I was amazed that chapter 11 brought in a thousand views so quickly, but last chapter blew that out of the water! In less than 30 hours it brought over a thousand views. I feel pretty good about that. The fact that all chapters are consistently getting more and more views is also good! More new readers are coming!
Going from the reviews on last chapter, you guys are enjoying this. I hope you like this one as well. I know I did when I was coming up with it.
In other news, I might get a project as a freelancer for a museum exhibit. Not exactly what I was thinking when I got my degree in Game Development, but at least I'll get to work with VR if I do land it. Wish me luck!
Remember to leave a review to let me know what you think and to follow and/or favorite the story if you really like it! Enjoy~
Chapter 13: And so I fell
One by one they were coming at him. He tried to get away—to run away from them as fast as he could. They kept coming at full speed, weapons on their hands, ready to take him down the first chance they got. He was trapped, running in a straight line with walls to both his left and his right. If he were to stop or even slow down for just a second, they would reach him. But the more he ran, the more he was aware that he was going nowhere. The pattern on the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling just kept repeating over and over again, as if he was stuck on a constant loop.
Was he really trapped? Was the only way to be safe to stop and fight back? He looked at the faces of his pursuers. He knew all of them well. There was the butcher's boy, the girl that worked at the bakery, the siblings that lived next to him, the daughter of the village elder, and the young guard of the town. All of them had bloodlust in their eyes. They wanted to kill him.
Panting, he finally came to a stop. He took out his sword, ready to fight them off. Maybe he wouldn't have to kill them. Maybe he could just reason with them and have them leave. There was no reason to fight. And if it came down to that, he could try to knock them out. Yes. That's what he would do. He had nothing to lose. If he kept running he would only lose all those "maybes" and die without a chance to fight back.
One by one they came at him, wielding swords, lances, axes, and even a pitchforks. He yelled at them to stop—they could find another way than to fight. They weren't having any of it. Steel clashed as he defended himself from the incoming attacks. But he was outnumbered. It wasn't long before the first hit got him. Then a second, and then a third. His flesh ripped and his blood splattered on the ground and the walls. As he was hit for the fourth time, his sword hand opened, letting his weapon hit the ground, the sound echoing down the corridor. He fell over backwards, his butt hitting the ground hard. He extended his hand to them, pleading to them to stop.
One of them moved towards him. Their weapon went up over their head, ready to bring them down. They weren't going to listen… To them, he was no longer a friend. He was their enemy. A traitor. He had to die. That was the purpose that drove them forward. They'd chased after him for long enough. They would end it right then and there.
His survival instinct kicked in. A sudden burst of energy flooded his arm as magic gathered in his palm. He could feel a burning sensation as the flow of magic moved towards his open palm. The attackers hesitated at seeing this. There was an odd red aura coming off of his entire arm. And just when things couldn't get any more strange, a red lightning rod shot out of his hand, striking the one before him through the heart.
They fell to the ground instantly, all life leaving their body as they hit the floor. The others just looked at him in shock. He was in shock too. He'd never seen anything like that kind of magic before. What's more, he didn't even feel like he'd used any of it. Suddenly, he stood up, feeling more assured about the situation. He pointed his hand at the others that were still standing, trying to threaten them not to come any closer. For a moment it worked. That is, until all of them came at him simultaneously.
And one by one he struck them down with that same power. His friends. His family. So easily. He didn't even hesitate. He stood there, motionless, simply looking at the bodies gathered around his feet. His eyes went wide as he clutched his head. What had he done? What kind of monster would do something like that? But there was no going back. Forward. He had to move forward. Still, he couldn't help but let out a dreadful cry in desperation. If this was on the path, what would he find at the end?
Robin shot up to a sitting position, confused about what was going on. He could feel his forehead drenched in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air as if he'd been held underwater against his will for a long time. He moved his left hand to his chest to calm down. His heart was racing like never before. He recalled the images he'd seen just moments before. That red glow he'd seen before… He had to make sure it wasn't there. He tried to move his right hand to get a look at it, but found it to be impossible. When he turned to see the reason why, he saw that someone was holding onto it, clutching it unintentionally. Lyn was there, sleeping besides him.
That's right, he thought. We were on our way to the eastern palace when we were attacked by Vasto and his men. The idea calmed him somewhat. Still thinking about having killed Vasto bothered him. After the fight, Chrom had given the order to make camp there for the night so that they all could get some rest and think about what their next move would be, or so had Lyn told him. Robin hadn't seen the bluenette since the fight was over.
He couldn't recall much else except for the fact that she'd stuck by his side for the rest of the day. The reason she was there was because he'd refused to go to sleep, saying that he needed to go over logistics for their next move, but she practically forced him to go to sleep. She even went as far as to stay there to make sure he got some sleep. That was probably why she was still there. She'd fallen asleep while on the watch, understandably so as she too had used a lot of her energy fighting and then helping him through his dark moment.
Seeing her there calmed him down. Taking a few deep, long breaths he was able to get his heart to slow down to a more normal pace. He rubbed away the sweat drops from his brow and stared off into the darkness. With no light coming in, he wondered what time it was. Not feeling like going back to sleep out of concern that he would go return to the same nightmare, the tactician decided to go out for a walk instead. But first, there was something he had to do.
