A/N: Here's the second Chapter of A Summoner's Vow. It's out a few hours later than expected due to a semi-busy day and a busier week and the like. I'm not quite back into the swing of things, but I feel like I'm getting there one way or another. Thanks for the follows and favorites, I was happy to see that I could interest others with the basic concept and in this chapter we'll be diving a little deeper into what makes Nicola tick as the story moves on. Things are still mostly following the standard path for Awakening at this juncture, but that will not remain the case for too much longer.
If you do like this story and want to find more stories by other authors that don't necessarily write Fire Emblem related stories, swing by the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord Server (Code: 9XG3U7a) . There are plenty of brilliant writers there in the process to telling their own stories or having already told their stories and it's a pretty nice place. They also have a Podcast on Spotify called the Fanfiction Treehouse Podcast if that floats your boat. With that said, onto the Chapter.
Nightfall was nearly upon them when the group of five began setting up camp. Frederick volunteered to gather firewood while Nicola and Chrom went off to hunt once the ground was cleared and three tents were set up. Lissa took the time to set up bed rolls and a cooking pot while Robin rested against a tree, far more exhausted and spent than she realized. Once firewood was gathered, Frederick swept through the camp a second time, clearing away any rocks or sticks that had been missed the first time around and making sure each of the tents was properly set. Robin offered to help, but was scolded by both the knight and princess and told to rest while they finished up setting up camp- or rather Frederick finishing the camp set up while Lissa watched and took note. Once everything was fully set up, the trio waited for the return of their other companions.
In the meantime, Chrom and Nicola hunted in silence. Nicola was unsure what kind of animals specifically roamed this particular forest, but he imagined there would be deer, elk or moose. He was neither expecting a bear nor Chrom's enthusiasm upon seeing one. The spear bearer watched in mild awe as Chrom valiantly fought the bear until he was swatted away, at which point Nicola took his place and fought the bear in his stead. As it turned out, bears were rather tough opponents due to their sheer size and raw strength, though neither truly surprised the man as he parried and redirected the bear's strikes with his spear. The weapon creaked ominously with each exchange, but the shaft thankfully did not splinter.
Eventually, both he and the bear were tired of each other, the bear rearing up and roaring while Nicola hopped back, narrowly avoiding a dazed Chrom, and readied his weapon. The bear charged and Nicola jumped, vaulting overhead into several flips before striking the bear with his full strength as it crashed into him. Chrom regained his footing only to be knocked flat a second time as Nicola bowled into him while the bear crashed through a tree and ceased moving. The man groaned, rubbing his head before rolling off of Chrom and offering the man a hand. The prince accepted, grumbling about getting thrown around too many times in a single day, before going to inspect the bear.
"It's very dead," he commented, looking at the odd angle the bear's neck was bent. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you hit it with a tree rather than into one."
"Then we'd have a splinter filled bear. Try feeding that to Lissa," Nicola remarked. "Though I doubt she'll eat this either."
"She is a bit... picky," Chrom chuckled.
"Her list of requirements for a meal was picky? If it weren't abundantly obvious from the knight accompanying you and her dress, that would have been the clue that she was either a noble or well off," Nicola replied, not unkindly. His gentle smile had returned and for a moment Chrom could see a clear serenity in the other man, serenity that hadn't been present in the skirmish.
"It was that obvious?" Of course it had been, but he hadn't really expected anyone to point it out.
"Just a bit, though that isn't bad unless it's wealth or nobility from trampling on others. Doesn't seem like it though."
"Nothing of the sort," Chrom said. "She's new to this whole roughing it in the wilderness thing, while I'm a bit of a fair hand at it because I prefer being out here or training to being indoors or dealing with most other nobles." He paused, a smirk forming as he continued. "Then there's Frederick, who probably was out and about camping and hunting before his tenth year."
"I can see where she's coming from," the spear bearer admitted. "I used to live and work with people who lived lavish lifestyles. Unlike Lissa and yourself, they forced me and my fellows to handle any and all things dangerous before I was separated from them."
"...Were you enslaved back in your homeland?" Chrom gave the man a serious look. He knew certain countries maintained the practice across the sea, but he hadn't encountered anyone from such a nation. Had Nicola and his friends been enslaved in their homeland and found a way to escape? He began to ask when Nicola spoke.
