Author's Notes:
I seem to have forgotten to add Lucina at the end of the footnotes in the last chapter, so I will append it to the end of the author's notes in this chapter.
More shepherds are getting married now. Also, I dropped a pretty obvious hint about another pairing in addition in this chapter! One of my readers actually hinted it in a review (You know who you are), and I'm happy to say that you're right!
But wait! There's more! In the next several chapters, more and more of the shepherds will begin to become engaged, so there will be many more reveals coming in the near future.
Enough for now, here's chapter 22:
Lucina: HP: 80% Str: 55% Mag: 15% Skl: 65% Spd: 65% Lck: 70% Def: 35% Res: 30%
Class: Lord
Age: 17
Carrion Isle…
By the time Robin woke up, he could already hear the commotion of the rest of the shepherds tearing down camp outside. He glanced at the empty bottle still in his left hand.
"It was a moment of weakness." he muttered to himself. "Never again. I'll sort this stuff out when I have time back at Ylisstol. Right now, I need to focus on the campaign to Valm. War is looming over us, and I'm still here crying about matters of the heart." he chuckled to himself. "Who knows whether I even survive the war? There's no use thinking about these types of things until it's over, that much I'm sure."
He inspected the label on the bottle. "One thing's for sure, I can't let anyone find out about this guy. What to do… what to do?" he sighed, and settled for the safest option: Hiding the empty bottle in an astral plane until he had a way of disposing of it.
He got up and rolled up his bedroll. He carried it outside to the cart where everyone's bedrolls were.
"Hey Robin!" Anna waved at him on the other side of the cart. "We thought you'd never get up! Chrom said that if you didn't get up in a few minutes, we should tear the tent down around you."
Robin smiled at her. "Has it really been that long?"
Anna nodded. "Yup! Almost everyone is getting finished tearing down! All's left is a couple more tents, including yours, and we can board the ships! C'mon, I'll help you with yours!"
At this, Anna walked around next to Robin, and for the first time, got a good look at his face.
"Naga, what happened to you?" she exclaimed in shock, gesturing to his eyes.
Robin lifted a hand and felt the area underneath his eyes. There were two obvious bags there. He waved his hand. "It's nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night. It'll be better in a few hours."
That much was true. Between the nightmares, the Risen attacks and his drinking, Robin had several good reasons why he hadn't slept the best. However, Anna was not satisfied with the answer.
"I'll try to get some tonics the next time I go restock my wares that will help you sleep better." she offered. "I'll even do it for free!"
Robin chuckled. "It's greatly appreciated, but I don't think that's necessary."
Anna pouted. "Oh come on! I NEVER give out anything for free! Learn to appreciate it when a woman gives you attention!"
Robin's expression fell. "Yeah… maybe that's what I need to learn how to do in the future…" he muttered to himself.
Anna seemed to notice this change in mood. "What's wrong?" she asked with concern.
Robin looked up and plastered a fake smile on his face. "Nothing! If you really want to get some sleep tonics for me, then I guess the best thing for me to do is graciously accept it."
"THAT's more like it!" Anna winked and held up an index finger. "Now c'mon! Everyone's waiting for you. That tent won't tear itself down!"
Anna led him away by the hand back towards his tent.
It honestly didn't take much time at all. Especially since Gaius also came over and helped him out.
"Hey Bubbles!" the thief nudged Robin. "Get a load 'o this! Y'seen that blue haired girl?" He discretely pointed towards Lucina, who was busy talking to Lissa about something. Robin felt his heart ache a little, but nodded. "Yeah. That's Lucina."
"Well, thing is, Blue says that it's his daughter! Who the hell'd believe that!?" Gaius said as he began to laugh.
"Gaius, you clearly didn't listen to him when he introduced her!" Anna interjected. "She traveled back in time from the future!"
"What the hell?" Gaius exclaimed. "You believe that?"
Robin nodded. "I was there when she fell out of a portal in the sky." he admitted. "And the advice she gave us, well, it's hard to argue that she was NOT from the future since she knew all that ahead of time."
Gaius scratched his head. "Well, maybe I wasn't paying the most attention, but how'd I manage to miss all that?"
"And…" Robin continued. "That's not even all. She bears the brand of the exalt in the same place as Chrom's daughter in this timeline, and also has Chrom's Falchion: A sacred sword that Chrom says is unique. As hard as it is to believe, any other explanation is just as flawed."
At this point, the three had finished packing up the tent. "Well, since Bubbles says so, I guess there's nothing to be done but believe him." he gestured to some of the other shepherds. "I think a few more of us didn't buy it. I'd better go over and tell them what's what then."
Robin nodded. "All right then, thanks Gaius." He and Anna carried the packed up tent over to the designated cart.
Everything had been packed up, and so the shepherds began to file onto the Plegian warships. The Plegians had offered just enough soldiers to sail all the ships to Ferox, and will have them march back down to Plegia afterwards. This meant that the ships were largely vacant, and all the shepherds made themselves comfortable on one ship.
The ships soon set sail. Most of the shepherds were above deck, enjoying the sun and warm ocean breeze as they sailed fairly close to the coast.
Gregor and Vaike were horsing around and wrestling each other, offering the rest of the shepherds an enjoyable fight to watch. Apparently, Gregor had provoked Vaike by claiming that he was clearly stronger, which caused the axeman to challenge him.
Robin was leaning against the gunwale, laughing along with the rest of the shepherds and in general having a good time. Oddly, he didn't seem to suffer from any form of hangover from the last night. In fact, with everything happening around him and all the new experiences, he'd completely forgotten about the previous evening.
However, this blissful feeling was shattered as Lucina approached him.
"Um… Robin?" she nervously asked.
Robin's expression went from one full of happiness to a serious one in the blink of an eye as he turned his attention from Vaike and Gregor to the Ylissean princess.
"Hello Lucina." he said. "What can I do for you?"
He didn't seem to notice his sudden change of expression, but Lucina certainly did. 'Does he… have something against me?' she wondered to herself. 'I hope it wasn't something I did…'
"Um… well I was hoping... that… um… well, that we could maybe talk?" Lucina nervously squeaked.
"Oh?" Robin raised his eyebrows. "About what?"
"Well..." Lucina's eyes darted to the side for a split second. "I was hoping we could talk… um… alone."
Robin turned his head back towards Vaike and Gregor and blinked a couple of times. "All right." he finally said. He gestured towards the staircase leading below deck. "After you."
To Lucina's relief, everyone was up enjoying the nice weather, which meant she and Robin were alone below deck. She finally had an opportunity to look at Robin up close. Under the candlelight, she was able to appreciate just how good looking Robin was. He looked several years younger than how she remembered last seeing him, not to mention their age difference had shrunk to almost a tenth of what it used to be. In Lucina's opinion, the current Robin seemed even more handsome and attractive to her than the one from her time, assuming their personalities were the same. However, this was probably the case since they ARE the same person after all.
