Awakening of Fate
Chapter III: Southtown and Homeward bound
A/N: This chapter is going to be long, at least five-thousand words and maybe so much as eight thousand. Enjoy the exposition and the action.
Who am I?
The echo of the question asked by the woman who saved their lives stunned everyone present. Chrom looked to Lissa and Felicia but neither had an explanation. He looked up at Frederick, but the armored knight could only shake his head sadly. Finally, his gaze dropped onto Lilith who knelt next to Robin, holding the woman's right hand.
"This marking, what is it?" Lilith asked running her fingers over the only undamaged part of Robin's hand. While Lissa and Felicia had managed to save the young woman's life they were exhausted and couldn't use their magic without risking their own lives.
"It looks like a brand." Chrom answered and turned to show off the upper portion of his right arm. Like Robin's hand it also carried a mark, but the similarities ended there as the shapes were very different from one another.
"Why would you brand yourselves?" Felicia asked looking between Chrom and Robin.
"We didn't. Brands are a mark of royal lineage. They are proof that you come from the bloodline of a dragon." Chrom explained. Upon hearing this news, both Lilith and Felicia gasped loudly. Chrom raised an eyebrow at the two women expectantly.
"Where we are from our royals have the blood of dragons flowing through their veins, but it manifests itself in a different way." Lilith explained. Groaning from Corrin and Robin caused a halt to any further explanation however. Chrom lifted Robin, bridal style, as he stood to his feet.
"There is a small village nearby. We can go there and rest while also formally introducing ourselves. It seems that we all have a tale to tell." He stated and began walking away with Robin in his arms. Felicia and Lissa walked alongside Frederick, periodically checking on Corrin and Azura. The group walked in relative silence with only Frederick's horse as a constant source of noise. Each was lost in their thoughts, all alone. Lilith looked down at her human body trying to figure out why she couldn't resume her dragon shape and why she had reverted from her dragon form to begin with. She could sense the powerful magic in this land, but nothing seemed to be directed particularly at her. The young dragon continued playing with different scenarios in her mind, following Chrom from a distance so as not to let her bodily emotions betray her.
Chrom on the other hand couldn't be bothered with much else as he held Robin in his arms. He was mesmerized by the woman. Here she was a stranger to him and everyone else and yet she had risked her life to save them. Her bravery was admirable but Chrom felt something more than that when he was in close proximity to her. Perhaps it was the fact that she too carried a brand. Chrom had never encountered another branded person outside of his family in which his older sister Emmeryn carried the same Brand of Naga as he did.
This woman, Robin was likely someone of great importance wherever she came from but that opened the door to questions such as 'Why was she out in the meadow', 'Where exactly did she hail from', 'Was she alone or did she have companions looking for her?' and most prominent on Chrom's mind 'Where did she get her power from?'. Chrom had seen his fair share of magicians, sorcerers, sages, and various other spell casters but none of them had been able to call upon as much power as he had seen Robin do. With his thoughts occupied by Robin and the enigma that surrounded her, Chrom continued to lead the group towards the village he knew was in the area.
The journey itself took another forty-five minutes until they arrived at Southtown. Chrom managed to acquire a suite for them all while Frederick and Felicia went shopping for supplies. Lissa and Lilith stayed with their wounded members, treating them throughout the rest of the day. It was during the late afternoon that everyone began to stir from their various unconscious states. Lissa's periodic healing had removed the damage they received save some scars that would have to be treated later. As hectic as the beginning of the day had been, now was the time for exchanging information.
Everyone sat in the large room that was only a small part of the suite they were using. Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick were on one side of the table while Corrin, Azura, Felicia, and Lilith sat on the other side. Robin having no connection to either group decided to sit at the head of the table which was between the two sides. Chrom eyed Robin's position and although he wondered why she hadn't chosen to sit on their side he didn't voice his opinion on the matter. Since waking up the young woman hadn't spoken to anybody and seemed content with moving on autopilot.
"Well then, I suppose I shall start things off." Corrin stated as he stood.
"First off, I must thank you all for your assistance against our pursuers." The young prince began. Placing his left hand over his right breast Corrin bowed courteously to the others. His female companions followed suit with refined curtsies.
"There is no need for thanks. It is only right to help out those in danger." Chrom stated with a wave of his hand.
"True but you had no way of knowing whether you were helping an innocent or guilty party." Azura stated as she sat back down.
"Well the fact that your enemies weren't exactly human gave us an idea about who to help." Frederick spoke, voicing his thought on the matter. Even with his armor removed he was a massive beast of a man.
"Let's start off from the beginning. I am Chrom, Prince of the Halidom of Ylisse. To my right is Frederick, my right-hand man and most trusted advisor. Lissa, over here is my younger sister and Second Princess of the Halidom of Ylisse." Chrom introduced.
"Well met, Prince Chrom. I am Corrin, Second Prince of the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido." Corrin introduced himself.
"With me are my retainers, Felicia and Lilith." Corrin continued pointing to both the young women in question.