"From what I remember of that place, it had to do with signing a contact as a child to get just enough food and supplies to live in exchange for spending however long I lived after that point working on behalf of my benefactors. There were others who had to do the same, some younger than I was at the time and others much older. A lot of them died," he recalled and shuddered. When Chrom approached to place a comforting hand on his back, Nicola flinched. Once he realized that, he mumbled an apology and continued, face red. "This was before I met my friends, years before that. The people I was with, those in the same position as me at least, were like family from what I can recall of them. We were close, though I ended up separated from them just before I met the people who took me in and became like a second family to me. I'm unsure of what exactly led up to that, it's a bit hazy."
"I thought you said you weren't amnesiac."
"I said my memory was more or less fine. I'm definitely missing some things, but it's just small things for the most part."
"Ah..." Chrome took a moment to stew on that. There was more to it than that, but prying into the past of someone he hardly knew wasn't on Chrom's list of things to do at the moment. Perhaps if something or someone from his past appeared, he'd ask more. Instead he moved to a safer topic. "Where are you from, Nicola?"
"A far off place called Zenith. You wouldn't have heard of it, nor would you find it on any maps. It's a bit of an isolated area," the man said, taking the blue haired man's confused look as a sign that he'd been correct about the place being relatively unknown. Zenith more than likely wasn't on any map beyond its own based on how it connected to other realms through portals and magical gates rather than by boat or carriage. It was a fairly large place by his own estimate, considering how it had at least five great kingdoms that spanned large sections of the land, numerous floating islands that people actively fought over and a massive gateway to the land of the dead that had been sealed for twenty or so years. By all rights, it should have been on a map and well known for the sheer amount of things it had going on, but that didn't appear to be the case. He shook his head as he continued. "I'm still not quite sure how I got here from there either, but considering where I was just before I arrived I'd rather not look a gift horse in the mouth."
Chrom nearly asked Nicola about what had happened to him and his friends, but he managed to restrain himself. Nicola had been quiet for the longest time after their last conversation, and asking about that was a surefire way to kill any conversation in the near future. Besides, he really didn't want to pry at the moment if he didn't need to.
"Fair enough," the prince said instead, watching as Nicola began inspecting bushes before suddenly falling into a crouch. He saw the man's eyes flicker blue a moment before his spear shot out and skewered a rabbit. Chrom blinked and looked again, only to find that Nicola's eyes were the same earthy brown they'd been before. Not wasting any time, Nicola began scrounging around for various wild berries that he presented to Chrom with a questioning expression. Chrom warned him against several red one and orange ones, the former being poisonous while the latter could be eaten if you wanted to feel like you filled your mouth with boiling oil and peppers. Nicola wisely discarded those berries and instead gathered more of the edible blue and black berries that were pointed out to him, placing them all in one of the pockets in his trousers. Afterwards he handed Chrom the rabbit, who put it in a small leather sack, before dragging the bear towards the camp with the swordsman's aid.
Lissa was less than thrilled to see a bear for dinner and Frederick looked much the same as he helped butcher and bleed the beast. Chrom didn't reveal the rabbit or the berries to either of them until they got what meat they could from the bear into a large cooking pot filled with boiling water.
"T-that's mean," the princess protested as Chrom skinned and bled the rabbit, stuffing it with the berries Nicola had found and a few herbs he'd packed. He hummed in response as he set it on a spit before he emptied the water from the pot away from the fire and partially refilled it after letting the meat cook. Frederick took over, adding herbs and a few vegetables to the mix while after instructing Lissa to stir the ingredients once he finished. The young woman obliged, slowly stirring the meat and vegetables while Frederick tended to the spit. Soon, the meal was ready and the group began their meal once bowls of stew, bread and spoons were passed out.
"Why couldn't you have hunted something normal, like a deer or anything that wasn't a bear," Lissa complained once her bowl reached her.
"It was the first thing I saw," Chrom replied between spoonfuls of stew. "Besides deer are rather difficult to hunt when you use a sword."
"At least deer wouldn't smell worse than sweaty boots," Lissa retorted, begrudgingly eating a spoonful of the meal. The face she made was a mix of utter disgust and disdain. "Gross. Never again. Frederick you take it."
"It builds character, milady," the knight replied, avoiding eye contact with the princess as he stirred around his stew.
"If it builds character, why aren't you eating any," Lissa returned with a pointed look.
"My lunch was rather filling," the knight replied.
