Where am I? I feel like my head's gone numb… what was I doing before? I can only hear silence… Wait, I think I can hear someone… someone who's oddly loud. Who is that person?
"Chrom… we have to do SOMETHING." The person, obviously female said. I started to try and open my eyes a bit, though I could only see silhouettes of two people. A… girl with pigtails and a male with something similar to armor, with a shoulder pad.
"What do you propose we do?" The other voice responded, which had a young masculine edge to it. I tried to opening my eyes some more, though the sunlight started to blur through my eyelids and into my retinas.
"I… I dunno…" I finally opened up my eyes and there stood two strangers looking down at me. Was I on the ground? They looked kind of surprised and they flash smiles at me.
"I see you're awake both now." "Hey there!" They both say to me. Wait, there was someone next to me? I look over to the male with blue hair and an interesting looking mark on his shoulder.
"There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Give me your hands." He offers two hands, which I take one and another takes the other, which surprises me. It surprises the other person as well, which I'm not too certain who the other person was. Both of our hands had marks on them as well, though different.
We both get up from him pulling us up from the ground. He seems familiar… where have I seen him before? I glance over to the person who was curiously next to me and strangely, we had the same clothing. The EXACT same clothing.
"You two alright?" The man asks us. Before I say my response, the female next to me already says what I was about to say.
"Y-yes… thank you, Chrom." Chrom… Chrom. Was this his name? It oddly seems like it would connect with him. I think that is his name. Of course.
"Ah, then you know who I am then? How about you?" I sure hoped she did, because I couldn't remember who he was either. I'm not too aware of what happened before… scratch that, a lot. I can remember the language and rules to the tongue we know… but I'm not certain on who I am.
"No, actually, I… It's strange… Your name, it just… came to me…" Fortunately or not, she said what I was about to say if I was in her shoes.
"Me neither. I can't recall anything about you, sir." I spoke. I didn't notice the other person in armor before, but he certainly looks wary of us. He took a formal stance and was completely armored to the core. I'm surprised he could stand and be still during all this.
"...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what're your names? What brings you here?" The blue haired man; well, now known as Chrom, inquires of us.
"My name is… It's… Hmm?" "My name is… It's… Hmm?" Surprising both of us, we said the exact same thing. We look at each other in surprise and then we both shook our heads before looking back at who presumed as Chrom. I don't get it; could she read my mind?
"...You both don't know your own names?" Unfortunately, the person right next to me was still trying to remember, so I had to speak up for both of us, I was assuming.
"I'm not sure if… I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?" I questioned.
"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" The girl said and threw me off-guard, surprising me. She was so loud, you could probably hear her if you were deaf.
"It's called a load of pegasus dung, milady. We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?" The knight asks. Certainly, it would be strange for someone to remember someone else's name but their own… I can remember that much.
"B-but it's the truth!" I uttered out in somewhat fear of what might happen. They did outnumber me and two of them are armed. The person to the right of me nodded in agreement.
"...What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave both here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?" Chrom said. I hoped that they believed us; I'm not so sure if the next people to find us would be as so friendly as the people before us now.
"Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. T'would not do to let a wolf into our flock." The tall brunette man, known as Frederick said. I understood his caution as well; I just couldn't stay here with someone with amnesia as well to help me and for me to help her.
"Right then- we'll take them both back to town and sort this out there." I wasn't really that threatened by Chrom, but the person next to me didn't exactly think the same way as me there.
"Wait just one moment. Do either of us have a say in this?" She questions.
"Peace, friend- I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come." That sort of thing doesn't really mix with his warm smile. The way he worded it did; just that someone's head would be chopped when someone says that. Regardless, it was better to stand around, wondering until we found out where we were.
Me and the other amnesiac had followed the group to assumingly, a town. The stoic man Frederick was the last one in line to follow, assuming that he doesn't want someone to attack from behind. Chrom and the other girl were in front and me and the other female were in the middle.
We stopped for a moment when we heard the female next to me sigh. Chrom and the girl next to him turned around to see what was wrong.
"What will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner?" She worriedly asked. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was in this situation and acted like this; I would too, had I not remained calm and waited out what would happen. Surprisingly, Chrom just chuckled a bit in response.
"Hah! You'll be free to go once we established you're no enemy of Ylisse." Curious, I asked a question of Chrom.
"Is that where we are? Ylisse?" I ask.
"You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing…" His response was. I was somewhat offended by his comment, but I held a quiet exterior.
"Frederick, please. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order… My name is Chrom- But then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my sister, Lissa."
"I am NOT delicate! ...Hmph! Ignore my brother, please. He can be quite thick sometimes." The girl, now known as Lissa, retorts. Not a very good retort, but a retort nonetheless.
