Mandatory Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, Micolash would sit down, pour the good hunter a cup of tea, and explain what the actual shit happened to the Unseen-Villiage!
Warning: This chapter has not been beta'd, apologies for the problems that might come up.
Robin had to admit, she's been having an interesting few days. Actually, since she didn't remember anything past the last few days, you could go as far as to say that she'd been having an interesting life. First memory she has is of three different people staring down at her. One was a healer, the other were two handsome guys who seemed intent to smile in the best way possible at every moment. If she was going to be the tactician, she would need a way to get rid of those things, they were distracting!
But after meeting them, she helped save a town, saw her new friend teleport, saw a portal appear in the sky and have monsters fall out. The sky was smoking, the forest was on fire, and her friends made it out alive.
It was quite the afternoon.
And if that wasn't enough, she somehow got dragged into a military group to save a country, became the tactician of said group. Now, she was getting pulled by a princess towards a building that was told was going to be her home for the foreseeable future. Why couldn't things be normal? Gehrman didn't have to be dragged to his new workstation. Now, that's not to say that Robin didn't blame Lissa for her energy, she just wished she understood not everyone has that kind of power to spare.
But, Robin also didn't want to stay with a war room meeting. That sounded far too boring for it's own good. She would have to thank Lissa when this was all over. The two woman burst through the house doors, revealing a rather large and open armory. Well, slight armory. There were weapons, boxes of them even, but most of the space had been made into a comfortable living area. The majority of the boxes were thrown to the side, allowing for a few tables to be put up for the comfort of those using the space. Near the wall, Virion was enjoying a cup of tea by himself while several others went about their business.
The first was a tall, blond haired warrior who probably hated the idea of wearing a shirt. He smiled as Lissa and Robin entered, but didn't say anything. The other was a pretty young woman in pink armor. She watched the Princess and studied the newcomer. Lissa threw her arms into the air as she finally let Robin go.
"Here we are! The Shepherds Garrison!" She said excitedly "Go on, make yourself at home!"
Robin took a look around, trying to find a spot that hadn't been taken. So far, every inch of space had a piece of supplies sitting around so someone probably had a say in it. But before she could even ask a single question, someone new brought themselves in the picture.
"Lissa, my treasure! Are you alright? I've been on pins and needles?"
Robin watched as a blond in a dress holding a parasol all but sprinted up to Lissa. The healer watched her approach and just waved like nothing was wrong "Hey Maribelle."
The blond noble humphed, mostly to herself "Hey yourself! I sprouted 14 grey hairs fretting over you!"
Robin blinked, then she wondered how someone would know that they sprouted grey hairs. Wait, no, better question, how did she know the exact number? It was probably just an expression, Robin knew, but it was the principal of her position as a tactician to ask these kind of questions. Plus it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's happened to Robin in the last few hours.
Lissa giggled at Maribelle's discomfort "Don't worry about me, I can handle a battle or two."
She paused for a second in thought "Although, I could go without the bugs the bear barbecue and the manhandling."
If it were physically possible, Maribelle's eyes would have shot out of her head.
"Manhandling!? What horrible creature would do something like that to you?"
"Gehrman." Lissa said without a care in the world.
"Oh, I'm sure you punished that horrible man for doing such vulgar things to you!" Maribelle asked.
"Actually, he's a Shepherd too." Lissa commented.
The comment set Maribelle off even more, if that was possible. The two other shepherds beside her took a step or two back, probably to avoid the coming meltdown.
"Oh don't worry about it Maribelle, he's a really nice guy. He saved my life." Lissa said.
That seemed to lessen the blow on Maribelle's psychic. She took a deep breath in, and composed herself. But her anger came right back when the blond with no shirt shoved her to the side slightly "Hey, Squirt! Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' teach and his trusty axe!"
Lissa laughed at the comment "So you're Teach now Vaike? Hehehe. I thought some people were just born without witz, but clearly it can be taught!"
Vaike puffed up his chest with pride "Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!"
His shoulder's slumped as something came to him "Wait… was that an insult."
Robin opened her mouth to answer, but Lissa just shook her head and decided against it. Behind them, the woman in pink armor took a tentative step forward.
"I'm sorry, but when will we be seeing the Captain?"
Maribelle put on a knowing smile and tisked "Poor Sumia, the poor girl's been beside herself with concern. She might have earned fewer bruises blindfolded."
