I covered a lot of ground with this one, but tried to keep it a bit shorter than the last chapter. I want this story to go somewhere. The pacing feels right to me. Consider that this is still the beginning of the game's first arc. This will turn out to be a long story for sure. More so if I add my own arc(s) which I'm already planning little by little. I won't give away too much about it.
Also, for the romance lovers, I've been thinking about pairings. I even made a couple of charts and everything. It's so difficult, you know? I want to have all the future children appear… I could always just pair up come characters with Solder #6 or Villager #14, but where is the fun in that?
Enough ramble, here is the story now! Remember to leave a review, follow the story, and/or favorite it if you like it. Enjoy~
Chapter 5: And so we traveled
The morning they were to set off, the group of Shepherds gathered just outside the city. Chrom, and Robin were the first to show up. They'd gone through the trouble of getting some of the more general supplies ready. Frederick, Tharja, and Lissa showed up not long after, each of which carried just a few personal belongings with them. Robin and Chrom greeted them as they approached.
"What's with the wagon?" Lissa asked, tilting her head to a side as she eyed the wooden wagon with a canopy on it. "I thought we would be riding there."
"Robin thought it would be a good idea to haul supplies this way," Chrom told his sister.
"This way we can take a bit more stuff without having to bring as many horses," Robin added. "I don't know who can ride a horse or not, so this way we don't have to ride doubles all the way. A few people can rest up inside the wagon. If we run into trouble, it'll be best to have as many people fully charged up to defend ourselves."
"I'm impressed, Robin," said Frederick with just the slightest smile. "You are already taking your job seriously."
"I don't want my first task as a Shepherd to go down in history as a catastrophe, do I" Robin said jokingly. "You guys can put the supplies in the wagon. We are just waiting for the rest to show up."
"Who is riding in it?" Lissa asked as she threw a small bag on the back of it. "Oh! More importantly! Can I drive it?" Chrom's hand met his face.
"You can barely ride a horse, Lissa," he reminded her. "I would feel safer if you just rode on the back."
"Aww, come on, Chrom!" Lissa pouted. "How many times do we actually get to do something like this?"
"I'll drive it, don't worry," Robin interrupted. "It wouldn't be my first time doing it. Although...It's been a years since the last time."
"Who else is riding in it?" Tharja asked.
"Sully and Frederick are mounted fighters, so they'll bring their own horses. Sumia is a Pegasus Knight, which means she'll bring her pegasus with her. And Chrom, being the leader, will also get a horse."
"I'm don't mind riding a horse to move from place to place," Chrom said. "If we are attacked, I much rather fight with my feet firmly planted on the ground."
Robin nodded. "I don't see that as a problem." He turned back to look at the princess. "Going back to your question, Lissa. That leaves you, Tharja, Virion, Vaike, and I on the wagon. With that and the supplies, it'll be a bit of a tight fit, but bringing another wagon would be excessive with our numbers."
"Does that mean Kellam is not coming?" Lissa asked.
"Kellam?"
"Oh, he wasn't there when we introduced you guys to the rest, huh?" Asked Chrom. He rubbed his chin as if trying to remember when was the last time he saw the man. "I wonder if someone told him about this mission."
The thought was pushed aside as the rest of the company showed up-Sully, Virion, Vaike, and Sumia. Chrom declared they were all ready to leave for Ferox. Those that had horses mounted up. Those that were going to be on the wagon entered. As Robin had mentioned before, it was a tight fit. He sat at the front-the only real seat on the thing-while the rest were under the canopy. Just behind him, Lissa sat next to Tharja. In front of them was Virion. Vaike sat at the very back, with his legs hanging out of the wagon. A small wall of supplies separated him from the group.
They set off in a normal formation. Chrom and Frederick were at the front with Sully following close behind them. Those three were chatting about different things, like combat and such. Robin was glad that him and Tharja weren't the topic of conversation, considering how hostile Sully had been to them the day before. Similarly, at the back, Vaike was chatting with Sumia, who was riding her pegasus. Chrom had ordered her to follow at the end of the line to prevent her from getting hurt if combat was to happen.
Overall, the atmosphere was a lot less tense than it had been the day before. From behind him he could hear Lissa talking with Tharja. Well, more like trying to talk to her. It was a very one sided conversation, with Virion including himself whenever he could. The topic of their conversation took a turn for something interesting after a while.
