Brief introduction: Wow, I was surprised by the amount of reviews and follows chapter 1 received, so I'd like to thank everyone who did so, especially those who reviewed and shared their thoughts on it. I think I replied to all comments; if I missed you, that was probably by accident, sorry :(
Writing this chapter took quite a while since there were a lot of design angles to consider in addition to some scenes just being hard to write in general. Also, I wanted to reach a certain milestone I the story and not cut it halfway there. More on this in the author's notes.
Anyway, without further ado, it's time for chapter 2!
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire emblem.
Warning: this chapter contains some (minor) graphic violence and contains some adult themes (though not too explicitely).
Chapter 2: Worthy of Legend
Lucina whirled around.
There, barely a few paces away, was Grima. The fell dragon's human body lazily picked itself up from the ground, raising a hand in front of his face to ward himself from the bright sun. Any moment now, the black clouds surrounding the body would return and the dragon would begin the attack, cutting her reunion with her father short.
The princess immediately grabbed her sword, only to find that it wasn't there.
'Not again!?' she thought in panic. Just like the time in the black void, she was completely helpless if Grima decided to attack. And why wouldn't he?
"Hey! Are you sure you're all right? You look kind of pale to me," Chrom asked from her side.
"Be on your guard!" Lucina shouted just as Robin fully stood.
The man standing behind Grima, a heavily armored knight, acted instantly and swept his lance at the black-cloaked figure's knees, roughly knocking him back to the ground. The tip of the knight's lance was then levelled at him. Behind her, Lissa gasped at the sudden display of violence.
"Gah!" Grima shouted, clutching his knee in pain. "Ouch! Wh-what was that for? Could you maybe, NOT hit me that hard!?" the human form asked.
Lucina's froze. That was a completely different voice than the one Grima normally used. Why was that?
She shook her head. No. This had to be some kind of trap; she wouldn't fall for the fell dragon's games. She had travelled along with Grima through time and it was far too much of a coincidence for her to end up exactly at the same place as the fell dragon's human form.
It was him! No matter what game Grima hoped to gain by playing dumb, Robin would die, and the fell dragon with him. She would see to it!
"Be silent," Frederick replied coolly to the fallen man. "And be glad you're still drawing breath."
The knight then turned to Lucina, eyeing her warily. "And you, hold it right there! Don't think for a moment that carrying a brand means you get to go free. We don't take kindly to spies, especially those that try to imitate the royal family!"
'I-What...?'
To her side, Chrom -her father, she still couldn't believe he was actually standing there- sighed in exasperation. "Frederick, I think you're pushing the distrust a bit. If she were a spy, who would she be sent to replace? Me? They'd have gotten my gender wrong."
The knight didn't lower his lance nor did he take his stare off her. "Be that as it may, my lord, I strongly advise caution. This whole situation reeks of oddities."
"Which is why we're going to give both of them a chance to explain themselves, without threatening to kill them while they do so," Chrom replied evenly. "I can understand disarming them, but this? This is going too far."
"Um, does that mean I can stand up now?" Robin tried.
"I am merely trying to ensure your safety, my Lord. " Frederick answered, ignoring the man under his armoured boot. "But very well."
"Wait!" Lucina cut in before the knight had a chance to release Robin. "You can't let him go! He's-"
She paused as she realized that what she was about to say was crucial. Everyone was looking at her, and even Chrom raised an eyebrow at the interruption. "Yes?" he said expectantly.
The princess mentally slapped herself as she realized she had spoken much too soon. She had never had the time to properly think on what she was going to say, and now she had cut any time for thought very short indeed.
Her mind raced. What to do? Reveal the truth? Would they believe her without any proof? If she did, what would happen to the future? How far could she push the past? What about what Grima said, and what Tiki had been afraid of? She still existed, but did that mean she was safe from changes here in the past? Did the future, and her surviving friends, still exist? Would she effectively kill them, or herself, by telling the truth?
What if she stopped existed by revealing this and would thus be unable to actually help in killing Grima? They'd need her! She was the only one among them who had any experience in fighting either him OR his Risen!
...That aside, realistically, would they believe her even if she did speak the truth and would take the Falchion and her brand as sufficient proof? Would they take her word that the seemingly harmless man at the end of a lance and held beneath a plated boot was secretly a dark god of destruction, and that she was Chrom's unborn daughter?
It would have sounded far-fetched at best, she grudgingly admitted. But what could she do? She had to act anyway; at the very least, Robin couldn't be allowed to survive.
She reached an interim conclusion; the surest and safest way to kill Robin was to do it without having to reveal the truth. Now, she only had to find the right words to make Frederick strike him down.
"Well?" said knight pressed, his patience clearly thin.
"This man," she said, "is-"
She looked at the fallen man, meeting a look of obvious confusion and murdered innocence. Her anger spiked; she could just imagine the dark consciousness leering at her from behind that facade. He'd be smiling his same sick smile, wondering if she could bring herself to murder a seemingly innocent man.
If this worked, he would find out very shortly.
The princess fell back into her mask of commanding seriousness, and started over. Years of being a monarch had told her that how you said something was often more important as what you actually said...
...especially if it was a lie.
"My name is Severa," She began, improvising on the first other female name that came to her. She repressed the image of her gruesome death. "I am the princess of Iris." She ignored the dismissive snort of the plated knight. "This man-" she pointed to Robin, "Is a necromancer who has ravaged the lands from which I come with his vicious minions! Countless innocents have been murdered and tortured at his whims! How could you not know him? There isn't any nation which has not cursed his name or condemned him to death!"
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. Lucina held her glare towards Robin unflinchingly; she let her hate shine through her mask. It was an emotion she had plenty of and had no trouble manifesting it.
"...Iris?" said Chrom, finally breaking the awkwardness. "You are in Ylisse. The last time this region was called by its legacy name was well over a thousand years ago."
He was the only one to speak, since the others were too dumbfounded to do so. Lissa looked at her in what could only be described as complete awe, whereas Frederick was trying very hard to keep the scowl off of his face. Robin, in turn, was horrified, his mouth opening and closing a few times yet making no sound.
