Rolling hills stretching for miles, luscious green grass covering the landscape. Barely a cloud drifted through the sky, the sun beating down harshly on those below.
The teen looked down from the sky, focusing more on the landscape around him, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. He glanced around at his companions, debating whether to tell them to turn back, when out of the corner of his eye, a flash of black caught his attention.
The teen gestured to his companions, pointing to the figure. The group marched forward. The leader raised his fist, bringing the group to a halt. He walked forward, his group following not far behind him.
He came to a stop at the figures feet, taking in the gigantic cloak they were wearing and a sword strapped to their belt.
Darkness… Nothing but Darkness. He was falling, but to where he couldn't tell. Everywhere he looked, nothing but a black abyss. He twisted, trying to move, but something was stopping him. He looked down. Black, claw-like hands were wrapping around him, dragging him even further down, or was it up? He couldn't tell.
A whispering drifted from the abyss, faint at first, almost inaudible. But it started to rise, turning from a faint whisper, rising rapidly to high pitched screams.
The teen raised his hands to stop the sound, but the claws restricting him tightened in response, almost breaking the bones in his arms. He cried out in pain, unable to stop the pain or the sound surrounding him. The screams grew louder, the claws tightened even more, stretching the boy's body to its limit.
Just as it seemed the boy wouldn't be able to take anymore, it stopped. The screams died down, leaving only the boy's rapid breathing to fill the air. The claws lessened their hold, loosening from a death grip to a firm hold. The teen sighed in relief, making the most of the rest.
"Well boy, you appear to be able to withstand that much," a voice boomed, coming from seemingly everywhere, "you seem to be a worthy vessel, capable of such an honour."
"Who are you?" the teen shouted, unsure of where to look.
"Me?" six pairs of glowing red eyes appeared in front of the teen, "You don't need to know who I am, just that you are worthy of being the vessel." The boy felt a searing pain burning onto the back of his hand, he bit his lip to stop the pain. The burning pain faded, the boy looked down to see a purple mark had appeared on his hand, still pulsing with an unearthly glow, "That mark proves you are a worthy vessel, never tell others what it truly means. Now begone!"
A wave of nausea washed over the teen, his vision to fading rapidly. As he struggled to stay conscious, the voice continued laughing, booming throughout the darkness, as the host fell through the dark.
The teen opened his eye's looking from left to right, two figures standing above him.
One was a girl, her hair splitting into two aburn tails on the sides of her head. A flowing dress of yellow, with a brown corset over the top covered most of her features. Light blue eyes, filled with curiosity stared into the boy's.
His gaze turned to the other figure, a young man this time. Short, navy blue hair covered his head, spiking out slightly at the back. A blue tunic covered his torso and his left arm, strangely his right arm is completely bare, exposing a strange mark on his arm. His left shoulder has a steel pauldron on top of it, a white cape, tattered at the edges, attached to it, covering most of his arm.
"..rom, I think he's awake," the girl exclaimed, focusing her attention back to the boy before her, "hey there."
"Strange place to take a nap," the blue haired man smiles, "here give me your hand."
The young man reached out his hand, the other teen hesitant at first to accept it, before grasping it firmly. The blue haired man lifts him up, as he does he notices a purple brand on his hand, a set of six eyes, connected by two lines that crossed towards the wrist.
"Strange place to have a nap," the young man chuckled, "are you okay?"
The hooded teen hesitated for a second before hesitating, "Yes, thank you Chrom."
Chrom looked a little surprised, "Ah! So you know who we are then?"
The hooded teen hesitated, "I'm not sure, your name just came to me." He shook his head, trying to clear it.
"Well can you tell us your name at least then?" Chrom asked.
My name? The teen thought. He was sure he had one, it was right there at the edge of his mind, it was as though it was on a ledge just out of his reach. "I'm sorry, but it appears I can't remember it."
"You mean to tell me that you can remember our lord's name but not your own?" A voice laced with sarcasm interrupted. The boy's eyes were drawn to a figure behind the other two, a towering goliath of a man, easily 6 feet tall, and the massive armour he was wearing only increased the imposing aura he gave off. A short crop of brown hair lay on his head, a passive look gracing his features.
