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...

31. Chapter 31

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

Warnings for mild violence and blood

---

Chapter 31

Six days is all we had to prepare. I don't think even a year could have been enough. That's what we had though and we could only make the best of it.

By nightfall, the words everyone were dreading arrived. An army was coming and Ylisstol was right in its sights. Gangrel himself was allegedly leading the army. Security was too tight to get in close but they managed to pick out a woman in black always at the mad king's side. Aversa. Great.

Beyond that, it was impossible to tell the numbers nor what talent lay in their ranks. At least one independent mercenary faction was currently waving their banner with Plegia. Given the country's rich coffers, I wouldn't be surprised to hear if there were more sold out to the cause.

A final disturbing note was made. They noticed small droves of Risen arriving to the army's encampment. The Plegians did not attack however. Instead, they let the dead walk right in and guided them away out of sight. This just keeps getting better and better.

The uncertainty of the situation is our greatest enemy here. Without proper numbers and threats to assess, we have no idea what we may be up against. If they arrive by nightfall like predicted, we'll be at an even bigger loss without daylight to aid us. We'll be fighting blind with one hand behind our backs. That's not good odds in my book.

The desperation of the situation forced me to think. As a strategist, it's my job to turn around a bad situation to one in our favor. Well, maybe at least even the odds. I'm not sure I'm good enough to pull miracles out of my ass just yet. Still, I have one tool we can use to our advantage.

The only way this plan could work is if I left right away. I had to make sure that when I proposed the plan, it would be during my best chances for approval. While I have no doubt Chrom would listen to my idea, I feared my inexperience and lack of field work would cause him to reject or linger too long in consideration of it. I needed a room of like-minded, desperate people to rally behind me to convince him. So during the emergency war council rallied the following morning, I sprung my idea on the group.

My map has the ability to see a damn good distance away from the furthest point I can trace out. Get me in close enough to the camp and I can scry what I can. Other Robin has a great deal of notes written in her roster on the people populating Plegia's military ranks. Like everyone else so far, they would appear on my map when in range and I'd be able to see all the who, how, and what we could potentially face in a few days time. The thing is, I needed to leave to scout right then or I'd never be able to fly back in time to make use of the information. Even if we only get one day's worth of preparation in, it'd be better than nothing at all.

To save time, I'll just say I eventually won out. Nobody left that conversation one hundred percent satisfied, myself included. There was lot of reservations about me going straight back into battle especially on something so risky to pursue. If we screw up, there is no coming back from it. But we're desperate and I'm the only one who can work this map. There can be no other substitutes.

And that's how I ended up knee-deep in manure behind a haystack trying to survey the enemy lines.

"Do you mind?" I whisper furiously to my neighbor while ducking to avoid her roving tongue.

Bessie's dull, bovine eyes never leave the smorgasbord behind me. She inhales a mouthful of food and chomps on it in ignorant bliss. It's moments like these I pity she doesn't have a higher functioning brain. Considering most of her sisters have been taken in and slaughtered by the the Plegians for dinner tonight, she should be hoofing it out of here for safer pastures.

Oh God, those puns. I'll stop now.

Ignoring her slobbery dribble, I turn my attention back to the map before me. Cupping my light close to hold off excess light, I hover over the map to resume watching the camp function.

"I still can't believe how many there are!" Viola whispers as she peeks over the edge of the rocky outcropping next to us. The faint torch lighting glints off her widened eyes giving her a fay-like quality.

The fields here are wide open and only speckled with clusters of vegetation. It makes the large encampment behind me hard to ignore. On a clear night like this, we had been able to see the large mass of bodies and fires from miles back. Up close, it was even more intimidating. Seeing the long shadows pass between tents and hearing their guttural laughter is daunting. It makes me question my own intelligence for coming out here in the first place. The thing is, I hate stealth. That's my least favorite tactic to use when approaching a situation. I'm much more of a baseball bat to the face kind of gal. I prefer doing things straight up without all the fuss.

"I don't understand how they all got here," my companion comments again. Her grip around her spear tightens as she leans out a tad further. The knight's youthful features harden under the concentrated glare she offers the collection of tents. "Unless they all flew in by griffon, there's absolutely no way they can just appear like this."

My sight briefly flickers up from the map. "You think this has anything to do with magic?"

Viola's head swivels to meet my gaze, her hair ribbons fluttering lightly in the night breeze. I know she's suppose to be in charge and whatnot, but her age is starting to show through again when she offers a sassy glower. "I wouldn't know. Isn't that your expertise?"

Sheesh, what ever happened to respect for your elders? I bite down hard on my tongue to hold back any commentary that may slip out. Viola is technically the superior here and the last thing I want reported back is my lack of respect for authority. I need to focus on the task anyway. I never know when we may have to book it out of here.

Aside from my current sentry, Cordelia is out a further way to the south keeping an eye on things. With my map trained ahead of us, our flank is pretty exposed. She's our warning to any Plegian guards who may be wandering close to us. I initially felt bad having Maribelle's rescue team go right back out for this mission but it was necessary. These women are among the fastest riders the Ylissean force has. Who better to take up this mission than them?

Aside from them, another trio of capable scouts left with us. Cordelia seemed pretty buddy-buddy with the other women. Not in a friendly way but more of a protegee to their tutor. I have to wonder if these riders are among those who supposedly died on the border during her introductory chapter. When those new Risen appeared during our trip to Regna Ferox, especially the ones on the way back, Phila had pulled Cordelia's squad to the capital when security was raised. Before another unit could replace them, the western grounds were pushed further back under the encroaching threat. All those women were saved by a fluke and they have no idea how lucky they are. On the bright side, that means we have greater numbers on our side for defense. Losing all those veterans would have been a huge blow to the pegasus corps. That's something we can't afford with things going as they are now.

The six of us initially flew out over a day and a half ago. We stumbled over the army earlier today and backed off until nightfall before getting in closer. Gods is it horrifying to see, even from as far back as we are. We had to fly in low and stick to the random stretches of tree line to avoid any of their wyvern scouts. This in itself was frightening because we could hear Risen from beneath the canopies. The times we touched down to feed the pegasi were periods of constant paranoia and vigilance. Even the animals were on edge, pawing and braying as their eyes stared into the depths of the woods. This map is probably the only thing keeping us mostly untouched and ahead of the enemy. If there's one good thing that came from the original Robin, it's this.

This map is a fricking goldmine for info digging. I've been filling notes for the past few hours now from different positions with what I can. One thing I have learned is that there's a limit to my map. In a high density area like this, it's hard to keep track of individual blots on the field. Every single body seems to register atop it muddling all the similar colored dots together. Basically, there's a lot of red. My saving grace is that individuals of a particular note appear as a bigger, deeper red than the "generic" enemies. So if I squint enough in the sea of crimson, I can probably make out the boss units amid the chaos.

I look at the book spread next to me scribbled in nervous script. The chicken scratch is scrawled in my best shorthand and looks more like a coded message. If one can read it, they'll see some pretty good spoilers though. I'd be excited at what I'm digging up if it wasn't for the fact that seeing all these faces together kind of sucks bunions.

Gangrel is here. That's a solid confirmation. He's parked his royal fanny smack dab in the middle of camp. The times I've poked him up showed another glowing dot of infamy next to him. Oh hey Aversa, how you doin'? Can't wait to hear all those annoying sibling jokes of yours.

It's not just them, either. Plegia has a good chunk of their army here. I mean, seriously. Gangrel means business. Several familiar faces have pulled up at least once in random spots of the map. Anyone remember the honorable Mustafa? He's here. Looking for some wyvern riders? You've got Orton and Vasto hanging around where the beasts are parked. I remember the name Campari but I can't put a finger on what he did. Was probably a throwaway boss or something.

There's also names I don't know. I can't see in the dark but there are a bunch of company standards billowing around the outer stretches of camp. The map reads the peons as mercenaries in each of the three bands. The only leader I've picked out from the mess of blobs is a barbarian man named Roc. He's probably one of the jerk-wads that's been coming over the boarder to stir up trouble in recent months.

The only other color I see is the two blue of our allies who are scouting the opposite edge of camp. Beyond the reaches of my sight is the last of our compatriots who waits in a strongly blocked tree cluster with the pegasi waiting for our return. I hope they're getting as much from this as I am.

"Oh bollocks! Look at that!"

Hearing such a phrase in Viola's youthful voice startles me and I can't help but stare at her. Can she do that? I mean, I guess she can. That baby-face of hers doesn't help though. I feel like I should be chastising her even when she's plenty old enough to do so.

"Can you see this on your map?" she whispers, eyes never leaving the forward.

"Apparently not," I murmur back staring at the parchment. Nothing of interest besides the obvious.

"Then look for yourself." She nods with her head. "Straight ahead toward the first tent with the double waving flags."

I push off the ground and sneak around the stack. I search through the camp profile until I find the right landmark and take a good stare. It's hard to see in the dark. Everything is just a black silhouette against the firelight illuminating from the inside.

Oh, no wait. Found it. Wish I hadn't either. Suddenly bollocks is too light a word to use.

"Siege weapons?" I throw out to my companion.

She sniffs angrily. "Wonderful news. I can't wait to tell Phi- er, the High Captain. She's going to love this."

Plegians swarm around a partially constructed device on wheels. The support poles around it remain bare but a collection of chains, pulleys and other do-dads lay scattered about. It's also hard to ignore the ornate tree trunk laying in the cart. It looks like the crew is merely documenting parts as opposed to constructing.

"Battering ram. Nice. Looks like they aim to do some structural damage," I muse.

Viola scoffs and leers in disgust at them. "Attempting to take down our gates is suicide. They'll be peppered to pieces from the wall before they even get close."

"Who said they plan on using it at the gate?" I morbidly remember the crack in the castle's wall and wonder if there are any like that on the outer city perimeters. I should mention this when I get back to Ylisstol. Nethys is going to have to check on this.

"I wonder how many more these Grima spawn have?" Viola cusses out. I bet her brother taught her. I have a hard time seeing her talk like this with Phila around. "Are you positive you can't see more?"

"Nope, sorry."

She looks down at the paper rolled in my hand and crinkles her nose before turning back to lookout duty. "It'd be a lot more handy if it could," she pouts sourly.

"Hey, family heirloom. Not my fault they made it as they did," I fire back.

"I wonder if there's a way to get closer? Can you check for any obstructions I could make use of?"

Unrolling the map, I take a quick peek down at it as I head back to my seat. A blue dot is flying back toward us. Cordelia?

I look in her direction and catch just a brief flicker of her armor in the moon light between trees. She weaves expertly through the brush and pauses at the edge of the field to survey for roving enemies. Seeing it safe, my third companion falls low to the ground and ducks from one place of cover to another. Despite her meticulous pace, I can see the urgency on her face as she comes up to us. I lean over and pat Viola on the back to get her attention before turning to the newly arriving pegasus knight. Viola straightens up all important like despite being a head shorter than either of us. Her personality flips and suddenly she's more adult then every fiber in my being.

She offers the Ylissean salute to Cordelia, who assumes stance and offers it back in greeting. "Reports from the field?"

Cordelia has only been here a total of ten seconds and I'm already girl-crushing on her again. How does her hair do that shiny thing when the firelight from the camp catches it just so? More importantly, how does she still look so pristine after romping around so much? I look like I lost a fight with Mother Nature. I bet she still smells like mint and tea leaves. Curse her flawlessness!

