Chapter 26: A Brewing Tempest.
'The next words he said, was enough to send my entire world upside down...'
That's what Lucina thought as she stood before Robin, the man that decided to risk it all.
"I love you."
Those words rang true in Lucina's thoughts as tears fell down her cheeks. Almost instantly, Robin regretted his actions, the last thing he wanted to do was making the princess tear up.
He approached her quietly with a slight frown plastered on his face. "I apologize... You're clearly upset, forget what I said-"
"N-No," Lucina said with a shaken tone. "Robin.., o-overjoyed..."
At first, he couldn't decipher the bluenette's broken speech; soon his face lit up with a smile. "Truly? What a great relief."
As their first act of acceptance towards each other, they embraced; one that signaled the start of their shared story.
…
'Those memories kept me up all night... Even now, my heart threatens to escape me in order to reach the stars above us that starry night.'
In a cruel act of reminding the princess that time didn't wait for no one, a cold breeze entered the comfort of her cocoon.
The bitter cold morning of Regna Ferox caused the restless bluenette to shift underneath the sheets, her head emerging from the small confinement of the blanket before yawning.
Soon enough, Lucina's eyes processed her surroundings.
She was greeted by a dying campfire – merely embers and coal – that barely emitted a small source of heat, but it was also laid out before the Ruins of Time that shined underneath the first hours of sunlight.
Memories of what occurred last night filled the princess' mind once again.
Robin told a sorrowful tale underneath the starlit sky, which ended in something that wasn't entirely expected. His words rang out in her head, over and over, causing the princess to feel restless underneath the covers.
Giving up on trying to stay put, her eyes wandered in search of the white-haired Plegian. The area where he had slept was empty, which prompted the royal to sit up and glance around even further.
Yet again, no signs of Robin's presence could be seen. "... Maybe in the forest?" She asked herself; quickly coming to the conclusion that there was no need for him to be in the woods.
Lucina's last option was the temple, and to that, she prepared to head over there by putting on her boots.
The pair had camped out near the shoreline, so it didn't take Lucina that long to head over to the desired location. Just like before, the ruins held a sense of serenity upon entering, while also now holding a special place in the royal's heart.
Now inside the temple, Lucina's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting until she could make out a figure standing at the center of the dome.
"Robin." She made her presence clear to the tactician.
Turning to greet her – albeit a bit surprised. "O-Oh! Lucina, morning. How did you sleep?" Robin sounded unsure of himself.
"Mildly restless, due to some thoughts..."
Robin softens his eyes but nodded in agreement; for he didn't sleep well either. After that interaction, an awkward silence soon followed; until the princess decided to ask the Plegian as to why he was in here.
"Ah, I was just observing these odd carvings on the wall."
"Carvings?" Lucina followed his gaze, and sure enough, spotted a slot decorating the wall.
Upon closer inspection, the hole held the shape of a jagged double edge sword, something that the bluenette has never seen – design wise.
"That isn't the only one either," Robin continued after pointing to another section. "There's a slot over there as well; looks like a specific kind of lance."
And to further add to the mystery, another hole held the shape of a bow.
Lucina spoke up in kind. "Do you believe such a thing hides the answer to the origins of this place?"
"Most likely... Basilio told me this area was extremely old, and for some reason, each West-Khan visits this temple as a tradition when receiving the title of Khan."
"How odd, Feroxeans don't believe in religion."
To this, Robin nodded while continuing to observe the dome closer. "Yeah, and the design of this place reminds me of something that worships Naga... I might have to ask the locals – or Basilio – for the details later."
As the tactician's voice died down, so did the echo that rang inside the lonely temple.
After a few seconds of silence, Lucina's gaze shifted to Robin's frame – he was distracted – she felt a sense of longing upon noticing the distance between them.
"Anyways," He voiced out; eyes locking with hers. "Let us not think about the matter too much, best if we start packing up to leave for now."
Robin made his way to the exit but halted upon standing next to the princess, a small pause went by before he spoke up.
"Hey, Lucina..?"
The princess – now facing him fully – tilted her head slightly to better look at him. "Yes?"
"... H-How about we return here someday, together."
Blinking in surprise, Lucina watched the white-haired plegian rub the back of his head – usual signs of him being nervous.
"For whatever reason?" Unknowingly, a teasing smile appeared on the royal's face.