Sumia's face flushed, something that everyone in the room noticed.
"It's not that!" She said quickly "It's just… he's our captain so of course I worry!"
Robin glanced at Lissa, who just nodded. Robin nodded back, the feelings of this particular knight were clear as day. In another life, they would have continued pestering Sumia, and putting the poor girl in an even more embarrassing position. Thankfully however, a certain warrior didn't like spending too much time doing these sort of things.
"So, who's the new lass?" Viake asked.
Robin resented the comment about being called a lass, but it was probably just Vaike. Lissa grinned from ear to ear and gestured towards Robin "Let me introduce you to Robin! Our new tacition!"
Robin waved awkwardly at the members present "Hello, nice to meet all of you."
Maribelle looked the tactician over, and hummed. Apparently, she found Robin acceptable, as she didn't comment on her attire or posture at all.
"You mentioned someone else dear. A Germund?" Maribelle asked.
"Gehrman," Robin corrected "And he's in the forge."
"What on earth would he be needing to be in the forge?" Maribelle asked.
"Well, he probably just wants to get some supplies." Robin offered.
"He's going to be our blacksmith." Lissa said "You'll love him. He's really really fast, uses a scythe and he knows how to cook!"
Maribelle scoffed "A scythe? What kind of barbarian uses such a indecent weapon?"
"Actually, a scythe is one of more efficient weapons to kill something." Robin interjected.
She blinked. How did she know that? She didn't know how, she just did. While it had a learning curve, a scythe, if built correctly, was equal to a halberd with how deadly it could be at midrange. But most don't make them correctly, and those that do don't spend the years required to master it.
"A knight's sword is meant to defend, not to kill. A man who uses that kind of weapon has much to be desired."
"That might be Maribelle, but Gehrman's more than proven himself as a warrior."
Robin turned her head and saw Chrom enter the barracks. Maribelle rolled her eyes and let out an indignant humph but left the prince to his men. Sumia however, might have been a little too excited to see Chrom.
"Captain!" She called "I was so… well we were worried."
She walked forward, but she tripped over seemingly nothing. Robin took an involuntary step back. She looked down, and saw that there was only a small piece of paper lying on the ground.
...did she trip on a piece of paper?
Either way, Chrom knelt down and helped Sumia up.
"Sumia, are you alright?... is it the boots again?" Chrom asked.
Robin raised an eyebrow at Chrom. He seriously thought she was tripping because of boots? She checked with Lissa and Viake. The healer placed a hand to her cheek and mimed sighing and looking forlorn. Viake just went straight for the kissing face.
"No! I mean yes I mean… *sigh*"
Robin smiled in understanding and Sumia gave her a thank you smile in return. Chrom brushed off her armor before clearing his throat.
"Alright, listen up everyone. In the morning, we're going to be marching to Regna Ferox."
Robin tilted her head in confusion "Regna Ferox?" She asked.
"A unified Kingdom to the north of Ylisse. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said." Sumia explained.
"They're warriors Sumia," Chrom corrected "And we'll be needing their strength to combat this new threat. Typically, the Exalt would request aid in person but given recent events…"
"With the forest going up in flames." Robin said.
"And the whole blood thing." Lissa commented.
Sumia blinked in confusion "Blood thing?"
"We'll explain later." Chrom said "Regardless, the task has been given to us. I won't lie, this mission won't be easy. There's a good chance we could get into a fight with the people of Ferox. As such, this mission will be strictly voluntary. So if for any-"
"Count me in!" Lissa said before Chrom had even finished.
Viake pounded his chest "Me too! You'll be needen ol' Teach for this delicate mission!"
"I suppose I could join." Virion said from his table "Some form of Nobility would be required for this task."
Chrom felt a smile come to him naturally "Seems like everyone's willing."
He turned to Robin "Are you willing?"
Robin scoffed at the man "Why Chrom, are you implying that you would go to a diplomatic mission without your tactician?"
Chrom blinked "Well, if you didn't want to go I wasn't going to force y-."
Robin let out a laugh, cutting off the captain "Don't worry Chrom, I'd be glad to help."
"Oh, ok. But if we are going to go, we probably should bring out blacksmith just in case our equipment gets bad. While I ask, would you mind helping Vaike and Frederic load the cargo?"
"Why are you asking me?" Robin asked.
Chrom scratched the back of his head "Well, it's not like I don't trust either of them, I do. But I don't trust Vaike to handle the more..."