The crimson haired knight speaks strongly and clear in an alto tone that is very reminiscent to her game vocals. "Grave tidings I bring, I'm afraid. A squadron of Risen have escaped the confines of the forest and are coming this way as we speak."

"Ew," Viola lets slip. She goes pale and pulls up a stony face, holding her nose up high. "In which I mean that is most unfortunate. Have you any idea whether they'll come our way?"

"That's exactly what I fear. If their current pace continues as is, they'll come down upon our position. I believe the sounds and sights of the camp have drawn them out."

I can't help but laugh a little in satisfaction. "Well if that isn't a plus for us. Maybe these walking infestations can cause a little trouble for our friends before getting taken out tonight."

Viola crosses her arms and nods in satisfaction. "That's all fine and whatnot as long as we don't get caught up in that trouble."

"I don't believe us to be in any danger if we stay out of sight, but it's best we err on the side of caution," Cordelia responds with a quick glance over her shoulder.

"Fine, we'll retire to the rocks until they pass. Robin, keep an eye on that map of yours until they wander through."

I give her a tiny salute and grin. "You got it."

The small alcove between the rocks is large enough to cram us in though space is tight. The night provides good cover and keeps us hidden in shadows. We wait silently with bated breath as they get closer and closer, their undead warbling growing louder and louder as they close in.

Viola's voice whispers out between us. "They make a lot of noise. More than the reports make them to be anyway."

Cordelia turns an ear to the sounds, face pensive. "It almost sounds like they're speaking."

Viola's face falls and she makes a sound of annoyance. "Wouldn't that be wonderful."

I tilt my head in confusion as I strain to listen to the voices on the wind. It's odd. These Risen are speaking in turn with long unbroken strings of sound. Most Risen I encountered just groaned for a few moments continuously and unbidden. Are these one of the special types again?

I lean back against the wall and stare out of the space between rocks at the moving trio. The silhouettes look like any Risen. Junky armor and hanging pieces of skin and cloth over their forms. Their faint, rancid odor wafts in causing Cordelia to very subtly twitch her nose.

Viola just outright covers hers with one hand and turns away. "Smells like wyvern turds."

She's right. I doubt it's Bessie making that smell. These Risen are suppose to be zombies though. Shouldn't they smell more death-like?

Cordelia faintly lets out a strained hum of agreement, eyes trained on the foes beyond us. This what I call "Cordy Death Mode." When Cordelia makes this face, she's picturing at least ten different ways she can kill you in combat. She really is a genius in regards to that. I had the pleasure of seeing her fight just once when we had to dispatch a rogue Risen that stumbled on to us yesterday night while resting. She just tells the camp to stand back in this calm, stern voice. She takes her spear up in one hand like it's nothing and then just watches the monster stumble toward us. She stays like that for, oh, two minutes or so? Still as a statue with that same face. As the Risen closes in, Cordelia suddenly shakes her head once to herself and makes this really satisfied smile. She takes two steps back and then balances the shaft of her polearm in her hand. Before I can ask what she's doing, she takes several leaps forward and launches the spear like an Olympic javelin.

I get goose-pimples just thinking about how frickin' accurate that spear made point. I half expected some action splatter decapitation to happen the way that tip just slid so perfectly through the bone. Reality is far less glorious. Still, no Risen was getting up after that bulls-eye.

Here's the kicker though. Cordelia just waltzes over like the whole event was nothing. She plucks her spear up just as the Risen bursts into dust and looks at her tip with a dissatisfied frown.

"I was an inch off the mark. I need more practice." This is what she says. This! Woman, please! I'd hate to see what your aim is like when you're in tip-top shape. Gods have mercy on us.

Viola's little gasp breaks me from my memories.

"Hear that? They're talking in full sentences. Fluidly. What in the hells is this about? No one mentioned this when scouting." Her whispering grows more furious with each second. "They're suppose to be dumber than a bag of rocks!"

Sure enough, as soon as she stops, laughter can be heard. Loud, masculine guffawing that ends in a loud declaration of congratulations. Holy crap. What is going on here?

"That is not what Risen sound like." I look to the three in shock. "The few that do grumble and can string together only a few syllables. This sounds human."

Dropping my flame, I hold it up against the map. I poke the dot and hold the light in close. Let's just see what the map has to say...

What the hell is this?

The entry reads 'Plegian Barbarian.' The image pops up with the generic portrait for said unit and gives off the typical information I would find for any living example of their kind. Not one of them comes up as anything else. I tap them each a few times just to make sure nothing is reading wrong.

"Those aren't Risen." My puzzled words tumble out and grab my companion's attention.

Viola leans in to look upon my map. "What are they then?"

"Humans. But why do they look like Risen?"

Cordelia's sharp tone cuts in."They're coming upon our position now. We should refrain from speaking further until they pass."

Viola and I both clamp our mouths shut and shrink back into the shadows. The voices are loud and bawdy. That's definitely not Risen out there. And while the smell is bad, it's not right. You don't forget the smell of a Risen. It's too distinct. Nothing is more foul than rotted flesh and bone. The movements also are far too swift.

The trio skirts past us and, of all the luck in the world, stops right beyond our refuge. Some words are exchanged and two of them go back to speaking. It's the sound of approaching footsteps that causes us all to freeze up. I immediately extinguish the last of my light and hold my closed hand tight to my chest, hand inching into my coat for my tome.

Each step is a thundering boom that matches in tempo with the beating of my heart. All of our breathing has slowed to the faintest intake. No one dares move a finger for fear of compromising our position. Oh God. Not good. Not good!

A gravelly, accented voice grumbles into the night as he stops right between our hiding spot and the hay stack. "Egads, thank Grima's fine hide for this. Five miles and these dandies can't let me make one stop. Like hells I'm pissin' in front of a whole company."

I hear a slap on skin and then the sound of the cow mooing before the bell on her tail signals Bessie's movement away from us. "Get your peeping eyes out of here. Shoo with ya!"

I can hear the man's breath he's that close. In and out. His raspy intake seems like it's right next to my ear in the blinding darkness. I swear my heart is thundering so hard it's threatening to give me away.

He's so quiet though. I can hear his buddies chattering but this man has gone silent. Why? My mind starts to whirl in a panic. Did he hear me moving or something? Can he see me somehow in the dark from his angle? What is it?

I hear the faint sound of something cloth-like rustling. It's so close. Right next to the crevice I'd wager. What are the freaking odds? Seriously? I should be okay with the natural camouflage of shadows though. As long as I don't-

Something wet splatters against my boot and continues to do so in a steady stream as the Plegian lets out an unabashed sigh.

"Sweet relief!" he exclaims.

Cordelia's eyes across from me go very wide and Viola's face contorts in a look of silent horror. Sweet Naga, you can't be serious right now.

The Plegian chortles to himself. "Hells abound. That Ylissean swill wrecks me up. Damn fine though. Gotta make space 'fore those swiney bastards take the rest."

…...Oh...gods...

He grunts, voice dipping into a lethal tone. "York, that son of whore, thinks he can get it all 'imself. Seniority me arse. He can shove 'is medals up his wilted dangleberries."

…..I'm screaming internally...

"I'll show 'im. Got a pretty wife back in town. Round jibbly-bits like honey melons she does. One night of sweet talkin' and I'll have both her and his stock to sample all night. See how ya like that York. Yeah, that's good. Amazin' even!"

…...

His business finishes from a trickle to nothing. Cloth rustles again and he snaps his fingers. "Best plan ever. Seduce the wife and steal 'is own wine from under his self-righteous nose. Maybe even leave a little bastard behind to remind 'im of me. Heh."

"Actually, a little brat would be nice. Mum's always nagging for one to dote on. We could always elope north if that be the case. Nice schools that way I hear. Could steal all his medals and sell 'em for a great pile a gold. Open up that bookstore I always wanted...Gah! Damnation! Stupid..."

Something hits the ground and rolls. A dark ball rolls into our crevice and stops right in between all of us. The three of us look down simultaneously, the slow dawning of realization on all our faces. A moment later, the Plegian sticks his arm through, fingers raking against the grass. His all human arm is covered in ragged clothing and smeared dark with dirt, paint, and grisly bits I don't want to identify. Not reaching his lost bauble, his torso wedges in followed by his head. As soon as he grasps the trinket, his eyes fall on our boots. His head slowly inclines up, the look of confusion on his faces rivaling our horror.

"Eh?"

"Son of a-" I react quickly in the only way I know how.

THUMP!

The faux Risen's head slams face down into the dirt as my tome comes crashing down on his head. He barely rises. His voice slurs when speaking."What in the-?"

THWACK!

The tome comes down with another heavy thud on his forehead. The impact hits the right spot because he's laid flat a moment later with a muffled grunt. The pegasus knights stare in frozen shock between him and the tome held high over my head. I slowly lower it and nudge the downed enemy with my stinky toe right in his cheek.

"Well then," Cordelia comments in slight amusement. The mood quickly shifts when a voice calls out from beyond us.

" 'ey, you hear that?" The man's comrade states out loud.

"Harren, you fall in your own piss or somethin'?" the other calls out. Shoot!

Viola recognizes the danger of the moment and nods to the other woman."Cordelia."

"Right, Lieutenant."

I can easily read their intent and check my map to help. "They're both together just on the other side of the stack."

Viola quickly makes for the crevice, voice strained. "Alright, you go one way, I'll go the other."

Cordelia grimly follows, her own spear at ready in her hands. "On your leave."

Both knights gather on opposite sides and fall into a battle stance. Once comfortable, Viola gives the signal and both dash around the hay stack. I can only hear their footsteps as they disappear from sight. They fall on the unsuspecting impostors with a quiet exchange of blows. The only peep I hear from them comes in the form of a gargling yelp that ends with two solid thumps. Unlike their friend behind me, those two aren't getting up anytime soon.

Both combatants appear shortly after with a surprise dragging behind them. They carry the fallen bodies out from the open and into the shadow of the rocks leaving a wet trail behind them. Only from overhead would they be visible now. Luckily, no aerial sentries on Plegia's side have circled this far out. Pulling these guys from sight is a good idea though. You never know what ground units are wandering about.

Neither woman looks too happy to be dragging the dead weight and releases their respective quarry with little hesitation when in the clear. I note Cordelia's victim has one clean stroke through the heart whereas Viola's has two stabs in the chest to end hers. That's just another potent sign of the elder's deadly proficiency. Given time, she's going to rise the ranks and surpass all her colleagues.

Stepping over the last man, I join them in observing the fallen trio. These three are most assuredly humans. From far off, the disguises they wear are exact replicas to that of a Risen. The profile would be unmistakable. Close up though, you can see the holes in their costumes. Kneeling down, I ignite a new light and hold it over one of the bodies.

Some sort of ash or gray paint is done over their exposed limbs to emulate the pallid flesh of a Risen. The clothing underneath their broken armor is slashed sloppily and exposes the healthy skin and clean clothing beneath. Random splotches of mud and red stains decorate their cloth in no particular pattern. My experiences from school had me prepare a lot of animals fresh from the kill so I'm pretty damn sure whatever is hanging off these guys is the dried remains of game from the wild. Or chickens. Guts are guts sometimes. Given that these guys haven't disappeared into smoke yet and the lack of glowing eyes, I'd have to give a solid deduction that these are just men under the charade of Risen.

"This is weird," I murmur.

