Cycle

by RoseWarden

Robin is a young woman who bakes cakes during the day, sleeps at night, and drinks on weekends. She does not wage wars, fight demons, or solve dating issues. Yet, somehow by divine mistake, she's found herself doing just that. Clearly, someone has her confused with another Robin...

3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I don't own Fire Emblem. All of its properties belong to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.

Warnings for violence and foul language.

*There are spoilers here for events following Chapter 12*

Chapter 3

I'm not sure what's more odd right now; the fact that I'm sitting across from three fictional characters or that I've almost eaten a bear's entire thigh. Both seem equally ridiculous but happen to be entirely true.

I stare down at my empty hands and realize I'm still hungry despite how much I ate. Personally, I would have preferred a different menu choice. Bear is not the first critter I would have pegged for the dinner skew. Lissa and I let the boys go hunt though so this is what we were stuck with.

The meat wasn't as bad as it could have been. I stepped in to help prepare it after I saw Chrom throw it on the spit with little else. I didn't have much to work with but made do with what they had. It's amazing how much more of an improvement some salt, pepper, and onion can do. Lissa still wouldn't have any but at least she said it didn't smell like old boots anymore.

For the meal's duration we sat in peace. Lissa and Frederick did most of the talking while I gobbled down what I could. As dinner died down so did our energy. Lissa's yawns became more constant and she was swatting at bugs far less often. Chrom, whose nature had grown more quiet throughout the evening, had withdrawn completely into his own thoughts. I hadn't been able to get a word out of him after my second helping.

Frederick is the only one still active. I've never seen a man tend to a fire with so much energy. It's unnerving seeing the firelight glint in his eyes.

I ignore the quiet rumble in my stomach. I should probably wait for the food to settle before I try to have more.

Lissa throws her arms up in a big stretch and lets out a large, unladylike yawn. "I can't believe how tired I am! All that bandit bashing sure made me sleepy. What I wouldn't do for a soft pillow right now!"

"You will survive milady," Frederick responds.

"You don't understand Frederick. My bedroll is so old and smooshed. It feels like I'm sleeping on nothing."

"You should be grateful to even have a bedroll. One of the first things I was taught in my training was how to sleep upon the earth with naught but nature's gifts to comfort me. I had to construct a mattress from the very branches I stood upon and cover myself with hanging moss to stave off the night's chill."

"That's horrible!" she says mortified.

"Not so! It is how one builds character," he says with pride.

Lissa's empathy drains away. "Ugh. I've had it up to here with this character building cockamamie," she mutters.

Frederick finishes working the fire (his fifth time I believe) and stands. He leaves the light of the inner circle and approaches the setup of supplies we unloaded at the edge of camp. He stops to place a hand on the snout of his horse who is tied to a trunk nearby. Gertie nudges him fondly and nickers. He gives her a pat and then retrieves his spear from where it leans against the pile.

"I believe I will begin first watch. I will come to relieve milord when the time is right. Until then, please rest while you can."

Chrom lifts his hand in confirmation but says nothing. I stare at him, confused. What's got him so moody all of the sudden?

"Bye Frederick," Lissa waves as she suppresses another yawn. "Stay awake." She watches him retreat into the shadows and her smile instantly turn upside down.

"Can you believe that guy?" She puffs out her chest and recites in a deep voice, "I sleep on twigs and kill bears with my manliness because it builds character." I snicker at her impression of the knight. "I don't know what to do with him sometimes. Why can't he just feel sorry for me once. Everything always has to be about bettering yourself. Sometimes it just feels good to gripe and let it all out. Not everything has to be a lesson."

It's her turn to rise from the circle. She rubs an eye and steps over the downed logs we've been using for seating. She heads to her bedding which she had sprawled out earlier.

"I don't know about you all but I'm getting some shut-eye. Wake me up when it's my turn for watch."

She slides underneath her blanket and turns her back to us. I hear her mutter something about "growth" and "her fist."

The grove is quiet with just me and Chrom left at the fire. Now, with some time to myself, I let my own thoughts linger on today. I press my palms together and lean forward. I watch the fire crackle and drift off.

The first thing I try to think about it how I got here. Little has come back to me since this morning. Tiny details are there. Things like the minty aftertaste of my tooth paste or the name of the sitcom that was on the T.V. It's the big stuff that keeps blanking out.

I reached for the door and I remember the smell of the air. It had just rained so everything was earthy and damp. I could still hear the crickets from the forest preserve behind my home. What did I see though? The door pulls in and I black out right after that. Did I somehow faint or collapse? If that's true then how did I get here?

How does one simply vanish off their plane of existence and land in another? Like I said before, there's no such thing as magic where I live. So was it scientific? Was I the victim of quantum physics? People say wormholes are rifts in time and space that lead toward parallel worlds.

I snort. God, listen to me go on. I sound like one of those conspiracy theory fanatics.

Is it that insane though? How can I explain being where I am within in the bounds of logic? What else could I think happened?

Maybe I died and this is my bizarre, heavenly afterlife. Nah. I wouldn't be killing in heaven. I think that's against the rules.

I could have hit my head somehow and am now having some dream in my comatose state. That's actually an okay theory. Too bad my gut is telling me this is no dream.

Yeah, this is reality. Everything that happened today was just too real. The smells of smoke, the blood on my hands, the sensation of magic swimming through my system...It was all real.

Whatever or whoever brought me here made a stupid mistake in picking me for this. I've got nothing to offer this role. Look at what I've accomplished so far! I got corned, missed my targets several times, threw up copiously, and nearly killed a main character after spazzing out.

I feel like I've only been dead weight.

Familiar feelings of guilt settle over me. I didn't get to properly apologize back at the square when we were first attacked. I throw a quick glance at Chrom. I think saying sorry for being such a poor partner would be a good first step towards fixing things. I want these people to know that I'm willing to work with them until I can figure out how to get home.

I force myself to rise and cross the small space between us. I settle into Lissa's previous spot stretching my legs out in front of me and settling my hands in my lap. It's a little awkward doing this but I just feel like it's something I have to do.

"So," I drawl searching for something to break the ice. My eyes settle on the roaster over the fire pit. "How about that bear meat, huh? That's some interesting stuff."

"Mm." Chrom's gaze flickers over to me briefly. "Ever have it before?"

"No. It's not something I usually see on menus. The stuff is pretty tough. It's definitely a first."

"One of many today it seems," he says neutrally.

The conversation dies and I'm left back where I started. I still can't get over how unresponsive he's been. I'm beginning to worry I did or said something on the walk here. I play with the tips of my sleeves trying to think of something else to say but I come up blank. I just can't seem to find a way to lead into what I want to say. I'll just have to be blunt.

"Okay, I'm just going to jump right into it," I finally speak. "It's been bothering me and I didn't have a real good chance earlier to say so. Now's as good a time as ever, I guess. I-I just wanted to apologize again. I wasn't exactly the best partner back there in town. I probably caused more harm than help. It's just that I feel guilty about being so ineff-"

"Stop." Chrom's tone is sharp and the single word cuts into me. I clamp my mouth shut instantly.

He finally faces me. His hard look softens when he sees the surprised expression I wear. Chrom exhales deeply and gives me tired smile.

"You really have to stop apologizing. You're selling yourself short."

He leans forward and props his arms on his knees, resting his head on interlaced fingers. He returns to watching the fire and I find the conversation at an end.

I start to feel frustrated. To distract myself, I shift in my seat and lean back to stare up at the sky. It occurs to me the I haven't looked up at the stars in a long time. My memories may still be foggy and fragmented but I have few clear ones of stargazing with a woman. Her face is blurred but I get a maternal feeling from her. My mother? She would take me hiking and at night we would find a hill and just sprawl out. She would point out the names of stars and the patterns that went with them. I would beg her to tell me the stories that went with the constellations. She would sit with me for hours and weave tales of old just like ancient storytellers did.

My forehead scrunches in confusion as I scan the horizon. That's odd. As I look at these stars, I realize I don't recognize a single one. My chest tightens as I finally understand just how far from home I am.

"It's more so my fault."

Chrom's sudden admission catches me off guard.

"If anyone should take a bulk of the blame today it should be me."

I turn to him, confused. "I don't understand."

"The role of a tactician is usually one of support, isn't it? They are placed in the rear where they have a better view of the battlefield. Their role is to assess the movements of the enemies and guide their allied forces in a strategic pattern that can overcome the other side's weaknesses."

"Theoretically, yes." I still don't get what he's aiming for.