It was funny how Lyn was always one of the early birds, but was a surprisingly a heavy sleeper. She was half on the bed and half on the ground, which Robin didn't like. He was able to get his hand free from her grip without moving her too much. Next, he rolled her over onto the spot he'd occupied for the night on the bedroll, being careful not to be too rough. She didn't have any complaints. The only thing coming from her was the faint sound of her breathing. Seeing her like that, Robin couldn't help but smile. He would have to thank her for all she'd done for him when he got the chance. The last thing he did was pull the covers over her. It's wasn't too windy out there nor particularly cold. It was just out of habit.
With the hardest part done, he could leave his tent without worrying about her. He thought for a second if she would be mad that he'd left like that in the middle of the night, but he decided to deal with that later on. He walked towards the table where his others things had been set—his tome, his cloak, and his sword. A sigh left his lips as he noticed the big tear on the fabric. Sewing was something he was decent at, but he was more concerned about what he had to sew. His shirt was a different matter. The tear on that was much larger, but he wasn't particularly attached to that piece of clothing.
I wonder where I can get some string, he thought. No doubt, no one would have any with them. String wasn't something that soldiers would carry around unless there was a lack of healers, as it could be used to suture wounds. Speaking of which, he noticed that the wound he'd received during battle was no longer there. For that to happen, a healer would've had to use a staff. He couldn't remember being healed at all! That was embarrassing. One more person to thank, although he would have to ask who it'd been first. Something told him it had to be Maribelle's doing. He would've remembered Lissa doing so.
With no other choice, he put on the cloak without hesitation—damaged or not, it was still a good cloak that meant a lot to him. He quickly gathered his things and, making sure not to be too noisy, walked out of the tent.
Outside wasn't that much lighter than the inside of the tent. The ground was lit only by the moonlight. The campsite was almost entirely silent. It was eerie, as this was the first time he'd seen it like that. Usually it was lively with all the Shepherds walking around, but now, there wasn't a soul to speak of. It made sense. They were all sleeping, judging from the the moon still being out. If there were others awake, it would be those standing guard, but they would be making their rounds just outside the camp's perimeter.
Robin walked aimlessly until he spotted the glow of a fire at the edge of camp. There were some stools around it, which he concluded were used during dinner. Not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep, he decided to make his way over and rest there for a while. But as he got closer, he noticed a figure of a woman staring into the fire. She looked somewhat depressed. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, her knees partially covering her face. He had to take a second look to recognize who it was. He didn't know her name, but he'd seen her arrive during their last battle. She'd been the one that told Phila about the border being lost.
Calmly, he walked over towards her. "Hello," he said as he approached her.
The woman jumped, quite literally, to her feet. She picked up a lance that she'd brought with her and pointed it towards Robin out of instinct. Surprised by her actions, Robin showed her his hands to prove that he meant no harm.
"A Plegian…?" She muttered under her breath while keeping her eyes on the tactician. "I should've known that there would be more of you. Do you intend to ambush us again?!"
"Peace! I'm not your enemy," Robin said. "My name is Robin. I'm the Shepherds tactician." Despite the situation and how nervous he was from having the point of a lance so close to his throat, he tried to keep his voice down. He didn't want to wake any of the others up.
"Robin?" The girl repeated, her posture relaxing somewhat. It only hit her after a long silent moment who he was. "My apologize, Sir Robin. I just assumed-"
"It's alright. It's an easy mistake to make. No harm done." Both of them let out a sigh of relief at the same time, which caused Robin to smile. Phila or Chrom would've told her that they did in fact have Plegians on their ranks and not to harm them. "You can drop the "Sir" too. I'm nothing more than a commoner," he explained. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all," she said as she sat back down. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone at this time. I just couldn't sleep…"
"That makes two of us." He walked over to the closest seat and sat down. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier."
"My name is Cordelia. It's...nice to meet you." She eyed him for a second before she spoke up again. "Your clothes…"
He looked down to take a look at himself. "Yeah, I thought for a while about changing to something that would make me look less...Plegian? I'm certain that if I did so more people would feel at ease around me and would keep others from making the same mistake you did. But these have sentimental value to me."
She slowly shook her head. "No, I didn't mean that. I meant that there are tears on them. From battle?"
"Ah…" He didn't really want to think about it, so he would try to stir the conversation away from it. "I, ugh...wanted to get them fixed, but I doubt I'll be able to get to it until we reach a town."
"If you don't mind, I could do it for you."
Robin looked at her for a second, confused. "There is no need for that."
"It's alright. I'm quite skilled with string and needle." She got up and walked over to him, extending a hand towards him when she got close enough. "I could do it right now, if you like."
It turned out that she was as good as she said. It took her only a fraction of the time it would have taken him. It was such fine work that the tear and stitching blended almost entirely with the fabric, making it hard to spot unless he looked hard enough for it. When he praised her for her work, she insisted to do his shirt too. He wondered where she'd gotten the string from and why she was even carrying it with her, but in the end, she was able to convince him to hand over the shirt. He noticed that she stared at the different scars on his torso before grabbing the shirt and working on it. Not liking being so exposed, Robin covered himself with the newly fixed cloak on. Neither of them said anything as she worked on the shirt. All Robin did was look at how she seamlessly made it so that her work was hard to spot. He could learn a thing or two from her.
