It's been a while.
The thundering of hooves and the groaning of wheels filled the air, as the Shepherds traveled at an insane speed towards Themis.
"Chrom! Themis is in sight!" Sully yelled from the first wagon, causing everybody to stir.
The Shepherds prepared themselves in every way possible; strapping on armour, sharpening weapons, and checking supplies.
Virion was testing the string on his bow, drawing it while empty. Satisfied, he slung it over his shoulder along with his quiver, which was chock-full with arrows.
Stahl sat at the back of one of the wagons, putting on his freshly polished pauldrons. Vaike was doing his thing, pulling one of the wagons instead of the horses, while Lissa lazed about, laughing at him. Kellam was nowhere to be seen, but everybody knew that he couldn't be far.
Lon'qu rode by himself in silence, doing his best to ignore the carefree humming of Sumia, who was circling the convoy from above on her was patting her horse as they rode along the wagons, giving it an affectionate gaze no man could ever be the subject of.
Robin had his nose buried in his "big book of tactics", a sight that became the norm in the ranks of the Shepherds. Chrom sat impatiently at the head of the convoy with Falchion on his lap, while Miriel furiously scribbled away in her notebook.
After a while of frowning, Chrom turned to the mage, irritated.
"Good gods, Miriel, can you write any louder?"
Looking rather surprised, she adjusted her glasses as she paused her hand for a moment.
"With all due respect, milord, I believe that the sound of my writing did not exceed the threshold which constitutes a sound that is 'annoying'."
Chrom groaned, "You're missing the point."
He reluctantly returned to waiting in anxiety, leaving Miriel to her designs.
"As always, his ideas manage to evade me. Now then, this calls for further study."
She began to scribble in her notebook once again, with greater zeal than before. Watching the whole scene play out was Frederick, who rode alongside Chrom's wagon, chuckling.
"Milord, I believe it would be wise for you to calm down. A leader at his wits' end is not a particularly effective one."
Ignoring his advice, Chrom simply nodded and remained as anxious as ever. Suddenly, a yell came from ahead, causing all the Shepherds to snap to attention. Leaping off the wagon, Chrom motioned for the convoy to stop as he ran to support the wounded messenger.
"Milord, you must turn back, the Plegians are flocking to the town in droves! The exalt is safe for now, but they have been under siege for the past day!"
Assisting her to the wagon, Lissa was already prepared to heal the messenger. Chrom gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and replied with a steely expression.
"Don't worry about us, just stay here and rest."
Turning the the Shepherds, who had by this time assembled around their leader, Chrom unsheathed Falchion and drove the blade into the ground with a resounding *shing* sound.
"Shepherds! You heard the situation! Our city of Themis is crawling with Plegians, who are determined to end the exalt's life. Will we stand for this?!"
The soldiers roared in unison, "Hell no!"
Grasping Falchion's hilt, Chrom looked satisfied with the zeal his men displayed.
"Now, Shepherds, prepare for combat!"
Dispersing, each soldier began their pre-battle routine. However, the Shepherds stayed behind until all the soldiers had left. Robin approached Chrom with a serious look on his face.
"It's time to talk tactics, I suppose?" the prince sighed, evidently displeased.
His tactician crossed his arms and said in a critical but playful tone, "I'm well aware that you just want to run into the city and swing your sword around, but the truth is that it barely ever works."
Chrom winced and sighed, acknowledging the truth. Robin gave him a reassuring smile and put a hand on his shoulder.
"I know you're worried, and for good reason. You have my word that I'll bring us victory today."
Chrom nodded, grateful. Pulling out a large parchment map, Robin affixed it to a nearby tree and began to explain.
"As you can see, here is a map of Themis, today's battlefield. From what I've gathered from the messenger, the enemy numbers about 1000. Including the exalt's party, we Ylisseans have less than 500."
Grim looks swept through the members present in the conference. Everybody understood how dire the circumstances were. Robin gave a weak smile and continued in a slightly forced positive tone.
"The odds are against us, but we have a number of factors in our favor. First of all, the narrow streets of Themis dampen their advantage in numbers, and choke points can be found almost anywhere in the city. On that note, Sully, Stahl, and Frederick, your cavalier units will be dismounting for this battle. Secondly, the natural incline of the terrain slopes downward from where our allies are holed up, giving us the advantages of high ground. In addition, the majority of the buildings in Themis feature architecture with narrow windows, which will serve well as arrow slits. In terms of tactics, I've devised a small plan. From what I can tell, the Plegians are getting full of themselves, drunk on their advantage of numbers. They overextend, take too long to kill, and underestimate our troops. Remember that they may have more men, but we have the better. To combat their numbers, we can use these."
