Awakening of Fate
Chapter X: One's own fate
Corrin lay awake in the hamlet thinking about his conversation with Robin. She had called him naïve, and perhaps he was. Corrin however couldn't change the fact that he wanted to save everyone he could. He clenched his left hand into a fist and slammed it into the ground sending up a small cloud of dust. Rolling over on his back the young prince stared up at the starry sky above.
"You shouldn't be out here alone." A voice spoke, male from the tone of it.
Corrin immediately sat up and quickly looked around for the source. He saw nobody around but after hearing the voice Corrin felt the faint presence of someone nearby. He drew Yato and shifted into a defensive stance.
"Calm yourself Prince Corrin, I'm an ally. I've been traveling with you and the others this entire time." The voice said once more this time from Corrin's left.
Corrin turned and was shocked to see a large man dressed in thick full plate with a large shield and spear. How the man had been able to move so quietly in his armor dumbfounded the prince. Corrin took a step back and raised his sword once more in a more offensive stance. In the dim moonlight Corrin could make out the man's expression as it shifted to one of sadness.
"I'm really not your enemy. My name is Kellam and I am part of the Shepherds. People rarely notice my presence however." The man introduced holding his arms open in a gesture of peace.
"I don't remember seeing your name on the roster of shepherds." Corrin stated.
Kellam sighed dejectedly.
"I told you people forget about me. Walk with me back to the camp and Chrom will be able to verify my identity." Kellam suggested.
Corrin shook his head. "I can't let a potential enemy back into the camp. I will go confirm with Chrom and you will stay here until I return." He spoke with as much of an authoritative tone as he could muster.
Kellam merely shrugged. Corrin backed away from the man slowly never taking his eyes off him. When he was a couple of yards away the young man finally blinked and, in that moment, Kellam was gone. Instantly alarmed Corrin began a full sprint back to camp. It took him only minutes to arrive and he instantly zeroed in on Chrom who was sitting with Azura and Sully.
"Chrom, we have an intruder!" Corrin exclaimed, instantly setting everyone else on alert.
"Corrin, how many enemies are there?" Chrom asked, rushing over to his fellow prince.
"Just one at the moment. He claimed to be a Shepherd, but I didn't see his name on the roster." Corrin explained.
"He thought I was an imposter, Captain Chrom." Kellam stated from Chrom's left causing Corrin to jump in surprise while raising his sword once more.
"Steady on Corrin, this is Kellam." Chrom stated turning to the man in question.
"Captain, you actually saw me this time?" Kellam asked as tears filled his eyes.
"You made your presence known beforehand." Chrom answered with a shrug.
"You forgot to add me to the roster again though, so Corrin was unaware of me." Kellam stated sadly.
Chrom gently pat Kellam's shoulder with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, but now everything is cleared up."
Corrin looked at the exchange between the two and shook his head before sheathing his blade. The antics of the Shepherds always brought a smile to his face. He was glad the unit was close enough to one another that they could afford to behave the way they did. It made him hopeful for the future where he would have to unite his families together.
"I'm heading off to bed then, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Corrin told Kellam and Chrom before heading towards his tent.
The young man practically collapsed upon entrance to his temporary shelter. Removing his armor and weapon was a chore but he sloughed through it before laying on his sleeping bag. Sleep came to him quickly and unexpectedly. The night passed uneventfully for the entire militia group. The rising sun signaled the start of the day for them all. Chrom made sure that everyone was aware of today's expectations.
"Alright Shepherds, this is the first step in a multistep plan. Our primary objective is to gain entrance into Regna Ferox and securing an alliance with them against Plegia. Entrance into this country will also allow us to look for a possible source for Corrin and his companions finding a way back home." Chrom stated to everyone.
"What do we know about the Feroxians that could help us?" Stahl questioned in between bites of bread with cheese and meat.
"They are a fierce warlike people who seem to respect strength more than anything." Chrom answered.
"They aren't exactly hostile with Ylissians, but neither are they on friendly terms. Here's to hoping we can change that status quo." Robin interjected looking over the group from her position next to Chrom.
The Shepherds did final checks on their weaponry before heading towards the fort. Although they had been able to see the structure from a distance, they were still roughly a quarter day's travel away. Azura was the first to notice it, the deathly silence in the air. The chirping of birds and skittering of woodland creatures which had been heard back at the camp was gone.
"Corrin, something is wrong." She told her cousin as they walked. Corrin looked around the area and was soon able to sense the unrest in the area.
Closing his eyes Corrin opened all his senses to his surroundings digging deep into his draconic heritage to help enhance his focus. He then began to hear it in the distance, the sounds of combat. Opening his eyes in a sense of urgency Corrin rushed towards the front of the formation and got Chrom's attention.
"Chrom there is fighting ahead of us. If I had to guess, I'd say the Longfort is under attack!" he exclaimed. Chrom looked from Corrin to Azura who had a similar expression as her relative.
"Shepherds, double time it!" Chrom commanded as he began to run forward.
"Sully, take Chrom and go ahead. Frederick you take Lissa. Stahl take Felicia." Robin commanded.
"Why are we splitting up like this?" Azura asked not understanding Robin's plan.
