Saying thanks to those who faved and followed this story. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest. Enjoy this chapter.
Courage Ablazed
Ch.2 "Entering the Shepherds!"
The next day was much different than last night, Link discovered. The presence of the snowstorm was lifted, as if it was cursed to the land. There wasn't any sunlight shining through the infinite amount of clouds he saw through the window of the borrowed room. However, it looked as if the storm never came at all. Odd. Then again, he's seen stuff more odd than practical weather changes. Link shuffled to the side of the bed, swinging his legs around to the edge and ran his hand through his golden locks. He had wanted to think yesterday was a dream, but no. It was all real. His evidence was the pain he felt when he pinched himself earlier when he first woke up and his wearing of different clothes that wasn't his customary tunic. The blacksmith trainee sighed heavily but wouldn't dwell on his woes right now. It was very sudden but he had another adventure to go on and couldn't stay here any longer than he had.
If he wanted answers, he'd have to travel around and get them. Staying in one place also wasn't going to do Hyrule and Lorule any good.
Breakfast had already been served and it consisted of ham and eggs. He learned that this world's Cuccos were called chicken. They even looked identical, however, the chicken looked much thinner than the plump Cuccos he was accustomed to seeing in Kakariko Village.
Mrs. Eirene had set his damp clothes by the fireplace to dry completely last night after hand washing them. She had fussed a bit that they were filthy and required stitches in the holes present on the clothing. Link was grateful to have her assist in that endeavor; his friend's, Culley's, mother would egg on him in a similar manner and tried to teach him how to sew. Key word: tried. It hadn't boded well then and Link was sure if he tried now, it would ruin his clothes than help them. Thus, leaving Eirene to take care of them was the best idea.
For the past hour, he'd been contemplating how much, Rupees, he would leave them. He didn't know if the currency here was the same as in Hyrule and Lorule. It would be much easier if they did. If not, maybe they could do a currency exchange? From his wallet, he went through his stash of cash, and produced 5 silver rupees. They'd done so much in one day already, Link felt they deserved more. With that thought, he added on a purple rupee to the Silver, making 550 in total. They could use this for something, maybe. It wasn't his entire life savings though he had a lot to spare, if putting it lightly. It was something he could do to say thanks in physical form for the hospitality they offered to him.
Closing his wallet, Link put it back into his pouch—that had thankfully dried and the contents within weren't too damaged—and gathered his things. He had checked up on each item and was sad to report some of them needed a waiting period before he could use them, mainly the rods. He would be stuck using his sword, shield, bow, boomerang and bombs, however, that was fine with him. The fairies and potions he had were all good, and he made sure said fairies were doing well.
Link tidied up the room the way it was before, having had the neatness bashed into him as a child by Culley's mother. She was a sweet woman but way too overbearing for his liking. When that was done, Link slipped on the pair of boots provided for him to use while his clothes finished drying off, and left the room. He was dressed in a white long sleeve button shirt, a dark brown coat over that, dark red thick pants, the boots as well as mittens and a beanie cap to cover his head and ears. All were a size or two too large but that was fine.
As soon as he stepped out, Eirene greeted him, looking up from her sewing his green tunic. "Oh Link! Are you going out already?"
"Yes ma'am. As much as I value yours and Mr. Chares' hospitality towards me, I think I should depart as soon as I can to find a way back to the lands I came from," the boy replied, feeling the guilt eat him up from the inside. He could see Eirene looked much sadder at that point, but there wasn't anything he could do. "I apologize, but it's best if I do. I have to help a...friend of mine. She was captured by an evil sorcerer and I've to do everything possible to get her back." That wasn't too far from the truth. "In order to do that, I'm going to need information about these lands and beyond, if there are any. It'd help me in the long run. I wouldn't have to depend too much on you and your husband if I venture alone."
"Ohh..." the blond-haired woman sighed sadly. "...But you need information, you say?"
"Yes." Link could detect her sorrow from where he stood. How did he get attached to her that quickly? Was it just in his nature to? Eirene gave him a small smile, turning quietly back to sewing in the stitches. After a brief moment, she spoke up again.
"There's a merchant that traveled to our village a few days ago. I reckon she's still here; her name's Anna. She's supposedly with a merchant caravan, but arrived ahead to sell her merchandise," the woman finally said, twiddling a thread and pin into a stitch as she did so, "I'll bet she could give you more information regarding the continent in full detail. You might have to pay her a hefty fine, however..."
