It took me a moment for Robin's words to settle in before I gritted my teeth.
"What do you mean 'wait'!? There is nobody to wait for! We have to run!" I shouted at him before he snarled in my direction, my eyes widening in the process.
"You think I didn't think of that!?" He said before looking back at the bandits spreading through the town like a plague. "I'm sure all escape routes are already blocked off by them, and brute-forcing ourselves through isn't possible."
He then gave me a scrutinizing look. "And you're not a fighter."
I stared at him with my mouth agape before I clicked my tongue. I hated how right he was on that part, I was nowhere near as fit as I wanted to be.
"Again, I mean no offense, but all I can expect you to do is whacking somebody over the head with your staff. While it could be effective, it's not something I'm willing to bet your life on," he said seriously, and a cold sweat began to run down my spine.
"Wait… 'bet my life'?" I parroted, my voice meek.
"I feel like that's self-explanatory. This is a do-or-die situation, Theresa," he answered.
My legs began to uncontrollably shake before I lost my footing, plopping to the ground with a dull thud. The corner of my eyes began to blur before a tear trickled down my cheek, but I didn't have it in me to cry out loud.
"Theresa," Robin called me out, making me look up to his stern expression, yet it somehow felt reassuring. "Now is not the time to feel hopeless."
He leaned over the box, peering at the main street before taking out a yellow book. Its pages were worn, with not many left held by the spine before he began counting how many he had left.
"Alright, twelve should be enough," he said before tearing two pages from the book and offering them to me. "Take these."
I gingerly took them before trying to read them, only to find out I couldn't figure out what these… runes meant.
"What am I supposed to do with these?" I asked him.
"If I won't have enough time to protect you, crumble one up and throw it," he instructed, confusing me further, but I decided not to say anything, only giving him a weak nod.
"Good," he said while blinking once approvingly before brandishing his sword. "Now, whatever happens, stay behind me at all costs."
"Al… alright," I replied barely above a whisper before a set of steps pounded near us, somehow louder than the screams or the crackling flames. I immediately stiffened while Robin got ready, putting his book into a leather holster and gripping his sword with both hands.
"Hah, this is too easy. The soldiers didn't even put up much of a fight," I heard a voice over the box, and I was so scared not knowing where the man was exactly that it made me want to peek, but Robin stopped me gently with his hand.
"Tell me about it. Almost makes me feel sorry for the folk here. Too bad them and their shinies fetch a high price," a second voice responded, which made Robin click his tongue, but he still kept his position.
Each thud they made pounded in my ears, like an old clock ticking the time away. Even though Robin was here, who looked like he knew what he was doing, the space between the box and him felt so far away. The two pieces of old paper and my rod were the only things that gave me any reassurance.
Then, once a tip of a boot appeared, Robin immediately snapped into action with a dash. He was so fast that it made me yelp while the two blabbering henchmen were too slow to react.
"What the—" one of them let out before Robin sliced through their throat with a practiced slash, not wasting any time to silence him. I gasped before I let go of both of my items, hiding my mouth behind my hands while I stared at the blood that was gushing out of the wound, loud gurgles reaching my ears.
"You bastard!" His companion yelled while his hands moved an axe strapped to his hip. "I'll make you pay for that!"
Robin didn't reply, only reaching for his book before quickly swiping it with a flourish while the burly, disgusting axe wielder readied a wide swing.
"Die!" He shouted, ready to bring the weapon down at Robin, but he stood still, muttering a few words before yellow lightning of all things surged through his body. They gathered in front of his pointed arm, curling up into a tight ball.
The sphere launched itself on its own before it landed on top of the outlaw, the lightning that didn't harm Robin fried the outlaw's visible skin while he spasmed uncontrollably. Burned hair and sinew reached my nostrils, overpowering any other smell, and making me involuntarily gag.
The bandit was left standing, motionless with his mouth agape and drool slowly pouring down his cheek while gasping for air. Robin put him out of his misery with a quick stab through his chest before pulling out his sword, the body plopping to the ground with a dull thud.
Robin cleaned his blade with his sleeve before breathing a sigh, turning to me once he sheathed his sword. "Are you alright?"
His voice, no matter how gentle it sounded, made me back off a little. "You… you've just—"
"Killed them?" he asked, my response being only a weak bob of my head made him gaze down at the two corpses with a forlorn look. "Because it was something that must have been done. These people don't deserve anything less."
He then reached out with a hand for me to take. "Come on, we don't have time to lose before more of them show up."