Cordelia leans down on one knee next to me, her staff supporting her weight. She points to the open wounds on their chest, fresh and slick with blood. "Risen do not bleed I've read. It seems these are most certainly not the creatures we feared."

"No they don't," Viola echos. She stares hard at the bodies and taps her nose erratically in thought. "But why are they dressed as such?"

Cordelia rises back to her feet and gestures to the horizon with her spear. "They emerged from the wilds. Perhaps this is a form of trickery to camouflage themselves from the roving hordes around us?"

A point from earlier comes back to mind. We had thought the Risen appearing in camp to be a product of some dark magic. Even if that were the case and they were harmless, I would still think the army to be somewhat wary of them. No one even batted an eye when these things would waltz in. While the reaction was baffling earlier, there may be an explanation now.

I play all the details in my head and sift through possible ideas. It's a rapid process, like shuffling cards in my mind. I gloss over the scenarios and chuck out what seem the least plausible. One after another I play the bits in my head. High concentrations appearing on the border in contrast to the small pockets located randomly around. Strategic Risen attacks on our caravans and routes. The heavy press on the western front opposite every other position in the country. Themis and Ylisstol besieged by companies seemingly coming from no where.

Suddenly it all makes sense.

Aversa, you cunning bitch. This could only be your strategic doing.

"We are so stupid," I laugh, head hanging. "Well played Plegia."

"Something on your mind?" Viola looks over in mild interest.

"Cordelia's half right, I think. These are for camouflage." I wave my hand over the body in display. "They're disguised as Risen for a reason. It's not to avoid the creatures though."

"Who then?"

"Us."

"Humans as Risen?" Cordelia ponders on my words. She looks to the sky mulling over her thoughts. It doesn't take long for the dawning to appear on her face. "Ah, I see."

Viola impatiently switches between us. Her fingers twitch over her spear pole as she turns back toward the camp. "Would anyone care to enlighten me before the Plegians notice some of their men may be missing."

The other continues for the sake of our poor, lost lieutenant. "I believe Plegians have been infiltrating our lines for far longer than we thought. Think upon it. Did these men not look like Risen from far off?"

"Yeah."

"Our scouts have only ever seen them from such distances. Until we observed these men up close, we could never have differentiated between the two," Cordelia points out.

Viola stares hard at the bodies, chewing on her lip. The change between contemplation and realization is instantaneous. "Son of a griffon. No wonder we didn't see this coming."

Cordelia and I both nod together. My words are heavy when I speak. "They've been using the Risen infestation as cover to sneak in their men bit by bit. They've been copying the small roving bands and then infiltrating steadily over time. They must have known your scouts weren't taking risks getting in close with how dangerous the Risen are."

"And if the Risen are stupid enough to think them otherwise, Plegia could just sneak right past the actual ones with no harm to befall them," Viola continues.

"Yeah. If not, the risk of an attack seems to be of little concern to them."

Cordelia's frown of concern increases the longer we speak. "If this is the truth then what of our reports? Everything we thought is most likely incorrect. The actual number of Risen is now skewed with our finding here. Who knows how many are truly monsters or men."

"Does that matter?" Viola comments harshly. Her tone is biting and dangerous. "They're all monsters in my eyes. Some are just stupider than others."

Okay, this fanatic racism thing is deeper than I thought. Viola was probably still in baby bloomers when the war ended. She should barely remember what happened then, if at all. The hate between these two countries is far deeper and toxic than I thought. That's really scary to think. I dread to know what may happen once we step foot on their lands.

"Speaking of such..." Viola trails off as she picks up her spear in both hands. She keeps the point low as she steps over to the unconscious Plegian behind us. She nudges him in the side and only gets a snort from him. Still out cold.

I feel a surge of panic as I watch her suddenly raise up the bladed tip over his form. Just as she goes to end him, I hop over and grab at the shaft to stop its descent. "Wait, hold up! What are you doing?"

My superior glares at me in shock over my intervention. She speaks like it's any normal thing to do. "I'm ending his miserable existence like the rest. What else would I do with him?"

Viola, think about this some more. Don't you see we've got something good here? "You shouldn't just off him like that! Seriously, hear me out," I plead.

She shakes the weapon from my grasp and lowers it to a non-combative angle while waiting for me to speak. Thank goodness.

"This is an opportunity, Lieutenant. We have a living member of the enemy camp in our grasp. Take him back as a captive and interrogate him. He may know something that can help."

Viola looks down at the snoozing man and looks disgusted at the very idea of keeping him alive. Still, there is a hint a curiosity in her as she pokes him with the butt end of her spear. "A hostage, huh? That's different."

"Lieutenant, if I may put forth my thoughts?" Cordelia speaks while stepping up to my side.

"Any time Cordelia. What is it?"

"I think that's actually a marvelous idea."

Viola pokes him once more hard in the back and then retracts her weapon. She reminds me of a kid poking a dead body with a stick. "Really? He's just a grunt. What good could he be to us?"

Cordelia presses back in a persuasive fashion. "You never know Lieutenant. Even the lowliest of soldiers can prove useful. Perhaps he heard even a single ounce of importance that could benefit us. With the army coming in full force, we should grab a hold of any leads we may have."

The younger knight groans and rubs her ear vigorously. "He won't stay unconscious forever."

"Not a problem!" I smile confidently while extracting my wind tome from my coat. I lay it down next to the man and hold some light aloft to flip through the pages. "Can one of you hold his arms up and wrists together behind his back?"

My red-headed hero does the honors and patiently keeps him in place until I find the spell I need. I've only done wind magic a few times in practice to get the hang of it. Unlike the other two schools, this one is far less chaotic feeling. Wind magic is very smooth and silky. It glides over your skin and leaves a fresh, cool taste in your lungs when you breath. Most of the spells work on the defense or for auxiliary tactics. There are offensive ones but they take a long time to master. Luckily all I need is a simple binding spell.

It takes one or two tries for me to get a hold of the unfamiliar sensation. Trying to grasp wind currents together to twist into a coil is like grabbing an eel in water. There's a reason wind magic is the hardest to learn. Third times the charm and I manage to weave together a strong ribbon of magic to loop around his wrists to bind together. Those ties feed off a tiny current of my energy and should last as long as I remain conscious and healthy.

"There you are, one sack of secrets ready for delivery," I beam proudly.

"Tch." Viola shakes her head and flicks her hand at him. "Fine he's coming along then. He is not riding on my pegasus however! Throw him with Nel. Maybe she'll talk him to death and spare us all another mouth to feed."

"Speaking of, shouldn't the others be approaching the rendezvous point? We had promised to return before the end of this patrol," Cordelia points out.

"Indeed we did. But I have to wonder..."

"Lieutenant? Is something on your mind?"

Viola watches the activity continue over by camp as she talks. "Listen, those siege weapons are still bothering me. I want to get a better look into that. If I can get to those bushes there, I can use my spyglass to scan further on. It won't be much, but I'm hoping I can make out something more by the engineers."

"That's risky," I comment on the side.

"Great risks and greater rewards. It's all or nothing at this point as I see it."

"I guess." Considering we are in a do or die situation, every little bit helps. "Want me to look for an opening then?"

"Please." As I pull out my map, Viola gestures with her thumb toward the far ground. "Cordelia, you head back to the others and wait there for Robin and I. Be on the ready to move in case something happens. You'll be our last line between here and Ylisstol if we get caught. Understand?"

Cordelia hesitates but ultimately salutes to her superior. The worry on her face is not concealed however. "I'll await with the others for your return and further orders, ma'am."

"Alright." Viola gives a smug grin rivaling her elder brother's and salutes back. "Until then Cordelia."

While Cordelia departs with our prisoner dragging behind her, the lieutenant settles in beside me just as the ink activates. I take no time swiping closer to the camp to watch the outer units move. They guards work in circular patterns that were easy to discern once I found them all. They move to a new spot every ten minutes or so to round out the hour. Considering where they are, they've got about forty minutes before they hit that particular spot again. At a careful pace, Viola can get to her bushes in under five minutes. She should have enough time to see something.

"Is it clear or what?" she breathes close to my ear.

"Yeah." I lean further away from her disregard for personal space and trace the imaginary line of their walking pattern. "You've got thirty-eight minutes or so before the inner group comes by between the engineers and those bushes."

"Ha ha! Great. Plenty of time!" She pushes off her heels and stays crouched to the ground as she sneaks away. "Stay here and watch for any disturbances. You know the call for retreat, right? Give me a summons if I find myself in danger. Understood?"

"Yeah. No worries. Totally alert."

Her tiny frame disappears from view and I fall upon watching her dot traverse the rest of the way. Viola really is a fascinating combination of two worlds. She's fairly young compared to both of her elder siblings, by more than a decade between her and Phila. Her views have been shaped by her siblings and the stories she's heard from survivors. She was born at the end of a war and grew up in shaky peace. I feel like the youthful brashness she exhibits toward war and battle belies her naivety of the reality. She knows there's a bunch of bad guys and she has to kill them. That's just how it is. I don't know if I envy that singular drive or pity it.

I'm still trying to find my own stance on all of this. Just going off of what I know from the games, I should be just like her. Plegia is a bad place full of homicidal maniacs bend on destruction and savagery. It's not like the stories I've heard from others helps any. They've been blatantly attacking innocent people and stomping around Ylissean lands with no regard for civility or respect. Also their primary religion worships a god who technically signals the end of the world upon resurrection. Snazzy bunch of folk.

However, Flavia's words continue to haunt me. The world is gray, not black and white. Nothing is straight up cut and dry when it comes to human politics. It's not fair for me to assume all Plegians are punks. I think the game and this world have proved that not all warriors in these armies are completely willing participants. Some of these poor schmucks are just farmers and craftsmen drafted into the cause of warring religions. Look at the royal siblings' father. He forced the common populace into his war mongering and crippled the internal infrastructure because of it. Considering Gangrel is obsessed with doing whatever it takes to get revenge and strengthen his country from threats (thanks Walhart!), I wouldn't have put it past the king to do the same thing. Wanting to charge in with a blood lust for these heathen zealots is just not something I can do.

They gloss over these parts in school but I've read history books on the actualities of war. What happens between the page is brutal. I fear for what may happen in the war because of it. I...I worry that my opinion about others will change. I've seen only hints of it so far. The general distaste for previous war wounds that have been inflicted on an entire generation of widowers and orphans. The superiority complex of Ylisse's "chosen race" status thanks to Naga's blessings. The biting commentary toward the general Plegian culture.

I don't come from background that can identify with that. I don't have a rabid loathing for anything or anyone. If there's one thing my mother probably pounded into my head, it's general respect for one's own roots as well as one's neighbors. Her own culture was a huge part of her life. If she felt that much pride in her identity, then others must feel the same of theirs. It's not my place to judge or push onto another just as they shouldn't to me. What resentment I felt upon such an action could only be felt by the opposite party. A do unto others sort of thing. Basically, don't be dick. Respect and be respected.

What I know is that both countries did bad things in the past and are still doing bad things based on the manipulations of others who can't get over those old events. If we could all just move on and be awesome like Emmeryn, no one would have to die.

How do you convince the enemy to do that though? According to Gangrel's recruitment chapter, he's pretty much got blinders on right now. He's drunk on power, fear, and resentment. Aversa is a loyal lapdog being blindly tugged along her master's chain. And the Grimleal?

That's probably the one group that can be considered almost black. Almost.

