(A/N: Hey, if you like what you're reading, let me know with a review or something. Or don't. I don't mind either way.)
Warrior Realm
The group approaches the Longfort, in the middle of a blizard. Morale was abysmally low, as most of the Shepherds are huddled together and walking next to each other for warmth.
"Frederick, it's freezing out!" Lissa complained, sitting astride Maribelle's horse and hugging tight. Frederick grunted, shivering in his armor. "It's the wind, milady. That's really what's making it cold out." Miriel nodded, sitting on Frederick's horse with him. "It is a phenomenon known as windchill. The wind makes the temperature seem and feel much colder than it actually is." As she spoke, Miriel's hat almost blew away, but it was caught by Sumia. Sumia's new pegasus was walking on the ground with everyone else. The pegasus rider handed Miriel her hat back.
As the group continued, the fort pulled into view. Robin turns to Chrom. "That it?" Chrom nods, teeth chattering. "Yeah. That's the Longfort. Stretches along the entire Ylissean-Feroxian border." Robin nods. Frederick pulls up alongside the two at the front. "The khans ruling Ferox have grown wary of any foreigners recently. But don't think they'll be hostile just because they don't offer hospitality. We'll just have to be... diplomatic." Frederick grimaces at the word diplomatic, fully knowing his company. "Negotiation's definitely not my strong suit, but I'll do my best." Chrom admits.
...
"Trouble, milord." Frederick states bluntly. "The guards are mobilizing." Chrom swears under his breath in response. "Why?" Frederick shakes his head. "Let's prepare for a fight, should it come to that." The Shepherds slowly approach the Longfort, readying weapons as they close in. A deafening shout can be heard from atop the Longfort's ramparts. "HALT! WHO GOES THERE?"
Chrom sighs. "In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!" He shouts up. "NOT ANOTHER STEP, LAD. I'VE LANCES AT THE READY, AND LANCERS TO PUT THEM THROUGH YOU." Frederick groans. "Hold, milady. We are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest." The deafening voice can be heard laughing for a moment. "THE ONLY MUTUAL INTEREST HERE IS KEEPING YOU ROTTEN BRIGANDS OUT OF REGNA FEROX." Frederick grimaced. "Wait just a mo-" "YOU THINK YOU LOT ARE THE FIRST "YLISSEANS" TRYING TO CROSS THE BORDER? I HAVE THE AUTHORITY I NEED TO PUT YOU ALL 6 FEET UNDER." Frederick seethed. "How dare you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, the exalt's own blood!" Numerous jeers can be heard from the Longfort. "YEAH, AND I'M THE QUEEN OF VALM. IMPERSONATION OF ROYALTY'S A CAPITAL OFFENSE. YOU CLAIM TO BE A YLISSEAN PRINCE? LET'S SOLVE THIS THE FEROXIAN WAY, PROVE IT ON THE BATTLEFIELD."
"Of fucking course." swore Mark. Within moments, javelins were raining down on the group. The Shepherds closed up against the wall as Robin and Mark both began shouting orders. The javelin hail stopped, as there wasn't a good angle for the lancemen to throw at. Robin and Mark turned to each other, thinking for a second, before determining a plan. "This fort's asymmetrical, but the troop placements to our left feature archers. If we can close in, it'll go much smoother." Robin nods. "Right." The Shepherds stick to the wall, closing in on the left. Robin turns to her right, before blankly staring at a fully armored knight just... kinda standing there. "Hey, Chrom, go ask that guy what he's doing." Chrom looks at Robin, bewildered. "Who?" Robin points directly at the knight. "Oh. Didn't see them there. A...alright."
Chrom broke away from the formation, and headed over to the knight. "Hello, sir" The knight said cheerfully. "K-kellam? When did you arrive?" Kellam deadpanned. "Same as you. I've been with you the entire time, actually. I am a Shepherd, right? It's quite the-" "Yes, forgive me, you're just so quiet... I never noticed you." Chrom cut him off. "It's alright sir. Quite alright. I've been told I'm easy to miss." Chrom nods. "At least the Feroxi didn't notice you." Kellam grimaced. "Actually, I've been calling and waving at you for at least 5 minutes now. I don't think they even know I exist." Chrom's eyebrow raised. "You sound disappointed." Kellam shakes his head. "Well. I'm glad you saw me. Keep an eye out for me from now on?" Chrom only nods in response.