"Well, you know... To celebrate, about us – being a thing..."
Hearing that made Lucina happy, but also embarrassed. "O-Of course; only if you'll have me for that long..."
Whipping his head towards her, Robin's eyes widen. "No doubt in my mind that I would want that! … Err, I mean, I should be the one asking such a thing; you're royalty and all that, while I lack such qualities-"
"Such traits matter not to me, allow me to reassure you that."
"Reassure me-?"
His words were caught in his throat as Lucina cut him off. "I love you, Robin." Her cheeks were a pink hue, but she wore a brave face.
Silence washed over the couple, mostly because the tactician wasn't expecting that kind of response.
"Is this how you felt when I said it out of the blue?" Robin cracked a playful remark.
Lucina giggled; something that Robin could compare to a beautiful melody. "I never did return the gesture did I? Sincere apologies for that, guilt haunted me during the night due to it..."
"N-No needs to say sorry, can't really blame you due to how unexpected it was."
"Yes, but my reaction wasn't appropriate..," Lucina continued. "Reflecting back, it was quite.., childish of me." She remembered how uttering a word was difficult for her, such flashbacks made Lucina's cheeks heat up.
Feeling a bit more comfortable, Robin reassured her with a kind smile. "I'm sure a lot was going through your mind, and I was no different."
In sync with one another, they started walking towards the campsite.
"Robin, there's one thing I would like to say,"
"I'm all ears,"
"Doubt enters my mind when I remind myself of our positions and lives; will this truly work for us?"
"Absolutely," His response was instant. "For it is what we want, right?"
Lucina held her head high with a smile, her heart was beating wildly. "Yes; despite the feeling being alien to me."
"In that case, we're in the same boat," Robin held back a chuckle. "But that means we'll learn together; one step at a time."
The pair soon reached their campsite and prepared for the journey to track back to their friends.
Location: Eastern Side of Ylisse, Desert Oasis.
A small girl let out a large sigh of relief as she removed her hood and scarf from her face. "We're finally out of that harsh sandstorm!
Laurent and Nah have ventured to the ancient grounds of the Desert Oasis, a mysterious land famed for having spring waters scattered throughout the land, while also holding a fame legend to its name
"Indeed," Laurent cleansed his glasses with a cloth. "At the very least, we didn't return empty-handed. Your powers to detect the flow of mana was crucial, Nah."
The scholar's sharp eyes then took a glance at the baggage they carried – resting on the sand for now – inside rested their intended target.
"Hehe, thanks! But, I can't believe it was real," Nah sounded excited, skipping happily over to the bag before revealing what it held. "The Goddess Staff... Wow, this thing really has the power to heal anything?"
"Quite so, allow me to remind you that being cautious is utmost importance here; fracturing its source of power will deprive it of its usage." He snatched the relic away carefully and proceeded to hide it in the bag.
"I know, I know..." The young manakete defended herself with a small pout. "So what exactly will we save it for?"
Adjusting his glasses before speaking, Laurent reminded the Manakete of their mission. "Saving Chrom; unlike the others, I firmly believe in that time will find a way to correct itself, an example was the downfall of Ylisse's former Exalt, Emmeryn. Using this relic shall grant us the insurance to save who is needed to prevent failure."
"But didn't we agree Lucina will take Chrom's spot should he fall?" The blonde haired girl countered.
"An idea I suggested; one that has flaws just like any other plan; let us not take confidence in just a single strategy. If we can prevent Chrom's death, we shall do so with utmost priority."
Nah giggled with a smile. "Sounds like something Robin would say. You really look up to him, don't you?"
"... Something akin to that; said Grandmaster has yet to take up their position in this timeline."
"Wait, Ylisse is lacking a Grandmaster..? That can't be good."
The mage included his head, agreeing with the girl. "In fact, I haven't heard Robin's renown spread throughout the region like it did during our childhood... If something happened to him, perhaps personally taking up the Grandmaster title would be the best course of action."
Nah simply listened to the scholar mage in silence, nodding in order to show she was paying attention.
Laurent, however, decided to change topics. "For now, let us proceed with our mission. Our next destination is locating the Legendary Three Regalia."
"Oh, I read about those during our trip over here; Mercurius, Parthia, and Gradivus, powerful ancient weapons of war."