"Tharja, aren't you traveling a little too lightly?" Lissa asked, choosing her words carefully. Robin chuckled at the situation. Tharja's clothes were just very eye catching.
"I don't have much to bring with me, princess," Tharja said, a little warmer than her usual self. "Or did you forget that Master Robin and I came here with nothing more than our clothes, our tomes, and some gold?" Maybe not.
"I-I didn't mean to sound rude," Lissa nervously said. Robin knew that the princess had to tread carefully around Tharja. The black mage was pretty good with her hexes. "I could've lend you a coat. Regna Ferox is covered in snow almost year round. It's going to be pretty cold up there."
"Milady!" Virion immediately butted in. "But wouldn't it be a shame to cover such a beauty?"
"She's still going to be cold!"
The sun was bearing down on them. Robi had to squint all along to protect his eyes a little from the intense brightness. While holding on to the rein with one hand, he pulled up his hood. The miniature, personal shade helped a lot. There was no need to keep squinting anymore.
A chuckle brought him back to the conversation that was happening behind him. He half turned to look at Tharja. He could see that she didn't have any intentions of answering the blonde girl. If that was the case, he would do it. "She doesn't need a coat," Robin finally spoke. He could feel the eyes of the two women and Virion on his back.
"Yes! Sir Robin here understands!" Virion said happily.
Tharja rolled her eyes. "Don't group him up with the likes of you," she said.
"So, Robin," Lissa interrupted the bickering. "How can you be so sure that she won't need a coat when you haven't been to Ferox before? Even you have a coat with you."
"She hexed herself," he answered simply. "It's the same reason why she didn't sweat while in Plegia." He kept his eyes on the road, unable to see what the other people's reaction was. He was pretty sure he was right. It was one of those things he'd noticed at one point while they traveled together but just put it at the back of his mind, thinking of it as unimportant.
"As expected of you, Master Robin," Tharja said. Robin felt a shill run down his spine-not from her words, but from the touch she gave him on his back. "You do have a higher affinity to detect magic than others. I'm surprised you even noticed."
"Wait, but why would you put a curse on yourself?" asked Lissa.
"Not all hexes are bad, princess. For instance, the one I used on myself allows my body to keep a certain temperature at all times. I don't wear more clothes than I do because then I would overheat. With the hex in place, I don't ever feel overly cold nor hot as long as I wear this outfit."
It was good to hear Tharja's answer. It meant that there was a chance she wouldn't be relying on Robin the whole time. The possibilities of friendship were opening for her. That was good.
"Oooh! That's pretty amazing! Does that mean you have a hex like that too, Robin?"
Robin shook his head. "I've never been too much of a hex man. I was never good at them. If you consider the mind link that I did with you when we first met as a hex, then that's about as far as my abilities with them goes."
"What is this "mind link" you speak of?" Viroin asked curiously.
"Don't worry, you'll see soon enough."
"Are you perhaps thinking there will be fighting along the way?" asked Virion.
"You were there the day the Risen showed up, no?" Robin asked the archer, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. "I talked to Chrom yesterday after the introductions were done with. There have been reports all over the place of what can only be described as living-dead attacking people. It's only been a short time since we encountered them ourselves. It's a bad sign of things to come."
"So that's why we are going to Regna Ferox then…" Lissa added.
"Aye," confirmed Robin. "You already know, but I was surprised to find out that Ylissean army had been disbanded. The Shepherds can only do so much. Emmeryn asked Chrom to ask the Kahns for her with troops in exchange for grain. Ferox lacks farmland. As such, most men and women take up weapons and mercenary work to try and make a living. They have more warriors that they can handle. It'll be a fair exchange, if you ask me."
The conversation stopped when Robin noticed that those in front weren't moving forward anymore. Chrom rushed over to the wagon, jumping off the horse just as he got to them. "Robin!" the prince called out. "There's Risen ahead. We can't let them just roam around. We'll need to take them out.
From the back of the wagon came an excited Vaike. The man was even grinning, obviously excited about the prospect of fighting. "This is what I signed up for," Vaike said. "The Vaike will show you all how it's done!"
"Vaike, where's your axe?" Lissa called out. Robin hadn't noticed it, but the tanned man didn't have it with him, which was strange because when he got on the cart he certainly had it by his side.
