Thundering steps raced across the hallways as cries for help echoed amidst the confusion. "EVERYONE! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME. EVACUATE OUT OF THE PREMISES. SHEPHERDS, RENDEZVOUS BY THE EXALT'S CHAMBERS!" Their leader's commanding voice traveled loud enough to be heard anywhere in the castle. Chrom looked over his shoulder towards Marth as they continued running. How were they able to get this close to the castle without being noticed?
"Marth, is there anything else we need to know about?"
"Remember when I warned you that the world is teetering towards a horrible calamity? What is transpiring right now is what brings about the destruction of the world."
Chrom felt a pang of disbelief in his chest. Not only is the life of his sister at stake but also the world. Such a thought was difficult to swallow as things were progressing too quickly.
"All this seems good to be true."
Marth gave no reply. Her stoicism is something to admire.
Firmly grasping the situation, he made it clear that he is willing to put his faith in her as always "I'm not entirely sure what you mean but as long as we can protect Emm and stop this attack then I will place my full trust in you."
Listening intently to their conversation, Robin noticed dust and smoke coming from where the walls were blasted as he thought about the recent exchange of words between the two just before they were ambushed.
What if … What if I told you I have seen the future."
Curiosity left him wondering if Marth too possesses the ability to see into the future. If so, can it be related to the dreams that he has been having? Seems far fetched but if there is a possibility...
As they continued running, they saw one of the Shepherds running towards them. Iron clanging steps could be heard a mile away as Frederick swiftly ran to his commander's side.
"Milord! Are you alright?"
"Yes Frederick, we were ambushed in the garden but Marth came to our rescue. Where is my sister?"
"Some of the Shepherds have already arrived at her aid to protect her from any threats. We must regroup with them and eliminate those responsible for this."
Debris burst through one of the walls near them as another explosion occurred. Taking cover behind the pillars, they awaited what lay waiting for them past the opening. Ruffians ran inside to loot what they could find.
"Remember what we were told, boys! Loot what you can, find the emblem, and kill the Exalt!" ecstatically proclaimed one of the ruffians.
"We have no choice but to fight now. Stick with me and watch each other's backs!" commanded the Prince.
"Heeyyyy it's the Prince! KILL HIM!" A total of six circled around them preventing further advancement.
"Pair up and watch each other's backs." yelled the tactician.
Frederick teamed up with Chrom engaging in battle with the ruffians. Two of them rushed towards Robin and Marth.
"Marth you get the one on the left, I got the other."
"Right!"
Marth grabbed her sword ready to strike while Robin pulled out his Elthunder tome and conjured an electrical bolt hurling it at the enemy. Time wasn't in the ruffian's favor as he was too slow to react as the bolt impacted straight at his chest coursing electricity throughout his body. Violent convulsions continued until the man's body stopped motionless. Marth also took down her opponent with ease. Another one rushed in with their battle axe. The ruffian was too close for him to cast another spell so he quickly pulled out his steel sword that he kept hidden within his cloak. Robin reacted with a parry from his opponent's overhead attack leaving them open and lunged his sword into his chest causing blood to leak out.
"DAMN YOOouuu…" Were the last words he would ever speak as the life extinguished from its body. Robin then looked at how the others were doing. The rest of the group finished off their opponents, none remained.
As the four continued towards Emm, Chrom who was ahead of the pack suddenly bumped into something and fell to the ground as he was about to enter the doorway. Sitting on his bottom was an orange-haired man with a bandana tied on his forehead.
"Stop right there thief. Drop your sword or die where you stand" Chrom pointed his sword at the pillager with the tip of his sword just a few inches away.
Swallowing his pride the man immediately dropped his sword and held his hands up.
"Whoa whoa, Easy there blue blood. I'm not here to hurt anybody. I swear."
"Yet you run with a band of assassins? You're not making much of a case for yourself?"
"Listen, I'm just trying to make a living is all. Name is Gaius, I'm a thief and a damn good one. I can crack open doors and chests with ease. This band hired me to get them to a vault. Nobody told me that we would be killing the Exalt. I don't want to involve myself in this any further."
Without much of a thought.
"Then lend us your aid. We'll need all the help we can get to protect my sister. Prove your good intentions to me out there."
The thief inspected Chrom and the others while Frederick stuck like glue by Chrom's side to prevent any underhanded tricks he may have up his sleeve.
"Hmm, Your group seems capable of defending themselves. Fine, I'll join you guys. Just promise me to repay me with some sweet confections."