"Correct, that book; Infinite Regalia; holds the secrets of uncovering their locations, solving the riddle within its pages is key."
The two started heading towards the exiting point of the desert; specifically to a location that hid their convoy.
"And so our next target is?" Nah asked in kind.
"Parthia; which hints at being located in the eastern part of Regna Ferox."
Nah shuddered at the thought. "I'm not so good with the cold, but I guess we don't have a choice..."
Laurent adjusted his glasses once more, they gleamed and obscured his eyes. "Such is the way in order to save this world."
Location: Regna Ferox, Obscured North-West Village.
A shout filled the air as Kjelle went for a powerful lunge attack.
Liam dodged the blow swiftly by hopping backward before sidestepping, his positioning was perfect for a counterattack; Kjelle anticipated this. Turning her hips, Kjelle intercepted the attack with her shield – coming from the far left – something the blonde wasn't expecting to be possible.
The proud Ylissean Knight slammed her massive iron shield against the man during his attack; sending the swordsman flying off his feet.
Noire, who was watching, clapped softly with a smile. Happy that her friend finally won against their temporary teacher.
While Liam got back up to his feet, a smile appeared on his face. "Heh, nice trick kid.., using your shield as a weapon? Takes a lot of strength to do such a thing."
Strength, a trait that Kjelle wasn't lacking. "When you said use it to get a strike, it reminded me of a blunt weapon," She continued. "And I always wanted to use them as a kid."
Of course, such an analogy made Liam raise an eyebrow, but he dismissed the odd thinking with a proud chuckle. "Well, it worked; that takes skill of its own and all that, makes up for your lack of speed and wits as well."
"Hey! I just beat your arse and you're making fun of me-"
"Only beat me once, kid! You still need to make up more attack techniques if you don't want your arse being killed out there."
Kjelle opens her mouth in preparation to defend herself, but they were interrupted by a shout.
"L-Liam! Liam!" A desperate villager arrived at the scene. "B-Bandits, they're back!"
A sigh escaped the guardian's mouth; Liam motion with his head to lead the way. Not wasting even a second, the trio followed the villager, arriving at a sight that boiled their blood with anger.
One of the houses were lit on fire, and many innocent residents were scrambling to safety, away from a large group of bandits – all armed to the teeth – that approached the main plaza where Liam, and co, stood bravely.
The enemy – upon noticing the blonde haired man – parted and revealed a man in a sage's outfit, but wielded the same aura a dark sorcerer had.
"... Cassius," Liam recognized the man instantly, unsheathing his blade in preparation for what's to come.
"So you're the pest that has been a sore in my back all this time," Cassius showed a wicked smile. "Not hiding makes my job a whole lot easier ya know."
"Hiding from you would disgrace everything I stand for, ya scum."
"Tell me, fool; considering how you appeared out of nowhere, why do you defend these villagers? They belong to me after all, and must pay their debts if they want our protection."
This increased the rage Liam was holding back. "Protection!? You call stealing their children and selling them off to slavers a just deal!?"
Kjelle and Noire both shared an expression of disgust upon hearing this.
The dark mage laughed. "Such matters shouldn't concern you... Like I said, these are my lands, and you're an outsider."
"Oh, it concerns me alright..." The hero's grip on his weapon tightened. "Ever since you took her life away.., your schemes became my bane."
Cassius raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding what the other man meant, which allowed Liam to elaborate.
"Of course, a murderer like you wouldn't blink twice – let alone remember – a lost life; allow me to replenish those disgusting memories of yours."
Liam told the tale of a traveling maiden, who sacrificed her life to save a young child – one that wasn't hers – for the maternal instincts inside, moved her into action.
"That heroic woman was my wife... The bearer of my unborn child who you also took away from me upon killing her."
Kjelle and Noire – even some of the bandits – felt their resolve weaken, they were witnessing the husk of a broken man, who was fueled with vengeance.
However, true to Liam's worlds, Cassius didn't feel any remorse. "Ha! Are you saying she got in our way? She got what she deserved for interfering."
Noire pulled an arrow out of her quiver and took aim. "Y-You..."
Noticing the familiar – hair standing – sensation of overflowing dark magic, Kjelle turned to address the assassin. "Noire calm down-"
"You fifthly monster! Not even the pits of hell is enough to remedy your sins!" Noire's entire persona shifted from a timid girl; to an enraged lunatic with a wicked expression.