"A fine? How much?"
"I'm not exactly sure but it's mostly over 1000."
Link paled at the expense and amount but returned to his composure quickly. He couldn't let that deter him. "All right. I'll go find her. Maybe... Maybe I could do something about the money. Wow. That's a lot..."
"It is. Are you sure, Link? I understand you're a traveler and a fighter, but that amount is too much, even if I am guessing what it is."
The youth shook his head. "No, if it must be done, then I'll do whatever it takes. Thank you for the concern, Mrs. Eirene, but it'll all be fine." Link assured her and made his way to the front door and exiting the house. On the way out, he placed the rupees upon a counter, just out of Eirene's sight. Chares' wife could only watch with worry on her face though couldn't help but be surprised. Her husband wasn't wrong with telling her about Link's persistence.
-o-
Link wandered around the village some, briefly meeting some villagers who greeted him warmly. With the cap on his head and shielding his ears from both suspicion and the cold, he looked like any ordinary child. However, he was armed and many of the citizens of the village noted that trait. Some didn't pay much attention when bypassed, all engrossed with their duties of the day. He asked for directions, namely about a merchant called "Anna." Link got a few hints or incorrect directions but he eventually wound up finding the woman using his instincts and of course, when one of the villagers helped him with the correct directions, too. She was a tall individual with red hair and matching red clothes that made her akin to being apart of a troupe. Well, given that she was apart of a merchant caravan, it was no wonder.
Knowing his wallet was going to suffer a bit, Link steeled himself and approached her open stall with a neutral expression. "Hello! Are you Anna by chance? Anna the merchant?"
The woman he hoped was Anna looked up from behind her counter, a smile on her face as she turned to her next victim—erm, customer! He was a young one, however if he had money then he was surely here to buy something! Ah, yes, cha-ching! "I am her, yes. May I help you?" She waited for the boy to come closer and was taken a bit back by his startling blue eyes.
"Yes, I'm wondering if you could tell me some information about these lands? I'm awfully lost and uh... well... I heard it was a hefty fine of 1000," Link started and noticed the red-haired woman's face light up at the mention of the monetary value. "Uh, if you'd be kind to...help."
She giggled a little, still grinning though. "Of course! Well, since you seem to be a first timer, we can settle on 500 as a start. Though, the more information you require the more it'll cost you. What do you say?"
Link slightly grimaced and knew his wallet would suffer. Gosh, why'd it always have to be the greedy ones? Oh well, he couldn't help it. "Very well," the teenager said, pulling out his wallet and taking out the amount in purple and red rupees. He closed and pocketed it again and handed Anna the money. "All right, 500 ru—"
"G-Gods!? Wh-What!?" the woman suddenly yelled and stared at the jewels in her hands, mouth agape. Link quizzically eyed her. Did he not give the right amount?
"I-I'm sorry? Did I give the wrong value?"
The woman seemed transfixed in place before finally breathing, blinking, and then stared at the boy, no the filthy, stinking rich boy, in front of her in a new light. Her eyes were twinkling just like the Rupees and Link suddenly felt trouble was brewing. Anna clutched the gems, pocketed them and gave Link her undivided attention or some other. "Ohh, no you gave the right amount a-and more! I don't know how you managed to have an emperor's worth of money that you just gave to me... but I'm certain every penny in those jewels will leave me with a very early retirement!"
Link was somewhat confused. Sure, the Purple Rupees were worth 50 and the Reds were worth 20, but honestly? Red were as common as finding a cloud in the sky. Purples were a bit difficult to find in the dungeons, and from defeating monsters in Hyrule and Lorule alike. How they 'dropped' money was still beyond him but whatever. "Well... I don't know how those are worth anything an emperor would want. Those are commonly found anywhere kind of. Like in grass or under boulders where I'm from..."
Anna suddenly seemed interested. "Oh? And where might I be able to travel to such a land?"
"Uhh, Hyrule."
"Mm... never heard of that before, but I'll have to look diligently for it!" the woman was enthusiastic about searching for his homeland. He was, too, although not in the same cheer as she was or for the same reasons.
"...I suppose. Um, so could you tell me about these lands here?" Link sought to get her back on track. She seemed very intrigued about the Rupees and did say she could retire early. This meant they used a different currency. "Like, currency, language, and all that?" Anna giggled again and began recounting the information per request. First, it was about the continent of Ylisse, the halidom that was mentioned to him yesterday evening, Plegia, Ylisse's westerly neighbor and Ferox's southerly one. They had a war with those lands two years ago, according to Anna, with a woman once formerly called Exalt Emmeryn sacrificing herself for a noble cause. Link felt she cared much of her people and the people opposing her lands to do such a thing. Something that he knew Princess Zelda would probably do as well.
