The Shepherds were to depart for the Northern Border as soon a possible. Yes, during the last attack, none of the Shepherdshad sustained any major injuries, but they were all exhausted, especially Robin.
He grumbled as sunlight peeked into his room, knowing that that last night's sleep was going to be the last for a while.
Groggily, he sat up.
He tried to stand up, but fell back in bed while groaning in pain.
"Argh…man, it looks like all those days of fighting and training are catching up to me," he muttered to himself as he stretched.
He sighed, knowing this mission was inevitable.
Robin reluctantly forced himself to get out of bed and prepare for today's events.
"Robin! Glad you could make it!" Sully cheered.
Sully, along with Stahl, Virion, Chrom, Sumia, and the two new recruits, Gaius and Panne, sat in the mess hall, all chowing down on breakfast.
Robin grabbed an apple and a few strips of bacon, and went to take the vacant seat next to Stahl.
He sat down heavily and sighed.
"Geez, what happened to you?" Chrom asked as he watched Robin wince when he went to pick up a piece of bacon.
Robin grumbled, "Frederick happened. Oh, and Plegians and Risen happened."
Sully snorted, but Sumia looked at Robin concerned.
"Oh dear. Are you going to be alright for the march?" She asked worriedly.
Robin stretched again, and groaned while doing so. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and forced a smile, then gave Sumia a thumbs up.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I guess I'm just not used to all this…fighting," he said, then took a bite of his apple.
Chrom chuckled, "Don't worry, Robin. You'll get used to it eventually."
"I hope so," Robin muttered.
At the same time, Robin didn't want to get used to fighting. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, and it was exhausting. On top of that, he was the tactician, meaning that he had more pressure than most, which definitely added a lot more unwanted weight on his shoulders.
Robin glanced at the two newbies, Panne and Gaius. He was surprised to see that they had stayed after last night's quarrel, but he was glad to gain new allies.
Gaius was sitting in front of Stahl, and Panne looked as if she was forced to sit with the group because she wore a scowl on her face.
'You'd get along great with someone else I know,' Robin thought.
"It's good to see you both again…and not during an assassination attempt," Robin said jokingly to them, and grinned.
The thief, Gaius, beamed. Instead of his plate being full of breakfast food, it was full of what looked like hard candy.
"It's good to be here! Man, this place is wayyy better than where I was originally! Like, can you believe they just have these candies sitting out?!" Gaius said happily as he held up his plate triumphantly.
Chrom shook his head in exasperation, "Gaius, those candies were sitting out in the royalty quarters. How'd you get a hold of them?"
Virion's eyes widened, "Y-you didn't steal those, did you?"
Gaius shrugged, and happily popped another piece of candy in his mouth, "Hey, finders keepers."
Virion scoffed in disdain. Robin couldn't help but smile, mainly at the thought of how he could use Gaius's skills on the battlefield…
Panne shuffled slightly.
Robin turned to her, and gave her a reassuring smile.
"It's great to see you here, too, Panne. If there's anything I can do for you, I'd be more than happy to help," Robin said, trying to sound as welcoming as possible.
He knew how intimidating the Shepherds could be, especially with how many of them there are. So, he tried his best to make her feel as welcome as possible, and no doubt the others were, too.
Panne gave him a curt nod, and continued picking at her food.
Suddenly, there was a large crash.
Everyone immediately jumped to their feet and faced the sound, only to find Vaike on the ground with a pile of apples scattered all around him.
"What in the…" Chrom muttered, and ran over to Vaike, who wore a dazed expression while he sat on the ground.
"Vaike! Are you okay!"
Ricken, along with Lissa, Maribelle, and Lon'qu we're running towards Vaike. Miriel was also in tow, scribbling something on a piece of parchment as she ran.
"What happened?" Robin asked as he stared at the scene.
Vaike shook his head and looked around.
Panne walked over curiously to him. She bent down, sniffed him, then pat the top of his head with her hand.
Vaike turned as red as the apples around him, "Ah! W-whatcha doin'?" He stammered as he shakily got to his feet and slowly backed away from the taguel.
Panne looked confused.
"Is that not how you manspawn tell another that one is being 'stupid'?" She asked.
Vaike scratched his head and laughed nervously, "U-uh no, not that I know of. Usually you just say it to them…"
Panne was still confused, and Lissa broke into a fit of giggles.
"Hehehe, sorry Vaike. That was meant for my brother," she said between laughs.
Vaike, still flustered, glared at her, "Oh? Ya think ya funny squirt?" He smiled mischievously, "I think this is officially a declaration of war," he said wryly.
Lissa put on a serious face, "Oh, you are SO on."
The two glared at each other while the other shepherds went to pick up the scattered fruit off the floor. Stahl shoved a few in a satchel, then shoved one in his mouth.
"Milord, the exalt has requested for our departure." Frederick said, appearing in the doorway of the mess hall.
Chrom nodded, "Alright everyone. Be ready to move out in five!"
"Ughhhhh, my poor feet. I've got blisters the size of eggs," Lissa whined.