He was quick to put the shirt back on as soon as she handed it over. By then, the sun was starting to come up. Soon he would have to go to the war counsel. Because of the events of the previous day, he was out of the loop on the details regarding how the border was lost. Thankfully, Cordelia knew all about that. Robin went on to ask her a few questions about it, dancing around any topics that the girl would be uncomfortable to talk about, like anything related to the people lost. He focused on the enemy instead. How many did she think attacked? How long did the engagement last before she was ordered to leave? What about the enemy formation? And so on.
She was a good sport, answering to the best of her abilities. If he noticed that she was too shaken up on a certain subject, he would back off. He didn't know her well, but he felt bad for her when she clenched her hands or looked down at the ground.
After a while, Robin felt comfortable enough to call it there. "You've been a great help, Cordelia," he reassured her as he stood up to stretch his back. "Both for the information and helping me with my clothes. You'll make a good addition to our ranks, whether you stay with the Pegasus Knights and protect the Exalt or you come with the Shepherds."
She stood up, as if someone had called for an assembly, and looked at him straight on. "Thank you, Robin. I'll do my best."
"I'm sure you will." He offered her a smile. "Now then, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Chrom to go to." Her reaction at the mention of the prince's name was an odd one. Why would she even react to that?
The two bid their farewells and Robin was able to head towards Chrom's tent, which was easy to spot as it was one of the largest ones in camp, second only to that of Emmeryn. Once again, he was the first one to arrive there. That wasn't surprising, as he'd been up all night. He didn't have to go through the hassle that was waking up and getting ready. He announced himself before Chrom gave him the go ahead to enter the tent.
"Good to see you're here early," said Chrom as he gave him a worried look. "How are you holding up?"
Robin let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head. He knew that this conversation was unavoidable. But what could he tell him? It hadn't even been a full day since everything went down. Telling him a lie would probably put the bluenette at ease...but it wouldn't feel right to lie about it.
"As good as you would expect, given the circumstances," Robin said. "But we have a war to deal with. No amount of self pity will make it stop. For now, as long as we keep moving forward I'll be fine."
Chrom half smiled at him. "As the leader of this army, I'm glad to hear you say that. But as your friend? You should find a way to vent or else it will consume you. Bottling up all those feelings is not going to do you any good."
"Fully noted." The prince wasn't saying anything that Robin himself hadn't thought about before. Keeping good mental health was as important if not more than physical health to a soldier. If he were to push himself past a limit, he could very well enter a dark spot that he could never come back from.
"Next time we get the chance, make sure to take some time for yourself and just relax. Who knows? Maybe you could even bring a certain lady friend with you." Chrom grinned. He hadn't said a name, but it was quite clear who he was referring to.
Robin rolled his eyes. He wondered if Chrom would keep pushing that topic again and again. Although, he would be lying if he said that the idea wasn't tempting. Perhaps he would follow his friend's advice in the future. He wouldn't hold out for that, though. There was no way of telling when and even if there would be a chance for an outing like that anytime in the near future.
"Excuse me, milord," Frederick said as he entered the tent. "We are ready for to begin." Robin was glad to see the knight. It would turn the spotlight from him and his love life for the time being. Followed by Frederick, Phila and Emmeryn made their way in. Soon, the four of them found themselves on the same spots around the table with the maps and wooden figurines on top that they were fast growing used to.
The five of them remained silent as they analyzed the map, that is, except for Robin. He was looking at the faces around him. It seemed that everyone had something on their minds, but didn't know how to bring it up. The uneasy atmosphere had to be broken, and if no one else was going to do it, then Robin would take the first step.
Approaching the table a little more he said, "from our current location, we are half a day away from our destination on the long end if we do not encounter any more Plegian forces or Risen. If we hurry and step it up, we could get there by noon."
"Then we should get ready to depart as soon soon as possible," said Chrom as he nodded in agreement. "The plan should still be the same as it was yesterday. The sooner we get to the palace, the sooner we can ask Khan Flavia for support." At those words, Emmeryn fidgeted. She looked uneasy with the idea of moving forward.
"Is everything alright, Your Grace?" Robin asked, which made everyone turn to look at the Exalt with concern. She, however, still looked like she was gathering her words. "Do you perhaps think there is a better move we could make?"
The small push was all she needed. With resolve in her eyes, she looked at everyone around them. "...We may be able to have that time to spare. The villagers near the border and even the citizens of Ylisstol, may not have that luxury."
"Right," said Chrom. "That's why I was saying we should move with haste-"
"No, Chrom… I will be going back to Ylisstol." Her words came to a shock for everyone. Stunned, all they could do was look at her. She wanted to head back to the enemy path! It was suicide!
