The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 28
The Grimleal
A gentle ray of sunlight streamed in through a small slit in the ceiling of the tent. The light passed over Chrom's closed eyes. The warmth and brightness of the beam bidding him to awaken. He let out a small groan. Naga he did not want to get up. It had been days since he had gotten a good night's rest. Last night being the first time in a long time. The war had taken its toll on him. He had not realized how much stress he was actually under. How restless he had become.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. His body felt refreshed. His mind reinvigorated. The warm air of the desert hit his bare skin like a gentle hug. He uttered a content sigh before attempting to move.
That's when he felt a slender arm slip down his bare chest.
Chrom froze. His eyes darted to his side. There was a mess of long brown air on the pillow beside him. His eyes widened to the size of saucers.
I'm not in my tent!
He scanned the tent. It was nowhere near as large as his own. There was a small, rudimentary desk with a few books stacked on it. One of which was a manual on Pegasus riding. Beyond that and the bed he was currently lying in, there was nothing. Then his eyes caught sight of his travel gear strewn haphazardly across the sandy floor. Mixed with it were women's riding leathers.
Chrom sucked in a breath.
So last night actually happened.
He felt a blush rush over his face. He chuckled to himself and rose from the bed, stretching his arms high over his head and then rolling his head so that the muscles in his neck loosened up. He heard a satisfying pop then uttered a happy sigh.
He cast another glance over his shoulder at Sumia. The Pegasus Rider was still resting. A small smile on her lips.
Chrom felt his own lips part into a grin. He bent down and placed a small kiss on the woman's cheek before rising to his feet.
He threw is travel gear back on. He strapped his belt on. Then he made sure Falchion was in it's proper spot. Once he was certain he looked presentable, he stepped out of Sumia's tent.
He froze. Leaning against the post of another tent, a massive, mischievous grin on his face, was Robin.
"You're awake before me for once." Chrom noted.
Robin chuckled and clapped his hand on Chrom's shoulder, "You can thank me later."
Chrom raised his brow as Robin strutted along the row of tents.
"Thank you for what?"
Robin threw his head back and laughed, "Oh you know what!"
Chrom's cheeks heated up. He hung his head and sighed. The cat was already out of the bag. If Robin knew what he and Sumia had done, then it was likely half of the camp already knew. He cringed a little. Hopefully no one would make too big a deal of it at breakfast.
He followed Robin. The tactician had an unusual amount of pep in his step. Especially for being awake this early in the morning.
Was he really that excited to say, I told you so? Chrom thought to himself.
The breakfast tent for the Shepherds was already buzzing with activity. Chrom uttered a relieved sigh as he realized it was Frederick's turn to cook meals for the day. The Knight seemed to be excellent at almost everything he did. But cooking was one of his specialties. If not for Frederick, Chrom was sure he would have starved while out on some missions in the wild.
Robin flopped down in a chair beside the head of the table, where Chrom usually sat. The Prince paid no mind to anyone as he took his own seat and eagerly awaited what Frederick had prepared.
As he sat, he noticed something odd. It was quiet. Far too quiet for the Shepherds. He furrowed his brow then glanced up at the others.
Stahl's face was a dark red color. Miriel's eyes darted back and forth, never making eye contacting with Chrom's. Ricken looked confused while Maribelle appeared a mixture of curious and mortified. Kellam was even more silent than normal. Lon'qu looked anxious as his fingers tapped against the flimsy wood table. Sully and Vaike were doing everything in their power to contain a massive outburst of laughter. Both of their cheeks were red as they snickered. All the while, their eyes flicked over at Chrom. Which made it even harder for them to keep quiet. Frederick had a knowing smirk on his face as he flipped the eggs he had cooking in a large skillet. Virion had a wide grin on his face as he stared at Chrom. And Lissa looked thoroughly entertained.
Chrom arched an eyebrow and glanced at Robin. The tactician was leaning back in his seat, hands behind his head, eyes closed.
"Uh?" Chrom said.