Her adoring gaze was broken when Robin spoke. "Well, what did you have to say to me that requires this level of secrecy?"
She immediately snapped out of her daydream and back into reality. "Um… Y-yes." she eventually stammered. "There's something important I wanted to talk to you about… and only you." she quickly added.
Robin furrowed his eyebrows. "That sounds ominous, doesn't it?"
"Well," Lucina continued. "It's about the specifics of my own, terrible time. I've already told father… Chrom… much of it, but I think you also need to understand its import."
"All right then." Robin nodded. "I'm listening."
"In the future, almost no corner of our world is safe for humans. Risen prowl the land as masters of all. The people cower in terror, helpless." Lucina explained. "No one could do anything against the Fell Dragon once he had been resurrected. The remaining survivors gathered at the castles of each city, sending people out to find food and resources during the day, and hunkering down and hoping to not get attacked during the night. We had to do everything in our power just to survive."
"That…" Robin paused for a moment. "That sounds like a nightmare come true. I can hardly imagine it."
"It's hell on earth." Lucina told him, gritting her teeth. "That's why we CANNOT lose this war against Valm. Every person that dies in it will be one less fighter against the Grimleal in the near future."
Robin chuckled. Lucina couldn't help but find his laugh extremely attractive. "You certainly are putting a lot of pressure on me then." he eventually said. "But worry not. After all, near zero casualties is always my goal."
He smiled at Lucina, a genuine smile, and Lucina's heart skipped a beat. "I'll do everything in my power, Lucina. I swear it."
"T-that's exactly what I wanted to hear." Lucina managed to get out.
"Is that it then?" Robin asked. "Or is there something else?"
Lucina bit her lip. "Um… I think that's all… for now at least."
Robin chuckled. "Well, if there's anything else you need to tell me, don't hesitate. I'll be happy to listen." He rose from the table and began to head back upstairs.
"W-wait!" Lucina suddenly exclaimed.
Robin turned his head around. "Hmm?"
"I um… I just… wanted to…" Lucina stammered. "I mean… I was wondering… if we can… if it's all right for us to be… friends?"
Robin paused for a moment, before he began to laugh. "Lissa always says, all the shepherds are friends with one another, and since you're a shepherd now, of course we'd be friends." He turned back around and raised his right hand in the air. "Well, I'm heading back up now, the rocking of the boat is making me a bit nauseous down here. Let me know if you need anything."
He proceeded to walk back up above deck. When he was sure he was out of earshot and view of the princess, he shook his head and snorted. "Friends, huh? I guess that's the best I could ever hope for. What a joke." Robin walked back over and joined the rest of the shepherds.
Meanwhile, for Lucina, she could feel her heart pounding inside her chest for several minutes after Robin had left. "I think… that went all right…" she murmured to herself. "He does seem to be a lot colder than I remembered... " She thought for a long moment. "I guess it's much harder to be mean towards young children though… and I guess I am technically a stranger to him right now."
She continued to sit at the table, and put her hands around her head. "Ugh! Why does this have to be so difficult?" She laid her head down on the table and began to groan. "I really hope he'll be the nice Robin that I knew once he warms up to me…"
She ended up staying at that table, daydreaming, until the boat reached the Feroxi ports. She only got up when Donnel came to inform her that they had landed and were getting off the boats now.
With Robin…
The shepherds were welcomed back in Regna Ferox by Flavia and Basilio themselves. The Plegian soldiers, after making sure the boats were all secure in the Feroxi ports, bid them farewell and good luck as they prepared to make the long trek back to Plegia immediately.
"So I see you've got your ships." Basilio said, once the khans were alone with Chrom and Robin.
Chrom nodded. "Plegia was able to offer everything, except for soldiers."
"And don't forget the oil!" Robin jokingly added. "They've supplied enough oil to light our lamps for ten centuries!" Everyone had a chuckle at that.
"Yes, I suppose we'll definitely need to find a use for all of that." Chrom smirked.
"That is rather generous of them… maybe they'll be more neighborly than the last king." Flavia smiled. "Oh, by the way, your soldiers also arrived from Ylisstol this morning. They set up camp near the ports, and will be ready to board the ships with the Feroxi soldiers at a moment's notice."
"Good." Chrom nodded. "What say we take the rest of the evening off, and set sail for Valm tomorrow morning?"
"Ay, that would be best." Basilio agreed. "Your soldiers are tired at the moment, and since I don't think anyone here has done a lot of sailing, it's better to get them accustomed to it during the day, rather than at night."
"Our scouts have reported that a larger fleet of Valmese ships are coming for our continent, and will arrive in a day or two." Flavia offered. "If we set sail tomorrow, we should be able to catch them out at sea."
Robin smiled. "And we'll be able to largely nullify their cavalry advantage."
"All right then." Chrom said with resolve. "I'll notify the shepherds they can have the evening off. We'll set sail tomorrow at dawn. Is there an inn we're able to stay at, or shall we set up camp?"
"I've got a place you all can stay. I'll show it to you in a moment." Flavia told him.
"Just a minute!" Basilio exclaimed. "I noticed there were a couple of fresh faces that got off the boat with y'all. Did you pick up some new people?" He gestured towards where the rest of the shepherds were waiting.
"Oh, the white haired sorcerer is Henry." Robin said. "He's a Plegian, and apparently he also used to work for me when I was still in Plegia as well."
"What about the lass with blue hair?" Basilio asked, squinting towards the shepherds.
"What, you like what you see?" Robin smirked. "Fancying your chances with her?"
"R-Robin!" Chrom protested.
"I'm kidding, kidding." Robin raised his arms defensively.
Basilio laughed. "She looks a bit too young for me. Does this mean she's related to Chrom somehow? His reaction made me think as much."
"Bingo!" Robin raised an index finger into the air. "She's this old fart's daughter, to be exact."
Basilio and Flavia both chuckled, thinking it was a joke. They were a little startled to see both Robin and Chrom keep their composure.
"I wasn't joking." Robin said in a serious tone.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Basilio asked. "How's that even possible? She barely looks a few years younger than him."
Chrom rolled his eyes. "It's a LONG story." he gestured towards the direction of the town. "C'mon, Flavia. I'll tell you while you show me where we're staying."
"Hey! You can't leave me out of the conversation now that you've dropped that one on me!" Basilio protested. "I'm coming with you."
"You weren't invited oaf, go away." Flavia teased, but Basilio ignored her. The three headed off towards the town. Robin chuckled, and headed back towards the shepherds, who were waiting expectantly.
"We're staying here for the night." was the first thing he told the rest of them when he rejoined them. "Chrom'll tell you where it will be soon. Flavia's showing him the inn right now." He took a good look at them. "What the hell are you guys doing?" His gaze was directed at Vaike, who was standing in the middle with the shepherds spread out in a circle around him.
Gaius smirked. "Vaike here was just telling us tall tales!"
"Hey!" the blonde protested. "It's all true!"