His arm didn't feel inviting. I was too preoccupied with the blood on his sleeve, dripping down his coat. He just killed two people right in front of me and it didn't matter how much they deserved it, the sight of their dead bodies on the ground created a lump in my throat that refused to let me breathe.
I heavily gulped before hoisting myself up with his help, picking up my stuff afterward.
"This way, quickly," he urged while pointing in the general direction of the main street, the center of all the madness.
"Wait, why there!?" I said, trying my best to keep up with Robin.
"Because all of the bandits will be scattered around. Any that stayed over there will be dealt with if they appear."
We eventually crossed the bridge to the plaza and saying it was worse for the wear would be an understatement. All wooden stalls were destroyed, splinters and large pieces of half-burned wood littered the ground while idle flakes of ash started to fall from the raging fires.
"Look there," Robin said, finding a house with a cracked wall large enough for us to fit in, letting us inside. I plopped on the wooden floor with a sigh while Robin stayed alert, gazing through the opening with a fixed stare.
"How were you able to do that?" I asked.
Robin only glanced at me before snapping his gaze back at the plaza. "You have to be more specific."
"You know what I'm referring to," I said with a growl. "You shot lighting out of your hand!"
"You're exaggerating this way more than necessary," he remarked.
"Exaggerating!? I'm sorry, mister know-it-all, but I don't come from a place where that is a normal thing!" I shot back, and Robin's eyes widened slightly.
"Wait, you're serious?" he asked.
"Yes! Wasn't it a little obvious when I had no idea how I healed your ruptured stomach!?" I yelled at him, immediately regretting it by putting my hands to cover my mouth before looking away. "Sorry."
"No, it's alright. I guess a thorough explanation is in order," Robin said with a shake of his head, switching his attention back to the chaos. "Right after we're done with this mess."
A sudden creak of wood snapped us from our conversation, tilting our heads up at the ceiling before Robin looked around the house, spotting a set of stairs.
"Go check it out, Therese, I'll hold here just in case any bandits come around," he said, and I was about to protest if he didn't scowl at me. "Anybody could be up there, and if they need our help, they'll get it. If anything goes awry, use the papers I gave you, alright?"
Damn it, I wasn't ready to be sent somewhere on my own in this mess.
I reluctantly stood up before moving up the stairs that screeched under even the slightest step, one hand clenching my rod tightly while the other had a paper at the ready. The hall I appeared in had chips of wood on the ground and was uncomfortably hot until I looked from the window, spotting a house in flames.
I stared at it with wide eyes and bated breath for a lot longer than I wanted to admit before shaking my head until another creak that wasn't my own resonated in my ears. It came from the wall to the left and once I found the doors to the room, I gently pulled on the wooden knob, earning a small desperate yelp from the other side.
I peeked in, only to gasp at the sight of a woman in ragged clothes on the ground clutching a small boy for dear life. Cuts littered her gown while small drops of blood seeped through her wounds, coating her arms and face red.
"Oh god, are you alright!?" I said, rushing towards the woman. She stayed silent, bringing her sobbing child closer.
"It's alright, I won't hurt you," I said, trying my best to soothe her even though the lump in my throat refused to leave before I knelt down. She backed off, but I put a hand on her shoulder. "Let me see."
I inspected her wounds, all of which would normally make me shudder, but after what I saw a few moments ago, this paled in comparison. What did make me shudder however were sudden thuds coming from the back of the room.
Heavy footsteps reached my ears before a shadow from the seam of the doors cast into the room, making me frantically stand up. I heard a low laugh before the only thing blocking me from seeing who it was on the other side was kicked down, revealing a similarly-looking bandit Robin struck down a few moments ago.
We both yelped, staring up at the burly man. He only licked his lips before gazing down at me and letting out a small whistle.
"Ain't you a good-lookin' lass," he said, lowering his axe from his shoulder and inching ever so closely. "Boss is gonna pay me handsomely for you."
"Stay away!" I shouted desperately.
"Now now, don't make things hard for me. Just tie yourself and her with this rope," he said, throwing said rope that was strapped to his torn pants right in front of me, "And come along quietly. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
It was a straight-up lie, his lopsided grin and a chuckle or two gave off a completely different answer. I looked back at the woman who only gave me a pleading look before I snapped back at the bandit who was waiting for me to do something.
I was torn between doing something or complying with the bandit's request. The rope stared at me as if it was the only way out without being chopped down by that ruffian's axe, but that meant I would have the woman's and child's freedom on my subconscious.
My shaky legs eventually hoisted me up while I robotically took the rope, looking down at it with a faltering frown and making the bandit broaden his creepy smile. I turned to the woman, readying the rope by tying a knot around the woman's arms who kept clutching her child.