"I'm sorry," the boy apologised, "but I can't seem to remember anything else, besides Chrom's name."
"Ooh, I've heard of this," the girl pipped in, "he has amnesia! It's where a person can't remember who they are."
"It's a load of Pegasus dung, that's what." the knight replied coldly.
"Fredrick!" the girl shouted.
"No," the teen replied, "his response is perfectly reasonable, if I was in his position, I wouldn't trust a person as soon as I met them."
"Well, we can worry about that later, we should introduce ourselves," Chrom stated, "As you already know, I'm Chrom. The delicate one over there is my sister, Lissa."
"I AM NOT DELICATE!" Lissa shouted, blushing furiously, her cheeks turning a rosy pink, Chrom ignored her and continued, "And the one behind us is Fredrick, also known as 'Fredrick the wary'."
"A title a wear with honour, Naga forbid one of us be the least bit cautious. It is my every intention to trust you stranger, but a man of my post is not allowed such privileges."
"That's fine, I would do the exact same in your position, Fredrick. It's very nice to meet you all," the teen bowed, the hood falling even further on his head, "my name is Robin. Ah, that name just came to me."
"Robin?" Chrom said, a thoughtful look on his face. "Is that foreign? Well it doesn't matter if it is or not, at least you know your name, and that's one mystery solved."
Robin nodded, yes, he thought, it might be one small step, but it was a start to discover who he was.
"Good thing the shepherds found you, and not a band of brigands." Lissa smiled.
"Indeed," Chrom agreed, "that would have made for quite the rude awakening."
"Shepherds, you tend to sheep in full armour?" Robin asked.
"I guess you could say that," Chrom replied, a grin gracing his features, "but back to matters at hand, you should probably come with us. You were lucky that we were the first to find you, you may not be so lucky if you fall asleep again, and I doubt you would be able to take on a band of brigands if they caught you sleeping, despite that sword you have."
Sword? Robin thought, he looked around at his feet to find a sword there. He reached down to scoop it up, examining the blade more closely. It wasn't really special in any way, just simple bronze for the blade and a wooden hilt wrapped in leather, but just having it in his hands made him feel more at ease.
"Well, unless there are any further delays, then we should get moving, it will be dark in a few hours, and brigands are known to prey on travellers during the night." Chrom stated, already starting down the hill, towards a dirt road. He stopped halfway down, and turned back to Robin, "And I would advise you come with us, despite how we think of you, we won't be able to let you go with a clear conscious until we verify with the village, so please, don't make us have to use force."
Robin winced, realising he'd been put in a bad situation. He took a second to weigh the options, risk having to fight the three before him, or go with them peacefully? He decided on the second option, after all, why shouldn't he trust them? Robin nodded his head, signalling that he would follow, his hood falling off when he straightened back up, revealing a pair of black eyes and white hair that flowed all around his head, somehow staying out of his eyes.
"That seems to be the best option left available to me, so I guess I'll take it." Robin stated, making his way to Chrom. Chrom smiled at him, glad that he didn't have to force him to come along.
"So, what will happen once we get to this village, will I have to stay as a prisoner?" Robin questioned, they had been walking for several minutes, hills being the only thing they had come across, the path in front of them clear of any obstructions.
"Peace, Robin," Chrom replied soothingly, glancing back at his robed companion, "once we establish that you aren't an enemy of Yilsse, you will be free to do as you wish."
"Yilsse," Robin muttered, the name sounding strange to his tongue, "is that where we are?"
"Someone pay this actor, he plays quite the fool. Why even that confused look on his face seems genuine." Fredrick replied, riding atop his horse.
"Fredrick," Chrom glared at the giant, "there is no need to be rude to Robin." He turned back to Robin, "And to answer your question, yes. The country you are currently in is called Yilsse, with its two sister countries, Pilegia, and Regena Ferox."