Sully laughed. "Tell me about it. You doing something useful during a fight? Don't make me laugh!"
"And I bet your re-enactments are on point too!" Ricken chuckled.
"I do think he's making a good effort…" Olivia murmured, giving the axeman some credit.
Even the newest shepherds, Henry and Lucina seemed to be amused by Vaike's antics.
"Well," Robin smiled. "I really hate to interrupt you, brave Vaike. Please, continue to grace us with the retelling of your heroics." He bowed dramatically, making Vaike swell up with pride. Lucina smiled, finally getting to see the friendlier side of her long time crush for the first time since she went back through time.
"Well, as I was saying…" Vaike began.
"Oh brother, here we go…." Sully muttered, rolling her eyes.
The shepherds kept themselves entertained with Vaike's storytelling until Chrom returned with the Khans.
"All right, everyone!" Chrom said as he rejoined his shepherds. "You all can leave our stuff on the ship. Take only what you need for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll get on the same ship again, but other than that, you're free for the night right after I show you all where we're staying."
The shepherds nodded. Some of the more overzealous shepherds had to put some of their stuff back on the boat, but eventually everyone was ready to head for the inn.
"All right then, I'll leave you all to it." Flavia said as she waved her goodbyes. "See you all bright and early tomorrow!" The shepherds waved back, and headed off towards the inn.
After everyone had checked in and had dinner, the sun had completely set. Most of the shepherds either went to their own rooms, or gathered around in a designated person's room and rested for the night. Robin, on the other hand, opted to go visit some of the shops in town. He was actually looking for one specific thing: alcohol.
If he had been honest with himself, having something to drink really had made him feel better. He didn't want to ever feel that sad again, but realistically, they were going to suffer some loses against the much more militant Valmese nation. Just to be sure, he bought two more bottles of wine. It was slightly different from the last one he bought, but they WERE in a different Feroxi town. Before exiting the shop, he stored them in an astral plane, startling the Feroxi shopkeeper.
When he stepped outside, he took a breath of the refreshingly cold nighttime Feroxi air. "Time to head back to the inn." he sighed to himself.
As he was walking back into the inn, he caught Cordelia just as she was walking out.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see you out here Robin!" The redhead exclaimed.
"Yeah, I went for a little last minute shopping before we leave Regna Ferox." Robin explained. That much was true.
"Shopping? What did you buy? I don't see you carrying anything." Cordelia looked at him quizzically.
'Shit.' Robin thought, not quite thinking everything through. "I, uh… went to the bookstore." he reached into the astral plane and pulled out a book. It was a pretty worn out book that Robin owned for quite some time, but he hoped Cordelia didn't know that.
Cordelia seemed to buy it though. She shook her head. "Even as we're going off to war, you can't help but find something else to read. Honestly, you're even worse than Miriel."
Robin shrugged. "I guess I am."
"Well, I'm about to go take a walk. I can't take a walk along the sea in Ylisse, after all. Want to come with me?" she offered.
Robin smiled. "Sure, why not? It'll be an interesting experience."
The two set off for the coast, and began to take a walk under the moonlight.
With Lucina…
Lucina couldn't sleep. She rolled around her bed, not quite used to actually having a soft mattress to sleep on after getting used to the ground for several years. Also, the butterflies in her stomach at the aspect of actually being apart of the war against Valm didn't help either. What if she messes everything up? What if someone that didn't die before died because she was here and therefore the future has changed? What if that someone is one of her friends' parents?
She finally sat up in her bed. "Ugh…." she moaned as she rubbed her eyes with her hands. "There's no use… I just can't sleep."
Her thoughts gradually began to drift to Robin. She still can't quite believe that she's back with Robin again. She had spent several years in her own timeline without his presence, and it didn't feel good at all. All those dark nights would've been so much easier if only Robin had been there with her.
Lucina knew for a fact that Robin was unmarried in her own timeline. She'd overhear him talking with her parents about how it was impossible for him to find a girl, since he wouldn't know whether they'd want him out of love or because of his social and political position. So now in THIS timeline, all she had to do was show him that she actually loved him to win him over, right?
"Easier said than done…" Lucina muttered to herself. This was true. She didn't have any idea of how she should approach the issue. She couldn't exactly go up to him and just proclaim her love for him, right? After all, he barely knows her in this timeline. No, that would surely go very poorly. She briefly imagined just running up to Robin and kissing him and telling him how she felt, but immediately began to blush. She hid back under the covers in embarrassment at just the thought of it.
Should she become better friends with him then? How should she do that? Spend time with him? She thought hard about how she got to meet all of her friends. They mostly were because she got introduced to them by her parents. And they became better friends through playing together. She couldn't exactly do THAT with Robin, right? They weren't kids after all. So what is it that 'adults' do to get to know one another? "Maybe… maybe I just have to talk to him some more." Lucina murmured, while she wrapped her blanket around herself like a cacoon. "I guess that's where I have to start."
She tried to lie back down, but it was even more difficult to fall asleep now. She had a goal in mind, and not being able to work towards it was making her uneasy. "Maybe Robin is still awake…" Lucina wondered to herself. "Perhaps I CAN have a talk with him right now!"
Feeling extremely optimistic, she got up and quietly walked out of her room. She tiptoed around the inn's hallways as to not disrupt the sleep of anyone else. Although she hadn't paid attention to exactly who was assigned which room, Robin's room was one she couldn't ignore. She slowly made her way over. She stopped right in front of her door.
"Will he still be awake?" Lucina wondered to herself, beginning to have some second thoughts. "Maybe he's sleeping already… and even if he were awake, would he even want to talk to me? He seemed pretty irritated with me earlier today…" Lucina rubbed her cheeks with her hands and sighed in frustration. "C'mon Lucy, it's not that difficult. It's just a talk. Nothing too difficult! Just politely ask him."
She finally worked up some courage and knocked on the door. "Robin?" she quietly whispered. She waited for a few moments, but there was no response. She knocked once again. "Maybe he IS really asleep…" Lucina murmured, feeling quite discouraged. She began to sulk back to her own room.
While she was feeling dejected, she had accidentally made a wrong turn that lead her to the staircase leading down to the entrance of the inn. She sighed and shook her head at her silly mistake, and was about to turn back for the rooms, but noticed a figure sitting downstairs, in the main lobby.
She rubbed her eyes, and found Miriel reading a book on one of the couches in the atrium. She quietly made her way down.
"Um, excuse me?" Lucina asked the bookworm. Miriel looked up. "Oh, Lucina. What did you need at this hour?"
"Um, I was just wondering what YOU were doing out here." Lucina admitted.
Miriel chuckled. "I was just doing some late night reading. I find that my concentration is better in spaces that are slightly more… expanded." she told Lucina. "But being down here has its own drawbacks. I am frequently disturbed by all the shepherds entering and leaving."
"You… I mean… do you keep track of all that?" Lucina asked.
Miriel smiled. "Although it is not my intention, I must confess that, yes, I do keep a record of it mentally."