"A tactician is kept behind the main force because they are a vital intellectual component, not a martial one. The chances of one ever seeing combat are slim if they do their job right. With a whole army between them and the frontlines, they should never even see a sword up close."

"Chrom, I know what my job means. You don't have to explain that to me."

He makes a frustrated sound and rubs both hands over his face. "I'm aware of that. What I'm doing is reminding myself."

"Sorry but I'm really lost here. Why are you apologizing?"

He looks pensive as if trying to collect his thoughts. It takes a moment before he speaks again.

"I'm talking in circles aren't I? My point is that the more I dwelled on today's events and what happened, the more I came to realize I made a critical error as a leader. You specialize in background tactics not frontal assaults. I'm not sure how many battles you've participated in up until the point we met but I'm damn well sure none of your superiors had you at their side on the front lines like a regular foot soldier. You even admitted to me earlier that before today you had never even used a real sword against another man."

He pauses then continues on. "You keep trying to apologize but it should really be me being the one to do so. Because of my short thinking, I am indirectly responsible for causing you your first kill. Everything that happened to you today was my fault."

Chrom finally looks at me. He seems...distraught? Conflicted? Angry? I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm flabbergasted. Has this really been bothering him the whole night? I really don't know what to think.

I eventually find my voice and try to look supportive. "I hardly think any of that is your fault Chrom. It's not like tacticians are never exposed to the subject of death in their careers. I'm just an unfortunate case of being a beginner to such things. Besides, I don't think anyone can get out of killing a man without some sort of adverse reaction."

"No, you're right. But a trained solider is conditioned to go in mentally prepared for the challenge. He's at peace with the idea that he'll be carrying that burden with him into battle. I let you jump in without respecting your own inexperience."

God this guy is stubborn. Can't he just admit I was wrong and let us carry on?

"Look Chrom, I volunteered to help you. I elected to ignore my own inexperience in battle. That alone was irresponsible of me since I could have gotten you, Frederick, or Lissa injured. You only did what a leader had to do given the events as they were. I'm the only one at blame here!"

"Hardly. I'm obviously more at fault here Robin."

I release an exasperated groan. "Stop trying to apologize when it's not your fault!"

"I told you that first!"

"Hey! Can you guys kindly shut up! I'm trying to sleep here!" Lissa's loud outburst renders the two of us silent. She glares bleary eyed at each of us before pulling the blanket over her head.

I slap a hand over my mouth and shrink back in embarrassment. I can't believe I just tried arguing with the prince of Ylisse about who was more entitled to apologize to the other! I feel so juvenile, and not to mention bad, about waking Lissa up over something so petty. Jeez.

I have to admit though that the whole conversation made me feel better. A weight has been lifted off my chest. It may be selfish to think but I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that Chrom doesn't think any less of me for what happened earlier. Knowing that I can move forward with these people clears my conscious a great deal.

I laugh quietly. "Great. I woke up your sister and now I'm feeling guilty about making you feel guilty."

He chuckles. "Perhaps it's best if we stop there before this spirals into another argument."

"I couldn't agree more." I feel a yawn come on and hide it behind the back of my hand. Suddenly I feel very tired.

Chrom rises to his feet and stretches out his arms behind his back. "I think now is as good a time as any to retire. I, for one, could use the rest."

"Yes please." I start to get up myself and then freeze as a sudden thought comes to me.

"Robin?"

"I don't have any bedding."

"Ah. That's unfortunate. Well I'll go get some branches and have Frederick prepare you a bed of twigs. You can use one of the logs over there for something to prop your head upon."

I slowly turn and give him a horrified stare. Chrom tries to keep a straight face but I can see the smirk slowly creeping up. "I'm sorry but I couldn't resist."

He walks over to the pile of supplies they unloaded from Gertie's back. He loosens a bedroll from its bindings and unfurls it next to the fire. "You can use Frederick's blankets tonight. He can settle into mine when we switch off for look out duty later tonight."

I sigh. "You're an ass, you know that. I thought I was seriously going to have to make do with one of Frederick's character building nature schemes."

"Gods forbid. I wouldn't wish that on anyone." Chrom crosses over to his own corner and starts to settle in.

I drag my rucksack over to the bedroll and drop everything to the side of it. It feels odd to be dozing off in all these layers of clothing. I pull back on the blankets and start to scoot under it. The whole thing smells fragrant and flowery like it was just washed. Not what I was expecting from Frederick.

I stop right before my head hits the pillow. "Chrom?" I call out.

"Yes?"

"Thank you. For everything, I mean. I can't imagine how much trouble I'd be in if you all hadn't helped me. Believed in me. So, um, yeah. Thanks."

"You're welcome." I can't see his face but I can tell from the way he said those words that he was probably smiling.

For some reason, so was I.

I close my eyes with that stupid grin on my face and let sleep take me.

---

It seems like I've just nodded off when I find my shoulder being violently shaken. I swat madly at my assailant, senses still jarred from sleep.

"Go away," I mumble burying my face into the blanket.

"Robin! Awaken this instant!" I feel a sharp rap on the top of my head.

"Ow!" I'm just about to chew out my aggressor when I look up to see several figures lumbering at the edge of our camp.

Aw crap. Risen.

I bolt upright surveying the area. Frederick, looking frighteningly calm, is the only one here. Chrom and Lissa were already gone. I guess that means the next plot point is in full swing.

"Prepare yourself Robin. We are being ambushed. Do you still carry the sword I leant you?"

"Y-yeah." I twist to my right and pull the sword from its scabbard. I pick up my tome with my empty hand and try to cram it into one of the inner pockets of my coat. The book is heavy and thumps awkwardly against my chest as I rise to my feet.

Five Risen emerge from the shadows. I feel myself shrink back under the pressure of their auras. Unlike humans, there was something distinctly wrong about them. The air they carried smelled stale and it felt like the temperature of the grove dropped ten degrees.

Most of their features lay hidden by their armor but beneath their visors I could see tiny red pinpricks shining menacingly underneath. Staring these things down left me feeling a lot like when Lissa first tried to use magic on me, but a whole lot more negative. I feel disjointed from my body as I watch them shamble towards me. It's like I'm watching a movie. The whole thing is surreal.

Frederick grabs me roughly by the arm and gives a good shake that rattles me back to reality. "Collect yourself Robin lest you find yourself skewered through by one of these cretins."

"Uh huh," I same numbly. I fumble with my grip on the sword as I raise it defensively before me.

"Relax your shoulders."

"W-what?"

Frederick has fallen into a fighting stance beside me. His armor is bulky and I imagine he'll have less mobility on foot than he would on horse top due to its size. Nonetheless, him being poised so readily with his spear made him look no less deadly.

"Your shoulders are too stiff and that will impair your ability to swing smoother. Drop them."

I promptly due as he says.

"Good. Now keep your feet apart and stay alive."

Frederick charges up the middle with a yell. He meets the closest one and the two lock together in combat.

While still unnerved, I don't feel entirely sickened at the thought of killing a Risen. I think it's because of the fact that I know the Risen are already dead. There was nothing human about them to make me feel any form of regret if I were to strike one down. They could not feel and had no purpose other than to spread chaos in whatever evil way they could.

I have to be smart about how I attack them though. They may be slow, unfeeling husks but they were still dangerous. They're skilled fighters and pack a big punch with their supernatural might.

To my left, Frederick is engaged in a fight with two of the five. Of the three remaining, only one was close enough to be a real threat to me. This made my choice on who to engage first pretty simple.

The hulking menace looms before me. Dark vapors escape from the corners of its mouth as it lets out a long, haunting moan. Its body is slumped forward and drags an axe on the ground behind it. As long as I move quick enough and stay out of his swinging range I should be fine. I think.

I charge the creature. It lethargically raises an arm to strike at me and I use my speed to duck underneath it to reach its unguarded back. I remember to loosen up like Frederick suggested and feel the difference immediately. I'm able to swing with a lot more flexibility and control. As it starts to turn I sidestep with it.

I take a broad swing at its lower back, locking my arms up so I don't lose my hold on the hilt this time. I make a pretty clean gash through until the blade hits the spinal column. I pull back and out to free myself. I'm almost surprised to see it still standing until I realize the obvious. This thing's a zombie.

"Woah," I yelp as I stumble back from its incoming swing. I hear the tearing of cloth and pinpricks of pain shoot up my arm. I nearly drop the sword when instinct makes me grab for the cut. The Risen's weapon has nicked me across my bicep. I can see a dark stain blossoming around the sleeve material.

