Chapter Text
Lucina poured through the portal. Eye focused on the Risen surrounding her. It was foolish of her to expect that Grima wouldn’t send any through the portal into the past with them. At least she could be comforting that Grima couldn’t follow them back. The large dragon simply could not fit through the portal.
And in the off chance that he made it back to the past. Well. She could only pray that some of her friend managed to alert Naga of the past. I mean a giant dragon appearing spreading doom. Would be noticeable.
Of course once she got her bearing she noticed that Aunt Lissa was in trouble being attacked by a Risen and moved to intercept. Seeing her father and aunt in the past brought up feelings for her. They look so young. She remembered the mission. They had to ensure that the Fire Emblem was collected before Grima resurrection. Emmeryn assanination and the disappearance of the Fire Emblem was the key start for when everything went downhill. Lucina didn’t have any proof but she believed that Fire Emblem would be stolen by the Grimleal, such a powerful artifact would probably be key for Grima resurrection. Still that was then, now she had to keep her family safe from the Risen that followed her back.
——
Chrom was very much not prepared for today. Sure finding an amnesiac women on the road was not something anyone would expect. But such a scenario would not be completely out of left field. Someone had too much to drink and woke up with a killer hangover that made basic memory difficult. At least Robin was able to pull her weight in Southtown and help with the bandits. Who ever she was she clearly had combat experience and her tactile mind would be of use for the Shepherds.
Fighting what seemed to an army of the dead that appeared from a portal in the sky as the earth as what could be called the apocaplyse is not something he expected.
Being Saved by a mysterious masked stranger from the sky is well. At this point Chrom would not be surprised if Naga herself descend for the heavens to give him a quest. Still focus. Whatever foul dark magic summoned these creatures needed to be dealt with. And they were currently close enough to Southtown that if they decided to siege the village. Still at least Sully has arrived (along with this strange archer that she picked up).
“Robin we need to make sure to eliminate these creatures. We can’t let them attack Southtown. Or escape to rampage through Ylisse”.
The masked stranger turned to look and stated “I know a spell that will draw them all to me. If your willing to provide backup we can ensure they all meet there end here. A few strangler might escape but it should be able to keep them the main force focused on us.”
Frederick “And would you explain to us why you know anything about these creatures”
Chrom: “Frederick their time to be suspiocus later, right now we need to fell these beings. You can integrate … Actually what your name sir?”
Marth: “You may call me Marth”
Chrom: "Like the Hero-King well we might need a hero now".
Chrom looked at Robin who was clearly analyzing the battlefield. Her brilliant mind already seemed to be clear on a possible plan.
“I see some abandoned first nearby. If we occupy them we can lead these monster to us in a defended and fortified locations. Me an Virion can blast them from range, while Chrom and Sully can take out that get any closer. Im assuming that Marth might be occupied with his spell to our them. Lisa will be focusing on healing any of us who get injured. Meanwhile Lissa will be focus on keeping us all healed and healthy while Frederick will serve to prevent her from being corned. As well as transporting her around the battlefield. ”
Marth: “You are correct in that ill be otherwise focused acting as bait, however once the spell complete ill be able to take too the field”
Well Chrom thought. It was a decent enough plan. And If it could lure these monsters and deal with them at once it have a decent shot of working. Perhaps Marth would be willing to be offered a spot in the Shepherds. He seemed clearly confident in what he was doing.
——
Robin was not having a good day. On one hand waking up on the side of the road and not having a memory was not a good thing. She could barely remember anything she woke up in. Well she was trained in swords and tomes. So it wouldn’t be surprising that she was a former soldier? Or perhaps a mercenary? Was she coming to Ylisse to offer her services as a tactician before whatever caused her to lose her memory happened?
Still she managed to attract the attention oft his strange nobleman and his sister. He seemed nice enough. So hopefully he help her figure out who she was.
Right focus on the monster. “Marth” was clearly channeling some sorta spell. And just like he said the monster seemed to be making a bee line for her location.
She was currently partied with the new archer. Both of them had the ability to fire at range.
“Well my lady It be a pleasure to make my acquentice with an exotic beauty such as yourself. Perhaps you could share the name of such as yourself”
“My name is Robin. Im a mage and swordwomen and I have amnesia. Now our foes are coming. Get ready because everyone we eliminate from afar is one less for our allies to deal with. ”
“Well I’ll sure not to dissapoint. I am the archest of archers after all”
Well if continuing to hang out with Chrom involved meeting more eccentric individuals such as Viriion won’t be the weirdest experience.
Her eyes turned to Marth to see if she could analyze anything bit about the spell. The only thing she could tell was glowing purple with magic and some strange symbol on his shoulder appeared to be pulsating. Tried to see if she could get any feel from the magic for a sense of any familiarity in the spell. Got nothing.
Still something about that strange symbol that appeared on “Marth” shoulder felt familiar. Perhaps she was familiar with a similar magic before she lost her memory.
Still the design of Marth swords looked strange. Definitely resembled Chrom swords but the design of 3 eyes? On each side looked familiar.
Perhaps she could ask Chrom assuming they all survive the night.