"What are you talking about, squirt?" Vaike asked, oblivious to his lack of a weapon. "I have it right…" As expected, the man found nothing at his side.
"Did you leave it back there?" Robin asked. Vaike didn't answer. What did the man have against the tactician anyways? Was it a similar situation as Sully? Robin Frowned at the lack of a response.
"There isn't such a thing there," Virion said as he approached them from the back, being followed by Lissa and Tharja. It was good to see that those three were ready for combat. "We took a quick look before coming down."
"Damn it…" Vaike muttered under his breath.
"You will just have to stay at the rear for this one," Chrom told his friend. "I know how strong you are even without your axe, but you won't be of any use to us if you get injured right here." He then turned his attention to Robin. "We should gather the rest of us and come up with a plan of attack. The enemy will be upon us very soon."
Robin nodded and got off the cart. He took hold of his tome that had been laying next to the post he was sitting on. "Let us group up then. I still need to link with Virion and Sully. And, seeing as she doesn't trust me, I'll need someone to pair up with her for this fight." The group moved forward to meet up with Frederick and Sully, who were still at the front watching the enemy approach.
"Okay Robin, give us a break down of the situation," Chrom ordered.
Robin nodded and closed his eyes. With the use of Eagle Eyes he was able to take a look at the whole area. He grimaced at the sight. The terrain was flat, but not completely open. The road was flanked by trees, which would make it difficult for both Frederick and Sully to move around. A bridge was further up north, which would funnel their advance.
"Since Sumia and Vaike will both stay behind, we are facing bad odds," Robin stated. "There are seven of us and twenty-three of them. However, we have the advantage on troop variety. The enemy force consists of foot-soldiers only, mostly axemen. There are a some swordsmen and even less lancers."
"How the hell can ya know all that?" asked Sully with more than a little skepticism.
"I'm a black mage," Robin answered. He knew it was better to keep it simple. "I have my ways." He heard Lissa giggle a bit. "For now, let me show you another one of those ways. I have to cast a spell on you and Virion."
"Like hell ya will!"
Robin sighed in frustration. They didn't have time for this bickering. "Fine then," he spat out a little more hostile than he would've wanted. "Chrom, pair up with her. You two will fight together."
Robin spent the next ten minutes giving out orders and assigning targets for everyone. He also linked up with Virion, who was looked amazed after Robin talked to him using only his mind. The glow from reactivating the links with the others also made it's appearance. The only other pair for this fight would be Lissa and Frederick. With only one healer, she would need to move around quickly, hence, Frederick would carry her.
And so it was that the battle begun. Robin knew that the Shepherds were lucky that about half the Risen hadn't crossed the bridge the moment the battle started. Sully and Chrom took the west side of the woods. Frederick, Lissa, and Tharja would stay on the main road. It was important to keep control of the road, as if one side or the other was being overwhelmed reinforcements would be able to cross without putting themselves in too much harm. As for the east side, that was being covered by Virion and Robin himself.
Another advantage to having people paired up was that he could focus more on each group as well as his own combat. He would relay orders to the others and just let them decide how to split the tasks. And most importantly, above all else, he could focus on taking out some of the dastard Risen.
"There's one on our left, Virion," Robin told his partner for the fight. "Think you can take it out? I'll take the two that are further north."
"It'll be my pleasure," Virion responded. "Now, let me show you why they call me the archerest of archers!"
Robin didn't really care, as long as he could get the job done. He ignored Virion's comment, deciding to push further ahead. A lancer took notice and rushed towards the tactician. Things went as Robin had predicted. Now within range, he was able to use his Flux spell on the Risen. It fell to the ground, just like the ones he'd faced against the day before. He switched his attention over to the rushing swordsman. The Risen was a lot closer than he was prepared for, which forced him to jump back, just barely avoiding the attack. Robin countered with something a little stronger than Flux.
While his movements were the same, the tome opened to a different page. Runes appeared all around the enemy swordsman. Had it been a living man, it would've been scared. Just one more thing that worked in Robin's favor, as the Risen didn't even try to avoid the attack. Suddenly, a purple X formed across the Risen. The attack hit with so much force that it cut the target into four pieces. A gruesome scene had the creature not just transformed into purple goo and then vaporized.