"Azura here is my adopted sister as well as the Second Princess of the kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido." Corrin finished.
"You claim to come from the mythical kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido? Do you take us for fools?" Frederick questioned with a hint of annoyance in his voice.
"What do you mean mythical? Our home is very real!" Felicia cried out with a bright blush on her face.
"Nonsense, every child of Ylisse knows of the mythical tale surrounding Nohr and Hoshido. They are lands of fantasy and wonder." Frederick countered.
"Perhaps in this world they are but we aren't from this world. Have you ever heard of the outrealms?" Lilith interjected.
Chrom raised an eyebrow at Lilith and nodded slowly. "I've heard tales of them but have never gone to one or seen one myself. Are you saying you hail from one of these outrealms?" Chrom replied.
"Yes and no. To us it is home but to you it would be an outrealm. You see for every action or decision we make there is a world where the complete opposite happens. The outrealms are infinite in number, spanning the choices made by any number of people." Lilith explained.
"You speak as though you have experience with these outrealms." Frederick said with an accusatory tone.
"I do, as a Silent Dragon; I was born in the void of the outrealm. It is here the twelve dragons of the universe reside each one balancing another." Lilith told the group.
"So, you're a dragon like Corrin?" Chrom asked.
"No, not like Corrin for he is only half-dragon." Lilith answered.
"If you're a dragon, why didn't you transform during the battle?" Lissa questions placing her index finger upon her chin inquisitively.
"This world is saturated in magic and is interfering with my ability to transform. The only reason Corrin could do it was because of the dragonstone he carries. I've never had one, but I am guessing that is the difference as to why he could change when I could not." The young dragon replied thoughtfully.
"So, let's say all this is true and you come from one of these outrealms. How is it that both Corrin and Azura are royals from two kingdoms?" Chrom questioned.
Corrin snickered softly at this question. Azura looked to her step-sibling and sighed before standing. She walked over towards the nearby window and began to hum.
"The tale behind that is a tragic one Chrom." Corrin stated as he sat back and remembered everything that he had been told.
"By birth, I am the second prince of Hoshido. When I was still a young child my father, King Sumeragi was killed in a trap set by Nohrian forces under the guise of peace talks. I was kidnapped during the assassination and brought back to Nohr to be raised. When the Hoshidans found out about my kidnapping and the assassination they came after Nohr and in doing so they kidnaped the Second Princess, Azura and she was to be raised in Hoshido." Corrin explained.
"Our respective adopted families loved and cared for us both and we grew up in one another's kingdom. At one point I was let out on my first mission. My adoptive father King Garon sent me to take an outpost being held by Hoshidan forces. At the time I was unaware of the truth and attacked the base. This course of action lead however to my capture and return to Hoshido where I was reunited with my mother and siblings." Corrin continued
"While in Hoshido I learned on everything I had missed out on. Little did I know that everything I was experiencing was just a trap. King Garon used me to kill my own mother with a cursed weapon. My mother was a powerful shrine maiden and had used her powers to envelope Hoshido in a protective barrier so that those with aggression in their hearts would be instantly calmed." At this point Corrin began to cry at the painful memories.
"I was blamed for the death of my mother even though I did not directly attack her. She was beloved by the people and they called for my head. My eldest brother, Ryoma stayed their hatred and spared my life. Even though I had only been in Hoshido for a short amount of time, my siblings still loved me regardless and I loved them." Corrin broke down at this point and was comforted by Felicia while Azura stopped humming.
"The tragedy did not end there however. With the queen dead and her barrier gone, Nohr could finally invade Hoshido. The two armies met on the field of battle and waged war. Corrin arrived to see the family he had grown up with fighting the family he had been reunited with. Despite his best efforts Corrin could not find a way to forge peace between the two sides as his siblings tried to force him to choose a side." Azura picked up where Corrin left off.
"When he choose to stand with neither, both sides attacked and we were forced to retreat to Corrin's personal outrealm. From there we were trying to strategize our next move when we were attacked by the unknown enemy forces that chased us through the outrealm portal that lead us here." Azura concluded.
Lissa was in tears by the end of the story and even the normally stoic Frederick couldn't help but show empathy. Chrom looked to Corrin who was still recovering from having told his tale and then to the rest of Corrin's group.
"I won't pretend to understand the pain you are going through, but I am empathetic to your plight. So long as you are in this world, know that you have the protection of my Shepherds." Chrom told Corrin as he placed his right fist over the left side of his chest.
"Thank you Chrom, but I could never ask you to risk your life and those of your friends for me." Corrin stated as he rubbed away the dried tear stains from his face.
"Then it's a good thing you didn't ask. As a fellow prince you should think of this as an alliance. You're new to this country and world. You'll need allies until you can figure out a way back home." Chrom explained smiling broadly. Corrin returned the smile and stood up, extending his hand across the table. Chrom followed suit and the two princes sealed their friendship with a handshake.