"So… erm-captain-" Sully covered her hand with her mouth as she tried her best to stifle her own laughter, "The screams we heard last night," Vaike began to thump his foot against the ground beside her, "Was it because you successfully used your sword to penetrate an opponent?"
Chrom's face turned as red as the tomatoes in the omelets Frederick was cooking. Robin's eyes shot open as he realized where this line of questioning was going. Maribelle clasped her hands over Ricken's ears. And Lissa started to snicker uncontrollably.
"Did you- hehe- did you-" Sully pounded her hand against the table, "Did you properly thrust your blade!?" She erupted.
The others Shepherds roared with laughter as Chrom sank in his seat a little bit. The Prince uttered a sheepish laugh as he looked at his comrades.
Sully and Vaike had almost fallen out of their seats as they roared with laughter. Maribelle's expression was one that resembled a mortified mother. Lissa was laughing hard as her hand covered her mouth. She was doing her best to not embarrass her brother too much. But she still could hardly contain her own amusement. Virion raised his cup of tea to Chrom in approval. Miriel pulled on her collar and gulped before chuckling along with everyone else. Stahl tried to sip from a cup of water. But every time he did, he snorted and laughed. Even Kellam and Lon'qu laughed quietly.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chrom saw Robin wink at him.
"You!" Chrom declared as he pointed at Robin, "You talked!"
Robin snorted, "Didn't have to. You and Sumia did all the talking last night."
Chrom's face turned ashen.
"I just offered them all confirmation." Robin laughed.
"I'd be surprised if Khan Flavia didn't hear you all the way across the camp last night!" Sully roared.
Chrom gulped then sighed as his shoulders slumped forward.
"Here you go milord." Frederick slid a plate covered with a large omelette in front of him, "And don't worry, it is totally natural to-"
"Please no more!" Chrom cried as he threw his head up in despair.
"You will never live this down." Lissa snickered before digging into her own breakfast.
A long groan left Chrom's lips.
"Look at it this way Captain," Virion began, "You got some action last night. And none of us sorry lot did. So I congratulate you."
"You don't have to rub it in." Vaike said as he wiped a tear from his eyes, the laughter finally starting to subside in the tent.
Chrom let out a sheepish laugh before shaking his head.
"You all are ridiculous." Before anyone could reply, he turned to Robin. "When do we set out with Khan Flavia's strike force?"
Robin swallowed the mouthful of omelette that he had in his mouth. He coughed for a moment, took a quick sip of water, then nodded.
"As soon as we are all fed and geared up, we march." Robin informed them all, "So eat quickly, because I know for a fact that Khan Flavia is itching for some action."
"Pfft-" Sully leaned over to Stahl, "Action. Maybe the Captain can help her with that?"
Stahl snorted so hard water shot out of his nose. Vaike fell backwards out of his chair. Frederick sighed and shook his head. Chrom meanwhile eyed Sully.
"How brave of you to volunteer for the front lines, Sully." He warned.
"Damn straight!" Sully chirped before taking her drink and downing it in one go, "I've got a horse to prepare."
Chrom's jaw hung open as the rider sauntered out of the tent. As she moved out, Sumia emerged.
Panic surged through Chrom. If they were so willing to tease him, their leader, so relentlessly, then what would they do to her? He swallowed hard and waited with bated breath as Sully stopped beside the Pegasus Rider.
Sully smacked Sumia hard on the shoulder.
"Way to go girl!" Sully cheered before quickly exiting the tent, leaving Sumia both confused and flustered.
"Here here!" Miriel declared, agreeing with Sully.
"Welcome to the family, Sumia!" Lissa snickered.
It dawned on Sumia what they were talking about. Her face flushed a deep scarlet color. Chrom sighed as he got up and strode around the table to her.
"C-captain I uh-" Sumia stammered.
He cut her off as he pressed her lips to his. Sumia froze for a moment, melted, then froze again as she saw the Shepheds staring at them both with wide eyes. All of their jaws hanging open in shock.