While he was offered her spare stoll to sit on, she also touched up on the subjects relating to Ferox, pausing when Link had questions, and detailed the knowledge with as much as she knew. The tale ended with Anna finishing off that one of her sisters were with the Shepherds, led by Prince Chrom, as of currently and would be much more helpful in regards to the lands beyond Ylisse's continent. "Lastly, there's a—" Anna was about to say when she was interrupted!
"Bandits!" a male villager yelled. "Bandits have come! They're demanding money if we or the merchants want to pass through. If we don't pay... they'll ransack our homes!"
"The trading caravans are our only hope of getting fresh foods and water. If they don't let them pass...we could end up starving," another villager, a woman, spoke worry on her face. A lot of other villagers crowded around and spoke in hushed and worried whispers. Some thought of giving into what the bandits wanted and others protested to find another way. Before long, an argument broke out among them, throwing them into discord. Anna, having overheard the troubled news, stood up from her stall and promptly walked over to the group, or rather, around them, towards the gate. Link wondered what she was up to when he spotted her sheathed sword at her hip. Huh, she was a swordswoman? He hadn't even see her armed with that—maybe prices aren't the only thing she cuts...
Was she going to...? Oh no!
"H-Hey! Where are you going?!" one of the villagers shouted. When Anna didn't stop, he shouted out again. "Don't go out there! They'll kill you if you don't pay!" Anna simply giggled, sending a wink to the man before departing the village's gate. The villagers couldn't help but become evidently worried for her safety; what was that woman thinking?!
"Someone! Please help! Don't let her go out there alone!" a young girl cried out.
"I-I would b-but I'm not good with any weapons!" the sound of another male said, stammering as he went.
"I can't wield any weapons, either!"
"I'm retired from the Feroxi army, but I'll grab ma ole axe and whip 'em into shape, those bandits!"
"No, father, you can't go. You're too old and you'll only get in the way! I won't let you go."
These conversations carried out in front of Link, one after the other. He understood what Anna was doing or going to do. She was taking it upon herself to fight off those bandits to keep this village safe! While she might be one of those money-greedy kinds of people, she didn't deserve to die in line of protecting others. It wasn't right and it didn't sit well with him. Link's facial expression turned grim. He pushed himself to his feet and took off after Anna, ignoring the cries of the villagers calling out to him instead. "You're only a boy!" "Come back here, kid!" Yeah, he was "only a boy" but he's faced tougher and scarier stuff than simple bandits doing illicit things. This may not be his world, but he wasn't afraid to stand up for justice. He was the chosen hero in his land and he'd be damned if he allowed this to carry on!
-o-
The Hylian teen brandished his sword and shield just in time to see Anna deal "deep cuts" to a bandit armed with a bow and quiver of arrows. He didn't seem fast enough to avoid her before being taken down. A bulky man with an odd hairstyle—mostly bald with some of his hair coming forward like tiger stripes—wearing clunky yet fitting armor approached Anna with a leer on his face.
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid this village is closed," Anna said slyly, a finger to her bottom lip as her other hand still held her sword.
"You!" the burly warrior cried out in sudden rage, pointing at her with a glare. "We have business, you and I, and I aim to settle the debt. Vincent will be avenged today!" What in the gods' name is he rambling about?
"Hmm? Oh, dear. Have we met?" Anna seemed just as puzzled as Link was currently.
The man chuckled darkly before replying. "Playing dumb won't save you, girly. The gold you net from the slavers will build Vincent the finest grave in the land!" So, he was a slave trader then? How despicable.
"Careful, love," Anna started with a cunning grin and false pretense to playfulness, "Us traders are known to make very deep cuts." She charged to meet the burly man but was blocked by a nearby barbarian's axe, who intercepted her attack on his apparent boss. The Trickster jumped back just as the large back took a strangely shaped axe to throw at her. Nice dodge.