"Before we continue I'd like you to tell us all something, Azura." Corrin spoke as he and Chrom returned to their seats. Azura looked to Corrin with concern in her eyes.
"Corrin, we are not safe. I still can't tell you." Azura spoke up in anticipation of Corrin's question.
"I don't want there to be secrets between us and Chrom's people. We have to tell them everything." Corrin argued.
"I'm sorry but I can't." Azura said sadly.
"Yes, you can Azura. The curse doesn't extend here. You can tell them of Valla." Lilith spoke up causing both everyone to look at her in surprise, Azura most of all.
"How do you know about Valla?!" Azura asked before covering her mouth hastily with fear in her eyes. Although after a couple of seconds with nothing happening Azura relaxed.
"I know of Valla because my father fell in love with one of the princesses there." Lilith explained.
"What is Valla and how does it play into the secret you had to keep from me?" Corrin asked looking between Azura and Lilith. The two women looked at one another before nodding knowingly and turning to the group.
"There was once a third kingdom in the land of Nohr and Hoshido called Valla and it was prosperous. It is from this lost Kingdom that Corrin and myself originally came from. We are cousins by blood. Our mothers were the princesses of this kingdom with my mother reigning as queen and his mother as the second princess." Azura began her tale.
Corrin's eyes widened at this revelation and he looked between Azura and Lilith for some hint of deception but saw none. He turned to Chrom, Frederick and Lissa and saw they too had surprise written on their faces. The only one who didn't seem to have any reaction was Robin who was currently playing with her hair.
"Many years ago, a dragon came to Valla and killed my father, the King of Valla before taking his throne and cursing the land. My mother and aunt escaped the realm but not the curse and brought us to separate kingdoms. Corrin was barely a month old at the time of our departure so it is no wonder he has no memories of these events, but I lived it. My mother, aunt, and I cursed never to speak of Valla outside its border or die from the curse." Azura continued.
"Within their respective kingdoms of Nohr and Hoshido my mother an aunt tried to prepare themselves and their people for the day the dragon would wage war against them. Unfortunately, my mother would die before realizing this dream and the man she married, King Garon would slowly sink into madness at the loss. Everything that has happened between Nohr and Hoshido is due to the machinations of this dragon who seeks only to annihilate the world." Azura concluded.
"What is the name of this dragon?" Corrin asked with fear in his voice feeling himself break out in a cold sweat.
"Anakros, and he is our father Corrin." Lilith replied.
"Wait a minute?! Our?" Corrin sputtered.
"That's right, little brother." Lilith spoke softly with a half-smile.
"This is too much. This is entirely too much!" Corrin exclaimed looking from Azura to Lilith to Felicia. The maid looked as confused as he did.
"Haven't you wondered why you can shift into a dragon when your step-siblings and adoptive siblings could not?" Azura inquired.
"While they may be descended from dragons, the bloodline has gotten thinner over the years granting them only the power to access dragon veins. You are the direct heir of a dragon which makes you more powerful than them." Azura continued.
"A question, if you don't mind." Frederick interjected raising his hand slightly. "If this curse was going to kill you for talking about it why hasn't it done so?"
Lilith shrugged before replying. "I believe it has to do with the fact that we are no longer in our world. The magical energy there is vastly different from the energy here. I can no longer feel the presence of the Silent Dragon void where my kind usually resides."
"So, I'm half dragon and half human?" Corrin inquired more so to himself than to anyone else.
"I know this is a lot to take in but please know it is the truth. Once we make it back to our world I can show you Valla and prove to you that we need to unite Nohr and Hoshido against Anakros." Azura told Corrin with an almost pleading tone.
"But Anakros is my father, my biological one. You want me to kill my own father?" Corrin questioned as his face contorted into anger.
"I killed my mother and now you want me to kill my father?!" he repeated clenching his jaw.
"Corrin, our father is not well. He has slipped into the madness that all dragons succumb too should they not take on a human form willingly. I wish there was another way to save him but at this point killing him would be a mercy." Lilith told her brother.
"She speaks the truth Corrin." Chrom spoke causing the young man in question to look at him.
"In our history there have been many recorded stories of dragons and their descendants, the manaketes. The madness that Lilith speaks of is known to afflict all dragons no matter how noble they may start off. Many choose to stay in human form for the rest of their lives after reaching a certain age or falling into an eternal sleep where they can dream forever. If your father has lost his mind to the madness I believe you owe it to yourself to see what has become of him so that you make an informed decision." Chrom elaborated.
"Milord, you don't actually believe their story, do you?" Frederick asked looking at Chrom with disbelief.
"I do Frederick and if we can help them in any way then we will." The young prince replied.
"This isn't your fight Chrom. Why would you put yourself in harm's way for a stranger?" Azura questioned, her eyes filling with tears.
Chrom smiled in response. "Prince Corrin of the Kingdom of Valla is the ally of the Halidom of Ylisse. Is there any reason his allies shouldn't assist him in retaking his homeland?" the blue-haired young man asked.
