A Hunter's Awakening

After an eternity of Servitude, Gehrman is given a chance by Naga, the Goddess of light and life. He will be given a new life, one away from the Beast's Blood, the Healing Church, and the Dream. All he has to do, is save a world. So the First Hunter sets off into the land of Ylisse, seeking that chance to see the sunlight once more…

Note: I am using my interpretation of Bloodborne Lore, sorry if it conflicts with anything.

Disclaimer: I own jack shit.

[Story Start!]

The night, and the dream, were long

Those were the last thoughts of Gehrman, his last words to the one who finally put him down. Actually, it was unkind to say that he was put down. It implied that he was nothing more than a rabid beast. But, if he was being honest, it wasn't far off. Once, he was a Hunter. A valiant figure, going through the night, and purging the Beasts from the streets of his home. At first, the nights were short, intense bouts of blood, silver, sweat and adrenaline. Every step could spell misfortune, every action could lead to his death, or the deaths of hundreds of innocents that would be left defenseless against the Beasts.

He thought it would only last a few years at the most, a few weeks at least. Laurence promised him that he was doing everything he could to fix the Blood. Every time that Gehrman made the trip to the Grand Cathedral, he found Laurence, at his desk, papers strewn about like leaves in a forest. He would place his weapon down, and offer his old friend a drink. Laurence would take some convincing, but eventually, he'd smile that knowing smile and he would take the offered bottle. They would speak of Gehrman's exploits, Laurence's troubles, the state of the church, and even some more personal details. Then, they would turn their gaze to the Forbidden Woods, and question just how much of their work was truly going towards their master's dream. They would argue, sometimes till the point that rage consumed one of them and they nearly struck one another. But it never got to that, at first. They would calm themselves, and continue chatting into the wee hours of the night, thinking and dreaming of a higher plane. Once the drinks were finished, Gehrman would return to his workshop, sleep away the sunrise, and set out again in the night.

He would wake up, hunt, speak to Laurence and then return.

He did this for one night.

Then a week.

Then a month.

Then a year.

Then, Laurence stopped receiving him. Gehrman was denied access to the grand cathedral. Despite his protests, the members of the church wouldn't let him in. Master Laurence is working, do not disturb him, is what they would say. It was the same thing, over and over again for months upon months. Age slowly began to takes its toll on Gehrman. His strikes stopped having the strength they used to. His legs began shaking at the near sight of beasts. Even with the Blood in his system, making him as physically perfect as a human could be, time wasn't something that the Blood could stop. It was clear after feeling the sting of yet another unnecessary wound, that Gehrman was getting old. Eventually, it came time for Gehrman to take on a successor. Or at least a partner during his hunts.

And he found a perfect one, in the form of a woman named Maria.

She was perfect. Her skill with her weapon only matched by her beauty. Every one of her strikes was perfect, and any that weren't, Gehrman trained until they were. When she was with him on hunts, Gehrman found himself smiling for the first time in what felt like years of pain and suffering. It was a light in the darkness. A guiding moonlight in the darkest night.

But, time demanded even that would be taken away.

Kos… or some say Kosm. Gehrman didn't care what it was called, all he knew is that he and Maria found its corpse. Soon, the church came in, inspecting the corpse, and going through the villagers just to get the chance. That village, that poor hamlet… they shouldn't have found it. Gehrman realized then, when he looked at those in the research hall, that he had put too much faith in his friend. His actions, his choices, led to this. These poor people, these experimented on and tortured souls. The deaths of these people were going to serve the greater good? But, the more painful realization came, when he found Maria in her chair.

With a knife between her ribs.

It wasn't murder, it was suicide. For the first time in his life, Gehrman felt true sadness. His friend, his partner, the one woman he ever loved was dead.

And there was nothing he could do.

All he could do, was bury her in the home that he had made for her.

She would be the first of many graves to be placed in the workshop.

There, in the mists of his sorrow, in his weakest moment, did Laurence finally return to his friend's side. He came, bearing a gift. A chance to see Maria again, to be useful and important once more. The chance, to be a mentor.

He took the gift, and he sold his soul to that thing.

Years upon years of thinking, and he still couldn't even fathom what that creature was. A great one, a true being of the cosmos. One who has heightened their thoughts to a higher plain of existence. Something, so powerful, it would surely make his wish a reality.

And it did in a way.

It took his leg, and it took his soul, but it gave him her. She was kind, always smiling, so as to never make Gehrman feel lonely. She would always be there, in her dress, comforting him in his sleep, singing to him when he awoke. It even told him she loved him. It should have made him happy. He was here, with her again, alone and free from the hunt. But, it only hurt him more.

