Age of Destruction: Fire Emblem CYOA

Chapter 2A: Rising Conflagration - Alice's Route

---

Alice and her group set out immediately.  There's no time to waste.  The others have almost an entire day's lead, but they aren't moving at such a forced pace.  The laguz and Suarrure spend as much time as possible transformed; they take turns carrying the slower-moving Alice and Rhett - Suarrure insists on carrying Alice, while Sylvia insists he doesn't.  Sylvia suggests following a map, but eventually concedes to letting Alice's spirits guide them.  They occasionally pull the group off the beaten trail, but Sylvia's forced to admit they're making great time.  They run late through the night, though Rhett is nearly blind in the dark, until they're ready to collapse from exhaustion.

They sleep early on the second night, near the Meridian border, and awake early on the third morning to find the area blanketed in a thick fog.  They press on undeterred, guided by Alice and sharp animal instincts.  In the late morning, as the fog begins to clear, Allune calls for a halt.  "There.  Through this patch of trees.  I hear the sounds of combat..."

Alice looks at the others.  "We're in time, then.  Thank the gods.  We need to hurry."

---

Sorina slams her massive shield into the bridge and crouches as another volley of arrows flies their way.  "They're this way, too!" she orders.  "Pull back, they've cut off our escape!"  She wears a set of heavy armor decorated with Valeria's colors.  She has short, crimson hair and green eyes.  She grits her teeth as the arrows clatter uselessly against her shield.

"No...  No, we were so close!" her compatriot cries.  "Naga save us, there's so many...!  We...  We were so, so close..."  The young woman wears a blue dress with a golden breastplate, and sits atop a beautiful brown horse dressed in matching armor.  She has green hair worn in a rounded fashion.  She clutches a healing stave to her chest and looks like she's about to cry.

---

~ Haley, Winged Blur ~

Haley was the third member of Rain's team that saved June early on.  She was an excitable ally who was one of June's biggest sources of encouragement while she was still a mercenary, and in the days beyond.  She had a big crush on her, too, fighting Ferris for her affections.  In the end, she fell for and married her competitor.  She retired alongside her partner, Wendy, to raise Valeria's pegasi in a rebuilt Hearthside.

~ Ferris, Weary Watcher ~

Ferris was a member of Cecil's group.  Like June, he was hired by Valeria in the early days of the war, along with his partner, Lane.  He's laid back, but very competent in the ways of the sword.  He courted June for a bit, before turning his attentions on the other girl after her heart.  He retired from the mercenary business to a life on the farm with his wife, Haley, and their daughter, Sorina.

~ Thrace and Adam, Heroes of Tartarus ~

Thrace and Adam were two high-ranking commanders in the Valerian army sent to capture Tartarus.  After it fell and June's group went rogue, they shortly discovered Horatio's betrayal themselves.  They led their forces out of the city and waited for their chance to strike and take it from their Merdian former allies.  The support of Thrace's pegasi in directing and providing aid minimized the casualties of the Tartarus resistance fighters, and Adam's fighters flooded the city as the town gates fell.  A few years after the war, they shared a passionate night together that resulted in an illegitimate daughter, Carin.

---

"I said pull back!  I'll hold them here - you backtrack and find another route!" Sorina demands.  The pair are alone, trapped on a bridge over the rushing river that forms the border between Valeria and Meridia.  They're on the Meridian side, fleeing back the way they'd passed mere moments before.  Several thieves and outlaws bar their paths, supported by a handful of fighters and myrmidons.  Even more sit waiting beyond.  Sorina snarls at the overwhelming numbers.  She raises her spear and levels it at the lead thief.  "Come, then!  I swear to take at least half of you dastards with me!"

"Sorina...!" the troubadour calls.

"Why are you still here, Carin!?  I'll just slow you down - I can't outrun them in this armor, and your mount's exhausted.  Now go!"

"I...  N-no, I won't leave you!  If...  If you can take half alone, th-then surely, together...!"

Sorina's silent for a moment.  "Fine, then.  But stay behind me.  And if I fall..." she says.

Carin nods.  "I know," she says quietly.

---

---

New Recruits!

Sorina

---

Class: Knight
HP: 14       Str: 11
Magic: 4     Skill: 8
Speed: 10    Def: 11
Res: 8        Luck: 8
Skills: Def+

Carin

---

Class: Troubadour
HP: 11       Str: 7
Magic: 9     Skill: 7
Speed: 12    Def: 6
Res: 9        Luck: 10
Skills: Res+

---

Choose skills to inherit.

Sorina, mother:
(A) Speed+
(B) Relief
(C) Deliverer
(D) Rally Speed
(E) Lancefaire
(F) Stun

Sorina, father:
(G) Luck+
(H) Relief
(I) Vantage
(J) Astra
(K) Swordfaire
(L) Heat up

Carin, mother:
(M) Speed+
(N) Relief
(O) Rally Speed
(P) Lancefaire
(Q) Stun

Carin, father:
(R) HP+
(S) Zeal
(T) Rally Strength
(U) Counter
(V) Colossus

Just to... make sure you didn't get the characters backwards. That's Colossus for the troubadour? Oh... I should add their alternate classes to the status sheet. That might change things.

I should also look at my stuff again and think about adding "those" classes. Ones that use both physical and magical. Like Oni Chieftan and Priestess... Maybe something like having everyone unlock a new class in the second arc...? Eh, people can comment on that idea in the discussion page.