"Emm...you can't be serious," Chrom finally spoke up, some sweat forming on his forehead. "You can't go back! It isn't safe. We are so close now to the palace. Another half a day won't do-"
"Another day, you mean," Emmeryn interrupted. "You would have to come back this way to head to Regna Ferox. And that's without taking into account any time you might need to gather more supplies.
"No, I'm going back. There is no time to spare. From the beginning, I should never have left the palace. You would be well past the border by now if we hadn't taken this detour. I won't stand on a palace, safe, while my subjects are being slaughtered left and right. Now more than ever they will need guidance a midst uncertainty."
"Your Grace! Please, reconsider," Phila said, fear showing on her voice.
"Phila, you of all people should know that I won't change my mind." Phila took a step back. "Please understand. My people need me."
"Your Grace… I understand… Then I along the rest of my knight will escort you back and keep you safe."
"Have you lost your mind, Phila?!" Chrom's voice was much more agitated than before. He had slammed his hands on the table, leaning on it. "Emm, you've already sacrificed so much for what's best for the people. Be selfish for once! Put yourself first. They will understand!"
Emmeryn shook her head. "Have you forgotten, Chrom? The Hierarch, one of our most trusted individuals, betrayed us as soon as the situation looked grim. Who's to say that others won't do the same? How many lives will we lose from an internal conflict?"
"It could turn into a coup d'etat…" said Robin, cringing for just imagining it. "If that were to happen, we will have much more to face than just the Mad King's army."
"Thank you, Robin," Emmeryn said, giving a slight bow.
"Not you too, Robin…" The way Chrom looked at him was enough to make his heart sink. It felt like he'd betrayed his friend. But Chrom had to understand that they were fighting for much more than just one person, even if it was that individual's idea that they were chasing after.
"Logistically speaking, it's what's best, Chrom," the tactician tried to explain. "If Emmeryn remains in Ylisstol people will stand their ground. If word got out that she escaped the city even before the border fell it will create a panic."
"But-"
"That's enough, Chrom," Emmeryn said, her usual motherly tone replaced by one of authority. "I am still the Exalt. As such, I order you to head for Regna Ferox immediately. You will also take the Fire Emblem with you and keep it safe."
"Emmeryn, please," Chrom said, but didn't get a chance to continue.
"Gangrel is after the Emblem. If you have it with you, even if he were to take the city, I'm certain you will be able to stop him." She turned to look at Robin. "If the Shepherds were to go leave for Ferox from here, how long would it take them to reach the capital?"
Robin rubbed his chin, the stubble prickling at his hand. "We are better suited and better position for travel this time around. If we split our supplies with the Pegasus Knights… We could get there by nightfall if we don't make any stops."
Emmeryn nodded. "Very well, then that's what you will do."
"Yes, Your Grace…" What she meant was that she was going back and buy them time. And for them to come back, they would need to bring reinforcements with them. He admired her courage as a leader, but feared for her safety.
"I shall assign Cordelia to the Shepherds," said Phila. She'd regained her composure and was stoic as ever. "She is one of our best, despite how young she is. There are still many things that she has to experience. I know she will be in better hands with you than with us."
With one last goodbye, the two women left the tent, despite Chrom's protests. Robin exchanged a look with Frederick. The knight knew exactly what he meant with it, as he gave him a nod. He would've wanted to stay there and help Chrom come to terms with Emmeryn's decision, but he needed to go to the wagon and divvy up the supplies.
He caught up with Phila and Emmeryn quickly. He told them that they should go over the inventory, to which Phila nodded.
It was easy work, but Robin got no pleasure out of it. It only kept him distracted. He knew that it wasn't his place to question Emmeryn's decision, especially when he knew it was the best one too. Still, it was hard to remain quiet. She had to know she was walking a fine line between life and death. One wrong move and Chrom or Lissa would have to take her place.
The brunette was somehow able to manage to keep his thoughts to himself. Phila gathered up the Pegasus Knights quickly, and Robin handed them a calculated amount of supplies like food, water, and medicine that could come in handy. He looked at all of them. Half a dozen Pegasus Knights plus Phila. That was all the defense that Emmeryn could count on until they reached the relative safety of the palace. Then she would have the royal guard, but he wondered if even that would be enough.
As Emmeryn was getting back in the carriage, she took one last look at the camp. "Promise me you will look out for my brother and sister, Robin," she said, looking directly at him. "I know that if there's someone that can keep them safe, it is you."
He wasn't sure how to respond to that. He just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, a simple, "of course, Your Grace." And then they were gone. The figures vanished into the distance, heading south-west back to the capital. He was still staring off into the distance when a voice snapped him out of it.
"You got out of bed really early and still didn't shave?" Lyn asked behind him. He turned to look at her. She didn't seem pleased at all. Then again, she could just be teasing him again. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her to try and find out which one it was. "But at least you got your clothes fixed." She looked at his chest area. "You can barely tell they were torn just a few hours ago."
"Enough with the beard thing already," he said disheartened, hunching over slightly. "I'll shave it off after breakfast."
"Glad to hear that you'll have something to eat today."
Robin shrugged. "I can only do so much with a piece of toast in me." Lyn smiled at him, half chuckling. "Come. We should hurry before there is nothing left."
