Chapter 4: A Dangerous First Mission
Robin slowly opened his eyes, expecting to wake up from his sleep.
Instead, he was met with the image of two people sitting under a tree, eagerly chatting. A young woman whose face he could not see for some reason, and a little boy with messy white hair.
"Another vision? And aren't those the same people from the last one?" Robin thought to himself with an annoyed groan, slapping his forehead. "Might as well pay attention to it, I guess…"
The woman looked up at the sky, briefly narrowing her eyes at the setting sun, before looking back down at the boy.
"Come on, it's getting late," she said as she stood up and extended a hand out to the boy. "You need to get to bed."
"Aw! Can't we stay out for just a little white longer?" the boy pouted in response, crossing his arms. "I'm not even sleepy yet!"
"There's going to be a full moon tonight, and you know how dangerous it is for us to be out and about when there's a full moon," the woman sternly responded, once again gesturing for the boy to take her hand. "When we look at the full moon, we transform into-"
"Oozarus. Yeah, yeah, I know," the boy grumpily replied, taking her hand and pulling himself up to his feet. "What I don't get is why we don't let it happen! Those guys that are chasing us…Since these 'Oozarus' are so strong, we can just beat transform into those things and then beat them up!"
The woman remained silent for a moment, and it was at this moment that Robin realized she had a tail as well. The only difference was that hers was brown instead of white.
"It's because you can't control it," the woman slowly began, before pausing and thinking over her words. Despite not being able to see her face, Robin could tell that she was embarrassed. "Actually, scratch, we BOTH can't control it. Yes, we'd be able to defeat them, but we'd lose control of ourselves and hurt many innocent people in the process!"
She then proceeded to crouch down, and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Robin couldn't see her face, and yet he could tell that she was staring intensely into his eyes.
"Remember, you must never look at the full moon! Promise me, boy, until we find a way to control the destructive power of the Oozaru, never look at the full moon!..."
Robin was pretty absorbed in the scene, wondering how exactly the boy would respond, and just what this 'Oozaru' was.
The moment he thought this he proceeded to get his answer. The world around him suddenly began to shift and distort, and he was now in the ruins of what appeared to be a busting city. People were running around, screaming for their lives. Buildings were destroyed, and fires were raging all around.
The ground suddenly shook, and what appeared to be a giant foot down slammed in front of Robin. The white-haired boy slowly looked up, and his eyes met with those of a giant monster.
He couldn't make out its exact features due to the darkness of the night, and all he could see were its two red, beady eyes.
The creature suddenly opened its mouth, and a giant ball of energy began to gather within it...
…And that's when Robin ACTUALLY woke up, the sun beating down on his face through a nearby window. He had woken up with a start, and a quick hand to his forehead revealed that he was sweating rather profusely.
"It was just a dream, Robin. Get it together," the boy thought to himself as he quickly shook his head and got out of bed.
He was currently in his room at the Z-Shepherds' HQ, and it was…Pretty boring, in all honesty. The walls were a light blue, and there was a coatrack in the corner of the room which had Robin's only possession, his black cloak with strange purple symbols, hanging off of it. There was also a large window on the wall that allowed him to look down at the training area, which was currently not in use. Lastly, there was the king-sized bed that he had just gotten out of.
Apart from that, though, the room was pretty empty. Lissa, however, had promised him that she would go to the marketplace with him later to buy some furniture and make the place feel more like home.
As he grabbed his cloak and exited the room, Robin briefly glanced at the doors to the other Z-Shepherds' rooms. He could pretty quickly tell that everyone else was already up.
"Last to wake up. Great start to your first day as a Z-Shepherd, Robin," the white-haired boy thought to himself as he descended down the spiral staircase that led down to the first floor. "Let's hope it's not TOO late..."
Sounds of chatter and laughter could be heard from the dining hall, so that was where Robin quickly rushed to. Upon entering, he very quickly realized that everyone else had already congregated there.
"Robin! Good to see that you're awake," Chrom called out to the white-haired boy, patting a seat beside him. He then proceeded to take a huge bite out of some toast that he was eating and smiled. "We made sure to save you a spot, and-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Maribelle, who was sitting right in front of him, leaned over the table and smacked his head, causing the rest of the Z-Shepherds to laugh.
"Milord Chrom! Please, do not speak while your mouth is full. It is ill becoming of a man of your station," the noble huffed as she sat back down, earning a sheepish grin from the blue-haired lord.
"…Sorry, Maribelle," Chrom mumbled, though he was careful to do so only AFTER he had successfully swallowed the food in his mouth.
Robin chuckled at the sight and sat down next to Chrom.
"Here, Robin! We had some leftovers from that huge feast last night!" Lissa told the monkey-tailed boy, pushing a plate towards him. "Eat up! We're going to have to go on our patrols soon!"
"Right. Thank you, Lissa," Robin smiled, before immediately beginning to dig in.
Yesterday, after his little bout with Vaike, Bulma had gone to many of the finest restaurants in Ylisstol and ordered all sorts of food. Her reasoning was that they had to celebrate their newest member's joining, though Robin later learnt that it was just a clever trick on her part since she was on cooking duty yesterday and couldn't be bothered to actually prepare something on her own.