Robin nodded "Say no more."
The prince nodded in thanks and headed out the door to the open courtyard. He didn't waste any time, and headed straight for the forge. He thought about going to this building first, but it made more sense to get as many people as he could. Chrom liked a lot of things, but repeating himself just didn't feel right unless he was giving an order. The chimneys on the roof were in full effect, indicating that Gehrman was probably hard at work. Chrom found himself smiling at that. Gehrman hadn't even been here for an entire day and he was already working. Some people might see that as the tendencies of a workaholic. But workaholic is just a term that lazy people use to designate those who always see the work before them.
Chrom got to the door and gave it a quick shove and the door slide open. Inside, the forge was ablaze, the entire room put into motion. The fires were roaring and full of oar. The water buckets were almost boiling with the metal put into them, but everything seemed to be under control. Gehrman pulled a piece of steel oar out of the barrel and set it next to the others that he had made. There weren't very many, only three, but still impressive considering how much time he had to work with.
"You've been busy." Chrom said.
Gehrman put down his tools and waved at his new caption "I noticed a lack of real metal in the shop, I'm taking steps to rectify this. Along with making myself an early birthday present."
"Oh?" Chrom asked "What is it?"
Gehrman smiled "You'll know it when you see it."
"Then I'll wait with baited breath. The Shepherds are heading out to Regna Ferox tomorrow morning. It's a volunteer mission, so you don't have to go if you don't want to."
Gehrman chuckled at the accusation before pointing over to a pile of supplies ready and waiting. A hammer, a small anvil, and a few planks of wood, bolts, and a series of metal working tools.
"Your sister said I could take whatever I wanted, and I only want those things. I'm all packed for whatever you want me to do."
Chrom smiled "Good, get some rest, we march in the morning."
Let the record show, Robin tried to get some sleep. She wanted to get as much sleep as possible, for the march tomorrow more than anything. But, it seems that sleep was an entity that sleep was an entity that would not grace her with it's presence. With nothing left, the white haired tactician jumped out of bed, grabbed her coat and headed out.
Maybe a nice walk would help calm her down.
She made her way through the female half of the shepherds dormitory and exited out to the cold night. It wasn't blistering cold, but it was cool enough to elicit a shiver of discomfort from Robin. She started walking, trying to keep her blood moving and warm her up slightly. She headed around the training grounds and passed the forge. She stopped at the door, and briefly wondered if Gehrman was still inside. But she shouldn't check. If he was, she would just be waking him up from a much needed sleep.
She made her way around the forge and "Nice night for a walk."
Robin nearly jumped out of her skin, a yelp coming out of her before she had the chance to clamp it down. She took a deep breath and sighed "Couldn't sleep Gehrman?"
The hunter shrugged "The last chance I got to look up at the stars ended with literal hell breaking loose. Thought I would test my luck and try again tonight."
He gestured around himself for show "So far, I'm looking pretty good."
"The night is young Gehrman." Robin joked.
"That it is." he admitted.
Gehrman turned his attention back to the sky, or the moon specifically. It was shining, full and bright in the night sky. Without asking, Robin took a seat on the grass next to the hunter. Gehrman gave her a rueful glance, but he said nothing of it. They just sat there, enjoying the starlight and the other's company.
For Robin, the night was the perfect representation of calm. The stars seemed to dance in the sky, without a care in the world. And the moon, it looked like a giant sphere, shining over every other star. But it wasn't harsh, it was a gentle and powerful light that seemed to take in every star. It was their protector, against the cold dark of the night.
For Gehrman, it was strange to see the moon like this. Everytime he looked up in the dream, he felt the presences gaze stare back at him. His every action was under its watch, and his every desire fulfilled by it's twisted imagination. But here, there were no great ones. The cosmos had gods, once, but it felt like he was looking up at a corpse. There was life, but only remnants of once great powers. Man was the god here, as it should be.
The first hunter glanced at the white haired woman next to him. For a second, his imagination demanded that her skin grew paler, her arms slender and a hunter's cap adorned her head. It was, nice. But then came the memories. The research hall, the clocktower.
The corpse.
Gehrman shivered, causing Robin to glance at him "Something wrong?"
Gehrman had to shake himself out of the memory and smile back at her "No, it's nothing."
Robin raised an eyebrow, disbelief all over her face. Gehrman shifted under the gaze and sighed "Yes… just a few memories."