"Thank you Chrom." Azura stated breaking down as Corrin had done only minutes earlier. The burden she had carried for years suddenly felt lighter.
"What do you propose we do now?" Corrin asked looking to Chrom for guidance.
"Well first we should seek out information regarding these outrealms, so we can figure out a way to get you home and from there we shall work on uniting both Nohr and Hoshido to fight for your cause." Robin spoke, for the first time since waking up. Everyone turned to the dark-haired woman.
"Robin?" Chrom spoke curiously.
The woman in question pointed to herself. "Is that my name?"
"Yes, it is or at least that's how you introduced yourself to me when we met." Lilith answered.
Robin nodded and smiled. "Ok then, I guess that makes me Robin."
"You mean to say you don't remember your own name?" Lissa asked with concern in her voice.
"It's not just my name I don't remember. There are a lot of holes in my memory, but I feel as though I should help you all." Robin replied.
"What do you remember?" Corrin asked.
"Well I know I like to read and while you were all explaining bits about yourselves I looked through my personal belongings and found several books. A lot of them were on strategy and I can recall battle tactics like it is second nature." Robin answered.
"Do you know where you come from?" Corrin asked.
"Nope"
"Do you know where you are right now?" Lissa inquired.
"Nope"
"Do you know your age?" Frederick followed up.
"Nope"
"Do you recognize the brand on the back of your hand?" Chrom questioned.
"Nope"
"Do you recognize the name 'Grima'" Lilith spoke with a serious tone of voice.
"Doesn't ring a bell" Robin answered with a smile.
"Why do you ask about Grima?" Corrin wondered as the name brought back to his memory the voice that spoke to him during the travel through the portal.
"When I first approached Robin, I was contacted by a voice calling itself 'Grima'." Lilith explained
"Grima, is the name of a dragon from one of our legends." Chrom interrupted.
"Perhaps this world is governed by Grima and as a pure-blooded dragon you were able to interact with him." Lissa surmised.
"Not just Lilith, but I too was contacted by this 'Grima' person. When we traveled through the portal the voice told me that the world belonged to it. It said that two gods in one world would disrupt the flow." Corrin shared with the others.
"Well it would seem that there is more going on here than we initially thought." Chrom stated. "For now, though it would be best if we made it back to Ylisstol, our capitol city and regroup with the rest of the Shepherds. We can try to figure out this mystery with all our allies gathered together. Besides it is getting late and we could all use some rest after the day we had."
At Chrom's suggestion everyone nodded and began to head to different sections of the suite. Lissa choose to sleep with Chrom in his bed as Frederick opted for a nearby chair to rest upon. Felicia slept in a bed with Azura while Lilith and Corrin slept in together on another bed. Robin was the last to try and find a place to sleep. Looking at the mark on the back of her hand Robin frowned and looked up at the ceiling. What happened to my memories? She thought to herself sadly as tears silently ran down her face.
The following day
The group had woken up feeling refreshed and re-energized. After a quick healing treatment from Felicia and Lissa the scars of yesterday's battle vanished from everyone's body. Chrom had made it a priority to ensure everyone was well equipped before leaving the village. Robin was given a replacement bronze sword but her rainbow-colored tome was in tatters so instead she opted to use one that was dull yellow. When she cast a spell from it though all she managed to produce was the low level 'thunder' causing everyone to stare at her in surprise.
"The amnesia must be affecting your combat abilities as well." Lissa and Lilith concluded.
"So that amazing power you all saw me use has to be relearned?" Robin asked.
"I don't think power like that is learned." Chrom stated as the group left Southtown. "It is cultivated over time with experience. What I've learned from seeing other spell caster is that their tomes or 'grimoires' carry all the spells that the caster knows. Your grimoire had many different colors meaning you must have practiced hard to memorize the spells within and trained your body rigorously to withstand the magical energies needed for casting. Not to mention your mind itself had to be trained in order to retain the knowledge of how each spell worked. It will take some time, but I believe you can achieve that level of power and even surpass it given the right incentive."
Chrom's analysis of Robin and the faith he put in her abilities caused the young woman to blush intently. She opted to walk at Chrom's side during their march back to Ylisstol. Her eyes always catching site of his brand which would bring her thoughts to the one she carried.
"Chrom, you said that these brands mark those of royal bloodlines that were blessed by dragons, correct?" Robin asked suddenly.
"That is what our history books say although you're the first branded one I have seen outside of my family. I have been told that there are twelve different brands representing the twelve dragons of old. The lineage of my family is traced back to the first exalt whose bloodline is blessed by Naga." Chrom answered.
"So, my brand would indicate that I am royalty but if that is so then what was I doing in a foreign land? Why was I not in my kingdom with my countrymen?" Robin inquired with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I don't know Robin, but you were close to the Plegian border. I shudder to think that you are the princess of that land though." Chrom stated.
"Why is that?" Robin asked looking over to the slightly taller individual.
