Chapter 8: The Pegasus Knights

The next morning was rather uneventful given the high emotions that ran the night before. Unlike his previous nights of respite, Robin had fallen asleep because he was physically tired, not mentally tired. Something about that rejuvenated him immensely, and he awoke to a gorgeous golden sunrise in the mountains.

It just felt… Good.

"Good morning," Raven said as the boy stepped outside. "Not to be blunt, but you look a bit better. Did you sleep well?"

"You have no idea." Robin stretched his arms and began packing his supplies, finishing with his tent after everything else was taken care of. They would not waste travel time preparing breakfast today, and so in the middle of everything, Robin slipped a small pouch of salted jerky into the pocket of his mage's cloak. If all went well, they would reach the pegasus knights by midday, allowing them to spend the rest of their day and evening there.

The only pegasus knight he'd met was Phila, and it had been several years since he'd last seen her. She and his father worked closely though, even more so when she was promoted to the head of their force in the last two years. One thing Robin would remember fondly was how she treated him with care and respect before many other soldiers did, and she would even send him letters for his birthday every now and again. A devoted and strong warrior, Robin knew her mainly for her kind and gentle heart.

In the light of the rising sun, the duo set out on horseback for their destination. Along the way, Robin would ask questions regarding the pegasus knights to his father, which the man had no trouble answering.

"Why are all of the pegasus knights female? I heard one of the younger soldiers in the palace say it was because the pegasi only respond to the ways of women."

Raven scoffed. "Don't be daft, boy. While it's true that women are better at taming pegasi, the truth is that it is rooted in culture and tradition more than anything. Before Ylisse was Ylisse, I'm told that there were elite warriors that rode upon the backs of pegasi and delivered swift justice to their foes. They were all in sync, each warrior working with the other as though they were sisters. Those heroes helped shape the destiny of their land then, and the current pegasus knights aim to do the same now, all while honoring the past."

"Huh… I knew it was a privilege to be a pegasus knight, but I had no idea they were so highly valued," Robin admitted.

"Yes indeed," Raven said with a nod. "They are the epitome of strength and elegance, which is a hard and unique balance for any woman to maintain. I implore you to treat them with the respect they deserve while we are there."

"Of course, Father. I thought that was a given."

"Good. If you didn't, I'm sure almost any one of their trainees could school you in combat otherwise."

From there, Robin continued to ask about the history of the pegasus knights as well as the requirements to join their ranks. He gained an impressive amount of knowledge in such a short time, and it made him briefly wonder how long it had taken his own father to become such in expert in anything and everything to do with Ylissean history and tradition. The thought was fleeting as he soon saw a great structure in the distance, like an outpost of sorts. It resembled a barn, except it was made of stone. The sound of flapping wings in the distance was more than enough to alert the boy they were close to the headquarters of the pegasus knights, and his father had them pick up the pace a little.

They were greeted quickly by a pair of pegasus knights whom he guessed were still in training due only to their age, for neither looked over twenty. Both their mounts were groomed to perfection.

"I am Raven, advisor and tactician to the Exalt. This is my son, Robin. We have scheduled an audience with your commander," his father said before either girl could ask anything.

Clearly, they must have been expecting the two of them, for they both nodded. One looked over her shoulder, appearing satisfied when she saw a red-haired girl walk by. She was carrying almost two armfuls of firewood by herself, yet she seemed to have no trouble. "Cordelia!" the knight called out. "Come here and escort these two to Philia!" Turning back to the two tacticians, she gestured for them to dismount their horses. "We'll take care of your things and your steeds, so don't worry about that."

"Thank you very much," Raven said with a dip of his head.

As the two pegasus knights steered the horses towards the stables, the redhead raced over, hardly out of breath. "Apologies for the wait, sir. Er, sirs."

The tactician shook his head. "Do not worry. Those other riders said your name was Cordelia?"

She nodded in confirmation. "Yes… If you'll follow me, I'll show you to Philia. She should have a moment to speak with you now."

"Thank you," Robin said, following his father's lead. Cordelia had to have been a few years older than him- maybe even older than Chrom by a year or two- but she still seemed to be treated like a rookie by those two others.