Such an odd compromise given who he is talking to.
"Confections? You don't want any money or anything else?"
"I mean, I'll gladly take money as an added bonus but my main reason for coming here was because I heard of the delicious sweets stashed away in your cabinets?"
Chrom had no time to think this through.
"Eerr… you got yourself a deal. Do you know where the enemies will be coming from?"
Gaius pointed towards the south side of the castle. "The main group will attack from the southern wall because of how close Emmeryn's chambers are. Now thinking about it, I believe my group as well as the other small ones were meant to be a distraction while the main force went straight to her majesty."
"Do you happen to know who the leader is?"
Shrugging his shoulders, "Beats me. We never met."
"Let's get going then, we've wasted too much time."
With that, they have acquired a new ally to help defend the castle. Chrom's ability to trust people easily is something that has concerned Robin for quite a while but with the way things are, going they need all the help they can get. It was unknown how large the enemy group was but Robin was confident they would be able to contain them. Finally, they met up with the rest of the Shepherds who have remained at standby awaiting further orders. Sully and Stahl approached them on horseback, they have also brought Frederick's loyal steed.
"Captain Chrom, we've covered the perimeter of her Majesty's room."
"Good work Sully. Have you seen where the enemies are?"
"No, but the blasts have come from the Southside of the castle."
"I see, Frederick, I'll need you, Sully, and Stahl to search around for any more ruffians scattered around. Find the rest of the guards and meet up with me once you have dealt with the bandits. We must protect the people still in the area. The rest of us will protect Emm and find the group responsible for this."
"Understood, Milord. Please watch yourself." Jumping onto his horse he rode off with the other cavaliers.
Stahl sighed sadly "Ughhhh, did they have to attack at this time? I haven't eaten yet and they were serving my favorite today."
"Is food the only thing that hollow head of yours can think of at this time? C'mon get your arse moving."
Chrom and Marth both went inside Emmeryn's room to check on her. Lissa has been by her sister's side since the attack.
Something felt off though, there was a strange sensation coursing through Robin's body. Chills ran down his spine and a slight headache appeared out of nowhere. Could he be nervous? Doesn't seem to be the case. The pain started to grow slowly stronger. He massaged his temples to calm the pain. This feeling though felt oddly familiar. How is that possible?
Close by, the thief known as Gaius stood leaning against the wall. His conquest for sugary sweets tempted him to pull out a sucker from his pockets to calm his urges.
"Wait? I remember you? What in Naga's name are you doing here!" called a voice.
His eyes then pointed to whoever called him. He immediately spits out his candy upon realization of who it was.
"Ma..Maribelle!?" He covered his face to avoid recognition but it was already too late. She was the last person he hoped not to see here at the castle.
"Aha! So you do remember me. What are you doing here scoundrel." Maribelle's rambling towards Gaius drew the attention of some of the Shepherds.
Robin then stepped in to de-escalate the problem. "Chrom, recruited him to help us protect the Exalt. We cannot afford to fight amongst ourselves right now. We'll deal with the matter after all this is over."
Maribelle then crossed her arms and walked away. Robin wondered what that was all about. At least the commotion helped distract the headache away.
"Vaike, I'm gonna need you, Kellam, and Miriel to protect the south side of Emmeryn's room."
Vaike vigorously raised his fist in the air. "Yeah, we'll show those fools what happens when you come to our turf!" Kellam reluctantly followed up with a fist pump of his own.
Miriel embarrassingly covered her face at Robin's order. "Must I really cooperate with this oaf?"
Robin then ordered the rest to guard any of the outside sections of the building. If the enemies revealed themselves then the group would meet them at their location. Everyone else in the castle must have already escaped and the guards must be occupied with the bandits. All they could do now was wait for them to make their presence known.
A small amount of time has passed when the debonair walked to the tactician.
"Good grievings tactician. How much longer do you think this will last."
"I'm not too sure Virion. We have to stay on our toes if we want to survive this. You know Virion, I'm quite curious to ask. Where exactly do you come from? You say from a land far away but that doesn't narrow down the possibilities."
Virion then gave a confident grin. "Ahhh would you like to make a little wager?"
A bet? At a time like this?
"If we make it out unscathed, find me and we can play a friendly game of chess. If I win, then I'll happily answer any question you ask. But, if I am triumphant, then you owe me a favor."
This challenge intrigued him.