Robin opened his mouth, about to ask something else, when a scream interrupted them, "Chrom!' Lissa cried, "Look, the village." The remainder of the group looked to where she was pointing, a plume of smoke rising from what looked like a simple village.
"Damn them," Chrom cursed, "Shepherds, let's go!" He sprinted ahead, Lissa and Fredrick in his wake, leaving Robin alone on the dirt road.
What do I do? Robin thought, I can't really help them, and they said they were capable, but just letting them go doesn't feel right. He glanced down, his eye's lighting on the sword in strapped to his hip. He gripped the hilt tightly, confidence flowing back into him, he raised his head back up, his mind made.
Robin took off with a burst of speed, his cloak billowing out behind him, as he ran towards the village, intent on catching up with the trio.
Robin looked left and right, for any sign of the Shepherds. As soon as he had entered the village he had become lost, stumbling from alley to alley, trying to keep the smoke in his line of sight, but the wind had already spread the smoke all throughout the village, causing Robin to simply travel in circles. Disregarding that idea entirely, he chose the next way of navigation, finding the tallest building and running towards it.
This plan seemed to be working better, as Robin rounded the corner, skidding to a halt at the sight before him. The market place before him had been ransacked, food and other goods tossed out of the way in search for any valuables. A few men were leaning on some of the stalls, laughing and eating whatever they pleased.
Robin looked around, hoping to spot one of the Shepherds. There, a towering figure in silver and blue armour, no doubt of who it could be. Robin ran over, trying to stay low to the ground and stick to the shadows to avoid drawing attention, his cloak blending in perfectly.
Robin reached the group; they were huddled together, Chrom discussing a plan. Robin decided now would be the best time to alert them to his presence; he tapped Chrom on the shoulder, startling the young man. Chrom reacted violently, his sword flashing out of its sheath, and leveled at Robin's throat. Robin stood stock still, not moving an inch in case Chrom take it as a hostile action. Seeing that it was Robin, Chrom lowered his sword, sighing in relief.
"Don't ever do that again, Robin," Chrom sighed, clearly shaken, "or next time I might not be able to stop."
"My apologies Chrom," Robin glanced over towards the brigands, "but for now we have a bigger problem to deal with."
"Indeed," Chrom agreed, "even with you here, those bandits still outnumber us two to one. We'll have to plan this well. Surprise is the main element we have available, and we will need to use it to our full advantage."
"Milord," Fredrick interrupted, "if I may. I don't think Robin should take part in this, while he may seem to have good intentions, I don't trust him enough to believe he won't turn on us during the middle of a fight."
Robin opened his mouth to retort, but Chrom answered first, "That's all well and good, Fredrick," Chrom replied, "but I have faith in Robin. Despite everything you've pointed out, I believe we should give him a chance to prove himself, otherwise we would simply be making false claims. Besides, I'll be with him the whole time, so I'll make sure he turn on us." Chrom clasped Robin's shoulder, making Robin feel a little more relived.
"Fine," Fredrick stoically replied, "if that is what you wish, then I shall protect lady Lissa."
"I don't need protecting!" Lissa shouted, furious that she was being treated as though she couldn't take care of herself.
"Agreed," Chrom replied, ignoring the fit his sister was currently throwing, "Robin and I will take those two swordsman on the right, you take out the caster over to the left, agreed?"
"If that is what you wish, my lord," Fredrick replied, his face not giving away any hint of the thoughts that lay beneath.
"Alright then," Chrom straightened, turning to Robin, "come on then Robin. Let's get going." Chrom ran off in the direction he'd pointed earlier, leaving Robin to catch up. Robin was dazed for a few seconds, before sprinting after the blue haired young man, struggling to remain quiet while still keeping up with him.
The two began to slow, Robin finally catching up to Chrom. They stealthily walked the rest of the way, trying to remain behind the stalls as they worked their way towards the two swordsmen. As the pair drew closer, they could overhear what they were saying.
"…barely worth ransacking the place," one of the bandits complained, "barely any gold, no decent women, and no good food."
