DISCLAIMER: FIRE EMBLEM AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO NINTENDO
A/N: I had meant to get this up yesterday but well, Monster Hunter 4U. That game's too freaking addicting. Haven't had too much time to play it recently, so yeah, kinda binged.
Naga's Voice 9
The Hero and Sage had been walking for minutes, somewhere in between the western and northern entrances. They traveled the distance in silence, the only sounds coming from either were their heavy breathing.
The Sage felt occasional twangs of pain from the crushed bone in her leg, which the Hero noticed every time the arm hung around his neck would tighten.
He found no words he could possibly say to the enemy soldier, and she was as silent as he.
Whenever he'd take a glance down the wall, it only served as a reminder to how precious little time the two had left in this world.
Their presence atop the wall went highly unnoticed by the Risen. It was a cruel joke that their were hardly any flying units among the creatures. A small bit of hope that would be taken away the moment the Risen eventually prevailed in their onslaught.
Primal instinct told him to set the woman down and head off without her. On the off chance the situation turned around, she would be safe here and live to see another day. No one would know he had abandoned her. And come time their forces parted, they would never see each other again. But no matter how loud the voice in his head howled, his body did not respond.
The sage bit into the cloth on her shoulder, trying to wait out the surge of pain coursing through her leg. She knew very well what this injury meant. She was but a stationary fighter at this point. Had any Risen attacked, she would be anchored to one position, firing shot after shot until the beasts claimed her life. Even if she were to survive, this injury would render her useless as a soldier. Though healers could assist in her recovery, the feeling of severed bone in her leg had indicated that it would take far too long for her to be able to walk the battlefield once more. She would be a burden to Ylissean forces. And she was but a burden to this man. Despite that, he had continued to haul her around throughout the rest of their journey.
She found no words to thank him, as her survival now was surely only prolonging the inevitable.
And once again, the two resumed their walk in silence.
Gaius , Donnel and the Sniper fought through the crowds, thirsting for even a glimpse of an Ylissean or even a Valmese soldier.
They ran along the wall of the circular fortress, hoping they'd eventually meet up with the others.
'Shit. How far the were they pushed back!?' the Thief thought. "You! Stick to the walls!" Gaius yelled to the Sniper.
The man did as he was told moving to the wall as he covered his allies's flank with with a hail of arrows.
Gaius slid beneath a Risen Mercenary, slitting its ankles as he passed between his legs. The Risen let out a cry of pain, but was silenced as Donnel slammed his Steel Sword into its face. The blade ripped into and through its cheek, severing the mandible.
Gaius hopped to his feet from his back and sidestepped as a Risen thrust its lance. Gaius grabbed hold of the lance with his free hand and tugged. As the Risen was pulled towards him, Gaius drove the tip of his blade through its eye socket, black mist spurting out from the puncture.
Another Risen charged at him, lashing out with its axe. Gaius pulled his sword out as he back flipped away, but the axe tore through a piece of his midsection midflip. Gaius slumped to the floor, but quickly scrambled to his feet. He pointed his sword at the axe wielding Risen, his other hand pressed against the gash in his side. The Risen took a few steps towards the injured Thief. As it raised its axe into the air, three arrows darted into its throat and face. Gaius turned to see the Sniper firing off furiously. Gaius wheezed. 'This is bad. There's to many of them. And that guys only got so many arrows left...'
Donnel came face to face with two Risens. They took turns taking swipes at the young Shepherd. Donnel struggled to back off from the repeated swings, his sword held in front in defense. As he backpedaled, he tripped over the body of a dead Valmese. As he fell to the ground, he caught sight of a discarded shield on the floor. He quickly snatched it and brought it over his body, just as one of the Risen's swords came down on him. He held the shield firmly, as constant clanked from the repeated strikes from the Risen Duo. Donney kicked out one of his legs, his foot slamming into one of their knees. With a pop, the Risen's leg snapped backwards, causing it to fall to the ground.
Donnel got to his feet, shield up. Having felt the rhythm the enemy was striking with, after one more clank of his shield, he pulled it away and swung his sword across the Risens chest. He instantly ran for the Risen on the ground and sunk his sword into its neck.
From across the battlefield, a Risen Bow Knight sent an arrow flying towards him. The arrow dug into Donnel's shoulder, earning a gasp of pain.
The Sniper who had seen Donnel get shot, retraced the arrow's flight path to the Risen responsible.
Before the Risen Bow Knight could spot the Sniper, two arrows were sent flying towards its eyes.
"M-MOVE! We need to move!" Gaius cried. As he sprinted along the walls.
