Awakening of Fate
Chapter II: Amnesiac Tactician
"Join me Lilith; it's time to tip the scales!" The woman cried out. Lilith stood with the stranger but frowned when she remembered her predicament.
"I am unarmed. How am I supposed to fight without a weapon?" she asked. The stranger smiled in response and placed her hand into her coat before drawing a bronze longsword.
"This should suffice for now." The woman told her and began to run towards the combat.
Lilith examined the sword and thought back to Corrin's training days. I've watched Corrin training enough times to understand the basics. And with everyone else fighting I should be fine. The young dragon thought to herself before rushing after her new companion.
As soon as the stranger was within range of her targets she began to fire off a volley of magical blasts. Lilith watched in amazement as orbs of electricity flew from the woman's finger tips and crashed into multiple targets. While it didn't look as though the attacks were as damaging as say the swords, lance, axe, or knives of their teammates, it certainly gave the enemy pause.
"Lord Chrom, the mysterious person has awoken. They seem to be helping us." Frederick called out while cleaving a foe in two with his axe.
The large man was currently dual-wielding weapons as a large number of foes surrounded him. In his right hand he wielded a lance with grace and finesse lashing out to keep foes at bay while his left arm carried a shield and left hand grasped an axe. How Frederick managed to stay on his horse while it bucked and kicked at the enemy forces, certainly astounded and amazed everyone on the field.
"The help is certainly appreciated." Chrom called back as he deflected an attack aimed at Lissa.
The young girl had rushed over to heal Chrom after he took an axe swing to his leg. The attack had almost removed the limb but with Lissa using her magic at full power she managed to stabilize Chrom and keep the limb attached. It would take the additional strength of Felicia's healing magic however to pick Chrom back up for the fight. Now paired up with Felicia and having Lissa at his back, Chrom felt more than ready to take on his foes.
Only a couple of yards away were Corrin and Azura fighting in tandem with one another against the circle of enemies around them. Corrin's unorthodox fighting style which relied heavily on his jumping and dashing ability combined well with the water-like dance movements of Azura. The two of them would weave in and out of each other's movements, guarding against and countering the enemy with such precision it was as if they had practiced the moves to perfection. As Azura swept low with her spear angling her body against the ground Corrin ran the length of her weapon and jumped off it before delivering a devastating butterfly kick to a spearman and warrior who tried to attack Azura from behind.
"Look Corrin, it is Lilith, along with someone else. They are thinning the ranks form the outside." Azura mentioned as she and Corrin got together back to back once more.
"I don't know what that person is thinking but I'm glad for the help." Corrin replied before re-engaging the enemies around him.
Lilith used the covering fire provided by her caster friend to close in on the foes and attack with her sword. The weapon cut into the less armored foes quite easily, killing them on the spot. Confident in her abilities and the backup being provide, Lilith began to cut a path towards Corrin.
"Lilith wait, you're going too far ahead!" her friend exclaimed. Lilith stopped, torn between assuring Corrin's safety and ensuring everyone survived here. She risked her life coming into this fight. I shouldn't betray that. Lilith thought as she retreated back a few feet.
"I don't even know what to call you." Lilith stated as she regrouped with the magic caster. "Robin, you can call me Robin." The woman answered as her eyes scanned over the field.
"Our best play here would be to rescue the man on the horse. His mobility will allow us to gain the upper hand." Robin said as she saw all the possible moves playing out in her head. Lilith was lost but decided to trust Robin's judgement.
"Tell me where to go and I shall obey." She told Robin with a bow.
"We shall go together." Robin responded with a smile.
"You're playing the role of our tactician though; shouldn't you be away from the combat until we achieve victory?" Lilith asked. Her response was Robin grabbing her hand and pulling her along with a grin plastered to her face.
"Perhaps you're right but I can see the one true path to victory better when I'm in the thick of things." She answered before firing off more magical blasts. Frederick saw the two young women charging towards him and for a split second thought himself betrayed until they began to clear out the foes. The woman who had been unconscious before was shooting magic with precision while the other one wielded a sword with novice level ability.