"Right." Lissa rolled her eyes as she addressed her brother. "Chrom, I don't think anyone aside from you likes the taste of bear. Heck, not even Robin likes-" She trailed off as the amnesiac tore into the stew and bread, finishing her bowl faster than Chrom could finish his. "Never mind, Robin likes bear as well, but that's probably from hunger and not from preference."
"Bear is far from the worst that you can eat," Chrom countered. "Besides, it may be the only choice for meat on occasions. That and it can be enjoyable, right Robin?"
Robin made a delighted sound as Lissa and Frederick looked over at her with a combination of confusion and concern. The blonde coughed and moved on. "Nicola, what's your position?"
"It's not the best thing I've eaten, but not the worst by far," the man replied, eating the stew slowly. "Granted I prefer this stew to stale travel rations." Frederick and Chrom grimaced, their expressions telling the man they knew full well what he meant.
"So..."
"I don't like it, but I dislike other things to a greater extent."
"See," Lissa exclaimed.
"You've made your point Lissa," Chrom said, getting seconds for himself and Robin. He then removed the rabbit from the spit, having watched it cook surprisingly quickly, and split it between Frederick and Lissa. "That's why we had the rabbit actually. Nicola figured you wouldn't want to eat bear meat and hunted a rabbit. I'm uncertain as to how he saw or heard it, however."
"He hunted a rabbit, more than likely in its burrow, at night," Frederick deadpanned between bites.
"I just had a feeling it was there," Nicola shrugged, finishing his stew. "I sensed something moving in the brush, fell into a crouch then skewered it before it could get away. I'm unsure of how I did that, but I've dealt with stranger."
"I find that less believable than you seeing it," the knight countered, glaring at Nicola. "Who are you really?"
"A wayward traveler looking for a way home, among things," the man replied, matching Frederick's glare with a cool look of his own. He wagered if it came down to it he could probably defeat the knight if they came to blows, but he was much more inclined to avoid a confrontation if he could help it. For one, Breidablik was missing, so he couldn't rely on it to keep the knight a good distance way if needed, and he doubted anyone other than him knew what the relic was. Then there was the fact that his magic felt off here, like a trickling stream rather than a flowing river that matched his pulse. Could he even use magic here? Best not to test that in the present. He sighed. "Realistically, my plan is to travel with you to the capital, get an idea of where I am then find a way to get back home."
"And from there," Frederick pressed.
"Look into killing a being that would consider themselves a god," Nicola breathed, eyes flaring amber for a long moment. Robin and Lissa blinked in surprise while Frederick's expression became grim. Chrom's expression was worried as Nicola kept eye contact with Frederick. Animosity had formed between the two and that wasn't a good thing to seen, two days out from the capital of the halidom. A ragged breath escaped spearman as his eyes faded to brown once more. "That's the most you're getting, Frederick."
He stared at the knight before setting down his bowl and walking into the forest, spear in tow.
Chrom hesitated for a moment before calling after him. "N-Nicola, it's dangerous out!"
"Milord, we don't need such a suspect individual traveling with us," Frederick huffed. "We already have one and they're less temperamental than he was."
"Frederick, shut it," Lissa bit out, surprising both the knight and her brother. "It's one thing to be wary, it's another to be a complete dastard just because of your suspicion!"
"Milady, I only meant for the best," Frederick tried as Chrom put a hand on his shoulder.
"Frederick, that's enough," the prince breathed. "I understand that you want to ensure our safety, but frightening off any and all strangers that approach us or otherwise drawing their ire is a good way to draw unnecessary attention and conflict towards us."
"I can deal with that if I must. I would rather keep unsavory elements away from the both of you than let them get close to you and potentially harm you."
"If someone stabs you in the back because you chose to antagonize them, you would be unable to do that," Chrom countered. "I want you to help me find Nicola and apologize. I understand your reasoning behind your choice to question him and I can see why you did so, but the way you went about it could have caused him to attack you."
"I believe I could best him," Frederick dismissed.
"I'm not so certain," Chrom returned, thinking about what he'd seen of Nicola. Frederick was rather strong, but he wouldn't say that the man could fell a bear with a single strike. Conversely, Chrom felt that Nicola hadn't been fighting at capacity, for reasons him holding back or being untrained. Against the bear, he'd shown much more capability than he had against the brigands and even their boss. The acrobatic spins he'd done into the strike that slew the bear was a prime example, technique of a much higher caliber than what he had shown in Southtown a few hours back.