The three ran in desperation, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
Owain tumbled onto the ground, his head slamming onto the floor several times. With a groan, he wiped away the blood trickling down from his forehead that got into his eyes. As his vision cleared, he was met with a large Hammer swinging down towards him.
He rolled out the way before being bludgeoned, but his Killing Edge was left behind to take the beating. He clawed for the hilt of a sword he found tucked within the belt of a Valmese mage. He retrieved the sword and scrambled to his feet. He hopped back just as the Risen swung its Hammer from the side.
The large Hammer was heavy, its weight a burden when trying for consecutive hits.
Owain saw the opening and lifted the jagged blade into the air. As he swung it down, the sword was enveloped in lightning, coming down on the Risen's shoulder.
The Risen convulsed violently from the electricity from the sword lodged in its shoulder. Owain pulled the sword out, its jagged edges only gnawing further into the fiend.
With one final swing, Owain lopped the head off the Risen.
He had no time to entertain the fantastical urges eating away at the back of his mind from finding such a weapon. He quickly made a beeline for another Risen that was gutting an Ylissean Warrior.
Robin flew over the battlefield within a powerful funnel of wind, the flaps of his Tactician's coat fluttering behind. The downdraft from his Forsetti spell was enough to knock the several arrows flying across the battlefield to lose their trajectory as the wind came their way.
As revolutionary as Robin's use of the spell was, he was not technically flying. He was merely thrust into the air every time the stream of wind was put between him and the ground. The nature of Forsetti caused its stream to die down every so often, demanding Robin to fire off another consecutive shot. It's effective range to propel him into the air was roughly 30 feet. Due to these factors, Robin's flight was more akin to taking long, giant bounds rather than true flight.
Being only 30 feet from the ground max, the danger of projectiles were all too real.
Robin raced as fast as he could to a specific location within the tree's roots that he had seen on the way into the fortress earlier.
Not long after, several arrows whizzed past the Tactician. Robin varied the angles he was firing off Forsetti, his flight path now in zigzags as he tried to elude the deadly projectiles. The western entrance of the fortress came into sight, and so did the rest of the Shepherds, who alongside the the combined forces of the Ylisseans and Valmese were struggling to hold back the Risen pouring in from all directions.
As Robin zoomed overhead, he caught sight of Anna, who was on the floor crawling towards her sword. A group of Risen were seconds away from closing in on the poor merchant and tearing her to shreds.
Feeling a rush of adrenaline at seeing a fellow Shepherd at death's door, with his free hand, he quickly pulled out his Arcthunder Tome from his coat. The speed he was flying at was hindering his ability to aim. He directed his shaky arm towards the Risen, trying the best he could to not let Anna be caught in the blast. As his arm steadied, he fired off his trusted lightning spell. The bolt zeroed in on the Risen, striking at between the two at the back of the group. The undead fiends were fried, the rest thrown by the impact.
Anna wasted no time in looking up at her savior, reaching for her sword and regaining her footing. She mercilessly slaughtered the Surviving Risen from the group.
Anna's predicament sobered Robin up to the realization that this battle was nearly one sided. While their forces more than put up a fight, it was only a matter of time until they were overrun.
Robin gripped Arcthunder tightly, aiming towards groups of Risen. He fired off shot after shot, hoping his interference will at least by his allies some time.
Sumia flew by, catching sight of Robin.
"Robin!" she called to him as she flew alongside the Tactician.
"Sumia! Cynthia!" he yelled back.
"You can FLY!?" Cynthia exclaimed in amazement,
Unfortunately, the grave situation below could not warrant any idle chatter. "Where are Chrom and Lucina!?" Sumia asked over her daughter, voice filled with concern.
"Don't worry, they're with another group of soldiers south from here! I'm headed out to stop all this, stay low to the ground until then!" he called back as he flew ahead.
"Robin!" Sumia called after him in vain.
Robin heard her cries grow faint behind him as he advanced. He too was worried Lucina, Chrom and everyone's safety for that matter, but he needed to focus on getting rid of the Risen.
Finally reaching the western entrance, Robin flew over the walls and out into the tree's roots.
Gaius and his group had been completely surrounded.
They were between the fortress walls and a thick crowd of Risen.
Rows and Rows of the undead beings cast their gaze on three men.
Gaius kicked back a Risen Thief trying to rush forward. Donnel ran in front of him, bringing his sword down unto a Risen Myrmidon trying to strike from Gaius's blindside.
The Sniper pulled back on his bow, firing shot after shot. He was exhausting his limited supply of arrows at an alarming rate.
The three men fought with their remaining strength, soaked from blood and sweat.
Gaius could feel his head throbbing. He swung his sword blindly at the Risen, as he took steps back.