"Please… don't," was all it took to make me snap back to reality, my eyes widening in the process.
What was I thinking!? If I did willingly go with the bandit, that would be a worse fate than death! I had to do something!
Then, an idea struck while the lump in my throat that refused to go away until now faded. It was still there, but it allowed me to take a deep breath, however forced it was. I eased the knot around the woman's hands, her mouth slightly hanging open.
The bandit noticed me taking my sweet time tying up the woman, stomping with his foot once that made me jolt.
"Don't keep me waiting, lass, if you don't want to be dragged by your hair," he said, a scowl evident through his voice. For once, my body was calm while my arms clutched the rope tightly.
"As I would let you," I said before pivoting myself to throw the rope at him with everything I had. The outlaw was taken by surprise, not having enough time to react while the rope tangled itself around him.
"Hey! You bitch!" He yelled while letting go of his axe and frantically trying to get rid of the rope. It gave me enough time to dig up one of the papers Robin gave me and I immediately scrunched it up into a ball.
The sheet zapped me, heat quickly building up while small sparks surrounded my fist. It forced me to throw the paper immediately and mid-flight, the sheet began to glow a bright light glow, almost blinding me while I took cover quickly.
"Wha—"
The paper exploded right in front of his face, sending the bandit flying through the doors and out of the building with a loud crash, only leaving behind a hole in the wall in the shape of his body.
That didn't mean I wasn't affected as well.
The blast knocked me down as well against a wooden stool, knocking the air out of my lungs while I slumped down to the ground. My ears rang, I couldn't properly focus on… anything really and I felt extremely tired.
My legs didn't move no matter what I told them to do and I could only slump to the ground, my breaths becoming ragged and labored. The only thing that helped me feel better was that I somehow saved that mother in need.
If I would fall asleep now, would I wake up back in my home? I doubted that would happen, but the thought made me close my eyes. The cold wood bit my skin, but no matter how hard the floor was, it felt inviting.
A small gasp reached my ears before my body unwillingly moved on its own, the ground changing to something soft that smelled a little.
"—resa!"
So loud.
Whoever you were, shut up.
"Theresa!" The second shout brought me back, making me open my eyes to meet Robin face to face while I was laying on his lap.
"Robin?" I rasped out, making him breathe a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank the gods, you're still with me," he said, before digging into his pocket to find the same prism-shaped bottle and uncorking it with a small pop. "Drink this."
I was barely able to look up at his hand before I loosely opened my lips. Robin gently tilted the bottle to let whatever was inside fall in my mouth. I greedily gulped everything down, and even though it was extremely bitter, my eyes shot wide open, like I got a shot of adrenaline.
I jolted up from his lap, almost hitting him before my vision regained its focus while I shook my head to get rid of any airheadedness I felt.
"Glad to have you back up," Robin said, making me turn to him.
"What happened?" I asked automatically. It felt like I was asking that question so many times today it was etched in my head at this point.
"I was hoping you would tell me. I was down there fighting when I heard an explosion," he said before he dug inside my pocket and only took out a single piece of paper. "Ah, I see what happened now."
I tried to pull myself up with my hand only to wince and instinctively hugged my right arm, only to see it covered with cuts and light pink skin.
"Don't strain yourself. You took a small brunt of the explosion," he said, helping me up with my other good arm. I looked around to spot the woman with the kid, only for me to find the room void of her, only me and Robin were here.
"Where is that mother?" I asked, looking back at Robin.
"She probably ran away if I had to guess," he said before looking down at my wound. "We'll treat it once we're in the clear. The main street is crawling with bandits now."
I only gave him a curt nod and followed him down to the same hole we entered the house, and I immediately hid behind the wall, Robin doing the same once we spotted the outlaws outside.
But they weren't the only thing I spotted. In fact, there was an all-out scrap happening between a single soldier cladded in heavy blue armor followed by a prince-looking blue-haired fighter and a blond-haired girl with a similar rod I had.
Normally, I would question why a noble of all people was here, but they were ruthlessly rushing through the street, cutting down anyone in their path with efficiency, as if they had already done this many times over. The sight made Robin smirk.
"Looks like the cavalry has finally arrived," he mused out loud.
"You're telling me you planned for somebody to come? You can't be serious," I said, my voice filled with disbelief.
"It was a hunch if anything else. This country has an eager prince to bring justice to anybody who tries to threaten his homeland," he explained, but my eyebrows knitted together.
"That sounds extremely close to zealotry," I said, making Robin chuckle.