"Fine, I will acce-"
Midway through finishing his sentence, another blast broke through the walls. The debris scattered around the halls and dust made visibility slightly low. One by one, dark cloaked figures popped out through the smoke. Waves of fire lit the halls a blazing red as the enemies cast their magic. The Shepherds took cover to avoid the attacks.
"Retaliate with your ranged attacks!"
Arrows, thunder, fire, and wind were fired right back at them. From observation, this must be the main force. They were grimleal as he noticed the sigil on their clothing.
"How is it possible this many enemies made it past our defenses?" asked Robin.
Chrom dodged and weaved through the energy blast and ducked near Robin. "I just got word that all the bandits scattered around have been taken care of. Frederick and company are on their way back to support us."
"Good, for now, we just gotta hold out until they arrive. They have too many ranged casters."
Enemy infantry blitzed in to meet them head on as the mages ceased their attacks. Everyone with a lance, axe, and sword rushed in retaliation. Clanking metal filled the area as the groups battled to overcome the other. Robin was successfully able to pick off each enemy one by one. His skill with the blade is starting to show. Even though he has spent most of the time hitting the books he also made time to train with Lon'qu and Frederick. All that sword practice has started to bear fruit as his own fighting style is gradually refining itself. As the enemies waved and swung, he relied on his speed and reflexes to dodge and take advantage of their openings.
At the same time, his eyes would gaze towards his allies to check on their condition. Reading the situation of the enemy and also his allies is imperative as it would dictate the next course of action is. Luckily, no one seemed to be having trouble.
Again, the headache he experienced earlier suddenly came back but with more ferocity. This headache cannot be natural, something must be causing this. Placing his hand against the wall, he slouched to try to stay focused. Robin noticed that nobody else is experiencing the symptoms he is having. A green aura began to embrace him with relief. His strength and mind began to clear as if the pain had been cast away. Lissa and Maribelle have been offering their support to the group by casting their healing magic to the Shepherds. His head nodded towards Lissa to thank her.
Nearby, Marth was patrolling back and forth near Emmeryn's room. As much as she wanted to join the fight, Emmeryn's safety took the utmost priority. Falchion started to give a bright glow from the hole in the blade. This is the sign Marth has been waiting for. This is it, we have to succeed. The future depends on the results of this battle. Father, please stop this.
Things were going smoothly as the band has been drastically cutting down their numbers. Robin thought to himself that things are going way too easy for them. At that moment, another explosion, creating another opening for the enemies to go through. Their flank is now exposed. Slowly, the number of enemies in the courtyard began to overwhelm them as they started to sustain minor injuries. Lissa and Maribelle were having trouble keeping up with healing allies
"Fall back, FALL BACK I SAY!" ordered Robin.
Robin, Kellam, Vaike, Chrom, and Sumia slowly walked up the stairs to get to the doorway to the interior of the castle acting as the frontline as the others moved back closer to Emmeryn's quarters. Robin wanted to get inside to create a chokepoint at the door to prevent the enemies from spreading out further. If things continue as they are, they would eventually be overrun and slaughtered.
"We have got to hold out til- GAAHHH!"
Pain surged as everyone feared the worst of what might have happened to their tactician when he started yelling but no one could understand what was happening to him as he held both hands on his head. The pain was unbearable as the migraine continued to torture him. Why is this happening? Who is doing this to him?
Chrom and Gaius stepped in and pulled Robin back away from the action. "Robin! Robin! What's going on? What's happening to you?"
There was no reply though as Robin continued to struggle to take the pain. The situation is looking rather grim.
"Cap, we gotta get him outta here." All three ran back to give Robin time to rest but then left to help the group in the front.
Maribelle and Lissa rushed to his aid to ease his mental pain. Again, a cooling sensation mended his mind as the anguish that has been causing him trouble subsided. His breathing became heavy and long as he tried to make sense of what was causing these migraines and why they give him a sense of nostalgia as if he has experienced this before. He waved the healers back to help the others.
"Don't push yourself Robin or else we're gonna have to get you outta here."
Lissa felt worrisome about his condition, this is the second time he experienced this in the span of a couple minutes but even she wasn't sure the cause of these pains. Perhaps it was the stress she wondered.
"I'll be okay, get back to the others. They will need you more out there."
Thinking too much about this problem isn't going to help though as they have other problems on their hands. Their frontline fighters aren't able to contain them any longer. Is this war going to end tonight before they could even receive help? If Emmeryn falls, then the war is pretty much finished. He can't fail Chrom, Lissa, the others, and her but he couldn't see a winning move in their current situation.