Lifting up what looked like a corpse, Robin brought it up with a smile.
"Those are… dolls?" Chrom asked, bewildered.
"Correct. These dolls can be placed on stands and harnesses, to create the illusion of greater numbers. At the very least, they can buy us time."
Impressed, Virion stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"A splendid idea, Robin. Just what you'd expect from Mr. Tactician."
Ignoring his comment, Robin put away the doll and returned his attention to the map.
"Finally, this will seal the deal."
Gesturing behind the Shepherds, they gasped and cried in alarm as their convoy left them in the dust.
"Hey, what the hell is this, Robin?" Vaike complained, causing many of the other Shepherds to voice similar opinions.
Holding his hands up, Robin quickly interjected, "Trust me on this one. All you need to know is that we fight to the death. Retreat is no longer an option."
I know that this is a rash plan, but it's true. People are much more driven when fighting to the death.
Murmurs swept through the officers after the tactician's announcement, and eventually they grudgingly agreed to the plan.
"Alright, we're betting on you, Robin." Chrom said, easing the nerves of the Shepherds.
A more confident grin on his face, the tactician flashed a thumbs-up at his fellow soldiers, easing their nerves.
"Of course, leave it to , Sumia, I'll need to help of you and your pegasus unit for the preparations."
Nodding, she smiled and flexed her arms in a semi-reliable manner.
"Sure, Robin!"
Turning to brief her soldiers, she shouted, "You heard the man! We're in charge of… erm… what are we supposed to do again?"
Robin chuckled and explained, "Hold your horses, I didn't finish explaining yet. We're going to place the dolls in a number of different areas of tactical value. With the mobility of the pegasus, we should be in and out before the enemy even notices us."
Along with her troops, Sumia replied, "Understood!"
Strapping the dolls to the pegasus, they prepared to depart. Turning to the other Shepherds, Robin addressed them briefly.
"The rest of you guys know what to do. Hit them hard, and hit them fast."
After affirming that the rest of the army knew their respective roles, the white-haired man approached the pegasus knights. Sumia mounted her pegasus in one swift motion and extended a hand to him.
"Come on, let's get going!"
"Alright!"
Taking her outstretched hand, Robin pulled himself onto the back of the pegasus unsteadily.
"Woah… this is harder than I thought."
Laughing, the pegasus knight gripped the reins in one hand and her lance in the other. Chrom looked up from sharpening Falchion, and gave his tactician a small farewell wave. Returning the favor, Robin barely had any time to react before Sumia took to the sky, with the other pegasus knights quickly following suit.
"Hang on tight, Robin! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"
Dear God, somebody help me.
Shutting his eyes tight, Robin clung onto Sumia for dear life until he heard a small yelp.
"U-um, I did say hang on, but there's no need to be that close."
Loosening his grip slightly, Robin opened one eye and stammered, "S-Sorry about that, Sumia. I'm just no good with heights."
She gave him a stern look before returning to flying with a sigh. "Alright, I'll let it slide this time, but make sure it doesn't happen again."
At that moment, the pegasus wobbled in flight due to turbulence, and a frightened tactician mumbled, "No promises."
Rolling her eyes, Sumia sighed in exasperation as they continued to soar through the air. Within a minute or two, their scout returned to give her report.
"Captain! We've spotted small groups of Plegians roaming the streets. Some are within the area of our jurisdiction. Your orders?"
Scanning the area, Robin gave each pegasus knight orders to set up dolls and barricades in certain places of importance, forwarding them to Sumia. In a matter of minutes, the squad executed the preparations without a hitch, and unbeknownst to the enemy.
"Great job, let's head back."
Robin motioned for the squad to retreat, but suddenly one of the pegasus knights cried out in alarm.
"A-ARCHERS!"
Horrified, Robin and Sumia looked below them to see the Plegian archers holed up in the same buildings that were part of the tactician's plan.
"EVERYBODY DESCEND!"
Sumia's voice was loud and clear, and immediately her entire squad followed suit.
However, it was not fast enough.
One after another, the dying whinnies of the pegasus accompanied by the screaming of their riders filled the air.
"Damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen!"