And when the other hunters came into the dream, the pain only seemed to grow.

How many came through here? Dozens? Hundreds? Gehrman stopped counting after a while. With each hunter, a new hunt. With each new hunt, another broken soul would pass through the dream. Gehrman would help where he could, but there was nothing he could do to stop the madness from making its way into them. So, when their time was done, he showed them mercy. He separated them from the dream, allowing them to see the sun once more, leaving him alone in the dream once more. He wouldn't let them remain, he couldn't let them experience that pain and suffering like he did. He couldn't let that thing get its hands on them.

It was the only thing that kept him sane. Even in his prison, he could still find it in his heart to help someone else more than himself. It happened again and again, a seemingly endless stream of hunters that came in and out of the dream. Then, he came into the dream.

An outsider, a man utterly foreign to Yardman and its horrors. In the beginning, Gehrman thought him a fool, fumbling around the dream, trying to make sense of the world that he now found himself. He chuckled as he made his way past the doll and jumped at the sight of the massagers. He took a saw cleaver and pistol in hand, and set off with Gehrman's instructions with the same rules he used for every hunter. Go out, and kill a few beasts, don't think about it too much. It would be better if you didn't. When he returned for the second time, Gehrman saw him wearing actual hunter's armor. Then after that, carrying a badge of the old workshop. In all honesty, it was a miracle that he managed as well as he did. He carved through the beasts on the streets, and when he returned, he learned from Gehrman. He was… the second-best student he had ever had.

He beat back the beasts, and even the kin, until he finally killed the nightmare holding his hunt together. He met Gehrman at the base of the tree. The old hunter looked at his student, a hint of pride and sadness in his old eyes. This man, in another life, would have made a perfect hunter. But the world would not allow for such a simple life, for either of them. At the base of that tree, Gehrman told him about his mercy. To die, and awake under the morning sun. To be freed, from this horrible Hunter's Dream. He took a step back, shocked at the old man's words. No, it wasn't shock, it was understanding. He looked at Gehrman with a resolve that he had only seen a few times before. The hunter stood there, and refused Gehrman's mercy.

It was... insane. What could have compelled him to want to stay in the dream? Was it the hunt? The Blood? Well, in the end, it didn't matter. Gehrman had a promise to keep, even if he didn't want to. He rose from his chair, brandished his burial scythe and joined the hunt for the first time in years. On the fields of the dream, the two hunters dueled. The burial blade sparked against the hunter's holy blade. Somehow, no matter how fast or how strong Gehrman made his strikes, the Hunter would come back showing just as much strength and skill. It was a brilliant duel, one that Gehrman would have enjoyed had the stakes not been so high. He channeled the power of the cosmos, and he fought on.

But, so too did the hunter.

No power seemed to be enough to separate him from the dream. And there, when he was bloody, beaten and broken, did the hunter finally end it. Gehrman felt the blade pierce his heart, but he didn't curse the hunter, he couldn't. He simply smiled and looked to the stars. After all those years, he was finally going to be among them.

The night of his everlasting hunt, and his eternal dream were long.

And Gehrman, the first hunter, died with a smile on his face.

[Line Break]

It was dark, but it wasn't cold. It was a sort of acceptance. Every nerve in your body going numb at once, allowing you to truly feel and see nothing. The perfect place for a good sleep.

"Good hunter…"

The voice alone was enough to cleanse every fear from Gehrman's system. It was like liquid chocolate and velvet flowing through the air into his ears. It was the most nothing sound he'd ever hear in his life. He couldn't open his eyes, so he couldn't see the owner of the voice. But he knew, just from the caring tone, that it's owner was beautiful.

"I'm sorry hunter, but I need your help."

If he could frown, he could. He started to feel it now, the overwhelming power that this woman possessed. A single word could remove him from this plane, he knew it. But what difference did it make? He knew exactly the deals these great immortals would offer him. Did she think him stupid enough, right when he just removed his chains to jump into servitude once more?

"I know you feel betrayed, Odeon has a lot to answer for. But I wish you no harm. I swear upon my name of Naga."

Naga? What great one was that? he didn't remember any Caryll Rune speaking of a Naga.

"I am no great one, nor am I a being worthy of worship. What I am, is someone who needs your help."

Instantly, Gehrman felt things return to him. Images of a great black dragon burning the landscape. The dead clawing out of their graves and taking up arms against kingdoms. Men and woman being slaughtered in the streets. It could have been an illusion, a simple trick to get him to lower his guard. But it wasn't. Gehrman knew terror, he knew true horror. Those people, those innocents running from those undead soldiers, they had pure terror on their faces. They weren't fake, they were as real as he once was.