"Nothing painful I hope."
Gehrman laughed "Oh no, not at all. In fact, some of them were the best memories in my life."
Robin brought up her knees, hugging them and enjoying the warmth as she looked at Gehrman expectantly. Gehrman leaned back against his scythe.
"In Yharnam, I was part of a group." Gehrman explained "Not unlike the Shepherds now that I think about it. We protected the city from any harm that might come to it. We were a fun little band, always getting under one another's skin and helping us along. We had our differences, but we always came together to help the people. I'm not one to brag, but I was the best fighter among us. I could go faster, fight harder and last longer than any other hunter. But eventually, the darkness that we were beating back grew too widespread and a more structured system was established."
"What happened to everyone in your group?" Robin asked.
Gehrman chuckled "We went our separate ways. As experts in our fields, we were kind of sought after by everyone. A few of us kept with the order and joined the new organization. Others went into the sciences, trying to better the lives of everyone with their insight. But anyone would want you if you head and shoulders above everyone else."
Robin blinked "You're superior? In what regard?"
Gehrman shrugged "Physical mostly. Like I said back with Emmeryn, the quick step technique can only be done to those that have partaken in the blood."
"Let me guess, it does a lot more than heal you." Robin surmised.
Gehrman nodded "It's a miracle in all honesty. It keeps you from catching any sickness, with the exception of terminal illnesses, and even then it only lasts a short while. No, the real draw of the blood is it's ability to turn a normal man into a monster in combat. The blood erases all impurities in the body, including those that would otherwise slow you down or make you weaker. Those that partake in the blood are the most physically fit humans on earth. The quickstep, like I said before, can only be used by those that take in the blood because if a normal human attempted it, they would break every bone in their leg."
"Is that what you used when we first met?" Robin asked.
Gehrman raised an eyebrow at her the the tactician held up a hand "When we first met, you just seemed to teleport away from me. One second you were there, the next, you're gone."
Gehrman smiled thoughtfully "Ah, a good guess, but that was not a quick step. A quick step only takes you forward about five feet at the most. What I used was a lost art called Quickening by the younger hunters."
"Quickening and quick step?" Robin asked.
"That's right."
"... not very original." Robin said.
Gehrman frowned "It's using one's own magical potential to propel you through the air so fast that some would consider it teleporting. And you did consider it teleporting."
Robin laughed at Gehrman's expense. If this was the dream, and Robin was a hunter. He would have made her stand for six hours swinging the Kirkhammer. That always showed some of the more annoying hunters what needed to be done. But, without six hours or a Kirkhammer, Gehrman could only sit back and let the tactician have her moment.
"Despite the name, Quickening, has been the most pinical part of my fighting style. It's why I don't bother with armor. Why take the chance that it could slow me down?"
Robin laughed a little again "I'm kidding, I'm just giving you a hard time."
"By insulting years of practice and hard work on my part." Gehrman mumbled indignantly.
"Well, I don't know if I'm insulting you if I don't know that much about you." Robin said in her defence.
Gehrman shook his head "Fair point."
The two of them entered a period of silence once more. It might have lasted a few more minutes if they were lucky, but Robin had a question.
"What about you?"
Gehrman shot her a questioning glance "What about me?"
"You said everyone else in your group went their separate ways after you disbanded. But you didn't say what you did."
Gehrman blinked "Me? Well, I worked in a..." Prison, under the thumb of a god who tormented me whenever I shut my eyes "Training center for a few years, advising and training new hunters." By throwing them to their deaths over and over again. "It didn't last long," It lasted so long, ten years, fifty? He stopped counting when gravestones became a more reliable source of time "And I was allowed to retire." Because my student put a sword through my chest. "I was told to head to Ylisse," By a goddess that might be worse than anything I've ever had to deal with "I traveled for a few days before I ran low on supplies and stumbled on you and Chrom. The rest is history."
It was the truth, but it still hurt Gehrman. Because, deep down… both of them knew it wasn't the complete truth. Gehrman was used to lying. To hunters, telling them that hunting and killing a few beasts were in their best interests. In reality, it was only an incentive to have them travel down a road where they would only find pain and misery. It was cruel, it was inhuman, and Gehrman did it with a smile on his face.
Robin waited for him to continue, but it seemed that Gehrman wasn't going to be revealing anything any time soon.