Robin bit his lip in frustration as he and Sumia managed to land safely on a nearby rooftop.
"Don't let your guard down yet, Robin!" Sumia yelled, for good reason.
Following up with the archer ambush, groups of fighters and soldiers were prowling the streets for vulnerable pegasus knights. The unlucky Ylisseans that descended to the streets
"How come there are so many of them?! We never saw them in reconnaissance!" Sumia asked as she readied her lance.
Readying his sword and tome, Robin shook his head in frustration as he ground his teeth.
"They must have all holed up in the buildings. Damn it, we've been had!"
Slamming his fist against the concrete railing, blood dripped from his hand where it had hit the hard surface.
Calm down, Robin. Calm down and think. What should we do?
Taking a couple deep breaths, the tactician regulated his mental state before coming to a decision. Speaking to Sumia who was cautiously glancing over the roof at the Plegians scouring the ground levels, he formulated their next course of action.
"Sumia, listen up. Things have gone south, and at this point there isn't much for us to lose. You see that building over there?"
Pointing to a sizable structure a couple hundred metres away, Robin continued.
"That's where the exalt and the hunkered down Ylissean forces are. We're going to make our way over there while picking up any of the surviving pegasus knights. We have a far greater chance of making it through this if we can regroup."
Grabbing the reins for her pegasus, Sumia stroked its mane as the creature paced in place skittishly.
"What about our pegasus? We would be fine on the ground, but the narrow alleys will only hamper their movement."
Brainstorming different ways to traverse to the bunker with the pegasus in tow, there really was only one answer that Robin could see.
"...We're going to fly."
Sumia did a double take before reacting to the outrageous idea.
"Excuse me?! Robin, you do realize that we landed solely because there are archers watching the skies, right?!"
"I understand how you feel about it, but hear me out. We won't fly in the open. We'll take the pegasus roof-hopping."
After explaining his thoughts, a look of understanding dawned on her face.
"...I see. In that case, we can minimize the time that we spend in the air if we jump from roof to roof. All we need to watch out for…"
"...Are the archers on higher ground. Exactly, Sumia."
Now that the two had reached a mutual understanding, they prepared to execute their risky plan.
"Alright, you focus on flying, I'll point out the next rooftop we'll jump to."
"...Yeah."
Mounting the pegasus, Sumia whispered gently to the creature, calming it down. Robin followed suit, clumsily climbing behind her. Grabbing onto her waist, he prepared himself for the inevitable nausea he would experience after their trip.
"Where to first, Robin?"
Eyes sweeping over the myriad of building that were sprawled out before them, a path was calculated in the tactician's head. Knowing exactly how they would travel, Robin gave the order.
"That red roof to the right."
With a rush of wind, the pegasus leaped off the building, soaring roughly 30 metres before landing on the said roof. While they were airborne, Robin caught sight of Plegian archers in the windows that looked at them in surprise, who could not react fast enough to even draw their bows.
Yes, this seems to be working!
Before they landed on the first roof, Robin pointed to the next target, and yelled, "That one to the left!"
The pegasus jumped back and forth from roof to roof like a pinball, causing Robin infinite discomfort and undue stress on Sumia, who was struggling to keep up with his verbal cues. Even so, they somehow managed to crash land onto the top floor of their target destination. Robin rolled off the pegasus and stumbled to the ledge, heaving a great wad of his stomach contents over the edge.
Sumia bounded off her collapsed mount and rushed to its side, worried for its well-being. Checking to make sure no limbs were broken, she sighed in relief and slumped next to her pegasus, burned out.
Robin returned from the edge of the building, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his cloak. Still lookin kind of pale, he fell to his behind in front of Sumia.
"Hah… looks like we made it."
"Yeah. Somehow. That was too close for comfort."
"You can say that again."
Their eyes met and a huge wave of tension left their bodies. Drained and relieved, all they could do was laugh.
"Haha, let me tell you, Sumia, I did not think that this plan would work out so well."
"Could have fooled me, Robin. You were pretty confident in yourself, weren't you?"
"Maybe."
Robin stretched his arms out and planted them behind him, supporting his body as he leaned backward to gaze into the sky. The puffy white clouds rolled along lazily, as if mocking the effort they had just put in. Exhaling a sigh, the tactician slowly rose to his feet after another minute of relaxing.
"We should go down and meet up with the Ylissean Guard."
Sumia did not respond, to Robin's confusion. However, after he took a glance at her, he comprehended the situation. Her eyes were watery and her slim body was shaking ever so slightly.
