Chapter Text
The huntsman raced forward, dark storm clouds gathering above his head as he desperately searched for his target. Thunder rumbled above, and winds battered him from each side, making it harder to see where he was going. By pure chance, he spotted a cloak wrapped around a prone figure in an open field. Not quite believing his luck he surged forward and dropped down beside the figure, tattered red cape billowing behind him, salt-and-pepper hair blowing wildly in the wind, and his large, sheathed sword belted at his hip. As he approached, the figure on the ground began to stir, giving Qrow Branwen some small hope that perhaps he'd arrived just in time. Relief poured into him and he relaxed, calling out jovially as he approached.
"Hey! There are better places to be taking a nap than the ground, you know!" Qrow turned the cloaked person over to help them sit up, only to freeze, blood draining from his face as he got a good look at the person, or rather, woman on the ground.
That she was pale was the first flag to Qrow that the person on the ground was not his quarry, and each additional trait; the foreign clothing, the long platinum blond hair, and the pale grey eyes as the woman began to stir, were each an additional flag that staked ground in his heart as Qrow panicked, looking around frantically as if hoping another unconscious woman would suddenly appear. It was only as light flashed deep into the nearby forest and strong gales blew towards the trees that Qrow groaned, cursing his damn Semblance and rotten luck. He turned back to the woman, who was beginning to sit up.
"Listen, you stay right here, 'lright? I gotta help somebody else but I'll be right back. Stay down and the Grimm won't see you, and when I get back, we'll get you back to your village."
Without waiting to hear her response Qrow sprinted away, and when he was hidden enough by the tall grass, transformed into a crow and flew straight towards the freak storm that was shedding lightning like rain. The repeated sounds of thunder drowned out all other noise, and as Qrow drew near the violent winds buffeted him back and forth until he was forced to land and transform back. He continued at a sprint, heedless of the branches that whipped his face and body, his aura protecting him from the small cuts and welts.
Without warning, the storm suddenly stopped, though the sky remained dark and moody, as though the calm was only a brief respite before nature's wrath began again. Qrow increased his speed, finally bursting through the trees to a barren dirt road. Once again, he spied a lone figure prone on the ground, this time clearly a woman, and clearly having fought desperately to survive. There were no signs of her attackers as Qrow cautiously approached, his sword drawn as he kept an eye out for any signs of ambush. He stopped next to the woman who was clearly his ward. Amber, the woman he was supposed to be protecting. Her dark skin was bruised and bloody with wounds, and her face was horribly mangled by what seemed like acid. Qrow bent down and checked her pulse, but he already knew what the verdict would be. Amber was dead. Qrow summarized the situation the only way that he knew how to.
"Well… shit."
Robin felt as though she were falling down deep into darkness. Memories flashed by her like projections, as though she were a passive observer in her own life. Which, she idly mused, as she descended into what she could only assume was the afterlife that awaited her, might not have been far from the truth had the dark dragon Grima succeeded in manifesting in her body. As she thought of it, those memories played out beside her, and she watched as she and the rest of her found family and companions, the Shepherds, fought on Grima's massive back, working their way slowly towards the weak point at the nape of the dragon's neck. She watched as they finally reached their destination, and watched her sacrifice herself, plunging her blade into Grima's body. She knew that consciousness had failed her at that point, but she was unsure of where she was now in this endless abyss.
Now that her last memories had played out, the endless dark seemed to surround her with its embrace. It was oddly comforting, as if whispers of ghostly hands held her and whispered silently that she had completed her task, and that she should feel proud. As she turned to face her descent and closed her eyes, she felt more with her soul than her senses that her journey was finally coming to an end.
"Hey! There are better places to be taking a nap than the ground, you know!"
Those were the words that stirred her and roused her from unconsciousness. Chrom…? She first thought, but the voice was too rough, like gravel over sandpaper. She felt the cold and hard ground beneath her, fieldgrass and stones digging into her as someone turned her over. Her eyes fluttered open, and she spied what was perhaps the most unkempt man she had ever seen in her life. He looked like a man the world had decided to chew up, consider, then spit out as if he were too bitter. Dark circles framed eyes that were red and bloodshot, and a roughly trimmed salt-pepper-beard framed a face that seemed to be holding an eternal exhaustion. The stench of old alcohol clung to him heavily, making her eyes water. His odd clothes caught her gaze next as she spied the silver necklace that contrasted with the grays, blacks, and reds that seemed to be his favorite colors.