"I have faith in your skills Frederick, but I'm rather certain that Nicola is a great deal stronger than he's lead you to believe. I'd not risk a confrontation with that knowledge, even with how skilled you are, unless it was absolutely necessary."
"Your concern means a great deal to me but-"
"Frederick, we're going to look for Nicola and apologize," Chrom stated before the knight could finish. "It's both the right thing to do and I'd rather not have a skilled blade pointed towards us when it could be on our side or at least neutral towards us."
Any argument Frederick had died there. Chrom had a look that was equal parts stern and stubborn that the knight knew all too well. Try as he might to implore his lord otherwise, the man would not budge from his position. He rationalized it as Chrom perhaps wanting to bring the second stranger into the Shepherds along with Robin, but while Robin was easy to read Nicola was an enigma. That was worrisome on its own, but when coupled with the other oddities around the man Nicola looked extremely dubious. Still, he had been a bit abrasive, even by his own standards. Today had gone on long enough and everyone needed a rest at this point.
"Yes, milord, though I'd rather not leave Lissa with Robin," the knight sighed. "Not at this juncture at least."
"Robin already left," Lissa chimed in, drawing the attention of both her brother and Frederick. "While you two were arguing she went after Nicola."
Frederick pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. Of course that had happened. She probably thought he'd go after her next with his scrutiny, at least his visible scrutiny. She wasn't wrong per se, but she was far less suspect at the present and would have been spared the brunt of it.
"Then we must find both," Frederick and Chrom said in near unison, Chrom with a goal in mind while Frederick groaned in irritation. "Lissa..."
"I'm going as well," she nodded, setting the majority of her stew aside as she stood and stretched. "I'm pretty sure you won't need my assistance in full- if at all- but I'd like to be there in the event something happens. That and I'd rather not stay at the camp alone."
She offered a small grin, but Chrom could tell it was fake without lingering on it. She was in one of her moods again and without Emm here that could easily go poorly.
"Right. Remember to stay on Bastion with Frederick. I'd rather not risk you getting lost," he replied. She nodded again as she went for her staff. Frederick made no comment, instead choosing to rouse Bastion for the hopefully short trek. The horse snorted, giving him a withering but understanding look as it was pulled from its rest. The campfire was doused and covered in dirt, but not before Chrom lit a torch.
The three made their search in relative silence. The night itself was quiet, Chrom reasoned that it was the presence of the bear and the five of them scaring off the smaller animals until they were well away from their camp and the silence continued. Taking a moment to take in his surroundings, Chrom felt a swelling sense of unease filling the forest. Lissa and Frederick seemed to feel the same thing, given the anxious look on his sister's face and the way the knight was clenching his jaw. Hopefully Robin and Nicola were alright, he hardly knew them but whatever was brewing wasn't going to be pleasant for anyone involved.
Robin found Nicola in a clearing, sitting on a log as he sewed the long gash in his trousers shut. His spear was within reach and the way he twitched when she arrived told her he was aware she was there. The amnesiac approached slowly, taking a seat by his side when he didn't turn and attempt to skewer her on his weapon.
The man worked quietly and, Robin had to admit, did a good job making the gash vanish without a trace. He'd practiced it often, she figured as he finished, though whether that was of necessity or a simple hobby that had practical applications she could not tell. Still, it had been calming to watch and Nicola's own presence was calming now that his eyes didn't glow with what she felt was a promise of vengeance sevenfold to those who had wronged him. It was soothing in a way that made you forget he was strong enough to fell a bear if Chrom's words were to be taken as the truth.
Robin wasn't really sure what she thought of him, what with him being a greater mystery than her and she was the one with memory loss. On one hand, he was brisk and lacked situational awareness, but on the other he hadn't stabbed her for getting within ten feet of him and was rather reserved when not incensed or called to action. The image of him rushing to Southtown the moment he saw it was ablaze came to mind, his expression a mix of Deja vu and fury in the brief moment she saw it. It was easy to tell he wasn't a fan of places being set to the torch and it probably had to do with his friends. His friends that were probably dead, that much was clear, and... why was she trying to break down his actions and disposition when there was the more pressing matter of who the bloody hell she was?
Her brows furrowed as she looked at her own hands. She was emaciated and a clear lack of food and nutrition had been the cause of that. She was easily winded and tired by light exercise, implying either a lack of stamina due to an indolent lifestyle or atrophied muscles from an extended lack of use. The latter tied in with the emaciation, but ultimately didn't matter considering it would be rectified if she stayed with Chrom and the others. She blinked. Where had that come from? Shaking her head, she continued.
