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Chapter 16: And so we returned
Robin was pulled out of his sleep when he felt something bump his back. His eyes slowly fluttered open to be greeted by the faint light of his surroundings. Like most other morning, he was in his tent. More specifically, he was laying down on his bedroll. Guessing from the faint light that was making its way inside through the flaps of the tent, he could tell that it was already time to get up. Ever since they'd set off from the Feroxi capital, he'd been waking up much earlier than usual to start his morning ritual. Because of his recent acquisition of an (expensive) armor, he would make sure to put it on before going to the war council. If he'd gone out of his way to get one he wanted to make sure to get as much use out of it as possible. Obviously sleeping on it was out of the question unless being sore was not a problem. The only person crazy enough to do something like that would be Frederick. He was always ready for any situation that could arise and present harm to his lord. If someone were to say that the knight did indeed sleep in his armor, Robin would take it as fact.
That morning Robin felt particularly lazy. He knew he had to get up and get ready or else he would be late for the war counsel with Chrom and the khans, but his body was telling him to stay down and enjoy the bed, even if it was only for a few more minutes. However, when he felt something bump him for a second time, it woke him and his curiosity enough for him to roll over and inspect the source of his discomfort. For a moment he was surprised to see there was someone sleeping besides him. Not only that, but this person was particularly close to him, probably trying to share (steal) some of his body heat after the frosty night. His cheeks immediately flushed as he looked at her peaceful, resting face. Her lips parted just enough that he could even hear her lightly snoring. He felt the view was extremely alluring. He extended his hand to brush a few loose hairs off her forehead.
True to her word, Lyn had been staying close to him ever since he'd woken up from his coma. And although he'd told her repeatedly that she should sleep in her own bed, which she brought with her to his tent, every morning he would still wake up next to her. It was a terribly compromising position. Luck had been on their side thus far with no one coming to visit his tent at nights or in the mornings. He wasn't even sure if anyone knew about this...sleeping arrangement they had except for Isadora, who was meant to be Lyn's original tent mate. If someone came in without notice, there would be too many questions to answer. They weren't hiding their relationship, but an unmarried couple sleeping together would still raise a few eyebrows. For Robin, the less attention he could get on himself the better.
"I can tell you are awake, Lyn," said Robin meekly as he stared at her. He knew better than wasting his time scolding the woman for sneaking into his bed. He'd done it before to no avail since the march started. Besides, despite knowing that they shouldn't, he liked having her close like that. It wasn't often he got to see her lower her guard like during those morning hours. He would get a comforting, almost familiar feeling every time. It wasn't as if they were doing anything...indecent; they just happened to share a bed. There wasn't anything wrong with that!
"Hey, are you ignoring me?" He poked her cheek, but she didn't even flinch. He knew that she was a heavy sleeper, but to move so much during her sleep? That was new...if she was truly asleep. Perhaps she was having a strange dream? He yawned into his fist as he looked at the corner of his tent—the crate located there, to be more specific, where he kept his armor. It was fine for her to sleep some more if she wanted. He was the one that took the longest to get ready. Trying his best not to disturb the greenette, he crawled out of bed and then pulled the covers over her body again so that she wouldn't get too cold. Without further ado, Robin walked to the small crate after he'd put on his boots. The box had come in very handy. He could keep his armor in it when not in use and use it to store his other valuables while traveling.
The first pieces he put on were the greaves. These had an interesting, two-piece, articulated design that incorporated a partial cuisse to it, protecting well over the knees. With it's strange design, if he were to knee someone, the piece could easily pierce through flesh. Next came the belts he usually wore, though now these had small pouches attached to them as well as two steel tassets. Next was the biggest piece—the chestplate. He slipped into it easy enough. It was tight enough for it not to get in the way, but loose enough for it not to be constricting either. It was almost as if whoever had made it had all of Robin's measurements in mind. On top of that, he put on the shoulder leather armor, which was reminiscent of the yellow coat he would wear unders his cloak, except that this new armor didn't cover his neck at all. Still, it would be much thoughter and protect better against projectiles, so he couldn't complain about it. The front of it latched on using a small red thread that connected over his chest. The last two pieces were the vambraces that went over his old gloves. These were also made out of steel plates and, like the chin guards, were secured in place with leather straps.
The armor wasn't too restrictive and offered great protection, though it didn't make him look like the dark mage he was… Then again, there weren't that many dark mages out there that took a sword with them into combat as well as their tome. The only downside to wearing the armor was the extra weight he had to carry around all day. Robin was fit, but he didn't have as much muscle as some of the other Shepherds like Chrom, Stahl, and Frederick, who'd all trained for years while wearing armor. He knew that over time he would get used to it, but still. It was a lot of extra weight! He pushed the thought aside. He couldn't be nitpicky about it. Plated armor like the one Stahl, Frederick, Sully, and Kellam wore had to be much heavier than his own. And if it had some weight to it, then it would surely offer good protection!
Shaking the thought out of his system, he walked back over to the bedroll where Lyndis slept peacefully. He crouched down and gently shook her to wake her. "If you are still asleep, then you should wake up now. I shouldn't make the others wait," he told her. As if his words had been enough, this time she really did react. She slowly opened her eyes and turned to look up at him. Just like he, she looked confused as to why he was there that early in the morning. It took a moment for her confusion to change into a smile meant just for him, the grogginess leaving her.
"Good morning, Mark," she said as she stretched her body across the bedroll eliciting a chuckle from Robin. "You already put on your armor," she noted in surprise as she eyed him up and down. For the first few days he had asked her to help him put it on, much to his embarrassment. Turns out, trying to put armor on by yourself when you've never done it before can be a difficult job. She helped a lot, but even she had trouble figuring out how all pieces came together. Lyn didn't wear much armor herself, so her confusion was understandable. But like with anything else, it only took Robin a handful of tries to learn how to manage on his own. He wasn't fast yet, but that would come the more he did it, just like training.
