"Where does THIS bloody map lead to!?"
"For the fifth time, Solna, I don't know; stop jerking around so much! Your back is bleeding heavily."
The sound of voices reached the blue-haired male's ear from across the field, making him come up short while walking. It had sounded like a couple of people were nearby, but the fields around the Southtown weren't exactly an easy place to wind up lost in. His pause was noticed by his companions – a blonde girl in a yellow dress and a large man in knight armor over a suit – and they stopped to look at him as well. "Chrom?" The girl asked, making the blue-haired male turn to her. "Is something up?"
"Did either of you two hear that?" Chrom asked, worry creasing his brow a fraction. When they both shook their heads, he frowned. "That's surprising, Lissa; I thought you would have picked it up. But either way, it sounds like there might be people in need of assistance. I heard voices in the fields that I didn't recognize."
His tall companion frowned. "While I do agree that going to see what the source of the shouting would be is a wise choice, we should still observe caution." He commented, earning an eye roll from Lissa.
"Yes, yes, we know, Frederick the Wary." She quipped, flexing her wrist around the healing staff she carried with her. "Well, Chrom, you heard it, you lead the way." She said with a smile, making the blue-haired man shake his head in amusement as he set off across the fields, the voices Chrom had heard earlier reaching them again.
"Ow! Seriously, what the hell grabbed me? I normally don't get hurt this bad!" One of the voices was female, close in age to Chrom, and irate about something. "And this map … How'd that weird, red-headed woman get it? It looks like whoever made this map had the handwriting of an illiterate chicken."
"I don't recognize the landmass either … " The second voice was male, and close to the female voice in age, guiding Chrom closer to their location. He could faintly make out a person in a dark coat nearby, kneeling down as they tended to something – most likely their companion. "And I don't know what hit you either, but yeah … it got you good, Solna. I'd rather not run into it again any time soon."
Soon, the group of three found themselves looking at a pair of young adults, male and female. From what Chrom could tell, they looked at least somewhat related. The male was the one whose dark coat they had spotted, kneeling behind the shirtless female. It seemed like he was tending to her back, her holding long, lavender colored hair out of the way as she examined a map. The man had light blue hair, and bandages were wrapped tightly around his right hand as he worked, brows furrowed. Coughing and turning slightly to preserve the woman's modesty – a glance showed Frederick was doing the same – and Chrom spoke up.
"Is there something we could do to help you two? There's better places to work on that than on the ground, you know."
The young woman let out a flustered, agitated noise, and Chrom braced himself for something to be thrown. The young man, however, seemed to sense the situation. "Solna, no, put down the rock; neither of the guys are looking." He said, making Lissa roll her eyes as she trotted over, staff in hand. Smiling at the two, she nodded.
"I can finish up her back if you want to explain things, okay?" She offered, giving the man a friendly smile as she extended a hand to shake. The young man watched her a moment before shaking it, standing up and approaching Chrom and Frederick. Lissa turned to the girl with a smile, noting the way the older woman kept her chest covered with a matching coat to her companion. "Hehe, don't worry! My brother knows what I'd do if he tried to peek." The blonde said with a smile, kneeling down to look at the older female's back.
What she saw made her grimace, face pale. Whatever had grabbed the other girl had left a set of long, jagged wounds diagonally down her back from her left shoulder to the right side of her waist. "... You didn't try to fight a wyvern, did you miss …?" She asked as she began to tend to the injuries, the orb at the top of her staff glowing.
"Solna, if my brother's to be believed." The lavender-haired woman replied. "And if I remembered, I would tell you if I wrestled a wyvern or not ..." Sighing, the woman started tying most of her long hair up in a ponytail, exposing a geometric tattoo around her right wrist. Pulling out a leather strap to tie around the tresses, she let out a small grunt. "Whatever it is, it ripped my breast band and shirt … Gonna have to pick up a new one in town."
"Yeah, smart move." Lissa nodded in agreement, seeing the top in question – the back had almost been slashed to ribbons and bloodstained, but the coat nearby was unharmed. "We're not too far off from a village, so that shouldn't be too hard if you have gold." letting out a happy noise, the blonde stood up. "There, got your back about as best as I could; it'll probably scar though ..."