"Hmph! I'll get revenge today, one way or another. Come out and play, boys!" he yelled. From the trees and bushes emerged several other villainous ruffians, all glaring or grinning madly. "Take care of her and don't let her escape!" Another archer fired an arrow—fast!—and it hit Anna's left shoulder, yet it didn't pierce completely. She gasped in pain but didn't go down. Link, using the bandits' unnotice of him to his advantage, charged ahead and delivered a few slashes at the archer, hoping to gain their attention so the merchant could go heal herself. The youth knew he hadn't fought living people before; they were always monsters. However, the castle guards that were being used by Yuga's nefarious deeds in Hyrule were the closest to human beings he'd ever slain before and it disgusted him the first time.
Those guards were being used. These bandits weren't and were doing it on their own accord.
The archer didn't have time to dodge him and went down, grunting in pain as he was slashed. Link backed up, now having the attention he sought on him. "The girl's with this brat. Take him down, too!" the apparent leader shouted.
"Boss! There's an army due south of here demanding to meet our challenge. What will we do?" another ruffian came up and asked of the man in charge, who snorted.
"We kill them for interfering. Let's go."
"What about the girl and the boy?"
"We'll come back for them. Don't let them out of your sights!"
"Yes sir!"
As the looming man left with a couple of his thugs, others replaced him, mostly with axes armed. Link stood defensively in front of Anna, his Hyrulean shield prepped to use to block whatever they could throw at him. "Miss Anna, are you all right? You have something to use to heal yourself with?"
The merchant gave him a smile as she removed the arrow, casting it aside and bringing a peculiar looking staff from her inventory. "Of course. I'm a Trickster; I'll be fine in a few seconds with this. Think you can hold them off for long?" Link nodded and refocused his attention back on the bandits—just in time, too, as one lunged right for him, a Steel Axe swung coming right for his knees! The chosen hero buckled down in time for the axe's swing to meet his bulk of a shield and Link used the momentary pause to slash out, a cry of "Teeyaaah!" along with it.
The bandit earned a few cuts as he used footwork to evade the rest of Link's slash attacks. However, as he did so, another axe-wielding ruffian replaced him temporarily, cutting off Link's next planned attack by sweeping him from his left. Just as the bandit from before, the golden-haired boy didn't have to time to dodge and the shallow, yet deadly cut on his arm, torn through the fabric of his coat, was evident enough. Link hissed but moved away and tried to follow up with a thrust.
"Yer gonna have to do better than that, kiddo!" the bandit he was currently clashing with taunted, as his buddy teamed up to chop the kid in half. He was stopped by a Steel Sword intercepting him this time, and a familiar giggle.
"Sorry, but no deal!" Anna chirped, bringing her sword up to throw the second ruffian away while Link dealt with the current one. The two used their agility to out pace their opponents, forcing them into a tough spot. Using that to their advantage, Link and Anna brought down their foes, but not without injury. Link suffered another cut, this time along his back and Anna didn't make it out without suffering a slash to her left arm. Still, it was better than nothing.
"You'll pay for that!" the remaining bandits cried, taking up arms against the pair. Both Hylian and Secret Seller glanced at one another, smirked and readied their swords for the next wave.
-o-
When he overheard the depressing tale of bandits performing illicit tolls on passersby that needed to come into this part of Ferox, the Shepherds' leader, Prince Chrom, had been righteously furious. With Frederick's word of the village suffering from future starvation should these ruffians continue their evil ways, the blue-haired royal sought to put an end to them. Similarly with the bandits they had defeated a few days prior in saving a Trickster named Anna from slave traders. Taking a few of his men of arms into the snowy field, a scout reported back with grave news.
The bandits were attacking a woman who looked similar to Anna and a young boy that might be from the nearby village. Frederick insisted they send a runner, possibly someone on horse- or Pegasus back, to warn them of the oncoming danger, and to close their gates until the battle was over.
"Chrom," a young, yet strong feminine voice called to his attention. He turned to see his best friend, a teenager he, his younger sister, Lissa, and Frederick had found while scouting the outskirts of Southtown of Ylisse two years ago. She proved to be an invaluable friend and tactician, once earning the trust of everyone she was around. Robin was short, just a reaching five feet in height, with a dark, heavy coat hanging onto her like a clothes hanger. Her brown eyes were always sparkling in awareness, and her short, fairly blonde hair made her look attractive. Of course, not to Chrom—he was married to a beautiful wife already. He would never say out loud that it was Robin's fault he fell in love with his now wife at first sight, though.
"Robin," he greeted her. "We're about to move out. Is there anything else you want to add?"