When she didn't say anything in response, Robin shrugged off the thought and took in the sights around him. Everywhere he looked, there was another woman, either carrying a staff or a spear of some kind. They all wore matching armor, and now he was starting to understand what his father had meant when he said the squad was trying to emulate a sisterhood of some kind.

Moving inside the building, Robin realized that almost half of it was probably devoted to their stables, while the other half was most likely sleeping quarters. Just as bustling as the space outside, pegasus knights swiftly dodged each other in the halls, each heading their own separate ways. Sometimes, pairs or trios would head out together, and Cordelia would explain that the recruits would head out to participate in group watches with one senior member.

Eventually, they made their way back into the dorms, where Cordelia stopped outside a door and knocked politely. "Commander, you have visitors." When Phila opened the door, the knight stepped aside. "This is Raven, Lady Emmeryn's chief tactician, and his son."

A warm smile graced the commander's face. "We have met before." With a chuckle, Raven approached her, his arms open as the two embraced. "It has been far too long since I last saw you, my friend."

"It has been indeed," Raven agreed as he let the young woman go. "I was unable to send my congratulations when you became the captain of the pegasus knights. It is quite an honor for someone so young."

"Thank you, Raven. I heard that you recommended me for the position, so perhaps I might pass on another extra bout of thanks. It has been an honor to serve over the entire squad." Philia moved her gaze from the tactician to Robin, yet her smile did not falter. "And you! It's been years since I've seen you!" Robin dipped his head respectfully to her, and she did the same to him. "Did you know that the last time I saw you, you were only this tall?" Phila gestured to her waistline.

"Well, I guess things change quite a bit when years go by," Robin said with a soft laugh.

"As nice as it is to have a reunion with you, we have some important business to discuss," Raven stated firmly. "Robin, why don't you look around for a bit? I'll meet you in the mess hall around sundown."

Not seeing any other choice, he nodded. Raven stepped inside to Philia's chambers, leaving Robin alone outside with Cordelia.

"So…" he said, trying to break whatever uncertain energy was shared between them. "I know it's not in your job description to give tours, so is there anything I can help you with? I'd love to see what it's like to be a pegasus knight behind the scenes," Robin admitted.

Cordelia sighed. "I'm certain the others have stuck me with quite a few other meaningless tasks." She must have been referring to when she was lugging around firewood, Robin thought. "If you're serious about your offer, then you can assist with some of that. I doubt very many other girls would appreciate a boy helping them out."

Robing shrugged his shoulders. "If I'm overstepping, I apologize. I just haven't ever been out here before, and I think it's important to know what exactly goes on inside each of Ylisse's military units. Er, plus my father told me to look around, so…"

"Who are you exactly?" Cordelia asked, folding her arms.

"Oh!" Despite her closed posture, Robin still extended a gloved hand to the pegasus knight. "I'm Raven's son, as well as his apprentice. I serve as a tactician in-training for Prince Chrom."

Cordelia raised an eyebrow, minimally opening her stance so she could briefly shake his hand. "Well, if that's the case, then we might be working together in the future. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"No, the pleasure and honor are both all mine." He offered her a smile, which she returned with one more dazzling than he expected.

"So, Robin, were you genuine in your offer to help?"

He shrugged once more. "If I won't get in your way, then of course."

And with that, they were off. Despite being unfamiliar with the encampment, Robin didn't find it hard to navigate so long as Cordelia was nearby. She showed him to their stables, and even let him pet her pegasus once or twice. He was surprised at just how frightening the beast was compared to any normal horse; the wings alone were strong and massive, but its presence was awesome. Something truly majestic ran through the creature's blood.

Other than the stables, Cordelia also showed him their training grounds outside. Together, they collected broken weapons and generally tidied up the space, but it was not long before another young knight entered the space. To Robin's concern though, she did not enter with her pegasus. Instead, she immediately drew her lance on a training dummy, striking with more aggression and rage than Robin had ever seen in combat before.

"Cordelia, who is that?" he asked softly, watching the girl from afar. Her short, red hair made him wonder if the two were related, but the thought soon left his mind.

"Sully," Cordelia answered back. "She was admitted as a recruit only recently, but she's leaving the squad soon. She hasn't managed to fulfill the expectations that any of the senior officers hold."

"Sully…?" Robin echoed. He cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out why her name was so familiar. "Was she, by any chance, a knight back in Ylisstol before she joined the pegasus knights?"

