- Tactics — 3 stars
- Survival — 5 stars
- Funds — 4 stars
- Exp — 2 stars
- Combat — 5 stars
I sit at a small table with Guy and Matthew playing cards, Matthew smirking at me—clearly with a good hand. Farther on in the noisy, smoke-filled pub, Oswin and Marcus sit resignedly sipping their drinks while Serra pesters them. Lyn has stormed off somewhere in a huff with Florina after the suggestion of pirates, and I think Bartre is down at the arena.
We're all waiting for Eliwood and Hector to find us transport to the Dread Isle. With such an ominously-named destination, no one would really mind waiting in the cheery portside town of Badon for a few days. Sadly, they're now approaching our table. At least I can claim I didn't hear Matthew ask for his winnings.
Apparently we've been challenged to some kind of martial competition with one of the local pirate gangs. Bartre will enjoy this...
Marcus' warhorse and Oswin's heavy armor seem a little against the spirit of the thing; Eliwood, Serra, Florina, and Matthew aren't really built for this kind of scrap. So looks like it'll be the standard group.
Oh, for the love of...Merlinus decided to pitch his tent and start merchant-ing right in the middle of the upcoming fight. Guess we'll have to make sure nobody runs off with his stuff...I mean, they are pirates.
Well, it begins. I'm told this is supposed to be a friendly, more-or-less nonlethal brawl, but everyone's got an edge on their weapons just in case. Some scholar named Canas appears and asks if he can accompany us if we win. Why not? He gives a tip he heard from a local girl named Anna: sneak around the north side of town.
The fight goes well to start...but then turns deadly. A Black Fang assassin named Damien shows up and decides to join the fun. Hector informs me this is the group that nearly killed him and Matthew on their way out of Ostia, and I vaguely remember them from travelling with Lyn a year ago.
Assassins or no, we're winning this "game"!
Bartre: Trades punches with some freebooters as he follows Canas' advice. He's disappointed not to be in the thick of things, but I explain to him he's got the most important job. Things get very tense when the pirates turn out to be tougher than they look. He's forced to fall back and consume a vulnerary, after which he rallies, but...turns out Hector, Lyn, and Guy pushed through despite the odds to finish first. Sorry, Bartre.
Guy: Falls back when Damien's cavalry get close. Once they're taken care of he'll deal with the pirates...or so I think, but then Damien unexpectedly breaks off his attack on Hector to chase Guy. Fortunately, Hector's dealt him a near-mortal wound, and Guy criticals him to finish. Next, he runs up to slice a piratical mage's spell tome in half, a bit of a gamble on my part. With the enemy pretty much beaten, an admiring girl hands him a beautiful Sacaen bow...too bad Guy's a terrible shot. I'll hang onto it though. After saving Lyn from the last pirate, yet another villager has a sleep staff Canas forgot; Guy promises to pass it on.
Lyn: Doesn't do too much at first, Hector enjoying himself too much to let her in on the fun. Finally takes advantage of an opening to cut apart a pirate's bowstring (hey, that's a potentially fatal weapon! No fair!) and pull some fancy kicks on two more wielding axe-like clubs. The last mage drains her strength to near fainting...but then Guy returns to save her, and Lyn walks over calmly to the stunned Captain Fargus, who was clearly expecting us to sneak around.
Hector: Isn't going to take any crap from this Damien character and promptly charges him with a shiny silver axe. Wish he hadn't broken that Wolf Biel. Unfortunately, this prompts Fargus, who apparently hasn't noticed the assassins, to send his pirates forward. After Damien falls back, Hector gets into a slugfest with several pirates, winning every time. He then switches back to a hand axe for the next batch of pirates, which includes a couple of mages. They wisely choose to wait in the wings, although this just means Guy and Lyn get to surprise them.
Canas: Follows his own advice, and Bartre, away from the fighting. Wouldn't want that Squishy Wizard getting hurt, after all. Gives Bartre an extra vulnerary, which I'm grateful for—it allows him to hold the line and prevent us from being flanked.
Merlinus: Remains oblivious to the sounds of clanging metal, explosions, and hand-to-hand combat. I peek in his tent to find him taking a nap.
8 turns. Hector tanked and counter-killed like a beast; I was rather shocked the direct approach turned out to be faster. If they'd used their mages against him the outcome would've been very different. My only regret was not getting the Lancereaver, but it would've taken another two turns.