"Yes. We'll need to be careful with any fliers we send out. As the scout reported back, there are a few archers out there and we could risk their lives and the Pegasus they ride on. I suggest we keep all ground units and a couple horseback riders along. I was thinking Frederick and Stahl, and Sully to go and warn the people. Her authoritative tone would get them to stop and listen faster if they are in a panic." The tactician suggested thoughtfully. "Also, Maribelle should be brought along. She is on horseback herself; she should be able to reach the merchant and boy we overheard being confronted by the bandits and heal them of their injuries if we allow Frederick and Stahl to clear the path ahead for her.
"There are some mages out there, so bringing Ricken and Miriel along won't hurt, either, and they could take out the archers as well. Bringing Lon'qu with us to help us take out any bandits quickly. This is my suggested plans for taking on the field. Is there anything else?"
"Hm, no, and I agree with all your points and the people to bring. I'll go assemble them and we'll depart immediately," Chrom replied, trusting in his best friend's abilities. The girl nodded and went to prepare herself as the prince sought out the Shepherds that would be critical to bring along. His wife was also going to come along, not only for moral support but because he wanted to keep her close.
Not moments later, the gathered Shepherds finally charged onto the battlefield, paired up accordingly to double or triple team the bandits and take them down faster. The rest remained behind with the remainder of the army, at the ready in case they were needed for backup. Robin hitched a ride with Maribelle, wanting to check on the Anna-alike and the boy she was told about from the report. Maybe, hopefully, one of them would join their cause against the new menace calling himself Walhart. As Frederick and Stahl charged through and cut them down a path, Sully rode up after them, heading for the village as assigned to warn the people living there, while Maribelle rushed off to assist and heal the two fighting against the bandits. Just as the Valkyrie's horse was going through the snow-covered trees, a bandit of the Mage class jumped out to attack them with an Elfire spell.
Robin immediately met its assault with an Elwind, blowing the fire spell out and smacking the Mage across the way in the process. "Thank you, dear." Maribelle said as she directed her horse forward again. It wasn't long until they both heard a cry of, "Watch out, Anna!" It sounded suspiciously like a young boy's voice. Could it be the kid she was informed of?
This spurred Maribelle to go faster, find the source and quickly!
Just as they arrived on scene, they saw a boy no older than Ricken strike down a Barbarian class bandit with a golden blade that seemed to shine all on its own. Not too far beside him was...Anna? Wait, huh? How'd she get there? Or, was it another? With no time to think, Robin hopped off Maribelle's horse and whipped out her Elwind tome while rushing into the fray. The boy wouldn't be able to hold off an assault coming from his right! Speed casting as she ran, Ylisse's tactician blasted the arc of wind magic at the ruffian from the boy's right, catching his attention from a side glance though he didn't turn completely. He blocked an axe strike with his shield and the other Anna followed up by dishing out more strikes with her Steel Sword. Her last attack was a powerful slash which ended the man's life, his body collapsing to the ground beneath them.
Robin surveyed the area, her tome at the ready in case there were any surprise attacks from the bushes or trees as she approached the pair. "Are you two all right?"
The Anna-alike who looked remarkably like the Anna she knew was the first to respond. "Yes, my thanks to you, stranger. It's nice to see a friendly face for once." She had that charming smile to her face as usual. The merchant then turned to her fighting partner and appeared mildly concerned. "Link? Are you still well?"
"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks. This is nothing, really," the dark clothed lad replied evenly.
Robin assessed their situation before spotting the female Trickster was equipped with a Heal staff. Ah, right. Tricksters were often tricky, no pun intended. Seasoned thieves who also had a knack for utilizing staves. Most likely because they might be targeted whilst in the midst of stealing or lockpicking. It was advantageous to being capable of healing yourself. However, the boy she couldn't assess as well. What sort of profession did he utilize? His style of fighting was peculiar and vastly different than the Plegian, Feroxi or Ylissean styles she'd seen over the few years. Still, he appeared very strong despite his age; Ricken and Donnel were prime examples of "young but strong" types.
"I understand and am thankful you're both well, however, allow Maribelle here to heal any wounds you've suffered. She is a certified healer that could detect anything grave. I would rather you not suffer any further ailments before this whole battle is over with," Robin spoke up after a moment's pause. "My allies and I are here to deal with the brigands."
"All right, sounds fair. And thank you for the help," the golden-haired boy smiled warmly which Robin reciprocated. Hm.