They three men eventually found their backs pressed to the walls.
As the Risen closed in, a stream of flame shot down forming a wall of fire in front of them.
With an arm, Gaius shielded his face from the intense heat. He opened his eyes slightly and looked up to see two figures standing atop the walls.
A line of rope came tumbling down the wall, landing in front of him.
Donnel's eyes widened. "M-mister Gaius!"
Gaius grinned faintly. "Yeah, this is our ticket outta here." He quickly grabbed hold of the rope and pulled his weight up so his feet were on the walls. As he summoned his strength, Gaius reached his hand out and grabbed more of the rope, pulling it close and repeating the process.
Gaius was halfway up the wall when he turned around to shout back to Donnel. "Donny, hurry it up! That fire's not gonna hold them back forever!"
Donnel reached for the end of the rope and tried to pull his weight up. The wound on his shoulder from earlier denied him the necessary power to lift his weight up.
"G-gaius! I-I can't do it! My shoulder's shot!" he cried.
Gaius, who had just finished scaling the wall, slammed his feet into the ground in panic. "Shit!" he barked.
All the while, the Risen were breaking through the wall of fire. The Risen at the front of the crowd had fallen forward into the flames. Their bodies were used as bridges by their allies, who now made their way to their victims.
Donnel held his sword tightly. He did not plan on going down without a fight. Suddenly, he felt something tighten around his waist. He looked up to find the Sniper fastening the rope around him.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Donnel muttered.
The Sniper finished tying the knot. "I'm saving your life, sir."
"Don'y you give up damn it!" Gaius shouted down. "You've got a family, don't you?"
The sniper reached for his arrows. "And I'll protect them by ensuring the Shepherd's safety. The fate of our country lies with you. You all are what gives us strength to fight..." The Sniper aimed for a Risen crossing the flames. "GO!" he yelled to them.
Gaius grit his teeth. He furiously pulled on the rope, one of the people up there with him joined in.
As Donnel was heaved up, "Y-you wh-whats your name?"
The Sniper turned around and spoke his name, just as the Risen drove their weapons into him.
Donnel snapped his eyes shut and turned away from the gruesome sight.
Gaius and the other man leaned over the borders and pulled Donnel up. His eyes were wide and his face motionless.
Gaius let out a sigh of frustration, pulling at his now wet, orange locks. He stared at his and Donnel's saviors.
A Sage and a Hero.
Gaius, upon seeing the Hero's armor, narrowed his eyes at him. "Valmese..." he spat.
The Sage hopped in front of him, and waved a hand around, as if telling him it was fine.
Gaius looked upon her face. She seemed dead set on proving this man's innocence. Gaius backed off. "Thanks. Both of you." he spoke.
They both nodded.
"Let's get out of here." Donnel said, getting up and walking down the path.
"You all right?" Gaius called to him.
Donnel didn't respond an kept walking.
The Hero supported the Sage as they followed after him.
Gaius threw down the rope and started walking as well.
Robin flew out onto the roots. His breathing grew erratic as he saw just how many Risen had yet to even enter the fortress. The roots were nearly colored purplish black with the undead beings.
He shook his head and focused on finding the spot he had seen earlier. What he sought was a sizable gab between two of the large roots. He would need the space to ensure Mjolnir would hit entirely in the water.
The Risen spotted the Tactician, Archers and mages firing off shot after shot.
Robin fired Forsetti at varying angles as he weaved through the projectiles.
He found it, the location he had been looking for. He reached for Mjolnir, as he got closer and closer.
All attention was on him, the Risen refusing to let the Tactician get away.
Robin felt an arrow dig into his gut, another into his back. He squeezed the Tomes, fearing he'd let go and the plan would fail.
He coughed, blood flying out his mouth.
Robin aimed Mjolnir at the water, the book glowing.
He breathed heavily, waiting for the book to finish charging.
And then, "MJOLNIR!"
The sky flashed. The sky quaked as the energy ripped through the air.
In silence, the mighty bolt came hammering down on the water below the roots of the Mila Tree.
The Risen on the roots surrounding the water were fried in an instant. As the divine water splashed outwards, it showered on the Risen, vaporizing them.
The godly bolt through massive amounts of water up into the sky.
Robin turned midair and aimed his Forsetti towards the Mila Tree. He charged the book to its maximum output and fired.
The green wind blasted out from his hand and swept the airborne water towards the Mila Tree.
Robin kept Forsetti firing until he himself had been sent plummeting into the water below.
Gaius and the group stood motionless.
The Risen had climbed the wall via the watchtowers.