——
Frederick could not state that he liked how the day was going. He would be honest that Robin seemed to be a nice women and a capable tactician whose advise on the battlefield was adequate and she would be a useful addition to the Shepherds. The only issue is her backstory made no sense. Lying out in the middle of the field with no memory. That raised so many question. Not to mention she was clearly Plegian and her robes were Grimleal. Everything about her was suspicious as hell and try as he could he could not find an honest explanation of her past. The risk of her being a spy or saboteur was too great a risk. If Frederick had his way they escort the woman to the capital and perhaps have some dedicated healers examine her to investigate her amnesia, but of course minimize any possible damage she could do on the off chance she was an enemy agent.
A stray blast of lighting shot one of the monsters that was moving to flank him, and he was grateful to have her by their side tonight. He hoped that their was an innocent explanation for her suspicious past. There was no way she would not become a member of the Shepherds after this. Perhaps the doctors at the capital would be able to determine the cause of her amnesia and cure it which should hopefully clear up much of the mystery.
And of course there was “Marth”. The masked man showed up from nowhere and offered support to face these monsters (that name was obviously a pseudonym). Well whatever the truth of this was this situation was definite a major one. And of course that mysterious spell that was going on. All the monster were being lured but there was still the risk that more were coming and overwhelm them. Perhaps arranging for them to swarm from a defensible position was not the most wisest of plans.
“Marth” had clearly finished the spell to lure the Risen and was swiping them to piece with his sword. Glowed a foul purple that stank of dark magic similar to the monster. With each slice the purple smoke seemed to be absorbed into his sword as filling up.
As the sword glowed Marth turned to smile and raised it out as pulse of energy unleashed from the blade.
"Foul Tormented Creatures. You persist far been when you have expired. It is time you return to the grave where you belong.
So says I. I ORDER YOUR TORMENTED SOULS TO SEEK THEIR ENTERNAL PEACE AND TO RETURN TO THE GRAVE."
A foul shock of purple erupted from eh sword blasting into the monsters. The ones closest to “Marth” seemed to vanish into Purple smoke. While several of the other one seemed to no longer be focused on the shpeherds and turned to hacking and slashing into each other. Dissolving into puple mist as they faded. Any possiblity of being overwhelmed vansihed as the monster tore into each other and it was clear that all the Shepherds had to do was to wait a bit and just clean up any stagggler that left. Frederick could only thank Naga for that miracle as he paused to relax for a bit.
Frederick mind snapped as he realized something. “Marth” ordered the monster to kill each other. AND THEY LISTENED. Was this all a setup by Marth to gain their trust. Frederick could only think of worrisome outcomes of how someone could learn to control such monster. He would bring this up with Robin and Chrom because as suspicous as Robin is, she was a tactican so hopefully she apprecaite the security nightmare that this scenario repersented. (And of course he need to investigate that new Archer as well, well at least that probally be easiest to investigate his past, probally some ex-noble who seeks to join shepherds to regain their standing and lands, not like he be a foreign duke or anything).
—
Virion sneezed. What an exceptional day. Already making inroads with the prince of ylisse and his shepherds. He can only hope that ylisse would be a formiable force to help him rescue his homeland from Walhart the Conquer.
—
Lucina was finished. The spell that controls the Risen was the pinnacle of Morgan and Laurent research. Using Grima’s tooth (she chuckled at the name Morgan gave it, definitly worth of all the respect the Fel Dragon dserved) as a focus it could identify the flow of magic through the Risen and seize control of them. Lucina wasn’t an experet on magical theory but by slicing a few to pieces it managed to connect to how the Risen were issued commands and allowed her to give them new one. Theoretically the same sword could be used to summon more Risen but well that wasn’t ideal in many cases. Still the ability to temporairly order teh Risen to destroy each other saved her and her friends lives more then they could count (even if Grima could seize back control that required him to paying attention to do so, and none of the grimleal sorceror that he kept around were capable of taking it back).
But now that Lucina was finished she turned to look at her father. Uncle Frederick, Virion, Aunt Lissa, Sully, and her mother. The Fell Vessel. She could kill her mother right now. If she dies then Grima wont come back. She and Morgan found mother’s diary and why she avoided the grimleal. They were not 100% ceartin about the ritual to revive Grima but mother was definitly a critical sacrfice. Dying here and now, would most liekly be a better fate then having one body and soul be consumed by Grima. But Lucina couldn’t do it. She and Morgan resolved to find a way to save the world, and their parents and that includes mother’s fate. No killing mother would only be resolved as a last resort where other avenues had dried up.
Lucina shoulder started to itch. Like it always did when she used extensive use of Fel Magic. The brand of the defile was glowing with power. Still despite how much she hated the foul dragon she will not deny how useful its power was in keeping her friends and family alive. Owain doubling down on his speeches about his cursed arm and dark legacy were hilarious considering what she and Morgan managed to pierce together about their mothers past. Still she needed to go find and reconnect with her friends, the idea they would be scattered on arrival was a possibility but hopefully they be able to find each other easily.
With the fight done she warned the rest that this was a prelude of what to come. And that they should prepare for these monster apperance would be getting worse. They should hurry to the capital to discuss next action while “Marth” would stay behind to clean up any stragglers as well as continue “his” own mission.
She tried not to foucs on the part that wanted to cry into her father and mother arms. That so dearly missed them and was grateful to see them both alive.
She had a mission to do. To change the fate of the future. And the restoration of the Fire Emblem was simply the first step on her quest.