"Do you… do you know if Robin has left recently?" Lucina asked hopefully.
Miriel thought for a moment. "Robin… I think I saw him returning earlier… but I didn't see him leave before that. Although…" She adjusted her glasses. "I believe he was coming back just as Cordelia was about to leave, but for whatever reason, he has elected to go with Cordelia instead of retreating to his room. They have yet to return."
"You mean… they're still outside? This late at night?" Lucina asked.
"Unless they've elected to enter their rooms by climbing through the windows, I cannot see any plausible explanation to why they would not be." Miriel said, matter of factly.
"T-thanks, Miriel." Lucina said before retreating back to her room. Her eyes turned to Miriel's hand that was holding her book, which had a ring on her ring finger.
"Um… is that new?" she pointed at it.
Miriel looked at what Lucina had been gesturing to. "Ah yes. Recently, I've been informed of my… condition by Vaike. Our conclusion has been that the only cure for it is a connubial relationship."
"You're getting married." Lucina translated. Miriel nodded. "That's an astute summary."
"Well, congratulations!" Lucina told her, before heading back to her own room. She'd always wondered how Laurent's parents got together, since they were so different, but I guess some things were meant to be, regardless of which timeline she was in.
Eventually, the elation for Laurent's parents getting together had passed. 'What's Robin doing with Cordelia this late at night?' she wondered. She felt a little bit jealous, but also was not too worried. After all, Cordelia was Severa's mother, so she knew exactly who Cordelia married. She then had a sudden thought. 'What if things turn out differently in this timeline?' Robin HAD been pretty close to Cordelia, after all. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling formed in her stomach. She wanted to run out there and find them, but there were several things wrong with that. First of all, she didn't know where to look. She could just be out there exhausting herself when she should be resting for tomorrow. And even if she somehow got lucky and found exactly where they were, Robin might be annoyed, and possibly even angry that she interrupted them.
"Oh no…." she muttered to herself as she covered her face with her hands. Everything seemed to be not going her way tonight. She groaned, and decided there's nothing she could do, and elected to try and go back to bed. 'Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.' she told herself. She rolled around in her bed for another hour, mind racing over this potential issue. Then, and only then, was she tired enough to be able to fall asleep.
With Robin and Cordelia…
Robin and Cordelia were walking along the edge of the sea, talking about many things and just enjoying each other's company and the nighttime air.
Cordelia was also able to vent some of her frustrations to Robin, as he was one of the only shepherds that understood how she had felt about Chrom and Sumia. Admittingly, one of the only other shepherds that would know about it is Sumia, but there's no way she'd vent to her about this particular issue.
"... and I just keep thinking to myself, if I had only done THIS differently, or THAT differently, maybe I would be the one that ends up with Chrom…" Cordelia told Robin. "Sometimes I think that that's what frustrates me the most. I look back, and look at all the stupid decisions that I made, and think about exactly what I should have to done to put me in a better position."
Robin nodded, mostly just listening to Cordelia as she vented. She imagined Cordelia as Sumia for a split second, and couldn't hold back a little chuckle.
"What?" Cordelia asked him. "Did you find something I said absurd?"
"No, no." Robin immediately responded. "It's just… I had an imagination: What if you HAD ended up with Chrom? Would I be having a similar conversation with Sumia right now?"
Cordelia stopped walking and stared at Robin. "I've… never actually thought about it like that." she admitted. "One of us was bound to be disappointed."
Robin stopped walking too and turned to face her. "That's exactly what I was thinking." he nodded.
Cordelia crossed her arms and made a face. "Well, since you put it THAT way… I suppose that even though I'm still jealous of Sumia, I wouldn't want her to be in my position right now either… And I guess it's not so bad. I still get to see Chrom pretty much every day. I just have to accept that he'll treat me like a sister instead of a wife."
Robin smiled. "Well, there you go then."
'I'm actually amazed at how far Cordelia has come since that day she decided to open up to me.' Robin thought to himself. He sighed. 'If I ever get lucky enough for a decent girl to be that in love with me, I'd have to make sure I never break her heart. Instead, I'd treasure her and hold her close forever.' he chuckled at himself for how cliche that sounded.
"What now?" Cordelia asked him, and honestly, Robin had forgotten she was even there while he was deep in though. "N-nothing!" he held up his hands defensively.
At this very moment…
Back at the inn, Lucina, despite being severely wrapped up in her blanket, let out a loud sneeze. "Oh no…" she moaned. "Don't tell me I'm coming down with a cold… just before the campaign to Valm too… was it because I was running around in my sleep clothes earlier?" She wriggled around underneath her blankets and tried to imagine that Robin was sleeping next to her. She tried to imagine the warm feeling of lying next to him and his comforting smell. As embarrassing as it sounded, it DID help her gradually begin to fall asleep.
Back with Robin and Cordelia…
"Robin?" The redhead suddenly asked. "Can I ask you a serious question?"
Robin smirked. "Oh? Does this mean everything we've been talking about just now hasn't been serious?"
Cordelia playfully hit the tactician on the shoulder. "You know what I really mean."
Robin chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I do. What is it?"
"Is it… Do you think… I mean…" Cordelia began, seeming to struggle with asking the question.
"Take your time." Robin nodded. "I'm listening."
"Would it be possible for someone to… develop feelings for someone they initially hated?" Cordelia finally asked.
Robin was taken aback for a moment. "Well," he began. "It would depend."
"Depend on what?" Cordelia curiously asked.
He took a moment for formulate an answer before continuing to respond. "Well, let me give you an example." he finally said. "Let's say that you were vehemently against the color blue for whatever reason. And therefore, when you first meet someone like Chrom, you hate him because his hair is blue colored."
"Why would I hate someone over something as trivial as that?" Cordelia asked.
"It's just an example." Robin responded. "Now, it's true that it will probably be unlikely that you'll all of a sudden change your opinion and begin to love the color blue. But," Robin held up two fingers. "I can see two possible ways for your feelings to change. Number one, you get to know the person more, and begin to see that there's more to them than just their blue hair. For example, you see Chrom's personality, his strength, his compassion, and you decide that these traits overtake your hatred for the color blue. Or there's number two. Chrom decides that he also doesn't like the color blue anymore, and decides to dye his hair red. Then your problem with him would also disappear, right?"
Cordelia listened closely, and seemed to reach a revelation. "Hmm… I think it might be a combination of both of them…." she muttered to herself.
"So then…." Robin nudged her. "I'm assuming there's an application of this to your own interests, since you're asking?"
Cordelia was glad it was relatively dark outside, or Robin would've been able to see just how much she was blushing. She didn't answer him, which, to Robin, was an answer in and of itself.
"Well…." Robin leaned in and smiled. "Who is it? Hmm?"
Cordelia turned her head away from him. "I'm… I'm not telling you!"
Robin chuckled. "I suppose I shouldn't pressure you into telling me anything you don't want to. However, even if you don't tell me, I still have a pretty good guess as to who it might be."
