It's been quite the time, hasn't it? Many apologies for the long wait, but pesky things called "school," "Counter-Strike," and "Dota" have really slowed down the writing process. Also, I've been working on my other story Spiraling Destiny for quite some time. I haven't updated that one in ages (over a year I believe), and I actually feel the obligation to update that one first. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at things), my muse for Persona has completely died at this point. I'll probably replay the entire game to get the juices going once more.
No beta for this one. Judging from the look of things, I'll probably never will get one. I'll try my best to catch typos and errors, but some mistakes may slip by. Thank you for understanding.
Goojila does not own Fire Emblem and probably will never.
Two Worlds of a Misguided Tactician
Chapter 4: The Capital
During her time as an assassin, Katarina had the opportunity of exploring the world. Wherever her targets went, she followed, allowing her to take in the many splendors of the world. From breathtaking cities to blistering hot volcanoes in the far corners of the world, Katarina had pretty much seen it all.
Which gave more credit to the beautiful city of Ylisstol as the young woman couldn't help but gaze at the city in slight awe. A gentle air of serenity surrounded the great city, each citizen peacefully going about his or her own business. The small bazaar the Shepherds had to pass through was buzzing with activity. Homes, although small, seemed to emit a warm aura that gladly welcomed any stranger into its confines. Resting on top of a mountain was a gorgeous giant castle, gazing over the city like how a father would to his children.
"Wow… Just wow."
Apparently, Katarina wasn't the only one who was impressed. Robin slowly walked forward, scanning his beautiful surroundings.
"This is the capital…?"
"That's right," Chrom replied with an amused chuckled. Despite his light hearted mannerism, pride blazed within his eyes. "This is Ylisstol, the capital of Ylisse."
"And it appears she was spared of any violence," Frederick announced as a small smile made its way onto his way. "Still, I suggest we check in with the exalt."
Chrom nodded his head in agreement. "Then I suppose this is where some of us part ways."
A small sense of relief washed over Katarina. Despite her status of a war veteran, physical activity was still not her strongest suit. While she did not show it, her legs screamed in pain –a result from a full day's march towards the capital. Perhaps if time permitted it, she would be allowed to take a small nap or even a bath.
"Right. I'll see you at the garrison then, captain!" Sully saluted before trotting away on her house. The crowd of people parted a path for the knight as each individual gave the lady a small cheer or respectful bow.
"Hmm, I am not in the mood to return just yet," Virion sniffed. "I suppose a visit to the dear ladies at the tea shop will do wonders. Until then." With that, the archer walked in the opposite direction of Sully. Unlike before, a path was not parted for him, although several females gave the man a shy giggle or flirtatious wave much to the surprise of Katarina.
"By the way, Chrom, where is the garrison located?" Robin suddenly asked from behind.
"I'll show you later after we gi-"
"The exalt has come down to see us! Look!" an old man's voice cried out. Instantly, a sea of people ran towards the direction where the elderly man had pointed to.
Clearly, this exalt was quite the popular figure.
Behind Katarina, Robin maneuvered his way closer to where the people of Ylisse were crowding in hopes of catching a glimpse of this exalt.
"The exalt is the ruler, correct?" he asked as he began to stand on his tiptoes. The mild look of annoyance made it clear that standing as such did not produce the small glimpse he was hoping for.
"Yes. Lady Emmeryn has ruled the fair kingdom of Ylisse for about fifteen years. She is beyond just the ruler of our people: she is a symbol of peace and a reminder," Frederick answered, his eyes boring through the group of people in search of the exalt who was walking through.
"Reminder?"
"Of the peace that was won when the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon in order to defeat the fell dragon. Had the exalt failed, the world would have been destroyed by the fell dragon."
Chrom gave a fond smile. "Well, the most important thing about her right now is her calming presence. With Plegia harassing our borders and citizens, the people rely on her a lot more than one might think. Had this been any other ruler, our kingdom might already be at arms with Plegia."
"She sounds like an incredible person," Robin said. The look on his face made it clear that his impression of the exalt was skyrocketing through the roof this very second. For some reason, Katarina doubted that neither of them would be disappointed despite said high expectations.
"Oh, and she's the best older sister anyone could ask for too!" Lissa sang.
Wait. Older sister…?
To her credit, Lissa did not appear fazed or even particularly smug as she noticed that dumbfounded looks on Robin and Katarina. Instead, the young healer flashed a gentle smile. "Yep! She's our older sister."
Which meant…
"M-Milord! M-Milady! Er, Prince Chrom! I-I m-mean, uh… What I meant to sa-"
Unlike her counterpart, Katarina, who was already used to the presence of great rulers and leaders, merely dropped onto one knee and respectfully bowed her heads to the two members of royalty. "My prince and princess, I must apologize for my casual behavior. Had I kno-"
"Katarina, stop it," Chrom admonished gently, motioning the young woman to stand back up. "Emm and I were never ones for formality. And stop with the gaping, Robin. You look like a fool," the man smirked as he gave a light punch to the stunned tactician's shoulders.
"With all the due respe-"
A sigh escaped Chrom's mouth as he ran his hands through his hair. For a second, Katarina could have sworn that the blue haired lord had rolled his eyes before a smirk adorned his face. "Fine. As the prince of Ylisse, I order you to never use formalities around me."
Katarina knew better than to argue at this point, having experienced similar conversations with the more laidback leaders of various kingdoms. Robin, on the other hand, continued to sputter weak protests.
"B-But milord!"
"Robin. I'm not going to repeat myself."
The white haired tactician sagged his shoulders in defeat. Quiet resignation flooded his posture before a sly grin appeared on his face.
"I suppose that's why Frederick hasn't smothered Lissa in her sleep with his pillow despite all her teasing," Robin commented, eliciting laughter from Chrom and Katarina and a sheepish smile from Lissa. "Truly, I feel for you." Surprisingly, the only response the burly knight gave was a small cough.
"Milord and milady, shall we head for the castle and wait for the exalt to return?" he asked quickly.
"Yes, I suppose we should," Chrom smiled, allowing Frederick to change the subject in order to save him from further teasing. "Though I'm not particularly looking forward to writing that situation report… Maybe Emm will be happy with just the oral one."
"Perhaps, milord, although I doubt the council will be."