"Maybe, but they will help us get out of this mess. Plus, that cleric will help you fix your arm," he said, pointing at the said birdcage-wearing girl. "Now, we just need to find the best way to enter the fray."
"Wait! I'm not letting myself blow up again just because you send me somewhere!" I protested.
"Just keep close to me, and I'll make sure it won't happen again," He reassured before he motioned with his hand to follow him. "Let's keep a low profile."
And now we were sneaking through the destroyed main street to tail the trio while Robin was thinking of a way to enter the scrap, keeping an eye out to find the perfect opportunity to intervene.
This was just getting ridiculous.
I could only follow him every step of the way because I had no idea what to do otherwise. I did take a small glance at the trio every now and then and to say they looked odd would have been an understatement.
The knight in heavy armor, who was riding a horse might I add, was always covering the sides of their charge, picking off any bandits that tried to sneak their way to the girl who had a determinant expression on her face. If she was trying to hide her fears behind it, then she was doing a phenomenal job.
The blue-haired prince led the charge with vigor and hidden ferocity. Even though he looked like a stereotypical highborn medieval lord, the way he fought gave off a completely different vibe. His swings with his ornamental sword looked wide and had power behind them, making him look like a wild wolf instead.
Not to mention how reckless his behavior was.
The knight had to always keep an eye out on him to make sure the prince didn't bite off more than he could chew. Which led to them overestimating their reach, and one of the bandits cut off the cleric's path.
The knight and the prince immediately took notice, both of them shouting "Lissa!/Milady!" while trying their best to get to her as quickly as possible, but they both had their opponents the deal with.
The girl, now named Lissa, tried to back off, running down the bridge, which seemed safe at first but was immediately cut off by another bandit, blocking her way of escape.
"There! Theresa, get your other paper ready!" Robin suddenly shouted, dashing towards Lissa which made me frantically pull up the other paper, still wincing under the pain, and followed Robin.
He pulled out his tome and shouted "Thunder!" before another lightning ball shot out of his palm. It sailed through the air, hitting one of the bandits dead-on, stopping him in his tracks while I scrunched up the paper once again.
Last time, I was too preoccupied to notice the yellow sparks, but now, I saw how they jumped around my arm, yet they didn't harm me, only made my palm warm. I threw those thoughts aside and hurled the ball at the other outlaw, and once again, it exploded right in front of him, sending him flying into the river. I was rewarded with a wet splash, and without a way to get back up from the river anywhere nearby, he was out of commission.
At first, I really hoped that didn't kill him, but for some reason, I didn't feel guilty which wasn't a reassuring thought. At least the girl was fine, although my arm certainly didn't appreciate the strain I put it under, making me hiss again.
Robin breathed another small sigh of relief while the prince and the knight finished off their targets before reaching Lissa, worry evident in their expressions.
"Lissa, are you alright!?" The blue-haired prince asked, and Lissa nodded.
"Yeah," she said with a small nod before turning to us with a smile. "Thanks for the rescue."
Robin smiled back at her. "No problem. We only did what felt right."
"Says you," I thought, glaring at Robin before I let out another hiss, earning the attention of all four of them. Robin's smile fell before he turned to Lissa again.
"Could you please heal my companion? She isn't as unharmed as I am," he said, and Lissa gave him a nod.
"Of course," she said before inching closer to me with her staff at the ready. I took a small glance and found a pale green gem attached to the top of the staff before Lissa closed her eyes. She extended her arms, concentrating before the gem began to glow a pleasant green glow that washed over my injured upper limb.
I was honestly disgusted with how my skin began to stitch itself back together. It itched so much, it gave me a strong urge to scratch it, but it didn't take long before my arm was free of any cuts and burns. The only thing that wasn't mended was my shirt.
The green light slowly flickered out before the gem cracked once before fully breaking, making Lissa yelp. She then looked down at the shards sadly.
"That's the last gem I had," she said.
"You don't have any left?" The blue-haired prince asked, and Lissa shook his head, making him click his tongue. "Then this means we have to take it slow."
He then looked down at me before offering me a hand. "Are you alright?"
I gave him a small nod before taking his hand to hoist myself up, the hand no longer hurt. It felt like it was brand new.
"Thank you," I said, earning a smile from the prince.
"No problem," he said before turning to Robin. "Who am I thanking for saving my sister?"
"The name is Robin and this is Theresa, a pleasure to meet you," he said, motioning his hand towards me before growing serious. "But I think we should keep the pleasantries after we deal with this lot."
The prince nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Let's just make things brief."
He put his hand on his chest. "My name is Chrom."