It's not deep but it stings badly. My mobility isn't hampered but every time the muscles moves there's a dull throb. There's no way I can handle fighting one of these things head to head with the skills I have so I have use its slowness to my advantage. I wait for it to wind up again and jump behind it.

I ignore the protesting in my arm and raise both of them. I take a good swing at its neck intent on severing it. I throw as much force behind it as I can and continue to push as I meet resistance when it cuts into the grey flesh. I pull through as much as I can and actually break through the neck bones.

I lose steam three quarters of the way through and retreat. The damage I've done is enough. Its head flops back hanging just by the few tendons left on the muscle. Instead of a blood fountain pumping forth black smoke hisses out. As the body falls to the ground the whole things begins to disappear. In seconds the Risen has blown apart.

"Yes!" I cheer. "Suck on that!"

An animalistic whine interrupts my celebrating.

I look to see two of the Risen ganging up on poor Gertie. The tether tied to the tree trunk keeps her from running. She shakes her mane and pulls at the restraints to no avail. One of the monsters lurches at her with sword raised. The horse lets out a startled whinny and rears back. One of her hooves strikes out and smashes it right in the forehead. It pitches back under the force of the blow. Its body drops into the path of its partner who simply walks over the fallen corpse. The creature on the ground evaporates in a hiss of smoke an instant later.

"Frederick! Your horse! Get to your horse!" I yell over the commotion.

He doesn't answer my calls though he does snag a glance over his shoulder at us. A Risen takes a swing at his head and his attention is drawn back into his duel. Gertie lets out another panicked snort and prances in agitation as the second Risen gets ready to assault her.

"I can't believe I'm about to put my life on the line for a horse," I groan in disbelief as I bolt across the clearing. I take advantage of the Risen's turned back and thrust the blade right between its shoulder blades.

The Risen's body arches in surprise as a long moan escapes from its throat. It begins to slide forward but evaporates before its knees touch the ground.

I dodge around Gertie's antsy form and lean the sword against the trunk so I could begin to tug at the cords holding her bound. Damn this is tight. I pry at the tether trying to loosen the knot fastened in the middle. I lean back to peek around her and see Frederick being pushed back by the two Risen. I swear between breaths and pull harder.

My fingertips begin to get raw from straining against the ropes. I take another look and see that the fight isn't getting any better. I give up on trying to untie the knot and opt for a more drastic tactic. I pick up the sword again and reel back. I swing and let the blade hack into the wood. It severs the rope cleanly and I find myself wondering why I didn't do this to begin with.

Gertie pulls free with a mighty neigh and instantly charges in Frederick's direction. The muscles in her legs tense and her frame dips. And then, with a magnificent leap, Gertie's giant form sails effortlessly over the fire pit.

There's a loud crunching sound as she crushes one of the undead under her hooves. Frederick, surprised by the horse's appearance, is caught off guard taking a hack to the chest. He would have suffered a grievous wound had he not been wearing armor. He lurches back under the weight of the axe nearly falling over completely.

Gertie lets out something akin to a war cry and spins around. Her hind quarters buck upward and both hooves slam into the second Risen. It flies across the clearing and into a rocky outcropping where is disappears into dust on impact.

I rush over intent to help Frederick but he is already on his feet. Though winded, he manages to support himself by holding on to his horse's side. Gertie's head twists back and nuzzles the side of Frederick's head. He reaches out to stroke her nose and she emits a short nicker.

"Your horse just took out three of these things," I say dumbfounded.

"Aye," he smiles. "She's a noble beast and fierce as any."

"She definitely suits you."

"As she should. War horses are specifically broken and trained by their rider to develop a lasting bond."

"Fascinating and all but we should-ACK!"

I duck just as something whizzes over my head. A throwing axe buries itself into the trunk of the tree beside me. Several more Risen emerge from the same direction the weapon came from.

"Woah, woah! That is not cool!" I yell angrily at the offending Risen. It lets out an inhuman growl in response.

I hear the jingling of Gertie's saddle as Frederick climbs into it. "Strike them afar while you can Robin!"

"You got it!" I glare hotly at the same Risen who tried to take my head off only seconds ago. I pull out my tome and give it a wicked grin. "Two can play at that game bud."

Hitting these things will be a whole lot easier than a human. They move at half the speed and only in one direction. This will be perfect aiming practice for me. I plant myself firmly in place and perform the magic precursor to my attack.

The grove erupts into light as lightning crashes into the Risen's chest. Sparks hop across its skin like glowing veins. Its whole frame seizures and collapses to its knees. The one behind it lets out a bellowing moan and picks up speed. I let loose another bolt and watch it crash into the other delivering similar results.

Frederick flies past me and aims for the last one meandering in. The spear shoots forward and embeds itself in the Risen's gut. He skewers it through the torso but it continues to writher about. It grabs at the staff portion with one arm and begins to drag itself up the length of the shaft. He shakes his weapon as if doing so would cause the Risen to slide off somehow.

"Gods be damned!"

I roll my eyes. This would be a whole lot more comical if death wasn't a constant looming threat.

Frederick lifts his foot up and kicks the zombie back. The spear rips free of the body with a sickening squelch. He twirls the weapon around and thrusts it out at a higher angle. The tip digs into the Risen's neck and it shudders. Smoke hisses from the gaping wound and soon the whole body dissipates leaving no trace behind.

"Nice shot," I say as I walk over.

"These abominations are unlike anything I have witnessed before. I've run these men straight through and yet they somehow manage to survive the blows. This resilience of theirs is unnatural."

"Really? That's what tipped you off? The glowing red eyes and smoke coming out of their mouths didn't do it for you?"

He gives me one of his trademark glares but doesn't push the issue. Instead he reins his horse around toward the south end of the forest. His eyes focus intently into the darkness ahead of us. His mouth presses into a thin line and I can see creases form in his brow.

"They are out there."

I can hear the worry laced into the tone of his words as he speaks. He doesn't have to say their names for me to know who he's talking about. I follow his gaze into the woods. He may not know what's going on but I do. Somewhere out there Chrom and Lissa have met "Marth" for the first time. History has been set into motion tonight. I'm not sure how I feel about that now that I'm here, in person. Things are going to get interesting very soon and very fast.

"Robin."

"Yeah?"

"It is not a habit of mine to do such things but I feel that I have no choice but to do so this eve. Both milord and milady are out there, perhaps trapped even. Given the sudden appearance of these creatures and their extreme resistance to physical attacks, I feel that I alone will not be able to reach them in sufficient time." He pauses and inhales before exhaling deeply. "I would like to ask your aid in rescuing my charges. You have proven to me you have some sufficient combat prowess. I believe between the two of us we may be able to fight our way through to them. May I count on you?"

I'm a little shocked at his admission and a little relieved. I'm glad that I've been able to push Frederick's opinion of me towards a more positive light. I don't have time to celebrate the fact though. Frederick's given me a serious proposition and is waiting for an answer.

"You three have only been good to me since I got here. I'd be utterly lost without your help. Any aid I can provide will be the least I can do for you," I respond as sincerely as possible.

Frederick stares me down and I try hard to look as resolute as I can. We hold that position as he searches my face for any trace of deception. I hold his steely gaze until he finally tears himself away.

"I believe you."

His tone is strained as if he can't believe he is admitting to those words.

A terrifying shriek blares through the air around us. It is a grim reminder of where we are at present.

Frederick grabs at Gertie's reins and guides her forward. He gestures to the ground with the point of his spear. "I found their tracks before those monsters set upon us. They headed south so that is where we shall go. Stay close Robin." He kicks the horse's sides and lets out a harsh 'Yah!'. Gertie rears with a startled whinny and bolts.

"Keep close? Frederick, you're on a horse!" I cry scampering after him.

The two of us crash through the brush dodging both tree and Risen alike. Frederick never once stops to engage in a foe lest they actually be in his path. The few encounters we do have are little more than him hacking one of the zombie out of his way. It's easier for me to dodge their lumbering forms so I do what I can to help. I let bolts fly when I can trying to keep the Risen off both of us. It's surprisingly good practice. I'm getting the hang of how to angle my magic and I make more hits than misses. Progress is a beautiful thing.

The tree line begins to thin and soon we emerge from the canopy into open sky. I trip on a wayward log and nearly bump into Gertie's hindquarters. She slaps me with the swish of her tail and I end up sputtering. I swat at the hair as I stumble around her prone form.

"Why'd we-Oh boy."