Katarina gave Chrom and Frederick a small nod before speaking in her quiet voice. "Well, in that case, where should Robin and I meet you when your meeting is finished? Perhaps at this exact spot? Or maybe the garrison?"
"And please, do take your time with that situation report," Robin chimed in as the amnesiac man shot the two other men an easy smile. "I wouldn't mind a long break after all that marching."
A puzzled look crossed Chrom's face before he suddenly erupted into fits of laughter. A small sense of dread began welling up within Katarina as she cautiously approached the chortling blue haired man. For some reason, something within Katarina screamed at her to remain silent and simply walk the other way.
Unfortunately, curiosity won over instinct at that particular moment.
"Why… Why are you laughing, Chrom?"
The blue haired swordsman wiped a small tear from his eyes before giving Katarina a small, sympathetic pat on the back. "Sorry, I should have told you earlier, but you two are going to have to come with us to the castle. It's a standard procedure."
They have to go to the castle? The castle that sat on top of the very very very big mountain?
"Hey, if it makes you feel better, the walk isn't that bad," Lissa smirked from atop of Frederick's horse. "It's only an hour long walk uphill."
Suddenly, Katarina had an urge to smother Lissa with her pillow.
Wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead, Katarina could only gaze amusingly at Lissa and Robin, who were lightly bantering over trivial matters. Truth be told, the journey to the castle was not as bad as it first appeared, seeing how the mountain road was actually paved and the slopes of the mountain were not too demanding.
Small pleasantries had been exchanged throughout the trip between the Shepherds, although Katarina found herself talking with Robin the most. For the most part, the topic of strategy and tactics was discussed. Despite his amnesia, the white haired young man still possessed a strong intuition and idea for strategy, as evident by the fact that he was able to keep up with Katarina without much problem. Apparent, his knowledge had been well retained.
"It makes me wonder how many years he's spent studying the art of war," Katarina thought to herself as she stole a glance at Robin, who was still joking around with Lissa. "Although from what I've noticed so far, it seems that he lacks actual experience on the battlefield."
It was just a hypothesis for now, seeing how she had no way to actual credit or discredit this idea. From what she observed so far, Robin seemed to favor tactics that were on the cautious side -strategies that prevented casualties rather than the overall objective at hand. While that was not necessary a bad philosophy, Katarina knew better than anyone else that loss was inevitable on the battlefield; thus, tactics must be accommodated as such. Robin, despite knowing this, seemed adamant to even consider sacrificing a troop for the sake of victory, much preferring to win with as many soldiers intact.
She was almost envious of Robin for having such a mindset.
"-come to the palace."
Chrom's strong voice brought Katarina out of her musings and thoughts. What greeted her was an enormous palace that shined in all its splendor and glory. Katarina instantly recognized the architectural style: the distinguishable pillar placement coupled with the giant tower placed in the mid-left section were all techniques used by architects of the Anri era.
"Normally, I would give you two a quick tour of the castle, but for now, we have a quick meeting to attend to," Chrom announced as he gave a friendly wave to the two guards standing at the door. While the guards say anything back, a salute of recognition was given. "Emm should be waiting for us in one of the back rooms. Let's go."
Five minutes later, the group found themselves standing in front of an ornate wooden door. Clearing his throat, Chrom gave the door two solid knocks before a muffled voice welcomed them in.
"We're here, Emm," the prince said with a wide grin on his face.
"Welcome back," Emmeryn warmly greeted as she stood up from her chair to give her younger brother a hug. After hugging him, the exalt turned to give one to Lissa, who eagerly jumped into her sister's embrace. "How fared you all?"
"Let's just say that bandits won't be a problem for quite some time," Chrom smirked.
"That is wonderful to hear."
"Indeed," a new voice suddenly said, making Katarina jump a little in surprise. From behind, a stout, stern woman walked into the room. "Welcome back, Prince Chrom and Princess Lissa."
"Ah, I'm glad to see that you are well, Phila."
"Thank you, milord… But you must forgive me: those bandits should have never made it into our borders. Had I been more vigilant, my pegasus knights would have intercepted them," Phila responded with regret laced in her voice. Sighing, the woman assumed a thinking pose before speaking once more. "I will be sure to increase the patrol."
"Phila, it was not your fault. You were merely doing your duty by protecting my sister in the capitol," Chrom said gently. "Our family owes you a great deal of gratitude."
"Milord…"
"Besides! We had a lot of help!" Lissa cheered, giving Phila a pat on the back much to the older woman's slight embarrassment.
Emmeryn's gentle orbs focused in on the two tacticians. Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling of self-consciousness engulfed Katarina as she tried her best not to blush or look away from the exalt's curious gaze. Seconds later, the kind smile returned.
"Thank you for your help, Sir and Lady…?"
"This is Robin and Katarina," Lissa introduced, slapping the two on the back to push them forward toward the exalt. "You won't believe how smart these two are, Sis!"
"Is that so?" Amusement shone in Emmeryn's eyes. "Well, I am grateful that your intelligence will be used to help my brother and sister."
"I-It was my honor, milady!" Robin stuttered, still obviously uncomfortable with dealing with a person of such power.
Emmeryn gave another quiet laugh and held a hand up in a reassuring fashion. "Peace, Robin. There is no need for you to be nervous."
"On the contrary, milady, there is."
Frederick slowly walked towards the benevolent exalt and bowed his head in respect. "Robin has claimed that he has lost his memories… But it is only a claim. His actions so far have been somewhat suspicious, and while he has been a vital asset in our battles, he has done nothing to thwart my suspicions. It is quite possible that he may be a Plegian spy –his coat and his appearance point to a Plegian background."
Great interest overtook Katarina's mental processes as she subtlety stole a glance the now frowning Robin. If she remembered correctly, Plegia was a kingdom that was neighbors with Ylisse. And Robin had physical characteristics that many Plegians shared…?
"I assure, milady, my memories are in fact lost to me, but I have no ways to prove my innocence. I understand, however, if yo-"
"Do you trust him, Chrom?" Emmeryn suddenly asked, turning towards her younger brother who responded with a confident smile.
"He risked his life for our people. He has my trust."
"Well then, I fail to see what the problem is then," the exalt announced with a small smile on her face. "I assume that settles the issue, Frederick?"
"Yes, milady," Frederick immediately responded. The lack of protest from the burly knight made it clear that he was already expecting this sort of answer.
"And what about Katarina? Does she have your trust as well, Chrom?"