Chrom smirked at the entire table, "We march in thirty minutes." He said before making his way out of the tent.
Lissa stared across the table at Robin, "Who was that? What did you do with my brother?"
"Why are you blaming me!?" Robin folded his arms over his chest, "I'm not the one who decided to-"
"And that is enough of that!" Maribelle declared, "Naga do any of you possess even a basic sense of table manners!?"
Vaike burped, picked at his ear, then uttered a satisfied sigh.
"Nope."
….
Robin let his head fall back as he trudged through sand. His feet sank several inches into the loose earth with every step. He felt hot. So very hot. His coat was no longer over his shoulders. Instead, it was tied up around his waist. Which allowed his body to breathe a little bit. But it also allowed the blazing sun that dominated the Plegian wasteland to bake the exposed skin on his arms, head, and neck.
He blinked some sweat from his eyes as he continued to march alongside Chrom and Khan Flavia. Chrom hid his discomfort well. But he did let out a few huffs and puffs, along with a few muttered curses directed at the blazing heat around them. Flavia on the other hand, belted out loud strings of Feroxi curses. She even kicked hard at the sand at one point. Harshly declaring, "I will never, ever, live where there is sand!"
Behind them were the Shepherds. Each one as miserable as their Captain, the Khan, and their tactician. They would all frequently drift towards the back of the column, where horses laden with skins of water marched.
In total, the strike force consisted of two hundred of Khan Flavia's best warriors along with Chrom and his Ylissean Shepherds. Khan Basilio remained back at their main camp. Keeping order among the Feroxi military and planning a defense in case their plan failed.
An outcome Robin hoped would not occur. He held out hope that his strategy would prove successful. And he was even more hopeful that Ben and his small band of rescuers had already managed to save Exalt Emmeryn and were waiting for some backup in order to make an escape.
He had sent Kage out ahead of their strike force early the previous night. The boy rode fast and hard. Robin had no doubt that the kid had already managed to traverse the vast northern wasteland and enter the Plegian Capitol. Now he was just waiting on any sort of signal or message from his scout. But he doubted any would come. Kage was resourceful, but probably not that resourceful. It would take a good deal of persuasion and gold to get other Plegians to relay a message to their sworn enemies.
The lack of intelligence made Robin a little uneasy. The latest report they had received informed him that the Plegian armies were withdrawing en masse from Ylisse. It would not have surprised Robin if a great deal of enemy soldiers returned to Plegia after conquering Ylisstol. But it shocked him that all of Plegia's soldiers were returning.
He frowned, both due to the enigma that was the enemy's strategy and the heat. He had no idea who the Plegian tactician was. But whoever he was, he was unpredictable. And that was nerve wracking for the Shepherds tactician.
Chrom held out a skin of water to him.
"The others are taking a small rest." Chrom informed him, "Drink up."
Robin gratefully took the water skin and gulped down the lukewarm liquid.
"Thanks." He gasped.
Chrom nodded. The Prince uttered a long sigh as he stared out at the vast expanse of sand dunes around them.
"Does it ever end?" Chrom wondered out loud.
Robin placed his hands on his hips as he took several heavy breaths.
"Yeah. But not for at least another day of marching. That's why we took this route. The enemy would never see it coming."
Chrom shook his head, "We underestimated the amount of water we would need." He pointed at Robin's coat, "Does the map show an oasis nearby?"
Robin hummed to himself as he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a smaller version of their campaign map. The borders of the map were littered with small notes in black ink.
"I think we may be coming up on a village." Robin explained before peering up at the sun, "We will reach it by nightfall. Then we can rest and finish the march to the Capitol."
Chrom nodded, "I'll be looking forward to a nice rest. But will they allow us in?"
Robin shrugged, "There's only one way to find out."
Chrom frowned, "Entering that village will be interesting. Perhaps they are so isolated that they do not know there is a war going on?"
"That's possible." Robin concurred, "Should I send Frederick, Sully, and Stahl to find out?"