"Ready?" Chrom whispered, his sword already in his hand, his body tensed.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Robin gripped his sword with both hands, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was gripping it. Chrom raised his hand holding up 3 fingers, already starting to lower one, Robin swallowed dryly, trying to remain calm. As Chrom's final finger clenched, both of them leapt over the stall they were hiding behind, slashing at the two swordsmen in front of them.
Both of their targets were taken by surprise, unable to react to the sudden attack, Robin swung wildly, aiming to decapitate his opponent, but what he achieved was a much more gruesome sight. Robin's blade floated across the bandits neck, driving a few centimetres deep but not deep enough to immediately kill him. The brigand's hands flew to his neck, attempting to stop the torrent of blood that was spouting from it, but it was no use, the blood seeped through his fingers, seeping down into his shirt. The colour drained from his face, his breathing slowing down. Robin couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, feeling the guilt of having to watch as he slowly died. The man's breathing finally stopped, dropping to his knees, his entire body becoming limp. Robin's hand rushed to his mouth, trying to stop himself from vomiting.
He felt a hand place itself on his shoulder, the comforting touch calming his nerves. Robin slowly turned, his eye's meeting with Chrom's. The comfort in those eyes' helped Robin calm down.
"Was that the first time?" Chrom asked, a little hesitant.
"I…" Robin stuttered, "I think so… it's just… it feels so… wrong…" Robin tried to say more but found he was unable to say anymore.
"It feels like that the first time," Chrom assured, "but know this, they would have done the exact same given the chance. This time we were lucky enough that they didn't put up a fight, next time we may be the ones on the receiving end of the sword."
Robin straightened up, the feeling of nausea having passed, and glanced over to the dead bodies. The flow of blood had finally stopped from the wound in the man's neck; his eye's glazed over, almost as if they were filled with fog. Robin looked away, glancing instead at the other man, this one was not quite as gruesome. A stab wound, around a hand wide, had pierced straight through the chest of his leather armour, directly through the heart. the man would have died immediately, unlike his comrade.
Sick of the sight, Robin looked over to see how Fredrick was faring, and was not surprised to see the towering knight already finished with his opponent. Fredrick was cleaning his lance, using a cloth he had somehow procured to wipe the blood off the blade. Lissa was riding atop the knight's mighty steed, a look similar to what Robin imagined he was wearing. The caster who Fredrick had dealt with, lay slumped on the ground, his robes coated in the dark red of his own blood, his mouth still open, in the midst of casting a spell no doubt.
"Come on," Chrom said, catching Robin's attention, "let's regroup with them." The young man ran off, leaving Robin once again to follow. The robed warrior ran a hand through his pure white hair, trying to take his mind off the acts he had just committed, and sprinted after Chrom.
"Fredrick, Lissa!" Chrom called out, waving his unburdened arm at them, "are you two alright?"
"We're fine my lord," Fredrick replied, passive as ever, "the brigand was no threat, barely taking a minute of our time."
Lissa remained silent, not willing to speak a word. Chrom held out his hand, offering to comfort her, and she grasped it with her own, a little colour flowing back into her face. She must be as new to this as I am, Robin thought, she clearly doesn't have the stomach for battle, then again, I have no right to talk.
"So, now that the odds are a little more in our favour," Chrom announced, catching Robin's attention. "we can stop hiding in the dark like cowards, and face these brigands with honour! Now all that is left is to recapture that church, let's move out!" He began to walk towards a bridge that connected the church, Fredrick following not far behind, and Robin and Lissa reluctantly bringing up the rear.
I can do this, Robin thought, there are just three more left, I'll probably only have to fight one of them, I can handle that. They're bandits, they would kill me without mercy given the chance, so why should I show them any kindness?
Robin was so lost in thought that he almost walked into Fredrick, veering out of the way just in time to see what he had stopped for. Meeting his eyes were final three brigands, each armed with an axe, grins spreading across their faces from ear to ear. Robin felt himself begin to seize up, his muscles becoming tense. He looked to his right, Fredrick completely calm and composed, and right, Chrom holding himself almost as well. He slumped, realizing he would have to fight again, he couldn't leave these two on their own. Strong as they might be, a three on two fight would be near impossible in these circumstances.