Maribelle dismounted her steed and approached the pair with her Mend staff on hand. "Very well then, allow me to see what I can do for you. Please stand here." As she quickly examined over the other Anna's well-being, Robin continued surveying their surroundings. Anything could happen at a moment's notice and being caught unprepared wasn't her cup of tea. She took note that the boy's gentle blue eyes hardened as they observed his surroundings as well, glancing in every which way possible while remaining still. He stiffened when his eyes picked up something and Robin opened her tome, ready for any attack on them. Did he see something she hadn't? The boy then did something that would baffle her for many days on end.
He sheathed his sword and placed his shield on his back, reached into his pouch, and pulled out a bow that was large enough for a person his size. Yes. He pulled out a bow. How was that even possible? Maribelle and Anna were equally astonished although the red-haired Trickster recovered first. "Link? What is it?"
"I hear something coming," the lad—now called Link—replied, waiting for a few seconds before pulling back the bowstring. Wait, he has no quiver full of arrows! How could he use that if he doesn't have any arrows? Did he forget? The tactician sought to rectify that issue.
"Excuse me, but you don't have a quiver of arrows. How will you use your weapon if you don't have one?"
The golden-haired youth side glanced at her and smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I have arrows handy. You'll see for yourself." He returned his focus back to the sound he had apparently heard and kept both eyes open. Robin was a bit curious—she hadn't heard anything. Did he have acute hearing or was the adrenaline rush from his fight with the brigands causing him hallucinations? Maribelle recovered from her shock and was most likely thinking the same thing.
Before she could open her mouth to speak, Link gently side stepped her advance, keeping his attention in the direction he heard whatever it was and suddenly tensed! Robin knew that look from anywhere—a warrior, a fighter's intuition—was strong as a brick wall. The teenage tactician readied her tome as she overheard rustling; something was coming! "Maribelle, Anna, and your name is Link? I'll handle whatever approaches, stay back." Robin whispered, though kept her volume a little high for them to hear her.
"Sorry miss, but I can't do that," Link refused and steadied his bow. Energy mysteriously gathered into the shape of an arrow until it actually was an arrow within the bowstring and his aim. As Donnel would say, "What in tarnation?!" How did he do that? Robin put aside her wonder in favor of launching an Elwind spell as Link fired his arrow. The thing that caused the noise zoomed out from the bushes and revealed themselves to be more bandits! However, one had an arrow lodged in his leg and was downed.
"Heh, if it ain't the girl and brat. Oh? You brought more of yer friends, too? Well no matter. The boss wants that kid dead and that girl taken. Get the other two as well—they'll sell just as nicely for the slavers!" one bandit said as he looked at Maribelle and Robin with lust and greed in his eyes. "And get Liam outta here!" Two others agreed and carried the one that had been shot by Link's arrow away from the soon-to-be battle while the rest remained behind. Robin was undeterred by the man's despicable words and narrowed her eyes. No one was going anywhere, not under her watch!
There were five of them: an archer, two barbarian types, a fighter type—the one that called them out—and a mage. Five to their four, an unfair match up but the tactician was no stranger to these odds. "Stay in pairs, and follow my lead." Robin told the other three, watching from the corner of her eye as Anna drew her sword again and Link kept his bow out. Good; he could be their temporary sharp shooter to take out the mage and archer. The bandits didn't wait any longer and charged at them!
"Link! Take out their mage and archer! Anna, mop up the stragglers! Maribelle, prepare a tome. You're with me!" Robin ordered swiftly and launched another Elwind spell at one of the barbarians. The noblewoman of Themis quickly rushed to her friend's side, having no time to reach her horse, as the chaos ensued. However, that wasn't to say she was useless. The curly blonde produced an Elfire tome from her inventory and, with Robin, launched spell after spell to get the bandits. The first barbarian targeted yelled out in pain when he was hit with a combination of fire and wind spells. He fell to the ground, unable to move since he was singed. The second barbarian roared over his companion's fall and bull rushed the women.
As Robin would say, wrong move. The brute lunged his Iron Axe for Maribelle though Robin proved herself capable by unsheathing her Steel Sword, stepped in front of the noblewoman of Themis and blocked the attack. The teen knew the man was volumes stronger than her and it was showing quickly when he was overpowering her clash. Maribelle stepped back just slightly, aimed and with a righteous "Yaaah!" the Elfire spell wrapped around the fool's arm and hit! He groaned in agony, stepping back and dropping his weapon in the process as he clung to his arm.