"These are the deeds of the fell dragon, Grima. He will destroy the land, and no matter what the heroes of the world do, it will burn. But it doesn't have to. You can help them."

Gehrman almost laughed, and he probably would if he could. Him, helping? The last time someone came to him for help, a city burned to the ground because he wasn't good enough to keep the plague at bay.

"Please, first hunter. I know you don't trust me, but if you did, you could live again. You could live a full life, with friends again. You can grow old, marry and be with the ones that you grow to love. This is all I can offer you, but you will face such hardships along the way."

A life, away from the hunt? Away from the church and all its secrets? Away from Great Ones and Monsters. In the woods of a certain powder keg hunter 'Sign him the fuck up and load his rifle.'

Even if he couldn't see her, he could sense that she was confused. But it didn't matter. Even if this was just another trick, the alternative would be going back to that dream. And he would give anything to be free from that nightmare.

"… thank you, good hunter. I will now send you to a world that is not your own. Seek the Shepherds, they will give you purpose anew."

[Line Break]

Bright.

That was the first word that came to Gehrman as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. The second the realization hit him, his eyes shot open. He was laying underneath a simple tree, it's branches casting shade over the hunter and his belongings. In the distance, he could see a forest stretching over for miles in one direction, with a flowing field of grass in the other. A soft moan escaped his lips as he sat up. The movement was smooth and effortless. That came as just as much a shock as the light. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he looked down at himself. He wore the same hunter's attire that he always did even during his first night of the hunt. Taking off a glove, he looked at his fingers and saw smooth skin staring back at him. His fingers were callous and thick with tight tendons, but the skin was pristine like the insight of old. Tentatively, he touched his face. He ran his fingers over his cheeks, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. There wasn't a single wrinkle or edge to his face. He spat into the gauntlet over his left hand, shining the metal so he could get a better look at himself. It wasn't a perfect mirror by any means, but it was good enough to allow him to see a young face staring back at him. He was at least early twenties, no later. The same age when he finally perfected his style.

And then, he closed his eyes, and he didn't feel it. In the dream, he felt the power of the Presence over his shoulder, watching him. Now… nothing.

Was he… free.

Gehrman laughed, he didn't know why, he just laughed. Free from the dream, and with his old charming looks back as well. So far, this Naga girl is holding up her end of the bargain relatively well. Now, all he had to do is kill a giant evil dragon and save the world and they'll be even. The thought turned Gehrman's smile sour, but only ever so slightly. At least he had a chance at a life again.

He looked over at the pile of supplies that, probably were his. It consisted of traveler's pack, well-worn and full of stuff marks. But what immediately got Gehrman's attention was the weapon on the back of it. Folded perfectly, was his burial blade. He picked up the weapon, switching it from locked and unlocked positions. It was, perfect. Perfectly oiled and ready for a fight. The blade was newly forged as well, not a single mark on it. Gehrman hoped that the material was still siderite, the mineral of the heavens was an invaluable part of Gehrman's fighting style, allowing him to channel his arcane power into the blade and take back more blood from his defeated enemies.

A thought occurred to Gehrman, did he still have his Blood? He shot to his feet and punched the tree he was sleeping under. His fist went straight through the thick wood like it was water. Once more, Gehrman didn't even punch that hard. Well, that answers that question. He took a few practice bounces and moved. To the outside observer, it was like Gehrman had faded into clouds and moved twenty feet in an instant. In actuality, he had just performed the step known as quickening, a hunter art that he perfected to finalize the fighting style that would inspire hunters for generations. He had his strength, his speed, and his weapon. He quickened back to his bag and decided it was time to check what else he had. Opening the bag, he found a sharpening stone, a folded hammer for fording, a series of metal pieces, a water pouch and a few pieces of hard bread. Gehrman chuckled at the sight, it appears that he was a blacksmith in this life. Fine enough, he had spent a good chunk of his time in the dream making new weapons for the hunters that came through. There wasn't much else he could do for pastime.

For now, Gehrman needed to find the Shepherds. Naga said they were going to give him purpose again. Hopefully, it was like the workshop of old, and not the church. But given how things have been working so far, there was a good chance it was the former over the latter. The thought put a smile to Gehrman's face. Since when was he an optimist? Side effect of being young and stupid again he supposed. Loading up the bag and his weapon, Gehrman set off down the road.

The dirt road was well traveled and warn under Gehrman's boats. He chose to head towards the field. Any civilization was going to keep near a forest for the lumber, but no city could feed itself without crops for its people. For about a few hours, the journey was uneventful. And Gehrman found that delightful. He didn't need to spend the first day of his new life fighting for his life. The very fact that he could spend an hour without a beast jumping him was a refreshing change from the norm.