Plains sprawl before us giving a grand view the area. Smoke billows from the forest that continues to span east of us. A hellish glows emanates from between the trees from the fires that burn within it. Dark silhouettes stumble about in clusters stretching from the forest into the grasslands.

"By Naga's Grace," Frederick says breathlessly.

I follow his gaze, my confusion turning to shock.

The sky over the west ridge has, for lack of a better term, torn open. That's the best way I can describe it. Indecipherable ruins and intricately woven patterns blend together around the borders of this horizontal slit in the skyline. It glows intensely and the world flashes in light bright enough to be day. The slit enlarges into some sort of bubble and I see two dots emerge from the middle. They fall to the ground in a heap only to rise seconds later.

I try to wrap my head around what is happening but the whole thing is hard to digest. I rub my eyes as if expecting to wipe away the scene.

"Robin. Over there, by the fort."

I skim over the land and settle on a decrepit looking building only a short ways down the ridge from us. I immediately notice the large congregation of Risen starting to hover around it.

"Something's attracting them there. You think it's Chrom and Lissa?" I ask Frederick.

"I believe so." There is a slight tremor in his voice. It's unmistakable how worried Frederick is right now. I can practically hear the wood in the pole of his spear groan under the pressure of his grip.

"Alright. Give me one second." I extract my map and activate its features. I lean back and lift the paper so Frederick can see as well. I doubled tap on the fort and the view wipes clean, redrawing new features. The fortress' walls and courtyard appear along with its immediate surrounding area. A large number of red dots gather around the east and north walls. In the center two blue dots dart about. There are our wayward friends.

I feel a mix of relief and fear. Chrom and Lissa are still alive but are also trapped in the fort's inside.

"There, on the west wall," Frederick gestures to a particular spot. "All of our battlements, even those of old, would have a private exit for servants to use when bringing in supplies to the habitation quarters."

I think I understand what he's insinuating. "You're saying we could use that entrance to get to them, right?"

"Exactly so." He circles the air around the red mob near the main entrance. "With the main threat focused here we should be able to move undetected to the wall."

"All we have to do is get there in one piece." The distance to the fort isn't that far. It's a straight shot down the hill from here. There were pockets of Risen roaming about but it would be easy to dodge them by horse given their rate of speed. Too bad I didn't have one.

"Shall we?" Frederick inquires.

"Can you keep to a trot maybe? Some of us weren't blessed with a horse and I could barely keep up with you in the woods."

Frederick frowns, contemplating something. He wrestles with the thought and then breathes deeply. His next action comes as a surprise. He extends me his hand.

I look at him warily and he scoffs. "Come along Robin. I do not have the time to slow down and wait for your waddling pace."

"Waddling? Are you calling me fat?"

"Blast it! This is not the time for that Robin. "

"I don't waddle."

"Allow me to help you into the saddle or I will leave you here."

I shoot a look to the plains and at the large amount of Risen. No way I want to be standing here alone with those numbers. I reach out and place my hand in his own.

He holds onto mine firmly. He slowly eases me up with his support as I try to get up Gertie's side. I'm a fairly tall girl but this horse was bigger than the average breed. I can barely get my foot in the hold let alone reach up for the saddle. Frederick has to grab me by the back of my coat and hoist me up because I can't do it alone.

It's really cramped. With two people it would have been a tight squeeze but when one of them is in armor there's a whole lot less space. It doesn't help that I feel utterly dwarfed by him in comparison.

I still feel mopey about what he said and glower up at him. "I don't waddle," I repeat.

"Gods deliver me!" he exclaims. "I'm babysitting a child."

I stick my tongue out in response. He spurs Gertie forward and I nearly bite it off as I bounce with her movement.

We burst down the slope of the hill and down into the grassy plains. The wind is cool against me face and it would have been a pleasant feeling if it weren't for the bulk of metal at my back and the Risen groaning around us.

Frederick steers Gertie around the odd Risen pack we find wandering in our path. He guides her at a wide enough angle for us to come up on the fort without any of the mob on the other side seeing us. As we gallop closer I feel my pulse quicken. I hope Chrom and Lissa are alright. They should be safe as long as the Risen haven't broken down the gate.

Gertie slows to a trot as we reach the wall. We hug its side and stay as much in the shadows as possible. Frederick has me take a quick peek at the map and we confirm the siblings are still very much alive within its confines.

We come to a stop at what looks like a garbage heap. Broken crates, frayed ropes, and an overturned cart are piled haphazardly around the area. If it wasn't for Frederick pointing out the very tip of the doorframe poking out above the pile, I would have passed it right up.

It take a combined effort from both of us to clear the entirety of the entrance. We do our best to keep quiet while simultaneously keeping an eye out for stragglers. Fifteen minutes, one pushed cart, and a stubbed toe later we have our door. The wood is well rotted with mold growing around the hinges. All Frederick has to do is give it a tiny nudge and the whole thing collapses inward. We both flinch as it clatters against the floor echoing throughout the narrow corridor. I swat the cloud of dust apart with my hand and peek in. It's dark but cracks in the walls filter in enough moonlight to illuminate the way.

Frederick isn't happy about leaving Gertie outside by herself but there was no way she would fit. We leave the poor thing at the doorway and head inside. A quick check of the map shows the hall breaking into two directions up ahead. By following the path right we would eventually enter the courtyard where Chrom and Lissa's dots were currently at.

We enter the dank hallway one after the other. The two of us step over trash and other broken goods. I half expect us to come across a skeleton or two but Frederick assures me that it was abandoned after a more fortified base was set up some miles north of here.

We take the right at the intersection and keep moving. The hallway starts to open up more allowing us to walk side by side. Frederick begins to pick up his pace as we get closer and I attempt to match him. I'm so busy concentrating on keeping up that I walk face first into a giant spider web. I sputter and try to blow bits of the sticky stuff from my mouth. As I pull strands from my hair something shatters at my feet.

I yelp as Frederick pulls me back by the hood of my coat. Another pot crashes into where I was just standing.

"Milady, 'tis only Robin and I! Calm yourself!"

I realize now that I had walked into the main courtyard. I probably took the two of them by surprise. Lissa most likely assumed I was a Risen and took it upon herself to defend them.

I tentatively peek around the corner. On the other side of the room I see Lissa standing atop several crates with a jar held high over her head. Her frightened gaze is locked on the shadows that currently conceal Frederick and I from sight. Chrom is half hidden behind the same stack and I can see him waving his hands in protest. She casts a wary glance at him and lowers her arms.

"We are coming around the corner now!" Frederick shouts as he emerges from the hall.

"Gods! Frederick!" Lissa drops the jar and hops off the boxes. She practically tackles him as she wraps her arms around his torso in a desperate hug. Frederick's face softens and he places a gloved hand upon her head, patting it gently.

Chrom and I join them in the center of the room from our prospective corners. He greets me with a weary smile. "I can't say how glad I am to see both of you right now."

"No kidding," I say. My whole being wants to relax in relief but a part of me wants to smack both of them upside the head for being stupid. I bite back my temper and focus on the good. "You two look to be in one piece. I'm glad."

"Indeed. I had feared the worst after we were assaulted by those foul demons at camp," Frederick states, his tone quieter than usual.

Chrom shifts uneasily. "I apologize Frederick. I should have awoken all of you before heading out on my own."

"Don't be silly Chrom. I'm at as much fault as you. I chose to go with you and not wake anyone either," Lissa chastises. She looks up at Frederick with big watery eyes. "I'm so sorry Frederick. We shouldn't have left without you. We didn't think that investigating would lead to something like this."

"You are mistaken milady. I am not in the least bit upset with either of you right now. I am only filled with relief that you are both safe and sound. "

"Aw, Frederick. That's so sweet," Lissa sniffs. She looks really touched by his words.

"What possessed the two of you to run off though?" he says a little more sternly.

"Shortly after I relieved you for the watch post I had a bad feeling. Lissa, who had just woken up, confirmed my suspicions and we went to investigate. Believe me when I say I expected none of this."

Lissa nods in agreement. "Yeah. The whole sky opened up and all these weirdoes with beady eyes fell out. We were attacked by them but some super mysterious swordsman saved us!"

"A mysterious swordsman?" I repeat. That could only be Lucina, or Marth as she goes by currently. Just thinking about meeting her makes me nervous.

"That man gave us enough time to flee," Chrom continues. "When we tried to return to you both we found our route blocked by this large group of fiends. We sought shelter in these walls in hopes of hiding out but they caught wind of us. I was able to free the weights holding the main gate up so it would block the entrance. It bought us time but kept us trapped as well."