I should leave her to herself for a while. It must be hard, losing your entire unit.
"I'll be downstairs. Come join me whenever you're ready."
The pegasus knight nodded in affirmation, upon which Robin quietly walked away. After a couple steps however, he came to a realization.
There's no door to the inside of the building on the roof…
Cursing himself for his shortcoming, Robin pondered what he should do. He had already left Sumia with a semi-cool farewell phrase, and it would seem extremely lame and unprofessional if he retracted the statement. As such, there was only one thing to do.
Taking out his tome, there was a moment of hesitation before Robin aimed at the shingles on the roof a couple metres away from him.
"[Elfire]!"
With a deafening boom, the point he was aiming at exploded in a storm of tiles and heat, flying outward as painful but non-lethal shrapnel. Before the smoke cleared, Robin hopped into the gaping hole in the roof without waiting.
The past couple days have been awful for us in the Ylissean Guard. We had arrived here as guards to the exalt, who was in Themis for a routine checkup of the Ylissean lands. Little did we know that shortly after we arrived, the entire town would be sieged and seized by the Plegians. Sighing for the umpteenth time today, one of my comrades clapped me on the back.
"Hey, why the long face?"
Staring at him incredulously, I stammered in reply.
"A-Are you asking me that seriously? The city has fallen to the Plegians, we're at our wits end here after days of siege, and now to top it all off we've just run out of supplies! Now do tell me, friend, would I be okay?!"
I may have gotten a little carried away, given that I had risen to my feet and was shaking the poor man by his shoulders relentlessly.
Removing himself from my grip, the soldier stumbled a couple steps to regain his balance.
"Uwah… calm down buddy. I know things aren't looking great right now, but have a little faith, will you? We sent out a messenger yesterday and she hasn't come back yet. I'd take that as good news, yeah?"
Scoffing at his unfounded optimism, I replied dryly.
"You think so? When a messenger doesn't return, the first thing anybody would think is that they've been killed in action."
By this point, my negative attitude had seeped from myself to my fellow soldiers in the room. The air had never been more dismal. Even then, the overly positive friend of mine didn't give up.
"W-Well, it's bad to think of things that way, isn't it? A-Anyway, where did the exalt go, I haven't seen her in a while."
"Back in her room, probably. We have guards posted outside her door, so there's no need to worr-"
*BOOM!*
Before I could finish my sentence, an ear-rending explosion echoed through the air, causing all of us to jump in surprise. My heart sank after realizing where the sound had originated from; the exalt's room on the second floor.
"Oh my Gods…"
Every trace of our previous lax nature had been erased, and we rushed to the exalt wordlessly in unison.
If there is any God out there, I pray that the exalt is unharmed.
Robin fell through the dust and smoke, his face unfortunately greeting the hard wooden floor of the room below.
"OW! Gods, that hurt…"
Massaging his chin, he stumbled to his feet to a startling sight; more than a dozen soldiers with their blades drawn had surrounded him, flying the Ylissean colours.
"You there! What is the meaning of this?!"
A menacing voice met my ears as the soldiers stared me down. Sensing their hostility, I raised my hands in peace, trying to seem as not threatening as possible.
"Woah there, calm down. I'm Robin, the tactician of the Shepherds. Sorry for the disturbance, but this was the only way in."
Contrary to what I thought would happen, the hostile attitudes of the soldiers did not increase in the slightest. Instead, there were a couple snarling faces as some soldiers brandished their weapons menacingly.
"Tactician of the Shepherds? Look here, Plegian scum. If you're going to lie, at least make it believable."
"H-Huh? Okay, I can see why you might think that, but I assure you, I truly am the tactician for the Shepherds!"
The Ylisseans edged closer and closer, with no intention of staying their blades. Just when they were going to lunge, a calm and clear voice rang through the room.
"Stop this at once. That man is telling the truth."
All of the soldiers stopped on command, and they parted like the sea, revealing a familiar figure. It was Emmeryn, Chrom and Lissa's sister, the exalt. The soldiers all bowed in respect, and Robin followed suit, stooping to one knee and placing a hand across his chest.
"My deepest apologies, milady. We did not realize that this man was telling the truth. Please forgive us for our blunder!"
Smiling, divine radiance seemed to ooze from Emmeryn's very being.
"Raise your heads. You have done nothing wrong. You sought to protect me, and that is a blessing that I often take for granted."