He continued down the road until it widened due to a large field of grass. He could see the path continue to the other end of the field and just readjusted his bag and continued on his way. The grass was about shin high, but it wasn't high enough that someone couldn't have just continued the road over it. Probably had some order to keep it the way it was, or maybe he took a wrong turn. Either way was fine with Gehrman, so long as he got to a town and could trade some of the gold pieces in his bag for a good meal and directions. He was about halfway through the field when he noticed a distortion in the grass. About twenty feet in front of him, something had sprawled out, flattening the small part of the plain.

Wait, not something, someone.

Gehrman quickened his pace to a jog and found that it was indeed a person laying down on the ground. She was a young woman, about his new age with snow white hair. Her coat was black, with purple eyes dotting the arms. She had traveler's boots on her feet, and strapped to her side was a book and a bronze sword. Gehrman rolled her onto her back and instantly took notice of her bust size. B, going into C by his count. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he knew that. He was a man first, hunter second, gentlemen third. After all, his favorite joke to new hunters was to see if any of them wanted to use the doll. Not many of them did, but it was still the principal of the age when Gehrman was busy hunting skirts instead of beasts. Now that he thought about it, he could hunt those again.

He blinked and shook his head. Ignore your libido for a second, focus on the girl first. She defiantly wasn't faking it, she was out cold, probably dreaming without a care in the world. He checked her pulse, and sighed in relief when he felt a heartbeat. He checked her temperature, she wasn't running a fever. She probably just passed out from exhaustion if anything else. If it was something more, than Gehrman couldn't help. His bag didn't have anything that looked like medical supplies and he hadn't needed to take any medicine since his transfusion. He might have to carry her to the closest town if he was desperate. But if he was lucky enough, there would be someone close by to help him with this.

He looked up, and saw that luck was on his side for once. He saw three figures come through the tree line. Without waiting, he waved them over "Do you have medicine!?" He called.

The figures jumped at the sound of his voice but they turned directly towards him and made their way. Old habits moved Gehrman's arm without his meaning. Before he could stop himself, his hand was on his burial blade, ready to strike if these people weren't of noble character. Wouldn't be the first time he'd been met with a knife when he asked for help. As they got closer, Gehrman started to pick out a more distinct picture of the three of them. One of them was a huge man with blue and silver plate. His eyes narrowed when he saw Gehrman and the girl, his hands crossing behind his back. A bodyguard, former or current soldier. The other was a blond girl in a skirt that seemed far too cumbersome to travel in. her pigtails and bright smile told everything Gehrman needed to know in an instant. Young, inexperienced, but full of energy and willing to help. The final one was the leader of the three. He radiated confidence and a royal charm. His armor was blue and silver like his guards, but instead of a spear on his back he had a sword at his hip.

He raised his hand in greeting before seeing the girl. Concern washed over his face and he knelt by her side, quickly followed by the blonde.

"How long has she been out?" The girl asked.

Gehrman shook his head "I don't know. I found her here only a few minutes ago,"

Gehrman noted that the guard's eyes widened in suspicion, but he decided to ignore it for now. The royal in blue rubbed his head "Well, I'm sorry to say I don't really know what to do."

The girl gaped at him "Chrom, we have to do something."

The noble, Chrom apparently raised an eyebrow "What do you propose we do?"

The girl's enthusiasm dropped like a rock "I don't know."

Just then, Gehrman heard a slight groan come from the girl below them. Her eyes struggled to open, and when they finally did, they opened to see the faces of Chrom, the girl and Gehrman smiling down at her.

"Good to see you're ok." Gehrman said.

"I see you're awake now." Chrom said.

"Hey there." The girl said, chiming in.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know. Give me your hand." Chrome offered the girl a hand, and reluctantly, she took it. As she got to her feet, Gehrman saw the tattoo on the back of her hand. He didn't know why, but the mark seemed… off somehow. Shaking his head. he took a few steps back, allowing everyone to get their space and stand up. Once they were, the girl dusted herself off.

"You all right?" Chrom asked.

The girl gave a nervous smile and nodded "Y-yes… Thank you, Chrom."

Chrome seemed to question that for a moment but Gehrman took the chance to step in "She probably heard if from your friend here." He said, gesturing at the blonde to Chrom's right. The explanation seemed to have the desired effect on the two, but the guard simply narrowed his gaze even further. Gehrman quickly sized the man up once again, he wouldn't be too much. Gehrman might get hit once or twice, but nothing that a simple rally couldn't heal.

"Tell me, what's your names? What brings you two to these parts?"