Robin grabbed hold of her hands, which surprised the greenette. Without warning he stood up, pulling her up to her feet. She leaned against him and giggled as she regained her balance.
She had slept with almost her entire attire on except for her boots, her coat, and the few pieces of armor that protected her shoulders and upper arms. Her long, smooth hair, normally worn on a ponytail, fell freely down her back, reaching below her buttocks. Long and beautiful, Robin thought as he looked at her.
"Good morning to you," he told her, smiling back. "You know, when you said you were going to sleep here at night, I was under the assumption that you would use your own bedroll. I mean, why take the trouble to bring it when you are not going to use it?" Lyn responded by blushing slightly and avoiding eye contact. She was well aware about her problem with always saying the truth.
He let her go so that she could get herself ready—he would have liked nothing more than to stand like that for some just a moment more—before walking over to his cloak that was draped over the back of a chair. The coat, with it's dark colors, felt comfortably warm in his hands. He was lucky that it was so big that he could still wear it over armor. How his birth mother could wear such a big piece was beyond him. His brow furrowed as some old memories resurfaced… Memories that he would had rather forget.
"Are you going to put it on?" Lyn asked. Robin had been lost in his thoughts for gods knew how long that Lyn had somehow gotten herself ready to go in what felt to him like a blink of an eye and stood besides him, looking down at the coat in his hands. Boots and armor back on, her sash rewrapped, coat covering her comfortably, sword at her side, and hair back to its usual style, the myrmidon looked ready to go into combat. "You said we should get going, but you are taking your time now," she teased. "Is everything okay, Mark?"
"Yeah," he told her, swinging the coat over his shoulders and putting a hand in. "Everything is fine. Just...thinking. That's all. Nothing to worry yourself over." He gathered his weapons from the table, securing the sword to his belt and holding his tome firmly. "Let's go."
The pair walked out of the tent early enough that they didn't have to worry about anyone spotting them together, thankfully. The camp was quiet except for the faint sound of the breeze running in between the tents and the whooshing of the fires that the Feroxi soldiers were using to keep themselves warm all around the campsite in that cold morning.
It took them mere minutes to get to Chrom's tent. Robin didn't bother to announce himself, knowing that he was expected to show up that morning. Pushing the flap aside, he entered the tent with Lyn following close behind. It came to him as no surprise to see that the only ones already there were Chrom and Frederick, most likely discussing what their next move should be. The two looked up from the different maps that had been set up on top of the table to look at the new arrivals.
"Robin. Early as always, I see," Chrom said with a smirk. "It goes without saying that Lyn will be joining us today as well, correct?" Robin knew that the bluenette had to point that out just to embarrass him. The man was a good friend—one of his best friends, Robin would say—but the man could go without the teasing. It didn't suit someone that had the title of prince to do such childish things.
"Yes, Chrom. Just like you said, it goes without saying," Robin repeated, trying to look not bothered, but not betrayed by the slight redness on his cheeks. He glared at the prince when he saw the smirk turning into a full on grin.
Robin didn't have to stand the teasing for long, for which he was thankful, as they were soon joined by both khans, who were having a heated discussion of their own about some aspect of the coming combat they would see. From the little time he'd spent with them before the march started, he could tell that the two bashed heads a lot, even on the smallest of things. This only became more clear after they'd left the capital. Even when not in the war counsel, the two could be heard throughout camp and, sometimes, even during the marches, despite the distance they had from the Shepherds. And yet, it felt more like friendly banter than disagreement between rivals.
"Flavia and Basilio. Just in time," said Chrom. Standing straight, he looked at the two Khans, who stopped their bickering to do the usual greetings to everyone present. "Let's begin this then, shall we? The faster we get done with it the faster we can get a move on. How far away are we from the capital, Frederick?"
"At our current pace and without any complication during our march, we should arrive at Ylisstol before sundown, milord," answered the loyal knight, standing tall and proud besides his liege. The estimation wasn't bad. So far, they hadn't encountered a single bandit nor Risen, which had allowed them to cover the much needed ground. Jumping from twenty odd members of a militia to a force of hundreds of men had slowed them down significantly. Instead of taking them four days to reach Ylisstol, they were already on their sixth, and that was still keeping them ahead of schedule.
Chrom nodded, satisfied with the answer. "What of the scouting party we sent to give word to my sister? Any word from Raimi?"
"Not so far," answered Flavia. "We were expecting a report before we came here, but no one has shown up. Whether that is good news or not it's up in the air. There is always the possibility of them encountering trouble on their way there or their way back or just getting distracted by something else."
"Didn't Marth go with them this time?" Lyn asked. "I haven't known her long, but I doubt that she would let anything other than battle slow them down. And that's without taking into account punctuality lady Raimi has shown so far."
"The lass is right," Basilio said, crossing his arms over his chest and looking thoughtful, a big contrast to how he was minuted before when talking with Flavia. "I don't know much about her either, but Marth was never one to get distracted by anything when she was with me in Ferox. Even if they were greeted with a celebration, I doubt that they would stay in Ylisstol for longer than necessary. They were only meant to send word of our arrival…" They all remained silent, not daring to complete the unspoken thought of Basilio's. The possibility was too real for any of them to feel comfortable, especially with the Mad King living up to his name over and over again.
The silence was only broken when someone new entered the tent. The man, dress in the normal Feroxi soldier attire, was gasping for air. His brow was covered in sweat, Robin noted. The tactician could already feel his heart beginning to race. The soldier looked panicked as he looked at the different faces in the room. "Milords! Dire news from Ylisstol!" Robin could feel his hands going cold. Their worst fears...were coming true. "The city has been taken by Plegian troops!"