"Yes, actually. How did you know?'

"Well, I didn't know for sure," he admitted. "She just looked familiar. And her name sounds familiar too. I've only ever been in Ylisstol, so if I did run into her, I suppose it would have been there." The more he thought about it, the more he realized he'd heard Chrom say her name before. Multiple times, in fact. "She was- or maybe still is- a close friend of Chrom's."

As the spoke, Sully furiously slashed across the dummy's torso before spitting on the ground. "Are you just going to stand there and gossip, or do you want a piece too?" she challenged, turning to face the two of them.

"Sully, we weren't gossiping," Cordelia reassured. She was clearly older than the other knight, and crossed her arms. Her tone reminded Robin of an older sister. "This is Robin. He's visiting with Raven, one of the Exalt's tacticians."

She thrust her lance into the ground. "So, you're Robin? You're just as scrawny as I thought you'd be."

"You've heard of me?" Wait… did she call him scrawny?

"Damn right I have. You said it yourself, I'm pals with Chrom. The guy never shut up about you the last time we sparred." Sully stepped over to them, placing her hands on her hips. "Guess I'll have to get used to it again. Just like Miss Perfect over here said, I'm getting kicked out of the pegasus knights. Supposed to pack my bags tonight, actually."

"Sully, you're not getting kicked out," Cordelia said sternly.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm retiring. Apparently, I don't have the right stuff to be some high and mighty pegasus knight."

Robin frowned. "So, does that mean you're going back to Ylisstol?"

"It does indeed, astute tactician. I'm still in service to the Exalt, so maybe she'll let me resume being just a normal knight. I'm sure that Stahl and Frederick would miss me otherwise."

"Frederick I know, but who is Stahl?"

"Eh, you've probably seen him around if you've spent any time with the knights," she said with a shrug. "Fellow cavalier of mine. He's got this weird green-colored hair?"

Searching his mind, Robin couldn't recall the boy she was describing. As he shook his head, Cordelia interrupted. "Well, I'm glad the two have had the chance to meet, but I still have things to do. Robin, shall we move on?"

"Oh," he said. "I guess so." Extending his hand to Sully, he smiled. "It was nice to finally meet you. If you do return to the knights, we might be working together at some point."

Sully shook the hand he offered. Her grip was firmer than he expected. "Heh, maybe we will work together then. Say hey to the prince for me, would you?"

Robin nodded. "Of course. Er, have fun with that training dummy. Don't beat it up too bad."

She shrugged. "He's got no way to fight back. I'm not gonna go easy on him just because of that."

He couldn't help but laugh. Breaking from their conversation, he left with Cordelia, and for the rest of the evening, he assisted her with what chores he could. He had this feeling that some of the other pegasus knights stuck her with all of these tasks, but she seemed eager and willing to do them, especially with the company of another. As they kept busy, Robin didn't notice how quickly sunset came, and he was reunited with his father for dinner soon after.

They sat across from each other at one of the long tables in the mess hall, and Philia actually joined the two of them. She told Robin great stories of skirmishes they'd had with the Plegians, and he in turn told her about his mission with Chrom. He spared her some of the more… Difficult details, but it was clear she picked up on his troubled feelings around the situation. She expressed deep pride, and as their meal ended, she even offered him a supportive hug.

He didn't know what having a sister was like, but he felt Philia would make a great one. She had to leave them shortly after, but was kind enough to show them to their quarters for the night. All their stuff had already been unloaded for them, and it was easy to settle in for the night.

"So, how was your time with Cordelia today?" his father asked as he prepped for bed.

"It was good," Robin answered honestly. "I liked helping her out. It was nice to be useful again." Removing the outer layer of his mage's garb, he turned to his father. "Did your meeting with Philia go well?"

With a sigh, Raven shook his head. "It seems like bandits and brigands alike are finding new ways to cross the border. The pegasus knights are starting to be spread thin… It's concerning. Philia is hesitant to abandon her post when the Exalt's ball is held in a few months. Not only would her absence leave the border more exposed, but I'm certain she'd be a valuable target on her travel to and from Ylisstol."

"That… Makes sense, I suppose. If I were trying to invade and cause panic, I'd want to cripple a pillar of defense like her."