"Your own name doesn't sound familiar, though," her father continued, frowning.
Lissa shifted her gaze to him, shocked. "What? Chrom, don't tell me you didn't pay attention in history class again!"
The prince blinked. "Er, well... I might have been training through most of those. Or out on patrol. I can't remember which, exactly."
'Whatever excuse was more convenient, wasn't it, father?' Lucina thought in amusement, though not dropping her glare. Even in her earliest memories of him, he had always preferred taking action to studying.
'... or planning,' she added, sobering immediately. Her father's lack of that had lead to him becoming overly reliant on Robin, which in turn had directly lead to his death.
She balled her fist. This time would be different!
"Hmpf!" Lissa answered, putting her arms in her sides and trying to assume some sort of lecturing pose. The effect hopelessly failed, since she was a good two heads short on her brother, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. "Princess Severa was the legendary leader of the Irisean league in the sixth era after Marth. We only won the unification war because of her!"
'Thank you, Lady Cordelia, for naming your daughter after someone from the royal family. It was extremely convenient.'
"Really? A legendary hero, huh?" The elder sibling asked, turning towards Lucina again. "Interesting," he mused, glancing her over. Lucina was suddenly very conscious of her clothing; it was torn up pretty badly, not to mentioned covered in a more than fair amount of blood. As far as first impressions went, she figured her appearance didn't score her any points, especially for a supposed legend.
He eventually turned back to his sister, breaking off his inspection. Lucina breathed a mental sigh of relief; there was something highly uncomfortable about being scrutinized by her father that way.
"Wait a moment. How do you know this, Lissa?" Chrom asked. "You don't like studying any more than I do."
"Oh, I think it's fun. But only when it relates to knights and heroes!" Lissa replied.
...Did her aunt's eyes just glance over Frederick as she said that? But that couldn't be right...
"We are going off track! My lord, my lady, why are both of you so calm when met with such outrageous lies?" The brown haired knight stated sternly. His hard eyes met Lucina's. "Do you seriously think we'd believe you are a time traveller? Someone whom history has decreed to have been dead for centuries, if not millennia?"
"I do not like it any more than you, Sir knight," Lucina countered. "But... if what your lord says is true, I believe I have fallen from my own time. I cannot give a better explanation. Though perhaps he can, since he used the dark magic that brought us here!" she finished, pointing at Robin.
It was time to take another gamble. If history was really repeating itself, then Robin had amnesia and would have difficulty talking his way out of this.
"Very well," Chrom agreed. "Let's hear what our other stranger has to say. Let him go, Frederick, but be ready just in case."
The knight hesitantly complied. "But, my Lord, you are not actually considering believing her story, aren't you? It's a load of pegasus dung!"
"We will know soon enough," the blue haired lord stated.
Lucina tensed as the tactician picked himself up. If Chrom believed her, would Grima reveal himself and attack? She had to be ready. Where was her Falchion? She glanced through the surrounding area frantically;where was it!?
"Well, you've heard what your... 'companion' accuses you of," the prince spoke to Robin. Lucina flinched at the poor choice of words. "Do you have anything to say to those claims? I'm sorry about the safety precautions," he added apologetically, vaguely waving at Frederick's direction, who still had a lance in his back.
"I-" Robin began, then abruptly stopped, clutching his head. "I... No, I don't."
Chrom's eyes widened in shock. "What? You don't? You admit it's true!?"
Frederick readied his lance while Lucina frantically continued her search for the falchion. She finally located it, found on the far side of an armored horse bound to a tree nearby- Frederick's; no doubt.
She was about to make a break for it when Robin continued.
"No, don't misunderstand! I just... don't know. I can't remember anything!" the tactician quickly added.
The prince sighed; whether from relief, disappointment or frustration, Lucina couldn't tell. "Nothing? Hmmm. Then what about your name?"
The tactician looked away. "I-"
"His name is Robin," Lucina cut in. "And as you can see, he's trying his very best to appear clueless."
"On that, we can agree," Frederick said, nodding grimly.
Grima's human body turned to her with a clearly annoyed look. "Ok, let's get one thing straight. I have no clue why you hate me so much, but I'm pretty sure I'm not a necromancer. And I really can't remember anything, so a little bit of pity would be highly appreciated."
The princess snorted. "Did you even listen to what I said!? I explained my reasons quite clearly. Do you think your act is fooling anyone?"
"Wait. So your name is Robin?" Chrom asked the black-cloaked man.
"I- well, Yes. I believe so," Robin answered after hesitating for a moment. "Why?"
"Then you put me in a difficult position," Chrom began. "You claim to have no memory of events, while a member of the royal family accuses you of crimes against humanity. I am unsure of what to do with you."
Robin was about to respond when Frederick cut him off.
"Surely you mean a 'supposed member of the royal family', my lord?" the knight questioned, glancing over Lucina while still holding Grima's vessal at lance point.
"No; I meant what I said. The fact that she has a brand in addition to the Falchion is, for now, proof enough for me," her father reasoned, then gestured to his side, where his Falchion was sheathed. "Unless you're willing to claim that humanity was wrong about there only being one of those all this time?"
Hope swelled up in Lucina like never before. It was working!
"It could be a forgery, as could the brand," Frederick pointed out. "Never underestimate what dark magic can do. I can imagine a ploy to cause internal strife in Ylisse by having an illegimate heir appear to claim the throne for herself. Apologies to your father's honour, of course," the knight quickly added.
"He's right," Lucina agreed, surprising Chrom and Lissa. "I can imagine his distrust. However, I can also guarantee you that I have no such intentions. I am willing to swear it on my life, if that puts you at ease. Do you require an oath of fealty?"
After all, even if –gods forbid it- all other members of the royal family somehow died and the people of Ylisse acknowledged her as a legitimate heir, which would probably never happen, she wouldn't take up the mantle of leadership again. She had failed her people and didn't deserve a second chance. Who would want a leader whose only accomplishment was that she was the only one left to tell her people's tale? Better to have someone who had prevented such a situation from occurring…
'Grima...'