"Plegia and Ylisse have had a tenuous peace at best with one another since my father waged holy war against their country some years ago. Many lives were lost on both sides and in the end my father died being labeled as a 'mad king'. My sister, Emmeryn is the current Exalt and has been doing everything in her power to restore peace between the two nations. We haven't heard that Plegia had a princess but if you do hail from there and it is found out you are in our custody then it might spark a war." Chrom explained. "The plegians have been waiting for an excuse to attack Ylisse in retaliation for my father's war."
"If I am of Plegian royalty then it is my duty to help our two lands come to terms with peace. Perhaps that is why I was traveling and alone. If my countrymen wanted war and I couldn't get the backing of other nobles then it makes sense that I would travel in secret to meet with Emmeryn so that we could have talks of peace." Robin concluded holding her chin with her left hand. "From a strategic standpoint it makes sense."
Chrom smiled at Robin's rationale before looking back at the others. Corrin and Lilith were in deep conversation. Chrom could only guess at what the foreign prince was talking to his new sibling or rather blood sibling about. It must have been the biggest shock of Corrin's life to find out almost everything he had lived through was merely a smokescreen. Both families he had grown to love were both adopted but it didn't change the feelings or experiences that he had shared with them. Corrin's path would only get harder from here on out but Chrom was determined to help his friend through all the tribulations that arose.
Lissa rode atop Frederick's horse holding on to him while dozing and Chrom could only chuckle at his sister's mild quirks. From Lissa Chrom's attention was pulled to Azura. The azure-haired woman was a songstress as he came to learn when she woke the group with her voice. Like Corrin she walked barefoot which surprised Chrom. When he questioned them on it however their response was similar in that footwear hampered their movements. Azura seemed the most relieved when they had woken probably thinking that she was in a dream from which she had only the nightmare of silence to return to. For the first time in her life she had allies in her fight to reclaim Valla and so long as they were in this world she could speak freely.
Still with so much royalty in one place we would make easy marks should someone try to take us hostage for ransom. Chrom thought to himself noticing that the clothing Azura wore and the armor that was donned by Corrin stood out vastly from everyone else. Even if Robin was royalty her clothing marked her as nothing more than a person who wore a coat from Plegia. The only mark of Chrom's heritage was the brand of Naga on his right arm. He didn't have to worry about Lissa being instantly recognized since, much to her dismay; she didn't carry the brand on her body.
"Chrom are you listening to me?" Robin asked snapping the young man out of his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying Robin?" Chrom asked smiling apathetically.
"Training for Lilith and me," Robin answered. "With my memory shot to hell and her inexperience with weapons, we could both use the practice." She explained.
"You make a fair point Robin. We can start training you once we make it to Ylisstol." Chrom insisted with a smile.
"No, that's not good enough. What if we come under attack from bandits or wild animals before making it there? Preparation is the key to the success of any endeavor." Robin countered. Chrom was stumped in trying to refute the woman's logic and raised his fist to call for a halt.
"Alright everyone it has been brought to my attention that not everyone here is combat-capable. As such we will be doing some light training for the day." Chrom informed the others.
"Do we really have time for that, milord?" Frederick questioned.
"We have to make the time. As such I think it best that I pair off with Robin and Corrin with Lilith to teach them swordplay." Chrom stated.
"I think it might be more productive if I go with you instead, Prince Chrom." Lilith spoke up.
"Just Chrom will do but why do you think that?" Chrom replied.
"Corrin and I are siblings which means we will instinctively hold back against one another. If we want to optimize the most out of the training its best to do it at our fullest." The young dragon explained.
"She makes a good point, milord." Frederick acknowledged.
"In that case I want Felicia to train with me!" Lissa's voice exclaimed as she jumped off the horse.
"Lissa you're a healer, what do you need combat training for?" Chrom asked, concern lacing his tone.
"I won't always have you to protect me and I don't want you concerned about me in the middle of combat. You almost lost your leg yesterday defending me. Felicia knows healing magic but can hold her own in combat from a distance as well with her knives. If I learn from her then even when I'm a distance, I'll be useful." Lissa elaborated.
Chrom shook his head as more and more everyone hit him with irrefutable logic.
"If we are splitting up for training then I would suggest that Corrin and I be paired with Robin while Chrom and Frederick teach Lilith." Azura concluded. "Since both of them will be training in sword play it makes sense they learn how to fight someone with a spear." The young woman added.
"Alright now that we have settled on the groups we can split up to do some training. We're only a couple of miles west of Ylisstol so we'll train today and make it there tomorrow." Chrom informed the group.
Corrin and Azura vs Robin
As Chrom dismissed everyone to their groups Robin began to lead her trainers to a nearby ruin. The remnants of a fort would allow for them to train with different terrain and heights. Robin placed her grimoire inside the special case strapped to the back of her waist and drew her sword. She experimented with a variety of grips before settling for a one-handed style that favored speed and technique over power. Turning to Corrin with a smirk, Robin nodded to indicate she was ready.