The two were amongst the first to get served that morning. Thankfully, Sully wasn't assigned to cooking duty, much to Robin's delight. Because of how the camp was setup, there was no place for them to sit but the ground. That's when Lyn suggested they sit near one of the trees on the mountain side. "We'll get some shade and the grass will be more comfortable than dirt or stone," she said.
The atmosphere was nice. It wasn't too hot, but it wasn't cold. There was a breeze, but it didn't bother either of them. The food was pretty good—being smoked bacon and scrambled eggs—a good breakfast indeed. And, above all else, the company was nice. They talked for a bit, Lyn mentioning how it was that she fell asleep in his tent, and Robin talking about how Cordelia's stitch-work was very impressive. He couldn't help but laugh as he thought about what Chrom had said about having a relaxing time with a lady friend. I bet this is not what he had in mind, Robin thought as he smirked.
"I should really thank you, Lyndis," he told her as he set down his plate on the grass besides him. "You helped me out a lot yesterday. Even now, you are still looking out for me, aren't you?"
Lyn looked happy. "You are very welcome," she said. "But don't think for a second I wouldn't do it. Remember what I told you, I will be watching your back. That is a promise."
Robin scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, but still smiling. He brought his hand down, but this time, he held hers. To think that the delicate hand he was holding on his own could move a sword with such speed and grace that had taken down so many enemies before… "I'll look out for you too," he said.
Lyn looked at him. "Don't be silly, Mark. You are already looking out for everyone."
He couldn't understand if what he was trying to say blew over her head or if she was teasing again. To make sure, he would make it absolutely clear. "That's not...what I meant." He leaned in and gave her the lightest of kisses on her lips. She didn't pull back. If anything, she pushed forward a bit.
"Oh…"
As tender as the moment was, it came to an abrupt end when a certain knight clad in blue coughed into his fist a couple of times to gain their attention.
Robin moved back instantly, his face flaring up. He'd forgotten there were others around them! The faint sound of voices and practice swords hitting each other should have been a give away, but he'd tuned them out completely.
"I'm sorry to interrupt.," said Frederick. "We are starting the preparations for our departure. I suggest you go take down your tents as quick as possible. Lord Chrom wants to take full advantage of daylight."
Aaaand that's why romance in the battlefield is so difficult, Robin thought. The two of them quickly got on their feet after collecting their plates and headed back to the camp.
"Ah, before I forget," he said after leaving his plate on a box that had all the dirty plates. "I was thinking that perhaps we could...do something when we get back to Ferox." He didn't have any idea as to what they could do. He knew nothing about the Feroxi capital except for what was around of Arena Ferox.
"Oh, I like the sound of that," she said with excitement to spare. "We should tell Isadora too. I'm sure she would enjoy taking a look around the city."
The tactician laughed nervously. That had confirmed his thoughts that she couldn't read the underlying meaning behind his words. "I was thinking it could be just the two of us… As in a date." He felt like they'd skipped a few steps. But then, had they done things in the traditional order, would that make any difference? There were people that would go directly to marriage!
"A-Ah!" This time it was her who was flustered. "Yes, I would like that..."
They eventually had to go their separate ways, not deciding on any details. They both had to know that even if they planned something, there could be no time for it. Instead of getting their hopes too high up, it was best just to toy with the idea for the time being.
The morning training had been cancelled for the day. Because of that, camp was packed quickly and they were able to set off almost two hours ahead of schedule. Chrom was really going to push them to reach Regna Ferox in one go, as Robin had said it was possible. They were informed that they wouldn't be stopping until they reached their final destination. The order was not questioned. By then, Frederick had informed everyone about Emmeryn going back to the capital. They all knew what that would mean. Everyone shared Chrom's sense of urgency, even if they didn't say it.
Hours passed. The terrain changed. Snow started to fall. They were at the wall around noon that day. Robin took it as a good sign. They were going much faster than he'd calculated that morning. However, he was also worried that pushing the horses so much would cause them to collapse. The snow would force them to slow their pace, giving the horses a breather, but he worried about that being enough for them to hold out. Like the soldiers, the horses weren't getting any food, drink, or rest until they reached Arena Ferox.
Thankfully, they also had pegasai with them. Robin would send orders to both Sumia and Cordelia to scout ahead areas that he thought could be a problem to them, as well as search for alternate routes they could use. They would report their finding to Chrom, though, as he was the head of the convoy. When possible, Robin would even use Eagle Eye to check the terrain further ahead. The ability had turned out to be of a lot more used than he'd initially intended it for. Unfortunately for him, the thick canopy of trees around them made it difficult to spot any danger lurking their way. Then again, Frederick the Wary would take care of anything that could pose as a threat to Chrom and Lissa. Robin had seen the knight literally clearing out every single rock on their path in the past. The man took his job overboard.
As the sun was setting in the horizon, they finally spotted the all too familiar amphitheater that was Arena Ferox. It was the boost that they all needed. With their destination in sight, they all picked up the pace that much more. It would get dark before they finally reached the city gates.
With the encounter with Remi still fresh on his mind, Robin was half expecting having to fight again in order to talk with the khans. There hadn't been any trouble at the border, so there just had to be something there, right? Things couldn't just be that easy. Wrong. They were cordially greeted by the guards, one of them even offering to take them to see the khans directly.