She had a fair understanding of swordplay, magic and tactics. That was harder to pinpoint. Perhaps she'd been a scholar or been taught by whatever family she had, if any, or by an instructor that valued all three. Maybe she had been an instructor for the three at a ripe age of... twenty? Twenty-three at most? Right, she had no idea how old she was. She could infer that she was older than Lissa by a few years and was probably around Chrom's age, but younger than Frederick. That sounded about right, unless Lissa and her brother were in their mid twenties, in which case she had no idea. This was harder than she thought. Blast.
She was drawn from her thoughts by an amused chuckle. Nicola was looking her way with a faint smile and raised eyebrows. His eyes were a bright blue and for the first time Robin noted how cat-like they were. His pupils were thin slits and contained more emotion than his expression did, though she couldn't read what blue meant compared to the rather obvious meaning behind amber. Regardless, her own face became a scowl.
"Don't laugh at me," she squeaked, only for him to laugh again and look away.
"Peace," he said, making a placating gesture. "You reminded me of myself for a moment. You're agonizing about something. Your past, if I'm not mistaken?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"Just a little. I'd say breathe and take your time finding the answer," he nodded, a wistful grin flashing across his face for a moment. It was a stark contrast from the smile he'd made back in camp. The one back then had been a fake, even to her. This one had been genuine and oddly warm.
"The past is a scary thing sometimes, but it's helpful in its own right. Rushing headlong into the past risks you harshly judging yourself by your past actions when you may have changed a great deal from the person you once were."
"I'd still be responsible for those actions, no," the amnesiac countered. "I'd be right to judge myself, wouldn't I?"
"True, but you are also your own worst judge," Nicola replied. "A small misdeed or inaction with consequences could lead to you picking yourself apart and laying into yourself, making a mountain of a hill made by a mole. A bigger thing and it could lead to depression or self loathing with enough severity to prevent you from growing as a person or even lead to regression. People tend to forget that they have done good or otherwise changed in a way to counter or balance out the mistakes when they judge themselves."
"I see..." Robin mulled that over for a moment. What he said made sense, but she couldn't help but think it wasn't that easy or simple. He did have a point though, trying to put together her past now with no real clues was going to be a fruitless endeavor. She gave a slight smile. "Thanks for that and sorry for Frederick..."
"It's not your place to apologize for him," Nicola stated. "He was being an ass and he knew it. I know why he was doing so and I understand his reasoning, but my knowledge of his intentions doesn't quite mean I have to forgive the choice he made there."
"Still... I could have said something."
"You were busy eating, probably for the first time in ages. That's kind of important, especially with how you look." She knew what he meant, but his words weren't the best.
"Hey, I may not remember much about myself, but I remember that you shouldn't insult a lady's appearance!"
"A lady? Oh." He frowned as he looked her over. "The coat then. I'm normally quite good with that..."
...He'd believed her to be a man. That would have offended her more if not for the apology that followed and the other factors contributing to the misconception. Her voice was still ragged and scratchy, though it was getting better after the stew and a great deal of water. She was also twig thin and looked boyish. That and it looked like someone had taken an axe to her hair with how uneven and badly cut it was. Never mind, she wasn't offended, just annoyed.
"Apology accepted. It was an easy mistake to make," she breathed before noticing his expression had hardened. Was he upset? No, it made no sense. And then she felt it, a cold tingle running down her spine coupled with mounting pressure in the back of her throat and goosebumps. Something was decidedly wrong and it had both of them- nay the entire forest- on edge. Robin was immensely thankful she had the foresight to bring her tome and blade with her at that moment, her gut telling her both would be needed soon.
Nicola seemed to be on the same page, his spear ready as his pupils grew thinner. They waited for what felt like an eternity before the quake began, shoving Robin off balance as the earth split. Nicola pulled her to her feet and pressed her to his chest as he hopped away from the fissure that formed soon after. The silver haired woman let out a squeak of indignation and struggled to escape his grasp, but found it to be like a band of steel wrapped around her waist. He was comfortably warm she noted, then pushed the thought away as Nicola released her to his side in time for her to see fire erupt from the split in the ground. Old trees and dead leaves ablaze as the fire spread in an unnatural manner, forming a near perfect ring around then that blocked their way back to the camp they'd come from. That didn't bode well in the slightest and yet her apprehension was still rising. Why? She found her reason when she glanced at the sky, a symbol identical to the one on the back of her left hand was glowing ominously as numerous starts seemed to fa-
Robin felt the symbol pulse and felt her ears ring as a hole was torn into the sky and bodies rained. She hardly registered the arrival of Chrom, Frederick and Lissa as several of the bodies rose moments after hitting the ground.