She was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "I appreciate the thought, but no, that won't be necessary," Her father said, smiling at her. "Something tells me I can trust you."
For a very short moment, Lucina was a little girl again, watching as a slightly older version of her father patted her the same way. That was right before he went to his final battle, vanishing from her life forever. She could still remember an older version of Stahl trying, in vain, to console her emotional sister. She, herself, hadn't cried back then. She had pretended to be strong for Cynthia, but once she was alone...
'Don't cry. Don't cry! He'll think I'm insane!'
"I… thank you, Lord Chrom," she replied, managing a small smile.
'Father… I'm glad I was able to see you once more before the end.'
"Hehe, yay! Sis will be so pleased to meet you, Severa!" Lissa cried out. Lucina nodded; she would have liked to meet her legendary other aunt. However, she would probably disappear as soon as Robin died. Surely, an alteration of history that large would remove her from existence?
Of course, she realized as she watched the royal siblings, her life was a very small price to pay for the happiness of everyone else.
"But, my Lord-"
"My decision is final, Frederick," Chrom replied, slightly annoyed.
The elder man sighed. "Very well, then. Gods forbid we take an appropriate level of caution."
He poked the dark-robed man forward with his lance. "So how should we handle this man?"
Her father walked forward until he was within striking distance of Robin. "Wait! Please, Chrom, I mean, Lord Chrom! I… I really have no idea what this woman" –he pointed to Lucina- "is talking about. Surely this has to be some kind of mistake!"
Chrom looked towards the sky, as if looking for an answer in the endless blue.
"I have nothing against you," he eventually spoke. "But I can't ignore the warnings we have been given. The fact that you have no proof to counter Severa's does not help your case."
He sighed. "Bind him."
Robin suddenly jumped to the side and would have made a run for it, had Frederick's lance not landed right in front of him.
"The next one will not miss," he said icily, reaching for a second spear. "I suggest you remain where you are."
"So you would blindly take the word of a stranger accusing someone else of being a murderer," Robin spat towards her father as Frederick tied his arms behind his back. "Is this how justice is handled in Ylisse? As far as I know, my only crime is waking up in a field of grass!"
"Hold your impudent-!"
"Frederick, enough!" Chrom interjected, seeing the knight reach for his weapon. He eventually, grudgingly, lowered it.
"Look, don't worry," the blue haired lord eventually spoke to the tactician. "You'll get a fair trial and you will not be mistreated. If you didn't commit the crimes Severa claims, there should be no records on them in the capital city."
Lucina froze; of course there would be no such records. There also wouldn't be anything to really link him to any murders in the past, since all his crimes had yet to be committed in the future!
Robin would go free.
"No! Lord Chrom, please listen to me! You have no idea how dangerous this man really is," Lucina interjected. "He is directly responsible for the deaths of all of my closest friends, good men and women each! I watched helplessly as he tore them apart with dark magic, laughing as he did so! He will do the same to you if you do not end him!"
She took a deep breath. "Please," she asked emphatically, "If nothing else, grant my fallen comrades justice. Grant me the right to strike him down! I will do whatever you ask of me in return!"
"You are completely insane!" Robin cried out. "What makes you say I even have that kind of power? Don't you think I would have blown you up the moment you started sprouting that ridiculous nonsense, if I had? Because, quite frankly, I don't really care much for those who try to talk others into killing me!"
"Your conduct does not help your case," Frederick pointed out, levelling his lance. Robin tried to scuffle to the side but was held in place by the elder knights rough grip. "Orders, my lord?"
The tactician tensed, watching her father in fear.
'This is it,' Lucina realized. 'Just one thrust of the spear and the future will never come to pass. The world will be safe and I'll disappear.'
The princess glanced around the lush fields of green surrounding them; nothing even remotely similar had existed in the future. Or at least, not that she knew of, anyway. If this was to be her final sight, it wasn't a poor one. At the very least, she could tell her friends that the world would have a chance.
"I… don't like this, Chrom," Lissa said hesitantly, shaking her out of her thoughts. "What if he's really lost his memory? This doesn't feel like something we should do."
"I don't trust him, my Lord," Frederick countered. "If you decide to trust Severa, I advise to go all the way. It takes just one lapse of judgment and one moment of weakness for you to die to a knife in the back."
"Please," Robin begged her father, "For the love of the gods, show mercy. Take me to your city and the records will prove I'm innocent."
"Lord Chrom, don't put yourself at risk by trusting him!" Lucina shouted.
"Oh? Why are you so upset? Do you think those records might show that YOU are the one lying?" Robin remarked sarcastically. "I'm sure you have nothing to hide, right?"
"You will kill all of us before we even get there!"
"ALL OF YOU, BE QUIET!" Chrom commanded.
And they did. There was something about his tone that forced obedience; It hadn't been coincidence that had seen him as the supreme commander of the Ylissean league, despite Ylisse being far weaker in terms of overall military strength than its allies...
...nor was it a coincidence that it had been called the Ylissean league in the first place.
"Sorry," he muttered after noting their frightened expressions.
"Severa," the prince began in his normal tone, "You claim to be someone from the past, and I believe you're at least partially telling the truth. However," he continued sternly, "executing unarmed prisoners in cold blood is something we've never condoned, nor something that I would support in any way. I can't speak for the rules of conduct in your time, but I find that prospect horrifying to say the least!"
"I-but..." Lucina sputtered.
'No! I am only trying to keep you safe, father! Please don't make this any more difficult!'
"I realize what I'm asking is less than chivalrous," she answered, recovering from being on the receiving end of her father's disapproval, "But you haven't been there to see the fields of corpses, entire cities ravaged with their inhabitants tortured and then sacrificed to his shims in barbaric rituals. When faced with such evil, thoughts of survival start to outweigh our noble ways."
"I can sympathize with your words if they are true," Chrom admitted, "But I will not step to that same level of barbarism without very good reason or proof. And even then, it still wouldn't be my call to make, as I'm not the Exalt."
'... for now,' Lucina added internally, bitterly reminded of Emmeryn's oncoming assassination.