Cordelia's eyes widened. "No! You can't tell him!"
Robin laughed. Not chuckled, actually laughed. "Cordelia! We're friends. You know me better than that. I may be amused just knowing, but I would never ruin it for you by telling him."
"You'd better not!" Cordelia pouted. She let out a soft sneeze. Unlike a certain blue haired princess, this one WAS due to how cold it was.
Robin looked at Cordelia for a moment. He shrugged and took off his cloak. He moved behind Cordelia and used it to cover the redhead.
"R-robin?" Cordelia squeaked in surprise. "Aren't you cold?"
Robin smiled. "Don't worry about me! I can't even feel the cold." This was actually true. Robin always wore his cloak over his regular clothes, no matter how hot or how cold it was outside. The temperature just never seemed to bother him at all. He wore the cloak because it was comfortable.
Cordelia nodded, and graciously accepted the kind gesture.
"C'mon, it's pretty late. We really should head back to the inn." Robin said. Cordelia nodded, and the two began to head back.
Some time in the distant future…
"C'mon! We're almost to the portal Naga told us about!" a teenaged Lucina informed to the rest of the children shepherds as well as a much older Sumia. She had already donned the mask that Gerome had given her, so that the shepherds of the past would not immediately recognize her. She was leading the only group of humans left on the continent. Everyone else had been exterminated by the Fell dragon and his Risen.
"The Risen are gaining on us!" A girl with reddish hair exclaimed. "We're not going to make it!"
"Severa is right!" an armored girl with dark brown hair agreed. "We're going to need to make a stand!"
"That's crazy!" a male hero with gray hair exclaimed. "Do you see all of them? We'll be wiped out!"
"What should we do?" A very concerned Cynthia asked from atop her pegasus, or rather, her mother's old pegasus.
"If we don't make a decision soon, we'll all die!" A female archer cried out. "I'm s-scared!"
"C'mon! Let's go!" A blonde mage yelled as he launched a wind spell towards the Risen that were running towards them, killing a couple of the monsters.
"Listen to Laurent, Lucina!" Severa shouted.
Sumia looked at the group of teenagers with a wistful smile on her face. "Oh, if only everyone could see you all now…" she murmured to herself. "You would make everyone so proud…" she made a decision that would change the course of history forever.
"Everyone!" Sumia cried out. "Make for the portal, as quickly as you can! I'll cover for you all!"
"No mother!" Lucina cried out. "We can't leave you!"
Sumia only smiled. "Yes. Yes you can. I'm too old and too tired. Even if I can make it through time, I'll just ruin things for myself of the past. She deserves just as much as me to spend time uninterrupted with your father…"
"But…" Lucina protested.
"C'mon, we have to go!" a blonde myrmidon put his hand on Lucina's shoulder.
Sumia nodded. "Listen to your cousin. I can only buy a couple extra minutes. Listen to me." She looked at Lucina with tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Take care of them, they're YOUR shepherds now. Know that whatever you do, I will always be proud to have been your mother. Now go! Change history for the better!"
"Please, mother!" Lucina begged. "You are on a pegasus, you can outfly those Risen! If we all make it, come after us, don't just sacrifice yourself!" Sumia nodded at Lucina's request.
Under some more urging from Owain, Lucina gritted her teeth and ran towards the portal, right behind the other children. Sumia gave them one last melancholy glance, before turning towards the swarm of Risen.
"C'mon Belfire…" Sumia whispered. "Let's show these guys what Robin spent so much time teaching me!" She raised her right hand whilst holding onto a crimson tome in her left. "There's not many uses left in this one, but it'll buy us some time!"
She cast Bolganone. Large patches of ground underneath the Risen erupted as the magma from the spell consumed the Risen, but it didn't matter, more just filled their dead comrades' places.
Sumia cast spell after spell. The precious tomes she'd been saving and using only in emergencies were being expended faster than ever before. Eventually, her tomes began to run dry.
She threw the blank tome away. "If only Robin was able to also teach me how to cast without a tome…" Sumia chuckled regretfully. She sighed and took out her silver lance. "I guess it's back to fundamentals…"
She lowered her lance and charged the Risen.
Lucina was almost to the portal. "C'mon! You're almost there!" she heard her sister urge her from in front of her. Cynthia then turned and flew into the portal.
Owain followed her and jumped through as well. Lucina was about to turn to call to her mother, but froze. The sharp cry of Belfire made Lucina lose all hope. A risen had slashed the falicorn's side, and another knocked Sumia off her mount.
Sumia fell to the ground on her stomach. She was able to look at Lucina one last time with tears in her eyes. "Go…" she mouthed before the Risen stabbed her through the back, killing her.
"Mother!" Lucina cried, tears falling down her face from under her mask. The Risen responded to her cry and began to charge towards her. Lucina gritted her teeth and fought through the pain in her chest. She dove through the portal as well.
The "Present"...
Lucina sat up in her bed, panting. Her heart was pounding. The image of her "real" mother dying in front of her still ingrained in her mind.
"It's… it was just another nightmare…" she told herself. "It was just another nightmare…" She wrapped her arms around herself. If only there was someone who could understand… she would give anything to have some sort of comfort right now. Well... almost anything.
Lucina sighed, and got up. She pulled back the blinds and looked out the window. The sun had not yet risen yet, which meant that she probably had plenty of time before the shepherds needed to set sail for Valm.
"There's no use trying to fall back asleep." Lucina decided. "I'll probably just have more of those nightmares again." She groaned, and decided to go downstairs. Maybe she could take a walk or something to clear her head. She quickly got dressed and made her way down to the lobby.
The inn was quiet. Almost no one was up yet, after all. She made her way to the lobby, and saw a scene similar to that of last night. Only this time, instead of Miriel, it was Robin reading in the lobby.
Lucina blinked a couple of times and rubbed her eyes. 'Am I dreaming?' she wondered to herself.
She quietly made her way over to her crush. Robin, noticing some movement in his peripheral vision, looked up. His eye twitched slightly. "Lucina? What are you doing down here so early? We don't leave for another hour or two."
"I… uh I couldn't sleep." she mumbled. "Nightmares…."
"Ah…" Robin nodded in understanding. "I can completely understand. I've been getting more and more of those recently as well."
"Is that… that's why you're down here so early?" Lucina asked him.
Robin smiled, making Lucina's heart skip a beat. "No, not tonight. I actually slept very soundly. I get to bed later than pretty much every shepherd, and yet I usually wake up earlier than everyone, provided I slept well, of course."
"Has it always been like that for you?" Lucina asked him curiously.
"Actually, yes." Robin thought for a moment. "For as long as I remember, which honestly isn't too long. It's like I can operate perfectly fine on just a few hours of rest every night. It's really great for me, because my productivity goes up so much."
Robin put his book down. "So what's your plan for now? After all, there's a lot of time to kill."