"Of course."
"Then they both have my trust."
"Thank you, milady!" Robin and Katarina said as they both bowed their heads in respect once more.
The exalt turned her at attention towards Frederick. "And I thank you for your constant vigilance. Naga knows what we would do without your loyalty and services. I do hope my younger siblings express their gratitude from time to time?"
For a split second, Katarina could see Frederick resisting the urge to roll his eyes. The knight, however, kept his composure. "I believe they have mentioned something akin to that, milady." The knight gave a small pause before walking closer towards Phila. "I assume that the others have heard about the deathly creatures that we have encountered?"
A grim expression overtook the stout woman's face. "Yes… There have been reports of those creatures. Ylisse has already received about a dozen reports regarding the appearance of those creatures. A council has already been called for. I believe it will start in the next couple minutes."
"Well, I guess that's our call, Frederick," Chrom sighed. A small groan escaped the blue haired man's voice as he began to imagine the upcoming council. "Looks like we won't be resting anytime soon. Gods know how long these councils can go for."
"You have my condolences, Chrom," Katarina thought to herself, recalling the hundreds of hours she herself had to sit through. A slight scowl etched itself onto her features as she continued to think about said councils.
"Well, in the meantime, why don't you show Robin and Katarina around the city, Lissa?" the blue haired prince suggested.
"Leave it to me!" Lissa shouted as she pumped a fist high into the air. Katarina could only give a wry smile to herself as she could practically taste the enthusiasm dripping from Lissa. "I'll be sure to give them the grand tour. Up first: the garrison!"
"Thanks," Chrom smiled, ruffling his younger sister's hair. "I guess I'm off then."
Farewells were quickly exchanged as Frederick, Phila, and Chrom exited the room. After watching the trio leave the room, Lissa grabbed the hems of Robin's coat and gave an impish grin. "Let's go!"
"Alright, Lissa, I'm coming."
"You too, Katarina! Let me show yo-"
"Lissa, please wait for a second." Emmeryn's gentle voice interrupted her younger sister mid-sentence. "May I borrow Katarina for a couple of minutes?"
What.
Blinking, Katarina stared at the exalt in silent curiosity.
All she got in response was another smile.
"Wait, don't you have to go to the council too?" Lissa asked.
"My presence is not currently needed. If it is, an aide will be sent to fetch me. For now, I am free to do as I wish."
"Uh, okay. It should be fine, although I can't imagine Frederick or Phila would approve of leaving you alone with someone new." Lissa said with a small shrug. "But I trust Katarina. I'll just go ahead and show Robin around. When you're finished with her, can you send Katarina to the garrison?"
"I will."
"Alright then! See you around, sis!"
"L-Lissa! Wait! You're starting to rip my coat!"
The two quickly exited the room as well. Robin's protests faded away as the duo as time passed on, leaving only Emmeryn and Katarina alone. After a couple of seconds of silence, Katarina came to the conclusion that the exalt was not going to be the one to take the initiative and continue the conversation.
"Your Highness, you said you wished to have a moment with me?" Katarina finally asked.
"Yes, I wish to show you something. Will you walk with me to the library?" she finally asked, gently setting a group of parchments that were on a nearby desk aside.
"If that is your will."
The walk to the library was silent. Since Katarina did not know her way around the palace, the tactician found her pace being dictated to that of the exalt's –not that she particularly minded. The slow, regal tempo of Emmeryn allowed Katarina to take in her new surroundings. The immaculate palace was truly a thing of beauty, and each hallway that the two walked through was adorned with breathtaking décor. What caught Katarina's eyes, however, were the giant portraits the hung from the walls.
Some of the portraits such as the ones of King Anri and King Marth Katarina recognized. Others she did not.
"The Radiant Hero: Ike?" Katarina thought to herself as her eyes wandered to one of the portraits that hung up ahead.
"It is a lovely portrait, is it not? I find myself admiring it sometimes," Emmeryn suddenly said, perhaps noticing Katarina's interest in said picture. The glorious looking man stared intently back at the two women, who gazed in admiration. His sword, a golden two-handed sword, gleamed dangerously within the portrait.
"Is he wielding that blade with only one hand?" Katarina whispered to herself in amazement.
"He is. Lord Ike was a famous mercenary with tremendous strength. While he was said curt and blunt, he was a genuine man who fought for what he thought was right."
"…" Katarina continued to stare at Ike's portrait as her eyes absorbed every detail of the legendary figure. In the back of her mind, Katarina made a note to study the heroes and history of this world.
"Katarina." Emmeryn soft voice brought the tactician back to reality. After uttering a quick and humble apology, the two resumed their walk until a giant wooden door stood in their way. "After you," the ruler smiled, opening the door
"Thank you, your Highness."
Giant shelves greeted the purple haired young woman as soon as she walked in. The archives of Altea were nothing compared to Ylisse's. Unable to suppress her scholarly urges, Katarina slowly found herself walking over towards one of the shelves.
"A Study of Forecast and Trade… Properties of Manakete Blood… Magecraft of the Ancients… These are fantastic…!" Katarina whispered to herself as her eyes scanned the countless books that sat right in front of her.
"Aren't they? When I was a younger, I would often hole myself up in this library and simply read for hours," the exalt remembered fondly. "Though I cannot say the same about Chrom and Lissa. All that energy they had as children was spent playing with bugs and frogs outside the castle walls."
Instantly, a mental picture of a younger Chrom and Lissa planting frogs in the armors of hapless knights came into mind.
"I can only imagine."
"Anyways, there is a particular book I wish to show you. I discovered it when I was a young child in the far corner of this library. It is highly likely that I am the only one alive who has peered into the pages of this book. I have brought you in here today to show you this book."
Returning the books that she had just pulled from the shelves, Katarina found herself accepting a rather dusty old book from the exalt. There was no title, and the condition of the book made it clear that it was extremely old. "What is this?" she asked curiously, gingerly turning a page over in order to prevent the page from tearing. For some odd reason, the book was beginning to look eerily familiar.
The next page that greeted her made her heart stop and blood turn to ice.
7th Platoon: Altean Knights
Her breath deepened considerably as Katarina slowly met eyes with the woman that was standing right in front of her.
She knew.
Hands shaking, the tactician slowly turned the pages of the ancient book once more. Familiar faces appeared to Katarina. Cecille. Luke. Rody. Each identity was accompanied by a hand drawn portrait.