Liam had to move out the way, lest he wanted to get caught in the crossfire of the multitude of arrows being flung. Some of them hit their targets, but Noire's accuracy was pitiful in such a state, resulting in most of them missing.
Cassius decided to retreat while ordering his men. "Don't come back to the base unless that man is dead! Burn this village to the ground!"
"Ahahaha! I am the righteous fury that shall punish every single one of you!" Noire continued her outrage against the bandits, who were wise enough to seek cover.
Meanwhile, Kjelle pulled Liam into their own safe zone, the latter speaking out in shock. "H-Has she lost her head!?"
"Just don't get caught in her line of sight and you'll be fine!" Kjelle suddenly charged into battle as a bandit got too close to where the villagers hid.
"... You say that, but," He glanced at Noire, who was changing directions constantly, sniping down any foes that were unlucky. "Either way, this is the perfect opportunity to cut off that snake's head. We just need to win this battle."
Without another word, the man charged into battle; ensuring a fight that would last until only one side remained.
Location: Regna Ferox, West-Khan's Capital.
Riding along the road smoothly, Lucina held onto the tactician from behind. They weren't too far from their destination, which saddens the couple; having less time for each other was a given once the trip resumed.
Robin's voice filled in the silence momentarily. "We'll be leaving tomorrow; given the pace, we're going at, we'll reach Ylisstol in a month."
"May I ask what would be next after that?"
"... I haven't given it much thought yet, to be honest."
Lucina pondered on what they could do, some ideas came to mind, but ultimately, they weren't ideal with what they needed to do. "Training with the Shepherds seems to be best." She concluded.
The white-haired plegian nodded. "Although, some of the Shepherds aren't fighting anymore, and asking them to train with the rest wouldn't work."
A handful of the Shepherds halted their service after the war; Chrom can't exit the castle often, and this also meant Lissa and Sumia were rooted in place.
Maribelle, Gregor, Libra, and Ricken, were also busy with their own personal goals; Gaius and Tharja weren't even in Ylisse now.
"Perhaps warning them would be appropriate."
"Maybe.., but we can leave such thoughts for a later date-" An explosion – heard behind the treeline – interrupted Robin. "Hold on tight Lucina, that came in the direction of the shoreline!"
Their steed ran like the wind, quickly approaching the main entrance of the capital. Navigating the streets was easy enough, for the townsfolk halted in their tracks, all of them facing towards the direction of the large commotion.
The Shepherds reached the docks that were previously reinforced with crates and sandbags. Debris such as wooden planks and splinters littered the area, while Feroxean soldiers defended from an unexpected army.
Robin and Lucina dismounted; Falchion was drawn as Robin scanned the situation with his keen eyes.
"Valm is attacking," His words confirmed their fears. "Has time accelerated?"
"No, I don't believe so," The bluenette elaborated. "Regna Ferox was attacked multiple times before requesting help from Ylisse and her people."
Orders and shouts filled the air, as massive vessels approached the shoreline; mages positioned inside the ships kept casting devastating fire spells, chaos was brewing between the ranks of the Feroxeans.
"Tsk' we lack a general, no doubt Valm caught them off guard this time," Thinking fast, Robin made way to jump onto a large crate. "Everyone, calm down! I'm a tactician, just follow-"
None of the soldiers seemed to care about the plegian trying to save their lives.
'Damn it! Now would've been a great time to have the renowned title of Grandmaster.' He ignored the clutches of regret for now. "Right, this is Regna Ferox; all I need to do is show my strength..!"
Taking aim at a nearby vessel, Robin pointed a finger at its side before muttering the necessary ancient words.
"Thoron!" The bolt of lightning pierced through the air and landed a direct blow against the vessel, creating a hole large enough to take in water.
That wasn't Robin's only intention; due to the roaring sound of thunder, all soldiers in the proximity noticed his presence.
"I want a wall near the shoreline! Don't let them touch our lands; form an unshakable wall and be Ferox's steel!" Speaking like a true Feroxean was enough to gain their trust, some even remembered the Plegian from the last war.
While the strategy was simple, it was enough to disrupt the invasion's momentum; Valm was betting on a single discord in order to hit hard.