He stops and ponders what he just said. "Now that I think about it, how did you two get in here?"

"There is an exit near the stables that servants use to retrieve supplies for the larder. It is a standard feature to most forts milord."

Chrom's face falls and he kicks a stone with the back of his heel. "Of course! How could I have forgotten! Well, color me a fool. Lissa and I could have been out of here ages ago."

"Indeed. Let us not worry about such things any longer. We should make use of this opportunity to regroup and secure an escape route."

"You're absolutely right," Chrom states picking himself back up. "Robin, do you still have your map?"

"Yep." I unfurl it and spread it over one of the boxes. When the surface inks together it takes me a second of looking it over to realize that something is very different from the last time. There were two new blue dots outside the walls. The hoard of Risen have left the main gate and are now heading towards the newcomers.

"That's odd. Who could that be?" I say to myself.

I poke one of the two. The info box scratches itself into view revealing an unflattering portrait of a mannish woman. Her boyish crop and smug look automatically give away her identity.

"Is that Sully?" I hear Chrom exclaim over my shoulder.

Bugger, that's right! Both her and Virion get introduced here. They must have stumbled upon the hoard when they entered the area.

"It seems our ally has put herself in a dangerous predicament. They're circling around Sully and her companion," Frederick points out.

It's true. The red clusters are beginning to scatter and ring around them. Sully and Virion are already engaging several Risen so they probably aren't aware of the massive pack encroaching in on them.

"Gosh! Chrom, what do we do? Can we go out there and save them?" Lissa panics. "There's so many of them but if we don't help then Sully could..."

"I know Lissa. We're going to do whatever we can to help."

"Taking on a group of this size," Frederick gestures to the dots, "would be suicide. They would overwhelm us even if we were to reunite with Sully and this friend of hers."

"We don't have to fight all of them. Just a few. What if we wait long enough for them to spread out and then cut out down just enough to allow them to escape past?" I suggest. It's the quickest things I could think of in this short amount of time. "They've left the main gate so we can exit that way and attack them at the back where it seems to be the thinnest right now."

Frederick rubs the underside of his chin. "That may work. As long as we maintain the correct distance and move fast it may work."

"It's as good a plan as any. You see Frederick? Investing in a tactician has turned out well for us after all," Chrom boasts. The knight glowers at him but says nothing.

I try to ignore the burning sensation of embarrassment on my face. "So how do we open the gate? We don't have much time to do this."

Lissa points to an intricate pulley system to the right of the wooden gate. "It those levers there. You have to pull both of them to release the weights that will pull up on the door."

"At the same time?" I ask.

"Yes. If you don't the mechanism locks," Chrom confirms.

Happy with the information, we deliberate a little longer. We wait until the group has spread out evenly before rushing into action. It's decided that Frederick would pick off the left flank while Chrom, Lissa, and I would handle the right.

Frederick leaves us and retreats through the back to reclaim his horse. We wait until he's mounted and halfway around the fort before Chrom releases the gate locks. The wooden door raises with a mighty creak and a lengthy rattling of chains. I pack up my map and swap it out for my tome as I would take care of long distance fighting for this escapade.

The three of us exit the archway just as Frederick rounds the corner. Now all together, we move straight toward Sully and Virion's position. The Risen have already wandered a good distance ahead of us. From afar, I can hear loud cursing over the sea of groans.

"Come on you scab-bellied bastards! Who wants another sword up the arse?"

Sully's gruff voice rings out through the night air. Her silhouette stands dark against the inferno burning around us. The flickering of the flames reflects off her already red armor giving her form a fearsome glow. I can see the glint of metal as she twirls a blade in her right hand. She guides her steed with the other keeping it calm as it shifts uneasily under the pressure of the encroaching enemy.

I can see movement behind her and I know that it has to be Virion. My thoughts are confirmed when I hear a whistling sound followed by the closest Risen jerking backward, an arrow planted firmly in its brow.

"Magnifique! Look how she flies!" he exclaims. His lithe form weaves around Sully providing her with perfect cover on her exposed sides when she attacks. His bow twangs over and over again as he sends volleys of arrows into the darkness hitting every mark with extreme accuracy. Archest of archers indeed.

Frederick surges forward into the pack on our left. His lance tears through the throat of one while his horse tramples another under her galloping hooves. The rest of the group continues sprinting right until we clash with the enemy. Chrom easily beheads a first and follows up with a gut piercing blow to another. Lissa follows right on his heels. She smacks one with the top of her staff and sends it right to her brother for a finishing move. I let loose my own barrage of lightening that incapacitates some Risen further down from us. We work in our respective directions until we are given a wide enough gap in the group for us to exploit.

Chrom rushes up the middle and gets closer to Sully. He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts out to her. The red head turns in our direction upon hearing her name and lets out a triumphant yell when she sees us. She swiftly buries her sword into the chest of an encroaching Risen and then shouts something inaudible to Virion. The two bolt from the center and make a break for the entrance we've made for them. Frederick rides around to their flank providing cover for Virion.

We're almost home free when a horrific scream rips through the air.

"PISS!" Sully barely veers out of the way as a gargantuan monster plummets past her.

Saying this thing is big is an understatement. My gaming meta knowledge automatically makes me know that this is the Risen Chieftain. I just didn't expect him to be so ugly. Well I suppose I should. When isn't a Fire Emblem enemy boss butt ugly.

This guy has to be seven or seven and a half feet tall. His armor is ragged and bulging grey muscles rip through the clothing underneath. Scraggly hair hides his gnarled face. I don't even want to talk about that serrated axe in his hands.

The chief moves with more finesse than the smaller ones. He lets out a great wail that seems to catch the attention of every last one in the area. I notice they all stop and begin to head towards him.

An arrow cuts through the air and plants itself firmly into his arm. He hisses and grabs at it, pulling it out with a single tug. Sully and Frederick both ride around him from different sides and each drive a spear into a kneecap. It grunts again but stays standing. It swats at Frederick with one of its arms and nicks his shoulder.

The knight is nearly thrown from his saddle by the force. He loses footing on one side and only stays atop by grabbing a hold of the saddle grip. He slides back into it and grabs at his injured muscles. I notice that the whole shoulder pauldron has been ripped clean off.

The chief continues to focus on Frederick until Virion lets loose another arrow. It sticks into his lower back and the chief, unfazed by the attack, immediately starts descending on the archer. The lesser Risen follow his lead and gather after him.

It seems to me that whatever damage we deal to this thing would be brushed off easily. And with the numbers rallying behind it, I could tell there was no way we could win as we are. We have too few people and barely any equipment.

Retreating is the only option we have if we want to get out of here alive. How are we suppose to escape though? These things have a one track mind and would follow us all the way home if we tried.

Unless...

If someone were to act as a diversion then maybe the others could escape when the Risen have their attention elsewhere. They seem to be stuck on whoever hit them last. If that someone were to break from the group and run the opposite way then they would allow the others to escape. Theoretically, anyway. As long as the bait was fast enough, they could lose the horde somehow and meet the main group later.

While Frederick or Sully would be the best choice for the decoy based on their speed, they were also the best sources for escape for the same reasons. Lissa was an obvious no-go and I had no reliable information on Virion to go with. Chrom was out of the picture just because he was too valuable a person to gamble with.

That left me.

I'm not one for heroics if I can help it. Running a stupid gambit like this is not in character for me at all. But, times are hard. Sometimes you have to do stupid stuff if the moment calls for it, you know. This is one of those moments. I still can't believe I'm about to do this.

I whip out my tome and flip to one of the lightest attack spells. I only want to get the Risen's attention if this plan I'm concocting is going to work.

I aim for the big boss and let the bolt burst forward. It slams into the back of the chieftain and he lets out a low groan. I quickly shoot out two consecutive weaker ones to agitate the lesser Risen around it. It's working. Their attention is shifting.

Frederick gallops nearby and I wave him down. "Frederick, gather everyone one up and get the hell out of here! Make for the trees while I stall them!"

I can see the surprise etched on his face. He clearly wasn't expecting this from me.

"I've got a plan! Now go!"

He nods solemnly and gallops off. Gertie sprints forward and leaps past several Risen to the other side. I fire off a distracting bolt to keep their attention from switching to him.

I can see him yell something to Sully and the two of them split towards those on foot. Sully retrieves Lissa and pulls her up. Virion, only feet away, is picked up shortly after though he barely fits behind her. Unable to sit in the saddle, he holds onto her torso to prevent falling off the back.