As he struggled to come up with a solution, a shadow flew over his head as a large creature jumped over their frontlines and into the enemies. It has fuzzy dark brown hair, long ears, it resembled something like a rabbit as it pounced between foes. Enemies were launched as the mysterious beast kicked them far with its powerful hind legs. There was more occurring as sounds of yelling came from behind them.
"CHARGE!" A young man tightly holding his lance and tin pot on his head came running in towards the enemy group. Running behind him were the castle guards with a battle cry of their own. They have finished exterminating the other intruders around the castle and now have joined the main fight.
Reinforcements. Momentum has shifted again towards their favor as the cavalry started to amass pressure against the enemies.
Frederick, Stahl, and Sully rushed to their leaders' side again.
"Milord, we have successfully defeated the bandits and have come with haste to fight with you all."
"Good, we have to find their leader if we want to end this quickly."
Robin and Chrom motioned the group forward to continue the assault. Now the tides have turned as their numbers started to overwhelm and dwindle the enemy numbers.
"Robin, you and I will find the leader and take him out here and now. They have to be closeby."
Robin then ordered a spearhead formation which would allow them to split the enemy forces in half while also pushing through the middle towards their leader. All horse riders were ordered to move to the front to have a strong push forward with the infantry on the sides. There are at least twenty enemies left to fend off while the Shepherds had double the amount.
Standing right next to the Exalt's room, Marth heard the screams of Ylissean soldiers indicating that more help had arrived. It seems that they are now winning. She battled with inner thoughts on deciding to go and help, she paced back and forth. Falchion then glowed again as if it was warning her. She decided to take action and go around from where the fighting is taking place.
"Blast it all, you're ruining my plan." Deep behind enemy lines was the enemy commander. A slim and tall individual with dark robes and long sharp nails. Disbelief spelled across his face as their chances of success were dropping significantly. In order to have a chance of assassinating the Exalt, he needed to involve himself in the fight. His look of frustration turned to astonishment as Chrom and Robin were several feet away from him. The sides of his mouth smiled upon witnessing a certain individual standing before him. As Robin and this mysterious man locked in eye contact, Robin could sense the malicious intent that loomed around this character. But he… he knows this man.
" HAHAHA, I knew something wasn't right. After all these years of searching. I have finally found you! Truly fate favors me tonight!"
Could he be talking about me or Chrom?
"I don't know how you filthy Ylisseans have figured out my plan but no matter. Fate is on my side and I will have the Emblem!"
Chrom planted the tip of his sword on the grass. "I will not let you get what you want?"
"Fool, Grima will rise again and wipe everything out of existence!"
"Not if we have anything to say about it. ROBIN NOW!"
Lightning ejected out of his palms directly towards the slender mastermind. They then hurled fire to clash with his attack which resulted in a small explosion surrounding the battlefield with smoke. Chrom swiftly ran within the smoke as cover to where he last saw him. A wave of fire then burst through the smoke with Chrom lunging himself barely missing the attack. Robin then fired another attack from where the flames came from but nothing connected. Chrom ran in to unleash a flurry of attack! The man was finally in sight and he ran to meet him head-on. Chrom made a thrusting motion but they spun back and switched to a lightning attack pushing Chrom back. He was able to contain most of the attack by using falchion to take most of the damage.
Robin then ran in while he let Chrom regain his composure. Both trading electric attacks at each other but the enemy was clearly more superior in terms of magical power. Still, as long as he could contain him, it would let Chrom prepare for his next attack. It was now time for the Prince to rejoin the fight as he and Robin relied on close combat to prevent him from using long-ranged attacks. Both attacked from different sides but were unable to land a hit as their enemy skillfully dodged their efforts. Their hands became engulfed in violet electricity negating their sword swings. An ability such as that was difficult to master, clearly, their opponent was no ordinary caster. The enemy then cast fire towards the ground to spread waves to push them back again. It was at that moment that Robin sent a beam of lightning landing a direct hit at their chest.
The man was taken aback and groaned with pain but still stood. As a response, purple lightning was sent back hitting Robin in the abdomen, some of the voltage surged across his body toppling him to the ground. His resilience to magic attacks lessened the damage but significant damage was done preventing from standing up for a short time. Chrom noticed his tactician was in trouble and rushed in to protect his friend. Still conscious, Robin lied on the floor with his forehead against the ground contemplating what to do next. This man is able to fight them both off and is able to take a hit from his strongest magic attack. Even in close quarters, he has them on the ropes. He didn't even know that it was possible to use magic as a way to deflect sword swings. Placing one knee onto the ground he mounted the strength to get back up. Chrom was out there fighting by himself while he was doing nothing to back him up.
