crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog - Tumblr blog

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"Of course I'm right," Walhart scoffed. His brow twitched as if he were rolling his eyes. "An obvious statement! You would do well to listen to me more often, Highness. Experience is a valuable teacher, and for all your... other assets, you will never surpass me in experience."

The barest hint of a wistful smile crossed Walhart's face. "You have won my steel for your use, and there is much we can learn from each other. It would be foolish not to use me to the fullest of my abilities."

Out on the grounds, the fallen soldier struggled to his feet, moved a few steps more, then stumbled again. Watching the unfortunate man, Walhart snorted.

He inclined his head to stare at Chrom, waiting for the man to make some comment or give a command or even take action himself.

Walhart&Chrom

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Walhart's axe sailed through the knight's lance, and the impact slowed the heavy head of the axe enough to allow Walhart to right his footing and regain his balance. It took only a moment for Walhart to process what had just happened--the lance was broken and Cordelia could no longer fight. The match was, by definition, over.

"Yield, knight," Walhart said, dipping his axe and straightening his posture. "Your weapon is in pieces and you are unable to defend yourself, let along fight. There is nothing more to be done." Now that the rush of battle was fading, Walhart could feel his shoulder throbbing where the knight had lanced him.  

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

Laughter erupted from Walhart as he felt his axe connect. Finally, a good and solid strike! It had taken him far too long to deal a serious blow, and he regretted playing with the knight for so long. He made a resolution to treat the rest of the match with more seriousness.

The momentum of his weapon carried the head of the axe into the ground, and Walhart was forced to slow himself to heave the heavy thing back into the air. As Walhart was stalled, the knight thrust her lance again, and Walhart was forced to wrench himself to the side to avoid the blow. His weight combined with the weight of his axe caused him to stagger.

Walhart made a split-second decision—he was off-balance, he’d have to do something to defend himself before the knight decided to capitalize on his weakness. He swung his axe at the knight, his lack of balance causing him to put more weight into the blow than he had intended.

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Laughter erupted from Walhart as he felt his axe connect. Finally, a good and solid strike! It had taken him far too long to deal a serious blow, and he regretted playing with the knight for so long. He made a resolution to treat the rest of the match with more seriousness.

The momentum of his weapon carried the head of the axe into the ground, and Walhart was forced to slow himself to heave the heavy thing back into the air. As Walhart was stalled, the knight thrust her lance again, and Walhart was forced to wrench himself to the side to avoid the blow. His weight combined with the weight of his axe caused him to stagger.

Walhart made a split-second decision--he was off-balance, he'd have to do something to defend himself before the knight decided to capitalize on his weakness. He swung his axe at the knight, his lack of balance causing him to put more weight into the blow than he had intended.

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

"You were expecting me to be an easy opponent?" Walhart asked with some measure of mirth in his voice. "Save your compliments for those who would be moved by them! Concentrate!"

Just as Walhart was barking at the knight, she jabbed her lance at him. The sharp tip penetrated a joint in his armour and Walhart was quick to shove the knight away. Pain burned him at the point of contact, but Walhart easily swept the sensation to the back of his mind. He would not allow his discomfort to distract him.

The knight had clearly been banking on that one strike; Walhart reasoned that she probably had not planned what she would do afterward. He decided to take advantage of the harried confusion he imagined to be afflicting the knight and strike back himself before she could make another move. Acting with swiftness despite his minor injury, Walhart swung his axe over his head to build momentum and brought it down with all his might, aiming at the knight before him.

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Half a day! Walhart nearly bellowed with rage at the news. Half a day of wandering the camp, dodging the feet of his comrades as if he were a rat! A wasted half of a useless day! Walhart puffed up his chest, winged a prayer to whatever Gods might be listening that he didn't look like an angry puppy, and roared as loudly as he could at the witch.

"I will not stand for this!" He stamped his foot, then regretted it as he realized his missing heft made him seem more like a petulant child than a furious warlord.

"You will return me to my former glory, or there will be consequences! Do you hear me, wretch!?" Walhart could not tell if the mage simply was not paying attention to him or if his size had rendered him inaudible.

Watch Out - Walhart & Tharja

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"You were expecting me to be an easy opponent?" Walhart asked with some measure of mirth in his voice. "Save your compliments for those who would be moved by them! Concentrate!"

Just as Walhart was barking at the knight, she jabbed her lance at him. The sharp tip penetrated a joint in his armour and Walhart was quick to shove the knight away. Pain burned him at the point of contact, but Walhart easily swept the sensation to the back of his mind. He would not allow his discomfort to distract him.

The knight had clearly been banking on that one strike; Walhart reasoned that she probably had not planned what she would do afterward. He decided to take advantage of the harried confusion he imagined to be afflicting the knight and strike back himself before she could make another move. Acting with swiftness despite his minor injury, Walhart swung his axe over his head to build momentum and brought it down with all his might, aiming at the knight before him.