Now she remembered. This book was a registry –a record of all the knights that served under King Marth. After the knight's personal information had been written down within this book, an artist was called to hand sketch a portrait of the knight. Luke, if Katarina recalled correctly, was squirming uncomfortably during his session with the artist.
"W-Why… Why are you showing me this…?" Katarina hoarsely asked. She had already seen the entries of Luke, Rody, Cecille, and Ryan. That meant only two members of the official 7th platoon remained.
She did not want to turn the pages. Seeing him, albeit just a picture, was the last thing she wanted to see.
Emmeryn gave no response. Instead, the older woman merely studied the expression of Katarina before motioning the tactician to turn the pages. Her smile, gentle and serene as ever, continued to shine upon Katarina.
"I…"
She couldn't do this. Naga, she could not do this.
But she did.
Kris. Captain of the 7th Platoon: Altean Knights
His handsome face smiled brightly at Katarina. Blue locks swept wildly to the sides of his face as his deep cyan eyes twinkled with pride and joy. Wet tears began to splash the pages of the book as the crying tactician somehow managed to stifle a sob that threatened to escape from her.
"It's okay."
Tender green eyes met sobbing lilac ones as realization struck Katarina like lightning.
Emmeryn had known who exactly Katarina was. Here, Katarina was a villain in this world: someone who should be condemned and hated. There was little doubt that history had portrayed her as a villain of the lowest sort.
Yet, this woman, this wonderful woman, did not judge her.
"I am sorry for putting you through this," Emmeryn quietly whispered to Katarina. "My selfish desire for answers led me to do this."
Answers…?
"All my life, I was taught about the legends of the great King Marth and his companions. In every lesson and story, Katarina is nothing short of a monster, intentionally deceiving King Marth and murdering his best friend in cold blood. So imagine my surprise when I see a young woman bearing a striking resemblance to the portrait in this book walk into the room and is introduced as 'Katarina.'" The exalt closed her eyes. "My suspicions were confirmed when I showed you this book… But from what I know thus so far, you are nothing like what the legends speak of. You risked your life to help save the lives of my people, and my brother seems to have high respect for you as well. You do not seek chaos and attrition. You seem to bear great regret to what happened to Sir Kris. A monster would not be like that. I wish to know the real Katarina –the real tactician that history has seemed to have misrepresented."
"There… There is nothing to discuss, milady. History is not wrong: twice I attempted to kill King Marth. I was also the one responsible for Kris's death. I am a monster."
Emmeryn relinquished her hold on Katarina. "Then may I ask you why you did it?"
"B-Because I am an assassin. It was simply a job... There was nothing more to it."
"You are a terrible liar, Kataraina."
"…"
Silence overcame the two as Katarina shifted her lilac eyes away from the soul piercing gaze of the exalt's. Several tense seconds passed before Emmeryn finally sighed.
"I cannot force the answer out of you, Katarina. Like I stated earlier, I wish to get to know you better, and without opening yourself to me, I cannot do so."
"There is nothing for you to know, milady. What you know of me is the pure, unadulterated truth."
Emmeryn sighed once more. "Then that is that. I suppose you leave and catch up with Lissa?"
Yes, she should leave and go catch up wi… Wait, what?
"E-Excuse me?"
"Yes?" Emmeryn tilted her head slightly and shot Katarina a puzzled look. "What is it?"
"You're just letting me leave the room?"
"Yes… Why wouldn't I?"
Katarina could only stare flabbergasted at the exalt. She had just confessed to being the Katarina of Altean legends. Instead of asking what her motives were or even how in the gods' names she was physically here, the ruler was allowing her to simply leave the room as if the discussion had never even happened in the first place. For Naga's sake, reputation and burning questions aside, she had just admitted to being an assassin of all things, and this woman was content on letting her return to her younger sister?!
"I am a murderer."
"So you claim to be."
"And you are letting me walk away just like that?"
"My brother trusts you, does he not? If he is willing to let you roam about the castle, then so am I."
Gods this woman was something.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Katarina could only give a sigh and shake her head incredulously at the situation. Unable to come up with another response, the tactician gave a quick bow and turned her back against the now smiling Emmeryn. "Then by your leave, your Highness."
"Katarina," Emmeryn gently called out as she placed a hand on Katarina's shoulder before she could head out of the room.
"Milady?"
"I will always be here. When you are ready to talk, please come and see me. My wish to know and understand you still persists."
"I-I understand." With that, the purple haired tactician made her towards door. Moments before she reached her destination, however, Katarina gave pause and bit her lower lip. Acting upon the urge that was bubbling up within her, the tactiacian spun around and bowed her head in deep gratitude.
"Thank you."
"And this, Robin, is the garrison for the Shepherds! Feel free to make yourself at home."
"Wow, this is quite something," Robin muttered to himself as he allowed himself to observe his surroundings. Despite the cluttered documents and weaponry that laid about, the ample space that the room had made the amnesiac man feel like a small ant crawling its way through a large forest.
"Right?" Lissa beamed. "To your left, ther-"
"Lissa, my treasure! Are you alright?" an aristocratic feminine voice cried out. Robin gave a blink as he witnessed a young lady dressed in regal looking clothes rush over towards Lissa and give her a hug. "Only the gods know how many hours of sleep I've lost worrying over you!"
"Oh! Maribelle! How's it going?" Lissa cheerfully greeted.
"H-How's it going?! I must have sprouted over a dozen gray hairs fretting over you!" Maribelle cried out as her curly blond hair bounced with every shake of her head. "Please tell me you are okay."
The princess gave a very un-princess like snort. "I'm fine. The only thing that really bothered me were the bugs and food we had to eat on the road. Trust me on this, Maribelle: never ever eat bear meat."
"B-Bear meat? Lissa, darling, I would like to think that I have more class and tact to not resort to eating something as unsophisticated as bear meat!"
"This lady is quite the aristocrat," Robin thought to himself as he amusingly watched Lissa and Maribelle animatedly discuss amongst themselves. Smiling to himself, the tactician wordlessly left the two ladies to their own devices and began to explore the large garrison.
"Hmm, so I'm guessing this is the armory? And over there i-"
"HAH! THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO LEAVE YOURSELF WIDE OPEN, CHROM!"
