With a snap my eyes shot open, only to be blinded by a bright light. I was greeted by snow after my eyes got used to the light. White specks fell down in heavy flakes and covered trees in layers of snow. A vague daydream lingered on my mind, but I couldn't grasp it.
Something about games?
The icy air wrapped itself around me and pulled me out of my stupor. If it weren't for that chill that ran through my body, I'd convince myself that this was a dream.
Oh, wait, this is a dream. I mean what else could it be?
And as if to convince me that this was no dream, the wind suddenly picked up speed and while carrying many snowflakes, whipped itself at my face, mocking me for being outside in a blizzard. My hands which were covered in gloves for some reason, shielded my eyes from the horrible combination of snow and wind. I cast my eyes down, only to see that I was wearing a dress in this weather. I stood there dazed for a few seconds.
What the heck am I wearing and where am I?
I was standing in the middle of a forest. White air came out of my mouth and cooled down every time I breathed. The trees, the snow, my clothes, everything looked artificial. Rather than artificial, the best way to describe it would be less realistic.
As if straight from a game.
My eyes searched for a sign of life. I needed someone to talk to and confirm that I wasn't going crazy. Anything that moved would've been fine.
Did I somehow get transported to another world? Is this a game? A beautiful dream of a game?
...Well, let's not jump to conclusions yet.
I rubbed my fingers against my temples. A headache. My brain still searched for a proper explanation. The explanation that made the most sense to me was that I was asleep, but the sensations felt too real for a dream. My head hurt, the snow stung in my eyes and it was cold. No matter how improbable it sounded, I could assume that this somehow was not a dream.
Doesn't this kind of stuff only happen in fanfiction?
The cold wind however reminded me that there were more pressing matters than worrying about fanfiction and the likes.
I can always ponder over this later after I find myself a warmer place.
I dragged myself through the snow in hope of finding shelter. However, my mind didn't stop questioning the situation and kept telling me that I was insane. Things like 'This can't be a dream!' were quickly countered with 'How can this NOT be a dream?' I couldn't help but feel that something was off. That nagging feeling gnawed at me.
While I was arguing with myself, rustling and creaking sounds filled the forest. In response, my head tilted slightly to the side and there in the distance I spotted a figure. A masked person was headed my way. I couldn't tell the gender of this person. The person was clad in frost-tinged clothes that looked awfully cold for this weather and donned a butterfly themed mask. Short blue hair framed the rather feminine face. A sword was strapped to its hip. With steps that crushed snow and tree branches under its weight, it drew closer until our eyes met.
This person sort of reminds me of a more feminine version of Marth. Well, whoever that is, I guess he or she isn't trying to sneak up on me.
A blank face stared back at me. The mask concealed most of her or his emotions, but I thought I saw a hint of something appear on its lips for a split second. Did he or she bite his lip? Was that a grimace? It didn't really matter. All I knew was that I didn't like it.
My feet slowly moved backwards.
"May I ask for your name?" the figure spoke in a distant voice.
"W-what?" taken aback by the sudden question, my voice trembled as I backed away.
"That's..."
A dramatic pause?
The figure's mouth curled down and its stance changed. My instincts screamed at me to get the hell away from there.
"All I needed to hear."
One hand reached out to its sword and drew it in the blink of an eye. I made a run for it toward an area with more trees. The masked (wo)man shot at me, covering the distance that separated us in mere seconds. He or she was so, so much faster than I was. My brain called me an idiot for not running away earlier. But that probably wouldn't have helped anyway.
With its raised sword, the figure dove at me. I tumbled down to the side, dodging the strike and quickly rose to my feet.
It was a relentless attack. The person was incredibly fast and slashed its sword with a speed that would make anyone sweat. Another thrust came my way. The sword barely missed me by a hair's breadth as I dove to the side. I quickly got up and jumped away as the figure lunged at me again.
My senses were dull and I had a hard time keeping up, dodging took more effort than I had expected. I couldn't believe this was happening. I didn't even have a weapon, there was no way to fend of this attack. Terror welled up. I knew that fear and panic in life-threatening situations don't go hand in hand, but I was too busy to calm myself. My flight response was triggered and like a rabbit trying to escape from its hunter, all I could think of was escape.
"Lucina!" a voice shouted out of nowhere.
Shit, there was someone else!?
Shocked, my eyes snapped towards the voice's direction. The shape of a girl came into sight. She pulled the string of her bow back and released it. The swordsman immediately jumped back. An arrow shot out of the snow, but the aim was slightly off and grazed my arm. The masked figure wasted no moment to try to take advantage of this situation. A rush followed by a horizontal slice from its sword prompted me to awkwardly dodge the metal. I staggered after dodging and in that moment, another arrow was fired off and pierced my leg.
I groaned and staggered again. The already slim chances of me escaping sank to zero. The swordsman firmly held its sword with both hands and dashed at me. I tried to desperately evade the attack, but my wound stopped me from properly dodging it. Everything seemed to move slower from that moment on. Its hair swayed in the wind and its teeth grounded against each other. The swordsman slightly adjusted its aim as I struggled with dodging. I knew it was going to end up bad.