"Ah, I'll live with that." Standing up and turning so her back faced the men, Solna used the leather tie and restrained her hair before scooping her shirt off the ground. "I'll just tighten my coat until I get a new one." Nodding and turning, waved to Chrom as Solna picked up her coat, the two of them heading over to where the others had gathered. Solna's brother was pulling on a pair of gloves Chrom had given him, turning as he heard them approach.
"Feeling better, Solna?" He asked, giving her a smile. "I think this is the first time I've seen you actually hurt that bad." Solna gave a shrug, stopping by her twin. From beside them, Lissa gawked – if she was standing flush against one of the two, she'd come to up to their armpit. As it was, they were only barely shorter than Chrom, looking him in the eye as he gave them an easy smile.
"Good to see you two were alright – I was almost worried we'd find you unconscious." He stated, blue eyes softening as he relaxed his pose. Solna's brother gave a friendly smile.
"I appreciate your concern, Chrom." He replied, chuckling. The statement drew confused looks from Chrom, Lissa, and even Solna. Frederick, however, seemed wary.
"Hmm? So you know of me?" Chrom asked, earning a perplexed look from the lighter-haired male. He brought a hand up to his head rubbing it a he turned to his sister.
"...No? The name just stuck with me … Do you have any ideas, Solna?" He asked, who shrugged.
"All I know is that the name sounds familiar, for some reason." The lavender-haired woman shook her head. "But … your memory's fuzzy too, Felix?" When her brother nodded, she frowned a bit. "And you wondered why I double-checked to see if my name was Solna!"
"I'd be very concerned if I couldn't remember the name of my own twin!" Felix shot back, waving his arm around. Solna just opted to slap her face with her left hand, baring a strange, violet mark that resembled six conjoined eyes. Frederick narrowed his eyes more, but was prevented from speaking up as Lissa snapped her fingers.
"Wait, if you two have fuzzy memory … that's amnesia!"
"No, it's a load of pegasus dung." Frederick said in response, earning a look from the two newcomers. Solna parted her fingers and gave him a wry grin.
"I mean no offense, big guy, but I expected better language from someone who wears a suit under their armor." She commented. Chrom and Lissa both gave Frederick a look, who just arched an eyebrow.
"Amnesiacs are not exactly known for the sort of wit you have just shown, ma'am." He replied, voice stern. Felix seemed to scowl at that, elbowing Solna hard in the ribs.
"Don't antagonize the man in armor." He commented when Solna gave him an odd look, before turning to Frederick himself. "Sorry about her, she's the brash twin… I don't blame your caution – I certainly don't remember much of anything before waking up in this field."
"That just makes the situation even more suspicious." The tall brunet's frown deepened. "If just one of you had boasted amnesia, I would have been more accepting, but both of you? That reeks of foul play." Chrom frowned at that, turning to him.
"Frederick, if you insist on leaving them here ..." He began, frowning. "We're sheperds, aren't we?" Frederick gave a nod at that.
"Yes, but 'twould be wise not to let wolves into the flock." The taller man countered. A sharp inhale from Solna answered him, but it was cut off by the sound of a hand hitting skin. Looking revealed it to be from Felix slapping a hand over Solna's mouth, earning a glare from his supposed twin sister.
"Stop. Antagonizing. The. Big Guy." The lighter-haired male hissed through his teeth, matching brown eyes locking. Seeing the looks they were getting, Felix turned to them. "If there's one thing I know about my sister, it's that she can be quite confrontational if she needs to be."He explained, shooting Solna a glare. "But … you claim to be sheperds? I would be worried more about things other than wo – Solna!" Felix jerked his hand away, wringing it in disgust as Solna shot him a triumphant look.
"And you're the only sheperds I know of who tend to sheep in armor." She said, ignoring the way Felix wiped off his hand on her coat with a smack. "I take it the bears must be larger and on fire in this place."
Chrom just laughed. "It's more like we have a rather large flock of sheep." He replied, smiling despite the way he held up a hand to keep Frederick from talking. It seemed to be some sort of signal, because while the larger male was still giving the twins a distrusting look, he remained silent. "Anyway, I suppose I should give introductions," Chrom continued, smiling and gesturing to Lissa at his side. "The delicate one here is my younger sister, Lissa."
He was rewarded with a hit on the shoulder from Lissa's staff. "I am not delicate!" She retorted with a huff, propping the hand without a staff on her hip as Chrom looked at her while rubbing his bare shoulder. Smiling as she turned on her heels to the twins, she gave a small bob of a curtsey. "But it's nice to meet you two."