The Shepherds peeked around the corner, at a sally port on the Longfort. Mark pointed out a key on one of the archers. "We'll rush them down and knock them out. They'll probably be more inclined for diplomacy if we don't kill their men." Everyone nods. Frederick, Sully, and Stahl rush the archers down while Vaike and Lissa tackle the lance wielding man, and pin him to the ground. Kellam clanks over to the lanceman and sits on him, his oversized suit of armor easily keeping him down while Vaike and Lissa go to incapacitate the archers. Within moments, Robin swipes the key and opens the gate. They're met by a lovely surprise of a couple soldiers.
...
The Shepherds fight their way through the Longfort, focused intently on having 0 causalities on either side. Vaike and Lissa proved immeasurably useful, as Vaike would simply bludgeon the soldiers with the back end of his axe, and Lissa walked up to them innocently before punching them in the throat, or kicking them in the crotch. The Shepherds blazed a trail straight to the center of the Longfort, leaving gasping bodies and knocked out soldiers in their wake. Along their way, Chrom picked up a strange looking sword while kicking over a box of oranges. Oranges spilled all over a balcony, as the pair of Robin and Chrom continued through the Longfort. "So.. uhh.. Chrom. What do you dream about?" Chrom looked at Robin funny. "What kind of question is that?" Robin shrugged, moving into position to pincer a soldier with Chrom, sending the soldier flying into a wall and into the dreamland. "Well. I dream to have the strength to protect my friends and family." Robin nods. "Sorry if that's out of the blue. I just.. asked it for some reason." Chrom nods.
...
The Shepherds finished sweeping their way through the Longfort, coming face to face with the one who had been shouting nonstop at them when they were outside. It was a blonde woman, armored in a manner similar to Kellam's. She sneered at the group, and said something forgettable about battles and words. Miriel simply threw a couple fireballs at her, and she went down laughably easy, only slinging a single javelin out that Miriel sidestepped with ease. The fireballs erupted under the Feroxian woman, launching her clean off her feet, and headfirst into the ceiling with a THUMP. She was out cold before she hit the floor.
...
After a bit, most of the soldiers began stirring. The blonde Feroxian was surprisingly among one of the first. "One thousand apologies, prince Chrom. I thought you were brigands. But no brigand would sweep their way through a fort as such and leave it so unscathed. I'll send word to the capital and escort you myself." Chrom only nods blankly, thinking of something else. Robin idly mused to herself. "She's a totally different person now." She thought. Frederick grunted, as if somehow hearing and understanding her. "In Ferox, strength speaks volumes louder than any word. I should've known better than to overestimate diplomacy here." The Shepherds, finally out of the cold, were able to stay in the fort for a little while longer, while avoiding the windchill.
...
As these mundane events occured to the Shepherds, other cataclysmic events were happening. Risen slowly entered the world, and a few earthquakes happened here or there, but the earthquakes stopped, and gave way to a new phenomenon. What would come to follow over the next few years would be a regular, frequent incursion of random Outrealmers from all walks of life and history. The very first of these incursions happened now.
...
A strange sorcerer with v\bandages encircling his head entered the world. He was accompanied by a few false recreations of life. He didn't remember how he made them. He didn't remember much of anything at all. All he knew was that: he wanted to bring the dragons back. The sorcerer gazed across the expanse of desert. His facsimiles of the Black Fang, and others readied whatever remains of weapons they had. Nergal, the Dark Druid, set out.
...
Robin approached Miriel. "Hey, Miriel, you're a mage too. I was wondering if we could work together and try to practice. Perhaps, would you like to exchange tips, and tricks?" Miriel nodded quietly. "Perhaps. I've noted that you use an unorthodox method of utilizing tome-based warfare when in close quarters combat." Robin blinked, as Miriel continued. "You literally hit your foes with the tome. I don't understand how you're capable of doing it, but you can channel magic through your tome itself. That, I am interested in." Robin nodded quietly.
End of Warrior Realm
(A/N: So, what do you think of me introducing the spotpass characters? They're all gonna be actual characters, from all the games and stuff. I hope they don't come out too OOC, but to be fair, they're all going to be mostly amnesiac. Every so often, I'll intro another.)