The game also made it clear not all people who follow Grima's cult are truly into it. They do it for the sake of their safety. Plegia is a theocracy and any high-ranking Grimelal who smells heresy can do as they please. So I can only imagine what unwilling participants are among their ranks as well for fear of their lives and their families.

Man, this is making my head hurt.

The idea of war is sickening, as is everything that comes with it. I know I have to protect the Shepherds though and that means I'm forced to take a side in this. Ylisse is, in a sense, the better half of these two warring sides. It doesn't mean I have to like the fact. War is war. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, that's what.

Yet here I am scouting out the front to help us get a leg up. A necessary evil. To achieve peace for the future, we'll have to pay with blood in the present.

My right hand flexes in a subconscious reflex to my swirling thoughts. I try to push out its existence from my mind to focus on the present. That's a can of worms I cannot afford to get hung up on right now. I nearly drove myself crazy two nights ago staring at it. The mission is too important and I have to focus. Right. Where are we anyway? How much time has passed? Crap! I zoned out when I was suppose to be watching Viola's back. Is she okay?

I raise my flame and search for her spot, only to find it blank. I curse hotly as the creeping grasp of panic strangles my throat of all the air in it. The fire flares to encompass more space to help my search. My hand jerks around to find her errant marker. Just before I fear I have to search camp, I catch sight of it moving away. Pulling it at a diagonal down, I illuminate her spot and find it speeding straight for me. I jump to my feet with map in hand and move around the rock to meet her.

Viola has thrown all caution to the wind and is running full force away from camp. I notice she looks more scruffy than before. Grass is entwined in her hair and she's missing a glove.

"Lieutenant? What-"

My question ends in a garbled mess as she grabs hold of my cloak and starts dragging me with her. "Run, run, run!"

She doesn't have to tell me twice. That feeling, you know the one, where you do something so wrong you think you'll go to jail for it? That's settled nicely in my stomach. I can't even muster the strength to look back because I don't want to know what's been stirred up. Is the whole cavalry bearing down on us?

"What did you do?" I wail over the beating sounds of our footsteps.

"I tried to even the odds a little! Now go!"

I have no idea what that means but I'll ask later. I follow after her in reckless abandon hoping no part of us is visible to the camp behind us. About halfway to our waiting point the fields illuminate. A strong blast of wind hits my back and pushes me forward. I shove the fluttering edges of my coat aside and hobble backwards just in time to see the large plume of black clouds go up in the air as the light from the explosion fades. Multiple tiny fires have broken out over the outer bounds of the camp and figures scatter amid the flames to put them out.

"Those mages said the countdown was five minutes before detonation. That was not even close!" Viola hisses in rage. She clamors forward and jerks me back. "Come on! We don't have any time to linger."

"You blew up their camp? That wasn't part of the plan!" I can hear shouts gathering behind us as the whole camp goes on high alert. "What happened to secrecy and subtlety!"

"Threw it out the window when I saw the dragon cannons lying nearby!"

"A what?"

Viola ignores me, bringing two fingers to her mouth and letting out a shrill whistle. Three, quick bursts that spread far over the empty night air. There's a familiar whinny in the distance followed by the scattering of branches and leaves. Viola's pegasus bursts from the hidden depths of our grove and spreads its wings high above. She circles around once and performs a graceful dive toward us.

"Up and at 'em!" the girl orders as her mount lands beside us. She gracefully hops on and offers a hand to help me up. Throwing my foot in the stirrup, I use the other side of the saddle to pull myself up. I barely drag my torso over when Viola clucks her tongue to signal takeoff.

"Wait! Wa-Aaah!" My fingers clamp down on the saddle and I find myself lying on my stomach over the pegasus' hindquarters. I watch the ground disappear quickly in take-off causing a mean sense of vertigo to set in. My one foot stays caught in the stir-up while the other hangs freely, kicking into he air as I try to turn upright properly.

Viola grabs the back of my coat and helps drag me up to allow my foot to swing over. I wind up back to back with her.

"Thanks a lot," I shout over the whipping of the wind.

"If I wait for your sorry butt to get comfortable again, we'd both be in Plegian chains." I feel the muscles under her ride start to tense and strain. "Now hold on. I'm catching the upper current to put space between us."

"From what?!"

"Them!"

To the left the careening shriek of a wyvern blasts through the air. The chorus continues as more and more calls erupt. The reptilian whines send shivers up my arms.

"Let's see if the old adage about the wyvern and the pegasus proves true, huh? Lean in close and don't let go!" Viola advises with strained humor. "Come on Glory. Up!"

"Oh for the love of-" My complaint trails off into another muffled yelp as the pegasus' strong wings press downward with a nightly flap that sends us propelling upward. The wings press close as we drag upward into the sky. I have to dig my one foot in the stir-up and lean backward into Viola to try to prevent myself from sliding off. The pressure of the angle is dangerous and the view from my side even worse. I'm going to vomit. Gods preserve my frugal dinner.

Our ascent takes a drastic dip back to an even plane that sends me bouncing in the saddle. Glory's wings pan out out and angle against the rush of wind. She glides against the current, feather flapping and legs churning. Meanwhile, I press down against her back and hold on for dear life now that we've leveled out.

To my relief, it's not a wyvern but another pegasus shadow that falls over us. Cordelia's rippling mane of red highlights in the moonlight marking her safe departure from the camp. Another settles in beside us carrying the rider called Nel and her unconscious cargo. Nel stands up in her saddle with one hand on the reins and a spear grasped in the other. I have no idea how she keeps her balance in such a way with the wind but I give her all the credit for it.

Cordelia and her pegasus Catria fly in close to the left. "Lieutenant?" she calls out over the space between us.

"We've been compromised! We're making a full scale retreat back to the capital. This is a forced fly. We don't stop until we see the sun's rise over the horizon!"

Cordelia know better than to ask questions now. She nods in affirmation, face grim. "Shall I wait in the rear for the others to catch up?"

Viola cringes and balls up the fist that holds her reins. "Negative. Stay with Nel. Her cargo is too precious to waste. I want you to keep an eye on-"

The lieutenant's words end quickly in a cry of pain as she falls forward under some unseen force. I twist around and nearly choke when I see the arrow poking out between her shoulder pauldron and breastplate.

"Oh shit!" I start to wiggle around frantically and try to give a supportive arm to my riding partner. "Cordelia! Nel!"

Viola moans angrily and tries to straighten up. Her one hand grasps feebly at her shoulder and brushes against the shaft sticking from it. Her girlish voice lets out a curse that could make a sailor blush before bending forward again. Glory shakes her mane in distress and her whole flight falters.

"Easy...girl. Stay up..." her rider encourages. Oh gods. I'm on a flying pony with an injured teenager trying to keep afloat. I'm going to die.

Glory wobbles under some wind turbulence and I bite back a horrified scream when I bounce again. As I hit the surface, I feel something whiz by my head. It's the faint whistle of an arrow. My fellow rider pulls back on her reins causing Catria to rear up mid-flight, the tip just grazing the underside of her throat.

"Robin! Where did that come from?" Cordelia yells to me as she pulls her pegasus under control.

"From behind us! Somewhere to the left, I think!"

Viola picks up her head, face twisted in pain. She cracks a violet eye open and glares. "Wyvern riders and bows? That's a new one."

Nel, a gangly girl the same age as Viola, pulls up from under us and glides in. Her high-pitched voice splits through the air as she gestures behind us. "Lieutenant, I saw a shadow in the clouds there."

"They caught up that fast? Great..." the injured girl grumbles. "Fall into a defensive formation. Keep an eye out for Leeza and Kat. P...provide cover if available."

"But Lieutenant, shouldn't we go on the offense?"

"Three, maybe five riders against an army? Great odds," I sarcastically point out.

As if to prove my point, a jarring roar erupts from behind us. A mammoth of a wyvern bursts through the puffy clouds spreading them apart like dust. The pitch black beast snaps its jaw and works its muscular shoulders to propel its wings hard in a rhythmic tempo. Its snout snaps rows of vicious teeth before letting out another scream. Saliva and froth slip from the corners of its mouth, burning red eyes focused on us.

Wait, red eyes?

I do a double take and really look at the wyvern and its rider. "Oh come on!"

Cordelia and Nel look back in response and the shock is clearly apparent.

"Gods! Is that a Risen?" The red-head gasps.

Damn right it is. No mistaking it now that it's lit by the moon. The dark scales are dull and hang off of patched, diseased skin. There's gaping holes in the sides of the beast where the wind blows through causing cartilage to flutter out. One wound goes clean through the neck to shine on the yellowed bone underneath. The wings look torn and veins void of blood. Yet somehow, they still work perfectly fine on whatever dark craft keeps it alive.

The rider is no better. A gigantic monster is stuck to its back. When I mean stuck, I mean fused. The upper torso looks as rattled and rotten as any monster we've fought, down to the glowing eyes under the helmet obscuring its face. It gets all wonky around the legs though. The whole lower half has been merged with its mount. The legs on both sides have become one with the plated scales locking the rider eternally to its mount. The pants are hardened and glossy like the hide. Anything beneath the bent kneecaps have hardened to bone and extend from the body like it was a natural part of the exoskeleton.

The Risen's haunting moan reaches up to us as it pulls another arrow from the quiver on the side of its saddle.

"Scatter!" Viola forced exclamation sends us all different ways.

While the other two make a graceful break, we wobble just enough to make me worry. "Lieutenant Viola? You still doing okay?"

"I'll being okay once we shake this monster. We're...we're losing time dodging this thing. Over and over again." She sucks in a shaky breath. "Plegia will...be on us if we don't keep the lead."

The Risen wyvern gives another powerful beat of its wings and draws in closer. The unmistakable smell of death and decay proves this is real a Risen, not some human.

Dude, this thing is getting bigger the closer it gets. I swear!

Another push sends it even closer and I can only watch from my position as its beady eyes burn into us. The wyvern's head cranes out and bites again too close for comfort. I fall back in terror and bump into Viola's wound causing her to jerk in pain. Glory interprets the wrongful pulling on her reins as a sign to stop and hovers to a stall.

"Viola! Get this horse moving!"

"Get off my shoulder then!" she shrieks back in annoyance.

'Rawr' goes the wyvern happily in response to its midnight snack just laying itself out for consumption. Like an aerial Jaws from the deep, the beast dives down and angles up with mouth open and ready to devour a chunk from us.

"Glory, move!"

The pegasus erratically propels forward once, twice with her wings. We clear enough space that the gaping maw just slips past the ends of Glory's tail. The withered underbelly slides right past us and the gust of doing so sends Glory stumbling and spiraling. The combination of both our swearing would be enough to make Naga herself weep. Her body parts have never been sworn on is such a way as we're doing right now.

Our pegasus performs a ninety degree twist that realigns her and sends my stomach to my toes. I swear I will never leave the ground after this. NEVER!

The wyvern pulls in beside us and we both find its rider about to shoot one of us point blank in the face. I can hear the tightening of the bow line as it draws back the string. Oh ffff-

The Risen jerks suddenly causing the arrow to fall from its grasp as the whole mount suddenly rattles in pain. Scales explode from its neck as a thick javelin point juts through it. The wyvern seizes up and stalls midair to paw at it with a claw allowing us to shoot forward and gain some space again.