The princess reluctantly agreed that he had a point. It frustrated her that he allowed his principles to get in the way of her mission, but wouldn't she have said the same thing if she had been in his shoes?
Perhaps the best thing to do would be to back off and kill Robin on her own accord somewhere along the way; there should be plenty of time until they reached Yllistol.
"All right," she conceded. "If you are willing to take that risk, then I'll defer to your judgement. However, I will not let that man out of my sight for an instant."
"Er... I hope that means one of us is going to keep an eye on her all time the too, right?" Robin remarked meekly. "Not that I'm not flattered by the attention, but I'd rather reach the city alive."
Her father nodded. "Of course. I suppose that's an acceptable-"
"Chrom!" Lissa yelled in panic.
The lord whirled around. "Lissa? What's wrong?"
"Look over there!" her aunt cried.
"That's an awful lot of smoke," Robin concluded, frowning.
'Brilliant observation,, o masterful tactician,' Lucina thought sarcastically. '... wait, but what does that-'
"Oh gods. The village!" said Chrom. "Damn it, everyone, move out!"
"My lord? What about the prisoner?" Frederick pointed out while mounting his horse. Robin was dragged after him by the robe binding his arms behind his back. If looks could kill, the knight would be a bloody mess.
"Put him on the horse with you," Chrom commanded, then rushed off.
"Lord Chrom, will you allow me to-" Lucina begun, stopping when she realized he was long gone. A moment later, Frederick rode by, carrying the scowling Robin on the back of his horse.
Just as she caught the tactician's eye, she froze.
There, on his face, was the same leering grin Grima had given her in the future. They locked eyes for a moment - and then it was gone again. Had she imagined it?
Lucina stormed after them, regardless.
They were met by a sea of flames.
Of the village, only the southernmost entrance was relatively spared from the fire.
It was easy to see why; the bandits were still busy looting it, breaking down windows to stores and hacking away at closed doors.
Screams of terrified villagers came through both the cackling fire and laughter of the bandits. Lucina was about to storm past her father, who had held still just on the outskirts, when she realised she didn't have a weapon.
"Why are we stopping!?" she cried. "We need to attack!"
"They outnumber us five to one," Chrom answered. "Four if you decide to join us, though you should know that I cannot guarantee your safety if you do."
"Yeah, seems like you are in trouble. Just four of you against... let's see, 15 or so bandits, if not more? Good luck with a frontal charge," Robin said sarcastically.
Chrom threw him a vicious glare. "Remember that you're alive only by my grace, stranger."
"True," The tactician admitted. "I meant no slight. I just wanted to point out that I be of use, if you decide to let me go."
"Don't listen to him; we don't need his help! Just grant me my Falchion!" Lucina demanded.
In the village, one of the bandits tore down a door and ran in. A few seconds later, he came out, dragging a struggling and screaming woman with him.
"Chrom! I'll be fine, just go!" Lissa urged.
In the village, a group of additional bandits came from nearby, carrying pillaged loot and what looked like a few unconscious bodies...
'Other women,' Lucina realized in horror.
Chrom hesitated, then turned to Robin. "What kind of help-"
'NO. You are NOT doing this, father!
Lucina did the only thing she could think of; she took two quick steps and deftly drew her father's falchion from its sheath. Then she stormed forward, summoning all of her speed and strength.
She ignored the cries behind her.
The fires of the village illuminated the area in a black and reddish cloud of smoke and lingering flame. Some bandits were obscured by smoke, some weren't. Of the ones who weren't, the one with the villager threw her on the ground and advanced on her-
To her side, a cloud of smoke cleared and she saw a plundering bandit just as he saw her. She darted forward and plunged the blade into his heart before he could even lift his weapon. The man let out a noise that sound like a screaming gurgle as he fell.
"Feddeck? What was-" Another bandit said just as he exited the same house through the missing door. His eyes widened. "Boss- Knight!" He cried before falchion tore through his arm and into his neck.
Lucina didn't stop running. As she further neared the square, she found some of the bandits with their weapons out, having been warning by the screaming. Some of the men looked at her disdainfully, yet most of them laughed.
"Pfah. Just one?" The apparent leader, the one with the cowering woman in front of him, scoffed. "Well, she's pretty good looking. Try not to hurt her too badly, eh boys? That would spoil the fun for later."
Just as he reached for the woman again, tearing her shirt apart as he did, Lucina realized just how badly she wanted all of these criminals to die. When they had fought against the Risen, it had been different; she hated them, too, but she had always known they were but soulless puppets in the end; tools created for something without a free will. In a way, she pitied them at the same time.
Against the Grimleal, that had, at the very least, contained some element of higher ideals clashing with each other; someone had made a choice for a different one, no matter how despicable that one was. She hated them as well.
Yet here, with these murderers and rapists, her hate was strongest of all. They had chosen to live their life sorely by exploiting and traumatizing others; and they deserved to die only in the most painful and humiliating way possible!
Her grip on the Falchion tightened. She counted eight bandits nearby, with some others just hanging back, smiling arrogantly.
The first two bandits came at her with swords, one shortly behind the other. She could tell just from the way they advanced that they were very poorly trained, though they obviously didn't need to be that good if they only preyed upon innocent civilians.
Lucina cried out in rage as the first bandit came within striking distance. He swung at her while she ducked and hacked off his leg in one clean stroke. Even as the rest of the shocked mercenary's body fell sideways, she continued the momentum into a forward swing and ended in a cross-lock with the man. He stumbled backwards from the force.
Now, there was hesitation in his eyes.
Lucina didn't give him a chance to act at all and withdrew her sword back to that the far end of his sword was against her near end. In this way, she had complete control of the lock. She then turned the handle of the falchion outward, raising his sword diagonally so that it pointed over her while as the same time exposing his neck completely. All she had to do was continue her forward momentum, and she did.
The body slid off to her side as she continued her run towards the leader.
There were collective gasps of outrage and disbelief as those bandits watching quickly dropped their bags of plunder, or captives, and pulled out their weapons. She reached one of them, an axe-wielder, before he did so and swiftly decapitated him.
Even as the man fell, she could feel her rage building higher. This would be the last town these men violated!