According to Sully, Bulma did that every time it was her turn to cook. She could afford to do so because the noble house that she was a part of, House Briefs, was the richest noble house of Ylisse, and as it's heir Bulma had quite a lot of money to spend on luxuries.
Another thing that Robin had discovered last night…Was that he was a pretty fast, and messy, eater.
"Man, this stuff is so good! Thank goodness we had leftovers!" the white-haired boy exclaimed excitedly as he immediately began chowing down, finishing two plates in the blink of an eye and reaching out for a third. He immediately stopped when he realized that Kellam was eating from that plate. "Oh, uh, sorry Kellam. I didn't notice that you were even there!"
"Oh, it's alright, man," Kellam replied with a friendly smile. "At least you realized I was here before you actually took a bite out of-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Robin cut him off with a huge burp.
Kellam was immediately forgotten after that.
"Hah! That was awesome, Robin!" Vaike cackled in response, before immediately slapping his chest and letting out a burp of his own. "But Teach ain't the kind to be outdone! Mine was totally louder, right?!"
All but two members of the squad immediately burst out into laughter.
The first was Maribelle, who recoiled in disgust.
"Hmph! How vulgar! But then again, I suppose trusting a commoner like VAIKE to act respectful in the presence of a noble such as MYSELF was too much to ask for..."
The second one was Frederick, who cleared his throat to catch everyone's attention.
"Yes, yes. This is all very amusing, but we are already behind schedule. Everyone finish your breakfast so that we may set out on our patrols!"
The laughter immediately stopped, and everyone slowly looked down at their plates.
"Yes, Frederick…" everyone sighed in unison.
Everybody did as they were told, and the group was now on the road, heading out of the city for their daily patrols.
Because Robin was new to how the system worked, the team decided to split up into two groups on that day, though usually they split up into multiple smaller ones. Robin was put on a team with Chrom, Vaike, Miriel, and Bulma while Frederick, Lissa, Maribelle, Sully, and Stahl were put on another team.
Everyone forgot about Kellam again, so he just went with Robin's team.
One of the teams would march towards the villages and towns in the north of Ylisse and make sure everything was okay, while the other team would go to the southern villages and towns and do the same thing there.
As the group were leaving the capital, Robin spotted a rather large building near the royal palace. Multiple women dressed up in armors similar to Phila's were entering and leaving it, and much to his shock they were being accompanied by large, majestic white horses that had huge wings sprouting out of their backs.
"What in the world are those things?" Robin asked in disbelief as the group walked past the building. "They look like horses…But with wings?!"
"They're Pegasi, obviously," Vaike responded disinterestedly as he polished his axe, before raising an eyebrow at Robin. "Your amnesia made you forget what a Pegasus is? Weird."
"Pegasi…" Robin mumbled in response. "But why are they all leaving and entering that building with those women?"
"The reasoning is rather straightforward," Miriel stated bluntly, her gaze briefly shifting from the book she was reading. "That building functions as the headquarters for the Pegasus Knight Corps. They are, as of now, the sole military division directly governed by the Exalt, a result of the reforms implemented by Exalt Emmeryn. These measures were designed specifically to prevent the recurrence of the circumstances that once sparked the war between Plegia and Ylisse...Suffice to say, that makes its members very busy."
"I...See. Thanks for the exposition, Miriel," Robin responded with a nervous chuckle.
Eventually, the group left Ylisstol and continued to travel south. They visited quite a few villages throughout the day, making sure that everything was in order and that no trouble was stirring.
Most of the day passed without incident, but that was about to change as they approached a little town near the border with Plegia...
"Prince Chrom, sir!" the guards who were monitoring the gates to the town immediately exclaimed with a salute as they saw the lord approach.
"At ease, please," Chrom sighed in response, gesturing for the men to put their hands down. "We're just here for a routine patrol. Have you noticed any bandit-related activity in this town, recently?"
The two guards looked at each other, before looking back at Chrom and shaking their heads.
"No, sir. Everything has been as peaceful as can-"
A high-pitched scream cut the guard off, and it was immediately followed up with a huge explosion in the middle of the town. The Z-Shepherds all immediately rushed in to see what the commotion was about, and much to their chagrin, they spotted a bunch of shirtless men with purple tattoos on their bodies setting fire to a building.
"Hahaha! You know the drill, boys!" a bandit that was considerably larger than the other ones exclaimed with a laugh. "Take all the women and valuables...And set fire to the homes of anyone who doesn't cooperate with you! We own this town now!"
He received excited cheers from his men, and they all rushed off to plunder. However, after a few seconds of silence, the leader proceeded to take a few steps back and sat down on a box.
"Uh, while you guys are doing all the hard work, however...I'm going to hang around at the back and watch over you. This is definitely not because I'm lazy or anything!"
"Damn it! Those damn bandits are going to kill innocent people if we don't do something!," Chrom growled out as he quickly brandished his sword. "Z-Shepherds, to arms!"
"Alright! You guys do that!" Bulma exclaimed excitedly, pumping her fist into the air before immediately hiding behind a random barrel. "I'll be sitting over here until things simmer down if you need me~"
Vaike caught Robin's confused expression at the girl's words, and explained to him with a snort. "Bulma doesn't actually fight on these patrols. She just comes along because she likes adventure!"