"Scout ahead?" Chrom thought about it for a moment, "Yeah. Do that."
Robin hollered for the three horsemen. The trio led their horses up to them.
"Frederick. You, Sully, and Stahl are to ride ahead and make contact with the village a few miles ahead." Chrom explained, "See if they are friendly. If they are, try to negotiate for some supplies. We will need them for our return journey."
Frederick gave Chrom a stiff nod. He jumped up onto his horse. Sully and Stahl followed his example. The trio set their horses into a trot as they moved out from the rest of the strike force. Soon they had scaled a distant sand dune then disappeared over it's crest.
"We'll wait." Chrom said.
Robin agreed. The three horsemen would know where to return to if they remained put. Plus it would give the men and the horses a chance to catch their breath and rest their aching muscles.
The tactician sat down in the hot sand. The heat was stifling. But stopping their march allowed him the chance to cool off. He poured some water over his head, relishing in the rush of cool that swept over his scalp, face, and neck. As he sat there, he stared out at the desert around them.
"Who in their right mind would choose to make this place their home?" He wondered out loud.
"Crazy people." Khan Flavia answered as she took a seat beside him, "And people who don't want to be found."
Robin pursed his lips, "That does not offer a good prognosis when it comes to the residents of that village."
Flavia snorted, "Maybe they're crazy enough to help their nation's enemy?"
Robin uttered a quiet chuckle, "That's a possibility."
He bowed his head and took a deep breath. He still could not shake this bad feeling that had started to form in his gut. Even with their extremely limited resources, he felt Kage should have been able to at least relay some sort of message to them. Or Ben. The man had been able to pull of some of the most incredible miracles on the battlefield Robin had ever seen. Was it really beyond him to send a simple message saying, "Hey! We are alive! And so is the Exalt!"
Robin shook his head and cursed under his breath. Something was not right about this mission.
"You're worrying too much." Khan Flavia said before she dug into her pack and withdrew a little glass bottle filled with Feroxi Firewine. She uncorked the bottle and took sip before offering it to Robin.
Robin sighed and took a sip as well. The liquid burned down his throat, making him gasp and cough. Flavia snickered.
"Good stuff, huh?"
"Sure." Robin replied, his voice a little hoarse.
Flavia shrugged, "You'll get used to the burn. It's call Firewine for a reason. And not because it goes down easy."
"I can tell." Robin wheezed before pounding his fist into his chest. His stomach felt like it was on fire now.
Flavia took another sip before stashing the bottle.
"Save the rest for later." She muttered before glancing at the Ylissean Tactician, "Hey, you're still worrying."
Robin hung his head and sighed, "I've got a bad feeling."
"About?"
Robin looked at Flavia, "Ben or Kage should have sent some sort of message by now, right?" He shook his head, "Or Marth even. She has an uncanny ability to appear out nowhere and help in just the right way. Where is that right now when we need it?"
Flavia grunted, "You act like she has superpowers."
Robin chuckled, "She kind of does. She claims to know the future. And so far, she hasn't been wrong."
"Then why are you worried so much?" Flavia asked, "If she really knows the future, then Ben and her are likely to succeed. Why take on such a risky mission otherwise?"
Robin bobbed his head. What the Khan said made sense.
So why was he not convinced?
Maybe I should take up meditation like Ben. Robin thought to himself, All this fighting and marching is giving me anxiety.
He was about to reply to Flavia when he saw Sully charging back over the large sand dune in the distance. Then Frederick. Then Stahl. Their horses were in full gallop as they rushed towards the column of Feroxi soldiers and Ylissean Shepherds. Each rider breathless as they reached the strike force.
"Captain Chrom!" Sully hollered.
Chrom pushed his way through the column. He had been back in the rear, helping the other soldiers deliver water to the rest of the group. Sully screeched to a halt in front of him.
"We've got a situation." Sully gasped as Frederick and Stahl skidded to a stop beside her.