Instant pain exploded on Robin's upper back as he found himself toppling over and landing face first onto the hard stone floor of the garrison. Reflexes getting the better of him, Robin quickly scrambled onto his feet and pulled out the bronze sword that he was sheathed to his hip. A muscular, shirtless blonde man grinned haphazardly at Robin before the grin disappeared into a frown.
"You're not Chrom."
"Of course he isn't, Vaike. Does Robin look anything remotely like my brother?" Lissa called out with a sigh. "This is the fifth time this month you've mistaken someone else as my brother and attacked them."
"The Vaike is allowed to make mistakes every now and then," the shirtless man sniffed.
"How do you mistake Sully of all people as my brother?!"
"And what a mistake that was. Smashed his face in for attacking me just like that," a cool, hardened voice called out. Sully calmly strolled into the room and offered Robin a hand. "And shouldn't you be apologizing to him?"
The blond man gave a slap to Robin's back much to the tactician's chagrin. "Oh, yeah, sorry 'bout that, uh, Reuben?"
"It's Robin, you imbecile!" Sully roared, kicking Vaike onto the floor. "If you're going to apologize, at least get his name right!"
By now, Robin couldn't help but toss his head back in laughter. He knew Vaike had meant well, and he had long forgiven Vaike for his mistakes. "It's quite alright."
"See, Sully? Robin here says that it's okay."
The crimson haired knight gave a scoff before relenting. "You're lucky Robin's such a nice guy."
The blond merely shot a banana grin. "Yeah yeah. By the way, Lissa, where's Chrom? I really need to pay him back for what he did to ol' Teach over here in our last match."
"He's in a meeting right now," Lissa answered. Suddenly, the healer gave a small, sly smirk. "So you're calling yourself 'Teach' now, huh? And here I thought people were born were born lacking wits. It can be taught?"
"Damn straight! Wait, did you just call me an idiot?"
"Um… Excuse me...?" a quiet, feminine voice spoke up. Turning his head, Robin was met with a shy looking girl with long dark hair. Her armor, a light pink sheen, sparkled brilliantly as the newcomer anxiously peered about the room as if she was searching for something important. "Is Captain Chrom here by chance?" A small hue of red splashed the cheeks of the young woman.
"Oh. That's quite interesting," Robin thought to himself as a light bulb went off in his head. "Isn't Chrom quite the ladies man?"
"Sorry, Sumia, but Chrom isn't here right now, and I don't know quite when he'll be back," Lissa apologized.
"Oh, well, it's not your fault, Lissa." Sumia sighed dejectedly. "I'm sure Captain will come on by when he has the chance."
"The poor girl was quite frantic with worry," Maribelle frowned as the young lady closed her eyes in remembrance. "The entire day, she scanned the horizons for even a hint of the prince's return. I'm afraid she might have suffered fewer bruises during training had she fought blindfolded instead of worrying so much."
"M-Maribelle!" Sumia exclaimed scandalously. The small hint of a blush erupted into a full-blown one. "As I said earlier, I was just feeling a bit under the weather!"
"Because of the prince's abscene?"
It was like a watching a scene from a poorly written romantic comedy novel. As the female knight attempted to cover Maribelle's mouth with her hands, Sumia found herself tripping over her own feet, resulting in a face plant that looked quite painful.
Coughing in order to hide a chuckle (he did feel a ping of guilt for having the urge to laugh at Sumia's misfortune), Robin quickly offered a hand to the face planted woman. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes! Thank you so much." Sumia replied, taking the offered hand with much gratitude. A clumsy smile flashed on her face. "It's quite embarrassing, but I'm afraid this sort of thing happens quite often."
"You mean this sort of thing happens when it involves Chrom."
"S-SULLY!"
"Actually, Sumia is pretty klutzy," Lissa whispered into the ears of a now laughing Robin. "Her habits just get worse whenever my brother is involved."
"Dully noted," Robin muttered back with a small nod of his head. "So it might be a bad idea to pair Chrom and Sumia together during battle?"
"Maybe, but I think it won't matter too much. Chrom is pretty protective of Sumia, you know."
Understanding lit Robin's face. "Ah. Does Sumia know about this?"
"Not yet," Lissa said simply. Suddenly, the princess lightly tapped her right fist into the palm of her left hand. "What am I doing…? Everyone! In case you didn't know, this is Robin. He's a new member of the Shepherds, and Chrom made him into our new tactician. You should see all the tricks and ideas he has up his sleeves!"
Small cheers of approval spread across the room as everyone in the garrison made their way to officially welcome Robin.
"There's also another one, and she's also super smart like Robin over here. Chrom also said she was going to be our tactician as well. Trust me: with their combined brains, there's no way the Shepherds are going to lose a battle," Lissa said enthusiastically.
"What's her name?" Vaike called out lazily as he slapped Robin on the back.
"Katarina."
The cheering momentary gave pause before Maribelle finally spoke up with a curious eyebrow raised. "Lissa, my treasure…?"
"Yes, I know it's not exactly the most appreciated name out there considering the story behind it, but she's really an amazing person. Trust me."
"Very well," Maribelle consented. Despite her words, a thoughtful look remained on the young aristocrat's face. Without another word, Maribelle excused herself and retreated to a nearby table where she silently began sipping on a small tea cup.
"Is she okay?" Robin whispered into the ears of Lissa.
"Huh? Oh, she should be fine. I know we didn't really show it earlier, but the name 'Katarina' carries a lot of negativity behind it. There's actual a local legend around in this city that says that if you name your child by that name, then Naga herself will come and personally deliver punishment onto you and the child. Crazy, isn't it?"
"I had no idea…"
Lissa gave a solemn nod. "Well, everyone is taught from a very young age that the Katarina from the legends was a total soulless monster who only wished for the end of the world."
Before Robin could speak another word, however, another wave of cheers erupted in the room. This time, the sound was amplified threefold as Robin was forced to plug his ears with his fingers in fear of becoming deaf.
"I'm back," Chrom announced, a proud smile on his face. The handsome prince slowly walked into the Shepherd's garrison greeting each member. Vaike, who had the clever of idea of ambushing Chrom from behind, was promptly sent flying back courtesy of the right fist of the royal prince as the wild blond leapt at Chrom. "And hello to you too, Vaike."
"Urg, you've gotten better, Chrom," Vaike moaned as the burly man gingerly stood back up.