"Indeed. There have already been a few targeted attacks on patrols that she leads," Raven explained. "But, if all goes well, this newest wave of recruits will fall into line quickly. She hopes their borders will become more secure with their increased numbers and stricter expectations."

"Well, that's some good news at least," Robin thought aloud. "Oh, but that reminds me, I actually met a pegasus knight that was getting cut from the squad. Her name's Sully, and she's actually a friend of Chrom's. I'm pretty sure we've met before, but I don't remember where or when,"

"Ah yes, the young cavalier with a brash attitude." He chuckled. "I don't think the pegasus knights were quite expecting a personality like hers when they increased their draft."

"She says she's leaving to return to Ylisstol soon. I was thinking that maybe… She could travel with us? After all, we're spending all day tomorrow on the road, and it would be safer for everyone if we travelled in a larger group."

Raven seemed surprised by this. "Did you take a liking to her or something?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Robin said. He knew his father meant something else by his slightly teasing tone, but Robin ignored it. "She had a very particular fighting style when I watched her. I've never trained with a lance, and though I'm not looking to learn, I'm sure becoming acquainted with her would be beneficial. I've got this feeling that if Chrom were to get his own squadron, he'd want her on it. I want to get to know her so that if that is the case, I know about her fighting style and her personality a little bit better."

"Well, that does sound beneficial when you put it that way."

"It does, doesn't it? Not only that, but I've Chrom speak highly of her. Call me curious, I suppose."

Raven sat at the edge of his bed. "Well, if she has no objections, I'd be more than happy to invite her to join us. Maybe you can find a good physical sparring partner in her once we get back."

"Yeah, that would be nice. Chrom's good, but I'm nowhere near his level of swordsmanship. He really developed his skill in the past few years." Robin pulled off his boots and ran his hands through his long hair, airing it out as best he could before he slept. The amount of sweat he accrued in the heat throughout the day astounded even him.

"Well, I'm glad you had a good day. We have to set out early tomorrow, so why don't we both get sleep?" Raven suggested.

Robin nodded and slid underneath the sheet covering his bed. He let his eyes fall shut not long after his father blew out the lantern lighting their room, and he felt his body take to the call of rest almost instantly. After traveling and spending his day working, he was both physically and mentally ready to sleep again.

But as his mind drifted, a strange sensation washed over him. It was as though he could see shapes moving through his closed eyelids, but it made no sense, as the room was pitch black. Squeezing his eyes shut to try and get the feeling to disappear, his head started to ache, and he felt a bead of sweat roll down his face.

What was happening?

Startled, he opened his eyes, but he was not in the dark room he had fallen asleep in. He looked around wildly, unable to tell what was going on. He himself felt like he was burning up, but the floor and even the air itself felt like ice upon his skin. Blinking, he shook his head rapidly. This had to be a dream!

"No… Not there… Not possible…"

He heard a woman's voice in the distance. Faint and moving in and out of his ears, she sounded frustrated to no end. Carefully, Robin moved forward through the unfamiliar halls he now found himself in. They were dimly lit, with rough stone lining the walls and deep purple carpets along the floor. No one else seemed to be around, but he moved slowly, trying not to make noise of any kind.

So, it seems you've found yourself somewhere else entirely… How quaint. You seem scared.

Robin jolted as he heard it- that chilling, disembodied voice that had spoken to him a month ago. "You… Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" The voice laughed deviously in return, causing a deep chill to run down Robin's spine. "Show yourself to me! Now!"

If you so insist… I'll take a form that you can perceive.

Robin waited, and in an instant, a shadowed silhouette of a human appeared before him. It shifted and warped with the light at first, but soon settled. Robin blinked, and the moment his eyes opened again, he saw that the shadow had turned into… Him!

Does this appearance please you?

Robin faltered, unsure of what to say. The duplicate of himself looked exactly the same, except for the fact that his hair was stark white. And his eyes… What color were they? They seemed to be shimmering; one moment they were gold, the next they were hazel, and in another instant, they were crimson.

I've been waiting to talk with you. Ever since you killed that man one month ago, you shut me out. It was quite the trial you underwent then, and yet, here you are! You emerged unscathed!

"Unscathed?!" Robin glared at his doppelganger. "I came out of it okay physically, but no way did I come out unscathed! What… What did you even do that night?"