"That being?"
"Well-"
"EEEEEEEK!"
A piercing scream echoed out over the desert sands around them. In an instant, every soldier was on their feet. Robin heard swords shrieking out of scabbards as the Feroxi readied themselves for battle.
Another scream sounded out through the air. Robin peered at the sand dune in front of them. At the top of the sand dune, a blonde girl appeared. She was scantily clad. Wearing what appeared to be a light tunic that covered only her small chest and parts of her legs. A purple cape flapped in the air behind her as she sprinted down the hill. She was making good progress, only for her to stumble and start rolling through the sand instead.
"Stop!" A powerful voice boomed in the distance.
Behind her, a large, older man appeared. He wore rust colored armor and was gasping for breath as he reached the top of the dune. The man wheezed, bent over and put his hands on his knees before groaning and continuing to give chase after the girl.
"Is that fiend trying to harm that girl!?" Chrom cried.
"That's not all." Frederick warned.
Robin's eyes widened. Surging over the dune, right as the armored man was halfway down the the sandy face in front of them, was a large company of dark mages. Each one bearing the emblem of the Fell Dragon Grima on their cloaks.
"Grimleal." Robin breathed.
"Shepherds!" Chrom called out as he drew Falchion. The divine blade glistened in the bright sun, "Form up! Front and Center!"
"Alright you lot!" Flavia barked at her men, "We are finally going to get a taste of some action! Have fun! And don't die!"
Robin watched as more Grimleal surged over the sand dune. There were dozens of the dark mages. Perhaps even a hundred? The tactician gulped. His gaze returned to the fleeing girl and the armored man chasing after her. They appeared to both be running away from the Grimleal. But the girl also looked terrified of the armored warrior behind her.
What on earth is going on!?
"Robin?" Chrom said.
The tactician blinked and refocused himself.
"Grimleal mages are a dangerous enemy. They do have a weakness. Many of their spells require time to cast. So do not give them that time. Get in close." He advised.
Flavia grinned, "So charge and bash their faces in? Up close and personal. I like it."
"And don't die." Chrom finished for her before raising Falchion.
He uttered a loud war cry. Then the entire column rushed at the approaching Grimleal mages.
Robin gulped, pulled out his spell book, and rushed after Chrom. The last time he fought a Grimleal mage, he had nearly been killed. Granted, it had been the now late leader of the evil cult, Validar. Who was a very powerful mage. Far more powerful than Robin could ever dream of becoming. More powerful than any other Grimleal mage. But Robin was still nervous about facing off with the dark mages once again. If for no other reason than he was not entirely sure of their capabilities. Dark magic was foreign to him. He didn't even have notes on the subject in the thick tome he always kept with him. Unknowns worried him. Dangerous unknowns, scared him.
There were a few brief seconds of silence. The girl continued sprinting towards the Shepherds. The armored man huffed and puffed as he followed. The Grimleal came to a halt as they realized that a large force of Feroxi warriors was charging headlong at them.
One of the dark mages, a man with an animal skull for a helm began barking orders at the other robed mages. They tried to form a line. But before they could even get organized; the Feroxi archers, Virion, Miriel, and Robin opened fire.
Two fire spells intermingled with a hailstorm of arrows that sailed through the hot air and slammed into the disorganized Grimleal. The cries of men and women filled the air.
Their response was quick. Several groups of the Grimleal mages fired scattered blasts of dark magic at the approaching Feroxi soldiers. But none of it was organized. There was no order to their ranks. Each Grimleal mage had abandoned the idea of strategy as the Feroxi and Shepherds beared down on them.
Robin tucked his tome into his pocket and drew his sword.
Time to put those lessons to the test. He thought as he ran through the basic exercises he and Ben had practiced.
A wall of bodies clashed in the desert. The girl and her armored pursuer disappeared in a sea of swords, arrows, and magic. Robin ducked beneath a Grimleal spell then evaded a fist. He lashed out with his blade. The metal ripped through his opponent's flesh and muscle. He heard the man cry out in agony. Then he jumped away as a spell slammed into the dying mage's body.