"You should get some rest," Gehrman said "We can't have our tactician sleep deprived on the march can we?"
Robin nodded "Yeah, what about you?"
"I'm used to working through the night. For now…" Robin watched as he looked to the sky. A wistful smile adorned his features.
"I… want to enjoy looking up at the moon just a little longer."
Gehrman felt Robin slowly get up and head back towards the female's dormitory. Gehrman waited till she was gone, until he couldn't hear the click of stone beneath her feet before he sighed. He leaned back and looked up at the stars. He reached back in his pocket and pulled out a pendent. It was a simple silver threaded necklace. In the center, the only piece of decoration was a small piece of silver shaped into a hooked black. An imitation of his Burial Blade.
The First Hunter badge, the piece of metal that allowed him to kill and serve the church in secret. Laurance had given it to Gehrman when he agreed to become the first hunter.
"So then, where were we Laurance? Oh yes. Well, the people here are trusting, not a trait that would last long in our fair city, but it's nice to see nonetheless. You would like Robin, a woman after your own heart. Sharp as my scythe in both looks and brains. Then there's Chrom. I swear to the Old Ones, it's like looking at a young Ludwig. Then there's Lissa and Frederick…"
For the first time in her life, Aversa wondered if anyone had actually succeeded in in perfecting water spells. Despite being an element that everyone on earth was familiar with, controlling water into a harmful attack was something that stumped even the most brilliant of mages. After all, how do you control something that flows and changes just as quickly as magic itself does? To harness wind, you simply take a small piece of it and bend it to your will. But water doesn't stay within your grasp long enough for you to do anything with it. The closest thing that anyone ever got to a water spell was ice, but that didn't do well for when you actually wanted to blow someone away with a tidal wave.
And Ice wouldn't make the clean up any easier easier to the palace servants.
Aversa stood what used to be the detention area. A prison for everyone and anyone that got on the bad side of King Gangrel. Of course, that number was quite extensive, so the number of prisoners usually remained quite high all things considered.
Now however, they didn't have prisoners.
All they had now were corpses.
As much as she wanted to prove the theory that death wasn't the end for all things, Peilga couldn't exactly expect much out of corpse prisoners. They weren't worth the effort into making into Risen. Some of you might ask, how on earth did dozens of Prisoners get turned into corpses? Well, it was quite simple. Normally, Gangrel himself did the honors, executing anyone he believed to be of note.
But today, the honor of executioner came from the new champion of Peliga.
The crow feathered knight stood among the bodies of the former prisoners. Blood slowly trickled off his armor, mixing with the feathers and weighing him down. He simply brushed the blood off the metal of his armor, taking a few drops in his hand. He rubbed the blood beneath his fingers, bringing it up and smelling it before flicking his hand away in disgust.
"Pathetic." he said.
"Cutting into those lower than you is not as fun as you imagined it?" Aversa asked.
The Crow snapped his head around and faced the witch. He strode forward, his hand at his weapon. But he wasn't going to use it. Validar wouldn't let him. Aversa was too valuable to his plans to be wasted on a new resource like this. The knight closed the distance, and slowly removed his hand from the weapon.
"It is not that, they have the weakest echoes I have ever experienced." The knight said.
He brushed passed Aversa, but the sorceress had heard something interesting. She wasn't going to let it get away. She followed the knight up the stairs and into the courtyard. The sands were still red with blood from the knights first display. Any guards in the area immediately bowed in the presence of the two. It was difficult to tell which one they feared more. On one hand, the new champion was a man capable of physical feats you'd only hear about in legend. On the other, the lady Aversa was the most powerful mage in the kingdom, second only to Validar and the king himself. Angering one of them would either lead to two things. One, you get cut into so many piece even your lover won't be able to recognize you. Two, you get a hand shoved through your chest and every one of your vital organs ripped out. Three, you get to see just how hot an arcfire spell really is. Or four, you get fed to a gryphon for its evening meal.
Decisions decisions.
The Crow looked out and scoffed at the sights before him. These, were knights? Pathetic. He was once an actual knight. A warrior, without skill or peer defending a true queen. Or at least, that's the lie that bitch fed him. He wasted so many years just sitting idly by, being that whore's grand protector. Years of his life in her survive, all to wait for a child that would never come.