"Wait, so why is she even on the Z-Shepherds in the first place? Isn't the whole point of the team to keep peace in Ylisse?!" Robin asked in complete and utter disbelief, turning towards Chrom.
"Well, she's good at science, and sometimes makes inventions that we can use on our patrols... But the main reason is that the Z-Shepherds' HQ is actually her property, and, well...She allowed us to use on the condition that we allowed her to tag along on our patrols. It can be annoying sometimes, but it's just something that we have to deal with," Chrom bashfully responded, rubbing the back of his neck. He quickly shook his head and looked back at the invading bandits, who had by now noticed the Z-Shepherds' presence. "But enough about that! What do you think is the best play here, Robin?"
The white-haired boy scanned the incoming horde, before grunting. "Alright, let's see here…All of them are thankfully axe-fighters this time around. Chrom, you should lead the charge because swords do well against axes. Me and Vaike will cover your flank to make sure you aren't hit from behind. And Miriel…"
Robin paused, before glancing at the girl with a raised eyebrow.
"…Uh, I actually have no idea what you do. Are you like Bulma, where you don't actually fight?"
"No, of course not. While I do not burden myself with cumbersome weapons wrought from iron and steel, I assure you, I remain a combatant in every sense of the word." Miriel responded as she reached into her cloak and pulled out a slender red tome adorned with a fire symbol on the cover. "I am a mage. More specifically, a fire mage. I rely on spells to engage my opponents, rather than crude physical force."
The book suddenly opened up on its own, and while holding it one hand, Miriel proceeded to raise her other hand so that it was pointing out at the incoming horde.
"Please observe...FIRE!"
Immediately, a ball of fire formed in Miriel's hand and blasted across the field, slamming into one of the brigands and burning him to a crisp. The other bandits paused briefly to look at their comrade's charred body as it slammed down onto the floor, before immediately resuming their charge without a care in the world.
"Magic, huh?" Robin whispered in slight disbelief, before quickly shaking his head and nodding. "Alright, fine. Miriel, you stay behind and pick off anyone who manages to evade attacks from me and Vaike. Everyone understand?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll listen to ya, but Teach thinks he should be the one leading the charge instead of Chrom," Vaike grumbled in response while everyone else nodded, before immediately smirking. "But hey, Chrom IS my eternal rival, so I suppose it's only fair to allow him to have some glory!"
"Vaike, I am not your 'eternal rival', whatever that means!" Chrom shouted as he immediately charged forward and sliced an incoming bandit in half, before immediately parrying a strike from another who brought his axe down towards him.
"Of course you are! I'm the only one on the Z-Shepherds who can match your strength!" Vaike cackled as he rushed in and bisected a bandit who attempted to hit Chrom from behind. He then planted his feet into the ground and took a more defensive stance. "Or, should I say, YOU'RE the only who can match TEACH'S strength! HAHAHAHA!"
The blonde brawler failed to notice an opponent who was about to drop an axe on his head, and Robin sighed before immediately moving in and punching the bandit's jaw clean off.
"Focus up, Vaike!" Robin yelled to the axe-user as he kicked another bandit in the stomach. "You're being way too reckless!"
"Hah! Reckless is my middle name, Robin!" Vaike smirked in response, weaving through a couple of bandits and then swinging his axe in such a way so that he bisected three of his enemies with a swing. "Oh yeah! That makes seven for me!"
"You're keeping track?!" Robin asked in disbelief.
This went on for a little while, with Chrom taking on most of the incoming horde while Vaike and Robin took down any who managed to slip past him. Miriel worked from the back, unleashing multiple fireballs that disintegrated many of their enemies before they could reach the boys.
However, just as quickly as the fight had started, it ended.
The bandits had all been defeated, save for one.
The leader, who was only now slowly standing from his box, was the last enemy remaining.
However, he was a lot more...Cowardly compared to his men.
"Wh-What the hell?! All of my men…Have been defeated?!" the burly bandit stammered, taking a few steps back. His legs were shaking like they were made of jelly, and he accidentally dropped his axe down onto the ground. "I didn't think that those kids the boss told me about would be this strong!..."
"So, you're confirming that you work for someone else?" Chrom asked, raising an eyebrow as he slowly began to take a few steps towards the quivering bandit. "I don't suppose you'd mind telling us their identity?"
The bandit's eyes flickered from Chrom, who was looking at him expectantly, to Miriel, who had a small ball of fire hovering in her hand, to Robin, who casually had his hands in his cloak, to Vaike, who was smirking confidently, and then back to Chrom.
Silence reigned supreme for a few moments, and then...
"I-I'm out of here!" the bandit screamed at the top of his lungs, immediately turning around and running away as fast as his legs could take him.
"Hah! We've got a runner! Don't worry, though, because Teach has this under control!" Vaike exclaimed with a laugh as he pulled his arm back and got ready to chuck his axe straight at the fleeing bandit. "Just one well-aimed shot and this guy will be-"
Before he could actually throw the weapon, however, Robin grabbed Vaike's arm and forced him to pull it down.