The shepherds had been marching for the Northern Border for a few hours now. Lissa, along with Robin, weren't doing as well as some of the others.
Chrom laughed, "Lissa, it's not so bad. Just think of it as a healthy little stroll!"
Lissa rolled her eyes, "Why must you be so positive when I'm clearly suffering," she said sarcastically.
Chrom laughed, and turned to Robin, "How are holding up, Robin?"
Robin wiped his forehead and cursed at the sun that was blaring down on them.
"I-I've been better, that's for sure," he replied breathlessly.
"Hah! Should I carry you?" Chrom teased.
Robin rolled his eyes and trudged on.
"Big brother, you can carry me! Hey, I'm serious!" Lissa whined.
"Hmm…"
Robin glanced over to their newest recruit, the Hierarch. Before the shepherds departed, they were suddenly informed that they were to escort the Hierarch to the same destination as Emmeryn. Chrom explained that he has been a friend of Ylisse for some time now, and he has also helped guide Emmeryn through the earlier years of her rule.
The Hierarch was an odd one, that's for sure. Robin noticed him restlessly glancing around about an hour into the march, and he seemed to get more fidgety the farther they walked.
Robin wasn't the only one who noticed this.
"Is something troubling you, Hierarch? You keep glancing at the peaks," Frederick said as he eyed the Hierarchy wearily.
"Oh! Well I'm just a b-bit nervous, I'm afraid. G-ghastly times these are!" The man stammered.
Frederick gave the man one last eery look, then went to walk behind Emmeryn.
Robin watched this occurrence, then shrugged.
'Weird man he is…' Robin thought as he watched the Hierarchy begin to fidget once again.
"I could really use a lunch break right about now," Stahl groaned.
"Oh man up, will ya? It's only been like six hours of walking!" Sully said, playfully punching him in the arm.
Stahl rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, only six hours of walking in the baking heat. No problem," he said sarcastically.
Chrom sighed, "Alright fine, you all have thirty minutes to rest, but after that, we march without stopping, so use this time wisely."
"Oh thank the gods," Stahl said, immediately grabbing a sandwich from his satchel.
Sully shook her head, then sat down and pulled out her own sandwich.
All the shepherds spread out, each of them enjoying the small break from the horrendous walk.
Robin glared up at the clear sky, "Gods, can't there just be one cloud?"
"Oh, stop your adolescent whining, Robin. It's really starting to irritate me," Maribelle said in disdain.
Robin glared at her.
"Hey, you're one to talk! At least you have a parasol! And you have a horse!" Robin shot back.
Maribelle glared back. She couldn't think of a way to retaliate, so she settled with a loud 'hmph!' and stormed off.
Robin shook his head out of frustration, and then continued to glare back up at the sky.
Frederick stood protectively next to Emmeryn. He had gotten a sense of uneasiness a few hours back, and since then he has been within arms reach of Emmeryn.
Something about the Hierarch didn't sit well with Frederick. The Hierarch has always been a strange man, sure, but Frederick has never seen him act this strange before.
So far, nothing too suspicious has happened, but that doesn't mean something can't happen. So, for Emmeryn's sake, he has opted to stay by her side until they escort her to the Eastern Palace safely
"Oh Frederick, look!" Emmeryn said excitedly as she held up a pretty, white flower.
Frederick smiled at her childlike gleefulness.
Emmeryn has been the only person who has been able to open up his softer side consistently. Honestly, Frederick couldn't think of a time when he wasn't happy when he was with her.
"Tis' a pretty flower, Milady. Do you want to bring some along with you?" He asked.
Emmeryn looked dreamily down at the flower. She gently touched the petals with her finger, then smiled and bit her lip.
"I think I should keep it right…here!" She said, and placed the flower right behind Frederick's ear.
She backed up, and giggled, "Hehe, it suits you, Freddy."
Frederick felt his face begin to heat up.
"Heh, thank you, Milady," he said bashfully.
Emmeryn laughed again, and knelt down to pick up more white flowers. Frederick watched her as she happily picked more flowers, and smiled even more.
Hearing her call him the name 'Freddy' made him feel warm on the inside, a feeling he rarely had.
Fredrick and Emmeryn have known each other for some time, since they were kids in fact. Frederick's father had served the previous exalt, Emmeryn's father. When both men passed on, and Emmeryn was forced to rule, she had requested to have Frederick be her personal knight, which he happily accepted.
Since then, he and the exalt have grown quite close, they were almost like family.
Almost.
Lately, Frederick has been having some very conflicted feelings towards her. Feelings that he couldn't quite put into words…
"Oh, Frederick, come look at these flowers! They're absolutely breathtaking!" Emmeryn called over to him.
He smiled and shook his head, "Coming!"
"Will you just hold still for one minute?!" Lissa shouted.
"G-get off me woman! Hey! I said let go!" Lon'qu shouted as he attempted to wriggle free from Lissa's grasp.
Lissa was currently trying to look at a cut that Lon'qu sustained from the assassination attempt, and somehow managed to keep secret...until now.