Gehrman gestured to the girl, allowing her to take the first step. But instead of using this as a chance to look confident and reliable, she scratches the back of her head and looks to the ground "My name is… It's…hmm?"

Gehrman blinked and Chrom seemed to share his reaction "You don't know your own name?"

The girl nodded before looking around "I'm not sure if… I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?"

The blonde next to Chrom playfully hit his shoulder and jumped "Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!"

Gehrman nodded in agreement. Losing your memory was a serious problem, especially for the possibility that you could be leaving a family behind in your wake. But the guard was having none of it.

"It's called a load of Pegasus shit."

Gehrman had to hold back a surprised reaction. Pegasus? Like, the winged horse? Those exist here? Wonder how many Blood Echoes they drop? No, Gehrman, focus on the problem at hand. He shook his head, and focused back on the guard.

"We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?" He asked.

The girl visibly shrank under the man's gaze, and at this point, Gehrman's instincts kicked in. He took a small step in front of the girl, putting himself partly between the knight and the girl. This earned him a wary glare from the knight and a look of evaluation from Chrom and the blond. For Chrom, the move was something that he himself would do. The two people before him hadn't met one another, he was certain of that. But even so, the man took action that was solely to protect the girl despite seeing Frederick in all his glory. And the look on his face, the man was confident that he could take on all three of them at once if it came down to it. That level of devotion, that desire to protect, that was something that he respected above all. Without even knowing it, Gehrman had just earned the respect of the prince of Ylisse.

But for a certain knight, it only made him look ever more like a criminal. Taking the action simply to protect his partner, and nothing more. The cocky smirk had the confidence to back it up, but that didn't matter. He would take down armies if it meant protecting his charges.

Gehrman glanced behind him at the girl and smiled warmly. It was his, don't worry, I'm going to kill the beasts now smile. If it could stop a little girl from crying, it could give some confidence to her. The girl did smile, ever so slightly, and nodded her head in thanks.

"I'm guessing that you share the same ailment?" The knight asked.

Gehrman shook his head "Nope, I remember everything in my life, something more clearly than others, but it's there. My name is Gehrman, humble blacksmith. I'm trying to get to the closest town to resupply. Right now, I'm running low on a few things."

He took off his bag and showed the inner workings. They saw the metal pieces, the gold, and the notably lack of a surplus of food. The knight raises a questioning brow, but thankfully, Chrom had had enough of the situation.

"What if they're telling the truth Frederick? We just leave her here, alone and confused. And if we don't help Gehrman, he could starve before the next town. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

"Shepherds? That was the name that Naga was talking about." Gehrman thought. These must be them. He kept most of the smile off his face, just enough to let it seem like he was smiling in thanks at the offer. Frederick sighs at his lord's clear lack of personal safety.

"Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Would not do to let a wolf into our flock."

"Oh, I'm worse than a wolf." Gehrman thought.

Outwardly, he nodded "Well said, I'd be willing to give up my weapon if that helps you."

It was the best show of trust that a warrior could give, giving their weapon to another. Most men trained their lives with one weapon, forming a personal attainment to it. Giving up your weapon was the same as saying you can take off my arm if it makes you feel better. The action sparks even more curiosity in Frederick but only gets Chrom to shake his head and the girl to giggle "No need. If we run into bandits, we'll need you to be able to defend yourself just in case."

Gehrman shrugs "It's your choice."

Chrom nodded "That it is. Right then, we'll head back to town and sort things out there." he points to Gehrman "You can resupply," He looked to the woman "And you could get some help with your memory."

Gehrman nodded in agreement, but the woman wasn't having it.

"Wait a second, do I have a say in this?" She demanded.

Gehrman couldn't keep back a good-natured laugh, he hoped it didn't sound too insulting to his new companions. Chrom laughed with him and raised a hand "Peace, friend, I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come."

Without waiting for an answer, Chrom headed down the road. Frederick followed closely behind and the blonde followed without a care in the world. Gehrman shuffled his bag and headed with them. With no other choice, the woman sighed and followed. They traveled down the road until the field was replaced with a forest and a dirt road. It was the same one that Gehrman saw before, so he was at least glad that things were following a someone what natural plan. Chrom took the lead, naturally, with his companions tailing behind him. After a while, the woman stopped to catch her breath and almost glare at the others in the group.

"What will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner?"

Gehrman shakes his head "You're not going anywhere like that. If you're a prisoner, then I am as well. I'm not going to any prison."

"And I've had my fill of prisons." he thought, but decided not to say.

Chrom turned around and gave a good-natured laugh "Don't worry. You'll be free to go once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse."

The woman perked up, looking around "Is that where we are? Elise?"

Behind her, Frederick let out a grumbling laughter "You've never heard of the Halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actress. She plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing."