Robin tightened his grip on his sword, his knuckles turning white from the force. The bandit in the middle seemed to notice this, nudging his companions and pointing at Robin.
"Oi boys," he shouted, "looks like we've got a greenhorn, and it looks like he's already ready to go home. What's wrong little boy? Too much blood for ya? If ya can't stomach it then you should just run away, turn tail and run like the coward you are!"
The Brigands burst out in laughter, one of them laughing so hard that he almost fell over. Robin simply stood there, not moving an inch. Chrom and Fredrick turned to the newcomer, trying to gauge reaction, but Robin's face was devoid of emotion.
Chrom placed his hand on Robin's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, "We'll take the other two, you take the one in the middle. Is that fine?"
Robin swallowed before giving a single nod. Chrom and Fredrick started to walk forward, Robin reluctantly following, trying to keep himself calm as the trio drew closer to the bandits.
When the trio was within striking range, the bandits ceseaed their laughter, opting instead to put their time to much better use. Leaping forward, the bandit on the left swung his axe at Robin, only to have it intercepted by Fredrick's lance. The clashing pair moved to the right, Fredrick isolating his opponent from his allies. The second bandit lashed out, this one aiming for Chrom. The young swordsman flicked his sword to the right, countering the blow and forcing his opponent to stumble forward.
Robin slashed forward, trying to overcome his nerves as he faced the final brigand. The man brought his axe down, smashing down on the sword and using his axes weight to force it towards the ground. Robin gripped the blade tightly, refusing to let go of his only defence as the bandit tried to disarm him. Using his left leg, Robin kicked the flat of the axe, the force behind it enough to free his sword. With a burst of movement, Robin flicked his sword back up, slashing forward once again, aiming for the bandits stomach.
Before the sword could make it halfway there, the bandit's left hand wrapped around Robin's, bringing the blade to a halt. The bandit smirked, his axe back in his right hand. Robin saw the blow coming, fear invading his mind. Instinct took over as Robin twisted around to the right of his sword, the bandit still clutching it tightly. With a mighty pull, Robin wrenched his sword from the bandits fingers, a look of surprise covering his features. Robin slashed forward, driving the sword through the man's stomach, the sound of steel tearing through flesh filling Robin's ears. Seconds passed as Robin drove the blade further into the man, pain covering the bandit's face. The fight finished, Robin started to draw his sword out, only for it to meet resistance. Robin glanced down to see the bandits right hand clutched around his hand, his fingers holding him in a death grip. Robin struggled against the man's grip, trying to break free, but it was futile
A sudden pain erupted from Robin's shoulder, wrenching his attention to the wound. Robin was just in time to see the final bandit tearing his axe out of Robin's shoulder. His hand automatically went to the wound, attempting to quench the fountain of blood pouring from it
Robin stumbled back, his hand already wet and slimy from all of the blood. The bandit was still grinning, walking forward slowly, drinking in the terror of his prey
Fortune was not with Robin, as he stumbled back, his foot caught on a loose piece of pavement. His leg not expecting the lack of resistance, gave way, the rest of Robin's body soon following. Robin's gaze was the only thing that remained the same, still glued to the man's smile. The bandit was approaching, slowly but surely, his axe still resting in his hands, soon to be drenched in blood
The man raised his hands behind his head, his axe towering over him, waiting to hand down death to its victim. Robin raised his uninjured arm, a half-hearted attempt to stop the axe. The Brigand was still smiling that mad smile, his eye's still locked with Robin's. The axe begin its decent, Robin waiting for his inevitable end. Robin clenched his eyes shut, praying that it would be painless.