He then pointed at Lissa who had a big smile despite the situation we were in. "This is my sister Lissa, and lastly."
Chrom motioned to the knight on the horse with a menacing-looking lance, and a stalwart expression, scanning me and Robin up and down with a scrutinizing look. "This is Frederick, our knight in charge."
He let out a small huff through his nose before turning his horse to face the church where the bandits were regrouping, a band of more than a half-a-dozen men. "Focus on the enemy, we'll have plenty of time to acquaint ourselves afterward."
He gave me and Robin one last glance before turning to Chrom. "Milord, your orders."
"Right," he said with a nod. "Robin, how skilled are you in combat?"
"I know how to slash, how to cast spells, and know a few things in tactics," he summarized curtly, taking Chrom slightly back.
"A tactician who takes the field himself?" He said before touching his chin. "What do you propose we do then?"
"Milord, is that wise?" Frederick immediately cut in.
"I have little reason to question Robin. He and Theresa saved Lissa, and that is enough for me," he said resolutely while Lissa gave Frederick several bobs of her head.
Frederick let out a sigh before giving Robin a curt nod, although his expression didn't ease in the slightest.
"Thank you for your trust. Now then," he said before looking to another bridge leading towards the church, brimming with bandits.
There was the first line of defense on the entrance of the bridge, four bandits, each having their own weapons that consisted of swords, axes, and a single book similar to Robin's. It was green instead, and somehow, Robin already brewed up a plan in such a short amount of time.
His eyes snapped back to Frederick. "How confident are you in taking on two at once?"
He huffed again, as if he was offended by the question. "More than confident."
"Alright, you'll be the spear of the charge to get the attention of all four while I will take on that mage. Chrom will deal with that axe user easily enough," he said, and the more I was here, the more I felt like a fifth wheel.
"That's as good of a plan as any," Chrom said, satisfied with the quick solution.
"Wait, what about us?" Lissa suddenly asked, pointing at me in the process.
At least she didn't forget I was here.
"You keep close to Chrom while Theresa will do the same with me. I owe her my life after all," he said, making me blush slightly before turning away, tugging one of my bangs behind my ear.
"Why are you so adamant about that?" I asked, which prompted him to chuckle.
"I just don't like to have unrepaid debts," he said before he brandished his tome. "Now, let's end this charade."
"Of course, friend," Chrom agreed, pulling out an ornamental sword of his own before he ordered Frederick to begin the charge. He only complied before he motioned his horse to gallop towards the bridge, while we were barely able to keep up with him.
"Alright lad, start shooting those air blasts!" Shouted the middle man with his axe at the ready.
"It's called Wind, you meathead," the mage said with a small snarl before he brushed his hand along the book, and summoned a set of small tornados. They somehow looked very sharp, for them being just gusts of wind.
He launched them Frederick's way, but he was able to dodge the attacks rather easily, even though he was on a horse. The other bandits tried to intercept his charge, only for Frederick to sweep with his lance, immediately dividing the group of four.
Once Robin gave one last glance at our surroundings, he called the shots for him and Chrom to charge. They sprung into action, leaving me and Lissa in the back while aiming for their targets.
Once they engaged, it felt extremely one-sided. Robin dealt with the mage with swift efficiency, always inching closer with each thunderbolt he threw before he was in melee range to deal the finishing blow with his sword. Chrom parried a sloppy swing of an axe, and cut the burly man's chest almost wide open with Frederick leaving behind two skewered bodies, laying on their puddles of blood.
I didn't know if I should awe, or shudder at the display, but the more dead bodies I saw, the less of an impact it made on me.
That thought made me pale.
"Theresa! Lissa! Come on!" Robin's shout thankfully brought out of my head, and with Lissa taking the lead, we followed them down another bridge that lead towards the church with the leader of the group with the last of his men beside him. A snarl was plastered on his face, evident he didn't expect such an opposition.
"You've done it now, princeling. I'll make you pay for all my men you've killed," he said, bringing out an axe of his own that looked different than normal while the two other lackeys unsheathed their own weapons as well. Chrom only leveled his sword at him challengingly.
"I'd like to see you try, brigand. Ravaging this town will be the last thing you'll ever do!" He shouted before dashing towards him, dragging the tip of his sword against the ground. He met the bandits' axe in a fierce clash, the sword bit into the wooden handle with a loud thud.
The leader took the initiative and swung wildly with his axe with no pattern whatsoever, but somehow, even though Chrom deflected all his strikes, he couldn't find an opening in his defense.
Chrom backed off with a few hopes, only to be met by a hurled axe, creating a gash on his exposed right bicep while he hissed in pain. However, he soldiered through it and, despite his wound, charged at the bandit who pulled out another axe from his belt.