Just like that, Chrom, Frederick, and Robin found themselves being escorted to the grand hall in Arena Ferox while the rest of the Shepherds were shown to some lodging meant for guests of the khans and were going to be fed too. Even the horses were looked after, which took a load off of Robin's mind. Gods knew the creatures deserved some rest and pampering too after what they'd been put through.
A guard opened a door to the grand hall and allowed the three of them to step inside. The room, as grand as it was, was not empty. Both of the khans were there to meet them in person. How they'd known that they would be getting a visit was beyond Robin. He wouldn't deny that he was happy to see them both again, especially as they smiled and approached them to greet them as if they were all friends.
"I know what bring you here today," said Flavia, taking on a more serious tone fitting of a leader of a nation. "He got word earlier today about Plegian forces attacking the border with Ylisse."
"I know this isn't ideal after you've already provided up with some of your troops, Khan Flavia, but we were hoping you could spare us more," Chrom said. "As we stand, we are vastly outnumbered against Gangrel's army. Between them and the Risen, we have no forces other than the Shepherds to mount an offensive. We were hoping that you could lend us your strength-"
Flavia raised her hand, having heard enough from the bluenette. "No need to be so formal, Chrom. We will provide the troops." Basilio nodded in agreement as he grinned. "We've already sent a call to arms not long before you arrived. Give it some time and we'll get together a fine group of lads to come with us."
"Time is something we don't have much to spare," Chrom confessed. "With the speed with which the Plegians are moving, an attack on Ylisstol is imminent. My sister, the Exalt Emmeryn, is currently there, trying to keep panic from growing."
"We're not saying we aren't going to attack, lad," said Basilio. "We simply ask to give some time to think things over. We can't charge in blindly at the enemy with just any soldier that wants to make a name for themselves. If we're to do this, we need to nitpick who we bring with us."
"The oaf is right," said Flavia. "As much as I would love to bring in everyone with us and have more join us as they come, that won't do. I won't send our people to their deaths so lightly, even if they want to gain fame from it."
"I understand," Chrom said. "That is something we've discussed before… My apologies. I don't mean to rush you."
"It's all good, lad," said Basilio. "You say you've discussed the matter before. So? What you have for us?" Chrom turned to look at Robin, who stepped forward.
"We got word from someone that was at the border during the attack," the tactician said. "She was able to give us a lot of information about the enemy troops we will be encountering as we march towards Plegia. We devised a strategy to deal with the situation as swiftly as possible while keeping our casualties at an absolute minimum.
"First, we'll need five hundred able bodies to join us as the main attack force. Seventy archers, sixty casters, at least twenty healers, seventy to eight cavalry, and the rest can be a combination of spearmen, axemen, and swordsmen. Any long range units, like wyvern or pegasus riders, are a plus, but not entirely necessary. With these, we will drive in deep into enemy territory. The goal is to bring down King Gangrel."
"What of the occupied cities and villages? Are we to ignore them?" Flavia asked.
"No, that's where the second force comes in. That can be as big as you can get it to be. They should follow behind the main force, but will be taking care of any enemy forces that stand between Ylisstol and the border. The main attack force will act as a wedge, diving Gangrel's army in two. That will make them easier to deal with the overwhelming numbers that would follow."
The khans exchanged looks as they pondered about the plan.
"Sounds like suicide for the attacking force," Flavia finally said. "Then again, I've heard that you Shepherds have gone into battle with the odds on the enemy's favor again and again and still come out victorious without a single life lost on your ranks… I like it. You can count me in! I'll even go with you! Gods know that my sword could use a few more deadly swings."
"You are either a genius or a madman, tactician," said Basilio. "We'll have to wait and see which one you turned out to be. But don't think that I'll be staying behind either. If we are doing this, then I'll also come with you. Ha!"
"Two down, four hundred and ninety-eight to go," Robin joked.
"How long would it take to get that many men?" Chrom asked.
"Five hundred aren't that many," Flavia said. "Anywhere from two to four days, depending on how fast the messengers carry the word around.
"For the time being, you should have your people rest, Chrom. Have them take advantage of some leisure time while they still can. Eat, drink, fight, and sleep. That's what you all need! And if they still need more, they can always do the other type of sleeping." She laughed, but Robin felt a bit uncomfortable with the sexual innuendo, and guessing by how Chrom flared up, he was too.
The next morning, Chrom gathered his troops to announce the plan as well as give them some time to spend however they liked. Robin, thinking that he would take advantage of the occasion, decided to ask Lyn about going around the city in the afternoon, to which she agreed. Thankfully, she'd spend some time around there before they met up. She would know what was worth doing in the short time they would have to themselves. The two decided to meet at the entrance of the arena a few hours later. They parted ways after eating breakfast together to deal with a few things on their own end.