He grit his teeth and closed the gap between him and the next mage. This one drew a rusty looking dagger. The mage took a few inexperienced swings at Robin before he too was cut down. Robin gave his sword a grim look.
"What do you know." He muttered, "Ben was right."
The fighting style Ben had taught him was perfect for fighting in a group of people. Short, easy to remember sequences of movement that allowed Robin to weave his way through enemy soldiers. All the while, his constant movement made him a difficult target for any enemy mage.
His eyes scanned the battlefield. A group of Grimleal were attempting to surprise the left flank.
"Frederick!" Robin shouted over the roar of battle, "The left flank!"
The Knight drove his lance into another enemy, then whipped his head over to where Robin was pointing. He understood exactly what the tactician meant. The Knight barked at several Feroxi foot soldiers, who followed him to meet the approaching enemy.
Robin felt a small smile form on his lips as the enemy's flanking maneuver collapsed under Frederick's brutal counter assault. The Knight was ridiculously efficient in combat. Robin avoided another blast of magic before charging at his assailant and slaying him as well.
He scanned the battlefield once again. There was mass chaos around him now. The Feroxi were ferocious in battle. Their war cries rang in his ears. Far louder than even the loud bams of magic hitting the earth and rattle of swords and shields.
In the chaos of it all, he managed to catch sight of the little girl curled up in a ball on the ground. Shaking with fear.
Robin took a breath and rushed over to her.
"Hey you!"
The girl's head snapped up. A look of fear washed over her face as she caught sight of Robin.
"Don't worry." Robin called to her, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Get away!" The girl shrieked.
She got up to run away. But she did not get far. Her little body plowed into the armored man that chased her down the dune. She fell back on her rump, shook her head, then began to sniffle.
"Oh no!" The man said, "Gregor is sorry he ran into you."
Robin grit his teeth, "Get away from her fiend!" He roared as he raised his sword.
The armored man raised his hands defensively, "Fiend? No, not fiend! Friend! Gregor is friend. See! Gregor has innocent baby face."
Robin was unconvinced. But before he could charge, the girl sniffled then gave the man a puzzled, innocent expression.
"Gregor trying to help little girl. Not hurt her." He gestured to the mages around them, "Grimleal try to take her without her permission. Gregor originally contracted to help. But seeing how they treated girl upset Gregor. So Gregor did something about it."
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, "You're the one who broke the lock on my cage?"
"Yes!" Gregor uttered with an mixture of exasperation and relief, "Now please stop running. Gregor is already very tired and now has to deal with former employers."
Robin watched the scene with a raised brow. He lowered his sword, hung his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I have no idea what is going on anymore."
"Watch out, skinny boy!" Gregor barked before tackling Robin to the ground.
A blast of black magic rushed over their heads and hit the sand in front of the little girl. At first Robin was terrified about the fact that he had almost been hit by such a massive spell. Then he was horrified. The girl had been hit by that spell! Was she hurt? Dead? Why did Gregor tackle him instead of her?
"The girl-"
"Oh she's fine." Gregor said with a lopsided grin, "Watch."
Smoke continued to billow from the spot where the spell hit the sand. Robin peered into the smoke. A bright light flashed. Sparkling, green wings sprouted from the smoke. A loud roar rang out over the sand dune, causing almost all fighting to grind to a halt.
Stepping out of the smoke, was… Robin's eyes bugged out of his skull.
"Dr-dragon!" Robin stammered, "That little girl's a dragon!" He stared at Gregor, "What the hell have I gotten into?"
Gregor laughed, "A shit storm friend. But come, let us face it together."
The older man hauled Robin to his feat. The Grimleal were now in a state of mass panic. The green dragon had turned on them and began to launch massive balls of green fire from it's jaws. The explosions were so hot that the sand it hit turned to glass. Several Grimleal mages turned tail to flee, only to run into Frederick and his group of soldiers. They had circled around the rear of the enemy linesback and cut off any chance of escape for the Grimleal.