"Taken…?" Chom repeated in disbelief. "What of Emmeryn!?" Chrom asked, the panic noticeable in his voice, his eyes completely focused on the soldier. "What of the royal guard? What of the Pegasus Knights?"
The soldier took a step back as he was berated with question after question, but still tried to answer to the best of his knowledge. "I-I can't say, milord… All I'm sure about is that there are no signs of Ylissean allies anywhere along the wall. All we could see were Plegian standards and soldiers all around. We don't have a clear view of the city, let alone the palace or its residents. For all we know, there could be a fight going on in the palace as we speak."
"Where are the rest of our men now, lad?" Basilio moved forward before Chrom could let a word out. "Is Raimi still in Ylisstol?"
"Sire, the commander and the rest of her men are currently gathering intel at the outskirts of the capital and waiting for your arrival," the soldier responded, standing in attention. "She ordered me to return with haste to inform of the current situation. They await orders. Lady Marth wanted to storm the castle, but with our numbers..." The soldier couldn't keep looking at the khan's eyes.
"You did well, soldier," said Flavia as she nodded towards the man. "Go back to the soldiers' camp and await for orders there with the others." The man saluted his superiors and then left the tent as quick as he had entered.
"Damn it!" Chrom's fist met the hard surface of the wooden table, shaking everything on top of it. "How could this have happened? We'd been sending scouts ahead to make sure that everything was going accordingly! How could they all have missed signs of this happening?"
"I was afraid something like this could happen," Robin said through gritted teeth. "Our plan leaned too heavily on getting to Ylisse before Gangrel… Without the Shepherds, all the Mad King needed were a few hundred men to overpower the garrison. We tried our best to hurry and still… If only we hadn't lost so much time in Ferox!" Robin didn't say it, but he was blaming himself. If only he'd been more cautious! If he'd seen his attacker, they would already be marching to Plegia. Emmeryn would be safe!
"There is no time to think about what could have been, tactician," said Flavia as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking displeased. "We need a plan of attack and we need it yesterday. If the city is taken, then we just have to take it back and put those Plegian dogs to the sword." Robin involuntarily winced. No matter how much he tried to forget it, those "Plegian dogs" were still his countrymen. He would cut them down for their part on current events, but he could not ignore the fact that if things had been just a little different he would be standing right besides them.
Chrom took a deep breath to regain his composure and then looked at Robin too. "Flavia is right. I know where you were heading. You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened. We can't dwell on what if's. We will have to get the troops moving now if we want to reach Ylisstol in time for an assault. Frederick, Lyn. I need you to go back to camp and have everyone ready to march on the double. Everyone has to be ready for combat. We set off for Ylisstol in an hour, not a minute later!" Both Lyn and Frederick nodded before leaving the tent. "I'm sorry to put you through this so soon, Robin, but I wouldn't feel at ease if I asked anyone else. I hope you can guide us to victory once again as you did so many times before, my friend. If someone can, I know it's you."
Word of what awaited them had spread to camp like fire. People ran around, taking down the tents, collecting their belongings, and securing their equipment for the imminent fight. Many of them would march that day without food in their stomachs. To get to Ylisstol was all they could think. The Shepherds were no different. If one of them still hadn't finished getting their things onto one of the carts, they would run and help them out. They'd been given an hour to be ready to march. Every single soldier in their army was ready in half that time. They stood in formation, ready to march as Chrom, Flavia, and Basilio confirmed that they were to move all the way to the capital without stopping. Anyone that found themselves tired would be left behind.
That morning they marched in silence, as if every single person present were mentally preparing themselves for the battle to come. While the Feroxi looked excited, the Shepherds were much harder to read. A mixture of feelings could be seen on their faces, from fear of what they might find, to anger towards the enemy they would soon be facing. In silence they marched with only the sound of footsteps and metal filling the air. Robin couldn't help but think back of the day Ylisstol had been first assaulted. The Shepherds had been enough to foil the attempt at the live of Emmeryn. Now they were marching many times their original number. The question that plagued the tactician wasn't whether or not they would win. No, what he asked himself was if they would get there in time. It would only take one blade to take down the Exalt, but for them, they had to eliminate every single one of the Plegian soldiers stationed in the city in order to succeed.
But as the others marched on foot or on horse, Robin sat alone in one of the wagons, surrounded by both the supplies that had been put in there and the many tomes that Emmeryn had gifted to him. He was reading through them like a maniac, having spread them out all around him, all open to different pages relating to siege warfare. As he looked at the different strategies of famous tacticians that came before him, he made notes on the books and pieces of loose parchment. This could work. This will take too long. This one requires trebuchets… He sorted through them, mixing and matching what he thought were the best aspects of each strategy. But there was only so much he could cobble together from other's work. The situation they found themselves in was unique to them. For that, he had to think on the fly if he wanted to get everyone in and out alive, not just Emmeryn, the guard, and the Pegasus Knights.
Before he knew it, the wagon had come to a stop and Lissa was calling for him from the front of the wagon. From the frown she gave him, she'd been doing it for some time too. With a quick apology, Robin got off the wagon and stood besides her. If they walked for ten minutes, they would reach Ylisstol. The city looked peaceful with the sun setting to its right, the complete opposite of what was likely going on in it. His heart started racing a bit more. He wished he had more time…
After Lyn joined up with them, the three walked up to the front of the convoy to where Chrom stood with Frederick, Basilio, and Flavia. There were also two other familiar faces with them. Raimi stood proud with her green armor, though she couldn't hide how troubled she was having had to wait for reinforcements. Marth looked even worse. She was physically there, but Robin could tell that she was too preoccupied with the city to be listening to what the others were saying.
Noticing Robin had shown himself, Chrom looked at his tactician with a glimmer of hope that he would know what to do. "Ah, Robin, just in time," he told the Plegian. "Please tell me you have a way out of this one."