A wide shouldered elder woman on a pegasus flies in next to us. Kat's grayed hair glows silver in the night against the moon's profile as she falls in pace with us. Her mount's armor reflects the same color as does the numerous javelins poking from the carrying tube at her saddle's side.

"Apologies for taking so long my little sprouts! It takes a bit longer for old Nessie's legs to get working," the light-hearted woman calls out in greeting. "Plegian riders are surprisingly agile."

"Kat..." Viola manages out in response. "Where's Leeza?"

The other rider's smile dims just a tad as she arms herself with another javelin. "I hoped she'd be with you. We pulled an evasive maneuver to split the riders following us after we fell behind young Nel and Cordelia."

Viola doesn't respond. I don't know if it's the pain or the grim news delivered. And it only gets grimmer when foreign voices join ours. Three wyverns, alive and healthy, burst into view. They're definitely slower than us but that matters little with us stalled thanks to this Risen.

"Oops, looks like it's time for round two! You girls get back to the front and I'll keep these beasties at bay."

Kat adjusts the grip on her weapon and starts to slow. Both she and her pegasus are armed to teeth. Unlike Viola, Cordelia, and Nel, Kat and Leeza are the offensive half of our platoon. There are different trained riders and usually squads consist of mixtures to help create versatile and balanced attack units. Kat happens to be a specialized attack unit thanks to both her mount's size and her muscle power. She'll always be slower than the other three as they are smaller and more agile.

"Denied. Stick with us for..." Viola bites another shock wave of pain as she moves the wrong way in her seat.

"I don't think you really are in a position to negotiate Lieutenant," the older woman chastises lightly while eyeing the shaft stuck in her superior's shoulder.

"Kat!" Cordelia's voice drifts to us as she drops in. "You're safe," she sighs in relief.

"Just fine, young'un."

Viola sounds like she's about to choke in rage. "Why are you here? I said...said to get back to the capital."

"Nel's safely enough ahead. You need my spear more than her."

"For the love of-"

Before she can argue further, the undead come back to play. The wyvern has effectively snapped the pole of the weapon off but the head still stands in the neck. This causes the beast to fly in jerky angles as it continues to try and shake the bit free. Interesting enough, the Risen doesn't seem the least bit concerned as to what side is what. As it rises up from under us, it nearly bulldozes into a Plegian rider. The trio breaks away immediately and starts to circle back in evasion. Another rider barely avoids the Risen wyvern's tail lashing when it glides too close.

"I think that monster is just assaulting whatever comes closest to it," I comment.

"That's what Risen...do..." Viola replies dryly between gasps.

"And now I think it's back on us," Kat voices with a twirl of her weapon.

Sure enough, the Risen and its wyvern seem to have made up its mind on who to attack next. Its ruby gaze has locked on us and the rider is readying its bow. Cordelia and Kat both fly in front of Viola readying their spears.

"We'll cover you so get on moving," Kat urges on.

"We have this," Cordelia echoes.

Alarm bells flair up. This is a bad idea. My gut tells me if we leave these two here they're not coming back. I can't do that! Too much is at risk here. And Cordelia! If we lose her then...how would I tell Sumia? And Severa! No!

Think, Robin! What can you do?

I've got a tome and an injured knight on my side and...and...what's in my pockets? Ink vial. Quill. Map. Book. Dried cranber-ew! Crushed dried cranberries.

"Crud. I have nothing."

This heavy sense of helplessness sets in. I don't know what to do and I have nothing to help. I have my tome but what will that do? By the time I fire off any spell it will either take too long or fizzle out under my inexperience. I can't do anything here. But the others! Cordelia! Kat!

"Incoming!" the elder yells, spurring her pegasus forward.

The Risen lets loose an arrow that goes wide. Seeing the miss, the wyvern sparks to life and shoots forward for us.

"Go! Now!" Cordelia cries out as she digs deep into her saddle for combat.

"Damn it all," Viola's voice cracks in emotion as she pulls on her reins.

I panic at our movement and flail. "We can't just leave them!"

"You think I don't know that? But what's a lame knight and a defenseless civilian going to do?"

I turn back, powerless to change the situation. This sucks! Those two are going to get demolished. I...

Another roar, low and powerful, fills the air. Out of the night shoots a black blur. The hovering Plegians are knocked aside as it moves with remarkable speed, barreling straight for the Risen. It dives beneath the monster and glides upside down so its claws reach out and sink into the underbelly. It hangs on like a parasite and lets out another vicious growl before drawing back its head and latching onto the neck with its jaw. It pulls back and begins to shake and tear at the skin as if trying to rip it off.

"What spawn of the fifth hell is that?" Viola croaks out. She starts to slip a little and I have to turn and reach out to hold her up.

"Another wyvern?" Kat throws out.

"It can't be," Cordelia responds quietly. "It has four limbs."

"Well wouldn't that make it a-?"

I stop and do a good hard look at the creature. Flesh tears away in a good chunk and with it the attacker as it pulls away to avoid the Risen's roving neck. It zips around the body and flies past the moon. In doing so I can see its features a lot clearer. Pitch black scales, white underbelly, intelligent eyes, and a familiar profile. The recognition sinks in and a strange, giddy sense of relief fills me up. I rise a little from my seat and crane my head all the way back to look.

"That's a dragon."

Echo.

He's alive!

My savior loops around wide and rushes past the Plegians again for another attack on the Risen. The blast of wind from his dive causes the recovering enemies to wobble and pitch over again into a state of disarray. It might be a long-shot, but I'm guessing he's doing that on purpose. He keeping them busy while getting the Risen off our backs. He's buying us, me, time.

As if to confirm my own thoughts, he flies right next to us before rising up to meet the now thrashing Risen. For a split second he cranes his head and looks straight at me. I don't know how or why, but I get the distinct impression that he's looking for approval.

"Am I doing good?"

That's what his eyes are saying. And all I can do is think, 'Yeah, you did.'

The moment shatters and he flies by leaving nothing but empty space. Viola stirs and pushes my arm off drawing my attention back in to our group. The other two women look stunned at the performance and unsure what to do with our the new actor on stage.

"Is that with the Plegians?" Kat questions out loud.

"They aren't attacking it, so perhaps?" comes her riding partner's responds.

"Who cares what it is? That thing is buying us all time to escape and we should be taking it!" our lieutenant pushes out. "Leave them to the wyverns or whatever these things are! If we catch the updraft we'll gain an advantage on their mounts."

There really is no more need to protest at this point. For all these three know, a miracle's happened. We have an opening and there's no reason not to take it. We have everything we need and all that remains is to get back safely with it. With nary a word, the three of us retreat to the sounds of giant beasts clashing and the frustrated yells of Plegian scouts. I can't help but look back and watch the fight get smaller and smaller.

This is the fourth time this Marc and Echo stepped in to save my life. I truly don't know what side they're on but I know for sure that my survival is their main prerogative. Lucina thinks they're the enemy and it really is twisted if that's the case. But I, or Grima, is the most important person to them. As long as they continue to think so, they'll stay allied with me no matter what.

Just who are these two devoted minions of Grima? Where do they play in all of this? And who are all these mysterious people around them?

The four of us meet up with a waiting Nel not far along, much to Viola's dismay. We travel far enough until safe where we take a brief rest to bind up our leader's wound. Though she protests to it, Viola's lost too much blood and she spends the rest of the trip on Kat's mount with Glory and myself gliding right nearby.

The rest of the way back is quiet. Everyone is too tired to speak and too worn from the adrenaline rush of last night. We came so close to disaster. I'm not going to point fingers or anything right now but I have to wonder what Phila will think when she hears of this.

Never mind. Right now our safety is most important. We keep an eye on the horizon vigilantly for any signs, friend or foe. We stop only once despite both ours and the mounts' exhaustion. Our grueling pace continues well through until the next day.

When the sun rises, Ylisstol's skyline comes into view.

Our missing companion, however, never returns.

---

"Robin? You're drifting off again."

Sumia's soft tenor breaks my concentration and brings me back from clouded thoughts. I jerk my gaze away from my hand and offer a bashful smile in apology. "Sorry about that."

She presses the spear she'd been observing back on to the rack and turns to fully face me. The contours of her face break into creases of concern over my far-gone expression. With the army arriving in a day's time, we're frantically checking our reserves one last time to make sure there's enough around to arm every last solider available.

Time has traveled by in the blink of an eye. I barely had time to recover from my return trip before I was whisked into meeting after meeting to discuss the information we gathered. I can tell now why Emmeryn and Chrom sometimes come back looking tired. The energy needed to focus on details and concentrate on others' words is staggering. And I'm doing this all with a clouded head.

I had did my best to stay attentive on the mission but coming off of it has allowed an sense of uneasiness to quell in my stomach. Despite wanting to sleep, I was drilled for hours more as soon as I returned. Every last detail was analyzed and recorded over and over for every captain and commander expected to hit the field. I gave plenty in response and got little in return. Tiding have been grim in the time I left and have grown darker still as the inevitable arrived closer.

For starters, no one has heard a peep from our incoming allies. Kellam is sick to death with worry since Raimi's hawk has yet to return. As for my mission, I haven't heard much on Viola's status. She's was feverish with a mild infection last I heard. There's no sign of that rider, Leeza either. In fact, I pretty much don't know anything right now. After they let me go I was left undisturbed for the rest of the night. When I awoke this morning, any questions I had were ignored and I was given a simple inventory count with Sumia after breakfast. I know there's a meeting later this afternoon but I suppose there are other things of importance gong on that I'm not apart of at this time. I would be grateful for such an easy task if it didn't leave me with so much time to think. It means the inevitable demons of my own get to claw back up unbidden to the forefront of my mind.

Even on the scouting trip it had taken every ounce of self restraint not to look at the mark on my hand. I'd been carrying that thing for a few months now but I was never really aware of it. Yeah, it was there but I always kept it covered. And it never did anything. It was like a bad tattoo choice from my youth.

I don't know.

Maybe I was secretly in denial. I didn't want to think this thing meant what I thought it did. I mean, this isn't me. It's not my blood or lineage so this brand shouldn't be effective in the slightest. It hadn't done anything to me up until that point so...Man. This is so weird. It was dumb of me not to take it more serious. I just thought...No, I didn't want to accept the obvious. I just thought nothing was wrong so it was faulty. The brand just glitched out like a bug or something. Gods, how stupid was I. From day one I should have take this whole vessel thing seriously. No, I just took it with a grain of salt thinking I was immune to Grima's destiny. Boy, was I wrong.

It's the real deal. I know deep down it is. Not just because of what Lucina said either. Thinking back now, I had a dream just after collapsing. It was...I can't even describe it. I was me but not me? And the hall and those eyes and I just...

Lucina said my brand activated that night. At the same time, I dreamed of Grima watching me from behind the infernal flames of my subconscious. That can't be a coincidence.

The idea that something may be very wrong with me is frightening. It's almost indescribable. Like anxiety, denial, and horror mixed together in one big cocktail of wrongness. I assure you, it sucks eggs.

It's a dangerous state to be in too. I need to focus on the fact that we're about to go under siege from a rival country bent on eradicating us from existence. Throw in a megalomaniac alternate universe father and his psycho posse to boot and I've got one giant party just waiting for me to RSVP to.

Ugh. Robin, focus on the now. You can worry about these things after you've done everything possible to secure your safety tomorrow.