His group was surrounded once more. If they leapt from the walls, they would survive with possibly a few broken bones, but likely be swarmed in a matter of seconds. And to stay and fight would spell certain death.
It was a hopeless situation.
The Hero pulled the Sage closer to him, glaring at the Risen. She tightened her grip on him.
Donnel dropped his sword. His eyes moistened as he laughed.
Gaius fell to his knees and trembled. He thought about Cordelia. How much he loved her. The happy moments that would never come to pass. He thought of Severa, his rude but his equally beautiful daughter. The family that he would be leaving behind all too soon. How would they remember him? As that thief of a father and husband? Would they hate him for leaving them behind? Would Severa hate him for once again disappearing from her life? What of Cordelia's dream of a family?
All four were snapped from their grave depression as the sky lit up in a blinding flash.
Gaius chuckled, knowing that somewhere, Robin had not yet given up. That Robin kept fighting on. And somewhere, his wife and daughter were doing the same. He gripped his blade and got to his feet. Without thinking, he sprinted for the nearest Risen.
Before he could raise his blade, a heavy downpour scattered through the area.
A chorus of growls could be heard from all around the fortress. And in an instant, the Risen vanished.
The Shepherds stared up as the water showered down upon them.
The Risen had withered away under the divine rain, leaving no trace.
The fortress was filled with silence.
Lucina wiped the water from her face. Her face was soaked either from tears or the water. "Robin did it..." she whispered.
Chrom looked at her daughter, letting the words sink in. Chrom spun around to the others. "ROBIN DID IT!" he proclaimed with pride.
One by one, the soldiers cheered in victory, having survived against the seemingly impossible odds.
A hooded figure sat upon a throne.
"Is it finished?" a tall man asks.
The hooded figure tosses away the crystal in his hand. "Yes. I knew he could do it."
Robin lay on one of the roots. He was bleeding profusely, his breathing hitched. He had left the arrows in his body, fearing bleeding to death.
He stared up at the Mila Tree, droplets of water still dripping down from its soaked branches.
He turned his head to look at the tomes that lay just a few feet from him.
They lay their, battered and soaked in a puddle of water and ink.
They were ruined.
Robin closed his eyes. 'Thank you Bora...'
His thoughts wandered to the Risen. Why had they appeared here? Certainly there were Grimleal scattered across Valm, but to think they held the power to summon a catastrophe such as this? No. There was more to it than just some faction of the religious cult flaunting their power.
He thought about the man who bore the same face as he. Of Validar, the man who had claimed to be his father. And Grima, the primal evil that pulled the world towards a future of death and suffering.
Who was Robin before he was found by Chrom? Why had none of the time travelers recognized him?
"Lissa! Hurry!" a voice yelled in panic.
Robin shot open his eyes to find the Shepherds around him.
"Robin, you son of a bitch. I told you to quit taking naps on the ground, didn't I?" Chrom asked tearfully.
Robin smiled weakly. He felt a hand pressed to his forehead.
"...You really know how to worry someone, don't you?" Lucina asked in tears.
Robin chuckled. "I'm still here, aren't I?" he shot back.
Gaius limped forward and sat beside him. "You really saved our asses back there, Bubbles." he said with a smile.
"Hope you weren't thinkin' of cuttin class, were you?" Vaike asked, grinning as he leaned over his Armorslayer.
Robin smiled. "Who do you guys think I am?" he asked smugly.
The rest of the future children stepped out from the crowd.
"You were so COOl... err, Robin!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"I'd expect no less from a hero of his caliber." Owain noted.
"Your strength know no bounds." said Kjelle.
Severa gazed to the side. "...Thanks."
Gerome stayed further back and eyed the Tactician.
"Alright, everyone stand aside!" Lissa said as she kneeled down beside him. "Napping on the ground again I see." Lissa said with a soft smile.
"Chrom already said it." Robin stated, weakly sticking his tongue out.
Lissa pouted as she carefully removed the arrows.
As the two armies tended to their wounded, two figures slipped away and walked out towards the horizon.
A/N: And here's the second to last chapter of this arc. Wheew, a 10 parter!
Robin saved the day and received many thanks from his friends. I guess you can say that Robin 'made it rain'. #THAT'S NOT PUNNY #TIME TO DRIP THE SCALES #HERE'S HOW IT'S PUN #WAKES UP COVERED IN BITCHES
But has he really thwarted the two mysterious figures plans?
What will Robin do now that his two most powerful spells are lost? Perhaps the Gomu Gomu no Mi's growing somewhere up in that tree.
Who were those two figures walking away into the sunset?
Still more ahead! The Shepherd's confrontation with Cervantes!
Lots of fun stuff's gonna happen after the next chapter!
Til Next Time!