That was close, Robin thought, wiping some sweat from his brow and sighing in relief. Suddenly, he found himself lose all balance. Something had struck his leg. He looked down to see the first Risen he attacked was still there, with its spear now piercing through Robin's calf. This forced Robin to hit the ground. The Risen stood up and brought the spear out of Robin's leg with him. He cried out a little in pain, but forced himself to keep focused by clenching his teeth. Standing up wouldn't do. His weapon had fallen from his hand and he couldn't reach it. The only thing left was…
A sword! He grabbed the hilt and prepared himself for the incoming attack. The sound of metal hitting metal rang in his ears. He wouldn't be able to hold for much longer, not on that position. "Virion" He called out. "A little help here!"
The sound of an arrow hitting it's target had never sounded sweeter to Robin. He could see the shaft coming out of the Risen's neck. With no more life left within it, the figure transformed into the purple goo. "SHIT!" Robin was just fast enough to roll out of the way before the goo got to him. Whatever that was, it couldn't be good for his health. He picked up his tome and then himself up, wincing at the pain on his leg.
Viroin came running and helped him stay standing, bearing a little of the tactician's weight. "The shot was magnificent, wasn't it?" Virion asked with a smug grin. Robin wouldn't be able to say otherwise. That shot saved his life. He chuckled, despite the pain on his leg.
"Very nice shot, indeed," he told the archer. "I'm telling everyone to head back to the main road. We are ready to cross it."
"But what of your leg?" Virion asked.
"Don't concern yourself over nothing," Robin told him. "Lissa can heal it. From what I've been hearing from the others, she might have to heal Sully and Chrom too. As I thought, the woods aren't working in our favor."
"Perhaps we should regroup before moving forward."
"Agreed. I've told the rest to do as much." Robin pointed with the sword he was still holding in the direction of the road and the bridge. "I noticed two small structures close to the bridge further ahead. We're meeting up there."
Viroin and Robin were the last to enter the carcass of what looked like an old, abandoned house. Lissa was just finishing up with Chrom when they came in. All eyes were on them. Robin waved his sword, which to that point he'd been using for a little extra support. "Good, everyone's here," Robin said. But he stopped himself from saying anything else when he eyed Vaike and a couple of other new faces. "More Shepherds?" Robin asked Chrom.
"Yeah, they just caught up," Chrom said. "The guy in green is Stahl. Like Sully, he is a mounted knight. The girl with the glasses is Miriel. She is a very talented mage. They both should make the rest of the fight easier." Robin nodded and asked Virion to set him down. "You took some damage too, huh?"
"A spear to the calf, yes," Robin answered followed by a light chuckle trying to make it look like it was a smaller deal than it was. "This woods make it hard to keep track of everyone while fighting with magic."
"I'll help you," Lissa said. She moved quickly from Chrom to him. She held her staff towards Robin's leg. The staff emitted a soft blue-white glow that eased the pain. Healing magic. It was useful in a lot of ways, but one had to be careful with a recently treated wound, since the new skin formed could tear easily if one was not careful.
"Sorry to have you do all this, Lissa," Robin said. "Things got a little more complicated than I expected. But at least I wasn't the only one. Chrom, Sully, and even Frederick got injuries of their own, no?"
"How would ya even know about that?" asked Sully defensively.
"I've been talking with Chrom, Frederick, and Tharja all along." The healing process was done. She stood up and helped Robin to his feet. "You would know what I'm talking about if you'd let me create the link with you too."
"Tsk."
"What's with the sword?" Lissa asked only now noticing the weapon Robin had been hauling with him.
"Oh, yeah. I just picked it up from one of the Risen we fought. Came in handy too. If it hadn't been for this and a well placed shot by Virion, I would have a few more holes in me." Robin eyed the sword. He wondered why this one hadn't vanished with the fallen user. All the equipment the others had on them transformed into goo when the Risen was killed… Just one more mystery.
"You know how to wield a blade, Sir Robin?" asked Frederick.
"I just have to keep the pointy end away from me, right?" The simplicity of the comment caused a few laughs. "I don't intend on using it to bring them down. I would need training for that. It's still useful for defense and in case something gets too close for comfort.