I should discuss this with Lucina somehow soon. We still need to figure out her and the other children's roles in these upcoming events. Maybe we should let the others in on our secret as well. Laurent already knows and both Nah and Owain are trustworthy. Well, as long as Owain didn't inherit Lissa's gossip powers, we should be good. Anyway, to the present! You're scaring Sumia over there.

I force a hospitable smile for her sake. "My mind is caught up in battle plans. Could you repeat what you said again?"

"I asked if you had finished counting the vulneraries we had on hand at this moment. We have to make sure there's enough to ration off between all of our members."

I look down at the crate in front of me and realize my hand is on the same bottle in the second row it had been when I first started. I got to a count of ten before staring at my hand and vegging out. I sharply suck in some air and cringe. "No, sorry Sumia. I lost count. I'll just start over."

She glances awkwardly at me as she dips her head to the left. "Robin, that's what you said fifteen minutes ago. The exact same thing."

"I did?" I rack my brain trying to think of what I might said. "Well, I do have a lot of tactics to go through."

"Oh." She drops her eyes to the side and chews on her words. "I suppose that's alright."

The pegasus knight turns away to the rack again and begins to fumble through looking for any fracturing poles or loose ends. Her hand goes from one, to another, and then stops partway between them. Her shoulders lift in a great heave before she spins around.

"Are you okay?" she bluntly declares. The exertion behind it is forceful and almost comes out as a shout, causing her to shrink a little at her own shout.

"W-what?" I stutter in surprise as a vulnerary in my hand slips out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out like that. I just..." Sumia looks bashfully to the floor and then back up again. "I'm just worried is all. You just haven't seemed the same since you came back from the healing wing."

"Ah." I don't have much else to say to that.

"I don't mean to pry or anything," she says quietly. She walks around the table and leans up stiffly against it before me. "You just seem...hm. I can't think of the right word. Distant maybe. It always seems like your eyes are elsewhere. It's like you're looking, but not. Oh, this is making no sense at all, is it?"

"No, no! Sumia it's okay. Really!" I exclaim. I rush forward and place both hands on her shoulders to show no ill feelings were gained. It actually warms my heart to know she's been watching so close to my health. At the same time, it means I haven't been doing a great job of hiding my feelings. Gotta work on that.

"Look," I start as calmly as I can. "You're right. I've just gone through a few extremes lately that have taken me off guard. If my mind seems to wander, it's just cause I'm thinking, nothing more. Just slap me up side the back of the head and I'll gather up my senses again."

Her brown eyes bore into mine with sincerity deep in their depths. "Is there anything I can do to help? I might not know how to help with everything but I'll try my best."

My hands slip from her shoulders in the same way my bland smile does. For a minute, my resolve falters. The friendship I have with her reminds me a lot of my roommate's and mine. Super close with the ability to tell one another any secret regardless of how ridiculous or woeful it may be. I just want to make a pot of tea with her and sit in some dark corner of the library to divulge everything weighing on my chest.

But I can't. So I just lie like I usually do.

I find myself constructing a mask in the same way Lucina does. But while she hides behind stoicism, I use geniality. "Nah, it's fine Sumia. It's just some growing pains I have to work out of. Nothing time won't help numb."

She hesitates. Pressing both hands to her chest, Sumia continues. "That's good I suppose. I'm...happy to hear that. Please tell me if you need an ear though. I'd be happy to listen regardless. After all, you'll need a clear head to fight at your best tomorrow."

Her last sentence is strikingly similar and I suppress a laugh. "Wise words, familiar too. I recall Chrom saying that on several occasions before. Looks like someone's been listening close to our captain."

Sumia's ever expectant blush flares up and sends her into another tizzy. She scurries away and suddenly finds observing the spear rack interesting again. Several polearms clatter past as she pushes them frantically aside in her rush to look busy again.

"Of course I'm listening close to his words. He's our leader after all. If he has advice it's only natural to take note of it," she sputters out.

"Uh huh." I swagger over and hang beside her. Her eyes flicker nervously to me before she focuses intently on the rack again. "Suuuuumia. Come oooon. I know you like him. No need to hide it."

Sumia's head slowly shrinks down into her shoulders. "I..."

Why does she look so guilty about liking somebody. It's not illegal to crush on the prince as far as I know. I prod her in the elbow teasingly. "You haven't said anything to him have you. I can tell."

"No," she whispers.

"Well that sucks. Unrequited love is the worst feeling. Probably. Never felt it myself as far as I remember, but I bet it bites." I elbow her harder and smile suggestively. "Want me to say something for you?"

Sumia pales to the color of ghost and reels back in horror. "No! No, no, no! Don't do that!"

I'm really trying not to laugh right now. I don't want her panic but her reaction is just so endearing. What is she anyway? Seventeen, eighteen? Nineteen is pushing it. Her reaction is just like any teenager trying not to let loose the obvious to her first major crush. It makes me want to help even more.

"Come on, Sumia. You can't just wallow in this forever. Be bold! Make a move before you lose your chance."

My flustered, bumbling friend chooses to occupy herself busily with some inventory papers on the table. She shuffles and reshuffles the paper into a disorganized pile. "I know," she speaks sadly. "I want to but..."

I sit on the table next to her and lean back to peer into her face. "But?"

Her eyes flicker away. "I can't."

"Sumia..." I trail of disapprovingly.

"It's not that I don't want to!" she almost shouts. Sumia presses her hands to her cheeks and closes her eyes. "There's someone else."

I nearly fall off the table in surprise. "Wait, what? Are you telling me Chrom's already got a sweetheart? When did this happen?"

She waves her hands desperately in response. "No! Not like that! I mean there's someone else I know who cares for him. Deeply. More than anything else she knows." The girl's demeanor crumbles. "I don't want to get in the way of that."

Ah. Cordelia. They're best friends and also harbor attraction for the same man. Talk about a conundrum. Poor thing. Sumia cares so deeply for Cordelia's happiness that she's willing to sacrifice her own for the other.

"Oh."

It's all I can muster. What else do you say to something like that?

"Don't worry," she blandly states. The sheaves of paper are stacked against the table and put aside again. Sumia returns to the rack and begins to count again with a noticeably less amount of vigor than before.

"Sumia," I push out. "What about your own happiness?"

She doesn't turn around but her voice carries a strength that could only come from the heart. "I'm at my happiest when those closest to me are as well. It doesn't feel right for me to know such joy at the expense of another. Only when everyone else is content can I feel that way."

Sumia turns to look over her shoulder and offers me a sad, yet bright smile. "I'll be fine."

And with that, I feel the conversation has ended. It's better off that way because I've been left rather speechless by her words. I know Sumia is suppose to be the sweet, gentle stereotype but by God! No one told me she could be so selfless. No wonder she's the number one option for queen material! Seriously though! You deserve as much happiness as anyone else Sumia. Sometimes it's important to look after your own desires, selfish as that might seem. Everyone deserves some happiness.

As the two of us sit with our thoughts, the room's door opens with a mighty squeak. Sumia's initial greeting twists into an inquisitive inquiry that catches my attention right away. "Oh? Excuse me but these are private rooms. Are you perhaps lost?"

A young fellow obscured almost entirely by the crate in his hands steps precariously into the room. He raises two fingers off the side of the box in greeting and a thick accent reminiscent to Nethys' comes out.

"Beggin' yer pardon ma'am. I don't mean to be bargin' in here all reckless like. Just delivering a few boxes is all."

The boy walks the clanging crate to a corner and starts to set it down. Sumia, lovely thing she is, sees him struggling and rushes over to help. I follow in her steps and we each take a side to help set it down. Oof! What's in this?

"That's a heavy load. I hope you haven't carried it far," Sumia comments as we gently lay it to the floor.

"Shucks, it aint' nothin. Try carrying a pregnant sow through the mud. That fella there is a real challenge," he laughs, his voice crackling with mirth.

"Oh, I bet," Sumia responds with polite bemusement.

I go to answer myself and am unable to proceed further. This is...that voice! How didn't I guess...but why is he here? H-how...?

A female voice echoes from somewhere down the hall. "Donnel, where are you?"

Yes. That Donnel. Cutie-patootie farm boy extraordinaire. Precious cinnamon roll of my life. He is standing right here in the Shepherd's barracks looking...looking nothing like his in game sprite!

I mean physically he does! He's got the same curly brown mop and rural rustic look to him. But the little tag along has traded in his peasant garb, pot, and smudged cheeks for some real gear. He's got a red and yellow cotton tunic and a few nice pieces of leather armor to go with it. What he's got is fairly reminiscent to what I see the squires around the castle wearing. There's not a speck of dirt on his friendly face and I want to say his hair had been trimmed, though it's hard to say seeing as I've only caught him with a pot on.

He's young though, Ricken and Lissa's age. Unlike the former, Donnel's probably going through his growth spurt now. He's starting to lose the gangly preteen look and is developing more muscle and height to his form. Give him another year and he'll be a real looker.

Donnel, meanwhile brushes both his hands off on his clothes and yells back over his shoulder. "Through the door on yer left! I'm straight on in."

The person's voice grows closer and closer, ranting all the way. "Doors here and guards there. Sheesh. What's a girl got to do to get some cooperation around here. Ylisse has by far been one of the worst places I've had the pleasure of doing business with."

A shock of red fills my vision as a woman pokes her head in. A tumble of curls held up in a ponytail shakes back and forth until her matching eyes catch sight of Donnel. Her dreary discontent slips away into relief as she skips in. Her gaze flickers about roaming over every object as if appraising its worth. Donnel approaches her with familiarity. It takes a moment to realize he's wearing the same colors as she is. Her garb consists of a baggy cloak over heavily draping travel robes with bright reds and yellows mixed. It's unmistakable to not assume these two are together from the same troupe.

"Still havin' trouble with them guards up front," he mentions casually as he comes to a stop beside her.

Her thinly pressed lips expand into a mischievous grin as both her palms settle on her hips. "As if. It's nothing a bit of charm and some greased palms won't do to take all your worries away."

Donnel raises a gloved hand and scratches the tip of his nose. "Er, beg pardon Miss Anna. But ain't that the same thing you said about gettin' past them bandits?"

"Yes. And the innkeeper. And the ferryman. And those bees. There is nothing you can't solve with a little jingle-jangle. That's your first lesson, free of charge. You'll get the next one after you move the rest of these boxes in."

Did he just say Anna? The Anna? Famous red-headed merchant that's been in like, every game ever? Fangirl mode activated. Holy moly. What do I say? Do I look okay? How do I address her?

More importantly, why is she here? Why is Donnel here? Why are they together? I feel like I'm going to explode with all these questions bottled up inside!

As I secretly spaz out, Sumia taps me on the shoulder. "Did you hear anything about a shipment?"

"Huh? Um, no. But that's not really my thing. Not yet anyway. Frederick more so deals with this."

"I see." She leaves the corner and walks to them with me trailing timidly in her wake. My mind is still blown by these two appearing.

Both Anna and Donnel are suppose to be random paralogue encounters in the wild. Hell if I know when they were suppose to happen. You should be able to pick them up whenever after Regna Ferox or something I think. We've been so busy here at the capital that I completely forgot about them. Yet here they are! They came right to our doorstep and we didn't even have to kill any awful bandits to do so. Just another weird, random encounter in this messed up time line. Not that I mind this one. I'm psyched!

"Um, good day. My name's Sumia. I'm with the Shepherds. Are you here to make a delivery for us? That is, I'm assuming you are but I just want to make sure."