Knowing he was covered on one side, Frederick focused his attention on clearing away the enemies on the other side of him. He placed his axe across his back in its sling and doubled up his stance using he spear and shield in tandem with one another. Enemy units fell to his attacks as he stabbed downward and impaled them or bashed them away. Within minutes of his reinforcements arriving by his side Frederick was able to clear away the half dozen or so enemies that had surrounded him. He was just about to gallop off after Chrom when the strange spell caster stepped in front of him.
"What do you think you are doing?!" he exclaimed towards the woman. "Let me pass so that I may assist my lord."
"Would your lord be pleased if he found out you let two people die when his life wasn't in danger?" the woman asked indicating the precarious situation that Corrin and Azura now found themselves in.
While their acrobatic style had prevented them from being seriously injured they were tired and getting sluggish with their movements. Frederick saw what would befall them if they weren't assisted soon while Chrom on the other hand was being aided by both Lissa and the maid that had come through the tear. Chrom defended Lissa when she came under fire and she in turn healed him of his injuries. The maid was defending Chrom's blindside while also providing healing when Lissa had exhausted herself.
"What do you need from me?" Frederick asked knowing that he needed to save those in danger lest Chrom needlessly put himself in harm's way.
"Carry Lilith with you and go towards the two to the far side. Assist and rescue them as soon as you can. Once you have achieved that circle around and meet with your lord and the others." Robin explained drawing a small diagram in the ground. Frederick narrowed his eyes at the woman with suspicion.
"What will you be doing?" he asked. Robin merely smirked and raised her hand as the wind picked up. She prevented her hair from obstructing her face with graceful movements befitting royalty.
"I shall prepare the final trap that leads us to victory. Trust in me and I shall show you the road to glory." Robin stated extending her hand outward.
Lilith climbed atop Frederick's horse, awkwardly holding Robin's sword between her body and the large man she clung too. Frederick rode off in haste leaving Robin to her own devices. Once she was left alone the dark-haired woman went to work. Frederick and Lilith came upon Corrin and Azura in a matter of minutes.
Frederick had opted to use his axe instead of the lance and cleaved through two or more foes with each swing while his horse trampled its way through the ring of foes that surrounded his objective. Lilith was out of her depth in terms of weaponry but right in her element when it came to combat. Using Frederick as an anchor she hung off the man and slashed out with her sword on either side of the horse, slaying enemies side to side as they made their way closer to Corrin and Azura.
Both Frederick and Lilith gasped in surprise when Corrin took a spear through the stomach. Azura faltered at Corrin's cry of pain and was punished with a sword slash from right shoulder to left hip. As Azura fell, Corrin's face of pain instantly turned into one of rage. Stabbing his sword into the ground Corrin reached beneath his cape and pulled out a crystalline shaped stone.
"THIS ENDS NOW!" the young prince exclaimed at the top of his voice as his body began to transform. Wings burst from his back as his arms and legs began to elongate. His face shifted until it was a perfect sphere before being covered by a solid armor-like substance. His body grew until it was almost three times its normal size. When his transformation was complete Corrin had become a dragon, or at least the crossbreed form of a Silent Dragon and Human.
This was his first full transformation since his rampage from before in which he received a dragon stone from Azura afterwards to control the transformation. He could feel the power coursing through his veins and was intent on tearing apart all the foes that dared hurt Azura. Lowering his head, Corrin thrashed about, using his horns to impale and eviscerate foes. Standing on his hind legs Corrin grabbed at foes with his now deformed human hands before flinging enemies into one another. He opened his gaping maw before firing concentrated spheres of highly pressurized water at the remaining enemies around him.
With the area immediately clear of danger Corrin looked to see Lilith and Frederick nearby and unhurt before reverting back to his human form.
"Save Azura." He managed to gasp out before collapsing next to said woman.
"We have to get them both to Lissa so that she may heal them." Frederick stated as both Corrin and Azura were placed on his horse. The extra weight caused the beast to snort a whiney in protest. But Frederick knew that he had to complete the tacticians plan and urged it onwards, taking the predetermined path. Frederick saw his route was clear and within minutes had arrived behind Chrom, Lissa, and Felicia.
