I was sitting around in the balcony reading a book when I heard a noise. It was Lucina, reaching behind me with her arms. I turned around and kissed her in the mouth. She sat beside me and asked.
"What are you reading, Joseph?"
"You know that Old Hubba died a while ago right? Well, he left me this book about the Einerjhar. Looks like there's more to them than what it looks like."
Then I reached to my coat's pocket and pulled an ornamented box from it. Inside there was a deck of cards. I picked one from the bottom and it was Prince Marth.
"These cards only know how to fight wars. They don't know what love and friendship is. If they ever got out of control it would be a disaster. I wonder if their original persons were anything like this …"
Lucina snuggled against me.
"We can never know, Joseph. They're dead."
I sighed and put the cards away. I did not want to tell my wife but I was having strange dreams lately. Dreams where the cards were shining on my desk, and then when I checked I saw they were all of my friends and loved ones, while the einerjhar were outside and pointed their weapons at me.
I kissed Lucina in the forehead and went to the kitchen to get something to eat. The kitchen castle staff made me some delicious pannacotta with raspberry jam and I instantly dug in.
However, I did not notice the card slowly flying out of my pocket. When I finally noticed I saw the King Marth card flying out and leaving the pocket completely empty. I stuffed the pannacotta into my mouth and went after it. After chasing it throughout nearly all the Ylisstol castle, I came into a tower where the cards were all lying on the ground arranged in a satanic pattern while a shadowy figure dressed in green stood in the center.
I instantly drew my Balmung katana and took some steps forward.
"Who are you? Stop! Those cards are dangerous!"
But the man laughed.
"Fufufufu … It's too late now. But I feel like being polite. I will not tell you my real name, but you can call me the Strategist. I have an ally you can call the Knight, but he's not here since it's not your time to die yet."
"Are you with Grima?"
"Grima? I have nothing to do with that stupid lizard. I am like you, Joseph, though I hail from another land and another time. Yes, me and Knight came from the past, just like you darling pretty little wife …"
"Don't you dare lay a hand on Lucina!"
Angry beyond belief, I charged. My katana shined in the dark tower and the magic runes I had put into it to make it like a Levin sword activated making it electric. But Strategist just smiled and when I was about to hit him 15 weapons appeared in front of me and I dodged. Looking around the ritual had worked. All the people surrounding me had come out of the cards. Prince Marth, King Marth, Alm, Celica, Sigurd, Selliph, Leif, Roy, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, Ephraim, Erika, Ike and Micaiah all surrounded me with angry faces.
"You see Joseph, I know more about these people than you do. I have experienced their worlds, and I know the things they hate. Using that knowledge, I have made them hate your world! Your world is a failure Joseph! It should have never existed!"
"Why?!"
I was incredibly angry but couldn't attack because all the einerjhar would kill me if I tried.
"I have watched your world, and I despise it. It is not perfect like the world I grew up in, nor the others I've visited. It's nothing but trash. Humanity has grown stupid in this world, and I will fix it. I will seal the heroes of today in these cards, and the heroes of yesterday will rule again!"
"I will not let you!"
A voice said from behind. I looked and there was Chrom with his falchion in hand. Hector charged at him with his axe and they clashed. I could feel the murderous aura emanating from the axewielding brute. The einerjhar had been released of all restrictions.
"Die, puny bastard!" Said Hector.
"No one will die today! Only your master!"
Chrom then used his Aether attack to push Hector back, but he defended the second hit.
"We are out of time gentlemen. I will be taking my cards. Knight has already made a new one for my collection! Fufufufu!" Strategist said happily before teleporting away with the einerjhar.
Immediately me and Chrom went running. We feared the worst. We found Lucina along the way and I was relieved but Sumia was nowhere to be found.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chrom shouted.
I clenched my fist in anger and held Lucina close to me. I would find this madman and his accomplice, and get the cards back before he could build his mad utopia.
TO BE CONTINUED