"Foolish Prince, soon you and your army will fall and I will have the emblem in my hand."
Such a statement made the Prince grin. "That's not gonna happen. You're vastly outnumbered as your army is almost defeated. You have no more cards to play. The battle is won. Surrender yourself NOW!" Determination returned in his eye as he thought about his beloved sister and friends. Chrom had no shred of mercy as this man posed a threat to his family and kingdom.
The man squinted in disgust as he was being pitied. "You think this is over but you are wrong! This is far from over!" He raised his hand forward toward Chrom who took a defensive stance to prepare for the oncoming attack but his enemy's hand wasn't being enveloped by anything. Instead, kneeling a couple of feet behind the Prince was the tactician who at the moment became trapped in a daze as his subconsciousness was invaded. Finally, the source of the migraine was revealed to be the individual they were fighting. The tactician couldn't make a sound at all as somehow he was being silenced and the Prince was unaware of what was going on behind him.
Dark forces were taking over his mind, ordering to attack the prince from behind. "Attack….Attack and kill the prince" it chanted. His body obeyed the command as his hand steadily raised. His mind struggled to take back control of himself but power was too great for him to handle. GET OUT OF MY HEAD! AGHHH!
You cannot resist my control, Robin! You will obey my every command! Destiny has brought you to me so you can complete your task. With that woman gone. I can finally make our dream a reality.
What do you know about me?
I know a lot about you, Robin. All will be revealed once we kill the Exalt and take the Fire Emblem and you will do it FOR ME!
Power building up in his hand was moments away from unleashing a devastating blow to the back of his friend. Unable to muster the willpower to resist this diabolical man's mind control felt futile but he continued to push on. He had no way to warn Chrom of the oncoming attack.
No…. it can not end like this…
For the next couple sequences of events, it felt like the hands of time slowed down as somehow as Marth was able to stealthily flank behind the man taking control of the tactician's body. Laughter was coming out of the man's mouth calling checkmate but she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, plunging her sword through the mastermind's body just before he gained full control of Robin. The hilt of her sword touched his back and the blade stuck out of his stomach.
Robin immediately regained control of himself and stopped the attack but the mental strain he received trying to stop himself from committing the gravest sin caused him to fall unconscious.
"Where... did you come?" lungs were becoming heavy as blood filled as well as coughing some out as he hunched confused."No, it isn't supposed to end this way!"
"Your terror ends here, monster." Whispered Marth. She swiftly pulled her sword back where scarlet liquid spurted out of his wound. He fell to his knees before toppling down. Their enemy leader lied motionless marking the end to this assault.
Both Chrom and Marth inched slowly towards the man's body to make sure that he was actually dead but a hazy miasma completely covered the man's entire body before turning into a ball. The dark orb shrunk and the foe's body utterly disappeared.
Marth and Chrom looked in shock as they couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Their gazes shifted left and right as they tried to locate his whereabouts. After a couple of seconds had passed, Chrom's attention then turned to Robin who he had just noticed laying on the floor while Marth ran around searching for clues of his whereabouts.
"Robin!? Robin what happened to you?" panickingly patting his friend's shoulder. Making attempts to awaken him, nothing he was doing was able to wake him up. Place his head upon Robin's chest, heartbeats pumped giving Chrom relief that he was still breathing but he needed to get him healed as he still bore a wound in his stomach area. Chrom, signaled Marth to help him take Robin to Lissa and Maribelle. They each wrapped an arm around them to move him swiftly.
Marth was reminded of the time Robin helped take her to the infirmary after the battle at Regna Ferox. This seemed like a fitting way for her to return the favor after what he has done for her after she was hurt. What seemed odd though was how he was put in this condition but that was because no one noticed what the caster was doing to the tactician.
Small grunts came from the injured Shepherd as he regained consciousness. His eyes gradually opened as he noticed he was being carried. He was unaware of what had just happened.
"What… what happened?"
Marth and Chrom looked at Robin in relief that he had come back to them.
"Their leader has been defeated, but it is unknown what happened to him because something took him away. What happened to you?"
Robin replayed the events that occurred just before he passed out. However, some of the details were a bit blurred and he could only recall fragments. "He attacked me somehow but I can't remember what he did and I blacked out. He also mentioned a woman but that's all I can remember."
"He?"
"Yeah, it seems like he could also communicate with people telepathically."