The brunette rubbed his chin as he looked back towards Ylisstol once more before returning Chrom's gaze. "I have something in mind, yes… But before we do anything rash, Raimi," he turned to look at the green commander, "you've been observing the enemy for some time, yes? Could you tell us what we are getting ourselves into?"
The short-haired blonde nodded as she pointed to the city. "I've been sending some of my men to do rounds around the city since before we sent word back to the convoy. From what they've reported, the Plegians are gathered on the northern wall. They must had word of our movements and are expecting a full frontal assault. The east and west gates are not as heavily defended, but because of their size, we would be bottlenecked and picked off easily. They could even pour boiling oil. Then there is the south gate. If we act fast, we can take them by surprise and have a hundred of our men take control of it."
"They wouldn't leave an obvious opening like that for us without having a trap set in place…"
"Aye. I believe so too."
"They will see us coming either way. We aren't hidden from them as we are right now," said Flavia. "By the time we can move some troops to the south gate, reinforcements will already be expecting us."
"Agreed," said Robin. "Even with a small garrison, the ones defending have many advantages. It seems that no matter where we attack from we will meet with heavy resistance from the Mad King's men."
"I don't like the sound of that," Lissa said, looking even more nervous than she had been since receiving the news that morning. "Isn't there a way we can just, you know, break in?" With a sudden hit of inspiration, she snapped her fingers, looking excited at the tactician. "What if we have Sumia and Cordelia take us in one by one! That way we can just go right up to the palace!"
Robin sighed, rubbing his temples. "If they have men on the walls, they will have archers. We would be shot down before we can get over the wall. But you are on the right track." Robin couldn't help but smirk. Yes, things just looked like they were on the enemy's favor.
Chrom noticed Robin's expression and found himself smiling. "Something crazy has popped into your head, hasn't it?"
"It's risky, but it's crazy enough to work." Robin nodded. "Khan Flavia, Khan Basilio. You two will assault the north and south gate simultaneously. Whoever takes command of the frontal assault should take most of the troops. I'll go with Raimi's number and say that no more than a hundred men should try to take the south gate. Raimi, take your men to the western gate and try attacking there too."
"That sounds like suicide!" Raimi barked, not looking pleased with having her and her men risk their lives so openly. "You would have us walk to our deaths so easily?!"
"Peace, Raimi. I don't want you to take the gate. I just want them to think that's what you are going for. You'll also be joined by a number of Shepherds, including Lissa and Maribelle for support, just in case.
"And while the enemy struggles to make sense of a battle on three fronts-"
"The rest of the Shepherds can take the east gate!" Lissa said with excitement.
"Not exactly." Lissa pouted. She'd looked so sure she was right, it was almost funny. "Chrom, you will get the hardest role. You will lead a group of eight and climb the wall. If Emmeryn is being held in the palace, we can't let the enemy think they are losing or they would execute her on the spot. Instead, we will head directly to the palace and rescue her. I will give a signal when she is safe for the gates to be secured. Those in the palace will double back and hit the enemies from behind if they haven't fled already."
Basilio let out one of his signatured loud laughs as he looked at Robin. "You were right. That is some crazy plan you have, lad. Never had I thought I would be mounting an attack on Ylisstol! That on itself will make for a good story. But more importantly, I'm curious. How do you plan on scaling the wall? In case you haven't noticed, it's at least thirty feet high."
"Forty-two feet, to be precise," Frederick corrected.
"We have a few people that are more than capable enough to do something like that…"
Chrom and Robin went on to hand pick the group that would be infiltrating the city. Robin said that, because the wall would need more ranged support, all mages (and Virion) should remain with Raimi. He also pointed out that mounted units would not work, which meant that Sumia, Cordelia, Frederick, Isadora, and Stahl were out. Sully, who should have been cut too, had somehow persuaded Chrom to let her come. Robin didn't doubt she was strong enough, but he was worried of how she would perform without her steed. All he could hope for was that she could play the part as good as she claimed.
The tactician looked around to see the people that would be going in. They had themselves— Chrom, Robin, and Lyn—there was Gaius and Legault, both of whom had enough experience of breaking into places, Sully, who'd wrestled her way in, and Panne, whose speed and hearing would aid them once they entered the palace. That left only one spot to fill. That is until Marth volunteered to come with. While at first Chrom was against the idea, Robin had to remind the prince that Marth had some knowledge of the palace, as she'd proven before during the assassination attempt days ago.
"Once we get into the palace, we will split into two teams of four. One will be lead by Chrom and the other by me," Robin explained to the others. "We don't know where they could be holding Emmeryn. Therefore, while Chrom's team will be heading to the throne room, the rest of us will go check the dungeon, just in case. I've already established a mind link with the khans and Frederick to know about the situation outside as well as with Chrom so that we can communicate any of our findings. Unfortunately, I can't see through walls with my other spells. You will have to rely on one another for this one, though I doubt that will be any trouble." The group nodded in unison.
"Until then, stick close to one another and keep out of sight of the enemy," Chrom said. "We can't afford being seen on our way to the palace or we will be in trouble. We would not only put ourselves and Emmeryn's life on the line, but that of the residents as well. Keep that in mind."
After all was said and done, the army was split into the three attacking parties and the infiltration team. Robin moved into position with the rest. The distance from each group was immense. This would become a test as to how far he could communicate with others using magic. Because he knew that greater distances meant more energy consumption, he opted to keep communications with the leaders of the attack. It was nerve wracking. The tactician in him wished he could keep tabs on everyone to make sure they were safe—to warn them of any incoming danger—but alas, that wouldn't be possible. Still, he knew that in a worst case scenario, he could use Eagle Eye to keep track of the movements outside the palace. How beneficial that would be was still up for debate. All he wished was that they could get it all done quick and have Emmeryn safe.