Frederick goes to grab Chrom but I see the younger man back away. They exchange words I cannot hear but the looks say everything. Chrom turns toward me and I can see the horror on his face.

He's shouting my name and something else. Probably trying to get me to go with them. Sorry Chrom. That's not going to happen.

Frederick comes up behind Chrom and grabs him. He tries to resist but the knight is too strong. He grips the prince underneath his arms and drags him across the top of the horse. Chrom struggles to sit upright while Frederick propels Gertie forward.

"Robin!" I hear Chrom's pleading cry a final time before the group disappears into the tree line. The sound of my name echoes through my head and I feel something click. It's brief, a flash of something. I hear him calling me the same way but the setting is somewhere dark. He looks different, older maybe?

The picture is gone as soon as it came. I don't have time to dwell on it as Risen coming flying at me from all angles.

I'm starting to regret this.

I bolt off into the other direction and start leading them toward my destination. I am literally making up my plan on the fly. Get in the fort. Trap them inside. Get out of the fort.

Tactical genius everyone.

I don't have to look back to know I'm being followed. The stench is already enough and that's not counting the moaning and stomping.

I sprint all the way to through the gate and dive to the side. There are two boxes stacked next to the levers and I weasel in between them to get out of view. I pull my legs in just as Risen begin to pile in. I can hear them all, including the chief himself, walking about. Sometimes I hear something crash to the ground as one of them bump into it.

I huddle behind the crate taking shallow breaths. I can hear the moans growing greater in number as the seconds pass.

My eyes flit about and I catch sight of a gangplank leading up into the upper battlements around the edges of the fort. It's only a few feet from where I am. It could provide the escape I need when I let down the gate. I should be able to make it as long as no Risen get in the way.

I sit tight and wait I short while longer. I want to get as many of these Risen in here as possible. I count down from ten in my head before I make the jump. I tense up more and more as the numbers grow smaller.

3

2

1

I move.

My whole body jumps forward. I reach out with both arms, taking a lever in each. I grunt as I push with all my might against the two. They provide resistance but once I push them halfway the power of the weights drags them the rest of the way.

The gate comes crashing down crushing several unfortunate Risen still in the archway. I use the moment's distraction to rush for the gangplank. The second my foot hits the first board I see a Risen from the corner of my eye turn towards me. It lets out a short grunt and starts to follow. Its buddies catch on and soon they begin to form one large wave pushing up towards me.

My feet pound up the planking with each step I take. There's several sets of broken wood up ahead so I speed up. At the last possible step my body coils up and springs forward over the gap. I sail over the opening and land on one knee when I hit the other side. I sneak a quick glance over my shoulder and see a snaking trail of Risen following behind me. I really hope they can't jump.

I get back on my feet and round the second level. I emerge at last on the top. I peer over the edge just as one of the Risen hop over the hole. Not all wishes come true I guess.

I follow the edge and see a door in one of the towers in the corner. I sprint madly toward it as the groans get closer. I reach out for the door handle and press down ready to fly through.

"Ooph!"

The handle refuses to budge and I slam full force into the heavy door.

"No. No, no, no, no!"

I keep jiggling the handle as if that would somehow magically unlock it. Frustrated, I kick the bottom with all I've got. Pain shoots through my toe and I cuss loudly. The door didn't even rattle.

The first of the Risen have reached my level. All that stood between them and me is one side of the fort. As soon as they turn the bend I would be finished. Even if I tried blasting magic at them it would only slow them down. The Risen have no concept of fear and they would just clamor over the fallen bodies to get to me.

There's a thin line of scaffolding to my left. It doesn't lead anywhere in particular but it is the only path I have. The Risen don't have very good flexibility whereas I have far better control of my balance. I could at least keep some distance between them and myself if I were to walk out on it.

I get to the edge of the walkway and lower myself on the wooden beam. I crouch at first and try to find my equilibrium. I focus on looking ahead instead of down. Slowly, I spread my arms out and begin to shuffle forward. The further I get the more I venture to stand. By the time I've reached the middle I've come full up. The scaffolding here splits four ways so I have more area to spread my feet on.

I turn around to where I just was and see Risen everywhere. They sway and hiss at me from the side. I feel my stomach drop when I see one of them step off the side. The first foot sets on the beam fine but the second slips off and the Risen tumbles over the edge. Another tries and the same things happens.

I grin, taking pride in my victory. "Ha! Take that! Who's the smarter one now?"

My laughter cuts off into a shriek as an axe flies past. I whip my head around and watch it fall into the space below. I turn back only to duck as another goes past.

"You DICK!" I holler. "That's cheating!"

Risen start to fall off the battlement in droves as something plows through their numbers. I see the chieftain barging up through the pathway until he is standing before me.

"Goddamn, you are one ugly freak," I whistle.

He groans and beats a hand against his chest.

Then, he does the impossible. He speaks.

"Kill...kill..."

Oh. Oh God. They talk? Did they do that in the game?

He hefts his axe up with both hands and I watch confused. What's he going to do with that? He can't throw it.

He squats and swings down. The axe head smashes into the side of the beam sending a shockwave up it. I immediately drop to my heels and reach forward to grasp the wood with my hands. The whole thing rattles and I wobble dangerously with it.

When the tremors stop I look up again. I'm just in time to see him deliver another blow. The wood is beginning to splinter and I feel the one side dip slightly. Aw hell. He's going to cut me down.

This is not good. I've got to get off of here. The scaffolding goes nowhere in two of the directions but the last ends right over one of the gangplanks. If I can jump off there then maybe I can get down to the ground floor unharmed. All I have to do is get over there.

I start to slowly crawl backwards hoping they don't catch on to what I'm doing. I duck from another axe just as the chief hacks again at the beam. His weapon takes a considerable bite into the wood and it groans in the protest of my weight.

I'm not going to make it. His pace quickens and he begins to chop away harder. I'm only a quarter of the way there when the one end begins to drop. I buckle forward and bite back a scream as I hook by arms and legs around the beam. I swing underneath it and hang there like a bloody sloth.

I take a deep breath and try to pull myself up. I pull with all my strength and manage to get half my body around the edge when another shockwave hits. My legs loosen and I'm left hanging by my arms.

I look over at the chief and see the scaffolding is hanging by a thread. One or two more chops would retire this for good.

So this is it? This is where I die? I die in Chapter 1?!

Bleeding hell.

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. Considering I've only got one day's worth of memories, I find it to be the Shepherd's faces flashing before mine. I see Chrom looking at me with implicit trust when he made me a Shepherd. I see Lissa's smiling face as she danced around after we expelled the bandits. There's Frederick scowling down at me about keeping his lord safe.

I see even more faces. There is the woman in Southtown, Ginette, teary-eyed in thanks for her life. There's the agonized face of the man I stabbed and then Garrick's own, twisted in the throes of death. I even see Sully's cocky sneer and Virion's satisfied grin even though I've only known them a few minutes.

I suppose if I'm going down here it's better than anywhere else. I did it saving them after all. At least they can go on with their lives. If this is a dream, maybe I'll be able to wake back up again.

I close my eyes and wait for the last chop. It's a long way down so I hope Naga or whoever is up there is merciful and lets me die instantaneously. That'd be peachy.

Time slows down for me as the last cut falls. The sound of it hitting the wood echoes on for an infinity. The beams shifts and I can almost count every inch it drops. I begin to free fall as gravity claims my body.

"Sorry everyone," I whisper.

There another sound over the cracking of wood. It gets closer and closer by the minute. It sounds like the flapping of a bird's wings. I feel wind on my face. It grows stronger and stronger, right in tandem with the flapping.

There's a reptilian screech and I open my eyes in shock. A shadow falls over me as I'm enveloped by two vices. I'm dragged upside down out of the fort and up into the sky. The building and all the Risen start to get farther and farther away. It's then that I realize I'm flying.

I look up and see a scaly underside. Obsidian scales cover all of it but for a patch of stark white running up the belly and neck. Huge leathery wings sprawl out of its sides. I can see the fine veins and tears in the skin of the wings under the light of the moon.

We glide on a wind current some distance from the fort. The creature angles downward and circles around the hills right before the forest we had all camped in. The beast lets go of me a short distance above the ground into the tall grass. I land and roll a ways. My savior does not touch down with me. Instead it flaps and pushes off the ground. It does a U-shaped turn and I finally get a good look at it.

There's only one thing I could think of that fits what I'm seeing from Fire Emblem lore. This is a wyvern.