"Leave these lands and don't come back!" Robin demanded. If she could spare a life or two, then she would. To handle bandits is one thing, but to show mercy is another. Not a lot of people these days do and she wouldn't become a murderer of someone who she didn't show mercy to. The man, in his agony, didn't register what she said. He was fueling with much anger and rage at this puny girl's attempt to kill him. Ignoring his pain, the man gripped his axe with his other, unharmed hand and, with a roar, charged the women one more time. Robin sighed silently; people didn't know when to give up.
"DIE!" the man yelled in fury, lunging and swinging his axe downward to split them asunder. He didn't count on their evasion of his attack which was to be his downfall. Maribelle and Robin shared a knowing look: this one's going to hurt. Together, they fired off their respective spells of Elfire and Elwind, giving the "uncouth" brute a death similar to one of his companions.
-o-
Link, as instructed, aimed and took out the archer. While the older male was definitely faster in terms of grabbing an arrow, pulling the bowstring back and firing, the youth had the advantage of height. Being short became his boon in dealing with the other bow user and he put the man out with a relatively quick—for him—arrow. He had grunted and fell, but wasn't dead. No; Link preferred they lived. These were human lives and he had taken a few of them already. He was used to slaying monsters of evil, not other human beings. But, the wicked knows no bounds, and could be extended to these unjustly fools. Link would soon learn that, also in this world, it's "kill or be killed."
The mage fired off an Elthunder spell at him—not that he knew what it was really called—and Link rolled out of the way in time. Boy, getting hit with electricity did not sound pleasant. Being shocked by many troubling foes that could electrocute their own bodies hadn't boded well in his time. Being purposefully zapped or flamed also contributed to that. Heeding the other girl's orders, which he knew he could trust just by listening to her, he pulled back the bowstring and fired another magically induced arrow. The mage dodged it however, couldn't dodge Anna as she swept him from the side, slashing into him and felling him. Link had slightly looked away when it happened, and glad he did, for now the remaining Fighter was charging for those two girls! They weren't going to see him coming!
Taking initiative, Link returned his bow back to his pouch and swiftly brandished his sword with his left hand. He tried to rush towards them but the brigand was faster!
"Geheheh! GOTCHA!" the man shouted as he grabbed Maribelle and held her.
"L-Let go of me this instant you barbaric, uncouth, uneducated savage!" the curly blonde demanded and tried to free herself, to no avail. He wrestled her tome away from her and tossed it aside.
"Maribelle!" Robin cried and took up her sword again.
"Take another step and this girl's dead!" the fighter ordered, pushing his axe dangerously close to Maribelle's exposed neck. The blade itself was mere centimeters from her skin, causing the Duke of Themis' daughter to stop struggling immediately, lest she lose her head. Robin froze in place; how was she going to save her?! "Hehehe, that's more like it. Now drop yer weapons," he turned to see Anna and Link behind him, armed although paused in place. "All of ye! DROP THEM AND STEP AWAY FROM 'EM!"
The other three slowly but surely complied with his demands, taking the few steps back from their dropped weapons. The brigand smirked as he had the rats right where he wanted them. "You! Red. Go heal my buddy over there. Try anything funny and you lose one friend!" Anna glared daggers at him but proceeded to do as commanded. She wouldn't let someone, now that she recognized as the Shepherds, to die on her watch. The Trickster took out her Heal staff, approached the wounded archer and began healing him. "Hurry it up, too!" The man yelled again. He glared at the boy, as if daring him to try anything. Link glared back however, he didn't move in fear he would behead the girl in his clutches.
He turned back around and motioned for Robin to come with. "Now git over here, girly! Ya'll make fine selling prices for Boss' slavers! Geheheh!"
Robin felt disgusted. She couldn't let this man win! There was a war to be had, to be won again. Losing to a simple bandit... Preposterous! Still, while he had Maribelle hostage, she would follow into his demands while thinking of a plan. One came to her suddenly as she saw the kid discreetly remove another object from his pouch. What in Naga's name was he doing? Anna had saw this as well, wondering what he was doing although remained silent. If he had a trick up his sleeve, then by all means...
Robin, as with Anna, didn't say anything as she continued to make her way towards the brigand, but anticipated his intentions—it looked like a yellow boomerang. As Anna was finishing up healing the archer, Link drew the item quietly. The bandit bow user apparently caught on and gasped. "W-Watch out!" he croaked loud enough. The one holding Maribelle hostage didn't have time to spin around when Link threw the boomerang! It sailed through the air and bashed into his head, rendering him dizzy. He groggily let go of Maribelle, who took the opportunity to escape his clutches. Anna kicked the other bandit she just healed down to prevent him from doing anything, allowing the other three to react!