It was only a matter of time before the Grimleal mages could no longer fight. Robin fought alongside Gregor as they cut their way through what remained of the dark mages. Soon their assault met up with Chrom near the center of the fray.
There was a lull in the battle as the enemy drew back to try and regroup. Robin panted as he reached Chrom.
Falchion glistened red. Around the Prince and the other shepherds were dozens of fallen Grimleal mages. Flavia also stood near the Prince. A look of pure enjoyment on her face as she twirled her sword in her hand.
"Think they will surrender?" Chrom breathed as his grip on Flachion tightened and he readied himself to charge once again.
"We can only hope."
"Grimleal no surrender." Gregor said as the green dragon flapped it's mighty wings and took to the air.
"Why not?"
"No time for explanations." Chrom growled.
A loud, desperate cry erupted from the Grimleal mages. The few that remained surged at the Feroxi and Shepherds. A suicide charge. Robin watched with wide, horrified eyes as Chrom raised Falchion and ordered their own charge.
It was over in minutes. The last Grimleal mages fought to the last man. Not one of them even contemplating surrender. When the dust settled, the sand was stained crimson around Robin. Blood soaked into the hot granules beneath his feat. And over a hundred Plegian mages lay dead around them.
He felt his legs start to shake as he stared out at the battlefield. Robin swallowed hard then recoiled as pain rushed through his dry throat. He uttered several dry coughs.
"Is it over already?" Flavia wondered, "If that is the best Plegia has to offer then Gangrel better watch out!"
The Feroxi soldiers roared in approval around. Meanwhile, Robin sheathed his sword and wiped some dirty sweat from his brow. His eyes fixated on the face of a young mage, no older than Ricken. Face pale. Chest ripped open by a sword. His sword.
Gods…
He nearly collapsed to his knees right there. Only the sight of the green dragon transforming back into that same, scared, blonde girl kept him from retching. The girl bounced up and down in the sand. An innocent smile on her face.
"That'll teach them!" She crowed before turning to Robin and Gregor.
She rushed up to Gregor and wrapped her small arms around the old man's waist.
"Thank you for rescuing me." She blinked, "Oh! And sorry for running away from you."
"No apologies, little one." Gregor replied, "Gregor happy to help."
The girl beamed at him, smiled at Robin, then skipped away towards the others Shepherds that had started to group together near Chrom. Robin quickly took count of them. A relieved sigh rushed from his lungs. Everyone was there. Alive and unharmed.
Lissa and Maribelle broke off to start healing any injuries to the Feroxi soldiers. Miriel began to divvy out potions to the other Shepherds. A way for all of them to regain their strength after the sudden, intense battle. Vaike and Sully were arguing over who killed more Plegians. Stahl sat with Lon'qu and Frederick as they worked on cleaning their blades. Kellam kept his eyes trained on the crest of the sand dune. Just in case any more enemies made their presence known. Ricken was sitting in the sand, tome clutched close to his chest as he took a few deep breaths. Virion patted the boy on the back before slinging his bow over his shoulder and striding over to Robin.
"That went well." The archer said. He glanced at Gregor, "A new friend?"
Gregor tapped Robin's chest, "See? Frilly man gets it."
Robin let out a quiet laugh, "Frilly man. Now you've got two nicknames, Virion. Ruffles and Frills."
Virion shrugged, "Whatever people must say to identify the archest of archerers is what they must do. At least those nicknames make me unforgettable."
"Sure they do!" Sully called over to them as she walked among the other Feroxi soldiers.
Robin chuckled. Even after such a horrible battle filled with sudden carnage, his friends had their own quirky way of cheering him up. He felt Gregor's meaty hand clap him in the back. The force of the blow almost knocked the tactician down into the sand.
"Gregor impressed by you, skinny boy." The older man smiled, "You fought well."
"The name's Robin." Robin replied, "And… thanks, I guess?"