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

Nearly slipping up, Cordelia tried to hold her ground as it shook beneath her. Walhart was right- he never seemed to tire. Maybe she should rethink her strategy. Then again, that’s what he would expect of her.

Nonetheless, Cordelia was tired. She had to resume her defensive tactics or else she would definitely falter.   Once again, Cordelia faced Walhart. What else could she do to catch him off guard? 

"You’re good," she admitted as she continued to defend herself. "But of course you are. As Walhart’s axe stilled in preparation for an attack, Cordelia saw her opening and she struck as hard as she could. It was risky, but that’s what battles were all about: taking risks. 

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Laughter rumbled deep from Walhart's chest and the corners of his eyes wrinkled with amusement as he stared down at the young king, reappraising him. "So you have a backbone after all," he said.

He turned back to face the struggling trainees. He did not look at Chrom as he said, "A word of advice. On the battlefield, your strength comes from your army. You are a talented captain and it shows. But in matters of diplomacy," --here he spat the word as though he had nothing but contempt for the concept-- "when you will be forced to wage battle with words instead of swords, your army cannot help you. A king must be strong in every way."

Walhart snorted. "I cannot claim to understand your unusual system of compromise. Perhaps it has merit. But you must take measures to ensure your strength is not tempered by the poor choices of others."

Out on the training grounds, one of the trainees fell to his knees in exhaustion. "Get up!" Walhart roared at the unfortunate soldier. 

Walhart&Chrom

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Walhart stared down the mage's arm impassively. He had faced many mages before and been subject to countless magical attacks, but never before had he stood still and allowed a mage to cast a potentially hazardous hex on him. He was not nervous. The knowledge that he stood before the mage voluntarily gave him a satisfying sense of control.

Then the magic engulfed him and Walhart felt as though he were back in his armour, and he could feel the suit tightening around him, squeezing him like a fruit in a juicer. The sensation was maddening, nearly unbearable and it took all his self-restraint to keep from barking at the mage to reverse the spell.

Then the magic cleared and Walhart took only a moment to shake off the dizzyness and the nausea before taking in his altered surroundings. The mage was now a giant before him and Walhart had the sudden, paranoid notion that she wanted nothing more than to step on him. He was suddenly uncomfortably aware of how powerless he was in his current state. 

"I am well," he said despite the tingling in his fingers. "You appear to have overestimated the power of your spell. I am smaller than you said I would be. Tell me, how long is this spell supposed to last?"

Watch Out - Walhart & Tharja

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Walhart's blows were swift and powerful, so he found himself surprised that the knight was able to deflect them so efficiently. It was clear to him that the woman was an expert with her lance. If Walhart had not been focusing entirely on the match at hand, he might have smirked; it warmed him to see such a competent fighter among the army's ranks.

The woman began to circle him and Walhart was curious to see what she was planning. As she she moved, Walhart found himself blocking more and more attacks--he realized she must be trying to go on the offensive.He thought it a bold plan.

"Getting tired, knight?" he barked at her, swinging again. "Rethink your strategy. You will not outlast me--my strength and stamina are second to none! A God does not tire." 

Walhart's axe stilled as he spoke. "You must be decisive!" He stamped his foot for effect and the ground shook. "In battle, hesitation is death!"

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

The first thought that crossed Cordelia’s mind was that Walhart was tough, but then again, she already knew that. Her second thought was that he was faster than she anticipated. 

Cordelia quickly blocked the axe with her fragile spear, then sidestepped, hoping to land a surprise attack. However, she miscalculated and had to re-think her next move. Though Cordelia was fighting defensively, she wasn’t going to give up. She knew she could turn the fight around somehow. 

Walhart was strong, but he had to have some weakness. All of his moves were based on his strength and ability to push Cordelia around the training grounds. Perhaps if she could keep Walhart locked into place, she could gain the upper hand in the match. Once again, Cordelia sidestepped, but instead of going in for another attack, she sidestepped again. This move effectively allowed her to circle Walhart and land fast attacks. Repeating this process, she tried to tire Walhart down, but she also grew weary. The match could go either way, but Cordelia was determined to show her opponent that she was a capable fighter at the very least. 

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"Your hesitation proves your displeasure." Walhart turned away from his trainees to face Chrom. "What is the point of being in a position of leadership if you are reluctant to enforce your will? Your army will only suffer from your ineffectuality!"

"You dislike how forceful I am being, yet you are hesitant to force me to stop. I see a pattern here. How can a man with such a yielding nature make an adequate king or captain?"

Walhart&Chrom

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"Do not make that face at me," Walhart growled, frowning down at the small Manakete. "And you did not answer my question. I did not ask whether you require armour to be strong. I asked whether dragon scales may be used to craft strong armour."

"I've heard that dragon scales make exceptionally strong armour. Manakete, is this true?"

     ”Nowi doesn’t need armor to be strong!” She pouted slightly, big eyes staring up at the large man before her.