"Milord and milady, I have arrived!" Frederick announced and made his way towards the forefront of battle after Lilith carefully removed Corrin and Azura from the horse.
"We saw that man transform into some sort of dragon. Is he a manakete?" Lissa questioned while she healed Azura. Felicia worked furiously on healing Corrin in silence as tears came to her eyes.
"Dry your eyes Felicia, I won't be dying today." Corrin whispered softly. Felicia's face brightened at Corrin's words and she nodded enthusiastically.
Although the enemy forces had been thinned considerable, there were still roughly a dozen foes left. With only Frederick, Chrom, and Lilith left standing the tide of battle did not look like it favored their forces.
"Where is the woman from before?" Chrom asked as he parried an attack but was set upon before he could counter.
"Her name is Robin and she has a plan." Lilith answered as she cut down an axe-wielding warrior.
"I certainly hope so because with just us here defending the others it doesn't look good." Chrom conversed with Lilith.
Suddenly the air around their foes began to explode. Chrom, Frederick and Lilith all backed away, but they weren't in any danger from the attack as a black dome covered their enemies containing the explosions. From a small crest in the meadow the group could see Robin, floating inches off the ground as the pages of her book flipped furiously in front of her. The enemy forces gave up their assault against Chrom and the others before charging towards Robin. The tactician faced down the oncoming horde unafraid as she continued to channel her spells.
"Fire, Elfire, Arcfire, Bolganone!" Robin chanted as a mass of fire appeared in her left hand.
"Thunder, Elthunder, Arcthunder, Thoron!" she continued this time forming an orb in her right hand.
"Wind, Elwind, Arcwind, Forsetti!" Robin cried out as her noes began to bleed from the magical forces she commanded. The air around her began to whip about violently forming a funnel between Robin and her foes.
"Robin, that's enough! You're killing yourself!" Lilith cried out from behind the barrier, unsure of if her friend could even hear what she said. Robin's breath became haggard as she began to channel the last part of her spell.
"Flux, Ruin, Goetia, NOSFERATUUUU!" the long-haired woman yelled at the top of her voice as purplish-black shadows swirled from the funnel her wind spells had created and grabbed all of her enemies holding them together as one mass. Robin spun around once and launched her orbs of raging fire and crackling electricity at the mass. The resounding result was a rainbow-colored explosion that engulfed everything in bright lights. When the dust had settled, and the smoke cleared Chrom and the others saw a figure standing, looking up at the sky.
The meadow was destroyed, leaving only a charred wasteland. Robin continued to gaze up at the sky, her clothing damaged but still usable. Her gaze drifted lazily over to the others as they approached and for the briefest of moments Lilith could've sworn her grey eyes were red. But when she blinked all she saw was Robin collapsing to the ground. Chrom, Lissa, Felicia, and Lilith rushed over while Frederick carried Corrin and Azura along at a moderate pace so as not to disturb them. When they arrived at Robin's location they could see the damage that had actually been caused.
Robin's bloody nose was probably the least of her injuries. Her left hand was badly burned up to the elbow. Her right hand, save the back where a mysterious symbol or brand was placed, was cracked and bleeding, also up to her elbow. There were lacerations on her back from where the wind had cut into her and the shadow-like energy from her dark spells was currently trying to swallow her up starting at her feet.
"Can you save her?" Chrom asked looking to both Lissa and Felicia.
"We will do our best, but our own magical reserves are reaching their limits." Felicia answered as she pulled out a small staff and began waving it over and around Robin's body. Lissa followed suit with her rod and began to shake it. Chrom cradled Robin's head in his lap looking down at the peaceful expression on her face. The young woman stirred slightly before half-opening her eyes.
"Hello?" she spoke with an inquisitive tone. Chrom smiled still cradling Robin as she was healed.
"Hey there, there are much better places to sleep than the ground, you know." He told her with a soft chuckle.
"That's good to know, but can you tell me something?" Robin asked as her eyes closed slowly.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" Chrom inquired.
"Who am I?" Robin whispered as she fell unconscious.