"You idiot! What the heck were you thinking you could just keep this cut a secret! It could get infected, then you'd get sick!" Lissa yelled as she tried to hold Lon'qu down.
"I-I've had worse! N-now get off! Begone!" Lon'qu shouted back as he tried to push her off.
Meanwhile, Sully, Stahl, Gaius, Panne and Vaike sat and watched the two bicker.
"Wow this is awesome! You said something like this happens every day?!" Gaius said excitedly as he watched the two bicker.
"Two gold that Lissa will win," Vaike said.
Stahl shook his head, "Three gold that Lon'qu wins."
"Why are you placing prices on those two?" Panne asked curiously as she watched them pull out satchels full of coins.
Stahl grinned at her, "It's called betting and-"
"And if you win, you get two times the amount of money!" Vaike cheered, "More money for beer…" he mused.
Panne patted Vaike on the head again, "You are stupid, Manspawn." She turned to Stahl, "Did I do it right?"
Stahl snickered as Vaike jerked away from her flustered, "Yep, perfect, Panne."
Sully groaned, "Arghhh, I just want to get back on the road."
About thirty minutes passed, and it was time to get back on the road, much to the dismay of the other shepherds, but it was what it was.
The sun still beat down heavily on them as they marched. Robin pulled up his hood to attempt to block out the sun, which partly worked. All the trees that would be giving shade seemed to be everywhere except the path. Robin grumbled,'Shouldn't it be cooler up here in the mountains?'
Chrom on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the walk. He walked with a bounce in his step, and hardly broke a sweat.
"Sheesh, who put sunshine in your coffee this morning?" Robin asked as he trudged up to Chrom.
"Sunshine? No one put sunshine in my coffee," Chrom said, the joke going completely over his head.
Robin shook his head, "I don't understand how you can be in such a good mood. Like, even in this heat!" Robin exclaimed as he pulled his hood over his face even more.
Chrom shook his head, "I wouldn't say I'm in a 'good mood' per se, all things considered. I'm just glad to march with everyone, including Emm," Chrom smiled, "It's been a while since Emm has been out of the capitol, and I'm NOT counting the march to the border with Gangrel… It's just good to see her like this. Happy and so carefree…" he said, and smiled as he watched Emmeryn eagerly bend down to pick up a flower, then happily show it to Frederick.
Robin couldn't help but smile at the sight, too.
Behind Robin, the Hierarch squeaked.
Robin turned around, and saw that the Hierarch was trembling in fear.
"Hey, are you oka-"
Robin stopped when there was a loud rustling of grass behind him. He spun around, and was greeted with a band of gruff men, all of them holding weapons. Four of them stood about fifteen feet away from the group, but Robin knew there had to be more of them lurking about.
"Grah hahaha! Time to die, Ylisseans!" A man with an axe shouted.
Chrom cursed under his breath, "Damn Plegians…how'd they know we were here?"
There was a loud roar off in the distance. Robin's eyes widened.
"C-Chrom, what was that?" He asked tentatively.
Chrom cursed under his breath again, "That, my friend, is a Wyvern."
Not soon after, a large flying figure appeared in the sky, and descended directly in front of the other four Plegians. Atop the creature was a man with sandy brown hair, and an equally gruff figure as his companions. He held an iron axe, and wore a psychotic grin.
Robin's jaw fell slack.
"Since when do people ride dragons?!" Robin asked in disbelief.
Chrom sighed, "For a while now, and a pain in the arse to fight might I add."
Robin cursed under his breath. That was definitely not something that he had anticipated.
"Y-You know what? It's no problem! I-I'll figure something out…just like I always do!" Robin said, trying to sound confident.
Chrom nodded, "I know you will, but you might want to hurry," he said, glancing at the Plegians.
"Working on it," Robin said while turning around to get a good look at his surroundings, looking for something, anything, they could use as an advantage.
The Hierarch stumbled forward towards the Plegians.
"H-Hey! Wait!" Chrom shouted.
"What is that idiot doing?" Sully muttered as they watched the man stumble directly to the Plegians.
Then Robin pieced it together.
"Bastard," he spat at the man.
Chrom drew his sword, and was about to run after the Hierarch, when Robin grabbed his arm.
"Robin, what are you-"
"He's the one who told them we'd be here, Chrom," he said dully.
"W-what? No, that's impossible! What would he gain from betraying Ylisse?"
"Hierarch, please, come back! You'll get hurt!" Emmeryn shouted desperately as Frederick forced her back.
The Hierarch slowed as he hesitantly approached the Plegians.
"H-Hold, good sir! I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive your orders to take me under your protection?" The Hierarch said breathlessly.
There were shouts of anger from the shepherds, but the Hierarch and Plegians ignored it.
While this was happening, Robin used this extra time to think up a plan. He looked around, and saw what appeared to be another abandoned fort. In the trees, Robin could see more Plegians, though he wasn't sure how many of them there were.
The man hopped off his wyvern, and approached the Hierarch. The Hierarch shrank in fear as the man approached, but it was too late to run back to the shepherds.