"Vaike, please. Just wait one second!"
"Hey, what gives? I totally had that shot! Was Frederick right about you or something?"
"What? No, of course not," Robin immediately replied, vehemently shaking his head. "It's just, well, all these bandit attacks are coming from the same source, right? If we follow this one fleeing coward, he might lead us right back to their base!"
"That's…A pretty simple plan," Chrom mumbled, rubbing his chin. "I'm surprised we've never thought of that before, actually…"
"Sometimes simplicity has its merits," Miriel stated as he placed her book back in her cloak, before pointing at the retreating figure of the bandit. "However, if we are to follow him, then we must hurry. He is getting away."
"Hmmm...Alright, fine. Z-Shepherds. Let's go!" Chrom shouted as he sheathed his sword, before pausing. "Wait, where's Bulma?"
"Right here, Chrom. Don't worry, I just did a bit of shopping while you guys were fighting," the blue-haired girl shouted as she stepped out of a nearby alleyway, carrying two heavy bags that were stuffed to the brim with merchandise. "They've got some perfume that you can't buy anywhere BUT here, and I just had to get some for myself!"
"That's…Nice, Bulma," Chrom mumbled in response, before quickly shaking his head and continuing his dash behind the bandit. "You stay here with the townspeople; your bags will only slow you down. The rest of you, let's go chase that bandit! Make sure to be sneaky, though!"
"H-Hey! Guys! You can't just leave me here!" Bulma pouted as the rest of the Z-Shepherds ran away, before sighing and shaking her head. "Ugh, whatever. I guess I can just do a bit more shopping then…"
Chrom, Robin, Miriel, and Vaike all very carefully trailed behind the bandit as he retreated into a nearby forest. It was a good thing that this particular guy was so cowardly, because he was just running ahead with no regard as to who might see him.
It made the stealth mission all the more easier for the Z-Shepherds, and they were all very thankful for that.
Eventually, the bandit ended up rushing into a clearing that was so off the beaten path through the forest that the average person would definitely not find it, and from his little hiding spot behind a nearby bush, Robin felt his breath get taken away.
A massive fortress stood before the group, it's giant wooden gates guarded by two bandits who stood alert for any and all threats. After a brief discussion with the two men, the escapee was able to get into the fortress, and the doors slammed shut behind him.
It looked like a massive castle, and a combination of both the vines growing all over it and the massive amounts of cracks on its surface suggested that it had not seen use in a very long time. A massive purple cloth was hanging directly over the gates, and there was a creepy-looking black plastered on it that sent a shiver down Robin's spine.
"It looks like we've found their headquarters…" Chrom mumbled, his eyes widening slightly. "And considering how close we are to the Plegia border right now, I'm guessing this fortress must have been one that hasn't seen any use since the Plegia-Ylisse war…"
"Who cares about stupid crap like that? Let's go crush those bastards!" Vaike exclaimed excitedly as he began to stand up. He was quickly stopped by Robin and Miriel, who both pushed him down onto the ground. "H-Hey! What gives?!"
"Attacking now would be a fool's endeavor. There are only four of us, while we don't know how many bandits are holed up in that fortress," Miriel reprimanded the blonde-haired boy. "Please try to use your head next time."
"Miriel's right. Unless the entire fortress can magically grow wings and fly away like a Pegasus, they'll probably still be here tomorrow. We should go and get the rest of the Z-Shepherds, and try to formulate a plan of attack," Robin agreed with the mage. "If this fortress was actually used during the war Ylisse fought, there should still hopefully be some map layouts that we can use. We can also get some help from the Pegasus Knights and-"
"Your strategies haven't led us astray so far, Robin, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one point," Chrom interjected, raising a hand at the white-haired boy. "I can get a layout of an old fortress design, since there'll probably be one in the royal library back at the palace, but we will not let the Pegasus Knights get involved. This is a mission that is strictly for the Z-Shepherds only!"
Robin blinked twice, before letting out an alarmed gasp. "W-What?! How come? With the Pegasus Knights' help we could definitely even the odds a little. There are only, what, ten Z-Shepherds? And who knows how many bandits are holed up in that old castle?!"
"Um, there are actually eleven Z-Shepherds," Kellam shyly raised his hand. "I'm guessing you forgot about me. But, uh, I do agree with Robin…We could use the help…"
Chrom sighed as he shook his head, and upon seeing the slightly dejected look on his face, Robin almost immediately knew he was about to say something relating to the war.
"Well…As you know, after the Plegia-Ylisse war, Ylisse was left in ruins, and it was Emm that helped bring Ylisse back to prosperity. However, there were certain…Things…That she had to do to actually accomplish this," the prince sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The war started in the first place because the previous Exalt had complete and utter control over the military, so he was free to send as many soldiers as he wanted into Plegia. One of the many reforms that Emm did to earn the public's trust was downsize the Exalt's power over the military."
"How so?"