She began to sit up as the man suddenly and frantically looked around, before, without warning, instructing her to remain where she was and racing off. Cold, ominous wind blew in her face as he sprinted off as if he were being chased by a horde of Risen. Robin stood on wobbly legs as she tried to gather her bearings and figure out where exactly she was. Temperate trees and tall spring grasses suggested that this place wasn't dissimilar to Ylisse, though a quick glance around gave her no indication of where on Ylisse she would be.
If I'm even on Ylisse… The thought wasn't a comforting one by any means, but Robin had already experienced the strange works of alternate timelines and dimensions. The fact that she was here, whether this was her correct timeline, a different dimension, or a different time altogether, suggested that there would be some way to make her way back to the Shepherds.
Robin glanced back to the forest where the man had disappeared, considering if she should follow him. He didn't seem hostile, but not everyone was as naively trusting as Chrom was. The thought of Chrom's innocent nature almost made her chuckle, but the low rumble of thunder made her glance towards the dark clouds gathered above. It would be best for her to find some cover, and quickly before the inevitable downpour started.
Just as she reached the thick tree line, the immense noise of the incoming storm suddenly stopped, creating an eerie absence of sound in its place. Thunder no longer boomed, the wind no longer blew, and it was as if nature itself had decided to hold its peace for a moment, in either fear or reverence. Then, the rain started, coming down heavily, almost in sheets. Robin decided to do a quick inventory while she could, thankful for her heavy cloak protecting her from the occasional raindrop that managed to slip through the thick canopy. Spellbooks, elixirs, and her trusty Levin sword, all accounted for on her person. Strangely, her books and sword were gleaming like they were brand new, where before they had been starting to show their wear during the battle with Grima.
As she finished her check, the snapping of a branch made her whirl around, drawing her sword, its peculiar shaping and color, like lightning itself, instilling a sense of ominous power in those who saw it. Her eyes tracked the area, trying to pierce the loamy gloom of the forest. Robin heard a rumble, but this time rather than being from the thunderous clouds above, it was the growling of a feral beast. Two piercing, red, and hate-filled eyes glared at her from beyond the darkness as a huge beast emerged from the brush. It at first made her think of one the Taguel tribe, but the form was too dark and unnatural, a wolfish creature with armor-like bone plates and spikes jutting out from its fur.
Robin ducked as the beast lunged forward, claws as sharp as daggers flying where her head was just moments before. She rolled forward between its legs and back into a ready stance behind the creature, lashing out with the Levin sword. The blade stuck true but shallow, only scoring a cut where Robin had intended to sever the monster's spine and end the fight there. The beast roared, warding Robin back with a wild backhand that she had to rapidly back step to avoid.
Its skin is tougher than a boar's! What manner of creature is this? Some kind of Risen? She thought as she backed up further creating some distance between the two. Robin's eyes flicked around the area, taking in information as she calculated a plan. The forest's dense foliage would make it impossible to use the Levin sword to its full effect. Robin decided that she could use a change of scenery. She suddenly charged forward, both taking the beast by surprise and provoking it. It roared and slashed at her, but Robin stopped suddenly, diving to the left under its swipe. Or at least, she would have had the mud, freshly formed and slick, not suddenly given way under her, causing her to fall backwards and slide until she was directly under the creature.
It reached down, picking her up with clawed hands, causing her to cry out, before it tossed her aside into a nearby tree with a massive roar. Robin gritted through the pain radiating up and down her spine, getting up and diving out into the rainstorm, landing on her hands and knees as she crawled forward. The beast, now convinced of its victory, padded towards her victoriously, almost smugly as it neared, baring its teeth in a sadistic grin. A grin that Robin matched as she turned back towards it. Her sword, having been forgotten by the creature in its haste, swung upward, sparks arcing across the length of the blade. Thunder rumbled above, and with a deafening crash, lightning slammed down, its force amplified by the natural storm surrounding them. For a moment, the creature stood still, smoking and muscles twitching ever so slightly, before it began to crumble into dust, slowly fading away into the wet and rainy air.
Robin let out a sigh of relief, letting herself sink backwards into the mud for a second. Heavy rain splashed down, its cool water providing relief for her aching body. Taking a second to fumble with one of her coat's inner pockets, she pulled out her only bottle of elixir, taking a small swig of it and letting it do its work, starting to knit her torn muscles and soothe her bruised body. Foliage shook as the man from before burst through the tree line, coming to a skidding stop before the smoking and dissolving corpse of the monster. His eyes flicked to it, the clear signs of destruction around it, and then to her, lying on the ground looking much worse for wear than when he had left her.
"Let's get somewhere safe. Then I think we need to have a short chat."