Lucina fidgeted nervously. "Well, I was thinking about taking a walk by the shore. It's something I was never able to do in the future. I don't even think I've seen the ocean before yesterday."
It was Robin's turn to experience some deja vu. "That reminds me exactly of what Cordelia did last night." he chuckled.
"That's why… Is that why you two were out so late last night?" she squeaked.
Robin chuckled. "How'd you find that out?" he asked her curiously.
"Miriel told me." Lucina admitted.
Robin nodded in understanding. "Miriel WOULD pay attention to those kinds of things. Anyways…" he waved his hand. "She asked me to come along, and so I obliged."
Lucina bit her lip. "Well, then…" she began. 'Just do it!' she told herself. 'What's the worst that can happen?' "Would you… be willing… to come with me too?" she asked, growing quieter with every word.
Robin looked at Lucina curiously. "Sure." he finally said. "I'm always up for a walk."
Lucina felt the butterflies in her stomach temporarily fly away, as she felt the elation of her proposal being accepted by Robin. The tactician placed his book back into the astral plane, and got up.
"Shall we?" he gestured towards the exit.
Lucina nodded, and happily left with Robin.
The sun was rising, basking the pair in a warm glow as the cool air blew across their faces. The sunlight put both of them in a good mood, and a rare smile appeared on Lucina's face.
"Have you gotten to see many sunrises in the future?" Robin asked the princess.
"No." Lucina admitted. "In the future, once Grima was resurrected, clouds constantly covered the sky. During the day, the only light that made it through were tiny rays that managed to sneak past the overcast." she explained. "I don't remember the last time I've actually seen the entire sun."
"I've been hearing a lot of bad things about your timeline. Was there any good at all?" Robin inquired.
Lucina shook her head. "The human population slowly began to dwindle. Grima took over the entire continent over the time of several years. People slowly began to bleed out, some from starvation, some from disease, some from combat with the Risen."
Robin nodded. "A few years is hardly enough time for humans to be born or grow up. There's no way humans could recover from something like that."
"Mmhm…." Lucina could feel herself beginning to grow emotional at the thought of her own timeline. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. "As far as we know, the group I was with… well, they might have been the last group of humans left alive on the continent." She wiped away the tears with her sleeves.
Robin had a sorrowful look on his face. "Well," he began, trying to change the subject. "What about your childhood? Was it any better?"
Lucina stopped sniffling. "Actually, yes."
"Did you spend a lot of time with your parents?" Robin asked.
Lucina shook her head. "No, not really. When I was around four years old, my mother had another daughter…"
Robin raised his eyebrows, for this was certainly news to him.
"And as a result, she started spending more time with her newborn daughter than with me. My father was always busy leading the halidom, and also didn't have time to spend with me." Lucina explained.
"So what made it good?" Robin inquired.
"There… was another adult at the castle that spent a lot of my childhood with me." Lucina managed to get out. "He was always really nice to me. He took me out of the castle on occasion, he kicked out my abusive tutor to teach me himself, and he played and read stories with me. He even carved me a wooden Falchion to play with."
"Wow." Robin breathed. "Sounds like he truly was a blessing for you then."
Lucina bit her lip. "Yes. He is."
Robin didn't seem to notice her choice of language. "So…" he teased. "Did you have a crush on him?"
Robin did not know just how true of a statement that was. Lucina's eyes went wide and began to blush furiously.
"Aha! So I'm right!" Robin smiled. "Don't worry about it, your secret is safe with me. It's just a childhood crush, after all."
"Y-yeah…" Lucina lied. 'He doesn't realize that I'm talking about him!' she thought to herself. 'I suppose there's no reason for him to know I'm talking about him.'
After a moment of silence, Robin decided that it would be important to explain his Hekseer to Lucina. The princess was fairly surprised, but followed the tactician's instructions and tested out the function of receiving instructions without talking.
At this point, their conversation seemed to reach a dead end. The two simply walked around in silence, enjoying each other's company. Eventually, it almost became time for the rest of the shepherds to get up, and so Robin made the decision to head back towards the inn.
By the time they got back, the rest of the shepherds had begun to gather. The inn offered them a quick breakfast, and the shepherds began to head towards the docks on schedule.
Flavia and Basilio had already had people drop off the necessary provisions for their long journey, and the Feroxi and Ylissean soldiers were already beginning to load everything onto the ships. By the time the shepherds arrived, there wasn't much left to do. They helped carry the final provisions to the hold of the ships, and everyone began to board.
Once the final checks were made, Flavia and Basilio gave the signal, and one by one, the ships began to set sail. To Robin's delight, the shepherds were able to get a ship to themselves. Besides some of the Ylissean troops that served as their crew, as well as Basilio and Flavia, everyone on that ship was a shepherd. This was one of the benefits of having so many ships. Every ship had an ample amount of space for the soldiers on board. There was enough for everyone to get a room to themselves, with the exception of the married and engaged couples. Sumia and Chrom obviously shared a room. So did Sully and Stahl, and even Lissa and Lon'qu, and Miriel and Vaike. Robin was happy for them, but at the same time, felt bad about his own dilemma.
It took a few hours for everyone to get accustomed to the sailing. Once everyone had settled in, Robin made his way to the helm of the ship. Many of the others, including Chrom and Frederick, had already gathered there. He had to admit, the feeling of setting sail across the ocean was exciting for him, even if they were sailing towards another war.
"Ah! The view is breathtaking!" he admitted. "Somehow, our troubles feel like a lifetime away out here."
Chrom sighed. "Yet in truth, we're headed right towards them. I'm grateful that Plegia was able to give us these ships, but it's my first time on a vessel. My legs… I never fancied myself a sea captain."
"This is my first voyage as well." Lucina said as she joined them. "In my time, all our ships were destroyed. Smashed to pieces, along with their ports."
"I have a question, Lucy!" Lissa chimed in. "What would've happened if you hadn't stopped those assassins in the courtyard?"
"He would have been gravely wounded." Lucina admitted. "And those wounds would have played into the tragedies to come."
"Woah!" Lissa wiped her brow. "Good thing you've changed things then, right?"
Lucina gritted her teeth. "Maybe… but the river of time always favor its original course. Take the exalt's death, for example. I stalled it, but in the end I was unable to prevent it."
"You did what you could." Chrom assured her.
"Your kind, father." Lucina told him. "But nothing is certain. Another could take your life. Time could find a way…"
"Do you know how I died?" Chrom asked.
"Only rumors. According to reports of people who escaped, I was told you were felled in a great battle, betrayed by one of your own allies." Lucina revealed, shocking everyone there.
"An ally?" Robin breathed. "So could it be there was a traitor in the shepherds?"
"It would seem so." Lucina grimaced. "After Grima returned, we tried to hold on for as long as we could. We even tried to complete the awakening, but we were unable to do so. The only hope for us was for Naga to use her strength to open up a rift in time that allowed us to travel back and try to prevent Grima from rising again."