I'm going to delay AoD a bit while I add newer classes.  And give characters a chance to unlock newer stuff.  But it's going to take a bit of time and rebalancing to add them in.  Dunno how much yet.  So maybe Colossus would end up being useful.  Hold off on deciding a bit, I guess?

A! We will attack when they least expect it!

Alice wordlessly creeps out of the woods, waving for the others to follow.  She stalks silently through the tall grass.  Sylvia and Suarrure crouch down and slink along on all fours.  Rhett does his best, but still makes quite a bit of noise.  Fortunately, the enemies are all intently focused on the battle on the bridge.

One of the thieves runs at Sorina.  She meets him head-on, leaping forward and thrusting with her spear.  He wasn't expecting her reach to be so good, and ends up impaled through the chest.  The other thieves try to take advantage of his death, but Sorina clonks one in the face with her shield.  She rips the corpse back and kicks him off her spear just before the third thief leaps on her.  He manages to stab into a chink in her armor, piercing her underarm.  She swings her lance wildly to force him back and hits him in the side of the head.

"Hang on, Sorina...!" Carin calls out.  She steps up and heals Sorina immediately.

"Don't expose yourself!" Sorina warns her.  One of the thieves eyes Carin, and Sorina stabs at him.  "Don't even think about it..."

Rhett gets close enough to throw his hatchet at the nearest myrmidon and does so immediately.  Alice hears the sound of the axe whipping through the air first and rushes to start the attack while they still have the element of surprise.  Suarrure and Allune transform mid-charge, and Sylvia draws her sword.

The axe digs into a myrmidon just before Suarrure grabs him and tosses him over the cliff.  Alice collapses several bolts of wind on the nearest thief.  Sylvia follows up with a slash of her sword as she runs past.  Allune dives at the nearest outlaw.  She grabs his bow in one talon and crushes it before driving her beak into his face.

The others enemies are caught off guard, but the ones closest are able to turn and attack.  A fighter rushes at Allune and hacks at her wing before she can fully disentangle from the outlaw.  She slashes at him before returning to the air.  Suarrure intercepts another fighter, letting the axe nick him in order to claw at his stomach.  A myrmidon locks blades with Sylvia, and the two trade a few slashes, neither able to gain the upper hand.

The outlaws on the bridge hesitate, unsure whether to target Sorina and Carin or head back and help their allies.

---

Alice:
(A) Continue focusing on enemies in the forest
(B) Try to force through to the bridge
(C) Take a defensive position

Sorina/Carin:

(1) Have Carin drop back for now
(2) Have Carin stay as close to Sorina as possible

I'll conform to stereotypes and A1, because I always suspect someone's gonna cut the bridge anytime there's a fight involving one. Might as well cut down the ones that would be on safe enough ground to be tempted.

Can we use fire magic to explode the bridge...?

You have insufficient boom.

Carin retreats as the thieves push against Sorina. She moves off the bridge, but one of them slips past the knight to chase her. "Dammit...! Carin!" Sorina calls out.

The thief grins as he closes in on Carin. He flips his knife with a menacing playfulness. "Healer, eh? Heh. Don't struggle an' I'll make it nice an' quick. Once I'm done with you, yer li'l friend's next." He darts to the side, then lunges at her neck.

Carin's horse rears up, and he stabs into her shin instead. "Kyeeah! No-o-o!" She kicks out in response, knocking him on the jaw. "Get away! Getawaygetawaygetaway!" she screams, repeatedly bashing him over the head with her staff. When he falls over, stunned, her horse rears back and stomps on him.

"Nice, Carin!" Sorina yells. The remaining thief scraps his knife uselessly against her breastplate. She shoves him back, then stabs him with her lance. A myrmidon steps up to challenge her. He bats away her opening thrust, and she desperately throws up her shield. He manages to land a few light slashes before she drives him back with a swipe across his hip. A pair of the outlaws on the bridge run up and take a few shots at Sorina while she's distracted. One shot goes wide, while the other bounces off her hip.

Rhett and Alice move up to help the front line. Rhett throws his hatchet past Suarrure, barely missing him to his the enemy. Suarrure gives him a panicked look. Alice blows Allune upwards with a gust of wind before bringing the downdraft to bear as razor blades against her opponent. The fighter collapses under the barrage, and Allune uses the height to drop down on Sylvia's opponent. As Sylvia slashes with her blade, Allune stabs his back with her talons. The myrmidon turns his back on Sylvia to stab at her, slashing her legs but giving Sylvia an opening to finish him off.

Suarrure advances a bit, when he's immediately swarmed from three sides. A fighter and myrmidon attack from head-on. He takes their attacks, then returns his own with wild claw slashes. The thief waits a moment until he's distracted by the others, then stabs into Suarrure's back. Suarrure howls and leaps backwards, slamming his weight into the thief. Suarrure pants with effort.

The last enemies are waiting indecisively on the bridge.

---

Alice/Rhett 100%
Suarrure 3/14
Sylvia 11/13
Allune 10/15
Sorina 10/14
Carina 8/11

Alice's Team:
(A) Carefully finish the last enemies and slowly cross the bridge
(B) Rush to kill the last enemies

Suarrure:
(E) Drop back
(F) Keep fighting

Sorina:
(1) Drop back to Carin
(2) Stand your ground
(3) Push past to attack the outlaws

Carin:
(6) Heal Sorina
(7) Rally
(8) Stay at a distance