The Plegian had to have a brief talk with the khans about gathering supplies and going over the number of recruits they'd gained since they'd put the word out. Overall, it wasn't too bad. It was better than having to deal with the constant fighting, although it wasn't as exciting. Chrom caught him after that. The two trained for a couple of hours as they too discussed certain logistics about their next move on the war. The prince wanted to move their main force to Ylisstol first to prevent any enemies from going past them when they started their march west. It was a reasonable idea, so Robin told him it would be up to him to decide. Robin was the tactician, but Chrom was the one that would be leading the army into battle. The final say would always be on him.
By the time the two were done with training, Robin still had some time to kill. That is until he saw Miriel sitting at a bench. The scroll in his pocket quickly popped into his mind. He'd wanted to ask her about it for some time, but hadn't had a chance to. Seeing her alone then was as close as he would ever get. He quickly approached the scholar, making his presence known by calling out to her.
"Good afternoon, Robin," she said as she closed her book. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Right," Robin said, taken aback by her forwardness. "I was hoping you could help me with something, if you had the time."
"Certainly, although I don't know of how much use I would be given that warfare is not in my area of expertise."
"No, no! It has nothing to do with what's currently going on." She kept a cool air around her, just staring at him. "It's more of a personal favor…"
"A personal favor? If I may ask, why do you come to me with such a matter? As I understand, personal favors are a benefit that two parties share when they've reached a certain point in their friendship, no?"
"You aren't entirely wrong, I guess… Wait, Miriel, do you not consider us friends?" Robin asked, a little worry sipping out.
"Hmm…"She looked away, giving it a thoughtful moment before going back to look at the brunette. "I hadn't thought about it before. There are many benefits from having friends, as per social norm. But do they weight fairly against the hindrances from managing such a bond with someone else...? Should I consider us friends?"
"Umm… I think you are overthinking this… For what it's worth, I do consider you a friend. I consider all Shepherds friends, actually-Well, maybe not all of them. Sully and Vaike are more like...acquaintances?"
"Sharing a common goal and working together towards it can bring two people to the status of "friends"? Fascinating."
"Riiight… But going back to what I mentioned before—we can call it a trade if you prefer. I can teach you some things about dark magic if you can help me. How about that?"
"You make an interesting offer, Robin. Then, what would you like me to help you with?" Robin took out the scroll from the inner pocket of his cloak. Giving it one last look, he handed it over to Miriel, who stared at it like a predator to its prey.
"I was hoping you could help me translate that. I took a look at it, but I just can't tell what's written on it. I heard from Sumia that you'd been reading about languages before, so I thought if there was anyone that would be able to help me, then it would be you."
She remained quiet as she studied the scroll, looking over the parchment. She didn't open it up. She just stared at it.
"Is something wrong?" Robin asked.
"You can learn a great deal about a language from the medium the writer chose. I'm analyzing the paper quality as well as the fine detail in decoration that was put into the outside of it. This tells me that whatever this is meant to be, it's not just some scroll."
She was good! She'd arrived at a similar conclusion he had just by looking at the paper. He had a lot more information that she had, and he had gotten no where. He pumped his fist in his mind, glad to see that he'd made the right call.
"Why don't you hold onto it for now? I can't expect you to tell me all about it off the bat. I'll check with you every now and again to see how things are going. I might be able to help with a few things if you're ever stuck on something."
"Very well. I'll keep it safe. This is the first time I see something like this. I'll make sure nothing happens to it."
"That would be great." He smiled at her. "Well, I'll leave you to your book. I have somewhere I should be right now. You should think about relaxing too, you know?" She remained quiet. Whether she felt insulted by that or she was over analyzing what he said, he didn't know. He waved her goodbye and left the area. He would be meeting up with Lyn soon.
I should head to the meeting point.
"Robin," a familiar voice called out to the tactician, who turned to look at the owner of said voice. It was Marth. How she'd gotten there unnoticed by anyone else baffled him all the more. "May I have a moment?"
He hesitated, as he was on his way to meet up with Lyn. But then, how long could they take? There was no sense of urgency in her voice, which told him that whatever she wanted to say was not of much importance. Although, if she had sought him out, the least he could do was to hear her out. He gave her a small nod and said to go ahead.
"I thank you," she said, her expression not telling him much. "I understand that you are of Plegia? I'm sure this war must be very difficult for you." Robin raised an eyebrow. Was that what she wanted to talk about? She continued, "you've fought for Ylisse bravely, and for that too you have my thanks."
"...I don't understand," Robin said, confused. "Where is all of this coming from?"
Ignoring him, she continued. "You helped saved the Exalt not once, but twice. And although she didn't come to Regna Ferox, I am sure she is safe." She looked down at her feet, a small smile crossing her lips. "Things are different now… It won't turn out the same way it did before…" She looked up at him, her smile still showing.
Robin felt a jolt shoot up his spine. Her eyes, or rather, her eye… "Who are you…?" Robin asked, becoming more defensive at the realization. Because she'd been wearing a mask before, he hadn't had a chance to look at her in the eye. And even when that was gone, the commotion with the assassins kept him too preoccupied with defending the Exalt to even look at what had been right in front of him. "You have the brand."
"I am not an enemy," she said. "That much I can tell you. I'm looking after what is best for the Halidom—for the world. To prevent what is to come."