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"A shrinking spell?" Walhart murmured, narrowing his eyes. He rubbed his chin while he mulled over his thoughts. A shrinking spell would be incredibly inconvenient. His godly strength would likely be halved along with his stature, and without his strength, what did he have?

Still, Walhart felt as though he couldn't fairly refuse the mage. She had made good on his request to inform him of the spells intended effects, after all. And there was still the matter of Chrom's belief in egalitarianism. Each Shepherd had to do his part, and Walhart decided if that meant sitting still while a mage tested a spell on you for the greater good, so be it. 

"Very well," he said, unlatching his plates. With a practiced ease, Walhart shed his armour. "Do your worst."

Watch Out - Walhart & Tharja

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

The knight was smaller than Walhart remembered her. Then again, most people were smaller than he remembered. He supposed most people usually seemed small to someone as large as he. He surveyed her armour, quickly taking note of probable weak spots.

"Bah! A God has no need for luck. I will defeat you with my might alone!" Nevertheless, Walhart took her hand, being mindful not to crush it. Once the formalities of greeting were over, Walhart took several steps back and dropped into a battle stance.

"Now, prove to me your worth!" He lunged at the knight with surprising speed and swung his axe at her.

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

Spear in hand, Cordelia calmly approached the training grounds. Walhart stood ahead and nodded at her as she got closer. Clearly he was taking their match seriously. 

At last Cordelia faced the warrior. She knew she would not be able to match his strength; instead, she planned to outsmart him and to outspeed him. “Hello Walhart,” she greeted him as she held out her hand in a friendly gesture. “I’m ready when you are. And good luck.” 

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Stick To Fishing From Now On // Walhart and Cordelia

Walhart's freshly polished armour gleamed in the light of the day and the hand which held the handle of his axe itched for battle. Perhaps he had gone a little overboard in preparing for a friendly sparring match between allies, but Walhart was nothing if not thorough. He had no doubt that the knight who had challenged him would be equally prepared.

He did not even know the knight's name. Perhaps he should have put some effort into uncovering that information before dueling her. Walhart wondered if it would be bad form to ask her for her name after he was finished trouncing her.

They had not agreed upon a time for the match, so Walhart stood, waiting at the training grounds for the knight to arrive. 

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

The Exalt was such a frail woman, Walhart would have expected her to shrink back from how he raised his voice. He took note when she did not--there was that royal demeanor he would have expected from a proper monarch. Despite whatever had befallen her, it was not difficult for Walhart to imagine her sitting on a throne.

When she spoke, Walhart did not bother to contradict her. He saw no point to doing so. He had already voiced his own opinions and arguing with some poor woman who could barely speak would only be a fool's exercise. She claimed she had taken before, and Walhart had to wonder whether she had ever truly taken anything or whether she had simply had things handed to her.

Then he remembered that she had attempted to take her own life and he was glad he had not given voice to his thought.

Emmeyn began speaking about the importance of giving and Walhart could see how she was struggling. He snorted; it was good for her to struggle. Perhaps her powers of speech would improve if she challenged herself.

He nodded as he watched the Exalt take a bite out of the apple. And when she forced the rest onto him, smirk cracked his face. "We are indeed different," he said, nodding again in agreement. He took a bite out of the apple and let the sweet juice drip down his chin. 

"But are we as different as you say? We are both rulers who have lost their kingdoms. We have both risen from the dead. We are both serving another king. We have a common goal. The only difference I see between us are the choices we have made. It is strange... we followed such different paths and yet we have reached the exact same place."

He passed the apple back to Emmeryn. "I am trying this 'giving' you claim is so important." He shrugged. "Thus far, I am unimpressed."

Your Great Self-Destruction // Walhart and Emmeryn

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Walhart had been the unfortunate acquaintance of more than one duplicitous magic-user during the course of his rulership, and his battle-honed instincts were telling him that danger was close by. He eyes the small mage carefully--she certainly did not look like much, but then he'd thought the same thing of Chrom and his tactician and Walhart would never forget what he'd earned for underestimating the both of them.

"My armour is enchanted to provide protection against spells, but I will not remove my armour," Walhart said, glaring down at the tiny mage. "If you do not tell me the intended effects of this spell of yours, I will keep my armour on. If this is unsatisfactory to you, you are welcome to find another volunteer."

Watch Out - Walhart & Tharja

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

"Blast and damnation!! You didn’t think of telling me that only women can ride pegasi when I was first asking about making one my mount!? Useless! I would have never allowed this level of incompetence in my own army!"

"You there, pink knight. You are a pegasus rider, correct?"

"—! I-I am… What do you want?"

[crimsonwarlordwalhart-blog]

Walhart stared disapprovingly down at Chrom. "Then I will decline your suggestion. This is a training session--my training session. I will lead it as I see fit. Until my captain orders me to change my methods, I will stick with what I know to be effective." 

Walhart&Chrom