"If the Feroxians are under attack they might have wounded that need help. Sending Lissa and Felicia ahead to provide aid will help alleviate that. Chrom is our commanding officer and so he is being sent ahead as well with Frederick who is second-in-command. It is best to establish our best possible foothold in this situation." Robin explained as the three infantry units climbed atop the back of the cavalry.
Taking stock of her remaining forces Robin quickly tried to find the best pairs. It had been a tactic she wanted to test first in training to see its viability before adapting it to live combat but with the situation as it was she couldn't afford to be picky. As it stood there was Corrin, Azura, Miriel and herself still running towards the Longfort. Robin knew that she could use both ranged and melee combat and didn't have to worry about her magical reserves because of it but Miriel was strictly magical.
When her magical energy dropped she would be unable to fight until she recovered. As such Miriel needed someone to protect her during intervals of rest. Corrin and Azura were both locked strictly to melee combat, but they worked well together. Based on their current loadout however both would be at a disadvantage should they run into ranged units. Clenching her teeth Robin made a snap decision.
"Azura you team up with Miriel. Corrin, you are with me." She stated as the sounds of combat began to echo throughout the area.
The fireteam, for their small unit structure constituted them as such made it to the rise before the Longfort and caused them all to gasp in surprise. Below them an ensuing battle of Risen and Feroxian soldiers was in full swing. Robin could make out the distant figures of Chrom and the others combating fiercely against the inhuman foes.
Suddenly a shadow passed overhead causing everyone to duck. When the shadow swooped back Robin saw a beautiful white pegasus landing nearby. Sitting atop the creature was Sumia and an unknown armored individual. Sumia had an expression of fear on her face while the armored man's face was passive.
"Robin, where is Captain Chrom?" Sumia asked somewhat frantically.
"Down there with the others Sumia. Who is that man with you?" Robin answered while asking her own question.
"That's Kellam, he's an ally." Corrin answered waving to the man. Kellam waved back.
"Kellam? I didn't see his name on the roster but you and Sumia seem to know him so that's enough." Robin stated grabbing her chin between her thumb and index finger.
"Sumia, take Kellam and go ahead to assist Chrom and the others. We will spring a pincher movement and regroup with you all. Also try to find the Risen leader. It will be the one glowing and possibly bigger than the rest. The Feroxian commander's location would also be greatly appreciated." Robin ordered. Sumia nodded and motioned for her mount to take off into the air.
Robin turned to everyone else and quickly laid out her immediate strategy. Once everyone acknowledged their roles the group ran down the rise and began to engage the enemy from behind. Miriel and Robin sent volley after volley of magical blasts towards the rear line of foes who were using bows and magic as well. The advantage given to the Shepherds however was that their foes were not expecting an attack from behind and so they were caught unaware.
Corrin and Azura were also to get in close to the enemy ranged units due to the confusion caused by this surprise attack and with a combination of sword and spear decimated dozens of foes. Robin closed the distance between her and the foes swiftly and switched to her sword in order to combat alongside Corrin. Miriel stayed at a distance supporting Azura from being flanked. Azura quickly fell into a rhythm with Miriel by leaving her back open, trusting Miriel entirely.
Azura would dance between foes and struck with pinpoint accuracy with her spear. Miriel conserved her magical power by only attacking when Azura was in danger. This allowed her to stay relatively unnoticed and avoid burning through her reserves. On the opposite side of this duo Robin and Corrin used their swords in tandem with their other abilities to mow foes down one after another.
Robin's sword style was more reliant on her particular stances and grounded footwork which didn't match too well with the hyper acrobatic nature of Corrin and his movements. To compensate the difference of their movement Robin began to mix magical blasts into her repertoire. Corrin didn't have to slow himself down as he maneuvered through enemies with Robin at his back.
Corrin noticed during one of Robin's rotational shifts between sword and magic that a risen with an axe was swinging at her. Stretching out his free hand Corrin felt the shift begin as it transformed into a spear and impaled the foe. His eyes widened in surprise as Robin shot a blast of lightning at him in response. The magical energy flew straight by him however, striking a foe on his blindside. Landing on their feet the two of them looked at one another and nodded wordlessly before continuing on their way to regroup with the rest of the Shepherds.
To say things looked bleak was an understatement. Chrom and his squad of fighters which had been sent ahead as a vanguard to assist the Feroxians were currently being pressed hard. With the cavalry units forcing their way through the enemy lines Chrom and his group had managed to meet up with the Feroxian commander Raimi. At first the lady hadn't believed him when he identified himself.
The reason behind this being that someone already claiming to be Chrom had approached not to long before the risen started attacking. When the imposter's identity had been confirmed to be a Plegian soldier he was promptly executed and the Risen began to attack. The fort's soldiers had been able to fend off the assault for the past few days but were given little reprieve against their seemingly unkillable foes.
The Shepherds' arrival turned the tide of their battle immensely as they saw the newcomers cleave and tear through the enemy forces with ease. This turn however didn't last long as all it truly accomplished was letting the Feroxians know the most efficient way for killing the Risen. They were still outnumbered and exhausted from the near endless fighting. Adding a fresh set of six combatants, technically four since two of them were healers who immediately went to work on the Feroxians, did not boost their chances of winning by much.