Her next target was a swordsman who had barely enough time to assume a basic defensive stance before she was upon him. He correctly assumed her overhead attack and moved to parry the blade. It was a move that normally would have worked.
However, Falchion was a legendary blade and she had momentum. The sword forged from Naga's fang broke the cheap weapon easily, as it did the man's skull.
The corpse fell backward as the next two attackers came in a pair. Behind them, she could see, to some surprise, a mage on the bandit's side readying a spell.
She continued heedless of that notion. It was time to fall back on an ancient sword technique. Two swings, one to unbalance the first as he made a wild swing...
The first bandit stumbled past her.
...the second to kill.
Her perception of the second enemy slowed by a fraction and she aimed the sword carefully. She then launched herself forward and impaled him upon the blade, straight through the heart.
She let go of the falchion and grabbed the man behind her just as he turned around to face her again, then forced him in between herself and the mage.
Sure enough, the next second a bolt of lightning hit him and he fell to the ground, shaking erratically. She jumped over the shaking man and pulled Falchion out of the first corpse as she ran. The mage would be next.
A vision of a Grimleal mage appeared before her and she held onto that image as the shocked man held up his tome in a feeble attempt to stop the falchion. Of course, the blade slid through paper even more easily than it did through bone.
By now, there were cries of panic coming from the remaining bandits, with some of them already making an attempt to flee. The bandit leader had stopped harassing his captive and quickly called out some orders. Three of the men listened and hastily put themselves between her and their boss.
The others ran, taking their plunder with them. They would be hunted down later.
The remaining three combatants in front of her were slow. They clearly lacked the kind of power and refinement that someone who had been fighting for her entire life had.
Just before she reached them, the bandits braced themselves. That, by itself, was already a fatal mistake since two of them were axe-wielders. If you used an axe, you HAD to be on the offensive; it was more or less impossible to defend yourself properly against an experienced attacker; the weapon simply wasn't designed for it. It was made for hacking into shields, helmets and the like, not to swiftly parry incoming attacks. Your chances of survival were MUCH better if you kept attacking and relied on your partners to come to your defense.
But then again, that probably wasn't the kind of knowledge a bunch of inexperienced and probably terrified rapists and looters would have. Or maybe they just never really had a reason to look into that.
Either way, Lucina didn't care. Her rage-fueled strike knocked the swordsman back just as the axeman behind him made a wild swing. She ducked into an overhead cleave which felled both men at the same time. The sore remaining swordsmen glanced around nervously as she came for him, noticing he was alone. He might have ran if she had given him the chance, but an upward into downward jumping slash combination took his life before he could.
Then, it was just her, the leader, and the captive.
For the first time since she had started fighting, she halted her advance.
"Y-you!" the bandit leader sputtered, holding his axe over the neck of his female victim. The blond woman's clothes were torn badly and she was sobbing softly. The man forced her to stand so that he could use her as a shield.
Lucina took a step forward.
"Don't think I won't cut her pretty little throat!" He warned.
Lucina idly wondered if this woman had lived or died in the original timeline. Did it matter? Would she have willingly given her life if it meant this piece of filth died?
The princess halted again just as she realized what she had just thought of doing. Since when did she consider human lives expendable?
"Drop it! Drop the sword!" The bandit yelled, scratching the woman's neck with his axe.
Lucina took a very quick glance back and saw that her father and Frederick were fighting some other bandits; the ones who had tried to run past her and to escape through the part of town that wasn't burning yet. Lissa and Robin were standing back, watching intently.
Her eyes widened in horror as she then saw the tactician draw a blade and approach father from behind. Was he going to-?
"Now! Drop it or I remove her head!" The bandit leader cried.
Lucina glanced back at the leader, her thoughts frantic. What to do? Come to her father's aid and let the leader go? Try to save the woman? Kill the leader and the woman, then come to her father's aid?
The choice was made for her as she met the terrified woman's eyes. There was nothing there but pure terror and sorrow. She couldn't bear the sight.
The swordswoman ignored the part of her that wanted this man to die and forced the Falchion into the ground in frustration.
The bandit leader grinned at the display. "Good! Now you come over here; you'll be my pretty little hostage instead."
The woman struggled to say something, but couldn't do it over the tight grip the man had on her neck and mouth. "You shut up!" the bandit yelled.
Lucina had already begun walking forward, slowly. Maybe she could-
"That's far enough!" the bandit commanded from just two paces away. She could smell his vile scent even through the fires. "Now turn around and face away from me!"
"How will I know you won't cut her the second I turn around?" Lucina challenged, trying to buy time. This man actually seemed to know what he was doing, and probably possessed a lot more raw strength, going by his bulk. If he actually took her hostage...
"Do you want to test me?" he growled just as he tightened his hold on the hostage further, who let out a strangled cry.
"Fine. Let her go and I'll turn," Lucina bargained, already facing to the side. Behind her, she could see her father -alive, thank the gods- and the others, even Robin, running up to them. She couldn't quite hear what they were calling out over the sound of the fire burning nearby.
The bandit considered for a moment, then let the woman go, after which she screambled away. True to her word, Lucina turned away.
She could hear the bandit closing the distance to her. In front of her, she was vaguely aware of the others almost reaching her. This time, she could clearly hear her father screaming her name.
Yet her vision wasn't on them; her sight was fixated on the falchion in the ground. On its shining surface, the part that wasn't covered in blood, was the reflection of the bandit behind her.
And that reflection had raised its axe to strike.
Lucina reflexively launched herself backward and crashed into him just as the axe swung by harmlessly overhead. In the same motion, she threw out her elbow backward into where she assumed the man's solar plexus was. A strangled cry of pain told her that she had struck true, and the bandit stumbled.
The next second she had slipped out behind him. Her rage came back as she took his head in a locking grip, then twisted it with all her might. One snapping sound later and the bandit's body fell limply to the floor.
In front of her, all the shephards looked at her with looks of varying degrees of incredulity and awe.
She ignored them for now and turned to the hostage, who was still lying on the floor and breathing heavily.