This time, Chrom began with a forward thrust, exploiting the opening the leader gave him. He didn't have time to properly guard himself against the attack, ending the stab with a sloppy misdirect that Chrom took advantage of.
"It's over!" He yelled before jumping in the air and bringing his sword down on the leader, deeply slicing his chest and coating his entire torso red. The bandit couldn't fathom what just happened to him, only looking down on his wound before slowly falling to the ground with a dull thud.
Chrom breathed a sigh before taking a glance at both Frederick and Robin, both of which were already done with their opponents. I was surprised how quickly they dealt with them, the fight didn't even last that long.
"Milord, are you alright?" Frederick said, gazing at the wound Chrom had.
"It could have been a lot worse. This shouldn't take long to heal," he reassured before he gently touched the wound, hissing in pain, making Lissa break into a small jog while I followed her.
She brought Chrom's arm for inspection, before turning to Robin."Do you have anything on hand?"
Robin shook his head. "Sadly no. I've used the last of my vulnerary."
Lissa's shoulders sagged a little. "I guess we'll have to wrap that."
She came to Frederick's horse that had a big satchel strapped to its saddle, and dug deep into it to acquire a bandage. She was about to nurse Chrom's arm if it wasn't for Robin stopping her.
"Wait," he said, making Lissa turn to him with both eyebrows raised. "Actually, we might have something that could help."
Why was I feeling anxious all of a sudden?
"Theresa?" Robin called me out.
"Yeah?" Was all I said.
"You were able to help me back there. Do you think you could do it again?" he asked, making me turn away.
"But I don't know how I was able to do that," I said, clutching my rod with both arms.
"Wait, you're able to heal without a gem?" Lissa suddenly asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"I don't know how this thing works," I said, emphasizing my rod, surprising Lissa in the process. "I honestly still don't believe I was able to heal Robin with my medical skills, or lack thereof."
"If you were able to do it, then that only means you can do it again. It's at least worth a try," Chrom argued. "I don't know much about magic myself, but Lissa could help a little, or at least stir you in the right direction."
"Hold on, Chrom, I don't know how to work with a staff without a gem! Plus, we don't know if it'll actually work," she argued, Frederick nodding in the process.
"I concur. We don't have a clue what Theresa's abilities are. For all we know, she could put a curse on you, milord," he said, making me send a glare in his direction.
"Do I look like a witch to you? You have a stick up your ass or what?" I thought. Seriously, that guy was as wary as three people combined.
"I assure you, her abilities are far from harmful. In fact, she was able to heal my ruptured stomach, at the cost of her passing out though," Robin said, making me blush. He had to mention that, didn't he?
"Seriously?" Lissa exclaimed before her putting her arms behind her back. "Well now you just made me curious."
Frederick turned to Lissa with a stern expression. "Milady, I advice—"
"Frederick, they helped us deal with the bandits. I trust them they won't do anything suspicious," Chrom interrupted him before looking directly at me with his blue eyes and showing me his wounded arm. "Theresa, go ahead."
"I told you I don't how I was able to do that," I said, but Robin came to my side.
"Don't worry, I'll help you through it," he reassured before lifting my arm with the staff. "You just have to think very hard on healing Chrom's arm."
I stared at him for a solid second before my eyebrows knitted together. "Are you pulling my leg here?"
The party, except for Frederick, chuckled at my remark before Robin urged me to start the process. "I'm not. Magic is a little finicky to work with, but it usually boils down to people's will to act. The magical part is when it actually happens under someone's command."
He pointed at Chrom's arm which almost stopped bleeding, but some blood still seeped through the wound. "I know you can do it."
Again, I was so tempted to just say no, but since everyone was expecting from to fix it somehow, I had little choice but to try… something out, even if Robin was so vague about it.
I stared at the wound for a few moments before mimicking Lissa's posture when she healed me, and waited for something to happen. Of course, nothing came by, not even my staff lit up the same way as it did before while heat quickly surfaced on my cheeks. I wanted to crawl into a hole right now because of how everyone was staring at me expectantly.
"Work, you damn walking stick! This wound won't heal itself!" I yelled in my mind but again, nothing was happening. Why did it work last time but not now!?
I was so frustrated because of it that I couldn't get my mind straight until Robin put a hand on my shoulder, interrupting my 'ritual'.
"No, not like that. You're putting too much thought into it," he said, making me scowl.
"Then what am I supposed to do!?" I said to him, but he was unfazed by my snappy attitude.