I lent you some of my power, the voice said. That was just a small taste, but any more and I worried it would be too much for your feeble body to handle. The power was all mine, but make no mistake- the kill was all you.

Robin's breathing quickened. He clutched his head as he stumbled backward, unable to look at the shadowed version of himself. "Who… What are you?"

Think of me as… The voice paused. Think of me as a guide, a friend- a reflection of yourself. You were born with great potential, child, and now that you've finally recovered from your first combat, we can finally work to draw that potential out. It's time for your inner strength to awaken… You are finally ready.

She sat huddled over her desk, notes and maps sprawled out in front of her. A large red X covered the continent of Valm to the east, with a frustrated note handwritten on a piece of parchment she had attached to the map. It read "few ports of travel, no records found of departure."

To say she was stressed was an understatement. Her thin, slender shoulders were knotted with tension, and she could feel pain coursing down her neck and arms the longer she sat and worked. Nothing had turned up from any of her scouts to the east, leaving only the north and the west…

Well, that is if her scouts hadn't missed anything.

A sigh of impatience escaped her lips. Not but a moment later, a heavy knock came from the doors to her study, and she lifted her posture immediately. Straightening her spine, she smoothed her long, flowing white hair before she spoke in a loud, powerful voice: "What business do you have?"

From the other side of the door, a woman's silky voice answered. "My lady, our soldiers at the border of Ylisse apprehended a fugitive from their lands. He has some information I believe may be useful to you…"

Unseen to her associate, her eyes glittered with excitement. Was this the break she'd been waiting for? How uncanny was it, that in this moment of doubt and pure agony, she might finally discover what she'd been searching for?

Without a reply, she exited her study. The dark-skinned woman outside bowed her head to her, but she did not return the favor. Silently, she waited as her associate escorted her through their castle's dark hallways until they reached a small, isolated chamber. Inside was the fugitive in question, with his hands and feet bound. Nothing struck her as odd about him though; he seemed like any average thug.

"What is your name?" she asked firmly.

The man shifted uncomfortably the moment she had walked in, but now, he clearly averted his gaze from hers to the floor. "Jonah," he finally uttered.

She crossed her arms. "Well then, Jonah, tell me what you have told my sorceress here."

He swallowed. "Well, ya see, me and me crew were ambushed by a group of noble Ylissean brats in the middle of the night. S'not uncommon for them to send in the kids for small groups like us, but this one was different. We'd taken the crown prince hostage and his friends came to get him. Took every one of us captive, 'cept for the boss and me."

Her lips were now pursed, annoyance clear on her face. "If you value your life, you will get to the point."

"Y-yes, I understand!" Jonah shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. "Anyways, as I was sayin', they came back to get the prince boy. Only I thoughts it was strange, seeing as they had one of yours with em."

"One of… Ours?"

"Yeah, yeah, definitely one of you Plegian folk. Had the dark hair, dark skin and all that. Little brat couldn't have been older than fifteen or so, but he's the one that killed our boss. He killed him dead. Surprised me for 'ow scrawny he was. In all of that commotion though, I gave their group the slip. No way was I goin' to prison if I could help it."

She inhaled sharply. Her fingers clutched the skin of her arms tightly, anticipation and relief flooding her body as she heard the man speak. "And you said he was rescuing the Ylissean prince? Are you sure?"

"No mistake, ma'am. That noble boy had that fancy divine sword, and we took it from 'im in the woods. The Plegian kid was there then too."

Silence hung over the room. She processed the information carefully, knowing not to put too much stock in the words of such a lowly criminal. However…

"Ha… Ahaha!" She doubled over, laughing at what she had just learned.

"My… my lady?" the white-haired sorceress asked. Her voice was tinged with confusion "Is everything all right?"

"Oh Aversa, don't you see? Everything is perfect!" she cried out. "It all makes sense… Validar was always clever, always in the know about who would win any conflict you threw at him. Of course, when he found himself in danger, he'd hide by the strongest ally he could find. And low and behold, the fool picked Ylisse! In fact, he probably picked Ylissean royalty! He's been hiding behind a great shield all this time, and now, we've finally got the motivation to break it." She chuckled, making her way out of the room. "Oh, it has been too long since I've heard such good news… I think it's finally time to start working on a plan to put both Validar and that Ylissean Exalt into checkmate. And it's also time… To bring my son home."

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