As Robin lay there, waiting for the blow, a swift sound could be heard, the clatter of boots on pavement, followed by a sickening squelch. Robin peeked from underneath his eyelids, still expecting the blow to come
Standing in front of him, was Chrom, his back facing to Robin, obscuring the man in front of him. Chrom's arm slashed forward, impaling the man before him, blood coating his sword. A fit of coughs erupted from the man, Chrom not moving his arm at all, still impaling the man. After a few seconds, the coughing stopped, the man's last dying breaths filling the silence. Chrom twisted his hand, ripping his sword from the wound, blood splattering the pavement. Chrom turned, a serious expression covering his face.
"Are you alright, Robin?" Chrom asked, concern evident in his words.
"I'll be fine, I think…" Robin gasped, the reality of what had just happened catching up to him. He has almost died, barely a few steps off the deaths door. Had it not been for Chrom, he wouldn't be here now. "Thank you, Chrom."
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you would do the same for me." Chrom smiled, his earlier expression disappearing, Robin couldn't help but smile himself.
The sound of heavy footsteps drew their attention. The pair of teens glanced to towards the source to see Fredrick ambling towards them, his spear and armour covered in even more blood then they were, Lissa following close behind.
"Milord, are you alright?" Fredrick questioned, barely out of breath, Lissa on the other hand, looked ready to faint.
"I'm fine, Fredrick, really. There's no need for you to be so concerned with my safety." Chrom replied, wiping the blood off his sword.
"But Milord-" Fredrick started before Chrom raised his hand to stop him. Fredrick paused for a few seconds before ceasing. Lissa stayed silent, seemingly deep in thought. "Fredrick I was fine, I'm capable of taking care of myself, you don't have to keep worrying over me."
Fredrick sighed in defeat, "If that is what you believe is best milord."
Chrom turned back to Robin, "Are you sure you can't remember anything, you seemed to handle that sword fairly well?"
Robin looked down at his sword, trying to spark a memory, but to no avail. He shook his head in frustration. "I'm not sure, I can't seem to remember anything, but when I was in battle, it just felt right moving it that way.
"Well whatever the case, you certainly aren't defenceless" Chrom smirked, "hopefully in the future you won't need someone to help you."
Robin bowed his head, ashamed of himself, "I'm sorry, Chrom."
"Don't think over it too much," Chrom placed his hand on Robin's shoulder, trying to reassure him, "what's done is done, and we should only focus on looking forward, not staying back in the past."
Robin perked up at this, a smile gracing his features, "Thank you, Chrom.
"Ahem," Fredrick clearing his throat, drawing the pair's attention, "now that we have finished with these bandits, I believe we should see to the safety of the villagers."
"Right." Chrom turned and started walking towards the church, Lissa and Fredrick not far behind, "Are you coming, Robin? Wouldn't want to be left behind again, would you?"
"I guess not," Robin smirked, already following the trio. Strange, he thought, I haven't been with these people for more than an hour, yet something just feels right. I suppose I'll accompany them for the time being.
A/N Well, this one took a fair while, so I'd better give you readers a couple of updates and so on. 1: I'M REALLY SORRY! To all you people who have been waiting for me to update, I give you my sincerest apologies. There were two things that were stopping me. One of them was life, exams, cons, games, you name it, it delayed me. The second reason is that I wasn't happy with this chapter. I had to redo it at least three times to get it to a standard that I consider decent, and even then I still have doubts about it. 2: I will be updating more frequently! Yay! I have 3 more exams to go until I just have year ten ones, so this and gaming will be me sole focus when I'm not working. 3: And you may have already figured this out, I'm staying from cannon. As you can tell from this chapter, it still follows the basics of the game, but it adds more elements that I feel are required for this type of story. AND finally 4: New stories. While I was writing this story, I came up with a few ideas for other stories that I hvae planned for the future, some might be crossovers, others might be more like this, whatever the case, I hope that you, the readers, will stick with me through thick and thin. Oh, one more thing before I forget, I have yet to decide if I should make this a classic mode or a newcomer mode story. Also, any pairings you may suggest are welcome, I already have one or two planned, but any more would be welcomed with open arms. Thanks for sticking with me! Wade/Areos
P.S I don't own Fire Emblem or anything so there, no copyright issues for me.
And even now I still find flaws in it, curses!