It was evident that these beings weren't people, though perhaps they had been at some point in the past. Their complexions were ashen and their eyes spilled crimson light forth as they looked at Robin and the others, expressions twisted into permanent grimaces or snarls. Their movements were jerky and uneven as they shambled forward, some stumbling over themselves while others limped forward with uneven gaits. The majority of the creatures were clad in rotted furs and carried rusted swords, but a smaller number instead wore dented or punctured scraps of armor paired with nicked or blunted spears and axes.
The sound of Lissa screaming broke the woman from her observations. The sight of Nicola batting the nearest walking corpse- it could be nothing else- away from them like it weighed as much as a small melon also helped her regain her bearings. Robin drew her sword and lunged at the nearest of the moving dead, but the undead hardly reacted even after she had pierced its heart and instead tried to cleave her in twain with its axe. She managed to pull away in time for Nicola step in and thrust his spear through its skull. What should have been a shower of gore was instead a shower of dust and ash, the entire corpse vaporizing as its head was destroyed. Right, she needed to aim for the head then. That was easy enough to remember, but perhaps harder in practice.
Robin deftly dodged out of the path of another corpse before hacking at the back of its neck with her bronze sword. The blade failed to sink fully through the creature's neck as it slowly turned its head fully around to look at her and ready for another assault. Her revulsion welled as she brought her blade down a second time, this time turning the monster to dust.
"Aim for the head and neck," she shouted, ducking away from an axe swing that splintered the log she and Nicola had been sitting on. The message was clear: getting hit by these corpses was a terrible idea. The silver haired woman rolled away as another strike came her way, abandoning her sword to launch a bolt of electricity through the dead thing's chest. The creature convulsed as the bolt tore through its chest, leaving a molten hole as it continued to advance a step. The smell of burning rotten flesh assaulted Robin as she backpedaled away from the creature. She managed to fire a second bolt through its head before she doubled over and emptied her stomach.
She wasn't ready for this. Her head was throbbing and her limbs refused to move. This was a terrible time for her body to fail her, but she could hardly force herself to move despite her best efforts. Her strength was spent.
More of the corpses approached Robin, like predators sensing easier prey. Her body still wouldn't move and her focus was getting harder and harder to maintain as her brain felt like it was flopping around in her skull. She was going to die, she realized, but could hardly panic as the corpses grew closer with their weapons raised. Her instincts screamed at her to move, but she couldn't as an axe came down on her head... only it never reached her.
The corpses around her exploded into dust as Chrom and Nicola appeared beside her, weapons having carved deadly arcs through the undead. The two nodded to each other before the blue haired man hoisted her up and dragged her towards Frederick and Lissa while Nicola pushed back more of the approaching undead. The blonde girl hopped off of the horse and readied her staff as her eyes seemed to glow with power. All at once a wave of warmth passed through Robin as she felt her limbs fall back under her control and her vision steady. She was able to cough out a thank you as she regained her bearings, part of her strength having returned with the warmth.
Taking stock of the situation at hand, Robin noted that she had lost her sword, but she'd managed to keep hold of her tome. Retrieving her sword was a priority at the moment because swinging it took far less of her strength than casting spells, but she was more than likely going to need to replace it if she made it out of this predicament. There were also more important things to worry about, like the fact that she and her allies were surrounded by fire and moving corpses. On the bright side, they'd gained three allies in the form of a blue haired archer, a red haired rider and a masked man with a sword eerily similar to Chrom's. On the brighter side, they were outnumbered by at least three to one and the fire surrounding them wasn't dying down. She'd have to make this work.
"Chrom, you and Nicola stay together. Frederick can guard Lissa, while the redhead and archer can stay together. I'll join the masked man. Keep near enough to each other so that help is within range if needed, but far enough out to not interfere with one another. Try to stay away from the fire and fissure as best you can unless you can push them into either," Robin barked.
The group of eight moved immediately, Nicola and Chrom moving side by side while Lissa climbed back onto Bastion with some assistance from Frederick. The redhead grunted as the archer hopped onto her horse, her disdain clear, while the masked man remained silent and adopted a new stance. This would have to do for now.