"Why aren't you answering me?" Something wasn't right. The way she was talking was...off. They were both fighting for the greater good. So then, why did he feel the same way he had when he faced off against Vasto? His brain was telling him that the person in front of him wasn't an ally. Not to him. And yet, he couldn't find it in him to move or do anything other than reason with her.
"...But your part in this is done."
Before he knew it, she rushed at him. On her hand, her sword—the Falchion copy. The surprise had been so great that Robin had taken too much time to avoid the attack. He felt the blade dig into his chest, hit his heart, and come out through his back. No one had been around to see it. No one had been around to prevent it. He clutched her arms with the little energy he could spare. His body had gone into overdrive, trying to keep him from losing consciousness.
When she pulled out her sword from him, he fell over face first onto the ground. Had she not stepped back, he would've landed on her. He wanted to scream at her, but the pain was too great to even do that.
"I'm sorry…" he heard her say. "I can't let you get a chance to kill father… The war with Plegia, even without you, will be resolved… I learned all the strategies you used, after all."
He reached his right hand towards her. He was trying to get a hold of her ankle. He wanted her to look at him. If nothing else, she should at least look at him in the eye after what she'd done. But he couldn't reach her. She was already walking away, not looking back. She was getting away! And there was no one to stop her. Damn it, he thought.
There was a more pressing matter. Unless he could stop the bleeding, he would die. He tried rolling onto his back, but was only able to do so half way, ending up on his left side. He could see as the blood poured out of his chest and onto the floor, creating a small red pool. For a second he would see a red glow coming out of it too, similar to the one he'd seen in his dream a few days back.
I'm hallucinating, he thought. This is bad. He had to put some pressure on it or he would bleed out. The great tactician of the Shepherds, the one who'd brought back all the troops that he was in charge of alive, was going to meet his end thanks to a friendly. He moved his hand towards the wound, but he didn't have enough energy left in him to put any pressure on it. His vision was blurring and his body was already going cold.
Then a figure appeared. It looked like it was running towards him. He could barely feel when hands rolled him all the way over to his back. Robin took a look at the person, but the image in front of him was so blurry that he couldn't even tell if it was a man or a woman. He could hear this figure saying something, but he couldn't make out what was being said either. Encouraging words, probably. Too bad those words couldn't heal…
Finally, his vision went black. He couldn't fight it anymore. And all he could think of during that last moment was that Lyn was still waiting for him.
First thing first: who can spot the quote from a different game series in there? It's a pretty popular one (the series.)
A lot of stuff going on on this chapter once again. I kinda like doing things like this. A lot of stuff happens, but in small bursts, so it can be developed through several chapters. I think it's better than just focusing on one thing for an entire chapter. But man! Robin can't catch a break! I like to see him suffer. What can I say? I like being mean to my characters to balance things out, haha!
Onto reviews!
Antiques thief -Yeah, agreed. Though I can't remember the last time I saw them used weather in combat. If you hadn't brought it up, I don't think I would've event thought back on Awakening not doing it. I know that when I bring it in, it will have the same effect on both sides. Fair is fair. As for those spikes, I don't think I've ever heard of that. Sounds like a pain... Kinda want to play that now, just to see how well I do.
speedking523 -Both Eliwood and Hector may show up in the future. I can't tell you if and when they would or it would ruin the surprise, but I can tell you that the next character coming up isn't one of them. As for Roy, I don't know yet... If Eliwood does show up, then there's a chance little Roy will make an appearance (as a kid,) but right now I don't have a plan to bring in Roy as a character from his game (teenager.) And as for making Robin be Kris too, I don't have any plans for that at the moment. I never played Fire Emblem 12, so I'm not too familiar with the story or characters. If I can find a ROM I might play it, but even then, there would be no guarantee that I would bring that timeline into the story.
Whatstoknow -Hahaha! Glad you are liking it so much! Unfortunately, no Lissa this chapter (awww.) I already something in mind for her in the near future. Look forward to that!
Sugoxxx -You are very welcome! Them extra ships will start going as I bring more characters from Rekka No Ken. I wonder what other pairing people will start shipping xD Thank you very much!
Yellowclover -Glad to hear that! As for the amnesia buisness, I'll only say you got it partially right. He does have his memories because of that, but that isn't the main reason for it. That will get answered much further down the line, I think. All I can say is to not draw conclusions based on the logic from the game world. I myself have a certain idea of how time travel could work, so you'll see that influence the story's take on it. And Luna? It was a pretty cool spell... Them sprite animations, ugh! Love them! I'll keep it in mind.
starlightkitsune2178 -Hehe, good. Expect the unexpected, my friend! Anything goes when Robin has a past!
werehogdog -Thank you very much. I think that because this a novelization, things should move at a certain pace. Focusing too much on one aspect without advancing the story is a big no no for me on this story, at least. I'm happy to see you approve of it. I wasn't too sure if people would've preferred me to go more into detail or just leave it as is.
Ethereal780 -That's a very good question. Could be a good idea for a one-shot further down the line... That would suck so much for him. He would end up on what could be an endless cycle of killing for the greater good, even if it costs him the lives of everyone he holds dear. Reminds me of Kiritsugu Emiya from Fate Zero.