"Vaike, if it didn't work the first hundred times, what makes you think it'll work this time?" Virion dryly asked as the archer stepped through the front doors of the garrison.
"You don't know if you don't try!"
"Imbecile," the archer muttered as he shook his head and walked over towards a wall where several bows hung from. A minute later, the man picked a bow from the far right side of the wall and gave the bow a couple of experimental pulls. Judging from the smile on his face, the archer had found the bow quite satisfactory. "Well, I suppose I cannot dismiss your talent with the axe –especially since we are going to be needing it in the upcoming march."
The last bit of the archer's sentence did not go unnoticed by the rest of the Shepherds.
"Wait, did you say…?"
Chrom gave a nod of confirmation. "Yes, tomorrow morning, we shall be marching towards Regna Ferox."
"Regna Ferox?" Robin mused out loud, earning the attention of the blue haired man.
"Oh, that's right. Sorry, Robin. It's a kingdom to the north. Its cold is as infamous as its warriors, and judging by this new menace on top of the problems with Plegia, Ylisse is going to need all the help she can get," Chrom explained with a pensive look on his face before said expression twisted into one of annoyance. "From what I've heard, the rulers of Regna Ferox handle politics quite differently from that of Ylisse."
"How so?" Robin asked curiously.
"I don't know. We will just have to find out when we get there. Lissa, try not to say or do anything that will give Regna Ferox a reason to declare war on Ylisse," Chrom teased, chuckling lightly as he dodged a blow from his younger sister. The prince's easygoing expression reverted back to a serious one. "Usually, the exalt would be the one who requesting aid from a foreign kingdom, but with all that has happened as of late, the council has decided to have Emmeryn remain in the capital. So the task now falls onto us. This mission will be voluntary, and I-"
"Oh! Let me go, Chrom!" Lissa exclaimed, eyes shining brightly as the young princess went to go fetch her healing staff. Instantly, shouts of volunteering ringed in the air as nearly every person in the building voiced their enlistment. Only Sumia, who timidly pressed her fingers together, remained silent.
"Sumia…?" Chrom gently asked as he placed a hand on the female knight's shoulder, rousing a small blush from the young woman.
"I… I don't think I should go, Captain," she spoke in a quiet voice. "I'm afraid I'll just get in the way."
"I-I see," the prince stammered. The slight disappointment in his voice did not escape Robin's (as well as everyone else's) ears. Suddenly, he brightened up and flashed the nervous girl a smile. "Well, maybe you can stay behind the group and observe how things are done? There are some things that can only be learned on the battlefield."
"That sounds reasonable to me." The blush grew, spreading all the way to the tip of Sumia's ears.
"Just stay by my side and you'll be fine."
Robin could only watch the scene in front of him with mild amusement as Sumia attempt to stammer out a response. Deciding that staying any longer would be rather quite rude of him, the amnesiac young man quietly slipped out the entrance of the garrison. Following him were the rest of the Shepherds –all whom had a smile, all-knowing smile on their faces.
"So let me get this straight. You said you lost your axe…?"
"Teach doesn't lose things, Chrom. He just doesn't always know where his things are."
Robin stared incredulously at the muscular blond man, wondering just how someone could misplace a heavy iron axe. Slightly still stunned, the white haired tactician turned his attention towards his counterpart. "How should we accommodate for this, Katarina?"
The female tactician, now cladded in light silver armor with a deep purple coat draped over courtesy of the royal family, gave no initial response. A distant look loomed over Katarina as Robin could only sigh. Ever since Katarina had returned from the palace, the lavender haired young woman was unresponsive and completely lost in her own thoughts.
"Katarina!"
"H-Huh?
"How should we accommodate for Vaike losing his weapon?" Robin repeated, resisting the urge to probe at the female tactician. Now was not the time to ask personal questions –those could wait until after the battle.
Katarina briefly stole a glance at Vaike and the battlefield before nodding her head. "Assuming a defensive position around Vaike will not allow us to complete our objective. A Shepherd or two should play the role of bodyguard while the rest form an assault unit. While the assault unit begins its attack, Vaike and his escorts should stay at the edge of the battlefield until the skirmish is over," she replied absentmindedly.
"But that will place immense danger on Vaike and his bodyguards should a flank from the enemy comes," Robin protested.
"Which is why one of our cavaliers will accompany him. The mobility of the cavalier will allow Vaike and the rider to escape an attack targeting them."
The amnesiac man began to rub his temples in deep thought. This... This could work. "I see. To add onto your plan, why don't we split the assault unit into two groups? One led by Frederick and one led by Chrom. Frederick's group will fight for control of the small hill thirty paces to our left and place our archer on top. In the meanwhile, Chrom's group will attack the right side of the field and clear everything out. This way, we create a divide between the enemy forces and cut off potential reinforcements from the sides."
Katarina nodded her head in agreement. While splitting up so much was normally dangerous, their foes, the Risen as dubbed by Lissa, were not intelligent and was not likely to come up with a counterstrategy to this. "I concur with the plan. Once the enemy forces are cleared, we are to meet at the end of the bridge before we cross it. I will go with Frederick and you will go with Chrom."
"That is acceptable," Robin said before turning around to announce the plan to the rest of the group. In the matter of seconds, the three groups were created and began to carry out the plan of the two tacticians. Vaike, who was seated at the back of a rider named Stahl, grumbled darkly as the cavalier rode off into a safe corner of the field. At the same time, Frederick, who was accompanied by Katarina and Virion, immediately went out to capture the hill while Chrom, who was with Robin, Sully, and Lissa, charged towards the right side of the battlefield. "Good luck, Katarina."
"O flickering light rise from the depths of the earth and devour those who stand in my way… Elfire!" Katarina shouted, pillars of flames erupting from the earth as the instantly consumed a Risen that was slightly out of position. A grimace made its way onto Katarina's face as slight pain resonated within her arm once more. While it was not as intense as the previous battle, the pain was still a hindrance to her. Coupled with the fact that it was likely that continual usage of her spells would fatigue her mind and exhaust her mana quickly, it was imperative that Katarina manage her spell usage carefully. Behind her, Frederick rode in and immediately sliced a nearby Risen cleanly with his silver lance.