"Don't worry," Lucina told her. "You're safe."
Yet even as she approached her, the woman tried to scramble away in fear.
Unfortunately, defeating the bandits had only been the first step in saving what was left of the village. Some of the braver citizens had come out of hiding in an effort to put out the flames, and they would have helped them were it not for the fact that there were still bandits who had escaped.
It had become clear almost immediately that there were at least some women still missing, meaning that the bandits who had escaped still had them as prisoners. Maybe it had been the bandits who had ran in other directions after the shepherds had attacked, or maybe it had been those who'd already left the village before they even arrived.
The shepherds had been granted horses by the caretaker of the local stables. Apparently, the bandits had kept the building spared in orders to use the horse for a fast escape, or perhaps sell the horses elsewhere for high prices. Regardless, they were very thankful that they had the means to give chase quickly.
They had set out immediately afterwards. Chrom had, wisely, decided to leave Lissa behind before they went; The excuse he'd given he'd given her was that they needed someone to coordinate the fire fighting, and, when that was done, talk to the terrified villagers who were still hiding in their houses and refused to come out. Her aunt seemed to believe it and agreed.
Of course, the real reason was that he wanted to spare her the gruesome scenes of rape they would probably encounter.
With great reluctance, Lucina had finally consented to allow Robin to help in the fighting, though on the sole condition that he would be rebound immediately when they were done. It was an arrangement of concessions; there was no way she would let him out of her sights, and there was no way Chrom would leave Robin behind with just her and Lissa, justifiably worried that she'd execute him on the spot. The only option had been to take him along with the three of them.
Even though Robin claimed to know how to cast spells from tomes, Lucina had insisted that he used a sword, since she knew he was a vastly inferior martial combatant to all of them. If he used tomes, she couldn't be sure he wasn't a threat; in the past, Robin had eventually grown to be an exceptionally powerful mage, whether or not that had been because of him secretly accepting Grima's dark power. She had no intention whatsoever to test just how good he was at this moment in time, if it could be helped.
Also, even though she was ashamed to admit it, she had given serious thought to turning on her father and Frederick now that she was armed again and relatively isolated from the rest of the world.
She had decided against it for two reasons; first, even though she was probably stronger than them, could she take down all three men without having to resort to inflicting grievous and possibly lasting injuries on either her father or Frederick? They were innocent, and she wanted to avoid harming them if at all possible.
Secondly, they were out here to rescue innocent women from bandits, and sabotaging that attempt was something she couldn't condone, no matter what was at stake.
… Or was it? Images of the barren wasteland that made up the majority of the world in the future filled her mind, and instilled doubt. Was preventing the apocalypse not worth any cost?
She had already decided that her own life was a small price to pay…
Her thoughts had been cut short when they came upon a small bandit camp, where some of the raiders were busy lavishly abusing their prisoners. They obviously hadn't expected anyone to be chasing them, since there weren't even any proper lookouts to guard the encampment. At that moments, all that remained of Lucina had been cold rage.
The shepherds had overrun the bandits almost immediately; they were now all dead.
However, the women they'd taken with them would likely never be the same.
The most horrible thing, perhaps, had been that some of them had been already dead when they found them. Lovingly raised by their families for many years, then brutally abused and killed in less than a few hours, and for what? She didn't want to imagine what kind of horror and shame they must have felt at the end of their lives.
There was a flash of Grima in a dark void, leering at her before he grabbed her and-
She resolutely shook her head. No; that was something different and Lady Tiki had undone the damage. Thinking too much of it would lead to madness…
There would be no such quick recovery for these women.
'At least they have their families to help them during the process,' Lucina thought as she looked over the village square. Some craftsmen were busy breaking off some parts of the burned buildings, while others were delivering fresh materials to them. There were very few women out, overall, though it was easy to guess why.
Perhaps, in time, the village could grow over it. If she'd seen this same image in the future, it would probably have filled her with joy; a clear sign of civilized humanity being able to overcome hardships.
Strange , how the same thing filled her with sorrow now. She supposed it was all a matter of context and perspective…
"Severa?" A voice came from the side. Lucina didn't respond immediately, first taking care to repress the memories that name carried. It was still a bit hard getting used to the fact that she'd probably not be called by her own name for quite a while, if ever again.
"Lord f-Chrom?" she then asked, turning around. Gods, she couldn't afford to almost slip up like this, nor grow emotional every time they talked!
However, her father didn't seem to notice.
"I came to see how you were doing," he explained, resting his arms on the stone railing of the bridge beside her. "I'm sorry you had to see all that."
The princess shook her head. "You have my gratitude for your concern, but I've seen things that are a lot worse."
"Then I am doubly sorry," he insisted. "The distant past must have been a horrible place."
She looked away. "Compared to this? … Yes, I suppose it was."
There was an awkward moment of silence in which they both glanced over the village. Frederick was standing in the distance, hands behind his back as he gave a speech to some villagers regarding something, all of them listening intently. The knight then handed out some papers. Whatever was on them, the villagers stared at it with great interest.
Meanwhile, Robin was up on a roof, helping some other villagers replace the burned woodwork. He was quite far up; with any luck, he'd fall down and break his neck, saving her the trouble. Unfortunately the tactician actually seemed to know what he was doing, despite him claiming amnesia. She admitted grudgingly that she probably should have been there to help them as well. However, she'd been busy washing the blood off of her clothes to make herself at least slightly more presentable; in retrospect, it was easy to see why the female hostage had been so afraid of her.
Nearby, Lissa was playing a game with a few of the children; those brave enough to venture outside. They laughed as she huffed in her trademark 'not delicate' scoff. More than likely, the annoyance was faked and she had allowed them to win; it was just her own way of doing what she could to brighten the day. Lucina felt nostalgic at the sight; that was so like her aunt. Even in the future she had always tried to keep everyone smiling.
Her aunt caught their looks, and waved at them energetically. She then pointed at them, and the small flock of children turned as one to wave them their own greetings.
Her father returned the gesture.
'No, I can't even remember the last time I saw a group of smiling children,' Lucina reflected.