Chrom and his companions joined the front line of fighters beyond the barriers that had been erected on the eastern and western mounting stairs. The doors which initially blocked passageway on the stairs had been broken down from repeated abuse and so makeshift barriers had been crafted from the remains. They worked fairly well but had to be watched constantly, lest some of the Risen get by and attack the platoon of troops deployed currently to the area.
The Feroxians had no mages for ranged combat, using archers to substitute this specific form of combat. Their bowmen however were quickly burning through the supply of arrows that had been stocked which would force some of them to soon take to the frontline with melee weaponry. This is what lead to Chrom seeing the bleak situation presented to them as Frederick, Sully, Stahl, and he joined the other foot soldiers in combating the Risen.
They had only been fighting for a relatively short while when a sudden crash to the east disrupted the flow of battle. Chrom and the others saw Risen being felled by an armored figure. When the powdery snow from impact had settled Kellam's full figure came into focus causing the Shepherds to rejoice. Further celebrations were held when Sumia began assisting them from the sky using blitzing tactics to assault and annoy the risen.
Chrom saw the danger that Sumia was in from the Risen rearguard which consisted of their own archers and mages. Before he could call out a warning the rear exploded with combat. Chrom couldn't see them but he knew that Robin, Azura, Corrin, and Miriel had arrived. This shift was more than enough for Chrom to rally the others behind him as he pushed for the pincer movement Robin had initiated.
Kellam from his position off to the western side saw the danger that Chrom seemed to be blind to as the young prince rushed ahead. While the initial advantage would be had with the pincer movement Chrom and the others would be overcome on the east side by a contingent of Risen that had broken off from the man body. Kellam rushed over to the Risen that had broken away while being pursued by the group he had crashed upon.
Projectiles bounced off his shield and armor as he ran letting him ignore the foes behind him for a moment. With his spear in hand Kellam struck out at a Risen. The young man engaged in combat with the small platoon of about two dozen risen split between the eastern and western sides. He was soon surrounded as the Risen focused their attention on the lone troop. Kellam sighed loudly as his enemies vastly outnumbered him.
Three of the foes leapt into the air and were instantly rebuffed by Kellam's shield. Knowing that his back was exposed Kellam spun and was able to knock away two risen with his spear. Pain erupted in Kellam's mind registering a hit on his back. The pain was dull which let Kellam identify the weapon as being blunt. Turning he saw a Risen fighter wielding a hammer. The creature raised the weapon once more but before it could swing had its face impaled on Kellam's spear.
Kellam ripped the weapon free and looked at the nineteen-remaining risen he had to face seven of the risen were using bows which were marginally effective against his thick armor and shield but if they hit the spots between his armor then Kellam knew he'd be in trouble. Pushing the ranged combatants from his mind Kellam focused on the Risen melee fighters. Spearmen, myrmidons, and fighters surrounded him.
Gripping his spear tightly Kellam first engaged the myrmidons with their swords. His reach gave him an advantage over them and he exploited it to the best of his ability quickly scoring kill shots on the risen. His attention however was so focused on finishing them off he was caught unawares as the spear wielding Risen took advantage of his outreached body and accurately slipped their weapons into the slits of his armor.
Kellam clenched his teeth in pain as the spear points pierced his body. The Risen removed their weapons and prepared for another assault upon his person but Kellam was able to raise his shield in time. The spears bounced off the thick piece of metal causing Kellam to sigh in relief. This sigh of relief quickly turned into a cry of pain. Four axeheads buried themselves into various parts of his body.
The axes smashed through his armor with relative ease and caused his protection to become a weapon against him as the armor caved in on itself and dug into his skin. Kellam's vision began to blur from the pain but he forced himself to stay standing. Throwing his shield away Kellam unintentionally killed two of the axe wielding risen and one of the spear wielders. His movement freed slightly Kellam engaged his foes once more.
This time he was able to fell two of the spear wielding risen before taking out anther axe wielder. He was struck from behind by the archers who deliberately waited for him to be exposed before firing their projectiles. The arrows entered the slits in his armor joints as well as the gashes created by the axes. Kellam felt the strength leaving his body but knew he had to remove the threat to his friends' flank.
Breaking the arrows off Kellam discarded the thickest parts of his armor. The final melee risen where decapitated with the shaft of his spear ripping its way through their necks violently. More arrows struck his body but at this point Kellam didn't care as he rushed towards the final group of foes. The Risen bowmen began to rapidly loose arrow after arrow trying to bring Kellam down and when that failed they scattered.
The scattering might have made a difference had they done it earlier but by waiting they made themselves easy pickings for Kellam and his spear as it pierced skull after skull from behind, killing the retreating Risen instantly. With the flanking group dead Kellam turned to the south to see the rest of the Shepherds regrouping to take out the enemy leader.
Kellam placed his spear blade first into the ground and leaned against it while staring up into the sky. "I'm done for... I wonder if...anyone will notice...I'm gone..." He whispered with a soft smile before taking his final breath.