"But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!" I shuddered at that thought. Though I couldn't remember my name, I could also remember what a brigand was at least. That WOULD be a rude awakening.
"Shepherds? You tend sheep? ...In full armor?" The amnesiac to my right asks. I wasn't thinking anything of it before, but then came to the realization that they did refer to themselves as "Shepherds," which most don't wear full armor.
"Heh, it's a dangerous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here." Chrom jokes.
"A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust either of you, strangers, but my station mandates otherwise."
"I understand, sir. I would do no less myself. My name is Robin. ...I just remembered that. How odd. I suppose that's one mystery solved." I answer back to him. Strange, I could remember nothing of my name, but I just spout it out like I've known it for years.
"A-and my name's Reflet. I remembered as well now." The white haired female, known as Reflet, says. Our names don't seem to be alike to their names, they seem like they belong somewhere else.
"Robin and Reflet? Is that foreign? ...Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we-"
"Chrom, look! The town!" Lissa interrupts. We look over and we see the town on fire, buildings in flames. Is it a bandit attack?
"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt… Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"
"What about them?" Frederick asks before preparing.
"Unless they're on fire as well, it can wait!" Chrom responds. That would be a funny response, had it not happened before a serious problem.
"Aptly put, milord."
"Let's just go already!" Lissa says before heading off. Chrom and Frederick follow after. I check what I have on me and I have a book and sword in my coat, strangely enough. Reflect checks hers and finds a greek book and a sword similar to mine.
"But what about- Hmm…" Reflect taps me on the shoulder after I've read a couple pages in the book, gesturing me to follow her. Thinking for a moment, I decide to go and assist the group of three, as they were unsure of the numbers of the brigands and it's better to be in a large group than to be in shreds.
Hoping that Robin would follow them as well, I ran after them and I could hear everything going on; destruction of items and buildings, pillaging and murder… faintly I could make out who I could presume to be the leader, saying something.
"Gwahaha! Get to it lads! Grab anything shiny and put the rest to the torch! We gots to set an example for these Ylissean types! Ain't that right, lass?"
"S-stay away from me! Please! Someone! HEEEEEELP!"
We had to save these people before the town was completely demolished. It wasn't a matter of we didn't know them, we could leave them to die. I'm not so sure about Robin, but I had a sense of right and wrong; leaving people to die in your stead is most definitely wrong.
"Chrom, we have to stop them!" Lissa says.
"Don't worry- After today, these bandits won't be bothering anyone ever again…"
Once the group had stopped to draw their weapons, I finally caught up with the group.
"Wait!" I shout to them when I arrive.
"Omega! You followed us! Why?" Chrom asks. As he says that, Robin catches up.
"I'm not certain myself, so if you could please tell us both."
"It's much better to be strong in numbers and I want to protect the people. Do I need another reason? Plus, we're both armed and I know my way around a fight, if you'll have me or him." I respond.
"I certainly won't turn down the help then. Just stay close." Chrom shouts as a sort of battlecry.
We take out our weapons and such and Chrom examines what we both have. My memory about a few battles and skirmishes I've been was slowly returning to me, but I was still a bit foggy on magic.
"So you two, I see you both wear a sword. Is it- Wait, is that a tome? ...Either of you know magic?" Chrom asks.
"I… I believe so? I suppose I should check." I respond.
"You believe so? Perhaps I'll just keep a few paces behind you for the time being…"
"I remember how to control it now, I'm sure. Now how did this work again?" I don't think that question made Chrom feel better about my ability of spell casting.
"I could remember about magic before we got into battle. Reflet, try focusing on an enemy and blasting them with words from the tome. That should be a wind tome you're carrying." Indeed as Robin said that, I faintly recalled how to cast spells and what types there were.
"Ah, yes…" I did as Robin said and surely enough, as I casted the spell to test if it worked, I unintentionally hit a… Myrmidon? The name and look of one were still hard to remembering, but I'm sure that is a myrmidon. Well, he was charging at us, so that's a good sign that I can at least hit someone with my magic.
Unfortunately, the Myrmidon got back up and starting charging at us again, which he was charging at Robin; he prepared and jumped back from his slash, then came up and sliced a cut through him, effectively killing him. He waves off his blade, which while Chrom and Frederick were off killing other brigands, Robin got attacked from behind by a Fighter, which I saved him for a second and fatal blow.
I did remember that Lissa was carrying a staff… I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but why was a staff useful again?
"Reflet, get Lissa. Her staff could heal the wound. You might want to hurry, I'm going to bleed out if you don't." I gesture Lissa to get over here after whatever she said and she quickly heals up Robin.
"Thanks." Robin says, before looking over and gesturing that there's another brigand over there. The one over there is a… Mage, I believe. That would mean that-
"Look out!" Before the mage hits me with a wind of his own, Robin pushes me out of the way and blocks with his thunder, which he fires another one and lands a bolt right in the mage's head and ends his life.