"Take a deep breath, and let the staff do it for you. Or at least that's what normally should happen when you heal someone."
Yeah, because we definitely had a normal staff right here apparently, but I knew snapping at him twice wouldn't make the situation any different. It would make me feel horrible too.
With a silent groan, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes while jabbing the end of my staff to the ground. I focused only on the rod I had and the wound Chrom suffered. Only those two things were important right now, and I wanted one of them fixed.
Suddenly, I could feel my heart pumping restlessly, almost ready to jump out of my chest while encouraging my blood to reach my arms as quickly as possible. My palms were extremely warm, but not to the point it burned. I heard a small gasp echoing in my ears but I ignored it, not until my body told me everything was ready.
The staff in my hand seemed to shudder under pressure while my body throbbed. My head was assaulted by a headache, my legs had problems keeping me stable, so I leaned more on my staff. I could feel sweat start to form on my forehead, but I knew it wasn't ready yet.
When a soft warm glow pierced through my eyelids, it forced my eyes to open. I let out a gasp when I saw that same light on my hands, but I didn't have time to ponder on that much. I knew this wouldn't last long, so I closed the distance between Chrom and held out my hand on top of the wound.
It immediately took effect, and the gash began to slowly repair itself, the skin stitching itself back together at a rapid pace. Chrom winced under the treatment, until the wound was gone. He inspected his arm, tilting it to find any imperfections but there wasn't even a scar left behind.
I, on the other hand, was about to fall to the ground from exhaustion if it wasn't for Robin catching me. He allowed me to lean my hand over his shoulders while I was rewarded with a kind smile from him.
That was… very tiring.
"Wow!" Lissa exclaimed, her eyes almost sparkling. "I didn't know you could do that!"
All I could give Lissa was a weak smile of my own. "Trust me, I didn't either until recently."
"That is impressive," Chrom said, still eyeing his arm for any injuries left but couldn't find anything. He then switched attention back to me. "Although if it leaves you in such a state, I don't think it's healthy to do this often."
"I don't feel great, I'll admit," I agreed. "At least I didn't pass out. It would have been the third time today, and I don't need a new high score."
"I can certainly imagine. Thank you," Chrom said with a nod before he coughed into his fist. "Since the fighting is over, I think it's time for a proper introduction."
He touched his chest. "My name is Chrom, a pleasure to meet you."
Well, since now I had the time to actually assess who I was talking to, all I could say was how… his fashion sense pissed me off, even if I was probably in a magical version of weird medieval Europe.
Why? Because as an architect, or at least I tried to be one, all I could say was how asymmetrical his attire was.
The blue button-up vest and skin-tight pants were fine, but his boots didn't match in color, had only one long sleeve and shoulder pad. It was like he was trying his best to look different from the rest, but it only made him look silly.
And it pissed me off, did I mention that?
"This is my sister Lissa," He said, tilting his head towards the bubbly girl who gave off a radiant smile.
"Nice to finally meet you!" She said cheerfully, waving at us even though we were right in front of her.
At least she had more of a fashion sense than her brother.
She wore a yellow and white dress that was held up by a birdcage strapped to her waist. The apron that was on top of that gave it a nice touch that I wasn't expecting, although those two blond pigtails clearly told me she was still fairly young.
Again, how she was able to handle this fight better than I was beyond me.
"And this," Chrom began while motioning to his left where the knight was, no longer on top of his horse, and stood tall, quite literally. "Is Frederick."
He certainly was a bag of sunshine, alright. A permanent, but almost unnoticeable frown was plastered on his features while adorning a messy brown mop. If I didn't count the butler suit he had under his heavy armor, he looked rather intimidating.
I couldn't really add much to him. He looked rather simple compared to Chrom and Lissa. Other than that butler suit, it looked really weird.
"Greetings," he said with a small bow, yet never taking his eyes off of us.
Robin gave him a small bow as well. "My name is Robin, and this is Theresa. We were walking in the town only for the bandits to attack. We mean no harm."
Harm? Wait, what? Didn't we, or at least Robin, fight with them right now?
"Am I right to assume you are of Plegian heritage, Robin?" Frederick asked pointedly, looking down at Robin's attire, to which he narrowed his eyes by a small fraction.
"Yes, but only me. Theresa here is from…" Robin stopped for a moment before he turned to me with a sheepish smile. "I think you never told me where you're from."
"Czech Republic," I answered curtly, only to be met by a set of dumbfounded looks. "What? I know the place is small, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
Silence was my answer, making me groan in frustration.
"I'm sorry, Theresa, but this is the first time I've ever heard of this 'Czech Republic'," Robin eventually said. "Is it a place in Valm?"