Solna smiled and nodded back, Felix giving Lissa a smile and a wave before turning to Frederick, stopping when he bumped something with his arm. A quick check made him arch an eyebrow, "... I must have really been out of it to not notice this sword sooner ..." He commented before shaking his head. "Don't know why I have one of those ..." Solna shrugged, checking her own pockets as her brother looked at Chrom. "And your friend here?"
"Ah, yes, this is Frederick the Wary." Chrom said with a nod to Frederick. The large man gave a crisp, flawless bow that impressed Fleix on account of the armor he was wearing.
"That is a title I shall wear with pride," He stated, straightening as he looked the twins over with a frown. While he could see the sword Felix possessed – as well as what looked like a tome in an interior coat pocket – Solna seemed unarmed. Her quick pocket search had only revealed the map she had been examining upon being found and a strange musical instrument. Turning to Chrom, he gave a nod. "So, what shall we do with them?"
The sapphire haired male sighed, frowning a bit. "It seems cruel to just leave them here … But the robes do seem to come from Plegia," he admitted the last in a tone low enough for Frederick's ears only. "But," Chrom continued, raising his voice again, "Neither of you have done anything to rouse suspicion ..."
Frederick noted the way Felix seemed to tense, shifting so he ever so slightly was in front of his sister. "Perhaps, then, we should take them with us," he replied to Chrom, making sure that he could reach for a weapon if the male twin grew hostile. "If they mean no harm, we can let them walk free. However, I wouldn't recommend just letting them walk as they plea -"
A faint crackle of lightning stopped him, making all three watch as Felix drew the sword he had apparently purchased. The blade was stylized like a lightning bolt, and the third man was frowning at them both. "You reach for any piece of rope or my sister and we'll see if memory and skill really are linked or not." He growled out, now completely in front of his sister. Solna seemed legitimately surprised by his actions, the strange flute still in one of her hands.
"How knightly of you to protect your sister," Frederick replied, hands folded loosely behind his back. "Perhaps that portion of your story is true after all." At that, he frowned. "But put your sword away; if we truly believed you hostile, we would not be using diplomacy. Besides," he eyed the sword, "that is a Levin Sword; I imagine it's a bit beyond your skill to use the full power truly, connection to memory or not."
Solna seemed to have recovered herself, as she hit her brother with the hand not holding the instrument. "And you tell me not to antagonize the guy in armor?" She demanded, brown eyes flashing. "Which one of us is drawing the sword on them?"
Felix shot her a look"Not antagonizing and not being careless are different things." he said gruffly, returning the blade to its sheath.
"It seems I am not the only one here who seems to be deserving of the title 'the wary'." Frederick commented, arching an eyebrow. "I do commend your reactions, even if they raise more suspicion, Felix the Cautious." Felix opted to give him a withering look, one that Frederick matched squarely.
Scowling and walking around her brother as she stowed the strange flute away, Solna showed the empty palms of her hands. "Look, we're both lost, confused, remember nothing about how we got here; can we save the inquisition until we've had food and I have new clothes?" She stated, looking between Frederick and Chrom.
Lissa chose that moment to speak up. "Yeah, c'mon you guys." she said, nodding at Solna's back. "I did what I could, but her back was pretty bad – we should probably get a better healer to look at it along with getting her new clothes." Nodding, she looked to Chrom. "Southown's not too far away, and we were heading for it when you heard them, Chrom."
Giving an understanding nod, Chrom looked at the twins. "Very well; we'll just have you two accompany us to Southtown for supplies, and then we'll have to ask the two of you questions. Perhaps the healer can give a better guess as to what injured you so, Solna." Turning to Frederick, he nodded. "Does that work with you, Frederick the Wary?"
Frederick gave a nod after a tense moment, whistling as he turned to a different part of the field. A whicker answered him, and a large, dun-colored horse in armor that matched his trotted up. "Very well, but if you are as injured as Lissa claims, Solna, I do request you ride. It wouldn't do to open your wounds." Solna gave him a wary look, but approached the horse warily. The animal didn't twitch as Frederick pulled the reins over his steed's head to serve as a lead, and merely flicked her ears back as Solna hauled herself up into the saddle. "She's a good, calm girl; the pace will be slow."