They'd come so far. They had an army. They had the determination to fight the war and win. But now, their symbol—their Exalt—was at risk. The future of the war and of Ylisse as a whole hung in the balance. They all had to know it well, which was why the tactician didn't feel a need to tell them how significant that battle would be for the rest of the war.
Finally, when all the pieces were set in place, Robin gave the signal to begin the attack. "Go," he ordered the khans and Raimi. The battlecries of the hundreds of soldiers echoed through the field as they launched themselves at the walls of Ylisstol, driven by determination and lust for victory.
The infiltration team had to wait patiently for the sentries to mobilise. When they did, the eight of them ran at full speed to the wall, hands on their weapons in case that they were spotted. As they reached it, Robin sent the order to Legault to start climbing. The ex-member of the Black Fang took out a tool from his repertoire and with it, he carved into the stone wall expertly. To the untrained eye, the wall looked like it was one completely smooth slab of stone. The reality of it was that the masons in charge of constructing the wall had used a plaster to hide where one stone brick ended and the next began. Legualt had a keen eye for this kind of details. He didn't hesitate even with the lack of lighting to carve the holes onto the wall. They were just big enough for someone to grab onto, but one wrong move and they would fall. They had no rope as a failsafe. If one of them stumbled, they could take out everyone that was climbing beneath them. Slowly but surely, the team made its way up that wall. At the very top, the Hurricane would extend an arm to pull them individually those last few feet up.
"To think it would be so simple to enter the city undetected…" muttered Marth as she looked at the city from the top of the wall. They wouldn't get a chance to admire the city for longer. Robin made them hurry, though he fell behind Chrom, who knew the layout of the city like the back of his hand.
They ran from cover to cover, moving through mostly alleys to avoid being spotted. If there was an enemy near by, Robin could spot them with Eagle Eye or Panne with her ears and nose. There were a handful of close calls, but luckily they avoided all detection. Entering the palace was even easier than entering the city. They followed Marth's example and climbed in through the collapsed wall, courtesy of Chrom.
"Here we part ways," Chrom told Robin. "I leave the basement in your hands, my friend. May the gods be with you."
"As with you, Chrom," Robin responded. The two men nodded at each other, no one else being able to know what they had told one another. He motioned his teammates, Gaius, Lyn, and Marth, to follow him. Though he didn't know the entire layout of the palace, he knew enough to know where everything was except for the rooms of the royals.
The fact that they hadn't found any resistance yet had the Plegian on edge. For such an important location to not be guarded struck him as odd. Even with their low numbers, the Ylissean Royal Soldiers could be seen making round everywhere on a normal day. That begged the question… Where the heck were Gangrel's men hiding?
Robin cursed himself inwardly for jinxing their good fortune when he noticed a small group of men in Plegian rags talking amongst themselves down a corridor. There were six of them in all. Already they were at a disadvantage. If they wanted to even their odds, they would need to make the first strike count.
Taking out his tome and unsheathing his sword, Robin got ready to attack. He knew that as soon as they started the confrontation, any other guards in the vicinity would be alerted. They had to get through and they had to do it quick. Extending his tome in front of himself, he could see the golden runes floating of himself. They teleported towards the closest man to him. The mage found was surrounded by the golden rings now, confused as to what was happening. With a quick flick of the wrist, the shadow wripples teared into the man, leaving a huge cross mark on his back. The spell wasn't called Ruin for nothing. The man, in every sense of the word, was ruined.
Lyn, Marth, and Gaius took this as a signal to attack. The three of them ran towards the remaining enemies with sword in hand, Robin following behind them. Lyn's attack collected with the neck of a spearman before he could get a hold of his weapon. Gaius' attack was parried, but the thief dodge the counterattack by crouching under the axe and then stabbed the man through the chest. Marth was struggling against a myrmidon, but was standing her ground, their swords clashing over and over again. The second enemy myrmidon was about to take advantage of the situation, going for a slash at the bluenette when shadow tendrils got a hold of his legs. Robin had been able to cast Flux just in time to stop the attack. With the man unable to move, Lyn was able to finish him off just as Marth landed a killing blow of her own.
The tactician sighed in relief. It had been a one-sided fight with none of them getting injured. The sound from the clashing weapons and the screams of pain from their enemies, however, traveled through the hallways, just as he had predicted.
Robin ran past the other three, knowing that there was a slight chance they could make it to the dungeon in time. Screw being stealthy! They all ran like mad men in hopes that they wouldn't be too late. The hallways weren't lit too well, but Robin could see stains of dried blood everywhere. Some of the walls and doorframes they passed had notches on them from being hit by swords, axes, and spears. Even the floor was scorched in some places, likely from fire and electrical spells. The guards didn't go down without a fight, he thought. He took it to be a good sign, but at the same time, he felt worried that all these signs could mean that those same guards would already be dead.
Turning another corner, they found themselves looking at the door that lead down to the dungeon. But before they could think of reaching it, they would have to deal with a large group of Plegian soldiers that were on their way. This time, the Shepherds didn't have the benefit of a surprise attack. If they wanted to get by they would have to fight. There was no way about it. Robin clenched his hand around the hilt of his sword as he glanced to his left and then his right. "Let them come."
The Plegians had a thirst for blood. They were practically licking their lips, already savouring victory. Their confidence had merit, but Robin knew better than to underestimate the enemy. He taunted the enemy by waving his tome at them playfully, and they took the bait. They all came rushing towards them, ready to spill some blood.
Robin didn't waste any time either. He extended the tome forward, casting his first spell. He went with Ruin once again, aiming it at the lone archer that had stayed at the back of the pack. Trying to get a spell to hit a target from that distance needed his full concentration, more so when there were ten or so other people on the way. The brunette could see the the archer had his bow ready and was aiming it at them. Robin clenched his jaw and focused his energy.