The men were visibly relieved and content upon hearing the exalt's words, and replied in unison.
"Yes! Thank you very much, milady!"
Turning her attention from the genuflecting soldiers to the tactician, Emmeryn had a calm yet understanding expression on her face.
"Robin, I'm sure you are aware of how dire our situation is. Come, let us hold a conversation regarding our next actions."
Slowly standing up, Robin nodded sternly and followed the exalt out of the room, with her guards trailing close behind. The procession was brief and after a series of twists and turns, a living room-turned-command post greeted them. At a glance, Robin could tell that aside from the mismatched and unprofessional appearance, the room was in fact very well outfitted for what it was.
A large table in the centre was home to a map of Themis and the surrounding area, with small wooden figurines representing the allied and enemy forces scattered across the map. Even without taking a deeper look into the state of affairs, the sheer number of Plegian pieces induced a fleeting feeling of despair in his mind.
Non-military personnel were clambering about the room, carrying rolled up parchments that likely held letters and commands. The tense hustle and bustle in the room was for good reason; according to a message that had just come in, the Plegians had resumed their advance and redoubled their efforts in sieging our stronghold.
A flustered young squire ran up to us as we entered the room, breathless.
"M-Milady, terrible news! The Shepherds that came to our aid are being overrun!"
Robin's face was stony when he heard the news. He could not hear Emmeryn's reply. He could not react. All that he felt was his blood boiling and an unfathomable rage welling up within himself. Just when he was about to dash out of the room, a gentle hand laid upon his shoulder dispelled his furor.
Surprised, the tactician looked to the owner of the hand, who happened to be none other than the exalt herself. Her face was filled with worry, and spoke in a concerned tone.
"Robin, are you alright? Please calm yourself. It would not do for a tactician such as yourself to lose your head in a critical moment such as this."
Staring into her eyes, Robin understood the point that Emmeryn had made. He understood it, but why couldn't he act on it. In his frustration, he lashed out viciously, silencing the room.
"THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! SIT BACK WHILE MY FRIENDS ARE DYING OUT THERE?! TELL ME! WHAT-"
He was once again interrupted by the exalt, who took in all of his anger and replied with the same calm and composed manner she always exhibited. In that moment, Robin only had one thought in the face of Emmeryn's overwhelming aura.
She… this woman is a saint.
A gentle but pained smile on her face, the exalt pulled the tactician into her bosom and began to stroke his head like a mother would do with her child.
"You know, Robin, what you're saying is right. Normally I would be overcome with anger and fury if I heard that Chrom and Lissa were in danger and mindlessly rush to their aid. But think about it. What you had in your mind was simply the desire to slaughter those who posed a threat to your comrades. The cause may be noble, but at the very core, that would make you no different than King Gangrel and the other Plegians."
Stunned, Robin could not even open his mouth to reply. He simply stood limply in the exalt's embrace, before she pulled away and gave him a beaming smile.
"That's why we must find a way out of this predicament using our own methods. I refuse to stoop as low as the Plegians. At the end of the day you may all call me a 'saint' or 'goddess', but I have my pride as a woman as well."
With a soft chuckle, the exalt made her feelings clear for the entire room to hear. Seconds later, the room returned to normal, but everybody worked with renewed vigor, spurred on by their leader's words.
Robin couldn't help but smile after understanding Emmeryn's thoughts. Bowing theatrically, the tactician presented himself in a confident and level headed demeanor, a stark contrast from his rage-consumed self from a couple minutes ago.
"Very well. I understand, milady. I will endeavor to fulfill your wishes to the best of my abilities."
Striding to the battle map, Robin cleared the field and began to place wooden pieces throughout the area. Cross referencing the constant stream of intel that came in from the messengers, it did not take him long to develop a largely accurate replica of the battlefield.
Uwah… this is worse than I thought it would be.
The data that he based his replica off of stated a nigh impossible difference to overcome; outnumbered five to one. Strangely, even in the face of overwhelming odds, Robin did not feel fear. Instead, he felt his fighting spirit, a strong desire to fight and win over the odds.
This must be the greatest challenge of my short career as a tactician yet.
"First of all, do we have any operatives other than your personal guard, milady?"
"As a matter of fact, we do. They should be returning from their scouting mission right about now."
The tactician nodded in approval.
"Good. We'll need every man and woman we can get for this plan of mine to work. Just to reaffirm, you would like for us to escape from this situation without an all-out slaughter, is that correct?"