The undead drew closer, one in particular looming behind the others. It was at least a foot or two taller than the others and looked it far stronger, with less damaged armor and an almost new looking axe that had a gleaming black blade. It seemed to survey the group of eight before letting out a guttural roar as it raised its axe. The other creatures roared in return and shambled towards the band in a mad frenzy... At least until an arrow slammed into the leg of the first, causing it to trip and roll over.
The other undead ignored the fallen at their own peril, the few directly behind it getting tripped up as well, becoming a mass of tangled limbs that were trampled over by others. Robin wasted no time blasting the mass with an arcing bolt of electricity and felt her energy reserves dip from doing so. The red haired knight charged as the archer with her knocked more arrows and fired into the group, Chrom and Nicola following behind on foot. The masked man and Robin joined the other duo while Frederick and Lissa stayed behind but within range of the others.
It turned out she'd made a correct call as each of the groups worked with deadly efficiency. The redhead mowed down several of the undead while the archer slowed others by firing arrows into their legs or feet, enough for the redhead to cut them down as well. Chrom and Nicola ripped through other undead like they were wet parchment with a display of masterful swordsmanship and lance work that had to involve magic to work: there was no way a person could move the way Nicola did with physical prowess alone. Robin's own partner moved like a cat, stalking towards the undead creatures as he cut down any in range with merciless yet elegant strikes to the neck or head. Robin made herself useful by firing weak bolts of paralyzing lightning from her book, arcing them around or over the masked man and occasionally between multiple of the creatures to hear her target. Frederick covered their rear, his lance skewering any of the creatures that attempted to get near their blind spots while his shield deflected blows meant to dismount him with ease. Lissa seemed to channel morale and bravery through her raised staff, bolstering the others as her eyes flared with pale blue light. Everything was going well, the enemy number thinned considerably, until a black object arced through the air and struck the blonde woman across the chest before returning to the biggest of the undead. The young woman struck the ground without a cry and barely moved when the world froze.
Then Chrom screamed.
"LISSA!"
Everything seemed to accelerate after that. Chrom and Nicola rushed to the girl as the red haired knight and archer went into overdrive, the former smashing through every creature in her reach or smashing them into the fissure the archer unloaded his quiver in a volley of accurate that would have put most other archers to shame. The masked man roared and charged the leader of the undead, cutting at it with savage fury before it pushed him away. Robin soon joined in, bolt after bolt striking the creature, each stronger than the last as her vision grew red and a furious power flowed through her. In an instant, Frederick was by her side and lashed out at the creature with his spear as it tried to backpedal from the duo. The knight didn't turn his head in the slightest as he tossed the amnesiac a sword. Robin caught the weapon deftly and tore towards the now unbalanced monster, blade burning in her hands as she cut through an arm larger than her torso and shattered the axe the creature had with a burning torrent of lightning.
She felt a cry of rage and grief tear from her throat, the fallen girl having been one of her two friends, as she continued to wail on the creature. The masked man was back at her side within seconds, hacking through the being's other arm as Frederick drove his spear through one of its legs. Robin readied herself for another furious assault when the strength her rage had granted her faded and she fell like a puppet with its strings cut. Her body was unable to move as pain and exhaustion from overexerting herself made itself known. Yet the creature remained, which only made the bubbling anger she felt start to boil over.
Why wasn't it dead? The question echoed in her head as she snarled at the monster, trying and failing to will herself back to her feet. The undead attempted to roar once more, but the masked man was having none of it as he beheaded it with a final arc of his blade. The creature dissolved slowly as the masked man's chest heaved and he used his blade to keep himself upright, his own strength spent. Frederick dismounted and picked up Robin and the masked man before trotting them back over to their fallen companion.
Chrom cradled Lissa, telling the girl things would be alright so long as she held on, but Robin could tell she was fading fast. The wound she'd taken ran from her left shoulder down to just past the center of her chest and the blade had bitten deeply into her flesh. She tried to say something but coughed up blood in place of words, staining her rapidly reddening dress further. Nicola held her staff and seemed to be uttering a prayer, something that brought the realization that Lissa was really going to die to the silver haired woman. Tears began to well in her eyes as she saw the light fading from Lissa's. Then Nicola spoke.