As they were talking, a pegasus knight landed on board, and whispered her report to Frederick. The Great Knight nodded, and waited for a break in the conversation.
"The Pegasus Knights have reported." Frederick said when he finally spoke. "They say the Valmese are about half a day's sailing away. They match ours, ship for ship."
"Your tone tells me this is not good news." Chrom noted.
"Their troops greatly outnumber ours." Frederick continued. "As you know, our ships are half full, at best. But every Valmese ship is packed stem to stern with Valmese soldiers. They're sailing in a formation with three ships serving as their spearhead, with the rest of them clumped together behind them."
Chrom gritted his teeth. "If we try to fight them head on, we'll be slaughtered!"
"We've little choice!" Flavia exclaimed. "If we allow them to land in Regna Ferox, it would be even worse!"
Lucina gazed towards Robin expectantly. Robin looked deep in thought. "But… let's say we ARE able to take out these Valmese ships, and with little to no casualties ourselves… That would be a major victory for us, no?"
"But how can we hope to do that?" Chrom asked. "Do you have a trick up your sleeve?"
Robin only said one word. "Fire."
No one seemed to understand. No one except for Lucina, whose eyes went wide in realization. She immediately reached out her hand to feel the wind, and found that it was indeed blowing in their favor.
"How do you plan to do that?" Basilio asked. "We've got the oil, but we've no catapults! You could roast us all like hams!"
"But Robin does make a point." Flavia agreed. "If we utilize fire, it would be possible to kill them all while expending very few lives. But how can we get the oil onto their ships without setting our own ships ablaze."
Robin began to grin almost evilly. It was a look that the shepherds had grown to love, and their enemies grew to loathe. "Unless…" he began. "Unless we WANT our own ships to be caught in blaze as well."
"But why would…" Basilio began. "For what reason would we ever want to light our own ships on fire?"
"The battle of Red Cliff." Lucina offered. "Chon'sin and Rosanne were able to hold off the overwhelming Valmese forces led by Calvin Caohardt by ramming some of their own ships that they lit on fire into the Valmese fleet. They were able to win the battle, despite being outnumbered ten to one."
Robin blinked at her a few times and smiled. "Very good Lucina! I'm impressed! I was under the impression that no one else has read "The Three Kingdoms" but me!" Lucina blushed under his praise.
Robin turned to everyone else. "Lucina is right. We actually have an advantage in the sense that we can afford to lose some of our ships. We'll make more detailed plans later, and we can momentarily drop the sails in order to make sure we have enough time to prepare. But eventually, we'll move some of the oil onto about one third of the ships, and put our best sailors on those ships. When we give the signal, they'll ram them into the key locations in the Valmese formation. The fire will be able to spread, and we can take out their entire fleet in one fell swoop."
"Well, I know better than to question Robin." Basilio laughed. "Especially when he has that look in his eyes! Gods save us from whatever he's cooked up this time. Let's just hope it's not us!"
"The timing works well for us too." Robin continued. "If the reports are correct, the fastest we'll meet them is during the evening. If we stall a little, we can even get it so they meet us at night. Our first step is to disrupt their chain of command. We need to board their spearhead, and take out their general. That formation is their supposed counter to fire tactics, but it only works if their ships in front can survive. If we take them out first, we can easily burn out their entire fleet."
Chrom nodded. "I'll lead the squad. I'm confident the shepherds can take care of it, especially with you leading us."
Robin smiled. "Then this plan truly stands a chance."
Chrom chuckled. "So much has changed since we found you lying in that field that day. Hard to believe that you alone decide the fate of our people. Of the entire continent. Destiny has a strange way."
"No Chrom. Not destiny." Robin shook his head. "We're not pawns of some scripted fate. I believe we're more. Much more."
"How do you mean?" Chrom asked.
"There's something that keeps us together. Like invisible ties or bonds, connecting us." Robin utilized some of Chrom's own words from their previous conversations. "WE forged those ties. WE strengthen them. If we preserve them or break them, it will be by our choices, and not some 'destiny'."
"Robin…" Flavia laughed. "I think the salty air has gotten to your head!"
"All right, all right." Robin conceded. "That's enough philosophy for today. There's many details to discuss, and many preparations to be made."
"Indeed there are!" Chrom agreed. "And Robin… if we are all bound by these invisible ties, I thank Naga that it's with you." he then turned to everyone. "All right! Everyone listen to Robin's instructions! We have work to do!"
In the next few hours, the shepherds, along with the Ylissean and Feroxi soldiers, stopped sailing and began to prepare for the upcoming battle. They used Pegasus Knights to deliver messages between the ships, and to ensure that everyone was on the same page. As evening drew near, everyone had a large meal in order to ensure they had enough energy for the upcoming fight.
They were all slightly nervous, they held firm and waited for nightfall. Eventually, after the sun had set, the shepherds saw the light of the Valmese torches as their ships sailed towards them. The Valmese were not expecting to meet any opponents, especially since the Ylisseans and Feroxi had put out all their torches and lamps to remain hidden.
"Now!" Robin whispered loudly as the ship carrying all of the shepherds suddenly lit their lamps and sailed towards the Valmese. The Valmese responded by arrogantly charging forward with their spearhead. The three Valmese ships began to surround the shepherds.
The Valmese placed planks on the shepherd's ship in three locations. "That one!" Robin pointed to the ship to their west. Chrom nodded, and they began to rush towards the western ship. This was the one that the Valmese commander was on. The shepherds began to move around in accordance to what they had planned earlier.
Donnel held the plank leading towards the eastern ship along with the help of Gregor, Maribelle, and Nowi. Frederick held the plank leading to the southern ship with the help from Kellam, Libra and Ricken. The goal of these two groups was not to move forward, but rather to firmly plant their heels and hold back the advances of the Valmese.
On the Western plank, Chrom and Robin led Stahl and Sully, Vaike, Lon'qu and Olivia as they charged the Valmese, who answered in kind. Cordelia, Sumia and Cherche patrolled the skies, hovering between the three ships, helping out wherever they are needed. The other ranged units did the same from the safety of their own ship, launching spells onto the Valmese whenever an opportunity presented themselves. Due to the cramped conditions of the Valmese ships, they didn't even need to be accurate. Any spell that was launched over found a few unlucky targets.
The Valmese found themselves frustrated by the immovable walls on the eastern and southern planks. There simply was not enough room for them to cross with many more than one at a time. The shepherds were easily able to hold them off, but also did not gain much ground either. On these two locations, the battle had reached a stalemate. However, because the pressure was on the Valmese to break through, they kept launching soldiers one at a time and the shepherds, which meant the shepherds were able to kill them off one by one. Any mage or archer that tried to take out their blockade from a distance was immediately discouraged from doing so by the spells launched by Ricken and Maribelle.
Even though the Valmese had the advantage in numbers, it was clear that the shepherds had the advantage in vision. They put their lamps in strategic positions that allowed them to see the Valmese troops, but was also able to have enough shadowy spots to hide themselves in. Robin also had the advantage of the Hekseer, and the ability to give orders without talking or being near anyone, which put the Valmese at a heavy disadvantage in this department.