Gehrman clicked his tongue, getting the knight's attention. The First hunter just shook his head in disappointment. Frederick tried staring the man down, but Gehrman blinked on reflex. If you waste all the moisture in your eyes over pointless staring, you'll miss an important detail on the battlefield. Chrom rolled his eyes "Frederick, please. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn is called the exalt."

He shifts where he stands, bowing slightly "I suppose proper interactions are in order. My name is Chrom, but you already knew that."

He turns to the blonde and before she could stop him, gave her a quick noogie "The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

The word delicate, seemed to trigger the young blond. She threw her hands into the air and frowned at her brother "I am NOT Delicate! … Humph!"

Then, like someone had switched night with day, she was smiling at Gehrman and the woman "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you two. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

The woman blinks in confusion "Shepherds? You tend sheep? … in full armor?"

Gehrman shrugged "Not the weirdest thing in the world."

Chrom nodded in agreement "Yes, and it's not the easiest job in the world. Just as Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride." Frederick said with a quick bow. "I might wish to trust you, but my station demands otherwise.

"Then you wear your title well sir knight." Gehrman said.

The woman nodded "I understand sir, I would do no less myself. My name is Robin."

Gehrman blinked, followed by everyone else looking at the woman, now named Robin, with fresh eyes. The sound of her own name seemed to excite her. She let out a beaming smile and bowed to the group. "It's nice to finally introduce myself. It's… kind of odd that I remembered that. Odd. I suppose that's one mystery solved."

Chrom rubbed his chin "Robin and Gehrman, two foreign names. Interesting. Ah well, we can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we-."

Whatever he was about to say is cut off as Lissa points to the distance "Chrom look! The town!"

Everyone followed the direction of her finger. Clear as the sun in the sky, the town was in flames. The main cathedral had the most damage that could be seen, with half of its face being burnt off or worse. Other than that, several of the homes were ablaze. And if that wasn't enough of a picture, the sounds of screams started to carry over. Chrome's face morphed into anger. He clenched his fist "Damn it! Those blasted brigands, no doubt…"

He took a step forward, but stops and considers his options. he looked to Gehrman. He was clearly a capable warrior of his own right, but his clothes weren't made for combat. From what he could see, Gehrman's clothes appeared to be leather. Won't do much good stopping a blade. The only thing that seemed remotely like armor on him was the metal covering his right hand. But that wouldn't be enough. He looked at Robin and… she didn't need to be dragged into this.

"Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

Frederick glanced at Gehrman and Robin "What about these two?"

"Are they on fire?!"

Frederick shook his head "Then they can wait.

"Aptly put, milord."

At this point, Lissa was already a few steps in front of them "Let's go already!"

With that as their rallying cry, the three shepherds took off towards the town, leaving Gehrman and Robin alone on the road. Robin raised her hand, a vain attempt to stop them "But what about…"

She stopped, hesitated, and Gehrman shrugged "You can help."

Robin blinked "Sorry what?"

"You're armed, right?" Gehrman asked, to which Robin nodded "If you're armed you can fight. If you can fight, you can make a difference. If you can make a difference, you can make one choice feel as important as a million. If you hesitate, you get hurt, you let others get hurt. If you want to help in the moment, act, don't think."

Robin shook her head "If you don't think, how do you strategize?"

"You do that before hand." Gehrman said like it was the simplest thing in the world "When you're fighting, a plan is only as good as those willing to act on it."

He dropped his bag and set it next to a tree. Part of him was hopeful that it wouldn't be stolen, but a town was burning, so crazy things could happen. He took out his burial blade and started walking through the fields to the side of the town.

"I'll meet you in the town when this is all over, so long as you don't die."

Robin blinked and shook her head, knocking away her shock "Where are you going?"

Gehrman smiled "I'm going hunting."

Then, he disappeared. Robin's eyes widened. She just watched a man literally vanish into thin air. Was she crazy? Part of her thought she was, but the rest of her told her that she was wasting time. With a target in mind, Robin set off down the path, following Chrom, Frederick and Lissa's trail.

[Line Break]

It felt good to move like this. When one has mastered quickening, the urge to go everywhere like this is almost insatiable. The feeling of the world seemingly bending around you, trying to keep up with you. For a short time, you see yourself as something better than this little ball of rock spinning through the cosmos. You're something more. You're a hunter, and you are born to be like this. With his speed, someone could blink and Gehrman was already halfway to the town. A second later, he was standing atop one of the buildings overlooking the plaza. he could see at least five gang members in the streets, with one holding a woman hostage in front of the cathedral.