"I just pray I don't fall off this giant." Solna replied, steadying herself with a grip on the saddle as Frederick watched her. "I mean, my balance isn't off, but she's so high up … Fitting for someone of your size and build." Settling, she gave Frederick a nod, still gripping the saddle as the group headed off, Chrom in the lead. Lissa was at his side, Felix behind them both. Frederick took up the rear, leading Solna and his horse.
A frown was still on Felix's face, and he looked at Chrom as they walked. "And dare I ask what will become of us if Solna and I can't answer your questions to your satisfaction?" Chrom and Lissa stopped, as did Frederick. Chrom gave Felix a frown as he turned to look at the other male.
"I can't answer that, really. I do want you two to be as innocent as you and your sister claim," He replied, his left arm resting on the hilt of the sword he wore. Solna, now at a different vantage point, took note of the strange mark on Chrom's shoulder. She went to comment when smoke hit her nose, making her look up; Lissa seemed to have noticed something as well, because she had yet to turn to look at Felix, Solna's gaze following hers.
Felix didn't seem amused. "So, Solna and I are more or less prisoners?" To his surprise, Chrom just laughed at the accusation.
"I'm too softhearted to take anything but my own supper as prisoner, if Frederick is to be believed." still, chuckling, the sapphire-haired male gave Felix an easy smile. "If you two don't do anything to arouse suspicion, we'll let you go free … although, if you truly don't have your memories, it might be safer to escort you elsewh-"
"Chrom!" Lissa's shocked exclamation, accompanied by her tugging on her brother's arm, made him stop in mid sentence. Looking at the blonde, Chrom's easy smile turned into a frown as she pointed towards a plume of smoke rising in the distance. "Looks like Southtown's in trouble!"
"If 'trouble' is you way of saying 'currently half of it is on fire', then you're right!" Solna's statement made the others look; the lavender-haired woman stood atop of Frederick's horse with some difficulty, the hand not held to the side for balance shielding her eyes. "I can't make out too much, but it looks like bandits and not just an accident."
A scowl flashed across Chrom's face, and he nodded at Frederick. The large man didn't hesitate to get into the horse's saddle with ease, pulling Solna down so she was seated again. "It would be best if you remained where you are. If there's a fight, it'll be harder for them to injure you, especially since you are unarmed." He stated as Solna turned to look at him; she nodded with a frown, brows furrowed as he kicked the horse into a fast canter.
Felix let out a shout. "Oi! Get back here with my sister!" He called out, following Frederick at a sprint. Chrom was right behind him, Lissa in the rear. As the group neared the town, the sight of villagers running and hiding as a group of about ten bandits ran around, torching various buildings and stealing goods. Scowling as they looked it over, Chrom gripped his sword and drew it.
"Stay near the rear, Lissa," He told her, exposing the gold and white blade. Lissa nodded – she wasn't the most physical fighter – and Felix had drawn the sword again while handing the tome over towards Solna.
"... Are you sure trusting me with a tome is wise, Felix?" She deadpanned even as she took the tome, revealing a thunderbolt on the cover. "... Well, at least the writing seems … familiar? I'd recommend staying away until I get the hang of this ..."
"Do not fret. I shall make sure you don't set a building on fire … at least not one that isn't already ablaze." Frederick commented as he drew the sharp, beautifully polished spear from the holder on his mount's armor. Solna turned and gave him a flat look.
"I planned on aiming for the moving targets anyway, O Paranoid one." She retorted, earning a wry grin from Frederick as his horse charged towards one of the bandits that had spotted them. Not hesitating – or seeming to notice Solna in front of him – the brunet male lowered the spear into position. The brigand didn't have a chance to turn or halt before he was run through, the silvered steel turning scarlet from the action.
Chrom rushed past a second later, the sword in his hands blocking one from an attacking swordsman. While the brigand managed to leave a cut on Chrom's arm, the sapphire-haired male responded with a kick to his attacker's stomach before bringing his blade down in an overhand swing. A flash of red filled the air later, and the brigand fell over with a cry as he bled out.
When the next brigand – a mage – bore down upon Chrom, Solna spotted a third one with an axe charging them while Chrom was distracted. Scowling, she opened the tome she held, extending her left arm with a shout. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky at her shout, hitting the brigand's raised weapon and sending him to the ground in a twitching heap, stunned. She stared for a moment before a wide grin spread over her face. "... I don't know how I can do that or why, but I like zapping people."