Anna takes in the meek girl before us looking her up and down. "Well aren't you a cute little thing."

"Oh!" Sumia blinks rapidly at the sudden compliment and tries not to shrivel up in embarrassment. "Thank you?"

"Well, considering I can't find a single one of your superiors, I'll be happy to speak with you." Anna reaches into her pocket and flips open piece of parchment paper. Sumia and I barely have time to register the huge, smiling portrait of Anna winking at us with bright, large font around it. There's no time to read it as she quickly rolls it right back up and tucks it away. "The name's Anna from Anna and Sisters, Incorporated. Best merchant chain around. We specialize in everything and anything under the sun."

"Everything?"

"Yep," the merchant smiles smugly. "Got a war? Class A weapons all made by the best smiths in the Emerald Isles. Need armor to go with the weapons? Got those too. How about men to fit with those weapons and armor? Look no further than our customized rosters fit for any occasion!"

"You sell people?" Sumia words slowly.

"Yessir, we do. We throw in a complimentary week's worth of sandwiches to keep them happy too. Men in britches love some sandwiches."

"It's true," Donnel pipes up. "Darn good sandwiches. Makes ma toes curl just thinking 'bout em."

I nearly topple Sumia over in an attempt to get to Anna. "Peanut butter, bananas, and marshmallow fluff? Give me one and I will sell you my soul."

The two gawk in surprise at my outburst. It's probably the first time Anna's seen me because she's eyeballing me like Sumia but with even more interest. Donnel, though, poor kid just looks lost.

"What's a marsh-mal-oh?"

Again? What sort of deprived world is this?!

"You're killing me smalls," I whisper into my hand.

"And you are?" Anna inquires with curiosity.

"This is Robin. She's a Shepherd as well," Sumia answers beside me as she straightens herself back out. "She's our tactician to be exact."

"Well isn't that interesting." Anna leans away and brings a hand under her chin, finger coming to a rest at the side of her mouth. "Say, Donnel. Do me a favor and get the rest of those boxes coming. I want those unloaded before noon."

"All of 'em?" the boy gulps.

"Every. Last. Box." She smiles in a frightening fashion. "I've got some new deal in mind that I would very much like to renegotiate with Ylisstol's finest."

"Right. Of course ma'am." As he turns away, Donnel's face falls. He makes a fist and punches through the air letting out a barely audible, "Darn it."

"As for you-" Anna starts as she reaches into her coat. She pulls out a seemingly huge packet of paper she then thrusts into the pegasus knight's arms. Sumia almost topples forward under the weight of it. "Can you help a damsel in need and bring these to your superior? Frederick I think? It's the finalized contracts I've drafted to cement our negotiations before we proceed with further business."

I can see Sumia's knees knocking from the pile in her arms. "Business contracts?"

The merchant tuts and slaps her hand neatly up and down on the stack. "Chop, chop. Time is money and money makes Anna a very happy woman. Now off you go. We have important matters to discuss before the inevitable reaches us. But they can't be done until the fine print is dotted to the very last 'i'!"

"I see, I think. I guess I should bring these to him then?"

Sumia exchanges a pitiful look with me but I can only stare in response. I have no idea how to react to all of this right now. So the poor thing just lifts her arms and forces out a word of compliance before hobbling for the door. Anna stands back with hands on her hips and watches her all the way to the exit. I can see her mouth start to twitch in annoyance the longer it takes Sumia to leave. Finally, the girl exits much to the other's relief.

"Well that was easier than I expected."

Gods. I'm alone with Anna. Anna. The most recognizable face aside from maybe Marth himself! What do say to someone so out of my league?

"So," I start with that one measly ice-breaker. "So, yeah."

"Robin, huh?" Anna steps around me in a circle all the while carrying a critical eye.

"Yeah, that's me," I say a little nervously.

"You don't look like much for the vessel meant to doom all humanity."

"I know, right," I grimace sadly. My eyes snap open. "What."

"We're alone now so you can drop the act. And before you decide to do anything, let me state that I'm not here to get in your way. I'm not sure why you started this little game, but I don't give two shakes of a doubloon's purse, and that's saying a lot! Your business is yours and mine is mine. That's just how I run things."

I stare blankly in shock, the words slowly processing.

Anna puts on a pout at my lack of communication. She boldly reaches forward and raps me twice on the forehead. "Maybe your brain finally has gone to mush after all that hocus pocus. Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Ow, hey! Knock it off!" I yell after swatting her away. "Did you seriously just say that though? Y-you know about that?"

"Mmhm." She puts on an enigmatic half-grin that sets off a panic in me. "I know plenty. Don't worry though. Like I said, it's no place of mine to get involved. The only reason I'm here is to answer the one question I don't know."

"That being?"

"I want you to tell me where my sister is at."

"Your sister?" I repeat incredulously. My mind is still reeling over this.

"You know, lovely tall girl with a flawless complexion, witty quips, and strong legs? Much like myself," she adds with pride. "The family resemblance should be uncanny. We all are the same blood after all. Same name too."

She means another Anna then? There are two here? Why would I know something like that? "Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. This is the first time I've met any Anna, let alone a sister of yours."

"Impossible," she counters in a know-it-all tone. "You would have met her once on the way back from the Arena. Twice more if you had done your rounds in the countryside like usual. Anna's pretty habitual. She likes to keep things the same regardless of the changes going on."

This is getting weird. Time-travel weird. "Again, I'm sorry but we never met any merchants on the road. Just Risen."

Anna's smug attitude falters. Her tone drops and her smile seems more plastic. I feel like this is the onset of her extreme barter mode. Serious, no-nonsense business. "What about in the capital? You haven't seen her once hawking her wares? No mention of the nefarious red scourge on the trembling lips of the merchant's guild?"

"No. Really. I haven't. Now perhaps you'd like to tell me about how you know all these things?" I press defensively. Both Lucina's group and my identities are on the line here! I don't care what Anna says. If there are more people who know about this fiasco then I need to know! What if they can tell me something about what went down here!

"My. You may not be as crazy as I thought but you sure are cranky. Don't get your bonds in a bunch. If anyone should be upset right now, it's me." She folds her arms and stares me straight on with no fear despite her seemingly knowing who or what I could be. "Look, I know all about you. All of us sisters do. You've been giving Anna an eternity of grief and it's been ruining the last four reunions we've had. How could I not?"

She taking this way too well. Her attitude is far too detached from things. And the mention of another Anna that sounds like she belongs here has me thinking. Is this a sister from outside this dimension? The game had multiple Annas popping up with sales everywhere but it never explained if it was the same one using dimension gates or multiples in the world at the same time. I should ask. I mean, what's the use of hiding things when she knows everything? I need answers now and she's the closest thing I've got in forever. She doesn't want to start trouble either so I have nothing to lose trying to grill her here and now. Sorry, Lucina. I know you wanted secrecy but Anna here seems to be a large exception to the current state of affairs. "You're not from this world are you, that's what I'm getting here? There's a Anna who lives here and you're visiting? You're like me then! Does that mean the Outrealm gates are real? They work?"

"What I am is none of your business." She makes a stern face. "Look, I'm not here to haggle or anything. This is a one-way deal that's simple and works for both of us, no strings attacked. Just tell me where my sister is and I leave never to be seen again. We both will. Then you can keep playing your little games to all your heart's content."

"Anna's missing." The severity of this woman's words hits me hard. I leap so hard off the table I'd been leaning on that it causes it to rise and knock several things off it onto the ground. "Wait, she's gone. Anna's gone!" I exclaim in horror.

"Never mind. Here come the crazies."

I stop and glower at her. "I'm not crazy. I'm also not who you think I am and things are not what you believe them to be."

"Uh huh," she responds warily. I see one hand has slid to the bag at her side and stays fixed on something inside. A weapon?

"Whoa, chill out Anna. Look," I breath as I try to calm down. "I don't want you to be alarmed here but Anna isn't the only one missing right now."

"Well when you leave your comrades to die I would expect as much." She squints in dissatisfaction.

"That's not...Ugh. Just shut up and listen. Something really bad happened here in this world recently. Right now all the power players have gone missing. The real Robin is gone as is the body carrying Grima. Tiki's missing from the Mila Tree and now your sister is as well. This can't be a coincidence!"

Anna looks seriously put-off by my statement. "Just what do you mean by missing?"

"Just like your sister. Gone without a trace or warning."

"Okay then," the merchant drawls. "Enlighten me here. You said the 'real Robin is missing. If that's the case, who are you?"

I almost laugh. Almost. "In truth, I don't know anymore. But for now, I'm filling in the role until things even out."

"Always a loophole. Why can't anything be cut and dry anymore?" Anna throws a hand in the air and looks extremely put off by my admission. "I suppose that explains a lot. I was expecting someone a lot more devious and intelligent. And here I came armed and ready to fight as soon as I called you out on your heritage. I guess that proves something."

Footsteps in the hall cause us both to freeze. A few seconds later Donnel returns with another crate of goods. As he passes by us, I turn to her and point to him while mouthing "How?"

She shakes her head and goes back into casual Anna mode. "It looks like we have further business to conduct. I know you're busy now so we'll have to set up another time to renegotiate our deal."

Is she...oh! "Uh, yes that. Exactly. There's a lot of fine print that needs to be discussed before we just jump in." I add in the next part with a bit of bite. "We don't want to make assumptions on things again."

Anna's smile turns watery. "Don't push your luck too much Robin, especially against a master negotiator."

"Fine then."

Anna catches Donnel by the collar as he passes by and holds him back. She extracts a small set of coins from her side pouch and presses them into his hand. "Donny, be a good boy and fetch me a room somewhere for the next week or so."

His eyes grow in shock. " 'scuse me? I thought ya said we were skedaddlin' to the north soon as we finished selling our wares? The city's evacuatin' and everythin'."

"Change of plans. Looks like Anna and Sisters, Incorporated is about to set up shop," she proclaims with a triumphant clap of her hands.

"But accordin' to business practice one-oh-eight, all sisters ain't suppose ta take a side in a war. Taken sides reduces profit and somethin' somethin'."

She waggles a finger. "Ah, but clause number two says this is acceptable in cases of family emergencies. Looks like I need to have you memorize the business doctorate again."

Donnel looks ready to lose his lunch. "Naw, no need there Miss Anna. I just forgot is all real quick there. I remember every clause, one thru ten. Cross ma heart and hope to spit."

"Well then, I suppose a little pop quiz later is in order to back that statement up."

"Right," he responds with a sickened grimace.

"Well, off you go then. I've got to make a personal call to some family so I'll meet you in the square around three." As he walks away, she remembers something and spins around with a dramatic wave. "Ooo, and once you get settled in, make me an Appletini. Make sure you put the little the umbrella in it. Only the red one with the orange dots. Not the blue ones. I hate blue."

"Yes'm," he responds without looking back.

"And a red apple slice on the side. No green. Always use the family colors."

"Yes'm." He's basically out the door now.

"Don't forget to use the round glass!"

"Anna," I weasel in, "he's gone."

"Mm. Good kid. He's the obedient type and very easy to train. The ideal grunt for a merchant like myself."

"How did he even wind up with you?"

"Oh, funny story that. I hit a detour thanks to those Risen and had to take the long way around the south coast. I happened upon his village getting ransacked and remembered what my sister said. Seeing as you left him to die, like usual, I decided to pluck up the unused resources for myself. All that potential and you just let him wither each time. For shame Robin," she gloats with immense pride.