He could feel the flow of magic within his body. He knew something was off. He'd used Ruin often and knew that the flow wasn't the way it should be. And yet, it still felt right! "Here's how it's done," he said under his breath. The pages on his tome began fluttering, turning from the page of Ruin to a blank one. The pages glowed for a second, writing and runes appearing both around him and on the page. At the very top, he could see the name of the spell that his body wanted him to use. Waste. He switched his position. He opened his arms wide to either side, ignoring everything going on around him. This feels...strangely familiar, he thought.
A purple mist came out of his shadow and moved towards his enemies like if it were hunting for its prey. All but one of the wall of Plegians slowed down to dodge it. The one that didn't was engulfed by the mist and then screamed in pain as he dropped his weapon to the ground. When the mist released him, there was no life left in the man. But it wasn't over yet!
"You are finished!" Robin shouted as he commanded the mist to continue on it's path towards the archer. The poor guy was too shocked to move. Just like the one before him, the mist engulfed him. Robin could faintly make out the figure trashing around before he too ended on the floor, motionless. This time, the mist didn't go on. It just dissipated completely, the golden magic circles and runes around Robin disappearing with it.
The confidence that the Plegian soldiers had wasn't there anymore. They'd stopped on their tracks, eyeing Robin nervously. They weren't the only ones. Lyn, Gaius, and Marth were all staring at him too, surprised at what they'd just seen.
"What are you all doing?!" The dark mage asked. "This is our chance!" He took the lead this time. The sword on his hand would get some use. As much as he would have liked to keep on using his magic, he had to be careful to not over do it or else they would be cut off from the troops outside Ylisstol.
The team made quick work of the remaining enemies, but not without suffering a few injuries themselves. Having assigned their healers to Raimi's attack force, Robin had made sure they were all supplied with vulneraries. He helped Lyn pour some of the concoction onto a cut on her arm as the other two did the same with their injuries. He'd been spared injury this time thanks to the armor he was wearing. His cloak, on the other hand, would need to be stitched up once again.
It came as no surprise to see another small group of enemies in the main room of the dungeon. For once, the numbers were evened out; a four-vs-four battle. Robin had to deal with a lancer in thick armor. He didn't mind. With his combination of magic and sword, he was the best candidate to deal with the ironclad. The two fought fiercely, clashing many times. Despite being hit by Flux spells twice, the man still stood. That armor of him was too thick and Robin was running low on energy. He got his tome ready for a third time, but this time he planned to use a spell that would not only deal with the enemy, but also help him restore some of his spent energy. Nosferatu. When the spell hit the man, Robin could feel the vitality coming to him. The damage it dealt was enough for the lancer to lower his weapon long enough for Robin to go for a piercing strike. The iron chestplate was cut through easily. The man finally fell to the ground, being the last enemy in the room to die.
After a quick break, they all searched through the cells for any captives. They all came back with no luck except for Gaius, who'd found one "full to the brim" with survivors. "You'll want to check it out for yourself, Bubbles," said the thief as he popped a piece of hard candy into his mouth. "Didn't see any blonde hair in there. Doubt the Exalt is here."
The candyman directed them to the furthest cell there was. Like he'd said, it was completely full of Ylissean Soldiers. There were even a couple of Pegasus Knights in there. Using some sort of lockpick, Gaius had no issue opening the lock. The iron-barred door swung open slowly and the four of them came in. Everyone looked in a bad shape. They had injuries that had not been treated and were on the verge of being infected. Robin told them to move to the main room to get some treatment. Those that couldn't move received a helping hand from one of the Shepherds.
"What's happened to the Exalt?" He found himself asking each one he helped, but the responses were all the same. They didn't know. From what he was told, they had all been captured together. But while they'd all been taken down to the dungeon, Emmeryn, Phila, and the other Pegasus Knights had been taken to the throne room.
"If that's so, why are there two Pegasus Knights here?" Robin asked one of the guards.
"They thought them dead, milord," said the man. "They brought them down all beaten up hours after they did us-" He winced in pain as Robin did his best to bandage him up with the few supplies that were in the room. "Turns out, they'd just passed out! My guess is tortue… How they'd held up to life is beyond me. They must be bless by Naga herself…"
After he was finished with the soldier, he walked to one of the Pegasus Knight. She had been laid down on the floor, holding her side with a pained look. There were several bruises on her face and arms. He crouched down besides her and then took out his own vulnerary. "Drink this," he told her as he moved the bottle close to her lips. "It should help numb the pain until we find you a proper healer."
The girl gladly sipped some of the liquid before she pushed the bottle away. Robin was about to scold her about it when she spoke, "you'll need it more than I do, Sir Robin. Didn't think I would be seeing any of the Shepherds again. You might not recognize me after the number they did on me, those dastards…! But I was one of the knights that accompanied the Exalt back to the palace."
"You are one of Phila's knights, then," Robin said. "Do you know where they could be holding her and Emmeryn?"
The look the girl gave him was grim. Robin could feel his heart dropping. "They… The Mad King's men the Exalt and my knight-sisters," she said, her eyes misting a bit. "I...I tried to have them release the lady Emmeryn. We both did." She noded towards the other Pegasus Knight that was being treated by Gaius. "But all that did was get us here."
He placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort. He could see that she was holding up just barely. "Do you know where they took them?"
She nodded weakly. "One of the soldiers that was watching over us slipped out that they were being taken back to Plegia, Sir. I think...they are planning on executing them."
Robin tried to keep a calm exterior, but on the inside he was mortified by what he was hearing. Emmeryn was still in danger! This was bad! "That's enough for now," he told her reassuringly. "You did great. You went beyond the call of duty. Everyone will tell you that. Just… Rest. We will take care of the rest."
"Robin," came the voice of Chrom. "We had no luck! We checked the throne room and some of the bedrooms, but Emmeryn is nowhere to be seen. Please tell me you've found her."