The man looked down at the Hierarch in disgust, as if he were looking at an infectious rat.
"I've orders to protect a man, yes…but I see no man here!" He shouted, and the Hierarch stumbled back in terror.
"T-Then, might I ask w-what you do see h-here?" the Hierarch asked while visibly shaking in fear.
The malicious grin reappeared, "All I see is a disgusting pig! A traitor who sold out his own sovereign!"
The Hierarch squeaked and got down on his knees, "Please! I beg of thee! Have mercy!" He sobbed.
The man scoffed, "You're pathetic, and you shall have a pathetic death!"
The Hierarch didn't even have time before the Plegian sliced his axe at his head, decapitating him. The Hierarchy's head rolled across the grass, his sobbing expression still plastered on his face.
Emmeryn clapped her hands over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut as she began to sob. Frederick stood protectively in front of her, trying to shield her from the horrific sight.
Chrom grit his teeth as Lissa hugged close to him.
"Brutal," Gaius muttered with wide eyes.
Ricken paled at the sight, and Maribelle looked as if she was going to be sick.
Robin, who had only been half paying attention, saw the Hierarch's state and grimaced.
"BWAHAHA, man that felt good!" The Plegian said as he flexed his arm. "You all are next, Ylissean scum!"
"Robin?" Chrom said nervously.
"Alright, I've come up with a plan. Prepare the shepherds for a battle!"
Chrom nodded, "Shepherds, prepare for battle!"
The only good thing that came out of the Hierarch was the time he gave Robin. With the extra few minutes, Robin was able to scheme up a pretty solid plan. Robin had Phila and Sumia take Emmeryn up on their Pegasi, and fly her away from the danger. If needed, they could take refuge in the old fort Robin noticed earlier.
All the Plegians seemed like they had a similar skill level as the ones that they fought earlier. The Wyvern, though, proved to be an issue. Robin wasn't entirely sure how to take it down. Arrow's would've been his first choice, but the beast's scales would be too hard. He wasn't sure how magic would affect it either, but he figured it would be his best bet.
Robin's plan wasn't all that complex. He paired up Chrom with himself this time. Chrom had mentioned that his sword, Falchion, was sharp enough to pierce through the Wyvern's scales. Although it was be suicidal to charge the beast head on, if it came down to it, Falchion could be another line of defense.
He had paired up Sully and Stahl, and had them move to the front lines along with Panne and Vaike, who ironically made a solid team. Virion, Ricken and Miriel were fighting from the midline as a long-range trio. Lissa and Maribelle, guarded by Kellam and Frederick, were on the back lines, staff ready. Finally, Lon'qu and Gaius were to use their exceptional skills at stealth to ambush Plegians who were hiding in the forest.
"We need to take out the Wyvern first," Robin said as the two ran towards the man who killed the Hierarch.
The man watched as Chrom and Robin approached him, but his mount wasn't there…
He grinned, "I take it ya here to avenge your friend?" He said maliciously.
"I say let that poor excuse of a man burn in hell for his sins," Chrom shot back.
He held up his sword and pointed it towards the Plegian, "And you're not going to lay a single finger on my sister," he growled.
"Oh ho! What's this? A challenge from his majesty in all his might? Oh, I'm flattered, truly, but I have better things to do than waste my time on you!" The man sneered.
Chrom tightened his grip on Falchion.
"I wasn't asking!" He shouted, and charged towards the man.
"Chrom wait!" Robin yelled, but it was futile.
Chrom jumped, and took a swipe at his face, but the man easily deflected his sword with his axe, and pushed him back.
The Plegian yawned, "I'm boredddd," he whined, "What do you say we spice things up a bit, yeah?
The Plegian blew a loud whistle, and it echoed all throughout the peaks.
Then, there was a loud, familiar roar that echoed all through the peaks, and the Wyvern from before ascended from the trees.
It flew directly at Chrom, claws out and jaws open.
"Thunder!" Robin yelled, and tried to shoot a bolt of lightning at the beast's heart…but missed, and it hit its leg instead. It didn't seem to hurt the beast much. In fact, it seemed to have annoyed it as it turned its attention to Robin.
"Crap."
"Robin, run!" Chrom yelled.
Robin didn't even hesitate. He spun around and sprinted in the opposite direction as the Wyvern chased him.
"I'm leaving the Plegian in your hands!" Robin hollered over his shoulder.
The Plegian cracked his knuckles, "I'm going to enjoy slicing you up, Princey."
Chrom turned his attention back to the Plegian, "Heh, yeah likewise."
'Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!'
Robin ran as fast as he could, trying to avoid the jaws, and claws, of the Wyvern.
"Nice dragon! Nice dragon!" He yelled over his shoulder.
He ran in a zigzag pattern, and that was the only thing that was allowing him to just barely outrun the Wyvern on foot.
"Damnnit, why me?!" He yelled.
"Is that Robin?" Stahl asked Sully.
Out in the distance, the pair could see a figure break out of a cluster of trees and onto the clearing, though the figure was far enough away it was hard to tell who it was.