"Well, remember the Pegasus Knights? I think Miriel told you this, but they're pretty much the only division that Emm has direct control over. Them and the few guards and soldiers we keep at the palace," Chrom explained. "The rest of the army was pretty much divided between all of the noble houses, and now if Emm actually wants to use them, many complex and time-consuming processes have to take place, including taking permission from the heads of the houses and stuff like that. Unfortunately, the nobles aren't really keen on letting her have that power back…"
The prince paused, looking down at his clenched fist for a few moments before looking back up at Robin with a fiery determination in his eyes.
"…That's why I actually formed the Z-Shepherds in the first place. Ylisse has become a very peace-loving nation ever since the war, but the Pegasus Knights are spread way too thin, and the nobles would rather have the soldiers guard their territories instead of using them to hunt for the bandits. I asked Emm if I could form my own militia that could deal with threats like these, and she allowed me to do so, but only on one condition: That we could successfully hunt down the bandits on our own. I want to keep the Z-Shepherds running, even after this threat is dealt with, and involving the Pegasus Knights could damage my chances of that happening!"
"I…See," Robin mumbled, slightly startled at how passionate Chrom was about the topic. After a few moments of mulling it over, the white-haired boy let out a sigh and nodded. "Alright, fine. I guess I can understand why you would want to do this with just the Z-Shepherds. But we still need to actually tell the others about what we've found. Let's get back to Ylisstol!"
Chrom agreed, and together the group all began the long trek back to the capital. Robin offhandedly asked Miriel if she could teach him how to use a magic spell like she did, but the mage ended up responding to his question with a longwinded tangent on how magic actually worked, as well as multiple theories on how Robin's unique physiology might affect his ability to use it.
Robin wanted to pay attention, since he felt this would be a somewhat important topic, but he just could not pay attention to her words at all…
One day had passed since the discovery, and all of the Z-Shepherds were now present, hiding in such a way so that they could see the giant fortress, but the bandits could not see them.
"Hot damn, you guys weren't kidding! This place is huge!" Sully exclaimed as she cracked her knuckles. "I can't wait to get in there and bust some heads open!"
"Great work again on finding the place, guys," Lissa said to Robin and the others with a smile on her face. Said smile immediately turned into a dejected frown as she recalled the events of the previous day. "Our group got stuck helping some old granny carry some groceries from the marketplace to her home…How boring!"
"Our duty as Z-Shepherds doesn't just involve protecting the commonfolk from dangerous criminals, milady. It also involves helping them with mundane tasks," Frederick playfully told the princess, before immediately straightening his posture and narrowing his eyes at Robin. "But again, I must raise the concerns that I raised yesterday: We find the headquarters of the bandits the day after Robin is recruited to the group? How do we know this is not a carefully orchestrated trap?"
"Frederick, please. Robin had absolutely no idea that the headquarters would be here. We found it by following a retreating bandit," Chrom sighed at the knight as he shook his head, before clapping his hands and handing over a piece of paper to Robin. "Let's go over the plan that we discussed yesterday, everyone. Just to make sure that we're all on the same page."
"Alright, Chrom. Thank you," Robin replied as he crouched down onto the ground and spread the paper onto the grassy floor. It was a map that Frederick had obtained from the royal library yesterday after the group had returned to the capital. According to him, most fortresses used during the war had a similar layout as the one detailed on the map. "Here's the plan, everyone. Miriel will use her fire magic to create a distraction near the front, attracting the attention of the guards. A small group led by Chrom will take these guys head on. Meanwhile, using this secret entrance near the back, another group will sneak into the fortress attack the bandits from the back, capturing them in a pincer attack!"
He paused for dramatic effect, before continuing.
"Since these bandits are 'borrowing' the fortress from Ylisse, they hopefully won't know about the secret entrance! They won't know what hit them!"
He then looked up at the rest of the Z-Shepherds, who looked down at him thoughtfully.
"Uh…Any questions?"
"Yeah, just one. Can you go over who's on which team again?" Stahl asked with a nervous chuckle. "I kind of zoned out during the part where you explained that yesterday..."
"That is incorrect, Stahl. I was watching you, and you were too engrossed in the action of eating a banana during the meeting when that topic was discussed," Miriel coldly told the green-haired boy, causing him to yelp.
"Y-You didn't have to say that out loud, Miriel…"
Frederick pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an annoyed sigh at the group's antics.
"Me, Miriel, Vaike, and Maribelle will be on milord Chrom's team. This means that Lissa, Stahl, Sully, and…Ugh…Robin will be on the group that will enter through the secret passage," the knight explained briskly.
"I still don't like that I'm part of the team that's cowardly sneaking in through the back," Sully grumbled, using her iron lance to scratch a couple of marks into the ground. "I'd rather be fighting alongside Chrom's group!"
"Don't worry, Sully. Your role is very important," Frederick assured the knight-in-training, patting her on the shoulder. "After all, somebody has to make sure Robin does not betray us."
All Robin could do at that comment was just roll his eyes.
"Well, you guys have fun! I'm going to sit here and watch the battle unfold. Dad says I can watch the plays at home for entertainment, but nothing beats the adventure of seeing an actual battle!" Bulma giggled as she plopped down onto the ground, before accidentally banging her head against something hard and metallic. "Hey, what was-Oh, hi Kellam!"
