Chapter 4: Ember

"What will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner?" Robin inquired.

"Hah!" Chrom exclaimed. "You'll be free to go once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse."

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?"

"You've never heard of the halidom?" inquired Frederick. "Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool! That furrowed brow of his is especially convincing…"

"Frederick, please," Chrom said. Turning to Robin, he continued, "This land is known as Ylisse. Our Ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order… My name is Chrom, but then, you already knew that." He turned to gesture to the girl beside him. "The delicate one here is my sister, Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate!...hmph!" pouted Lissa. "Ignore him. He can be a bit stupid at times. You're lucky the Shepherds found you, though. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

Cogs began turning furiously in Robin's head at Lissa's last comment. Turning to Chrom, he asked "Shepherds? You tend sheep?...and in full armor?"

"Hah. It can be quite the dangerous job at times. Just ask Frederick the Wary here." Chrom said, half-jokingly.

"A title I shall bear with pride, despite milord's constant japes." Frederick responded. "Gods forbid, ONE of us should keep an appropriate level of caution," he continued, shooting Chrom a dirty look in the process. He pressed on, addressing Robin, "I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but I'm afraid my station mandates otherwise."

"I understand, Frederick. I would do no less myself." Robin replied. "AH! My name is Robin! I just remembered that...how odd. Well, there's one mystery solved."

"Robin? Is that foreign? Oh, nevermind. We can discuss that, and more, as soon as we get back to town. Once we get there, we -"

"CHROM! The town!" Lissa interjected.

Everyone turned at Lissa's exclamation and followed her gaze to see large plumes of smoke rising from what seemed to be the remains of a town.

"Damn those blasted brigands!" Chrom yelled. "Frederick! Lissa! Come on!" Chrom began sprinting towards the smoke in a desperate attempt to help.

"What about him, milord?!" Frederick called after him.

"Unless he's on fire as well, he can wait!" Chrom called back.

"Hah. Aptly put." Frederick chuckled as he mounted his horse. "Come, Lissa." Frederick extended his hand and helped Lissa onto his horse and rode off toward Chrom and the town.

"But...uhm... wait! I'm coming too!" Robin called, but to no response. Sighing, he began making his way towards everyone else to help them secure the town.

Hey, everyone! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, I haven't had time to type anything recently, because testing. I do have everything up to Chapter 8 (Chapter 2 in the game) written out in my notebook, so more chapters will come more often! Just bear with me, okay?