"So did your Prince." Gregor gestured over to Chrom.
The Prince was standing beside Sumia. Both had fretted over each other at first before they decided to quietly hold hands and take a minute to breathe.
Chrom noticed the group staring over at him. He gave Sumia a small smile before making his way over to Robin, Gregor, and Virion.
"Jealous?" Chrom asked.
"Hardly." Virion smirked.
"Of course." Gregor replied, "Young Prince reminds Gregor of his youthful days. Women and fighting. Good times."
Robin suppressed a small laugh as Chrom blushed a little before regaining the regal appearance of a Ylissean Prince.
"Gregor huh?" Chrom extended a hand to the man, "Chrom."
"Gregor knows." Gregor replied before taking Chrom's hand, "And Gregor glad he ran into you and not more Plegians." The man cringed, "One group of employers angry would be bad. But two? Gregor probably would not have come out good in the end."
Chrom raised an eyebrow, "Employers? Are you a mercenary?"
Gregor beamed, "The best."
Chrom glanced over at Robin. The tactician could see the wheels turning in the Prince's mind.
"You saved that girl, didn't you?" Chrom asked.
"Gregor did."
"And that girl happens to be a dragon?"
Gregor bobbed his head back and forth, "Dragon is relative term. But yes."
"So she trusts you? Will she follow you?"
Gregor hummed to himself, "Gregor hopes so. Want only best for her."
"And we could use warriors like you and her." Chrom continued, "Our strike force is marching to Plegia's capitol in order to rescue my sister. After she we rescue her, we plan on removing Gangrel from his throne and expelling Plegia from Ylissean lands. Seeing as you are currently unemployed, I am wondering if you would like to join us?"
"How much you pay Gregor?" The older man asked.
Chrom hesitated. Before he could reply, Gregor uttered a hearty laugh and clapped a strong hand against Chrom's back.
"Gregor kids." The man explained, "You save Gregor's life. Only fair if Gregor fights for you as repayment. Besides, only other employer right now just so happens to be employer Gregor betrayed. Better for health if Gregor stays away from them."
Chrom grinned, "I'm glad to hear that. We will get you a tent once we regroup. For now, go get your friend and say hi to the others. They're already eager to meet you."
Gregor nodded and walked past Chrom towards the little girl. Once he was gone, Robin let his shoulders sag.
"First giant rabbits," He said, "Now little girls that turn into dragons."
Virion and Chrom both laughed out loud.
"It never ends does it?" Virion said.
"And it never will." Chrom grinned. He uttered a sigh, "We don't have time to celebrate. Gather what supplies you can. We need to get to the Capitol with all haste."
"Of course, Captain." Virion nodded.
Robin nodded as well, but stayed quiet. They won the day. None of his friends were injured or killed. This had been the best battle of the war for the Ylisseans.
His thoughts drifted back to the face of the young Grimleal mage, cold and lifeless in the sand near his feet. He shook his head and uttered a heavy sigh.
Why didn't the Grimleal surrender? They knew they were outmatched and outnumbered. They knew that if they did not surrender they would be put to the sword. Was there so sense of self preservation among them. Did every single Plegian intend on fighting to the last man?
This war had to end, fast. If it did not, then the horrors of war would only rear its ugly head even more. The dead would mount. And the living would have to live with their ghosts. Robin grimaced and closed his eyes. He still saw the boy's face.
They already haunt me.
And Chapter! An action packed chapter! One of the very few large scale battles I have written. I would love to hear your feedback on it. These big battles are proving to be a unique, difficult challenge. I worry that I might be making them a tad bland and i would love to hear suggestions on how to improve this kind of scene.
Anyways... two chapters in two days! It's been a minute since I've managed to do that. And it won't happen again for a little bit. I usually only have time to write on my days off. And my days off are about to get cut down to one a week. So expect another chapter sometime at the end of next week. On the bright side, this gives me plenty of time to plan it out!
Let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! have a nice day!