The creature is a mighty looking thing. It's heavily muscular and a row of jagged, chipped spikes line its back and tail. Its long, sleek neck arches up into an elongated face with a powerful maw. Moonlight glints off the teeth that protrude from the mouth. Between its wings I can barely make out the tiny shadow of someone on its back. That must be the rider.

A collection of moans tears my attention away. A small group of Risen shuffle towards me. I bounce to my feet and prepare to make a run for it when the rider and wyvern return.

The monstrous creature flies over me and barrels straight into the group. Its neck shoots out grabbing one of the Risen off the ground. The rider on the back spears another through the face and it dissipates with a hiss of smoke. The wyvern twists its massive form to arch up into the sky. It snaps its head to the side and throws the Risen free sending the body slamming into the ground in a cloud of dust.

The rider leans in close to the body as their wyvern dive bombs the group a second time. It unfurls its wings and glides parallel to the ground. It smashes into what's left of the horde with its jaws and claws. I take advantage of the chaos by letting out a few attacks of my own. I sit up on my knees and whip open my tome.

I flip through pages until I find a particularly high end one that caught my attention before. As soon as the wyvern is clear I let loose a barrage of lightning. I intentionally over push the energy so the bolt comes out wider. It blows forward like a cannon. The bolt sizzles in a stream that lights the whole area in a spectacular golden glow.

It slams into the closest one and the Risen's body seizures. I see a shock hop into the one standing beside it and that one also falls to the ground twitching. Chain lighting. Nice.

I dispose of the last one standing with a weaker bolt. A spray of golden sparks erupts when it slams into the body. Overhead the wyvern rushes by and I hear high-pitched laughter in its wake. The beast circles round and lands before me. As soon as its four claws hit the ground, a tremor runs through the earth causing me to grab hold of a nearby tree for support. The rider hops off nimbly and takes a moment to stare at the Risen as they spasm in the dirt.

The spear in their hands flashes as it buries itself into the skull of one. They proceed to repeat the gesture until all three have dissipated. I find myself leaning away from them as they continue to get closer. My muscles tense as I ready myself to flee at the first warning sign of danger.

"Did you see those things when you hit them! Their whole bodies went all wiggly!" They exclaim with wide hand gestures. Their tone is youthful so it's hard to say if they're male or female. The rider slides their spear into a holster on their back and skips playfully over to where I am kneeling. I quickly scramble to my feet and take a few steps back.

"Thank you?" I have no idea if I should be grateful for the help or ready to run for my life.

"Wow! Are you thanking me? Wooooow." They start waving their hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry! That sounds ungrateful. I should be happy just being here! Forgive me!"

"Um...Okay?"

"That easily? Gosh, you are in a good mood today." They tilt their head to the side as if to ponder. "Why are you over here anyway?"

"What? I don't...Who are you?" I sputter in confusion.

None of this makes sense. Does this person know me? Do they know something about what's happened? My heart starts to race at the prospect of getting some answers.

"Oh, come on! You know who I am!"

"Seriously," I snap. "I don't! "

Silence. Then they slap a hand to their forehead. "Oooooh. Right. Oops! You don't know me." They laugh again. "You don't remember anything." I imagine if I could have seen their face they would have winked at me.

Who is this crackpot?

"Oh, look at that! It's finishing up already."

I follow their gaze to the sky where the huge rift is. The runes have started to fade and the light is flickering. The flashes speed up until is winks out completely.

"It closed?" I say in alarm.

Suddenly I feel a cold shiver run through me. I'm not sure why but I get a horrible sensation in the pit of my stomach. My gut says something bad is coming.

Seconds later my fears are confirmed. Over the edge of the ridge I see a hulking silhouette surrounded by several smaller peons at the base of the fort. Even from far away I could see its eyes, two glittering blood rubies , searching the plains. It throws its head back and lets out a spine tingling howl that I can feel reverberate through the ground itself. Looks like the Risen Chief found the exit.

"Not good." By myself I can take on a Risen, maybe even two given the right circumstances. Throw a boss at me with no back up, that's a different story. I've got to find the others fast.

Beside me, the rider clucks their tongue in annoyance. "I hate when the big ones appear. Naughty, naughty little Risen." They twist around and skip with a merry gait back towards their wyvern. The beast springs to life seeing its master return. It rises off its haunches and shakes from head to tail.

"Hey! Wait!" I yell as I start moving after them. They better not think of leaving me alone to deal with this thing!

The rider hops up and catches the side of the saddle with their hand. As they nimbly climb into the saddle their other free hand reaches back for their spear. They kick the sides of the wyvern and it roars to life. The large wings flutter and blow dust up around it. I have to shield my face with my sleeve as it blasts into me.

"Don't worry, Ma'am! I'll handle this just like always! I would never have you waste your efforts on something like this. Besides," they call down, "I need to try out some new tricks. You go back to what you were doing-I mean what you weren't doing! Sheesh, I need to remember that." They give me a salute.

I try to yell out for the rider to stop but their wyvern is already high in the air. My words are drowned out by the sound of its wings. And so, just like that, my bizarre savior tears off into the night.

I nearly lose sight of the wyvern with its black hide blending in almost completely with the night sky. I catch a final glimpse of it swooping down over the hillside. It catches the attention of the Risen because they all turn around and begin to shamble back the other way. Even though I don't know who that rider is I feel a little concerned for them. One unit versus a pack of Risen plus that mutant looking one? I sure hope they have the skills to back up their bravado.

What bothers me the most about the whole encounter is how familiar they acted with me. I may have a few missing holes in my memories but I know there's no way I could have met some medieval spear wielder and their dragon pet where I came from. So who were they? Surely they had to have me mixed up with someone else.

I hear a low gasp.

"You."

To my right I see a figure approach me. I didn't think I could be more surprised after the wyvern rider's appearance but I proved myself wrong. This is an even bigger one.

The elusive "Marth" stands before me. She's different than what I expected. Knowing her real identity, I expected her to look a lot more like her father. Maybe it's because she is a female but she sure didn't take after him in body structure. She's shorter than I imagined and a bit more gangly around the limbs. Perhaps she takes after him more so in facial features.

"How are you here?" Marth's voice is low, trying to mask the feminine lilt in it. There's something threatening about the way she emphasizes the word "you."

"How am I- God, not again," I whine. "What is with you people and the questions today?"

Marth's hand flies to her side and whips her sword out in one swift motion. While doing so she take several long strides forward. By the time I blink she has my neck held up at sword point.

"This is impossible. Who are you?" she demands harshly.

The tip of her weapon, a near replica of the Falchion Chrom holds, begins to dig into my skin. I look down the bridge of my nose into Marth's face. Her features are hidden behind the mask making her impossible to read. I swallow hard, my annoyance quickly turning to fear.

"My name's Robin. I'm-"

Other Falchion digs deeper into my skin and I feel a pinprick of pain. Something warm begins to dribble down my neck.

"Lies. Who are you really?"

What's going on now? More importantly, why does she know who Robin is and why doesn't she think I'm them? I can't even describe how much my head hurts right now thinking about this. None of this is supposed to be happening.

"I told you already. My name is Robin. Why would I lie about my own name?" I attempt to keep my voice calm but I can hear the tiniest of tremors in-between my words.

"If you speak the truth then show me your hand."

I stare at her disbelieving what I just heard. Now she know about the mark. This isn't right. This isn't following the plot. Shit, man. What did I get thrown into?

"Do not make me wait. Show me!"

"Alright, alright! Ease up on the sword before you stick me!" I feel the pressure subside and I immediately grab at my throat. I rub it and smear a trickle of blood across my fingers. I grimace and wipe my palm on the front of my coat.

"Stop stalling or I really will run you through," Marth growls impatiently.

I hold up my right hand to appease her. I turn it around so the palm faces me and pull down my sleeve so she can see the marking clearly. The corners of her mouth dip downward and I can hear the squeak of her gloves as her grip around her sword tightens.

"Damn it. This doesn't make sense," she mutters as she turns away. Her free hand goes up to her mouth and she steps to the side, head bowed in thought.

I pull my sleeve down again, lost in my own thinking. This whole encounter is something very new to me. By the game's standards, 'Robin' only meets Marth at the end of the chapter where she delivers some cryptic words and then flees. Marth has no contact with them otherwise until the tournament some chapters later.

And how in God's name does she know about this mark already? She should be ignorant of its existence, or at least its meaning, until Valm's arc. What exactly does she know?