"We secured the dungeon and found the Royal Guard... or what's left of it. Sorry Chrom, but...Emmeryn is not here. There is a Pegasus Knight here that tells me that Gangrel has taken her back to Plegia."
"WHAT?! We have to go after her, Robin! We have to go NOW!"
"Peace, Chrom. I can't begin to understand what you are feeling, but we can't leave like this! We must see to Ylisstol and it's citizens' safety before doing anything rash! For now, got to the north gate and help there. I'll send word to the khans on what to do."
With the help of those that could still fight, Robin headed for the south gate. He send an order to Raimi to abandon the attack on her gate and that she too should head for the south gate to offer support there instead. Within an hour, both gates had been secured. The Plegian soldiers that were still alive by then had routed, handing control of the city back to the Halidom. Though it was a monumental victory that they should be proud of, there was little celebration amongst the ranks as word of Emmeryn's fate spread like wildfire. Hell, Lissa collapsed from the shock! Robin had been able to catch her before she hit the floor, but even with his support, she could hardly stand.
"What do we do now?" Basilio asked. "Gangel knows we will follow after him. He'll lay traps for us so that he can get his hands on the Emblem."
"That doesn't matter right now," Chrom said. "Traps we can deal with. We have to catch up to them before they do anything to Emmeryn. I'll make them pay… All of them!"
"Easy, Chrom," said Flavia. "I know that you want to get your sister back safely. Trust me, I do too. We will make Gangrel pay for what he's done, but we can't charge blindly. Like the oaf said, we can assume we will find heavy resistance and traps of all sorts the closer we get to their capital. I personally don't mind getting into a fight or two, but I have to think of the lives of my soldiers too. We suffered minimal losses today, but losses all the same. We can't put those lives on the line without a plan of some kind in place."
"Better to go in with a plan than go in blind, lad," Basilio agreed. "But knowing your tactician, I'm confident that he can come up with something. Ha! Look around you! We took the city away from the Plegians as easily as candy from a baby."
"You... are both completely in the right," said Chrom, letting out a sigh in defeat. "I apologize. My judgment is clouded right now."
"You can apologize all you want after we get your sister back," said Flavia with a grin. "And trust me, Chrom. We will get her back."
"I appreciate your kind words, Flavia." He then turned to look at Robin, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Looks like you'll have your hands full again, Robin."
Robin chuckled as he got a better hold of Lissa's shoulders. "Don't worry, Chrom. In case you've forgotten, Plegia is home turf for me too. All those tricks that they might think are known only to them I will turn in our favor," he said with both confidence and pride in his voice. "What's more, I might know a way to get her back already, although I will need to iron out the details to make it foolproof."
"If this one thinks his plan will work, then you know it is a good plan!" Basilio hit Robin on the shoulder, almost causing him to drop Lissa if it hadn't been for Lyn catching him. He could hear her giggle, much to his embarrassment, and she wasn't the only one.
They all went their separate ways after that. Robin and Lyn helped Lissa find her way to her room in the palace, where Maribelle was waiting for her. Worried as ever, the noble girl took her friend in, thanking them both for looking after her and assuring them that she would make sure to keep an eye on the usually cheerful pig-tailed girl.
Robin was thankful that they would be holding off the march until the next day. Between coming up with the strategy to secure the city and the many fights of that day, he was exhausted and starving. Thankfully, he knew he could do something about one of the two when he smelled the aroma of cooked meat in the air.
On the way to the mess hall, Robin stopped when he spotted Chrom sitting alone in the throne room. The prince looked just as tired as Lissa had when they left her to Maribelle. The difference between the siblings being that while Lissa could rest, Chrom could not. He had an army to lead and the eyes of every Ylissean were on him as well. Emmeryn's life hung on the balance, which could tilt over if he made a wrong move.
He took a step towards his friend but stopped again when he noticed a figure sit down next to the prince. He recognized the red armor and short hair that shared the color. When Sully placed her hand on the bluenette's shoulder, Robin could feel a smile pulling at the corner of his lips. That explains why she was so adamant on coming, he thought.
"Is something wrong?" Lyn asked from behind him.
"No," Robin answered, "everything is fine. Let's go. I'm starving!"
The meal he had that day was the best one he'd had since- well, ever! The chefs at the palace really knew their stuff. The variety was amazing too. Every kind of meat, fruit, and vegetable was available for them. It was a feast to celebrate their victory, but also one that would really mark the start of their campaign against Plegia. The only sad thing about it was that this would be the first and last time he would have to enjoy such an extravagant meal until the war ended. Lyn seemed to enjoy the meal too. Everyone did. Isadora was recounting Raimi's prowess in battle alongside Stahl, each filling in parts of the story that the other forgot. Virion talked about how he'd nailed one of the sentries between the eye from what had to be an exaggerated distance. Even Panne and Legault talked about how things went on their side, Legault praising both Sully's and Chrom's combat style. All in all, it was a good end for a troublesome day.
That night the Shepherds had been allowed to stay in their personal rooms in the barracks. Just thinking about it made Robin flush. Sleeping on a bedroll was one thing. Sleeping on the same bed with Lyn… He shook his head to get any weird thoughts from going any further. It didn't have to be any different than while they were marching! Well, except that she will probably lay with me on the bed from the start since she can't bring in her own bed…
"Is everything okay, Mark?" Lyn asked as they walked towards the barracks. "You seem flustered. Or should I say, more flustered than usual?"
"I-It's nothing," he looked away to prevent her from seeing his reddening cheeks. "My mind was some other place, that's all."
"That I can't believe," said Lyn with a teasing tone. "I've been told many times that I'm a bad liar. Birds of a feather flock together, no? You can lie to others, but I can tell when you do it. I know you better than you think, Mark."
"Good thing you can't read minds then," he whispered to himself.
"What was-"
"Robin, a word," came the voice of Marth as she walked towards them.
"Marth," Robin called out in surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you here of all people. Is there something you need?"