Sully squinted and shook her head, "Naw, Robin and Chrom were fighting the commander guy back in the forest. Probably just a stray Plegian," Sully replied, and tightened her grip on her bloody lance.
Suddenly, a Wyvern broke out of the trees and into the clearing, following the figure.
"Uh guys…" Vaike started, pointing at the Wyvern.
"I see it," Stahl said wearily.
The figure was coming closer…and so was the Wyvern.
The figure was yelling something at the squad, but none of them could hear it.
"What is it saying?" Stahl asked, turning to Panne…who had already taken off, sprinting off in the opposite direction in rabbit form.
"Guys…I think that is Robin," Vaike said, and started to back up.
"Oh shit!" Sully yelled.
"RUN!" Robin yelled.
Stahl jumped on his horse, "Don't need to tell me twice!" He said, pulled Vaike on, then took off.
Sully mounted her own horse and rode over in the direction of Robin.
"C'mon! Hurry up!" She yelled at him as she held out a hand.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" He yelled back.
Sully intercepted Robin, and quickly pulled him on her horse, then rode off. The Wyvern crashed to the ground just where Robin had been only seconds ago.
"Wha-What hell happened back there?!" She asked breathlessly.
Robin gasped for air, "T-Turns out that-that thunder magic…is n-not fatal if it doesn't h-hit in the r-right spot."
"Of course not! Unless you're using wind magic, or you're an incredible mage, you would have to hit the beast in the heart to kill it! It's common sense!" She yelled as she led her horse away from the beast.
Though it was farther away, the Wyvern was still chasing them.
"Well of course I wouldn't know that Sully! No one bothered to tell me!" He yelled back.
"Why in hell's name would we need to tell you that, Robin?" She shouted back.
Robin paused.
'Right, I still haven't told them about my amnesia.'
"I-I'll explain that later, but for now, I need you to go towards Ricken. He's the only wind magic user, so he'll probably be able to take the beast down…probably."
Sully grunted in response, and the two rode to the midline as the Wyvern chased them from behind.
Chrom grunted as the axe nicked his arm.
"Hehehe, you know how many Ylisseans my Wyvern has eaten in her life…too many to count! HAHAHA!" The Plegian laughed.
"You're sick," Chrom said in disgust.
The Plegian shrugged, "Maybe, but that still doesn't change the fact that you die here!" He yelled, and swung his axe at Chrom's head.
Chrom ducked as the axe swiped at air. Quickly, he jumped to the side and tried to swipe at the man's leg, and managed to draw a bit of blood.
The Plegian swiped at him again, and Chrom quickly jumped back.
"Tell me, what's your name," Chrom asked as the two eyed each other down.
The Plegian contemplated this before saying, "…Fine, I'll humor you in your last moments hehe. It's Vasto," he sneered, and immediately went to slice at Chrom's throat, narrowly missing him.
Chrom narrowed his eyes, "Alright Vasto. I really don't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice!" With that, Chrom charged towards the Plegian.
The Plegian grinned, and readied his axe. He had expected Chrom to slash directly at him then, but last minute Chrom sidestepped the man. He spun, and slashed his sword at the man's side. Blood immediately poured from the wound, and Vasto dropped his axe in shock.
To Chrom's surprise, the man grinned.
"If…if you think…" he fell to his knees, "…killing me will change anything? Heh…hehehehe, my Plegian brothers are…killing your people as…I…speak…" the light left Vasto's eyes as he bled out, and he fell on his back, motionless.
Chrom scowled, and wiped the blood clean on the man's shirt. He then turned to go meet up with the others.
"Oh crap," Sully muttered.
"…What?" Robin asked wearily.
She didn't answer.
"You didn't get us lost, did you?!" Robin asked.
"…I'm just gonna pretend I didn't hear ya," she replied.
Robin sighed. The Wyvern was still on their heels, and Robin was afraid if he attacked it again, he would make it more mad. He needed Ricken, like desperately.
He was out of tricks.
Suddenly, there was a red flash in the sky.
"What's that…" Robin asked as he looked in the sky.
Sully's jaw dropped, "I-It can't be…"
The figure drew closer to them at an incredible speed.
"Sully…?" Robin said wearily.
The red figure flew right by them, and straight towards the Wyvern.
There was a flash of red and silver, then a loud crash that seemed to shake the ground.
Sully pulled at the reins of the horse, making it stop.
"What was that?!" Robin asked, hopping off the horse.
There it was. The Wyvern, dead on the ground.
"Sully, are you okay?" A voice asked.
Robin turned, only to be faced with a beautiful woman. Robin's jaw went slack as he looked at her. She had long beautiful red hair, and she wore an attire that was just like Sumia's. She clutched a shiny lance, and Robin could assume it was silver.
Sully grinned, "Hell yeah I am! That was awesome Cordelia!"
Cordelia shuffled her feet, "It-It was nothing! Really! I'm just glad you're safe," she said bashfully.
Robin cleared his throat. Cordelia looked up curiously.