"No, it's in Europe," Another round of silence loomed over the conversation, making me more desperate. "Please tell me you've heard of Europe."
"Not to break your act, lady Theresa, but the current geography of Archanea is far from what you described," Frederick countered, earning a piercing stare from him. "Under the authority of the Ylissian military, you're both—"
"Frederick, wait," Chrom stopped him.
"But milord, we are dealing with a Plegian and a liar," Frederick said, but Chrom shut him down with a pointed look.
"That helped us defeat the bandits. And what if Theresa's words are true? For all we know, this Europe could be a continent far from both Archanea and Valm."
Thank you Chrom, you certainly were a type that probably trusted too easily. Not like I was going to complain any time soon.
"Right! Maybe we'll find something about Europe in the library," Lissa added, making me feel a little more hopeful. Frederick breathed a sigh.
"I know your will to help Theresa is good-natured, but that still doesn't resolve the issue with Robin here. He is a Plegian fugitive," he said.
"He fought for Ylissian lives, Frederick. My heart says that's enough, despite his origins," Chrom said resolutely.
"And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its council as well?" Frederick shot back, to which Chrom smiled.
"Emm said I should strive to find the good in people, and never judge a book by its cover. Don't you think now it would be the best time to do so?" he said, making Frederick breathe another sigh.
"Very well, milord," he said, relenting by backing off slightly and taking his eyes off of us for once. I was almost relieved when he did so.
Keyword, almost.
"So, what are your plans?" Chrom suddenly asked, taking both of us back.
"I… Well, I thought I could bring Theresa to the capital and help find her way home," Robin said, making me turn to him.
"You are taking this too far. I'm not a damsel in distress, or at least I think I'm not," I said.
"No, but I wasn't kidding the outside isn't safe for anyone who isn't well equipped," Robin countered before sizing me up and down. "And you a far from prepared."
I let out a groan. "You got me there, because when I got here, I was only left with this rod."
"It fits you really well though. It matches with your earing," Lissa suddenly said, my eyes widening in the process before I instinctively touched my earring.
She was right, the motive of both my earing and the head of the staff matched. How odd.
"But don't mind that! How about you come with us to Ylisstol!" Lissa offered.
"Wait, what?" was all I could say.
"Since you're on your way there, wouldn't it make sense to stick to each other until then?" She explained, earning a nod from Chrom as well while I could hear the silent sigh from Frederick.
"I think it's a fine idea. What do you say, you two?" Chrom offered, making me turn to Robin with questioning brows.
"What do you think?" I asked him.
He was reluctant at first from the way he clenched his fist ever so slightly, but then relented with a small sigh. "Yeah, we could use the company."
"Alright! It's settled!" Lissa proclaimed while throwing her hands into the air filled with excitement. "We'll head out tomorrow after we take a nice and pleasant nap in the inn."
"Might I interject?" Frederick said, earning all of our attention and I was ready for him to object yet again, but his eased expression told a different story. "I believe we should head out as soon as possible. The Exalt will want to know what happened here today."
Chrom nodded. "A good observation as always, Fredrick."
The knight bowed. "Thank you, milord."
"What?! But Chrom! It's getting dark!" Lissa protested.
"Frederick's right, Lissa. We'll camp if we have to," Chrom said, making me stare at him with half-lidded eyes because I agreed with Lissa. I wanted to at least rest a little after this scuffle, but if I protested like her, it wouldn't surprise me if Frederick gave me a death stare or something.
"Besides, we promised Sully we'll meet soon after we're done patroling Southtown," Chrom finished.
Southtown? As in this town? Wow, somebody must have been very creative with names.
Lissa, of all things, pouted at Chrom. "Fine, but I get to ride Frederick's horse."
"I advise against it, milady. Storm is very picky with his riders, and you haven't finished your riding lessons yet," Frederick said with the shake of his head, a barely noticeable smile present on his features.
"Huh!? Come on, I'll have blisters the size of eggs!" She said, a laugh erupted from Chrom while Frederick couldn't but give a full smile this time while me and Robin stared at the trio.
"Do you think this happens often?" I whispered to him.
"I wouldn't doubt it," he said with a small nod.
This was going to be a wild ride, wasn't it?
AN: Obligitorry Southtown chapter done. I hope you enjoyed it. I don't feel this chapter is as strong as the one before, but I'm still proud of it nonetheless.
As always, a thank you to the fanfiction Treehouse for the support they give me and feedback to make this story a reality. If you want to join our discord server, here is the link: gg/9XG3U7a
God's speed.