"Now that everyone is in a little better mood, we should remember that we're in the middle of a fight. We've cut their numbers by half. That leaves eleven to go, including the big guy at the very back of the pack that is surely the commander."
Like he'd done before, Robin closed his eyes and took a look at what awaited for them on the other side of the bridge. "Okay, listen up. We need to take care of all of them quick. From what I've seen so far, they don't care much for each other. It's as if all they want is to kill. This gives us an advantage. We're all pairing up for this next part…"
The was ready to be set in motion. The groups this time had changed. Lissa and Vaike, Sully and Virion, Tharja and Miriel, Frederick and Chrom, and Robin and Stahl. They all went into position. Robin gave the order for them to move out. All at once, the ten Shepherds rushed the bridge.
The strategy was simple. The first two enemies they encountered were just at the other side of the bridge. Frederick hit one of them while Stahl cut down the other. That allowed the rest of the Shepherds to pass through. Next, Tharja and Miriel took down the other two Risen that were closest to the bridge, which in turned cleared the way for the rest of their team to move west (Sully and Virion) and east (Vaike and Lissa.) That would take care of the Risen that were on the small elevated ground the was on either side of the road. A pincer maneuver. It would also prevent any of the enemies that were still on the road to escape, forcing them to walk the road towards the bridge.
Robin was riding with Stahl, who threw his spear forward. It hit one of the Risen, but it wasn't dead yet. Robin used a Flux spell once more to finish off the vile thing. On the other side of their conflict, Chrom had dismounted from the back of Frederick's horse and landed a few hits on his adversary. The fight didn't last long. It ended with Chrom's sword going through the Risen's chest. If the teams taking care of the hills did a good job, that would only leave the big rissen axeman to take care of.
"Grab your spear and lets get the last one," Robin told Stahl, who nodded in return.
The knight grabbed a hold on his spear and had his horse at full gallop in the next second. He was preparing for a hit, closing the distance fast. This is when Robin decided it was best to strike. Keeping himself balanced, sword in one hand and his tome at the end of his fully extended arm, he called forward the same spell he'd used before, Ruin. It hit the target hard, bringing it down to it's knees, but, as he'd thought, this one was a lot stronger. Stahl hit the Risen with his spear, piercing it right through the heart. Even then the thing didn't go down.
"That's one tough cookie," Stahl said.
"Take us around one more time," Robin ordered. "I'll finish it off."
As ordered, Stahl turned his horse around and galloped again towards the half dead-undead. This time, Robin used a simple Flux spell. It did the trick. With the creature on the floor like that, the effect of the shadow tendrils was even more devastating than usual. Once more, Robin was glad that the gore from a living enemy wasn't there. It was all goo.
The fight was done. They'd won with no casualties on their side and only very minor injuries that Lissa took care of quickly. Chrom decided that with the sun already close to setting and everyone tired, it was better to make camp not too far from the bridge they'd just crossed. The tents were set up by everyone and Vaike had started a fire. They had supplies on the wagon that they'd packed, and Sumia decided that she would cook everyone dinner. "I didn't fight, so this is the least I can do for all of you," she said.
Most everyone were talking or taking advantage for the little light still in the sky to get stuff done. Robin was just looking as Sumia prepared the meal. He was curious as to how different Ylissean cuisine was from Plegian. He'd offered to help Sumia, but she had everything under control. She was preparing some sort of stew or soup over at the campfire.
"That smell really good," Robin said as he peaked at the contents of the cauldron. "It looks even better than it smells." He shot her a small smile.
"T-thank you, Robin," Sumia said. A faint tint of red appeared on her cheeks. "You guys worked so hard, so I really want to make it up to you guys. I've always had a thing for cooking. It just comes easier to me than fighting." She let out a sigh.
"I don't doubt your cooking is great, but for battle, it is as Chrom said to you yesterday. Training will only get you so far. Until you are faced with a life threatening situation, you won't be able to reach your full potential."
"I'll have to think about joining the next fight," she said. "I don't want to fall behind all of you. You can use a sword and magic. I so jealous."
Robin chuckled for a bit. "Well, you know how to ride a pegasus. That's something I can only dream of doing. It's not something that many can say they are able to do. Anyone can swing around a sword. Hell, that's what I do. Not everyone is able to establish a connection with a pegasus or a wyvern well enough that they can go into combat together."