Lucina awaited the tactician's instructions, he was busy giving minor orders to different groups of soldiers. Robin was astounding in the tactical field, every word he said was audible, clear, and meaningful.
Finally, the plegian shifted his gaze to her. "Lucina, go to the shoreline and command the troops, show your dominance with your wits and strength, they speak louder than words here."
"Understood!" She dashed over to her objective.
"S-Sir!" A Soldier approached the tactician. "Buildings south-west from here are being attacked."
"Then go evacuate the citizens, navigate them all towards the mainland, get help from any other soldier you see-"
"They are retreating!" A shout was heard.
Just as suddenly as the attack started, the Valmese navel forces retreated back to the safety of the sea.
"... A tactical retreat?" Robin muttered to himself, before looking at the soldier who he was commanding prior. "Go check up on the citizens, help anyone in need."
"Yes, Sir!"
Not long after the Feroxean left, a familiar face arrived at the scene. "If it isn't Robin!"
That loud voice, only one man could speak at such a volume. "Basilio... You're lucky I was here when the invasion started, they would have docked by the time you got here."
The Khan simply laughed. "We would have driven them away just like last time, but I appreciate your help."
"Those Valm troops... Why haven't you told Ylisstol about it? We could've sent some of our pegasus knights in order to counter their naval forces."
Basilio shrugged. "Don't concern yourself, Regna Ferox has everything under control."
"Yes, until their ships make contact with the land inside your territory. Those vessels looked packed with soldiers."
"That won't occur, lad." This time, the Khan gave Robin a serious look; halting any further attempts at debating.
"... At the very least, allow me to improve your defense line, Basilio."
To this, the Khan raised an eyebrow. "Don't ya have a trip to make?"
Before he could answer the warrior, Robin was interrupted by a certain princess. "They're retreating south from here, Robin-"
Lucina paused – eyes widening – upon spotting the West-Khan; Basilio was already analyzing her.
Thinking fast, the tactician spoke up. "Thank you, Caeda!" He scolded himself mentally for the name. "But that surely means they are heading to a hideout of some kind in Plegia."
"Aye," Basilio decided to stop glaring the nervous princess. "Those dastards have been using hit and run tactics on us, however, scouts have determined that their base is on Carrion Isle."
"Carrion Isle? Of all places..." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "The island isn't too close nor too far from the Long-fort, and despite being own by Plegia, it isn't populated due to being known as a dangerous island... A perfect place to hide and prepare for another attack."
"And we can't send troops over due to the damnable peace treaty we have with the new Plegian King." The Khan added.
Robin looked up at the man, Basilio wasn't going to seek help just yet, his pride didn't allow it. "Our best bet, for now, is to create a security network around the shoreline. I can draft a diagram for you before I leave; if you allow me to do so."
"Hmm..," Basilio pondered for a bit before smiling. "Sure why not! I always wanted a reliable tactician that works his arse off in battle."
Sadly, Robin's strategy was only a temporary solution; resources were going to be a problem once winter comes around, and defending against continuous sieges wasn't going to be easy.
Especially since the strategist behind these attacks seemed to be very experienced with naval warfare; having Valm as enemies was not a laughing matter.
'Once I leave, I'll report this situation to Flavia and maybe Chrom... Sorry Basilio, but I'm not going to let Valm get the upper hand just yet; we can't let time try to correct itself just yet, for the Shepherds aren't ready.'
The future, once more, was clouded in mystery. One wrong step could cause devastating results and alter the chain of events Lucina and Robin were aware of, rendering their ability to foretell the future useless.
AN: Finally! I am free - sort of - from my hellish schedule!
Man, if only I could express my frustration with how things have been occupying my life... And the free time I had, was spent on not having the energy to write a decent chapter.
To this date, this has been the most delayed chapter I have ever put out... Youch, nine days? Sadly, all I could do is apologize, and hope to be on time for the next chapter.
I'll be shifting back to a two-week schedule, the prior month, I was posting weekly; which was too exhausting considering how college was foreshadowing finals.
And that's about it for now.., I don't have any further comments other than saying Thank you for the support.
I'll continue to work hard from here on out, and at the very least, summer is approaching; lots of free time there.
PS: If you guys notice any formatting errors, let me know. The website was acting up on me when trying to upload things.
May we meet again, in the next chapter.