To birth a great one from nothing but dregs of blood? It was insulting that it took him so long to figure it out. The baby would never come, no matter how many people he and the other knights butchered for her. So, after years, he said enough. He left that forsaken castle, and offered his knowledge to the church. He was the one who whispered the secrets into the good Martyr's ear. And in return, he was fed until he was satisfied.
"Echos?" Aversa asked at last.
The Crow looked back, his disdain for her speech clear even without any eye contact. He reached down, and grabbed a handful of sand that was still red. He let the grains fall between his fingers, allowing the red flakes to gather on his armor.
"Hunters, true hunters, gain power from the echos of blood." He emphasized the true part of that sentence very well.
"The more we kill, the more echos we gain. And the more echos we gain, the more power we receive."
Aversa smiled at the new information "So then, how many did you have to hunt to earn your power?"
The knight let out a deep rumbling sound that Aversa somehow knew was a laugh.
"I did not hunt for my pray. I offered a powerful body a service, and in return, they brought me many things. Beasts, kin, traitors, and even fellow hunters. They were caught, and given to me so that I might gain their power. Hundreds of beasts, dozens of kin and hunters."
He clenched his fist before slamming it down onto the ground. The force of his fist hitting the ground cause a miniature earthquake, staggering those close to him. The Crow slowly straightened himself, satisfied with his display.
"And in the end, I gained as much power as any hunter could hope to achieve."
He reached to his side, and pulled out the small blade that was holstered. It looked like a single curved short sword, but the Crow pulled it apart, revealing that it was actually a set of twin blades hooked together. The design was beautiful, elegant, and deadly.
"Even the so called Hunter of Hunters was nothing to me. A single strike, and the old Crow was screaming for mercy."
"Then, there is no hunter greater than you?" Aversa asked.
The Crow nodded "I am the strongest hunter…"
Aversa found herself smiling. The most powerful version of these hunters was under her master's control? That was something that demanded her interest. If power comes from the blood, can it be transferred as well? Oh the questions, what fun it would be to find the answers.
"... in the waking world." The Crow finished.
Aversa's smile and her train of thought vanished instantly.
"Excuse me?"
"There is no hunter, nor will there ever be, a hunter stronger than me in the waking world." The Crow repeated.
He clenched his fist "However, despite my ambitions, I was never allowed to dream."
Aversa curled her fingers, what was this? The dream? It sounded like an entire world. If it was a world, it could be used for the master. "What is the dre-."
Her sentence is cut short as the Crow's hand shoots out. Faster than Aversa could blink, faster than she could think, the Crow's fingers were around her throat. There was no grip, no pain, just fingers resting over the soft flesh.
"You have learned enough witch. You don't need to learn anymore. The Dream does not concern you."
Aversa glanced down at the hand around her throat "If you are to be our champion, it concerns me that there could be someone there that could match you, or even beat you."
The Crow narrowed his eyes under his helmet and he slowly retraced his hand from Aversa's throat. Aversa made a point not to react to the Crow's movement. If she showed any sign of relief, it would be seen as weakness. If she showed weakness, she wouldn't doubt that the Crow would take that as a reason to kill her later.
Despite his own thoughts, she was right. The Dream allowed a single hunter to match even the Great Ones themselves. They were the greatest warriors during their hunts. There was one hunter… he dreamt. The Crow killed him, again and again, but still he returned to fight on. They dueled, in that broken cathedral, until neather of them could shed anymore blood. The Crow struck him, and he struck back. And then… and than…
What happened next?
For the life of him, he didn't know. But, it didn't matter in the end. Now, Yharnam was in ruins. There were no more hunts.
Aversa and the Crow turned to see an assassin slowly approach them. The man looked ready to shit himself, but he bowed respectfully to the two. Aversa sighed and clicked her tongue.
"Report."
The assassin bowed his head lower "Milady, as you suspected, the Shepherds have left to Regna Ferox to attain the defences required to fight against your warriors. However, there are two faces that I could not match to the roster."
Aversa raised an eyebrow "Really? Describe them." She ordered.
"The first is a female with white hair, and Plegian features. She wears a priest's robes, but she stands with the Ylisseans."
Aversa smiled at the new information. She glanced at the Crow. The knight hadn't even reacted to the news, most likely believing it wasn't worth his time.
"Interesting… and the other."
The assassin shifted slightly "The other is one that I cannot determine. His armor was simply cloth, with a belt around his right pant leg. He appears to be foreign, but I can tell nothing else. His weapon however, is strange. At first, it was a curved blade, but after he combined it with a contraption on his back it changed into a scythe."