Link rushed to grab his sword and swiftly struck it outward. Its blade of gold illuminated just a tad as a magical beam of energy slashed through the air and connected with the confused brigand. He groaned in pain from being hit by an apparent light beam of sorts. Robin, despite being partially mesmerized by such a technique, ran up to grab Maribelle's Elfire tome and speed cast to finish him off. When he was dealt with, she sighed in relief. Everything was looking up. "Robin!" The four overheard a man's voice call out. For two of them, it was a familiar tone while it got Link a bit on edge. Was it another bandit?
Stepping out from the trees were three men; two on horses, one wearing light blue armor with brown hair and another wearing green armor with jade hair. The last one wasn't on a horse although seemed to leak royalty. He wore a blue uniform with a white cape attached to his left side and had blue hair that looked more like navy blue than a blue reflected by the sun's light on water. Link calmed down a bit and relaxed some. These people didn't have the vibe of evil or ill intentions like those brigands. Also, since the other three appeared to know them, perhaps they were trustworthy.
"Chrom, Frederick, Stahl. Glad to see you three," the one apparently called Robin spoke up. "Was routing them all a success, I take it?"
"Yes. We defeated the lead bandit and the stragglers were dealt with. These lands will be fine for now on." the one called Chrom replied. "Are all of you all right?"
"As peachy as ever!" Anna smiled. Chrom regarded her and seemed puzzled.
"...Anna? What are you doing here?"
"I was with a merchant caravan although I went ahead to sell to the villagers. They do need food, after all!" She replied, however the blue-haired man still seemed confused. "I believe one of my sisters joined your group, the Shepherds, yes?" Ohh.
"O-Oh, yes. I recall now. It's just...you all look the same. Doesn't that get confusing?"
"Hee-hee! Not really!" the red-haired woman chirped happily. "However, I must thank you for helping me. No one from the village, except little Link here, was willing to deal with those bandits. I must be off to gather my things from my stall and head out." Anna laughed a bit, patting Link's head before making her way back to the village. The others turned their attention to the golden-haired lad, who bashfully chuckled.
"It was nothing. I couldn't stand to let her come alone," he replied sheepishly while sheathing his sword again and tucking his boomerang back into his pouch. His sudden action reminded Robin of what she'd seen him do before and prompted to speak openly about it.
"That reminds me... Link? Are you a traveler of sorts?" She had that twinkle in her eye and the rest knew exactly what she was about to do. Chrom caught on and decided to let his tactician swindle—erm, recruit a possible, new Shepherd. If she approved of this character, he would as well. Link, unfortunately for him, didn't catch what she was intending to do and took it for face value.
"Yeah, I'm a traveler. Kinda. I got lost and nice people from the village let me stay for a bit," he replied truthfully. "I'm on a journey to protect my lands from evil... although, I got off track and wound up here. I need clues to help me search for a way back home so I can save my friend." He at least hoped Zelda and him were friends. He was also leaving out certain things but again, he couldn't let these good people be wrapped up in his adventures. If they could give him a lead, then he'd be forever thankful.
"I see. Have you any leads yet?" Robin asked, trying to put some pieces of her newfound puzzle together.
"No... the man and woman who cared for me since last night suggested I find a woman named Anna. I found her and she gave me a run down of what these lands are. She also suggested I find her sister, also called Anna, who was in the Shepherds?" Link quizzically scratched his head. "Are they...really Shepherds? Tending to sheep a lot?"
Chrom couldn't help but chuckle at that. People often confused them with real shepherds. "Yes, we tend a lot of sheep," he started, getting the boy's—Link's—attention. "I'm Chrom, the leader of the Shepherds. If you're looking for Anna, she is with us. However—"
Link gasped and immediately bowed to the ground. "S-Sir! I mean, sire! Prince Chrom! Uhh, I didn't know you were...um, you! Goodness, I'm sorry! Forgive me for my rudeness!" The others shared a hearty laugh as Chrom sighed with a face palm. Gods, not this again. But perhaps, they would earn a new ally and friend from this encounter. Link, huh? He was a kid of surprises.
Link met the Shepherds! Will he go with them or not? Stay tuned for the next Chapter: "Creatures of the dark: Risen!?"
-Ijoa