"Are you impressed yet, my dear?" Virion shouted at Katarina as he fired an arrow that struck cleanly between the eyes of another Risen. While impressive, the arrow alone was not enough to destroy the monster as it gave an angry roar and charged at the archer. "Ah, begone with you," the archer announced, launching another arrow at the blitzing Risen. Once again, an arrow sunk cleanly between the eyes of the rather unfortunate Risen. The second, however, was enough to vanquish the monster.
Ignoring the arrogant man, Katarina opened up her tome and scanned the pages for the spell she had in mind. Ancient runes began flowing from the book as the tactician began to mutter under her breath. "Flames of hell, unleash your crimson wrath onto this plane… Hellfire!" Scarlet flames that exceeded a thousand degrees exploded from underneath like before. Unlike the Elfire spell, however, this one was far more potent and created several pillars of flame.
All at the cost of less mana.
"Impressive," Frederick commented from behind, thrusting his lance at a nearby enemy. Unfortunately for the knight, the attack was read by the Risen and was promptly intercepted with an axe. Instead of being fazed of worried, the burly man twirled his lance, knocking the axe out of the hands of the Rise. Almost instantly the Risen was stabbed multiple times. "Katarina, I believe we have secured the location."
"Yes. Virion, can you please begin sniping the enemy from the hill? Frederick and I will cover your flank," she requested, casting another spell at couple of Risen that were in the distance.
"But of course, my dear lady!" Virion said before turning his head to Frederick. "My good sir, a ride if you will."
"Virion, the hill is a mere five paces away from you."
"And endure the harsh slope and risk fatigue? I think not! An archer must be in tip-top condition at all times!"
"Very well," Frederick conceded finally with a nod of his head, allowing the other man to hop onto his steed. Katarina, on the other hand, could only shake her head in amazement as she watched Virion being dropped off by Frederick. With a dazzling smirk, the archer began sniping enemies with deadly precision.
"Why did you listen to him, Frederick?" Katarina curiously asked, knowing that the stern knight was not a fool.
The sound of steel sounded in the air instead of his answer as Frederick parried an incoming attack from the flank. The Risen that crossed weapons with the knight growled ferociously as it raised its free hand and swung it at Frederick. While his armor blunted the full force of the attack, Frederick couldn't help but give a grunt as he was nearly knocked off his steed.
"What power," he muttered, swinging his lance in a high arc that cut the Risen across the chest. Despite the large laceration, the monster did not yield. This time, another punch was thrown at Frederick followed by a quick stab from the katana the Risen wielded. "Hah!" Dark particles scattered throughout the air as Frederick expertly dodged both blows before landing one of his own on the humanoid's head.
"Hellfire!" Katarina yelled, summoning forth another barrage of fire that engulfed two more Risens before grimacing once more. Dull, nagging pain erupted within her mind as Katarina strained herself to remain standing up. After making sure the environment around her was clear, the tactician reached within her coat and pulled out a small vial.
"What is that?" a new voice suddenly asked from behind. Turning her head around, Katarina was met with a curious Robin.
It appeared the other tactician had finished clearing his side of the battlefield with the help of Virion.
"Medicine I had the local apothecary create for me before we left," Katarina explained as she downed the small vial in one go. "For my magic fatigue."
The white haired tactician gave a small frown. "You are still in pain…?"
"Yes, and it will continue until my body adapts to the extreme mana discharges my body releases whenever I cast a spell."
"How come my body does not go through the same thing?"
Katarina closed her eyes. "It is likely that you were well versed in magic prior to your memory loss. While your mind may not remember, your body does… although I am sure that if you cast a higher tier spell, you will experience the same symptoms."
"I see," Robin mused as he glanced at Katarina's right arm. "Then the pain in your arm previously was due to magic fatigue?"
Silence.
"Katarina?"
"No," the young woman finally replied. "The pain in my arm was due to an entirely different reason."
Alarm sparked within Robin's eyes as he stole another glance at Katarina's arm. "Is it fine right now?"
Contemplation overwhelmed the female tactician as she saw the worry in her counterpart. Katarina did not like being worried over like this. Furthermore, the last thing she needed was an investigation of her arm. On the other hand, it was more than likely Robin would be able to see through her lie, causing further complications.
So Katarina chose the next best option.
"Robin, have you seen Vaike?"
"Huh…?"
"Vaike, "she repeated calmly. "We haven't seen Vaike or Stahl in quite some time. Before we begin our assault across the bridge, we should make sure they're okay."
"Katari-"
"I will go look for them. In the meantime, why don't you focus on a strategy to taking over the bridge?" she interrupted, immediately excusing herself from the conversation and leaving Robin alone. A pang of guilt ran through her as she saw the look of sadness and worry on Robin's face out of the corner of her eyes, but Katarina continued onward.
Things were much better this way.
"While charging through a bridge is usually not the best idea, I believe that this is a scenario that calls for it," Robin announced to the regrouped Shepherds. Katarina had slowly walked into the small group of warriors in the meanwhile without Vaike or Stahl behind. Judging from the calm look on her face, however, it was likely that the duo were fine.
"How so?" Chrom curiously asked, remembering the small lecture that the two tacticians had given him the first battle around.
Robin pointed to the other side of the bridge. "Look at the positioning of the enemy –the remaining enemy forces are positioned around a certain Risen instead of carefully guarding the access point. My guess is that they are guarding a key individual. If Katarina and I could cast a spell that could momentary disorganize the Risen, that should open up an opportunity for everyone to channel through to the other side. Furthermore, the bridge is wide enough for roughly two solders to through at a time. If we go in pairs, that should be enough for everyone to get through without any complications. Of course, one person will be left alone due to our odd amount of people, but that person will simply go in last."
"I see," the prince muttered, his shining eyes indicating the approval for the plan. "At first glance, the plan seems to rely a lot on brute force, but it really has quite the depth to it."
"That's because it does rely on a lot of brute force," Robin deadpanned, drawing looks from all the Shepherds sans Katarina. "The first two crossing into the enemy grounds will be the ones who will be drawing the most attention. It is entirely possible that a variety of long range projectiles and magic could rain upon them the moment their foot steps across to the other side; thus, it is important that our strongest warriors go first."
"That would be milord and me," Frederick quietly said, his eyes narrowed. While his words appeared arrogant, not a trace of hubris exuded from the burly knight. Instead, silent anger trembled from him. "You would dare put milord in such danger?"
"Of course not," Robin answered back immediately.