"Is anyone else hurt? It would be foolish to leave a wound untreated." Chrom shouts to us. Robin shouts back to him with his response.
"We're fine over here. Though, timely use of a staff or a vulnerary should prevent the worst. Alright Reflet, follow me." Doing as he says, I follow and see another Fighter, which we both shoot a spell at him and cut off his ties to the bandits for good. From a bit of a distance, I can see Frederick surrounding by a couple of bodies and Chrom having trouble with 2 other brigands.
Frederick does come to Chrom's side and they take on the two, easily dealing with both at once. Once we had taken care of our side of enemies, we regrouped and got healed up by Lissa.
We had a bit of a rest, but it came to me that pairing troops side by side had good tactical capability if done right, like what Frederick and Chrom were doing like it was an old habit. Another strange thing was that when me and Robin awoke at the field, we knew nothing other than how to talk. Now, we figured out battle tactics and ideas that could assist in wiping out the bandit threat quickly, had we had enough people to fight for us.
Once our rest was over, we hunted as a group for the leader. We found him and with a hostage as well. I couldn't stand what they were doing to the poor woman and so we devised a plan.
There were about 6 of them and 5 of us, 4 not counting Lissa who couldn't fight; Frederick would first sneakily take out their second mage so they did not have anyone firing magic at us from the back. Robin would shoot down their Myrmidons and me and Chrom would take down their Fighters. That would leave the leader exposed to an all out assault by us from all sides and be effectively taken out. Lissa would stand in the back and helped up anyone returning from their part.
I waited for the right moment for their guards to be lowered and struck when it did. The plan went flawlessly and when the leader finally noticed, he did a battlecry before saying something.
"Here, sheepy sheepy! Come to the slaughter!" He held a strange version of an axe before throwing it like a boomerang. It was headed towards me and I rolled out of the way just in time.
"Reflet, if I'm correct, that's a Short Axe. Watch out for it, it may not be the most accurate, but it can deal a fair amount of damage if it hits you. The leader appears to be a Berserker as well, so he's tougher than the other brigands." I nodded to Robin, confirming his fact. It was a Short Axe, most definitely and that the leader was different from the rest; especially with that bear skin on him.
Frederick charges from behind and attacks the leader, who preemptively attacks so Frederick doesn't land his attack. Chrom heads up next from the side and is blocked, then struck. Right when he was about to do an overhead swing, I fire a spell at him and prevent Chrom's demise, which he got up and slashed the brigand from shoulder to shoulder, causing him to do another battlecry strangely and then blocks Chrom's blow that should've finished him.
Robin fires another bolt at him, which he sways and dodges the diagonal swing from Chrom yet again. Robin then goes over to me and whispers:
"I think I've read this somewhere. Sometimes, someone could train hard enough to hate something and effectively use that hate to fight better. Judging by him battlecrying after Chrom struck him, he might hate pain as an effect. Another thing is that they'll pick up skills that have been passed on to another people of their job description, so watch out for people like them. Remember this." Robin quietly says before firing another thunder at the leader, which he dodges yet again. He's definitely more combat-trained than we thought he was.
"Reflet, when he dodges Frederick's next attack, fire at the same time as I do. Understand?" I nod to Robin. He sneaks over somewhere far that's behind the brigand and when Frederick thrusts and misses, I fire. The leader isn't prepared to dodge both of them at the same time and is hit and stunned, which Chrom stabs him through the head.
We regroup once more and I sigh in relief, before saying:
"Well, that's the end of that."
"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Robin and Reflet! You both were incredible! Swords, sorcery AND tactics! Is there anything either of you can't do?" Lissa responds.
"You both certainly aren't helpless victims, that much is for sure." Chrom says.
"Indeed. Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how both you and Robin came here?" Frederick inquires. Robin answers for us, thankfully.
"I and perhaps Reflet, understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick. Though I cannot speak for Reflet entirely, I cannot explain why only some knowledge has returned to me or her. But please, believe me and anything she might have to say. I've shared all that I know." Robin says.
"What Robin has said; this is essentially all I know as well." I spoke as well. Chrom speaks up though.
"You fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that's enough."
"And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its counsel as well?" Frederick asks.
"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with either of their talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really lose us such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her story, odd as it is." Chrom responds.
"Th-thank you Chrom." "Th-thank you Chrom." Me and Robin say. It didn't surprise us this time, but I wasn't too sure if Robin was going to join them as well as I did.
"So, how about it? Will you join us, Robin and Reflet?" Chrom asks. Robin speaks for both of us yet again.
"I would believe that we would both be honored to join you." Robin looks over to me and I nod in response. Officially on this day forward; we were Shepherds.