Aversa blinked in confusion, but thought nothing of it. But she did think of it, when the Crow went completely still. The assassin and Aversa watched as the Crow feathered knight began shaking. Aversa's eyes widened.
He was… afraid?
The Crow's hand snapped out with the same speed as before, clasping around the assassin's collar. The Crow pulled him close to his face.
"A curved blade… that changes into a scythe. That is what you saw?" The Crow asked.
The assassin nodded his head as fast as he could "Y-yes!"
The Crow reached down, and pulled the short sword off his belt. He held it up, allowing the light to catch it.
"Did the metal of the scythe blade look similar to this blade?" He asked.
The assassin looked at the metal, analyzing every detail like his life depended on it. Which it did. He watched as the sun seemed to bend around the blade, like it was cutting energy itself. Slowly, the assassin nodded "Y-yes, exactly like t-that."
The Crow let his arm go limp, dropping the Assassin on the sand below. The poor man did what his kind was meant to do. He bowed and ran out of the courtyard as fast as he could. The other soldiers seemed to be considering the same thing as the Crow began shaking again. Aversa watched as the Crow nearly doubled over from the fear. But then, the low rumbling that was his laughter broke out.
It was a mad laugh, ripe with insanity as the Crow took in the moment. His laughter stopped suddenly and pointed to Aversa "Bring every prisoner in the kingdom, every warrior you can spare. I must feast."
Aversa narrowed her eyes "And why should I do that?"
The Crow looked her dead in the eye, or he would if his helmet wasn't in the way.
"Because if you don't, then the prodigy of the greatest Hunter who ever lived will descend upon us."
Aversa's eyes widened "You know the stranger?"
The Crow chuckled "There is no true hunter that does not know of the weapon of Gehrman, the First Hunter. The first True Hunter, under the gize of the First Vicar himself. A single man who fought off armies of beasts, who could face any monster and stand victorious. The man himself is dead, yes, but only the best of his students would receive his great scythe. They have to be at least as strong as Gehrman once was in his prime. Those who trained under Gehrman… became the legends of my city. Names of warriors so powerful you would need an army to bring them to their knees. "
The Crow rounded on Aversa "And with this information, I know, that one of those Legends has just allied himself with Ylisse."
"How strong will he be?" Aversa asked.
The Crow barked out a laugh "Strength? The first hunters did not have their legends born on raw power. Their skill was legend, their knowledge of the aracne without peer. He will be swifter than any arrow, and his skill will be more than a hundred soldiers."
He pauses and looked to the heavens "Mark my words, you will never find a more dangerous warrior on this earth besides myself. Every action he takes will lead him to victory, everyone of his skills is made to kill. He won't stop, he won't rest, and he'll never show mercy."
"There, all finished." Gehrman said.
Lissa looked down and grinned in delight at the finished patchwork.
"It's perfect Gehrman! I didn't know you could sow!"
Gehrman smiled "Every skill I have is for the betterment of mankind."
He put the sewing needle and thread back into the bag, taking care not to hurt himself with the rocking of the carriage. The Shepherds had left Ylisse at first light, and everyone was ready for the long trip. Apparently, Gehrman was allowed to stay in back with the blacksmithing equipment just in case someone's armor or weapon got damaged during the trip, however unlikely that was. Gehrman could walk forever, even more so than the horses, but he wasn't going to pass up time in order to work on his project. If he worked non stop till they reached Regna Ferox, he'd be finished.
But of course, the best laid plans don't last upon contact with the enemy. About two hours into the trip, Lissa apparently caught her dress on a twig, ripping it down the seem. After Frederick apologized for not picking up the twig earlier, Gehrman offered to fix it while they moved. So, for the last fifteen minutes Gehrman had been repairing Lissa's dress. It was a simple tear, nothing major.
Lissa gave herself an experimental twirl and saw that the repair was good.
"Fighting, blacksmithing, mentoring, and sowing? Are you sure there's thing you can't do?" Lissa asked.
"There are a lot of things I can't do." Gehrman said "You just haven't seen me attempting them yet."
Lissa giggled at the comment "You know what I mean, you're amazing Gehrman."
Gehrman smiled fondly at the comment "Well, I thank you for the compliment, but I am only human."
"Says the guy who can teleport."
Gehrman glanced up from his work and stared at the healer questionably "Robin told you?"