A shrill, animalistic scream tears through the air around. Marth drops into a fighting stance and begins to circle around warily. It sounds like it came from over the ridge. I wonder if it's the rider and their wyvern.

I quickly retract my map. The overview looks much different than it did before. I do a double take when I notice a new color bleeding through the paper. Green.

One of the new dots is next to my own. Another darts erratically through a cluster of red dots south of us on the tree line. That had to be the wyvern rider. Oddly enough, one more is barely visible at the very edge of my map hidden just before the road splits in two directions. Before I could investigate further I find myself at sword point again.

I hold my hands up in surrender, clenching the map tightly in one fist. "Can we stop with the threatening and try to talk? I am all for acting like civilized folk if you don't mind."

She ignores me. "Who did you come here with?"

"Some members of the Shepherds, a specialized military force. We're heading to Ylisstol."

Marth shakes her head wildly. Her voice has a desperate edge to it. "I don't mean now. Earlier! Who did you come with when you first came here, before you met them in Southtown?"

I gape at her. How is it that I've met two people in twenty minutes that seem to know more about me than I do. Nothing makes sense anymore and I'm starting to get frustrated over this. My anger begins to rise and I bat her sword out of my face.

"I don't know, damn it! I have one full day's worth of memories and years worth of broken ones. I remember jack shit before this morning, okay? So why don't you enlighten me a little on what you seem to know cause I've got nothing to give."

Other Falchion wavers and then drops. Marth's posture shifts with unease.

"You truly don't remember a thing," she says to herself. "What happened then?"

I snap my fingers together to get her attention. "Answers please," I say impatiently.

"I have nothing to offer you at this time."

"Bull shit!"

Marth goes to respond when she's interrupted by shouts. We both turn and I see several familiar figures rushing our way. Marth stiffens and quickly sheathes her sword. She backs away from me considerably. I bite hard on my lip and curse my luck. Out of all the times I could have been found...

Chrom is the first to reach me. He grabs me by both shoulders and gives me a hard shake. His face is a mixture of concern and anger. "Gods Robin! Are you mad? What possessed you to do that?" He starts looking me up and down for injuries. "Lissa!"

The princess slides off Gertie's back and bustles over. She looks like she'd rather crack me across the skull with her staff than heal me with it. Chrom continues to berate me as Lissa takes over medical surveillance. My protests are futile and I fail to wiggle away. As a whole I'm largely uninjured, but Lissa heals up my few wounds slowly just to allow her and Chrom to finish yelling at me.

"Can you guys stop?" I plead. "What if I promise to not do it again?"

"It's a start," Chrom exasperates.

"I'm sorry and I promise not to do it again. There. Happy?"

"That didn't sound serious." Lissa says.

"Jeez Lissa. Fine. Fine! I swear I won't do it again. No more heroic sacrifices even if they are utterly necessary for everyone's survival."

The siblings exchange a look and then back off.

"I still can't believe you did that," Chrom complains. He crosses his arms and gives me a stern stare. "You're lucky you didn't get killed."

"Look, I only did what I had to," I start. Sully's voice cuts me off before I can finish my thoughts.

"Oi, Captain. Don't mean to butt in and all but I'm counting one too many heads in the group."

"What?"

Sully points at Marth, who has been standing quietly to the side since their arrival.

"It's you," Chrom states in disbelief. He walks over to her frozen form.

Marth only stares at us, still making no moves. I can only wonder what she's thinking about right now.

"Milord?"

"Frederick, this is the man I spoke of earlier. The one who intervened when Lissa was attacked."

Lissa finally recognizes Marth and rushes to her side as well. "Hey, yeah! It is you! Oh wow. How silly of me! I never got to say thank you for saving me earlier. So...thank you!"

Marth stands stoically with little response aside from a tilt of the head. She starts to turn away when Chrom steps forward, hand out in protest.

"Wait. You save my sister and yet I don't even have a name to attribute her savior to. Allow me that at least."

"Marth."

Chrom looks amused at the answer. "So you share a name with the warrior king of old. How befitting. You fight with the same bravery and skill as he, Stranger."

"I don't have time for silly conversations. Heed my words and listen well. These events are a precursor of much darker things to come. Evil is near. Prepare yourselves or it will swallow everything you care for."

I could feel Marth's eyes lingering on me as she spoke. Chrom starts to question her but she sprints off for the tree line without a glance back. She disappears into the darkness and we are left alone.

"Well that was weird," Lissa says.

"You can't even imagine," I say under my breath. I feel tired and drained. There's so much churning in my head right now that I don't even know where to start.

"Might I suggest, fellow compatriots," Virion says, "finding a place to sojourn for the night. These woods have provided poor bedfellows and little respite all eve long."

"Exhausted already Ruffles? That was barely a warm-up," Sully teases.

"My unflappable Sully, you misunderstand. I only am suggesting such a thing on behalf of you and the other fine women of our group. I am only looking out for your best interests."

"Uh huh," she grunts unimpressed.

"I am tired though. I barely slept a wink," Lissa yawns. "All that work really took a chunk out of me today."

"I suggest we forgo another stop and head straight for the capital. The Exalt will need to hear about this."

Lissa puffs out her cheeks and gives Frederick a pouty look. "Frederick! That's so unfair." She changes tactics and pleadingly gazes at her brother. "Chrom, tell him we need to stop somewhere. Please?"

"He has a point Lis. We really do need to get back to the capital to report all this. Between Southtown and these creatures, there's a lot to discuss."

"Pleeeeeeeaase."

"I'll think about it."

We circle back around and then up the road to our campsite. Frederick, wary of any lingering foes, has us pack up and head further on. As we trudge on for Ylisstol I finally get a proper introduction to Sully and Virion.

Sully is as awesome in real life as I expected her to be. She exudes power and skill. She is boisterous, fun, and claims she can drink a man under the table. And somehow, despite having all the mannerisms and looks of a man, she is still able to come across as a confident and independent woman. I bet she has a lot of admirers.

Speaking of one in particular, Virion turns out to be an interesting case. He still has his accent and foppish mannerisms but he is also a lot more debonair in person. His posture and aura just ooze nobility. He surprisingly has a gentle way of speaking despite his rather flamboyant vocabulary. It is corny at times but it's also genuinely poetic and his accent is more sultry than over-the-top. He could easily talk a woman into his bed if he really tried. Luckily he's too much a gentleman for that.

Soon the adrenaline from our encounter wears off and exhaustion begins to strike us one by one. It takes some time but Lissa's badgering finally wins the day.

We stumble into a small village somewhere near midnight and check into an inn. Hunger beats out sleep and we all end up back in the sitting room after retiring our gear. The innkeeper's wife gladly makes us each a dinner plate after we pry some extra gold from Frederick's frugal fingers for her. The meal, a small pheasant like bird and a rye loaf, taste wonderful.

The cozy warmth of the sitting room is a welcome change from the chilled night air. It's hard to imagine that we were fighting for our lives only a few hours before. I push my now empty plate away and drop my elbows to the tabletop. I rest my chin in my palms feeling my eyes begin to droop from exhaustion. Though my body is weary my spirit feels calm.

The air is alive with Lissa's babbling as she rises to her feet. She starts to gesture madly along to a story about how one of the Risen remind her of a drunk nobleman from some party last year. She lets her posture slacken and drags a foot behind her while shambling about making moaning noises. Sully laughs boisterously and slaps her thigh. She then elbows Virion hard in the ribs and gestures to Lissa's imitation. Virion flinches under the ferocious prod and sputters something out about the girl's refined talents.

Lissa's foot catches on the table leg and her moaning turns into a high pitched squeal as she pitches forward, hands flailing. Frederick, who has been doing his best to ignore her antics, springs to life and rushes to her side. He narrows his eyes and starts to chastise her loudly over Sully's wild laughter as he pulls her to her feet. Frederick looks to Chrom for help but he's trying to look busy elsewhere while failing to hold back his own smirk. His eyes flicker over to me and he gives a playful wave of the hand.

"Welcome to the Shepherds," he mouths.

I laugh. Welcome indeed.

A/N This chapter was a monster. I had a lot I wanted to write but ended up cutting some things as it grew too long. So I apologize for not focusing a lot on Sully or Virion. They'll have their time to shine next chapter with the rest of the Shepherds.

Thanks again for reading guys! I enjoy writing this and I'm glad you all seem to think so too. Feel free to comment on anything or point out any mistakes. I do what I can to proofread but there's always one thing that seems to escape my eye. See you all next chapter!