"Your stance is good. You're keeping your weight balanced and the way you hold your blade is great for both attack and defense." Corrin stated as he observed Robin. Even though she wore her thick coat Corrin was still able to admire her womanly figure.
"Before we start practicing against one another let's see you go through some practice swings." Corrin followed up.
"Shouldn't you be teaching me how you swing your sword?" Robin asked, slightly confused.
"No, I shouldn't because it would be counterproductive. For one, the weapons you and I use are different. My Yato is a hand and a half sword which allows me to freely switch from a one-handed or two-handed style. For two, our bodies are different. You are a female which means your hips are wider but also that your center of gravity will be different from my own. For three, the equipment we have is indicative to our styles. My armor is designed to help with my ease of movement which is why the plates are light and separated. My style relies on my movement to be fluid. You on the other hand are wearing more restrictive clothing. You need a style that will optimize on what you are most comfortable with." Corrin explained.
Robin listened to what she was told and thought on the young man's words. She could see the merit in what he said and nodded appropriately. "Alrighty, thank you for the explanation." She stated and began to experiment with some swings and stabs.
Corrin and Azura watched Robins form as she invented her own combat style. They spoke only when they needed too, seeing of the flaws in her movements that could be corrected. Corrin knew that no matter the style there would always be room for error and as such room to improve. When he saw Robin practicing and how she improved from just the tiniest tidbits of advice he became impressed at her growth. Soon the style she had crafted was practically flawless. Robin incorporated feints and flourishes into her repertoire as well as kicks and punches with her free hand.
Her free hand is what gave her the most versatility in Corrin's opinion. As Robin continued to practice Corrin would catch glimpse of electricity wisping around her free hand. Sometimes Robin would switch her sword hand in a feint and the new free hand would begin to glow with the wisps of magic. Corrin could see that once Robin was more capable with her swordplay it would be easy for her to incorporate magic into her attacks which got him thinking about trying to learn the magecraft himself. Makes sense to want to improve myself and if I learn from her about magic as she learns from me about swordplay then we'll both be stronger for it. Corrin concluded roughly two hours into training.
Robin was currently resting and reading while eating a light meal of bread, cheese, and bear meat jerky. During the time she had been practicing with her swordplay Robin had noticed Azura and Corrin sparing. She saw the inherent flaws of swords vs spears in that mostly the reach of a spear kept the sword wielder from approaching. While Corrin had been at a disadvantage in terms of weaponry, he overcame it by utilizing his draconic ancestry. He would transform various parts of his body to compensate against the spear, even going so much as forming a spear-like appendage of his own.
"Hello Robin, would you mind if we joined you?" Azura asked as she broke the dark-haired woman out of the trancelike state she was in.
"I don't mind at all. Perhaps we can discuss this tactics book together and how it relates to all of our training." Robin suggested.
Corrin noticed that there were multiple notes written in along the borders of each page. Amazing, her capabilities for tactics is simply amazing. The position and placement of troops as well as which troops would do best in a combat situation are so extensive and detailed that anyone would be hard pressed to counter her should they try. Corrin thought. What he noticed the most however, were that the notes were aged meaning that Robin must have written them before losing her memories. She could reread everything and try to learn from it but to apply it to actual combat would be a different matter altogether.
"These notes are very detailed." Azura mused reading over the book.
"Yea, I'm glad that the 'me' before the memory loss was so organized. It is making it a lot easier to learn." Robin stated with a slightly somber tone.
"Don't worry about the missing memories. I'm sure they will come back in time." Corrin said in a reassuring tone causing Robin to smile softly.
"Thank you, Corrin." was all she could say in response.
The trio continued to eat and read Robin's book while chit-chatting. When they had finished they went back to the ruin and prepared to face off. Robin drew her sword and got into her neutral stance. Corrin also stood at the ready with Azura by his side. Rushing in Robin began their mock combat. Corrin ran in to meet her adopting a two-handed grip upon his weapon. Swinging wide Robin aimed her blow at Corrin's head.
The prince easily blocked the attack but was unprepared for the follow-up kick to his chest. Robin wasted no time following up her opening attack with a spinning backslash. Corrin awkwardly parried the attack and had to raise his leg to guard against Robin's knee. Robin leapt backwards narrowly avoiding the spear thrust from Azura as the songstress entered the fray. No wanting to lose her momentum however, Robin dashed right back towards the cousins.
Azura blocked Robin's strike, smirking slightly while Corrin vaulted over her and kicked out at Robin twice. Using her free hand, Robin was able to deflect both attacks with her palm. She pulled back and prepared to punch Azura but was stopped when the spear-wielding woman suddenly slanted her weapon and tripped her. Robin fell to her back and scrambled to get to her feet. Raising an awkward defense, Robin was able to block the shaft of Azura's spear as it came for a follow-up strike.
Quickly taking stock of the battle, Robins mind began formulating strategies to overcome her foes. When Corrin came in to attack from her left Robin spun backwards and slashed down placing the edge of her sword at the young prince's neck.