"I refuse," he growled, brown eyes glowing like burning beacons of white as he gripped the girl's staff. The focus cracked and bent in his hands, the jewel atop it mirroring the color his eyes had taken. The wind howled as it whipped around the area and the flames surrounding the clearing shrank as motes of light began to gather in the air. Nicola's hair lightened, becoming the color of molten gold as he continued. "Blessing of the Light, heed my command! Turn back the hand of fate and undo what was once done!"
His voice boomed, resonating in the air as the motes of light flowed towards Lissa. They gathered around her in small quantities at first, then in larger and larger masses until the girl was engulfed by light. The gem atop the staff grew brighter and cracked, prismatic light that could only be described as divine pouring from it as Nicola's eyes grew blindingly bright. With a roar he swung the staff downward, towards the mass of light, and its gem shattered. Numerous fragments of the gem floated in the air for a moment, twinkling like tiny stars as they orbited Lissa then vanished one by one.
A symbol that vaguely looked like a shield formed in the air alongside another that looked like a snowflake of interwoven lines. Soon a third appeared, identical to the one Chrom bore on his shoulder. The symbols lasted for an instant that felt like an eternity then faded along with the light, revealing a healed Lissa. What was once a mortal injury was now a thin silver scar across her chest. The expression she bore was peaceful as she breathed softly before stirring.
"Chrom," she tried as she surveyed the surrounding faces and saw joy and relief across all but one; the last being exhausted and haggard. "What happened?"
Her brother simply sobbed, tears of joy falling as Nicola fell to the ground. His eyes had faded back to brown and his hair back to black as he looked over to Frederick. The knight got the message and answered in Chrom's stead.
"Milady, do you remember a few moments ago," he asked carefully.
"Not really... Something hit me and then I was really really tired," she replied, attempting to sit up only for the knight and Chrom to gently push her back.
"You almost died," Frederick said before explaining the sequence of events to her. "If not for Nicola choosing to call down what I feel to be a boon from Naga herself, I believe you would have perished due to my inattentiveness in that moment."
"Were you supposed to predict that there was going to be a flying axe?" Nicola coughed, clutching at his chest for a moment. "I don't think that would be reasonable to take the blame for. That being said, I'm just happy that worked... even without..." He trailed off as he took a few heaving breathes, then continued to himself. "It feels nice saving someone for once."
The princess blinked owlishly at Nicola, confusion and curiosity visible. He offered a weak smile as he untied the coat he wore around his waist and draped it over Lissa's shoulders.
"Thank you," she said softly. "I can't thank you enough. You saved my life and we hardly know each other."
"Don't worry too much about it, anyone in my position would have done the same. I just didn't want to see another family break," Nicola said, sounding distant. He tried offering another smile, but it came across as a melancholy thing between a grimace and a grin. "You hadn't crossed over yet. I'd have had no power if you had..." He trailed off once more before addressing everyone present. "We should make our way back to camp and get some rest. You may not feel it now, but you're more than likely exhausted and will feel that soon if you stay awake for much longer."
Lissa nodded, stifling a yawn. The group agreed to camp for the night and returned to the campsite Chrom and the others had set up prior. The masked man parted ways with them when they arrived, but not before issuing a dire warning about the monsters that had appeared only being the start of something much worse and introducing himself as Marth. No one had the energy to go after him
More introductions were made after the man's departure. The red haired woman was a knight in training named Sully and she had a rather crass, blunt disposition as Robin came to learn. Conversely, the archer was a noble by the name of Virion, the "Archest" of Archers, and he was far more of a smooth talker than his red haired companion. Robin introduced herself to the duo and Nicola did the same, if stumbling over his name after being startled back to the waking world by a poke counted.
The others chalked it up to him being tired after performing a feat of extremely powerful magic on the fly, but the silver haired woman wasn't sure that was the only thing. He had the same air around him that he'd had when pressed about his goals earlier in the day. His mood was somewhat improved when Frederick offered him an apology, quelling what looked to be the start of a feud between them when Nicola accepted the apology and gave one of his own for being less than open about himself. He opted to not explain anymore, his exhaustion evident when he began nodding off mid sentence.
It wasn't much later when the rest of the group settled down for the night. The camp needed to be enlarged to fit the additional people and animal present and the fire relit. Watch shifts were assigned in the event that any of the creatures had survived the battle and made their way to the camp, but the night was mostly peaceful. Once Robin was able to sleep she dreamt of a burning red sky and a colossal shadow, one that watched her with six crimson eyes.