"You were very brave today," her father continued. "And your swordsmanship was on a level far above any I've ever seen before; it was really worthy of a hero of legend."
Lucina allowed herself a small smile. "You are too kind, my Lord. Yet, I fight only in the way I was taught."
'By you,' she added inwardly.
"I think you are too modest," Chrom replied, glancing over her. "But please, drop the formality. It feels very strange for you to call me 'Lord' when we're related. Even if we're over a thousand years apart."
Lucina nodded slowly. "All right then, 'Chrom'. If that is what you wish."
To use her father's name without any title or family reference felt very strange to her. Then again, this entire situation was really strange. In her time, he had already died. In his time, she had yet to exist. For them to actually be talking to eachother…
"Tell me, what was Iris like? In your past, I mean?" her father continued, starting a slow walk towards the town square. The princess idly noticed that though some of the villagers noticed them and started pointing towards them in excitement, others exchanged worried glanced and backed away further to the sides. Likely, they thought their saviours could turn on them in a moment's notice. Well, considering they were defenceless and had just been sacked, she supposed she couldn't blame them...
"Do you believe me, then?" Lucina asked, catching up to her father's side.
The lord frowned. "Honestly? I do admit I was sceptical at first. However, you've saved a lot of lives today, perhaps even our own. Your courage and your skill, along with the falchion and the brand prove that you're on our side and mean us well. At least, that is what I'd like to think."
Lucina realized it was an evasive answer. "Does that mean you do not?"
Her father stopped walking and faced her. "Follow me," was all he said as he went down an alley, one spared from the fires. With everyone working on repairing the main square, it was deserted. Lucina ignored a rising feeling of discomfort as Chrom remained silent.
"I know you are lying," he then casually said, as if discussing the weather.
"I-What?" Was all she managed. If- How- Did he know the truth? If he did, if he somehow KNEW who she was, would she still be born? Was she in danger of being erased from existence even now?
"You aren't who you claim you are," her father calmly repeated, then looked her straight in the eyes. "It's pointless to deny it."
And again, Lucina felt like a little girl caught doing something she knew was forbidden.
"...How did you know?" she asked, not wanting to discredit herself further.
"Because I lied," her father replied. "I do know of the Severa from legends. And her brand was on her left hand, not in her eye. I know, because when I was young, I once checked to see if any of the great heroes of legend had their brand in the same place I do. I know it was a silly thing thing to do; I never imagined it would turn out as valuable information."
"I... see," Lucina looked away in shame, unsure of what to say. Had she just failed her mission permanently? Was the only thing left to do to break ties with her father and to go after Robin herself? On the village square, in plain view of all the villagers? Somewhere else along the way?
...It would be a lonely road, regardless. If she even made it out, that was. She was convinced that if he gave the call, Frederick wouldn't be far away.
"Do you want to re-introduce yourself?" Chrom asked, his voice pleasant. "I'd like to remind you that you're not very good at lying. What if I didn't know for sure and had just made that up? You'd have given yourself away."
The princess met his eyes in surprise; he wasn't angry? "I... but wait, if you knew that, then why did you trust me? Why didn't you take me prisoner as well?"
"I wanted to see what you would do," her father answered. "I don't meet other wielders of the Falchion every day. Maybe if you hadn't come to the village's aid as you had, I'd have believed Frederick's claim of you being a spy. But when you were able to use MY Falchion, the one I know for sure has to be real, that removed any remaining doubt. You ARE a real member of the royal family, even if you're not the one you claimed."
He briefly paused. "And, um..." He scratched his head and looked away. "That aside, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't looking forward to a spar. Something tells me I have a lot to learn from you."
Lucina chuckled despite the situation; that was so like her father. "Thank you, lord... no, 'Chrom.' I'll look forward to that, as well."
"Good to hear that. Though that still doesn't answer who you really-"
Lucina was saved from having to think of another lie on the spot as her aunt's voice rang from across the alley.
"Chrom!" Lissa cried, then ran over to them. "So? How did it go? Did she say yes!?" she asked energetically.
Lucina blinked then addressed her father in confusion. "'Say yes?' To what?"
"I hadn't gotten to that part yet," he replied apologetically. "However, like I said, it was clear to all of us that you possess great skill, a selfless attitude and a strong sense of justice. All of those are qualities we are always looking for."
The princess' heart skipped a beat as she realized what he was about to ask. She repressed the wave of melancholy emotions.
"We were hoping that, during your stay here, you'd consider accompanying us further on our patrols," he explained. "Ylisse doesn't have a large standing army in this time, but we have a group of volunteers named 'the shepherds' who safeguard the lands."
"That's us!" Lissa chirped in. "Though there's only three of us here, there are a lot more of us in the capitol."
Her father nodded. "So how about it? Would you like to join us?"
'Yes! Of course I want to!'
"Hmmm..." she pretended to think. "I will, but I do have one condition."
Her father nodded expectantly while Lissa barely restrained her joy.
"If I join you, I must ask of you to never let Robin into your ranks. Even if you do not believe me fully, please know that I am completely serious when I say that he murdered all of my friends," she emphasised, causing both other members of the royal family to sober up. "I would feel extremely guilty if he managed to harm anyone in your time because I was not able to convince you of his evil."
"I have watched him fight," her father replied. "And he doesn't seem-"
"Chrom, I will not drop this request," she pressed. "In my time, he is infamous for his ability to befriend and mislead. If I must leave you to take my warning seriously, I will, even though I have nowhere else to go and would rather stay."
Her father searched her eyes for any trace of deception, then exchanged a glance with Lissa. Her aunt shrugged, then crossed her arms.
"All right, that is acceptable. We will never invite Robin into our ranks," Chrom finally agreed.
The princess felt hope rise inside her. At the very least, if Robin never really joined, he'd never be able to kill her father... right?
"Yes! Now you just come with me," her aunt said, after which she grabbed her arm and dragged her along. For all her petite figure, Lissa was surprisingly strong.
"Um, wait, where are we going?" Lucina hesitantly asked her aunt as they began to walk.