"I'm sorry…who are you?" She asked.
"Oh! Um…I'm Robin! The shepherds tactician!" He said, trying not to sound like an idiot.
Cordelia gave Sully a curious glance. Sully nodded, so Cordelia gave Robin a small smile, though it looked more pained than welcoming .
"Oh, well it's nice to meet you, Robin," she said, holding out a hand for him to shake.
He tentatively shook it. Her hands were…warm. It felt nice….
She cleared her throat, and he realized he was still grasping it. He felt his face start to heat up.
"O-Oh! Uh, s-sorry," he said, quickly retracting his hand.
"We should probably get going," Sully said, smirking.
Cordelia nodded, "Right. I'll see you later. Stay safe," and with that, Cordelia mounted her pegasi and took off.
Sully snickered and playfully swat Robin on the head.
"That was probably the smoothest thing I've seen you do yet," she said sarcastically.
Robin blushed again, "S-Shut up."
Robin and Sully managed to find their way back. Everyone seemed to be in okay shape, and there were minimal injuries. Gaius was currently being treated by Maribelle, which he seemed to enjoy. Vaike had a few cuts and bruises, but that was about it. Chrom had probably sustained the most injuries, and Robin felt bad to leave all high and dry like that. Sumia and Emmeryn arrived only a minute before Sully and Robin. Robin heaved a sigh of relief to see the exalt safe.
"Sully! Robin! You guys weren't eaten!" Stahl cried out as he ran over to them and pulled them both into a tight hug, tears springing in his eyes.
"Yes, yes we're fine. Now get off me before I break your nose!" Sully said, pushing Stahl off. Though, Robin noticed that a hint of pink had flushed her cheeks.
Chrom made his way over to his friend. He put a hand on Robin's shoulder.
"You're alive," he said, and heaved a sigh of relief.
Robin shuddered, "Barely. And if you decide to get a Wyvern as a pet, I will murder you in your sleep."
Chrom laughed, "Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it."
"Your Grace! My prince! Run! As fast and as far as you can! Please! I beg of you!" A voice sounded from above.
Robin's head snapped up to see Cordelia descending from above.
'Gods, she looks like an angel…' he thought dreamily, practically drooling.
"Cordelia, what are you doing here?…Pray tell me that the border remains secure!" Phila said
Cordelia dismounted her horse. She bowed her head in shame, "I-I wish I could, milady…but that would be false…" she wiped her eyes as tears sprang in them, "Gangrel himself led his forces against us! My knight sisters…gods! They begged me to fly and warn the exalt…but I should have stayed! I should have! A coward I am, leaving my sisters in arms to be slaughtered like animals by the mad king!"
Cordelia dropped to her knees and sobbed. Sumia, Emmeryn and Phila all rushed towards her, and tried to give her some form of comfort. Emmeryn pulled her into a hug while she cried. Robin couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through, and the sight absolutely broke his heart.
"Pull yourself together, Cordelia. Your sisters wouldn't have wanted to see you like this," Phila said firmly.
Cordelia continued to cry, "They…They were my family!…How can I go on like this? Captain I…" she choked on another sob, and cried even more.
Chrom balled his fists, "Curse those monsters!"
Emmeryn stood up.
"I must return to the capitol," she said fiercely.
Phila got up, too, leaving Sumia to comfort Cordelia.
"Your Grace, I cannot allow you-"
Emmeryn shook her head and glanced at Cordelia.
"I never should have left," Phila was about to interject, but Emmeryn held up a hand, "If the people discover I'm away, that could lead to a mass panic. More people could needlessly die, and that's something I cannot allow," She finished.
Robin had never seen Emmeryn so…determined. She stood up straight, and instead of having the peaceful presence she normally has, she had a powerful and determined demeanor.
Emmeryn went over to a bag tied to one of the horses they'd been traveling with. She reached inside and pulled out a large shield. The shield was a bronze color with many intricate designs. What was most odd about it was it had five empty slots as if something should be occupying them…
She walked over to Chrom while holding it. There were murmurs of awe as she walked.
"Chrom, I entrust this to you," she said, and held the shield out to him.
Chrom looked at her confused, "…The Fire Emblem?"
Emmeryn nodded, "Take it to Ferox where it will be safe."
Chrom shook his head and pushed the shield back at her, "And leave you? No way! It's too dangerous!"
Emmeryn smiled, "Chrom, no part of the house of Ylisse, myself included, matters more than the Emblem. It possesses tremendous power. Too much blood has been shed over it already. I pray that it finds a better guardian in you than I did me."
Chrom hesitantly took the Emblem out of her hands. He looked at her, his eyes brimming with pain and anger.
"Emm, come on. Stop talking like this! You sound like you're giving up!" He said fiercely.
Emmeryn shook her head sadly, "I'm not giving up, Chrom. I'm only giving up what I can."
Lissa stumbled forward, "Please, Emm! Let me go with you!"
Emmeryn shook her head, "No Lissa. Your place is by Chrom's side."