"Um, hi, Bulma," the armored boy smiled, before looking up at Frederick. "What group should I be on? You forgot to say my-"
"Well, if everyone understands the plan, it's time to get into position!" Chrom told his team as Robin stood up and put the map away. "Z-Shepherds, to arms!"
"Oh…Um, I suppose I'll sit here with Bulma and keep guard of her, I guess…"
Everyone proceeded to get into position. Robin and his group silently slipped off to the back of the fortress, careful to avoid the gaze of any nearby bandits, while Chrom and his group marched to the front of the building so that they could begin their assault.
Eventually, Robin's group came across the area where the secret passage was supposed to be according to the map and, judging by the incredibly sparse number of bandits, it seemed that their enemies had not yet discovered the secret entrance. Everything was going according to plan so far...
"Alright! These guys picking an old Ylisse fortress as their base will be their undoing!" Lissa exclaimed with a grin, tightly gripping her healing staff. "And remember, if you guys need some healing, make sure to tell me! Me and Mari are having a competition to see who can heal more people!"
"Hah! Knowing Maribelle, she's probably just going to hear the number of people you healed and then say a number way lower than that," Sully snorted, earning a pout from the little princess.
Before the banter could go any further, however, a huge explosion could be heard in the distance, followed by a gruff voice yelling "We're under attack!". The few bandits hanging near the back immediately rushed to the entrance to see what the commotion was about, leaving the secret area they were unintentionally guarding defenseless.
Robin looked from the left to right, before smirking and gesturing for the others to follow him.
"The coast is clear…Let's go, guys!"
The group immediately rushed ahead, and when Robin pressed on a particular pressure point on the wall that was hidden behind some trees, a hidden door suddenly swung open, inviting the Z-Shepherds inside.
"Well? What are you waiting for, Robin? Monkey-tailed martial artists first!" Sully laughed as she shoved the white-haired boy, causing him to stumble forward slightly.
Just like the map had said, the Z-Shepherds found themselves in a short and narrow hallway that had a wooden door that would presumably lead to the main room near the end. Judging by the sounds of battle on the other side, it seemed that the intel was accurate.
"Alright, guys! Get ready!" Robin told his fellow Z-Shepherds, who all grunted in response. The white-haired boy then proceeded to charge forward, slamming into the door with his elbow.
The poor wooden door didn't stand a chance and was immediately sent flying off its hinges, allowing the group free entrance. They immediately found themselves in a large spacious room that seemed even bigger than it actually was due to the fact that it was pretty much empty save for the few bandits standing guard here and there. Another notable feature about the room what the roof was completely made out of glass and as a result caused the sun to harshly beat down upon everyone in it.
"Go, go, go!" Robin shouted at the top of his lungs.
Everyone immediately sprang into action, taking the few bandits present out using the element of surprise. They didn't stand a chance!
"If Chrom's group was successful, they should be…That way," Stahl said after a few moments of thinking, thumbing to a path near the right.
Robin nodded and proceeded to quickly run that way. "Thanks, Stahl. Let's go, guys!"
The Z-Shepherds met very little resistance as they cut down the few bandits that got in their way. Robin's martial arts, Stahl's swordsmanship, and Sully's skills with a lance all blended together in a beautiful harmony that turned the group into an unbeatable fighting machine. And whenever one of them suffered a wound, Lissa was there to patch them up.
They were absolutely unstoppable.
Eventually the group found themselves in a little room near the back of the fortress. Using another door on the right side of the room, Chrom's group arrived at about the same time.
What awaited them was a rather cramped area with nothing but a red carpet on the floor and a large brown table in the middle of the room. Surrounding the table were a bunch of brigands who were talking idly, but they all immediately grabbed their axes as they noticed the group's entry.
However, there was one person among the Z-Shepherds' enemies that was different compared to the rest of the bandits.
Instead of being short and buff, this man was tall and lithe, dressed up in purple and black robes that flowed ominously with him as he moved. He was also wearing a black hood that covered most of his face, though his mouth was still visible.
However, there was one last detail about the mysterious man that sent a chill down Robin's spine as he noticed it.
There was a purple symbol on the man's hood that bore a striking resemblance to one of the many symbols and icons that were found on his very own cloak! What could this mean?
"Ah, it seems our uninvited guests have finally arrived," the tall man said with a smirk as he turned around to face the Z-Shepherds, his cloak fluttering through the air with his movements. The brigands behind him all prepared to strike at the defenders of Ylisse, but the cloaked man simply gestured for them to stand down. "Please, please. Even though we did not invite them, we still must be cordial hosts!"
The brigands were just as confused as the Z-Shepherds were but proceeded to relax regardless.
"Now, then. With that settled..." the man began, a creepy smile crossing his lips. "I welcome you to our humble little fortress! You must be the Z-Shepherds. I've heard so much about you from my men. Honestly, I must admit that I am a fan of your-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Chrom proceeded to point his sword directly at the man.
"Enough! We're not here to play games with you! Are you the leader of these bandits?" the prince asked, narrowing his eyes at the mysterious figure. "They've been raiding and pillaging our villages and towns for quite some time now, and I want to know if you're the mastermind behind their operations!"
The hooded man clicked his tongue in response, before smiling.