Marth tilted her head down to figure what might have happened but she didn't even notice what happened to him either. This news was pretty alarming to her but decided not to ask.
"And what woman was he talking about?"
Thinking about that would leave a long list with nothing much to gain unless they knew what he was talking about.
Some of the Shepherds ran to their Prince and tactician once all the enemies had been eliminated. At first glance, all of them seemed to be in good shape which even in his sorry state, made Robin give a slight smile. This attack was a bit sudden but thanks to Marth's warning. They were able to stop the assassination of the Exalt and probably many others.
"Frederick, what is the damage report?"
"Sir, several of the castle walls have been breached but no major damage was caused to the castle that would make it collapse. We did suffer from slight casualties. The attack caught several of our men off guard and was either killed by the explosions or during the attack. Unfortunate losses but the results would have been more terrifying had the enemies succeeded in their objective. Lissa came a bit after to give Robin the treatment he needed. She patched up his wounds before using her healing staff to alleviate the pain.
"There you go. Now stop getting yourself hurt mister. You're leaving me worried sick."
Those concerned eyes off hers made Robin smile and patted the top of her head. "As long as I got you nearby then I've got nothing to worry about" Her mood switched to embarrassment which then made her scowl at him.
"He-Hey! Don't treat me like a child!" Lissa's cheeks puffed up as she showed her dissatisfaction with her treatment despite all her efforts healing Robin and the others.
"Thank you for your help, Lissa. You've been a big help for me today."
Her smile returned once more knowing that everybody is safe and alive.
Marth and Frederick went to check on Emmeryn's status while everybody else gathered nearby for further orders. The boy with the tin pot on his head approached the Prince and tactician.
"Howdy your graciousness!" He jumped back and bowed. "I-I mean milord."
On his person, he carried a wooden spear and a small satchel. Scruffy hair and his clothes had tears in different parts but what stood out the most was his bronze cooking pot he wore on top of his head.
"Greetings friend, your heroics have not gone unnoticed. Who are you if I may ask?"
The young man stood straight in attention and cleared his throat.
"My name is Donnel. Err, Donny for short. I've skedaddled here froms a faraway place. I'ves come to join your brigade your Lordshipful."
"Please, enough with the formalities. Call me Chrom. Now then, how good are you with that spear."
"I've had my share of huntin critters and helped protect my village. My pa died when I was young and I've been the man in the family. My village was often attacked by bandits and I would fight them off with some of the other villagers. I promised my ma that I'd bring some glory and honor back home."
"Hmm, you do show some promise. From what part of Ylisstol do you hail from?"
"From an island south from here. On a trip to the mainland, I've come across this piece of paper. Quite interestin if ya ask me your honorship, your nerves must be made of steel for such a pose."
"Let me see that." Donnel handed him the paper.
In an instant, the prince's jaw dropped as chills went through his spine as he saw himself in the picture holding Falchion naked with the words "Chrom wants you!". The amount of embarrassment in the prince's face was clearly noticeable.
Gods Frederick what have you been doing!
Chrom crumpled up the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He already had enough on his plate as it is and now the halidom is spread with these recruitment advertisements for all to see. He pretended to not let it bother him.
"Well Donnel, I'll be happy to let you join us. You have proven yourself to have the title of Shepherd.."
With that said and done, Donnel was now the newest member of the Shepherds. His excitement couldn't be contained as he gave a little jig and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"YEEHAW! I won't let ye down pard"
" I'll be counting on you from now on. Please join up with the others and tell everyone to begin packing up. We need to leave for Regna Ferox immediately."
"Alrighty then mister. Thanks for the chance."
"Robin let's go see my sister. We must check on her and see what that creature is. I'm pretty sure it went towards her after the fight."
After a couple minutes of walking, they noticed Emmeryn outside alongside Frederick, Marth, Phila, and the large rabbit. Its wide glaring red eyes felt intimidating as if it was ready to pounce on them as well.
"Chrom, Robin, I'm so glad you're both safe." said the Exalt.
"I can say the same thing about you, Emm. Nothing happened to you right?"
"Correct, this taguel rushed to my side to protect me. I am forever grateful."
The taguel then looked at the Exalt. "So you know the true name of my species."
Everybody but Marth and Emmeryn looked stunned as they realized it can talk. With its identity revealed its body began to illuminate until it started taking the form of a human. Robin felt curious and intrigued for a quick moment.
"Sorry if its rude to ask but what is a taguel?"