"As long as you refrain from zapping us, I see no quandary with back up." Frederick deadpanned as Chrom managed to kill the mage, wincing from some wounds caused by a wind spell. Turning the mount towards him, the brunet nodded at Chrom. "Are you well, milo-!" His statement was cut off as Solna swung from the horse, knocking Chrom to one side as a far more powerful wind spell hurtled towards where Chrom had been mere seconds ago.
The spell seemed to do little more to Solna than ruffle her hair. "Bah, Predictable!" she scoffed, the tome she had been given open as she pointed at the enemy mage. "Here's how it's done!" The brand on her hand flashed violet, catching Frederick's attention as a far larger flash of lightning struck the mage, sending them to the ground with a scream of pain.
Chrom didn't seem to have noticed the flash of light from Solna's hand, darting past her to run the now- recovered bandit through with his sword. "I owe you!" he called over his shoulder as Solna grinned. Frederick placed a pair of gloves in her hand soon after, a frown on his face when she turned to him.
"That flash will alert your enemies." He explained as Solna paused to pull the gloves on. "Best to keep it hidden." Nodding, but still suspicious at the generosity, Solna slipped the gloves on before charging after Chrom, Frederick behind them.
A short distance away, Felix kept himself between Lissa and attacking brigands, the Levin Sword's jagged edge leaving uncomfortable wounds that, even if the bandits survived, would take a while to heal. 'There's a trick to making the lightning work, I know it …!' The blue-haired male cursed to himself, frowning as he got a moment of downtime while Lissa healed him. He had noticed the flashes of lightning, making him shake his head. "Well, it seems like Solna's fairing well." He commented as both he and Lissa continued on, keeping a wary eye for more brigands as he focused more on his sword. "At least Chrom seems to be following the strategy."
"Yeah, it's a good one!" Lissa nodded, keeping behind the tall male. "If you need help with that sword though, I can give some pointers; I know at hing or two about magic." Felix nodded as they rounded a corner, his grip on the sword tightening. "Even if you don't get the magic working, you seem to know how to hit things with a sword at least."
"Couldn't tell you how I know that much, but I'm grateful for it in this scenario." Felix nodded with a grunt, spotting Chrom as he wounded one of the last bandits standing. Dashing forward, he thrust the point of the Levin sword into the man's thigh. The unexpected blow kept the brigand from retaliating as Chrom drove his sword through the man's lung. "Hey, where's Solna and Frederick?" Felix asked as Lissa rushed forward, tending to her brother's injuries.
Letting the blue light from the heal staff wash over him, Chrom nodded to a separate part of town. "I think they're helping out over there – your sister's got a knack for dropping lightning on things." Felix turned to look, spotting Frederick's horse as it kicked a different brigand into the water; both the knight and Solna seemed to be helping fetch water to help put out some of the burning houses.
Satisfied that his sister was unharmed, Felix turned to look down the bridge he, Chrom and Lissa stood in front of. There was one brigand left, and judging from his bulk and the fact that he seemed to be the one who has the most muscle mass of the bandits. "... We're going to have to work together to take him down, I bet." He whispered to Chrom, who nodded.
"I'll keep close, but Lissa, stay careful." The sapphire-haired male told his sister, who nodded. Felix was examining the bandit, tightening his grip on the Levin Sword before giving Chrom a nod.
"You go from the front, and I'll flank you and come up behind him." He muttered to Chrom, who nodded. Shifting, both blue-haired men darted forward, Chrom a bit more in the lead as he intercepted the bandit from the front. Felix kept going, making sure not to slip and fall, and grinned as the bandit grunted in pain from the gash Chrom made on his chest. Chrom managed to dodge the thrown axe, allowing Felix to slash at the man's back.
"Have another!" Chrom shouted, running forward and jamming the sword in his hands through the man's lung. Letting out a gurgle, the bandit twitched, stumbling when the sword was drawn out of him. Felix dodged out of the way, watching the man fall with a grimace on his face before walking over to where Chrom and Lissa stood. "That's that." The sapphire-haired male muttered darkly, cleaning off his blade before stowing it away in his scabbard again.
"That sounds about right." Felix agreed, looking around the town; most of the burning buildings had been extinguished, and none of the bandits were left standing. "I can't see Frederick or Solna though ..."