Lissa giggled as she nodded "She told everyone. Apparently, we might get scared if someone wielding a scythe just suddenly appeared in front of us in the middle of combat."
Gehrman opened his mouth, but then he closed it. Robin made… a really good point. Most would jump out of their skin if someone just suddenly appeared in front of them with a deadly weapon. He should really talk about a bell or something, some way of announcing himself? No, that would work equally well for the enemy as well.
"Fair point. Now, you better get back to the march, I dread to think what Frederick or Chrom will do to me if I keep you away for too long."
"Oh they wouldn't do anything serious. They're both just a bunch of softies." Lissa said.
Gehrman raised an eyebrow "So Frederick was sharpening his spear in front of me because he wanted to prove just how comfortable it was?"
Lissa tilted her head "Ok that might be a bit much, even for him."
"Don't worry about it." Gehrman said "I'm used to it. If anything, I'm grateful that Frederick keeps such a close eye on you two. If you love something, protect it with your life, for it might break if you don't."
Lissa humphed "Are you calling me breakable?"
"I'm saying that you could get hurt, anyone can, no matter who they are. But with Frederick looking over you, he's making sure you don't get hurt. I respect that in a man. Now, unless you want to listen to the sounds of me hitting an anvil for the next three hours, you best head back to the march."
Lissa frowned, but then she looked at Gehrman's supplies and grimaced slightly. The sound of metal hitting against metal was not exactly the best sound you wanted to have stuck in your head. So, Lissa waved goodbye and jumped off out of the caravan, leaving Gehrman alone once more.
The First Hunter looked down and gathered up the supplies to his project. Right now, it was only a metal tube with a few pieces sticking off of it for support. He hadn't done much, but he at least got the hollowing process over with. That was the hard part. He picked up his tools, and got to work on the handle, fitting it against the end of the tube. He smiled as it clicked into place perfectly. Finally, some visible progress.
Then, just as Gehrman thought that, the caravan stopped. The pieces flew off the small bench and spilled over the floor. Or they would have, if Gehrman was a hunter and fast enough to catch every piece as it fell. He set them back and grumbled.
What now?
"Shepherds! To Arms!" Chrom called.
Normally, a battle cry would spir Gehrman into action like any other soldier. But now, a realization hit him that nearly floor him.
This was going to be everyday of his life now wasn't it?
He picked up his Burial Blade and grinned.
Just like old times, hey Maria?
AN: Well, I've been playing far too much For Honor and Noah for my own good. Really should get back to my gun only playthrough of bloodborne. PS: Don't try it unless you want to kill yourself more than normal when playing that game. It's like when you see bullets you breath a sigh of relief more than the bonfires!
Bad puns aside, I'm glad so many people are starting to enjoy the story. Along with that, a lot of you have voted in the poll for Gehrman's pairing. So far, the front runners are Robin and Olivia, not much surprise there.
And before things go out of control with me hinting at a pairing with all the time that Gehrman and Robin spend together, there is a reason for that. No matter who the pairing turns out to be, Gehrman and Robin are going to be friends. To Robin, Gehrman, Chrom and Lissa are the first real friends she's ever had in her life. Chrom is the leader, Lissa is the fun one, Gehrman is the protector. She already knows that she can go to him for any problem that she might have. She's skeptical about his past and curious, but she knows he means well and is willing to head into hell for those he cares about.
Gehrman on the other hand sees Robin as something of a younger Maria. Full of life and potential. He wants to see that potential grow, and not have her make the same mistakes that she did, causing her to become like her, or worse, like him.
Now, before I forget, I actually really like the idea of the Olivia pairing. While yes she and Maria do share a lot of physical similarities, I see the potential not from that, but from the fact that Olivia is one of the few characters who can tell just how much Gehrman is hurting inside. I'm thinking about it right now, and the potential feels hurt like hell.
Finally, before I leave, I'd like to ask two things. One, if you haven't already, please vote in the poll. I'll be keeping it open for some time, but I would like a clear answer so I can integrate them into my story notes.
Second, the subject of Future Children. I have plans for Gehrman to have one child to his name. So, I have to ask, should he have more than two kids? And what I mean is, two that are strictly his. Like, if he ends up with Robin, his children would be Morgan, one child, and then another. Should that be a thing? Or should I just keep things to one kid for Gehrman?
But anyway, thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time.