"The taguel is a species known for their shapeshifting abilities. We take on a large form of what you man spawn call a rabbit. Alas, I am the last of my people as your kind hunted us for sport. Do not think of us as friends, however. I only helped you because my warren owes Ylisse a debt."
"I'm not sure I understand what the problem is… eerrr?"
"Panne… the name is Panne. It was man spawn like you that invaded our lands and slaughtered my leader and people. Now I am all that is left of my doomed race.
News of this saddened the Exalt. "Who would do such a horrible thing?!"
"Ha, don't act all shocked and pretend you feel sorry for what happened. To me, you are all the same. It is in your kind nature to ruin and destroy you deem unfit, even your own kind."
"What… you speak is true perhaps. I heard from stories that in taguel society, You all treated each other as equals and never looked down upon each other. Mankind could have learned so much from your people. These words come too late and mean very little to you but I am deeply sorry for what we have done. The actions of selfish humans have cost the lives of your friends, family, and way of life and made the world a much crueler place."
In order to show that she meant what she said, she bowed towards her to show her seriousness on the matter. Panne's face of disgust became plain as her gesture was surprising.
"You are an interesting one man spawn. You claim to be blameless but still apologize."
"I know words are not enough but this is all I have."
The taguel gave a hefty sigh at her response. "You seem to be a sincere person. You show signs of pain for my own. That is something I've never felt before. I will never trust your kind after what you have done but I can see you are not like the others."
"All I ask for is a chance to earn your trust."
"Very well then. As reluctant as I am, I will give you the chance to prove yourselves."
"Thank you for the opportunity Panne. I will not waste the trust you have given me. If you would please, I would like to reward you for helping us tonight."
Her head waved left and right. "No need, I only wish to join your cause. I believe that by doing this, I can fully pay my warren's debt."
"We'd be honored to have you join us."
"I will take my leave then."
As the taguel walked away, there was now one more person to thank but that was short lived as Chrom and Robin realized she had already disappeared.
"Darn not again! Robin! We gotta find her!"
Robin and Chrom split up in hopes to find the foreseer that prevented the attack from succeeding. Robin ran down the aisles still feeling the pain in his abdomen but his desire to find her gave him the strength to tough it out. He had an idea of where she went and went towards the garden to find the hole she mentioned earlier that night.
Marth took a moment to walk through the castle to take in the sight. Her eyes captured every little detail of the structure and walls as it gives her a nostalgic feel. She even looked through the windows that allowed her to peek inside the rooms. A warm sensation pulsed around her body as she reminisced about her past until it switched to slight despair as her mind drifted deeper. She stopped suddenly when her foot stepped on something that gave a slight crack sound. On the cold hard floor laid her mask that was split in half with one of the parts cracked. She picked up the pieces and gave a long stare at it. She pulled it to her chest and hugged it for it has played a huge part in concealing her identity up to this point. It was time for them to lead the path towards the future.
It wasn't long before he reached his destination. Out in the distance, he found the woman he was looking for. Looks like I beat Chrom in finding her. He'll probably come here too. Her tender facial expression caught his attention as she was wiping away what he thought were tears.
"You have a tendency to run away unnoticed has anyone told you that?"
Swiftly turning around she bolstered her stoic look to continue her facade. Robin noticed her hide her broken mask behind her back.
"Quite a lot actually. I'm afraid I have a few bad habits." Marth didn't want to stay any longer. Even though they have saved the Exalt's life. She wished not to overstay her welcome.
"You know Marth. Something has been bugging me for some time."
"After the battle at Longfort, I went into the forest and told the Shepherds that we have won and can go inside. From the corner of my eye, there was a blue blur retreat into the bushes but with that quick glance, it was easy for me to tell that it looked like a butterfly. What you're holding looks similar to the one I saw back there. With that said, I would like to ask. Have you been following us this whole time?"
"I prefer not to answer that. As I have said before, I have already spoken too much." Marth was right though, from her perspective, Ricken shouldn't even be alive but now that he continues to exist. Numerous possibilities of what the future could be have now been set in motion. Even though a life had been saved, does that mean good will come out of it?
"And that is what confuses me the most about you, Marth. You said that you have seen the future. Which leads to my next main point. Sometimes whenever I sleep, I have these dreams. These dreams feel all too real though such as the time that I dreamt of Ricken's death. Some of these dreams have yet or have happened and I'm wondering if you have any sort of answer to why I'm having these visions."