"Knowing Frederick, he's getting her new clothes now that the fighting's done." Lissa commented drily, running off to tend to some of the injured villagers nearby. Chrom offered his vulneary to another before turning to Felix with a wry smile.
"Well, you certainly seem to have a knack for strategy." He commented, voice friendly. "Not something I was suspecting with your amnesia, to be honest." Felix gave a weak chuckle, storing his own sword away.
"It … well, I felt like I could see things." He admitted, scratching his head to ruffle his light blue hair. "How battle would flow and such … it was weird, to be honest. I can't fully describe it."
"So a strategist, then? Perhaps if you turn out to not be a Plegian scout, you could stay on as a tactician." Chrom said with a nod, his voice still friendly. Felix looked around, examining the battlefield and brigands.
"If Plegians are these guys … then I think it's fairly safe to say that I am not one of them." He deadpanned before grabbing his head. "...? Something came to me ..." Shaking his head, he blinked. "Okay … weird … Solna and I … we were helping out mother with something recently … but that's about as solid as I can recall."
Chrom gave a relieved sigh. "Well, at least it's something; don't strain yourself and let the memory come back to you naturally." Reaching forward, he clapped Felix's shoulder.
Frederick approached soon after, unscathed. "Some of the village women are assisting in finding Solna some new clothing." He explained, hands folding behind his back. "She was quite reliable in the fight, even going so far as to jump in the way of a bandit or two attacking villagers. I am a … bit wary of her fondness for electrocuting things, however."
"It … might be a side effect of whatever gave us amnesia?" Felix offered with a weak shrug, not knowing the reasoning himself. "I don't think she's always been like this?" There was a waver to his voice that made Frederick arch an eyebrow, but refrained from commenting as Chrom chuckled and stepped closer.
"We should head out for Ylisstol after she's back with us. I think it's safe to say that, if the twins wished us harm, they wouldn't have aided us like they did." He stated, making eye contact with Frederick as he spoke. Frowning at the stern look the knight was giving him, the sapphire-haired male nodded at Felix. "He aided me and protected Lissa from harm, and you said yourself that Solna was helping those who were unarmed. At the least, they mean no harm to us."
"Very well." The knight acquiesced, turning when he heard footsteps approaching them. It was Solna, leading his horse behind her – she now wore a simple, dark violet tunic underneath her coat, one that covered her figure as she stopped in front of the others assembled, handing the horse over to Frederick. "I see that they were able to assist you swiftly." Frederick commented as he took the reins. Solna just gave him a wry grin.
"They didn't even bother searching through women's things, just handed me a man's tunic." She said with a shrug. "I admire the practicality."
Frederick responded with a nod, giving the lavender-haired woman a wry grin. "Considering your height in comparison to most women, I can see why that was a fair course of action. Even if it cost you a rather handy distraction tactic."
"Bah, I think most men would be more startled by a large woman bearing down on them." Solna scoffed. "Unless you're trying to admit to peeking – I thought they taught chi-"
"Solna!" Felix cut his twin off, voice flustered. "Stop antagonizing the man in full plate armor!" Solna responded with a cackle as she shook her head in amusement, ignoring the way Chrom stared at her in confusion. Lissa had rejoined the group at some point in the conversation, because she seemed just as baffled – Frederick merely looked mildly put out.
"As I have stated before, you have far too much of a clever wit to be truly amnesiac." He said simply, before giving her a disarming smile. "But it is not often I find one who has the bravery to argue back with me in such a manner; I'm glad you are not the dull sword in the armory." Solna scowled at the jab, but was prevented from retaliating when Frederick shifted the conversation. "Was a healer able to tell what had given your back such harsh injuries?"
"No, unfortunately. They said it was far too big to be a wyvern." Solna shook her head, frowning. "But they'll heal over. I'll probably have the scars for a good long time, but that's not a problem." Turning to Felix, she nodded at him. "Is your hand still hurting you, Felix?"
Felix shook his head. "No … at least, the burning isn't as bad as it was when we first regained consciousness." He admitted. "I think part of it might be from just using the sword, though. It felt … natural to be holding something like that. Like I've done it before." Solna nodded in understanding.