"That's one point to me." She said breathlessly.
Corrin pushed her blade away with his own before quickly striking out and hitting Robin's thigh with the flat of his weapon. Azura attacked off Corrin's assault using the blunt side of her spear to repeatedly strike Robin in the chest. She tried to finish with a flourish but was stopped by Robin dropping to the ground and sweeping out with her leg. The surprise tripping attack knocked Azura off her feet and onto her butt which left her open to the follow-up backspin kick Robin delivered to her face.
Azura rolled with the attack coming to a stop when she was a couple of yards away. Corrin stepped on Robin's sword, pinning it to the ground but the tactician was undeterred and quickly rose to her feet with an uppercut to Corrin's stomach. Doubling over Corrin stumbled from the hit, but Robin wasn't done. Using her feet, she kicked her sword back to her hand and slashed out at Corrin. The prince ducked the attack and slashed upward blindly. He felt slight resistance as his weapon cut through something.
Looking up Corrin saw exactly what he had done as the front of Robins shirt split open from her navel to her collarbone. If she was embarrassed by the cleavage she was showing off, then Robin hid it well. Corrin on the other hand immediately faltered and blushed. Robin took the opportunity to attack with her sword in a deft combination of slashes and stabs.
Corrin tried his best to deflect the attacks, but the slight sway of Robin's breasts kept pulling his focus away from her sword. Robin pulled her sword arm back and Corrin saw the opening he needed. Stepping in he slashed down, hoping to disarm Robin with the strike. Robin smirked as she sidestepped causing Corrin's attack to hit nothing but air.
"Checkmate." The tactician called out before quickly spinning and once again placing her blade at Corrin's throat.
"Your shirt is open Robin." Corrin said breathlessly.
"I know it is and rather than worry about it, I turned it to my advantage." Robin replied with a soft giggle.
"Sneaky, but it gave you the edge to achieve victory." Corrin noted as he sheathed his Yato.
"A good tactician uses all the weapons at their disposal." Robin stated as she also sheathed her weapon.
Azura ran over to the two of them with a light layer of sweat on her face. "I must say that was intense. It's pretty late so perhaps we should call it a day and rejoin the others."
Robin and Corrin nodded in agreement and the three of them began to head back to the campsite.
Chrom vs Lilith (with Frederick doing his own thing)
"Alright now that we have settled on the groups we can split up to do some training. We're only a couple of miles west of Ylisstol so we'll train today and make it there tomorrow." Chrom informed the group.
Lissa and Felicia ran off towards the nearby woods while Chrom saw Robin leading Corrin and Azura towards a ruined fort in the distance. Frederick rode off towards the tree line and began to set up camp while Chrom lead Lilith off the road to a location still within line sight of the camp.
"Alright, let's begin." Chrom said drawing his sword.
Lilith nodded and pulled out her own weapon She used a very standard stance with one foot forward and her weapon held straight ahead, center to her body. Chrom noticed that her body was unfamiliar to the stance however by the rigidity of her muscles. She left openings with the placement of her weapon being slightly off but otherwise her form was good.
"Relax, you're too stiff. You can't allow your muscles to lock up like they're doing, or it will slow your movements. You seem to have a basic understanding of the stance which is commonly used for training which is impressive considering this is your second time with a sword." Chrom noted while adopting the same stance. He couldn't teach her the Ylissian style of fighting but could build off her basic understanding for swordplay.
Chrom and Lilith went through basic four step combinations, repeating the movements so that Lilith could gain the muscle memory for each step. Lilith was an avid learner. She was neither quick or slow but picked up the steps after moderate repetition. From the four-step combo Chrom decided to branch out to selective strikes. Each step could be used as a set up for a death blow which was intense and powerful. At this point Chrom and Lilith were slashing blades as they mimicked one another's strikes and the proper defense against the strike.
After an hour and a half of the basic training, Lilith was exhausted. Her human form was still new to her and had never been used in this format. Chrom decided a break was in order and had Frederick prepare a snack for the dragon girl. While Lilith ate Chrom and Frederick conversed with one another.
"She has potential." Chrom stated before taking a sip of water.
"I still believe we should have made it Ylisstol today and done the training tomorrow." Frederick replied.
"The others made more convincing arguments. If we were attacked by brigands, our attention would be split trying to defend those who couldn't fight. At least with these basics under their belt they'll be able to hold their own." Chrom said with w slight shrug.
"Milord if I may be so bold, I have a question to ask." Frederick stated with a semi-serious tone.
"Go ahead Frederick you know I value your counsel." Chrom conversed.
"Why is it you wanted to train Robin? You might have tried to hide it but I could sense that you wanted to be alone with her." Frederick commented.
Chrom was silent for a moment before exhaling loudly. "If I'm being honest, then I don't know the reason. I am intrigued by Robin. She has a brand like me and she is so selfless. She came to our aid without hesitation and it cost her to lose her memories. Even with that she still decided to join us. She inspires me to be a better leader." Chrom explained.