Gehrman felt his hand grip his scythe a little tighter at the sight. Hostages, so they were willing to be that petty. What could you say for criminals? Blasted beasts the lot of them. He could jump down and kill them all. But he was a stranger to this world. It's methods of combat might be different from his own. While he was confident it would take more than a well-placed shot to take him down, he couldn't be too careful. It was rude, and possibly the dirtiest thing that Gehrman had ever done to good people, but he decided he would play the mentor one more time and watch his students fight.

At the southern end of the courtyard, he watched Robin of all people lead the four of them through the streets. They moved with the speed of a practiced unit, Robin shouting commands and Chrom and Frederick acting on them in seconds. The two men wielded their respective weapons with some skill. Chrom batted a thief's axe to the side while Frederick ran him through with a spear. And in the back, Gehrman noticed that Robin had pulled out that book from under her coat. Apparently, it was something more than a journal as she pointed her hand and a ball of lightning exploded from her fingertips. It raced across the air and hit a thug square in the face. When the dust was settled, the man's head was no longer in the realm of the living. The corpse fell to the ground with a clunk.

So, it seems that the arcane is still alive her as well. Hopefully they don't take energy from any so-called gods, that has never ended well. Gehrman hadn't seen much, but he knew that they could handle themselves. He waited until they started to make their way to the cathedral where the leader of the thugs was holding a blade to his hostage's throat. She pleaded with her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Anyone move, and I'll kill her!" He threatened.

Robin cursed under her breath. During the battle, she remembered she had a talent to tactics. Something about the battle sparked her memory or something, Robin didn't question it. She just took it as the gift that it was and remembered what to do when a hostage situation became a problem. If she remembered right, she had two options. Surrender, and let the man go, which wasn't an option. Or, convince him that it was in his best interests to let the hostage go. Right now, that was the problem going through her mind. Chrom took a step forward, sword raised.

"Chrom, don't." Robin ordered, her voice far more stern than she remembered it being.

Chrom clearly didn't like it, but he relented and stepped back, much to the delight of the thug.

"Yes, listen to your woman maggot! Now, this is how this is going to go! I'm going to walk out of here with this lass, and you're going to let me."

He started walking, and kept going when he saw that the shepherds weren't going to do anything to stop him. Robin clenched her first, anger and frustration getting to her. She didn't want to do it, but what choice did she have. She didn't have any cards to play that didn't involve bringing unneeded harm to the hostage. But then, something literally fell out of the sky. She heard the shrieking of metal cutting through the air right before something lodged itself in the center of the bridge, stopping the thug in his tracks.

It was a scythe, the blade sticking out of the ground and the shaft up in the air for the owner to grab. Robin's eyes widened, and suddenly, Gehrman was on the bridge, his hand on the scythe. he didn't even look back at the other Shepherds. he just pulled his weapon out of the ground and slowly walked towards the thug. With each step that Gehrman took the thug took two to keep the distance. He visibly tweeted with fear "Stay away! I'll kill her if you take another step!"

He emphasized the threat by putting the blade close enough to the woman's neck that it drew a bit of blood. Robin took an involuntary step forward, as did the rest of the shepherds, but the action was enough to get Gehrman to stop. He regarded the woman, and the thug.

Then, he smiled.

"Go on then."

Everyone on the bridge, the thug included, looked at Gehrman in shock. Then they looked at him in fear as he continued walking forward, his scythe raised in his hands.

"Kill her." He ordered.

Chrom's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. He unsheathed his blade "Gehrman you dasta-."

"Wait," Robin called.

"He's going to get her killed Robin!" He screamed.

She shook her head "No, he's not."

Gehrman took another step forward, at this point, the thug found himself pressed up against the wall. Literally, the cathedral was right behind him and he couldn't go back any further. Desperation fueled his next action. He pressed the knife against his hostage's throat, eliciting a scream. This only seemed to make Gehrman move just a little faster. He stopped about seven feet from the man. The gaze of a man who held the title of First Hunter bore into the man. To his credit, he didn't scream. But he did in fact, soil himself.

Slowly, Gehrman moved his scythe behind his back. Spreading his legs wide, he lowered his center of gravity. What he was about to do next would either save or end the hostage's life. Gehrman had to position his scythe just right so that he wouldn't hit her, but still hit the thug. With them being so close, Gehrman had no more than an inch of space to maneuver his scythe away from the woman, lest he take her head off. He would swing his scythe, cutting through the brick work like it was nothing and kill the thug before he could react. But if he didn't move fast enough, the thug would react, and the woman might get hurt. Less than a second. He would have to pull this move off in a second.

And here he thought it was going to be challenging.