"Yeah, I found reading the tome really easy too. Plus, zapping brigands was oddly cathartic, for some reason ..." Shrugging, she stretched. "So, where to now, Chrom? It seems like you're the one who calls the shots here." She admitted, giving Frederick a curious look. The large brunet didn't respond, simply turning to Chrom as the young man nodded.
"We should head back for Ylisstol now; Frederick, Lissa and I have been gone a while, plus we can introduce you and Felix to some people." He said with a smile, propping one hand on his sword. "Your brother seems to have a knack for strategy, at the least."
"Solna does too – she just needs a bit more time to plan stuff usually." Felix offered, smiling at his sister. "I think that's one of the things we've always done together; two heads are better than one, after all." Solna responded with a laugh and a nod, smiling easily. Chrom seemed to relax at the notion, smiling and nodding.
"That's that, then; let's get going." He stated, only to stop when Lissa let out a frustrated noise.
"But Chroooooooooooooom!" The blonde pouted, frowning. "It'll be getting dark soon! Why don't we stay the night and head back in the morning?" Frederick and Chrom both gave her amused looks, the latter just chuckling at her.
"Oh, it won't be so bad, Lissa. Just a fun camp out." He said, reaching out and patting his sister's head. His laughter grew more cheerful as she swatted his hand, drawing it away and nodding at the village headman. "We'll give word to have some supplies sent here to help you repair; the bandits have been getting more antsy by the day. Look for the Falcon Knights in a few days time." He said, earning a nod from the portly man. Turning to the rest with him, he grinned. "Well then, let's be off."
Lissa groaned as she followed her brother, Felix and Solna following her. Frederick mounted his horse as he took the rear, shooting a wary look at the twins' backs before turning in the saddle to look towards the mountains nearby. If the bandits had come from Plegia, that meant one of the mountain villages had been hit …
A small village on the mountains between Plegia and Ylisse had been set to burn, most of the villagers lying dead in the streets. One house that stood a bit apart from the others was not aflame, having simply been collapsed instead. A lone woman with indigo hair laid in the wreckage, teetering on the edge of death as she tried to crawl out. A strange, half-modified staff was clenched in one hand as she struggled, the gem on the surface dull as she lifted her head to the sky. The clouds were still there, puffy and pale against the deep blue sky.
"Be … safe ..." she gasped, coughing as she felt blood enter her mouth. "Solna … Felix ..." Struggling more, she managed to roll over onto her back, exposing a long set of slashes down her torso, cutting her open from collarbone to navel. They bled sluggishly, dirt and grime from the destroyed home infecting them – she knew she had little time left.
The sound of a wyvern's wings reached her ears, something blocking out the sun. Hazy brown eyes tried to focus, only seeing a large, winged shape in the sky, making her smile bitterly. "I'm … sorry, my old friend. You … your visit came a day too late ..." She laughed bitterly, coughing as life continued to slip from her.
She was faintly aware of the shape landing a short distance away as her eyes closed, a sad smile on her face. "Please, Naga … let my children escape their 'fate' … Grima can't .. return ..."
Life left her a moment later, the distant sound of someone yelling her name chasing her into the abyss.
Tori: So um, hey! Tori here, also known as the Puppeteer of Hearts. I'll be helping with this story, and most likely writing every other chapter in tandem with Mags. You can ask questions of me in the reviews, and I'll do the best to answer them. To clarify, yes, Solna is my ava for Awakening, and I could not tell you where I came up with Solna for a name. I don't even think it's an actual word, but I like it. (also to clarify, Solna's a build 3 fem avatar. They're about the same height as most male units)
Mags has got the next chapter to write, and we've got more or less rough ideas planned out for what happens for the entire story. Including ships! Enjoy this crazy train as we drive it~
Mags: SO YEAH this is a thing I'm doing now! Fire Emblem Awakening! I actually blame Tori mentioning that some blogs she follows on Tumblr drawing their own FE:A Avatar Units inspiring her to do the same, the two of us created this as a semi-joke at first, but as you can see it's an actual story! Felix is my Awakening avatar(Build 1 was used for him in-game if you're curious) in case it wasn't obvious. And NO, I am not giving up on Reshuffled, Golden Moon, or Persona stories in general... I just might be a little distracted at times. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire coming out won't help matters either. And yes, the original AFNF and stories related to it are officially gone now. I was sick of having them on my profile when they're absolutely god awful.
But yes, THIS CRAZY TRAIN HAS NO BRAKES! Mwehehehe...