"Yes, yes. I suppose I am the leader of these 'bandits'," he said with a snicker, before raising an eyebrow from underneath his cloak. "Judging by your blue hair...I'm guessing you must be Prince Chrom Lowell of Ylisse, correct?"
"Wait, Chrom's last name is Lowell?" Robin thought to himself, slightly startled that he did not know that piece of information until now.
Before his liege could respond to the hooded man, Frederick proceeded to step forward. He was ready to thrust his lance at any moment. "You have no right to speak to milord in such a way! I'll be doing the questioning from now on. Now...What is your business here? What do you hope to accomplish by sending out brigands to raze our towns and villages to the ground? And are you allied with the Plegians?!"
The hooded man groaned.
"Ugh, judging by the stuffy way you talk, I'm guessing you must be the infamous 'Frederick the wary'," he said with a sigh, before chuckling as he slowly reached a hand into his cloak. "You're not worthy of my time. And honestly, the fact that you were so quick to accuse me of working with Plegia? That kind of ticks me off."
"Do not act smart. It does not suit you," Frederick scoffed in response, narrowing his eyes at the man. "I've had a sneaking suspicion for quite some time now that those filthy Plegians have been plotting something, and judging by both your garb and accent, it appears that my intuition was correct!"
"Okay, wow. Filthy Plegians? That's pretty racist of you. It seems I'm going to have to..."
The man suddenly pulled out a slim book that was similar in design to Miriel's, but instead of a red cover it was purple. It immediately opened itself up, and the exact moment it did so a dangerous aura enveloped the hooded figure's body.
"...TEACH YOU A LESSON!"
"Oh Naga...He's a dark mage!" Frederick gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. He quickly pushed the rest of the Z-Shepherds into the hallway that they had entered through, his hands moving frantically. "Quickly, we must get to cover before-"
"Sorry, fool. Too late! FENRIR!"
A sickening purple glow enveloped the entire room, and a creepy giant wolf began to flicker in and out of existence in front of the robed man. It had razor sharp fangs, and a pair of beady red eyes that stared directly into the Z-Shepherds' souls.
The wolf let out a mighty howl before charging straight at the Z-Shepherds, slamming into Frederick's back and shattering the walls around the group in the process as though they were made of paper.
Everyone was sent flying backwards, crashing into the main room that Robin and his group had managed to sneak into before. Frederick had taken the brunt of the attack and was as a result was knocked unconscious. Lissa, Maribelle, and Stahl were also unfortunately out for the count as well.
"He took out arguably our strongest fighter, as well as both of our healers with one attack! This does not bode well," Miriel observed as she began to cast a spell of her own, though she was immediately interrupted when a ball of purple energy slammed into her body, causing her to crash into a nearby wall. She comically slid down onto the floor and laid there unconsciously.
"Sorry, child. That was Flux," the hooded man said with a smirk as he casually strolled into the main room. The wolf from before had disappeared, but Robin knew that he could summon it back at any moment. "It's a pretty easy spell for us Dark Mages to cast. Behold!"
The man immediately charged up more of those purple blobs of dark magic, and they all flew straight at the Z-Shepherds after a few seconds of charging.
Chrom and Sully both sliced through their respective balls, while Vaike foolishly tried to tank it head-on. He ended up crashing down onto the floor the moment it came into contact with his body. Chrom grit his teeth as he saw what happened to his blonde-haired friend, and immediately gestured for Sully to follow his lead.
Together, the two Z-Shepherds charged straight at the dark mage, hoping that their combined teamwork could take him down.
However, before they could make any meaningful distance, the man in black robes simply flicked his wrist once more, and the giant wolf from before appeared again, startling Chrom and Sully in the process. Before they could run away from it, the wolf tackled both of them down onto the ground, knocking them out.
The last Z-Shepherd standing was Robin, and he didn't exactly like how things were going.
"Hmph. You know, before I take you out, I'd just like to say I really like your coat," the dark mage cockily told the white-haired boy as he turned around to face him. "It's similar in design to a cloak that was very popular in Plegia a few years back. It's obviously not very trendy to wear it nowadays, but-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Robin let out an angry shout as he charged strange at the dark mage, attempting to catch him off guard with a flying kick. The mage simply proceeded to step to the side to avoid the attack, but Robin wasn't done as he quickly followed up by throwing a barrage of punches at his foe.
The dark mage sighed as he easily avoided all of them, before jumping back and casting a Flux spell. Blobs of dark magic rose from the ground and were immediately hurled at Robin. The newest Z-Shepherd yelped and proceeded to jump to the side to avoid the attack, though much to his horror they proceeded to fly right after him like a honing missile.
"Just my luck," Robin sighed, before quickly shaking his head and dashing towards the dark mage. "Hey! Special delivery!"
Robin got right in front of his opponent and flashed a cocky smirk at him. The leader of the bandits wondered just what Robin was doing, though he got his answer a few seconds later.
The white-haired boy did a backflip at the exact moment the blobs of energy would slam into his back, and due to the speed that they were travelling at, they didn't have enough time to change course.
As a result, they all ended up exploding upon contact with the dark mage, causing his entire body to get engulfed in a puff of smoke.