A sharp pain shot through my stomach as the figure planted its sword into my midriff. I cried out in pain. The sword dug itself deeper into me and held me up as my leg gave away. I stared down at the sword that disappeared into my body. Blood dripped down and stained the gritty snow red. My hands gripped the metal in a futile effort to pull it out. Wheezing, panting sounds escaped my mouth as my breath grew ragged. An excruciating pain spread through my body. Blood still poured out and the sight of this was enough to send me into total shock. I couldn't understand what or why this was happening, my thoughts quickly outpaced my mind.
I denied the fact that this was happening.
This is a nightmare, something like this can't be real.
With its hands clamped down on the worn-out hilt of the sword, the figure just stood there. His, no, didn't I hear a woman's name? Her mouth twisted and churned, perhaps she was just as confused as I was, but I couldn't tell.
Anger, fear, confusion, a bitter pool of emotions stirred up. I fought back the tears that welled up. I was bleeding too much and I knew that death knocked on the door. I didn't know what to do. My gaze directed itself at my assailant.
"D-damn it," I stammered and proceeded to struggle and flail once more, but with no success.
"Why did this," my hands reached out to my midriff. "Even h-happen? This..."
I couldn't find the words to say. What was someone even supposed to say when they were bleeding to death?
"Whatever it takes," she whispered with a grim expression.
My body slowly grew weaker and weaker. It was torture, the pain was agonizing. My life didn't flash by, instead as my vision faded into black, the daydream I had earlier came back to me. My mouth formed words, but the words clung to my lips.
The masked girl silently watched that person's death throes. When the last white breath escaped the person's mouth and every sign of life was gone, she pulled her in blood covered sword out and sheathed it. The body hit the bloody ground with a wet thump.
In her mind, the same scene replayed itself over and over. The moment her voice was killed off, when the sword dug itself deeper, the sounds, the smell. It was all burned into her mind. Remembering it gave rise to an unpleasant feeling, she wasn't sure what to feel or what to think. She had killed before, but this was different. The moment their eyes met, her heart froze over.
The things that person did in the future were unforgivable. A danger, she was a danger to everyone.
Why am I even trying to justify myself?
Lucina wasn't the grudge-bearing type of person. Her heart was set on trying to resolve everything as peacefully as possible, at least that's what she told herself when the children traveled to the past. But the situation was just too perfect. Unarmed, alone, she probably didn't even have any experience with fighting yet. Was it on impulse? Probably. She hadn't planned on meeting her on her way to Fort Ferox.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes in order to collect her thoughts.
I can't be shaken by this. There is still someone else who is even more dangerous roaming around in this world.
What should I do now? Get rid of the body?
As if in response, the ground shook and trembled almost immediately.
"Lucina!" the other girl holding a bow shouted and caught up to her. The bow was tightly clutched in her hands. The archer panted heavily while sweat dripped down her panicked face.
"Th-there! Risens in the distance!"
"What?!"
From a purple light, a horde of risens emerged and stumbled across the snow.
The archer tugged at Lucina's arm and tried to tell her that they had to leave. However, Lucina could only stare in shock.
How is this possible?! This..
Her face darkened and she swallowed hard, her throat was bone-dry.
This wasn't supposed to happen! I don't recall reading anything about this in the records and history books. How could killing her change the future that much?
The archer urged her to calm herself, but got ignored by Lucina who seemed to be absorbed in her own thoughts. Irritation swallowed her up and the girl's right hand reached out to the talisman in her pocket. With her mother's talisman clenched in her hand, her eyebrows drew together and a scowl appeared on her face. Anger rippled through the girl's face.
"PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER WENCH." Noire shouted in one breath. She inhaled deeply and started talking again,"Aren't you the exalt's daughter?!"
The princess let out an "Ah," out of shock.
"Drats! Why did it have to be risens?" Noire grunted, her eyes glared daggers at the undead.
Her harsh words shook Lucina out of her mind and grated on her. She was the exalt's daughter. Everything was for her family. The world shall not fall as long as she was alive. She made a decision to cut her down and she couldn't change it. If this was the result then so be it.
Her brains starting cracking and turning. The situation was bad, there were too many risens for the two of them. There was also that strange purple light. It was some sort of dark magic, Lucina concluded. Was there a dark mage close by or perhaps…
She shuddered at that thought.
Fort Ferox wasn't very far away, they must be informed of this threat. She had no doubt that they would be able to handle this situation. After all, the people of Ferox she met in the future were strong, the past should be no different. The fact that she was going there to beat up the champion and challenge the Shepherds only confirmed that this was the correct course of action. The purple light still bothered her, but what could two people do against an army of risens? Also, a bigger threat could be lurking there.
"Thank you, Noire," Lucina looked away and spoke in a calm voice. "This isn't the time to be standing still. We can't possibly handle this many risens by ourselves. Our survival is of utmost importance. Dragging around a body will only hinder us, someone might even spot us."
Noire's demeanour changed back into her usual timid self. Her shoulders tensed up and her head quickly nodded to her words.