"But-"
"I command it, Lissa. Stay with Chrom," Emmeryn said gently, yet forcefully.
Lissa bit her lip to stop it from trembling. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of all the shepherds.
She couldn't help it, though. She clenched her fists as a few stray tears escaped her eyes. Lissa stared at the ground and didn't bother to wipe away the falling tears. Emmeryn looked sadly at her sister. She made her way over to Lissa, and pulled into a tight embrace.
"Dry your tears, Love. This is not good-bye," she whispered.
"Your Grace, my knights will accompany you back to the capitol," Phila said.
"Please Milady, I beg of you. Don't go," Frederick pleaded.
Emmeryn smiled. She let go of Lissa and walked over to Frederick. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight hug. Frederick wasn't sure what to do, so he just hesitantly put his hands on her shoulders.
"I'll be back…I promise," she whispered.
Frederick wasn't a man of tears, but something told him this would be the last time he got to see her for a while…a long time.
"I'll hold you to that then, Milady," he whispered back.
Emmeryn smiled again, then let go. She walked a few steps, then stopped and turned around.
She opened her mouth, then hesitated. "Frederick I…" she sighed, and shook her head, then continued to walk.
Cordelia, who had finally stopped crying, followed Phila before she held up a hand.
"Cordelia. You will stay here with Prince Chrom," Phila said.
Cordelia shook her head, "But Captain-"
"Cordelia, I know your heart is heavy, but you this is how it must be. Your sisters will always be with you in spirit, wherever you go," Phila said with a saddened expression.
Cordelia looked hurt at first, but then she confidently nodded, "…And may they give me strength. As you command, Captain. I pray for your safety."
Phila nodded, then went to help Emmeryn mounter her horse.
Next thing they knew, Emmeryn, Phila and the rest of the knights ascended into the sky, and flew to the direction of Ylisstol.
Chrom sighed and Lissa sniffed as they watched their sister ride off into the distance.
No one felt like celebrating.
The news of the border falling to the Plegians hit the shepherds hard. Not only was the border supposedly a safe haven for the Exalt, but it was home to many Ylisseans. Based on how Cordelia had described it, there weren't many survivors.
The trip to Ferox was quiet, and even Vaike didn't have the heart to try and lighten the mood. Luckily, the shepherds didn't run into any more Plegians the rest of the way there, and that was probably the most positive thing anyone could hope for at this point.
When they finally arrived at Ferox, Raimi personally escorted Chrom to meet with the Khans in the throne room. That left all the other shepherds to wait in the main hall.
Lissa paced back and forth as she anxiously waited for her brother to return.
"Darling, you should sit down and give your poor feet some rest," Maribelle said as she watched her friend pace back and forth.
"How can I relax when my sister is back there?" Lissa cried out.
Maribelle frowned, "Your sister is going to be just fine, dear. She does have Phila to look after her, after all. I'd say she's safer there than she is here," Maribelle said, trying to be reassuring, but she doubted the words she spoke.
"The Exalt knew what she was doing. You just have to trust her," Lon'qu said. He was currently swapping out his sword with one of the ones on the Feroxian walls.
Lissa slowly nodded, and finally sat down.
The big doors to the throne room creaked open, revealing Chrom and Flavia.
Chrom silently walked over to the shepherds while Flavia quietly discussed something with Raimi, who had been standing by the doors waiting for orders.
Lissa quickly jumped to her feet and stumbled over to Chrom.
"Big brother! Please tell me that she's going to be okay! Phila's there, so there's nothing to worry about, right? Right!?" Lissa cried out desperately.
Chrom didn't respond. He seemed to be deep in thought as he stared at nothing.
"Chrom? Please, just say something! Say, "Yes, of course she will, Lissa," she pleaded.
Chrom seemed only to realize that he was in the Feroxian hall, surrounded by all the shepherds.
"...I-I'm sorry, Lissa. What?"
Sumia clenched her fists and stalked over to Chrom.
"Hey! Snap out of it, Captain!" She said, and punched him right in the face.
Chrom groaned in pain and stumbled back.
"Sumia!" Cordelia yelled in shock.
"Milord!" Frederick cried out and immediately ran over to Chrom.
"Woah," Gaius muttered, his mouth wide open in awe. "That was kinda hot, not gonna lie," he added, which earned a smack from Sully.
Robin winced at the sight, and Lissa looked either horryfied or she was about to burst into laughter.
Sumia shook her hand in pain, "Ow ow ow! Geez that hurt!"
"Argh, what the hell was that for?!" He demanded while clutching his face in pain.
Sumia's eyes widened, "Oh geez, did I do it wrong? Captain Phila said sometimes a good slap can knock someone out of their doldrums."
"S-Sumia…when you slap someone, you're supposed to do it with an open palm. You just punched Chrom in the face!" Lissa piped up.
Sumia looked horrified, "Oh! Um…It's the thought that counts, right?" She said and gave a nervous laugh.
There was a booming laughter, and everyone turned to see the East Khan, Flavia, walking over to the trio, grinning from ear to ear.