"Don't worry," she said, "this will only take a second." Taking out her sword, he ran towards Robin at full speed. Both Robin and Lyn were reaching down for their weapons when a fourth figure showed up, knocking Marth to the ground.
"Took you long enough to try something again," said Legault as he kicked the swords out of Marth's reach. Robin could only look at the pair in confusion as Legault spoke again, "though I didn't think you stupid enough to go for him here." He crouched down next to Marth, a dagger pointed at the girl's neck. "I suppose I pegged you for someone smarter. You did blend in well during that whole week."
"Legault! What is going on?!" Robin asked, still not being able to process the situation that had unfolded in front of him.
"Sorry about this interrupting your flirting, you two," he teased with a cocky smile as he glanced at them for a second. "I've been following this one here for quite some time now. When she first attacked you, I had my mind set on calling her out, but when I saw that she had the trust of the others, I decided to keep it to myself instead."
"Get off of me!" Marth said as she tried to push Legault's knee from top of her. He was pinning her down with ease. "You don't know what you are doing!"
"Oh? Is that so? Then you deny stabbing Mark here—Robin, as you call him—in Arena Ferox?"
"W-Wait, Legault, you...you can't be serious," Robin stammered.
"Can't I? You saw what she was trying to do, didn't you?" He turned his eyes to Lyn. "What about you, Lady Lyn? Can you deny that this woman here tried to run your lover with a sword just now?" Lyndis could only furrow her brow in response.
"But why?! What would she have to gain from this?!" Robin's voice was carried throughout the corridor. "Marth has done nothing but help us so far! So why?!"
"That… I do not know," Legault confessed as Marth continued to struggle to get him off of her. "And I doubt that she'll tell us. I know it's hard to swallow, Mark. Betrayal? It is difficult to accept, no matter what side you are on… But I'll have you know, I wasn't the only one that suspected this girl, was I, my rabbit-eared friend?"
Robin believed her eyes couldn't widen more after what he'd seen, but when the taguel walked out of the shadows and stared at him with cold eyes, he knew he was mistaken.
"He speaks the truth," Panne reaffirmed.
I'm going to keep my thought to myself on this one to see how you interpret everything that happened. On to reviews!
Whatstoknow -Makes me really happy to hear that! This story is like a little baby (read like Gregor, plz) to me since it's my first real ff, so I'm glad to hear you say that! How you enjoy this chapter~
potatoman098 -Hahaha I thought about keeping it secret at first, but I can't remember why I switched it now... Meh, no big deal! Very good questions, yes... But I can't answer them for obvious reasons. Geez, I guess you have no other option but to keep reading if you want to know those answers xP Hahahahaha! Poor Lissa, no one believes in her.
speedking535 -Your wish is my command (not really.) Don't see much of a reaction from Robin on this one, unfortunately. You'll have to wait for the next one for that. But her! There were a few reveals here, so that's cool, right?
Sugouxxx -I know what you mean with Lloyd. It's weird. He doesn't show up all that much but I still wanted to be able to recruit him so bad! Too bad that now when I hear that name I think about the character from Tales of Symphonia instead of him. Robin x Lyn stuff here, though not too much. Just you wait! When this arc ends (about 4 more chapters, give or take 1), there will be a lot more of that.
Henry1464 -I know it's very cliche. I would normally never go with something like that, but I couldn't have her get caught there. I have my reasons as to why I need ed that to happen in Ylisstol. Probably won't be revealed until much later. Still, 9/10? Not that bad! Gotta bring that back to 10/10 IGN, somehow.
Antiques thief -People are really sensitive when you kill a character they like. I've seen it too many times. That being said, yes, I've thought about having characters from both games dying in this story. I don't mind having a bunch of characters since most of them are on the background anyways, but it would help push the idea that this time line is not the same from the game even further. As for who I would kill...I have a couple of ideas already if I decide on going with that route.
starlightkitsune2178 -Oooh is that so? I never got Yen'fay. Good to know! Thank you for that! It's weird because when I look online for info about possible connections I can find little to none of it. Freaking wiki sites need to update their info!
werehogdog -Glad you liked that. To answer your question, it is similar in that he is wearing armor under the coat, but that's it. The armor is not the armor of the grandmaster. I gave a few more hints on this chapter about it.
allen Vth -O-Of course! Just to watch his back, right? It's not like she likes him or anything -tsun! Wait, that's not right... I was thinking of Severa there for a second. And Anna has to show up in more fics around here! In the case of this one she hasn't because she hasn't been recruited, but when she does, you can bet you'll be seeing more of her!
Yellowclover -If someone took their time to write a long review, then I think it's only fair I do the same. Plus, it's fun for me, so there is that. Yeah, I did try to change the dialogue as much as I could. The first half of the flashback does heavy changes, but the second half I found much harder to play with mostly because I liked the flow it had in the game. I did change a few things there too (take stuff out, put stuff in) but yeah, the scene with Lyn and her grandfather stuck very close to the game. For the mark thing, Lucina would know who among the Shepherds would notice and who wouldn't (detailed oriented or not.) She could easily stay clear of someone like Miriel, for example, when they are in such a big place like Arena Ferox. For this chapter, I hint that she has been leaving with Raimi as a a scout, which means that she isn't seen much in camp either during the march. It isn't that she is hiding the mark as much as she is hiding herself, in a way. Hahaha, I know, cliche, right? Check out what I wrote to Henry1464 up there. He had a similar comment about it. It is a fair assessment of it. Then again, the times the game pulled stuff like that? Just how could they never notice that Lucina was a girl?! Silly Shepherds. As for the game, I'll see if I can get a hold of it. I'm starting crunch time at work, and with Fallout 4 out, I don't have much time for other games. Still, gotta add that to the list!
animeandgamerlover2 -Thank you, thank you. Hope you like this one too.