"Let us make haste, we must inform the people of this land about the risens."
Before leaving, Lucina turned around and took one last look at the body lying in the snow. A sigh came out of her mouth. They then left without turning their back around.
"I wasn't expecting this to happen," she mused.
I blankly watched the woman mulling over things. Her appearance was striking, that long green hair that gracefully flowed and the long dress she wore made her look like she was from out of this world. Well, that and the fact that half of her body was faded, making her look like a spirit. She gave of a weird aura. It was warm, like that of a mother, but it was also very dignified and distant at the same time. It was a peculiar feeling, but I was very impressed by the grandness that resonated from this person. For some reason it felt like we weren't even on the same footing. Like an insect and a human, but a god and a human would be more appropriate in this case.
Wait a minute, what's even happening? When did I get here? We're not standing on anything, we're just floating in this blue vortex. I don't even remember falling asle-
"You don't recall what happened just now, right?" the woman suddenly addressed me and broke through my inner monologue.
"Uh, excuse me?"
Upon hearing my answer, she closed her eyes and muttered the words again and just as expected.
"Err, uhm. I've been meaning to ask this, but am I dreaming right now? Cause I don't understand a thing of what's happening."
"This is not a dream. We are on a higher plane of existence at this very moment, but where we are matters not."
I think it matters, a lot!
"And... You expect me to believe something that like that?"
"Don't think, traveller. Accept it," her voice faltered. Her eyes squeezed tightly as if she was in pain. "I can sense it. He's closing in."
"What are you talking about?"
She opened her eyes again and directed her gaze at me. Her deep green eyes were intimidating, but I couldn't take my eyes of them.
"I summoned you to this world, traveler. Things have gone awry. There's not much time left, but I'll explain the most important things," she spoke with a voice devoid of emotion. There was no malice, just nothing.
I nodded, but the words didn't really sink into my mind.
"This world is what you call a game. To be more specific, this is the Fire emblem world or whatever you may call it. That doesn't mean this is a game. This is your new reality, so don't treat this as a game."
"Yeah, right. Okay."
"I hope you realize that dying here will mean your death," she went on and stressed that last part. "Summoning someone from a different world than ours is difficult, as such there was a price for summoning you. You lost something."
"You mean life as I know it?"
"…Yes, that too. But what I meant was that you lost a part of your memories."
"Huh?"
"You lost specific knowledge of this era in this world. It'd be more accurate to say that they were erased."
"So... you're saying I forgot about a game and now have a form of amnesia." I sighed and rested my head on my hand.
This is ridiculous.
"Isn't that a bit too convenient? Why did it get erased and more importantly why did I get summoned? Surely there are better and more able people to summon."
"I had no choice or say in either matter. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. You must be good for something too. The gods thought it'd be better to get rid of that knowledge. It would have hazardous consequences if the enemy got their hands on that knowledge. Please do not dwell on it," she reassured me, but her face and the indifferent tone in which she spoke didn't match her words.
"The gods? This is a lot to take in," I paused. "So then, who are you? I think I can sort of guess who you are. Probably."
She reminded me of Nagi, but it had been a while since I last played Shadow Dragon so I wasn't sure.
"I am the Divine Dragon Naga. Although it may seem this way, I am no god. Traveller, time is growing short. Like I mentioned before, things have already gone awry. I am afraid things are going downhill for you and this world. The consequences of her actions may not immediately have effects on the events that have yet to come. But even I am not sure how this will affect you and the world."
"Hellooo? I'm a bit lost here."
Naga opened her arms.
"But, I have faith in mankind and in you. That's why I won't let this story end now."
What's this person even talking about? Explain the whole situation dammit!
More questions sprung up: what was I even supposed to do? What role was I supposed to play? Who were the gods? I raised my hand and blurted out one of the questions that bothered me the most.
"Am I some sort of sacrificial pawn?"
Naga's head cocked to the side. The question must have sounded sudden.
"Err, since I did get summoned to this world and I'm not sure how summoning me will help... whatever is happening."
"Well, are you a pawn? Do you have a will of your own?"
"Don't answer my question with a question."
She ignored me and didn't even bat an eye. My own eyes were still fixated on her. Her face was like stone, I couldn't read her thoughts. I wondered what went on in the deity's head. As I kept on staring, the blue hues around us slowly twisted and broke into black. Naga's figure faded and I was suddenly alone.
Something pulled me down into the depth of this sea of nothingness. I heard someone bid me goodbye and my eyes closed itself. I still didn't understand a thing while I sank, but something had definitely started. The game was afoot and I was forced to go with the flow.
The title was totally inspired by the Latin phrase Fiat justitia ruat caelum.
I considered splitting this chapter into two. I didn't plan on writing this much for the first chapter, but it just sort of happened. While writing this, I realized that action scenes are a real pain to write. The story will follow the game in big lines, but things will obviously be slightly different at times. Looking back at this later, the ending is a bit rushed. Sorry for that.
Anyway, I hope things weren't too confusing to read. Reviews and constructive criticism are as always welcome.