Chapter I

"Assuming my calculations are correct, while it's a wide assumption to be made that they could be... Frederick, we simply have to make a detour at this path just ahead."

Frederick, collecting pebbles ahead of the march, had been tailed by Miriel. "We can't afford to make any stops, I'm afraid. We have higher priorities than random trips into the forest."

"Frederick! Consider this: down here leads to the residence of one of the most superb wizards to grace these lands! Rowan Giovich; surely you have been blessed with the knowledge of his parade! The man evokes spells more powerful than any you'd ever witness - without the burden of a tome! And must I mention the scientific advances he has made? I could not bear the mentality accompanying forsaking such an opportunity!"

"He's good with spells? We could always use more like that... What's the likelihood he would welcome us?"

She pondered the thought a moment. "Considering Rowan is Plegian born and has since been expelled from those lands, I wager it would be more than likely to be worth stepping in. A problematic experience concerning his homeland should lean him in our chance he would massacre our entire army is slim enough."

"Massacre. Just what I like to hear." He kicked another pebble off the road. "I'll speak with Master Chrom."

"No need, Frederick. I heard it all. Miriel wouldn't lead us into a death trap, and it sounds like would could use this 'Master' Sorcerer's help. A quick stop couldn't hurt." Chrom gave a him a hearty grin as he patted Miriel's tall shoulder. Frederick began to rally up the army.

Pulling Miriel aside, he whispered, "Aren't sorcerers usually... Evil in nature?"

"Positively. However, it has become more devoted to the sake of using a non-conventional magic art rather than causing harm."

"Tharja's a perfect example of that, isn't she? Henry too... Not a malicious thought in their minds."

"I realise that this is solely to spend more time with Lucina. I am gracious nonetheless."

"Heh... You can read me like a book."

"I do tend to practice that an awful lot."

"Ricken's playful side sure has started rubbing off on you. It's kinda nice."

She disregarded that comment. She picked up her pace to make it to the front of the group, eager to make contact. The home before them was slender yet tall, and built of bricks. There was a foreboding aura about it, one that'd made the wary traveler stay clear of it. The front door was wide open. One could see down the main hall through it - an empty hall leading up to nothing but a vast library cascaded in hearthfire.

Hardly anyone entered. Miriel, Tharja, and Henry were a given after she briefed over the situation to the group. Lon'qu agreed to after mumbling something about "how he could be so powerful." Federick also joined them. Chrom himself opted to stay outside, which persuaded most the group to do the same. The five made their way inside, careful not to touch anything.

"I wasn't expecting visitors, let alone a party of this size," voiced a bright, mellow tenor. His skin was severely pale with dark features. His hair was but a mangy mess utop his head, and his eyes held deep frustration and pain. His clothing was dark with many draping aspects. He glanced up from his novel for only a second, and a unexpectedly friendly smile flashed up his visage. "Henry."

Everyone in the group glared at him. "You know him?" Frederick mouthed. Miriel did a similar thing, though there were too many syllables to make out any of the words.

"Wait... You're that Rowan? Dude! I thought I killed you!"

Rowan's smile vanished. "I fear not. Why are you here?"

Frederick perked up. "We are members of the Ylissean army. The continent of Valm has waged war on our allies, the Feroxi. Miriel here - the redhead - mentioned how honored she would be to make your acquaintance. She explained what an immensely powerful conjurer you are, thus our captain decided it was worth coming here."

"I see. How's the war with Plegia?"

"Sire, the war ended two years ago! We were the victors."

"Fantastic." He said nothing else. He simply sat there smiling, exchanging eye contact with each of them - minus Henry. The silence was terribly awkward. "I take it you've had to deal with the undead?"

"Yeah! We call them Risen, and dude! They're so fun to rip apart!"

"I've yet to combat them. Never had the reason to do so... You haven't changed a bit, Henry," Rowan added.

"Neither have you, you sourpuss! You need to get out more!"

Rowan scoffed. "Why are you three so quiet? Tell me something about yourself. You start, Mr. 'Strong and Silent'."

Lon'qu cleared his throat. "I'm a former champion of Regna Ferox. The previously reigning Kahn had me join Chrom's army. That's it. I only stepped in to see if you were as powerful as Miriel said you were."

"You'll see. I promise you. Miriel?"

She began on some wild tirade. Words that shouldn't even exist were being spewed forth. Before she even finished her first sentence of what seem to be a useless, everlasting biography, Rowan hushed her. "Next."

Tharja immediately looked away, acting as if he were addressing someone else. He prompted her to begin several more times without yield.

"Hmph. Very well." He firmly grabbed her by the waist as he pulled her outside. "Remember when I mentioned Risen? I'll give you a reason to be intimidated by me. Come, come!" he ushered the others. Henry blurted out some comment along the lines of "It's been forever since I've seen this! It'll be awesome!"

Rowan cringed when he enter the light. A thin, violet strand of electricity danced across his neck for a second. The whole army stared at him. He disregarded all the attention, fixed on a certain path. He led them off into the forest some few hundred feet.

"Why are we here?" Lon'qu grunted.

"Have patience. You can see it in but a few seconds."

Lo and behold, a Risen army was charging straight at them. "Stay your defences," he whispered before they could react. Tharja desperately tried to escape his grasp to no avail. He grabbed her harder, her back pressed up to his chest. "You're watching this even if the others don't." She continued to struggle.

"Don't worry, Ro-Ro! I'm watching!"

"I forget how much I couldn't stand you, Henry. Now... Let's hope I remember how to do this."

"What?! Like hell I'm dying in the arms of a stranger!" She squirmed more and more. She yelped as the Risen were now but an arm's length away. A devious smile grew across his face. How he missed hearing the screams of others.

Everything went white. The five all screamed at once, although none of them could hear each other. A deafening, high-pitched noise flooded their senses. Although the light quickly faded, none of them could see for a great while. First recognizable action to happen next was Henry's uncontrolled laughter. "That's so much better than I remember!"

"You can open your eyes now, Princess."

Tharja did just that. The Risen were gone. The surrounding land was burnt and desolate. Rowan's eyes glowed a vicious aubergine, and the same bolts from earlier jumped all over him: in his hair, his mouth, his arms. One leaped over to her, giving her a nasty shock. She yelped and jumped out of his grasp. "What was that?"

"What just happened?! Are you alright?!" It was Chrom, hastily approaching with Falcion drawn.

"To vanquish an entire league of Risen with but the immense capacity and potential of the mind! Fascinating. Bewildering, yet... cripplingly fascinating."

"Master Chrom... This man, Rowan... destroyed an entire Risen army in a blink of an eye." "And... It was AWESOME!"

"How is that even possible?" Chrom asked himself. "Rowan, if that's true, then it'd be my honor to have you join our cause."

He smiled. It was the sort of near-insincere smile Henry always had. "As long as I get to harrass this one some more, count me in."