"Just what are you playing at?"
"While it is logical that we place our strongest warriors at the front, I have no intentions of placing our leader in such danger," he explained calmly. Fire burned within his eyes as the tactician spoke once more. "I will go in his place."
Silence engulfed the group until a certain prince finally spoke up for every member of the group.
"Robin. You do realize what you've just said, right?"
"Yes, Chrom."
"I'm not letting you do this."
Robin stared resolutely at the incredulous looking prince. "Chrom, I'm not letting anyone else do this job, and that's final. Consider it an order from the tactician."
"Were you this stubborn before you lost your memory?" Chrom sighed after several seconds, his body posture indicating that the blue haired man had given up on the issue.
"I wouldn't know, would I?" Robin replied.
"And I'm guessing that tongue of yours was always with you too, huh?"
"Again, you're asking the amnesiac man."
A light chuckle escaped the lips of Chrom. "Alright, then. The entry job is yours, Robin. Frederick, I trust that you will cover our tactician's back?"
"Of course, milord!" Frederick nodded. "Robin, perhaps you should follow closely behind me instead of by my side?"
"That would defeat the purpose in going in pairs," Robin rejected. "I'm afraid I will have to be right next to you as we cross."
"Then I will do my best to help you."
"Likewise, Frederick. Lisewise," Robin replied before turning his attention towards the group. "I don't care who you pair up with, but I want you to pair up with someone you are comfortable with!" The tactician gave pause in his announcement, quickly addressing Chrom privately. "Actually, I want you to pair up with Katarina."
"How come?" he asked curiously? "Wouldn't someone like Sully compliment me better on the field?"
Robin shook his head. "No, Katarina's magic should complement your blade very well. But the main reason why I want her with you in case something happens to me or the plan falls apart. Katarina should be more than capable enough to figure out a way to get you out."
"I see," Chrom muttered, accepting Robin's words. "You really did think everything through."
"I try my best," he nodded in response.
"Well, in that case, Robin, I want you to take this."
Puzzlement shined on Robin's features before breaking out into a look of surprise. A beautiful silver sword was presented to Robin as Chrom pulled it out from the second sheathe that hung from his back.
"Chrom… I can't possibly take th-"
"Take it," Chrom repeated, nearly shoving the magnificent blade at Robin. "It's a lot better than the one you're using right now." The taller man looked straight into the eyes of his tactician and broke into a smirk. "If you really don't want it, you can return it to me after the battle."
Now it was Robin's turn to sigh. "Alright then. I'll be returning this after this is all over."
"Excellent. I'll be looking forward to it."
Nodding his head, Robin turned back around to face the group of warriors once more. Pairs stood next to each other -all attentive at the amnesiac man who was about to speak. "After Frederick and I charge in, I want Sully an-"
"Alright, Chrom! Teach is finally here!" a familiar voice roared in the far distance. Loud footsteps increased in volume as a muscular blond man came rushing in. A large iron axe swayed dangerously from his right arm as Vaike paused only for a second to catch his breath. The massive grin that was on his face disappeared as he noticed the blank stares that he drew from his comrades. "What? Did I miss something important?"
Surprisingly, it was Sully who broke the silence.
"No, you came at the perfect time. Oi, Virion, I believe you finally have a partner to cross the bridge with."
And that's a wrap for the chapter. Obviously, the cat is out of the bag for Katarina, but her secret is safe from the rest of the group. One thing I want to portray to my readers is the immense guilt Katarina feels. When I played New Mystery of the Emblem, I was always under the impression that Katarina was the type to let her guilt consume her. She's the type to hold all her burdens and fears -which is something she shares with Robin. As things play out, pay close attention to how both Robin and Katarina address their respective fears and problems.
Review Corner
Lolrus555: I'm afraid that's going to be a secret until the story actually hits the romance. I'm really sorry, but I'm not going to say anything. And I'll have to agree with you about that one... While I don't mind the pairings themselves, it is an extremely popular pairing and some variety would be nice to see. Don't worry: you won't be seeing those pairings here :). And sorry for the long wait. Hopefully, this chapter made up for it.
Cormag Ravenstaff: Oh, that's really good. Fight scenes are a bit of a struggle for me, so I'm glad to see that the scene really came to life for you. UHHHH... So this took over a month... I hope you can forgive me...? Haha. It's weird because I actually just write until a good stopping point. I'll try to hasten the writing process, but there's nothing I can do about the length since I usually just go with the flow. Sorry about that. :/ But thank you for reading and reviewing as always! :D
potato: I responded to your review at 3 in the morning and suddenly starting laughing. I woke up my roommate because of that. Thank you (I really mean it). And it's awesome to know that I got you hooked. Maybe I'll see you again this chapter? :)
Guest: Glad you like it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!
IceBite: Well, the truth has somewhat come out for Katarina as you can tell by this chapter. As for when the truth comes out for the group, it might take a bit of time. It's not like Katarina is trying to build trust before telling them her secret. The thing is that Katarina does not want anyone to know period. First off, you have to take into consideration her situation: she's from a different time period. Who in the right mind would believe that? Second, in my opinion, Katarina seems like the type of person who would keep in all her secrets. She doesn't want people to worry or pay attention to her. The way her secret comes out is if someone else reveals it or some situation calls for her to reveal it. Don't worry though, I have everything planned out. And I just saw your PM. I'll try to respond to it as soon as I can, but I'm really busy this week (tests, papers, etc). Thank you for reading and reviewing as well. :D
Nine: Right? Katarina is such an under appreciated character. I would love to see more stories about her, but that probably won't happen since New Mystery of the Emblem never got an English port and will probably never. Oh, wow... someone who has actually read my other story. It's pretty cool to see a reader of Spiraling Destiny over here. I really appreciate it. :D I'll try to update that one as soon as I can for you. And that's really flattering to hear. Hearing stuff like what you just said is really what motivates me to continue writing despite all the stuff that's happening in my life. Thank you so much.
That's that for now. If anyone feels that this chapter feels choppy or lacking, please tell me right away. I had my friend read this to me and assure me that the quality of the chapter was up to par with my usual, but something within me tells me that it isn't. :/ If it isn't, and people tell me, I'll probably redo this chapter. Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you all next time.
Progress on Spiraling Destiny: 90% finished.
Currently listening to: Falling Stars by Eminence
Until next time.
~Goojila