"For the last time, wrong Robin!" I protest.

"Who cares? You still weren't there when he needed help."

The thought of that mortifies me. "I didn't know!" I protest. "I've been flat on my ass most of the time these past few weeks. How was I to know I should have been patrolling the countryside for Shepherd recruits? I don't have a message system that tells me when I'm exactly suppose to pick up talent."

She laughs harshly at me and I feel myself start to sizzle. "Ouch, not really good at your job are you? You seem to at least know what's going on but that's not going to help with you winding up that useless all the time."

"Hey!"

She wipes the corner of her eyes and tries to look more sympathetic. "Look, it seems to me you need some guidance. Maybe I can help somehow."

"Really?"

"Yep!" She places and arm around my shoulder and throws her hand out. "I happen to have an amazing set of tactical self-help books in stock right now. All printed on fine Chon'sin paper bound in a fine leather finish. The three volume set comes with a preface written by the famed strategist Soon'Zoo himself. Since I see you're in such a crisis, I'll even knock a little off the price and sell it to you for the low, once-in-a-lifetime price of nineteen gold and ninety-nine silver pieces!"

She takes a long breath and speaks rapidly. "Infivedifferentinstallmentsofcourse."

My eyes cringe to slits and I can't help but press the initiative. "How much for shipping and handling?"

"Five gold pieces."

"But wait!" I exclaim with false excitement. "If I order it now am I guaranteed something more?"

"Ooo, you are good. Yes indeed! I'll not only throw in another set of volumes, but I'll give you a free bookmark as well! Free!"

"I've fallen into the Twilight Zone haven't I?"

Anna's face contorts into discomfort. "Trust me, you'd know if you did. I highly advise against traveling there too. That place makes my skin crawl."

I...er...what? "Just what are you?"

Her mysterious airs reappear and she slips away from my side. "Like I said, not your business to know."

Our little conversation is interrupted again by Sumia's timely reappearance. She waves down my companion and calls out. "Miss Anna?"

"Sumeria, right? What can I do for you?"

"Sumia," she kindly reminds the other.

"Details, details."

Sumia lets the issue slide and she continues to speak. "I've spoken with my superior and he has some questions he wants to ask you about the payment procedures. He's a little confused on some of the things you requested."

"I have made it as simple as I can for that man. What in the names of the stars can I do to be any clearer," Anna huffs in frustration. "Take me to him then. I've got less than twenty-four hours to make this work."

"You," she adds in response to me. "We'll discuss these new talks in finer detail later on. You and I seem to have a great demand for something and maybe we can supply each other in the future should we settle on proper arrangements. Capiche?"

I feel like working with Anna is like working with the devil. But I can't really pick and choose my partners right now. Still, this is all too strange for me to be dealing with right now. "Yeah, capiche."

"Excellent! Lead on then Saria."

"Sumia."

I stare after them until they disappear around the bend at the end of the hall. Slowly, I raise my hand and knock myself once on the forehead just to make sure I'm still here.

What in the hell just happened? And just who the hell is Anna?

"This place is going to be the death of me," I groan, slumping against the door frame. I lift my hand and stare down at it scathingly. "That, or you. I wonder which one will win out first."

---

A/N: Whoo! Another chapter down. The war officially begins with some good old fashion reconnaissance. I think the obvious theme of this chapter is highlighting the pegasus knights and their versatility in war. They can be scouts, heavy bombers, strike teams, you name it. They've always been a favorite unit of mine and this was also a great way to give our two Shepherds a bit of time to shine too. Cordelia is such a badass and Sumia is one of the emotional backbones of the company. Each is important in her own way I think. And as for the ending...yeeeeah. I'll just leave you all with that one.

Anyway, sorry about the wait again guys. Life events are lovely. Some good and bad happened so I'm adapting to the new changes. On the bright side, my yearly convention is approaching this weekend and Sully/Cherche's voice actress will be there as a guest. I'm not sure what I'll have her autograph yet but I can't wait! Exciting! That will be the highlight of the event I'm sure. Well then, I'm off to finish the costume and hopefully go spend some money on fan swag. See you all!

---

Review Responses -

Overlord Valkyrie – Sad Lucina is troubling. I think it was so tough to write that chapter because I dislike imagining her so downtrodden. She needs more smiles. Plegia is not helping with that I'm sure. The Grimleal are at least aware of her general position now so we'll just have to see how that pans out. I'm sure it will be lovely. Morgan made a slight reappearance here and will do so again if things go accordingly. Funny you mention that because I thought the same thing. Female Morgan always seemed so much more aggressive and teasing than male Morgan. That came out in the story with Marc being the taunting brawler and Morgan the more tactical, observant magic user.

Raiden 312 – Yeah that does seem to be the case doesn't it. Poor thing. Consider that her trade off for her impeccable luck. Survival with a price. I suppose that would make it her best and worst stat then, huh?

Oh she's suspicious of everything aside from her father, aunts, and immediate friends. The reckless bit is definitely those paternal genes kicking in. She can think she's being meticulous and whatnot but her emotion still bleeds out when she least expects it. She's a human despite it all. Hopefully she's feeling a little better about things now.

The Night Gaunt – Nope, the poor dork has all the trials of old Robin plus more. Adversity is fun! As for Lucina, she probably wasn't paranoid in the beginning. After numerous cycles happening (and I mean at least five if not more), she grew more shut off. As her friends started disappearing, that's when the major spiral downward happened. The fact that she hasn't broken after reliving a worsening lifetime over and over again attests to her will. As for Robin getting together with Chrom leading to that, I guess you'd be right. Lucina could call her "Mother" if she desired to. Robin is a different person though so it makes things weird like that. Hypothetically anyway. That's if it happens.

If people want the future babies to pair up, sure. I had some ideas but nothing concrete. So if that's something you're interested in, let me know! :)

Hm, I think you're the first or second to suggest that angle. Wouldn't that be an unfortunate state to be in. That would really flip the plot, wouldn't it? Would she stay a good guy I wonder then? Hm...But yeah, thanks for the review. I know the plot seems slow but the war has started so that should start getting everything moving. I just needed to squeak in Anna and Donnel before the end.

Forgetful Dreamer – Nah and Owain are in the private living residence of the wing. Owain's unique state of being and Nah being the first manakete seen in forever are keeping them out of the public spotlight until the royals can decide what to do with them. They should be back in the next few chapters hopefully. Ugh, I hear you on this last chapter though. Don't know what it was but something bothered me each time I rewrote it. Sometimes you just can't figure it out and have to do your best. It's a bummer though.

I'm torn which path I want. Hoshido is attractive because of the open world but I like the darker, traditional aspect of Nohr's. I'll buy both regardless as well because why not? I'd love a chance to explore a story three different ways. There's a lot of hidden depths to explore in that I bet. I'm already in love with the adorable little sisters the avatar has. Being an older sibling myself, I love doting on younger ones. My heart is going to snap at the decision scene when both families are vying for your loyalty. So cruel D :

Arthogawa – Oh man, Alistair was the greatest! His humor made the worst situations a little easier to handle. If Robin gender-flipped that'd be a good example of how she'd be. The snark is strong with these two.

You're sort of right in that Plegia is unaware of Regna Ferox. That is, they know they are coming thanks to their spies but...well you'll find out soon ; )

Yeah, some pairings have finally been unveiled. Exciting, no? I'm still flipping on a few of the last ones so we'll see. The interesting thing will be what turns out endgame and what doesn't. As for Donnel (and Anna), ta-da! Question solved. Welcome aboard the Shepherds. Kind of.

A Shadow's Lament – Poor Lucina indeed. Ooo, that's a rather heartbreaking theory though. It would explain a lot. That's a lot of anguish for one girl to live through. And then to just see it get worse and worse each time she relives it? Dark indeed.

Ha, ha. Now I have this picture of Emmeryn and Frederick riding off on a horse with a sign attached to the back saying "Outrealms or Bust." Nothing like escaping fate via trans-dimensional means!

Thank you for the supportive words though. It means a lot to hear because the only thing I really worried about was an accurate portrayal of such things. I never wanted to undermine or romanticize something so serious so I poured a lot of research in and tried to take a real, educated description of it. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea and is hard to read. But the response felt right for her as a character and I did what I had to. It's good to know I presented it fairly and you have all my respect in the world for overcoming such a hard thing yourself. Best wishes and good luck with your little teaching stint!

Malconvoker – Hi there! Nice to meet ya! A big thanks first off for reading and taking time to review. I appreciate the efforts taken as well as the comments given! It is a large cast but I'm doing my best to give everyone the justice they deserve. Glad you like the pairings too! Lon'qu and Lissa won out at the very last minute. I have such a darn soft spot for them that it snuck out and snatched up the spotlight. I read your suggestions and actually have heavily considered one of those happening. They're all amazing though in their own ways. I remember Virion and Panne's shocked me with how touching it was when I originally sort of laughed at the initial thought of it. It sure showed me how badly I was wrong. Anyway, thanks again!

Titan127 – I know. Poor Lucina and poor Robin. They need a big vacation after this. The mark is a wicked little anomaly and I figured it should reflect that. The whole Grima thing is Lovecraftian in nature and I just ran with it, creepy side effects and all. And war too. Glorious, joy-killing war. It's about time. I am simultaneously dreading this as well as feeling excited to write it.

King Keith – At this point, everyone needs cookies and milk. Ricken especially needs milk. Poor kid needs to grow another inch or he'll never be taken seriously.

Changing history/time travel is a double-edged sword in the literary world. It's amazing to think up the alternative circumstances that can emerge from moving one thing out of place. Sometimes it's for the best, sometimes the worst. Who survives and who gets taken out can change the very power balance of the world. Yep, not a daunting subject to tackle at all. Now I'm second-guessing my decisions, ha ha. Let those ideas flow though! You never know what may pop up and tickle your fancy. I saw your new story too and I'll get to reading it any day now. Life has just kept me busy is all. A Fate fic with Apocrypha influences? Niiiice.

The real one – Hey, no worries! Character interactions and world building are my thing. They're my favorite aspects to explore in literature. Aw man though, sorry for the scare. I wouldn't worry too much considering she's a late entry to everything. But you never know, that's why she's there. Oh gosh, Tharja and Henry though. Won't that be interesting! Darkly, terribly interesting. Yes.

superattackpea – Ah, Neopets reference. I used to love that game back in the day. I wonder if my old account is still there...Anyway, thanks for reading! Thirty chapters is a ton, my applause to you! I admit, I love the dynamic between Robin and Chrom too. It flows very well and the spontaneous ideas I get while writing between them make for some amusing outcomes. Now let me just get my shipping stick and add another notch for these two, ha ha. I have great plans for their interactions coming up so I hope they don't disappoint!

Ha, ha, glorious monster. I like that. Feed me all your tears, mwahaha.

QwertysHuman – Aw, no problem. It's a great hobby and I'm just happy to be sharing it with others. Ha, ha that's a glorious breakdown of all the potential bachelorettes. Pretty accurate as far as I see. I have to concur, Sumia and Stahl are too precious to break up. We'll have to see what developments happen in the future though for everyone. We'll see who's rooting for who as time goes on :)

Guest – Oh dear, I think your message cut off. I see you wrote something about peanut butter so I'm assuming you meant the PB&J conversation. Hope you like it? If not, sorry you hated it? Either way, thanks for attempting the review!