"Yes! I did it!" Robin shouted with a grin, pumping his fist into the air. "Take that, you creep! I-"
The dark mage suddenly burst forwards from the dust cloud, seemingly unharmed by his own attack. He was zooming at Robin at speeds the boy didn't think were possible. Before the newest Z-Shepherd could throw out an attack or defend himself, the dark mage swerved and then screeched to a halt behind him.
After that, he leaned in and whispered something into the boy's ear.
"I saw something a little peculiar when you did that backflip of yours, kid," the dark mage whispered, his breath hot against Robin's ear. The white-haired boy wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, though he wasn't given much time to think about it as he suddenly felt the man grab his tail.
"H-HEY! What are you-"
All of the energy in his body suddenly vanished, and Robin collapsed down onto the ground.
"What...Did you...Do to me?..." Robin whispered as his vision began to blur. He tried, and failed, to get up. "I...Can't...Move..."
Robin's eyes slowly widened as he remembered something that Frederick had once said to him...
"...Everyone has a weakness, and if you remain complacent, you will suffer when someone inevitably exploits it..."
Somehow, this man had discovered his weakness, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He simply closed his eyes, and eventually succumbed to unconsciousness.
The final Z-Shepherd had been defeated.
...
"Huh, I wasn't actually sure that would work," the dark mage shrugged, before taking a few steps towards Robin's motionless body and crouching down to take a closer look at it. "Let's see here..."
The man gently picked up Robin's hand and, after studying it for a few moments, his eyes widened as he spotted the strange mark on it.
"I-Impossible! This can't be! I only yanked the boy's tail on a whim, but I never actually suspected that he might be..."
At that exact moment some of the remaining bandits that were still alive strolled into the room, and the dark mage immediately proceeded to yell at them as he jumped to his feet.
"Don't just stand there, you buffoons! Take all of these unconscious kids and lock them up in the dungeon downstairs immediately!" he angrily barked, causing his lackeys to immediately get to work. "We're on the cusp of an incredible discovery here, folks! With this boy, we might not even NEED to start the war with Ylisse! HAHAHA!"
Most of the bandits had dragged off the Z-Shepherds' unconscious bodies, but there were now still a couple of random guys that were awkwardly standing there as they awaited their boss' orders.
"Um, boss? There's nobody left for us to carry. What should we-"
"Leave the fortress and immediately and gather up every single one of our men that are on an 'excursion' right now," the dark mage quickly interjected, snapping his fingers. "We need everyone still alive to return back to base immediately! Tomorrow night we will return to Plegia as heroes! Not only do we have the prince and princess in tow...But we might just have the 'Chosen One' with us as well!"
"The place has been pretty quiet for a while now, don't you think, Kellam?" Bulma whispered to the bulky boy, who she was spying on the massive fortress with. "Do you…Do you think Chrom and the others managed to kill all of the bandits inside?"
"I mean, they had the element of surprise, so surely the plan should have gone okay," Kellam nervously replied, before immediately smiling as he spotted a couple of figures coming out of the fortress. "Hey, look! There they are now! They've-"
However, the smile on Kellam's face was immediately replaced with a look of sheer horror as he realized that it wasn't the Z-Shepherds exiting the building, but rather a couple of bandits!
"Come on guys! We've got to call back everyone who's currently out on a mission," one of the bandits sighed as he dragged a humongous axe through the dirt behind him. "The boss wants everyone still alive to return to the base so that we can start the trip back home tomorrow!"
"Yeah, we were there, dude. No need to repeat it," another bandit scoffed in response, before smiling slightly. "What do you think the boss meant when he called that white-haired kid 'the chosen one', though? Seems pretty weird to me..."
"Man, I wish I knew. Sounds pretty important," the first bandit responded with a shrug, before smirking slightly. "But you want to know something that I do know? The way the boss wiped the floor with those kids was absolutely incredible!"
"HAH! Yeah! I hope they rot in that dungeon...But let's going. You know how the boss gets when we take too long to actually leave..."
The bandits all nodded in agreement, and soon they were off, leaving Bulma and Kellam to stare at each other in sheer and utter horror.
"D-Did you hear them, Kellam?! Chrom, Lissa, Robin, and everyone else have been…Captured! Oh no, what will we do?! I wanted to go on an adventure, not watch my friends get captured by bandits! And apparently, they're going to 'take them back home', whatever that means! If Frederick was right and these guys really are part of a plot to start a war with Ylisse, they're definitely going to be able to start one now that they have the prince and princess captured! What should we do?!..."
Kellam remained silent for a few moments, before quickly standing up and gesturing for Bulma to do the same.
"It might take a bit because I'm dressed up in this really bulky armor, but we have to run back to the capital and tell Captain Phila and the Pegasus Knights about what has happened," Kellam said worriedly. "I know Chrom said that he wanted to do this without their help…But if we don't hurry, they're going to be dragged off to Plegia! We have to act fast!"
Bulma nodded as she jumped to her feet, and together the two Z-Shepherds immediately began the mad dash back to Ylisstol to warn Phila and her Pegasus Knights about what was happening.
They only hoped that they could get there in time…
Review Response:
Guest: Thank you.