The conversation ended there, but small talk ensued. Robin learned a few things about Sumia, like how she came along the pegasus in the first place and how she was an avid reader of romance novels, something Robin had no experience with. She ended up promising to lend him the one she'd brought with her once she was done with it.
Dinner was just about done when Robin noticed that they didn't have anything to drink. The river wasn't far away. He would walk back with a bucket. He went to the wagon to grab it when he met Lissa. She decided to join him in the little quest for water. It wasn't a bad idea. It was already dark. Having company would be best. He agreed to let her accompany him and they set off.
At the river, Robin had just filled the bucket with water when Lissa decided to put a couple of frogs down his coat. The surprise from feeling the amphibians trying to escape his coat made him trip and fall into the river. Fortunately for him, it was shallow enough that the water didn't drag him downstream. Unfortunately, his clothes were soaked.
The rest of the group were waiting for them to return. They all turned to look at him, soaked, walking with a bucket of water, and Lissa, who was laughing her little butt off. The sight did cause a few to laugh. Tharja looked more annoyed than anything. Miriel was more analytical, pointing out that if he didn't disrobe, he would catch a cold. He ended up handing his robe and coat off the side of the wagon.
"Good thing we still aren't that close to Ferox," Robin said as he took a seat on the ground, close to the fire. "I would freeze to death. These are the only clothes I have." He shot a stare at Lissa.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said.
"If you really were you wouldn't be laughing still…"
She really burst out laughing then. "But! BUT! Your face! It did this rubbery thing that was so funny!"
Robin could feel his blood boiling. "I'm not even going to ask what you are talking about. At this point, I don't care anymore. I just want these clothes to dry up and warm up a little." Sumia offered him a bowl of the warm stew. "Ah, Sumia, you are my savior." He gladly accepted the bowl and spoon and digged in.
Things turned more pleasant as everyone started having their share of the stew. Even Tharja was talking, one sidedly, admittedly, but talking, with the new arrival Miriel. The redhead kept inquiring about different aspects in relation to Tharja's hexing. Complicated stuff, something that Robin didn't care much about.
He found himself talking with Stahl. They discussed the Risen, the Shepherds' combat style before Robin joined them, and the green knight even gave the tactician some pointers for sword fighting. Somehow, it had been decided that from that point onward Robin would be training with both Chrom and Frederick to hone his swords skills and also train with Miriel and Tharja to make sure his magic didn't go rusty. There was one thing he knew for sure. This new life would keep him exhausted.
Okay, I know what some of you might be thinking. "Esid! What the hell? Sumia isn't an official Pegasus Knight from the start and she gets her pegasus after Chapter 2 in the game!" Yes, you are right. Before, during, and after I finish writing, I watch videos of the cutscenes that happen in the game to refresh my memory. The thing is, I decided to just give her the pegasus already because it is a scene that we all already know about. Instead, I brought stuff in that either is overlooked on the game or I thought it would be good to mention at some point.
Next point. This time I didn't go into too much detail for combat for a couple of reasons. One being that since this is Robin's perspective, even with his ability, he wouldn't be able to know exactly how the others were doing unless he used Eagle Eyes to see, but then trees would block most of the action. The other main reason was that if I did write out exactly what everyone did, this chapter would end up being massive. In any case, you know how it goes. Everyone goes badass and kick Risen butt! Just imagine how the battle goes for everyone else. That being said, if you do want me to write about combat in detail/full then let me know.
Now to a little trivia! You must've already noticed that I changed the way that Robin casts his spells. There isn't too much of a reason behind it, really. When I was writing down the battle scene for Ch2, I remembered how the summoner in FFXIV attacks. Always thought he looked pretty cool, so I went with that. Also, it ended helping in the long run. Now Robin can keep his tome at hand and his sword too like he does in Smash.
Also, for those interested, I based Robin's clothes on his character sheet that can be found online. In none of the stories I've read so far has anyone mentioned anything about the small yellow coat. The belt is ignored by a lot of people too, even if that is in plain view, but meh.
Last thing! Last chapter I asked about Lissa's and Maribelle's favorite tea. Tumberboy12 got it right again! The answer is anything that has citrus for Lissa and Maribelle says that her's is Lissa's favorite (although she did joke that it was "black tea infused with the still-warm blood of and adult male grizzly bear.")