"Huh? Well, as a longer standing member of the shephards, I hereby appoint myself to make sure you are properly dressed! We're going to buy you for a new set of clothes. I mean, just look at you; your outfit is torn all over! I can even see the skin through some parts of it, and I don't think that's intentional, is it?" Lissa surmised, sounding somewhat like her best friend.
"Oh, I see," Lucina replied, blushing slightly upon re-examining herself. Yes, she had done a fairly good job at removing the blood but that didn't make the cuts she suffered from Grima's spell any less noticeable. At the part where her armour had been destroyed, the skin was in plain view. She didn't think much of it but...
"But wait, I need to watch Robin! What if he attacks-"
"Oh hush you, Frederick is watching him and he'll be fine," her aunt countered without missing a beat.
"I... Well, I'll leave you to that, then," Chrom said, excusing himself. "Oh, and Lissa?" he added, causing her to halt. The pig-tail haired woman deftly caught a large bundle of gold he threw at her. "Get everyone something to eat too, and buy a few extra supplies if you can find them. Make sure you give generous tips," he said. "I'm sure that more than a few stores here have been destroyed and that the villagers will appreciate a bit more gold to go around."
Lissa huffed. "I know that, you worry-wart."
Before Lucina could say or do anything else, her aunt had pulled them around the corner and out of her father's view.
Chrom watched them go in amusement. He wasn't quite sure what to think of 'Severa' yet, but for now she seemed like a genuinely good person. And, if he were completely honest with himself, she made him question his own martial prowess after that stunt with the bandits, something no one else had ever done. Eleven seemingly effortless kills in a matter of seconds, one of which even without a weapon, was no mean feat to say the least. He severely doubted whether or not he could have performed something similar had he led the charge instead.
But then there were so many questions about her, too, even aside from her real Identity or why she had lied about it. First, why did he feel she could be trusted? And why did her fighting style stir some feeling of familiarity? He had been told that some forms of magic could force you to trust a total stranger, yet he believed that wasn't the case. There was something about the enigmatic blue haired woman...
He shook his head; for now, Lissa seemingly had things under control. He'd have to worry about other things, such as the angry mayor demanding patrols to be stepped up in the region. As he watched the destruction the bandits had wrought upon the town square, he wondered if raids like these were an acceptable price to pay for his country having a relatively feeble military.
His gut told him that it wasn't and that they had to expand the army soon, no matter how Plegia would view it. What good was staying in their good graces if it meant that they couldn't protect their own citizens? It was completely unacceptable in his opinion.
Just as the thought went through his mind, he locked eyes with Robin, who was now helping some villagers move some freshly sewn wooden planks to a different building. HE stumbled once, causing the other villagers to quickly hold and reinforce their grip on the heavy planks. The dark-robed man laughed off the incident and further went on his way.
So far, nothing the man had done had pointed to him being a dangerous murderer, except possibly that comment on that he would have killed Severa if he really had the power she claimed him to have.
But then Severa's voice reached him again, filled with emotion: "He murdered all of my friends! I was forced to watch helplessly as he tore them apart with dark magic!"
'Then what are you hiding, Robin?' he wondered.
The black void stretched on endlessly as Grima descended into the consciousness of his devoted one. "VALIDAR," he stated, causing the projection of his physical being to whirl around in fright and then promptly bow deeply.
"My, my lord Grima? Is it truly you who is speaking to me? Why have you been silent to me for so long?" the human asked.
"DO NOT BOTHER ME WITH POINTLESS QUESTIONS. MY PRESCENCE NOW SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT, IS IT NOT?"
"Of course, my lord! I couldn't feel more honoured by your visit!" the man hastily said.
Grima considered punishing him for his lack of faith, then decided against it. He needed this human, for now at least, as tasteless as it were to admit it.
"ARE THE GRIMLEAL READY? CAN THEY ATTACK ON YOUR COMMAND?"
"Now? My lord? Well, yes, but-"
"GOOD. LISTEN CAREFULLY, FOR I BRING KNOWLEDGE FROM THE FUTURE. THERE ARE CERTAIN EVENTS THAT HAVE TO BE SET INTO MOTION, AND CERTAIN MISTAKES THAT CANNOT BE MADE," Grima said as he started explaining.
Validar, in turn, listened quietly, though his grin grew ever wider as the plan unfolded.
"I see, my lord," he finally replied. "But if we are to move now, then where would we strike?"
The dark dragon snorted, blowing out cloud of purple smoke through his nostrils. Such an obvious answer. "YLLISE, OF COURSE," he said, repressing another urge to punish the human. "BUT I HAVE SPOKEN TO MY AVATAR," the dark god continued, "WE HAVE AN ANNOYANCE TO DEAL WITH FIRST, AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO FIND HER."
Author's notes:
Some parts of this chapter were fairly hard to write. The main theme of Lucina trying to kill Robin is fleshed out a bit more, but Lucina's uncertainty concerning what she can and cannot do in order to preserve her existence, for now, gets in the way. I figured that Lucina would also never prioritize killing Robin over saving innocent civilians and would also never hurt the other shephards unless there was no other way, but I suppose that for a traumatized Lucina this is debatable. Would you do it, in her position?
Regarding the realism level: I'm sorry if I shocked anyone, but the fairy tale ending of a group of knights riding into a village, beating the bandits and everything being completely fine afterwards just doesn't exist. There's always lasting damage, be it trauma, deaths, rape, etcetera. I try to be a bit different from the usual stories in actually protraying these things. I am wondering though, if the readers feel this level is already too explicite.
I think I portrayed most of the shephards fairly well, though I found Chrom surprisingly hard to do, mostly because we don't see him that often in situations that do not revolve immediately around either battles, war, training or family (then again, I suppose this is an excuse that could be given to any fire emblem character in any game). Also, Lucina is a little OOC regarding one aspect of her, but that is intentional. I'll leave it to the readers to find out which, though it should be fairly obvious since it is more or less in the text :)
Well, that was everything I wanted to discuss from the top of my hat. If you liked (or disliked) it, please leave a review to show me what you felt was strong or weak about the story. I'm always open to criticism or suggestions.
-kind regards,
Dieuwtjin