Frederick nodded knowingly but was silent.
"The same could be said about Azura as well." Chrom continued causing Frederick to once again focus his gaze upon the man.
"What I mean is that she is admirable. For years she has carried her burden, but she never let it break her. Her strength of will and willingness to protect her world is amazing. I'm glad we are going to try and help them." Chrom elaborated.
Frederick smiled lowering his head to avoid Chrom's gaze. "They are both amazing women and it seems they each still have a long way to go on their own journeys."
Chrom nodded slowly smiling slightly. "I hope I can be by their sides throughout it all."
Lilith walked over to the duo, sword in hand with a determined look upon her face. "I'm ready to continue our training." She told them before heading back to the area where they had been before.
"I think it's safe to say all of our new friends are impressive in their own way Frederick." Chrom mused as he stood and stretched.
"Indeed, they are milord, indeed they are." Frederick said while still smiling.
Chrom met Lilith on the field and as soon as his sword was drawn, the young dragon girl was on the offensive. She rushed the prince swinging her sword with precision she went from a diagonal slash to a horizontal sweep before stabbing at Chrom. Chrom smirked at the steps she took but deflected each attack with ease. Lilith didn't let up though.
She brought her sword to bear and began another set of combination strikes this time going from left to right with horizontal strikes three time before switching to a diagonal upward slash. The diagonal strike was faster than Chrom expected and forced him to backstep and avoid rather than block the strike. Lilith took the opportunity to press her advantage and rushed in closer.
Her inexperienced showed with the maneuver as she came in too fast and found herself stopped by the tip of Chrom's sword. Smirking playfully, Chrom lowered the weapon. Lilith hopped back and raise her weapon once more. Chrom nodded and proceeded to rush in at the swordswoman. Lilith blocked his strikes but Chrom could see she was reaching her limits in terms of stamina. With a flourish of his blade Chrom disarmed Lilith and once again placed the tip of his blade to her throat.
"We're done for the day. You need to work on your stamina." Chrom stated before sheathing his weapon.
Lilith collapsed to her knees breathing heavily. "I never thought fighting would be so exhausting. When I was able to use my dragon form most fights were over in a couple of seconds." She said while still trying to catch her breath.
Chrom saw Robin and the others approaching from a distance and waved them over. Minutes later the group began making their way to camp. Chrom and Robin walked slightly behind of the group as Chrom engaged the woman in conversation.
"So, we've finished training for today. How was it Robin?" Chrom began.
"Combat practice was intense, but I found some time to review a few battle strategies and incorporate them into training." Robin answered smiling softly.
"You should relax a bit. Put your feet up. Experienced soldiers rest when they can. We can't have you burning yourself out this early in our campaign." Chrom advised
"Heh, so I suppose you've got a point. With all that's happened recently, we've barely had time to even eat. I was only able to consume two bear meat sandwiches" Robin stated with a soft giggle causing Chrom to grin awkwardly.
"It's been a tough road, to be sure and it's only going to get harder. We have to balance rest and relaxation along with diligent training." Chrom informed the tactician.
Robin nodded in agreement "I will try to get as much rest as possible; a lady needs her beauty sleep, after all."
Chrom merely blushed in response. Robin noticed the reddening of his cheeks and tilted her head in confusion.
"What is it? Did I say something strange?" Robin inquired.
"Er, no...no, it's nothing. It's just that...well, I just didn't consider you the type to care after beauty and such." Chrom managed to stammer out.
Robin blushed and rubbed clasped her hands together. Her embarrassment was evident by the way she fidgeted.
"No! I mean—I didn't mean—not like that! That is to say that from the way you throw yourself into combat and strategy is so much different than one might think of from an average lady of royalty" Chrom tried to explain.
Robin's blush intensified greatly. "My goodness, Chrom. You're the scion of a noble family, aren't you? Didn't they teach you manners at your fancy schools growing up?" she stated between breaths.
"Oh, gods, yes. Of course, they did. We spent a whole term on etiquette." Chrom replied.
"You might need to take a refresher course then. I may have lost my memory but that doesn't make me any less of a lady. Just because I eager to fulfil my role in helping Corrin and Azura doesn't mean I will take any less care of myself." Robin stated with an edge to her voice.
Chrom shook his head more flustered than before. "It's just my image of a lady is someone so prim and proper...perfumed, and pretty…nothing like you at all! When I look at you, I just don't see a 'lady.' There's more to you than just that!" Chrom managed to spit out as Robins face grew angrier.
"More to me than just being a lady?" Robin asked, her anger dissipating instantly.
"Yes, I think there is more to you than meets the eye and I hope that you'll be able to show everyone those sides of you." Chrom elaborated.
"Thank…thank you…Chrom." Robin said before running off ahead of the prince, still blushing furiously.
Corrin saw Robin running off and hurried after her leaving Chrom with Azura and Lilith. Well that could've been better and certainly could've been worse. Chrom thought to himself as he and the other two women with him hurried after their companions to the camp.