Emmeryn nodded, causing Robin to sigh and rub his temples.
"Ah… that's a tall order, milady. Regardless, I'll find a way to do that. After all, I'm not the Shepherd's tactician just in name only."
Taking a seat at the table, Robin linked his hands together and propped his elbows onto the surface of the table. Resting his chin on his hands, he began to enter a trance-like state, rapidly scouring the depths of his mind for any and all possible outcomes.
Think… think… wait. That's it!
Hitting a gold mine, Robin began to write furiously on an empty parchment. Nobody dared to bother him as the zeal in his eyes burned with such intensity. As the final words were scrawled onto the paper, two new faces entered the command room.
"Oh my, an unfamiliar face here. Who might this be, milady?"
Looking up from his completed work, Robin saw two figures of great contrast. One was an elegant woman whose hair was pulled back in a neat and tidy bun, wearing modest yet effective armor. The other was a young boy, no older than 12. He had a messy mop of wavy brown hair, and wore light robes that suggested he dabbled in the arcane arts.
Rising from his seat, the tactician approached the newcomers and extended a hand.
"You must be the operatives that the exalt told me about. My name is Robin, tactician of the Shepherds. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Although the two eyed each other, the lack of Emmeryn's reaction told them all they needed to know before they shook his hand in turn.
"I am called Phila, leader of the pegasus knights of Ylisse."
"I'm Ricken. I've heard a lot about you from Chrom. I may be small but you won't find a better mage than me here!"
Robin clapped his hands together and took his previous seat back at the table.
"Perfect. Now everybody gather 'round, I've devised a plan for us to break out of here."
Murmuring among themselves, it was clear that the Ylisseans were itching to hear a solution to escape from their current dilemma.
"First of all, could I get a rundown of what our current forces look like?"
Throwing an open question to anybody in the room could answer, it was picked up by Phila.
"Yes, of course. We currently have a platoon of pegasus knights numbering 24, a group of 9 mages, 48 foot soldiers, 14 archers and 30 cavaliers."
Our numbers aren't great, but this is still doable.
"...I see. How about equipment and weapons?"
Once again Phila responded.
"There are more than enough weapons stockpiled here for the personnel, including non-military. We do not have any special equipment of note in this facility, other than the warhorses and pegasus that the cavaliers and pegasus knights own."
"Very well. I understand our situation here. Listen closely, as the plan I am suggesting is of the utmost importance. The success or failure of this mission can ruin our single chance of escape."
The tension in the air grew thicker. Robin noticed this, but decided to keep the pressure on his audience for the moment. It was vital that each person understood their role in the grand scheme like the back of their hand. If one cog in the system didn't move, their efforts would be in vain.
"Here's what will happen. Relay these orders word for word to your subordinates. As you may know already, the Plegian forces have us surrounded. Archers stalk the surrounding buildings, and their foot soldiers prowl through the streets. Our goal is to get the exalt out of here safe and sound, as well as the rest of you. In my mind, there's only one option: fly and ride out on pegasus and horses."
There was no doubt that almost everybody in the room was questioning his statement, but nobody voiced their thoughts upon seeing the tactician's dead serious face.
"In order to do that, we will have to get rid of the archers, and flush out most of their ground patrols. Here's where things get harder. The foot soldiers, mages, and archers will accompany me to the roof of the building. The cavaliers and pegasus knights will prepare their mounts in the main hall, where we will depart."
Pacing around the room, Robin looked at each officer in the eye as he passed them.
"From what I've been told, we have an abnormally large amount of barrels in the cellar of this building. After the pegasus knights and cavaliers have finished preparing the escape, they will fill the barrels about quarter way with oil and carry them to the roof. You can go and get started, I will bring the rest of the soldiers up."
"Yes sir!"
Phila and another tough-looking man saluted and left the room quickly. Without losing his momentum, Robin motioned for the rest of the officers to bring their units and follow him to the roof.
This is it. If things go south at this point, I doubt that any of us are going to make it alive.
A flurry of butterflies in his stomach, Robin steeled his nerves as he hopped up onto the gaping hole to the rooftop.
If you haven't noticed already, I'm uploading these chapters sporadically, and to be honest I never know when the next one will come out. I'm gonna be real; this series could end at any moment. It's been a year since the last upload, and I only finished this chapter on a whim. Just putting things out there since you guys deserve to know. But as always, thank you for taking the time to read.