Her round eyes drifted down in order to comprehend what Robin just told her. Could it be possible that he can see the future or is there something in the works that she doesn't know about? Robin waited patiently for an answer but the look on her face is all that he needed to know that she does not know.
In Marth's perspective, Robin is some sort of enigma that she can't understand. There was so much that she wished to know about him but interacting with him more only brings up more mysteries on why he exists which sounded rude of her to think. She has entrusted the future to him and to keep the royal family safe. Revealing to her that he can maybe see into the future has now brought doubts. Perhaps it was her fault for involving herself in their affairs too much that this happened.
"I'm sorry but I'm not that knowledgeable about what you are experiencing. All I can ask of you is this." She walked up to him with concern. "Tread carefully."
"I'm guessing asking you again to join us is out of the question?"
She lightly smiled. "Certainly not. I have done my part, the rest is up to you now."
"I'm sure the Prince and Exalt would still like to thank you for what you have done. They could give you a nice reward.
"You just don't quit do you?"
"Well as a tactician, quitting just isn't an option for me."
"Just knowing that the Exalt is safe and that this tragedy was averted is good enough for me as a reward. Please take care of them. Promise me that."
Robin bowed his head acknowledging her request. Marth then hastily retreated into the bushes. Robin would wonder to himself if this would be the last time he would ever see her again as he walked in the opposite direction to find his friend.
It wasn't even a minute till he noticed Chrom running towards his direction.
"Robin! Have you seen Marth?"
"I have but I couldn't stall her long enough for you to get here. She went to the hole that you made. If you run right now, you should be able to reach her."
At that moment, the Prince kicked the ground to hopefully catch up with her but Robin decided not to follow. He wanted to head back to the Exalt to have a talk with her.
Deep in a forest away from the castle, a dark orb appeared floating above a grassy patch of green. The man responsible for the attack then appeared from the gelatinous like ball as it again disappeared dropping the injured caster to the floor. He violently coughed up blood and groaned with pain. Around him, the world bristled with life but through his eyes, it felt a purple shroud covered his vision.
"What…. is the meaning… of this? My brilliant plan… was thwarted so easily AARGHHH"
The ground echoes the sound of footsteps as a cloaked figure approached the mortally wounded man. He crouched down to his level sending an evil smile at him.
"Validar, you fool."
"What? Who are you… and where did you… come from."
"Silence worm. First, let me deal with those wounds."
With one hand, he fully healed Validar as he cast a healing spell to bring him back from the brink of death. Validar's vision became sharper as the world returned back to its normal color. He now was looking straight at this mysterious person's face.
"I am the power that compels you. Fate has brought us together. You will not perish here for you still hold purpose. I will make you become the author of something even greater that you cannot imagine."
With those words, Validar looked in awe at who he was talking to.
"But... it can't be."
"Oh, but it is." He spread open arms making his appearance known. His cowl slid down with his red eyes looking right at Validar. "I am the wings of despair. I am the breath ruin. I am the end. I am the fell dragon… Grima."
The sensation was unreal. He was staring at Robin but there was something different about him. He looked slightly older and hit a slightly more muscular build. It felt like his body radiated with power as if there was bloodlust in the air. Validar recognized his greatness and bowed down offering his respect to his deity.
"How is this possible oh great one."
"I am Grima but I am not of this world. I hail from the future. A future where I was reborn and the world was torn asunder. I have traveled across dimensions back to this point to deal with troublesome pests. I am sure you have met one of them haven't you?"
Flashbacks of the moment he was impaled played in his mind. That woman came from out of nowhere and even she had the same sword that the Prince did.
"I have….. A blue-haired woman wielded the Falchion just like the Prince."
"It is a long story, my pet but I will tell you how things came to be in due time. We have got much to prepare for the future to make my vision a reality. We must awaken the Grima from this world!"
A/N: Decided to post this chapter today as a birthday present to myself. I've slightly updated my bio to explain how I'm gonna take this fic going forward. I wanted to go with the idea of making support chapters for some characters but that was one of the causes that made me burn out in the first place so I'm already working on another alternative so that Robin can build connections with his peers. Now this chapter was pretty entertaining to write. I wanted Robin to be the one to talk to Marth in this story. A concern I've had going into this chapter was making sure Donnel, Vaike, Maribelle, Gaius, and somewhat Virion spoke appropriately for their character. There were also times that my sentences felt repetitive and I've tried my best to improve the quality, maybe some forced or too little was done. Overall, I'm still glad how this chapter turned out but ff something felt off, please feel free to tell me.