Behind him, the Shepherds and Robin watched as white light seemed to envelope Gehrman's scythe. Then, it moved. Seeing that piece of metal move faster than an arrow brought a whole new meaning to the word incredible. It went through the brick like it wasn't there, and before anyone could wonder what was done, the scythe was back in Gehrman's hand.

He smiled at his work and waited. Slowly, the thug realized what happened. Or he would have, if he could feel his head sliding off his shoulders. The hostage screamed in fear and ran out of the dead arms of the thug into Gehrman's. Thankfully, he'd already sheathed his blade so she didn't hurt herself.

"It's ok, everything's ok." he said.

She smiled up at him and Gehrman felt her squeeze him as tight as she could. It wasn't that hard, but Gehrman put up the act so she'd stop. He gestured to the town with a nod of his head and the woman got his meaning. She curtsied and headed towards the awaiting villagers. Gehrman watched her go with a smile on his face. He then turned to the group, who were looking at him with their jaws on the floor.

"Sorry about that, but if those fine gentlemen saw a man swinging a scythe through their friends, they wouldn't be too kind on staying in the same place or making sane choices."

Robin shrugged "I've got to admit, that's one way to get out of a hostage situation."

"One way, Robin I'm sure you mean the best way." Gehrman said.

"No, the best way would be without making a mess."

"Anything that dies sends a message. I was determined to send a very convincing one."

Robin shook her head "You're not going to listen to reason, are you?"

"You're thinking instead of acting again." Gehrman said.

Robin walked up and punched the man playfully in the shoulder. As they did this, Chrom was ecstatic. The skills that both Robin and Gehrman displayed, they were in a realm of their own. Robin with her tactics and magic, and Gehrman's perfect analysis of the situation. And at the end of it all, they're joking around like nothing was wrong.

They would make perfect Shepherds.

Speaking of which…

Chrom watched as Lissa ran up to Robin and Gehrman. He didn't hear the start of the conversation but he picked up when she started swinging her arms in an attempt to imitate Gehrman's scythe technique.

"Oh man, it was a good thing we were close by when this happened. You guys are amazing! Robin has swords, sorcery and tactics, and Gehrman is a walking reaper! What can't you guys do?"

"I can't flirt or get a date to save my life." Gehrman admitted.

"Seriously?" Robin asked.

"What? Lissa asked."

"Yes, she asks a lot of things." Chrom said, taking the chance but into the conversation "You two certainly aren't helpless victims that's for sure."

"Which only makes the possibility of them being spies even more believable." Frederick chimed in.

Chrom rolled his eyes and Robin winced, but Gehrman didn't seem to care. If anything, he looked like he agreed with him. He could respect that.

"Robin, Gehrman," Chrom said, getting their undivided attention "Would you be willing to join the Shepherds? We could really use Robin's tactical knowledge and Gehrman; your skill would be invaluable."

"Milord!" Frederick screamed "I must protest."

"My mind's made up Frederick. You saw them, both rush into battle without any regard for their own safety."

"Gehrman waiting till the last moment to strike, leaving us on the field alone."

"Frederick, does his scythe look like the kind of weapon that can be used when you're side by side."

"Considering his skill, I wouldn't doubt it wouldn't matter to him."

Robin glanced up at Gehrman who shook his hand "I might take off a toe or two." he admitted.

This got Lissa and Robin to laugh at his joke. Chrom took the moment to look at Frederick. The knight clearly didn't like it, but he took a step back, allowing Chrom to speak. The leader of the Shepherds waited for their answers.

Robin was the first to step forward "I'd be honored."

Chrom smiled "Welcome to the Shepherds, and you, Gehrman?"

The First Hunter just smiled. Join the Shepherds? For once in his life, things were working out one after another.

"I'll you'll have this hunter, I'd be honored."

AN: I had an idea, it took up my time, I had to write it down.

So, tell me. Should I keep this going? Should I make this into a series? Because if you people say yes, I will go all the way to endgame if I have to.

If you like it, let me know, tell me where I went wrong and things like that. Or, if you want to throw out ships/pairings, go for it. I currently have nothing set in stone for my plans, so voice what you'd guys like.

And before I forget, my reasoning for Gehrman's characterization is that we don't know much about him beyond what we see in game, which isn't much. We do know that he was a bit of a joker, I imagine him as a sort of Qrow Branwen from RWBY. Bit of a cocky bastard outside of battle, completely serious when in the zone. And along with this, he's high on life now that he doesn't have the Moon Presence looking over his shoulder. He's enjoying his life, and he probably will even more once the rest of the Shepherd's come into play.

Oh god imagine Gehrman and Maribelle in the same room.

Either way, thanks for reading. Voice off if you want to see more and all that.