"Ahaha! What's wrong, my dear prince? Sometimes love hurts! You should count yourself lucky to have strong women like these, and just not dainty flowers!" She said while laughing.
Chrom tried to recover himself, but Sumia had managed to pack quite the hard punch.
Flavia composed herself, and became more serious, "Anyways, I bring good news. The Feroxi army is finally mobilized, and every last man is itching for a fight, myself included, ahaha!"
That brought Chrom back to his senses, "Wait. You're coming along?"
Flavia looked offended, "Well of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"
Chrom shook his head, "N-Nevermind, welcome aboard!"
Flavia grinned, then rolled her eyes, "Yes, and I suppose my insignificant other will be coming along, too."
"Your who? Robin asked as he walked towards the khan.
"Oh, Robin! It's great to see ya again, my friend!" Flavia said, beaming.
Robin smiled, "Likewise…So, who is this "insignificant other" you speak of?"
"Well, that'd be me of course! Har har!" A gruff voice spoke.
A gruff man approached them, staring directly at Robin.
"You must be Robin. This ol' hag talks about you non stop," Basilio said laughing as Flavia punched him in the arm.
"I'm Basilio by the way. Ya know, the one you so kindly helped take the power away from."
'Ah, so that's the West Khan.'
"O-Oh, well…it's nice to officially meet you, Basilio," Robin said, tentatively.
The man laughed, then smacked his head.
"Oh crap! I almost forgot!" Basilio's expression grew dark as he spoke the next sentence.
"Our scouts have reported back…and I'm afraid Ylisstol…has fallen."
Shouts of protest echoed all throughout the hall.
"N-No way…" Robin muttered.
"What?!" Chrom shouted.
"Impossible!" Frederick said angrily.
Lissa stumbled back, and teetered back and forth as if she would fall over. Lon'qu pushed his fears aside and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Basilio shook his head in anger, "Those dastad Plegians have captured your exalt and retreated back to their own lines. Gangrel has declared that she will be publicly executed within the moon.''
"E-Executed?" Sumia muttered, clasping a hand over her mouth.
Frederick and Lissa both paled to hearing this, and Robin saw Chrom's hand twitch towards Falchion.
Flavia scoffed, "The dastard isn't even trying to be subtle anymore."
Robin nodded, "I agree, it's obviously a trap."
Basilio shook his head in frustration, "He knew our scouts would relay the information back to us. He's clearly trying to provoke us! That being said, we should consider all our options carefully before jumping to any-"
"Shepherds! We march to Plegia!" Chrom shouted.
Basilio sighed, "Well, um yes…that is ONE option. But, we can't risk walking into another trap, boy."
"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio. He's going to kill my sister!" Chrom said forcefully.
Flavia shook her head, "Please, Chrom. We aren't suggesting that we don't act. We're just saying we should think about this WISELY. We must have guts and equal wits if we want to get her back."
Chrom scowled at the ground.
As much as Robin wanted to go straight into Plegia and get Emmeryn back, he knew that the khans did have a point.
Robin sighed, "Chrom, you know that we all would want nothing more than to get Emmeryn back as soon as possible…but we must act smart. I'll think of something, I promise."
Chrom contemplated this, then nodded his head.
"…Alright, Robin. I leave it to you to formulate a strategy…a way to save my sister."
There was a wave of murmurs throughout the hall. Promising to do something like that…is almost impossible, but Robin knew he could do it. He hasn't failed yet, so that does say something.
Flavia smiled at this, "Robin, are you sure your up to this? It won't be easy. After all, you will hold the exalt's life, as well as our own, in your hands."
Robin nodded confidently, "A responsibility that I will not take lightly. I am equal to the challenge."
There were cheers throughout the hallway. Chrom's mile for the first time in a while, and Lissa was finally able to stand on her own. Frederick even seemed impressed and relieved that Robin had stepped up.
Flavia laughed, "Ha ha! You've got stones, Robin. I like that!"
Basilio grinned, "No hesitation. No mincing words. You're either a genius or a fool, boy! I suppose we'll find out once we march! For now, hold onto your tassels, Ylisseans! We've an exalt to save!"
AN: Okay, so, it's been a long while since I've written anything like this, but overall I was pretty happy with it. I know it's a long chapter, but I had a lot of fun writing all the different character interactions hahaha. Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Seriously, it means the world to me to have people like you who are actually interested in my writing! So, thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter will be out in the next week or so, so stay tuned!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I know most of this story so far is very similar to the actual plot of FEA, which trust me, I know that can get boring. The reason I started from the VERY beginning is because there were details I wanted to write about to kinda set the stage for my actual story. I just have to get through the boring stuff to reach the fun stuff (so please bear with me)!
P.S. I'm gonna start weaving in my own twists to the story soon, probably like within the next few chapters. New characters will be introduced, and new plots for the story will be unveiled (Woohoo)! I'm excited to branch away from the OG story and make this story seem more unique. I do know for a fact that the story will probably be 75% different by the time I reach the 2 year time skip. Anyways, thanks for reading!