.
The diminutive Princess needed only a fraction of a second to open her tome and unleash the curse it contained, dropping the Pegasus Knight from the sky and bringing her down into the trees. Her mount became tangled in the branches, alive, but unable to move because its breath had been seized by the spell. The Knight herself barely managed to cling to her saddle, shaking as the curse wracked her body. Hair, long and red – one of the Cordelias.
Laslow wasted no time in hurrying up the tree and pulling Cordelia from her Pegasus, informing her, in a soft voice, "It's me. The rules of parley apply. Be still, and you won't be harmed. ... Please." A note of desperation in his voice as he said the word. He remembered too many occasions on which the Summoner had ordered him to give no quarter to Heroes who had failed him.
"I don't have much choice," she answered. "My arms and legs are numb with all the evil you've just shot through them." She could see the apology in his eyes, and she sighed. "All right. Please help me down, and I'll talk."
A short while afterwards, on the ground, with her hands and feet tied, Cordelia admitted, "There are no commands in place that say I can't talk to the lot of you, so listen: There are still a number of us here, but most of us don't have orders, and we won't resist unless he specifically tells us we must, but I have no doubt in my mind that there are Heroes he has in reserve that he hasn't shared with anyone. You and your friends will still need –" She looked at Laslow, saw how haunted he looked. "You're ... really our Laslow."
"The same." He nodded to Xander and Veronica. "I'm going to make this as right as I can." He closed his eyes, gathered his resolve. "How many have gone to the Training Tower, Cordelia? Are any of the old guard still left here?"
Sympathy registered on her face. "It's hard to say. One dies, the Summoner accidentally summons another. I know that I'm the same Cordelia who was here when you were sent home." Tears at the corners of her eyes. "You're one of the only ones who was sent home. The executions became worse after you left. I can't remember the last time he sent anyone –" She shook her head. "There will be time for memories later. Some of the archers are in these woods. Not many, but they're still making the rounds. Please be careful."
Laslow nodded, and he turned back towards his comrades, but he paused, and he asked, reducing the question to a single name for Cordelia: "Peri?"
Cordelia lowered her head. "Died fighting in the Training Tower, three months after you left. Before she went, she said she missed you more than anything, even if you weren't the Laslow from her world." Her face hardened. "Like I said, there will be time later. Gag me. Hide me. Don't let me give you away."
"Yes. I'm sorry." He did as she asked, binding her mouth and tucking her into the underbrush as her Pegasus managed to free itself and fly off.
Xander had his eyes closed, thinking, I have to remember that it wasn't my Peri who died. Nonetheless, I – Veronica looked up at him, concerned. No. No showing weakness now. Too many things left to do, and no time.
Despite that, the Princess of Embla had his free hand in hers.
END.
Day / Prompt: 18 / Beyond the Wasteland
Fandom: Fire Emblem Heroes
Character(s) / Pairing(s): Laslow, Veronica, Xander
Rating / Warning(s): Mature / References to death.
Word Count: 760
Notes: And the beat goes on.
* * * *
"The strongest Heroes are supposed to be at the front," Laslow said, kneeling behind one of the trees concealing the entrance to the catacombs, "but that does not mean copies of them have not been left behind. That is the danger." He listened to the night for a second. "Wings. A Pegasus Knight approaches."
Xander closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he raised Siegfried and concentrated, listening for the direction of the sound. This one might not have spotted us. Calm. Quiet. Patience. The flapping of wings intensified. Only one in the air. No match for the three of us. But he had to consider all options. Deception? Archers approaching from a different direction? He nodded to Veronica to handle the problem from a safe distance.
The diminutive Princess needed only a fraction of a second to open her tome and unleash the curse it contained, dropping the Pegasus Knight from the sky and bringing her down into the trees. Her mount became tangled in the branches, alive, but unable to move because its breath had been seized by the spell. The Knight herself barely managed to cling to her saddle, shaking as the curse wracked her body. Hair, long and red – one of the Cordelias.
Laslow wasted no time in hurrying up the tree and pulling Cordelia from her Pegasus, informing her, in a soft voice, "It's me. The rules of parley apply. Be still, and you won't be harmed. ... Please." A note of desperation in his voice as he said the word. He remembered too many occasions on which the Summoner had ordered him to give no quarter to Heroes who had failed him.
"I don't have much choice," she answered. "My arms and legs are numb with all the evil you've just shot through them." She could see the apology in his eyes, and she sighed. "All right. Please help me down, and I'll talk."
A short while afterwards, on the ground, with her hands and feet tied, Cordelia admitted, "There are no commands in place that say I can't talk to the lot of you, so listen: There are still a number of us here, but most of us don't have orders, and we won't resist unless he specifically tells us we must, but I have no doubt in my mind that there are Heroes he has in reserve that he hasn't shared with anyone. You and your friends will still need –" She looked at Laslow, saw how haunted he looked. "You're ... really our Laslow."
"The same." He nodded to Xander and Veronica. "I'm going to make this as right as I can." He closed his eyes, gathered his resolve. "How many have gone to the Training Tower, Cordelia? Are any of the old guard still left here?"
Sympathy registered on her face. "It's hard to say. One dies, the Summoner accidentally summons another. I know that I'm the same Cordelia who was here when you were sent home." Tears at the corners of her eyes. "You're one of the only ones who was sent home. The executions became worse after you left. I can't remember the last time he sent anyone –" She shook her head. "There will be time for memories later. Some of the archers are in these woods. Not many, but they're still making the rounds. Please be careful."
Laslow nodded, and he turned back towards his comrades, but he paused, and he asked, reducing the question to a single name for Cordelia: "Peri?"
Cordelia lowered her head. "Died fighting in the Training Tower, three months after you left. Before she went, she said she missed you more than anything, even if you weren't the Laslow from her world." Her face hardened. "Like I said, there will be time later. Gag me. Hide me. Don't let me give you away."
"Yes. I'm sorry." He did as she asked, binding her mouth and tucking her into the underbrush as her Pegasus managed to free itself and fly off.
Xander had his eyes closed, thinking, I have to remember that it wasn't my Peri who died. Nonetheless, I – Veronica looked up at him, concerned. No. No showing weakness now. Too many things left to do, and no time.
Despite that, the Princess of Embla had his free hand in hers.
END.