Miriel, Gaius and Virion were put together, and moved around the ship as a unit. They coordinated with their fliers, and seemed to always know exactly where their fliers were, and exactly where the opponent's fliers were. The Valmese sent Pegasus Knights and Wyvern Riders to support their spearhead from their main fleet, but they simply did not have the vision to deal with the shepherds. Cordelia and Cherche, under the careful instructions of Robin, seemed to know exactly where the enemy was coming from. They were able to jump each Valmese flier with a surprise attack, sending Valmese after Valmese to plummet into the waters below. Sumia flew around the ships, carrying Anna with her. The pair threw thunder magic at any openings in the Valmese formations.
Miriel periodically launched Arcfires into the air, seemingly at random. She didn't seem to hit anyone, but each time, the spell revealed the location of an enemy flier. Virion and Gaius took the opportunity to launch a couple of quick shots at their revealed target, racking up their kill counts rather quickly.
On the western flank, the shepherds began to slowly inch their way forward. The Valmese were unable to push back the shepherd's frontline, but the shepherds, with the help of Tharja and Henry's dark magic, seemed to be able to dissolve the Valmese armored units and cavaliers. There were some mages on the western Valmese ship, but the damage they were able to deal was quickly healed away by the staff savant in Lissa.
The shepherds fought their way to the Valmese, and began to reach the gunwale of their ship. Robin smiled, knowing that the battle was as good as over. Once the shepherds boarded the Valmese ship, the Valmese suddenly found themselves at a severe disadvantage. Stahl and Sully rampaged across the ship, relishing in the ability to ride across the wide open space of the ship. Vaike was in a similar situation, happy with the ability to swing his axe around more liberally. Lon'qu and Olivia darted around, being more comfortable to go in, kill a target, and get out with the introduction of more space to dodge around. Robin took his time to check his Hekseer once again.
{Cherche, there's an enemy wyvern flying towards you slightly towards your left. Cordelia, take out the Pegasus flying towards us from directly in front of you. Miriel and Virion, move to the northwestern portion of the ship, to our eleventh position. There are some targets there to take care of. Sumia and Anna, help them out.}
After giving out the instructions, Robin returned back to the battle at hand. The shepherds were able to massacre the Valmese on their command ship. Eventually, it was just their commander left. The general charged the shepherds before his entire force was wiped out.
"Arrogant pup! I am General Ignatius of Valm! The seas are my home, and they'll be your grave!" the Valmese commander declared. Chrom tried to fight him, but was at a severe weapon and armor disadvantage. Robin and Lucina darted in to give him a hand. The three, together, was able to keep the general at bay while their comrades continued to slaughter the Valmese. Although they were able to force the general back towards the helm of the ship, they were unable to deal any serious damage to him.
"There's no way you can penetrate my armor. You can't kill me in time. My main fleet will be upon you in no time! You… have… lost!" Ignatius laughed.
Chrom and Lucina gritted their teeth, knowing that there was some truth to the General's words. Robin, on the other hand, merely laughed. "Oh… you are so misinformed…" Robin pulled out the dagger that Olivia had gifted him. He smiled at Ignatius as he cut himself across his cheek. Ignatius didn't know why, but the action sent shivers running down his spine. Lucina, seeing Robin do this for the first time, had her eyes widen in surprise.
Robin's eyes began to glow. However, this time there was a significantly more purple tint to both his eyes and his scythe. "Stand back." he told the two royals. Lucina and Chrom slowly backed away from him.
Robin tilted his head and smiled. Ignatius braced himself for Robin to charge him, but Robin stayed put. He swung his scythe around, flinging blades of purple energy towards the Valmese General. Ignatius raised his shield, in an effort to block it, but found to his dismay that the blades cut right through his heavy armor as if it were nothing. 'Shit! That's a magical attack!' Ignatius realized. But it was too late. He had already taken too many hits. He could feel blood in his mouth.
"Strike… me down… and ten will take my place…." Ignatius stammered with his dying breath. "You… have.. LOST!" Robin threw one last blade at the General, this time striking him across his throat and ending him. "I don't think so." he told the corpse.
"R-robin…" Lucina walked up to the tactician. "You're hurt..." she bit her lip, and gingerly caressed the cheek with the cut.
Robin smiled. "This is nothing. It'll heal in a moment. Although… the fact that you care means a lot to me."
Lucina blushed, and was glad the lighting wasn't good. Otherwise it would've exposed her to not only Robin but Chrom as well. "O-of course I'd care!" she protested.
{The general is dead! Miriel, give the signal!}
As soon as Robin gave the command, a special fire spell flew into the air. It exploded into a variety of colors. Immediately, the Ylissean and Feroxi fleet lit their lanterns. The previously completely dark eastern sea suddenly was brought to life with all of the lights. The other two Valmese ships that were still fighting the shepherds immediately lost the fight in them. The shepherds left the carcass that was the Valmese command ship and began to board the other two Valmese ships. With their morale completely broken, they didn't manage hold on for more than a few minutes from the reinvigorated shepherds.
As this was going on, about a third of the Ylissean ships began to sail at full speed towards the Valmese fleet. The sailors poured barrels of oil across their bows and lit their decks on fire. The wind blew in their favor, and the flames reached menacingly towards the Valmese.
The ships finally crashed into the Valmese, and promptly exploded. The Valmese ships began to catch fire one by one, and the flames only grew larger. The Ylissean and Feroxi soldiers manning the ships, as well as the Valmese soldiers, all began to jump ship. The difference was, the Ylissean side had Pegasus Knights swooping in close to the surface of the ocean and picking up their comrades, flying them to safety. The Valmese on the other hand, had to suffer in the waters, which was also beginning to catch fire due to the large amounts of oil beginning to form on the surface of the sea. Not a single Valmese soldier would survive the night.
The shepherds, after killing off all the Valmese on their three ships, all gathered back on their own vessel. After a head count to ensure everyone had made it back, the shepherds pushed away the three Valmese carcasses and returned back to their own formation.
Basilio and Flavia made their way over to the shepherd's ship.
"Did you see that?" Lissa exclaimed. "It's like the whole sea was on fire!"
"It worked! It worked!" the usually stoic Frederick exclaimed joyously.
Flavia smiled. "Only you could hatch such a brilliant scheme, Robin! Who else would desert a portion of our vessels and turn them into flaming cannonballs? And there's still enough room on our remaining ships for all of our troops. It was so simple, yet the Valmese never saw it coming. I guess they didn't expect us to be willing to sacrifice our own ships."
"We won the day, but the war still looms." Chrom reminded everyone. "We have to press on and seize control of their main harbor!"
"Aye boy." Basilio agreed. "I've had enough of the smoke and smell here for one lifetime besides."
The shepherds, backed by their own troops and the Feroxi, headed full speed towards Valm.