Author's Note: Chapter two! I've not put out this much content so quickly in ages. It's been fun!

To those of you reading and enjoying Realms, do spread the word! Cross-over fics like these need a little help in getting out there, so if you feel it's worth a recommendation or a review, do tell your friends!

That said, I hope you enjoy chapter two!

Edit: Apologies! Some formatting nonsense has been fixed.


Tiki returned to the war room in silence, though the door announced her presence like it or not. Anna joined Chrom and Lykala in the corner, discussing the map. "He's gone." She announced.

"Did you find him?"

"Yes, but he would not linger. As soon as he had a chance…" Tiki trailed off. His words stuck to her like damp, causing her to fold her arms over her chest. "We made no friend of him, of that I can say with certainty. He's does not doubt the validity of the fight, only his place in it."

Anna hummed. "It can't be helped. We press on without him."

"Right. What are you discussing?"

She joined the rest of them, squeezing in between the commander and Lykala. "This is the closest gate to Askr right now," said he, directing her attention across the map. In one corner lay the borders of the kingdom they defended; a few miles off, encircled by the mass of black figures, lay the cross demarking the portal, "Legends call it the uh… Anna?"

"The World of Conquest."

"Right. Conquest."

"It sounds like Embla's kind of world," Anna complained, "We're not sure, but the concentration of troops suggests that Veronica is there. Robin's out there right now, scouting."

"Who's with him?" asked Tiki.

"Matthew," Chrom's answer gave her a measure of relief. Matthew had joined them only recently, but proved himself a fast ally and shadow within days of taking up the cause, "They should be on their way back. It's not far."

"I hope it's good news." Anna pinched her brow. "We could use some."

Lykala shifted, discomfited. Tiki placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "'Tis no fault of yours. We could not have known."

"Yeah, but-"

"Anna!" A voice echoed through the hallway, but it was too far away to recognise anything but the panic in its tone. "Anna, where are you!?"

Footsteps. Plate. Anna's face fell. "Sharena. In here!"

A young woman burst into the war room, gasping for air. Sharena's hair, usually a tight and styled bun of fine blonde, caught the wind and flew every which way. "Anna," she gasped, doubling over, "Th- thuh-"

"Steady, Princess," Tiki swooped over and supported the girl, helping her stand, "Catch your breath."

"The Gate," Sharena's words spilled over. "The Gate! What happened? The whole city saw it! Alfonse is calming the crowds, but-"

"You saw that from Askr?" Lykala's incredulity followed the rest. They all exchanged a glance. "We summoned – someone new, we don't know what world. Have you seen the Gate do that before?"

"No! Who was it? Where are they?"

"Gone," said Tiki.

"Gone!?" Sharena wheeled to face her. "Gone where? Who let him go?"

"Princess!" Anna barked. "Slow down. No-one has seen the Gate behave this way before. It's natural to be frightened, but Rooks is no cause for alarm. He's an anomaly."

"An anomaly heralded by a pillar of radiant light." Chrom spoke up. His eyes trained on the black figures. "Commander, if the whole of Askr saw that light…"

No-one needed to finish that sentence. Sharena's expression dropped from panic to terror. Anna turned to Chrom. "We need to find Rooks."

"How? He's gone – and lest you forget, he spoke rather firmly about not wanting to be found."

"It's not about whether he wants it or not. If Embla finds him, he won't have a choice. Who's available?"

"Just us," Chrom placed his hands on his hips, surveying the map, "No way we could cover enough ground with just the four of us."

"Five!" Sharena protested. "Six if I grab Alfonse."

"We're not all going out there to find one man," Anna folded her arms, "That's far too much for a search-and-rescue."

"Send me." Tiki offered. All turned to her.

"That's far too dangerous."

"Why? I can cover more ground than all of you. I know which direction he started in."

"It's not exactly subtle…" Lykala murmured, pulling his robe about himself.

"We're wasting time," she pressed, "Send me. Chrom and Anna can follow on horseback. I'll find Rooks and convince him to return."

"What if Embla's already found him?" Anna offered.

"They'd need Veronica to bind the contract," answered Lykala. "If she's in the World of Conquest, that gives us some wiggle room. He'd be safe until they got her – but once he's captured…"

"I know, I know," Anna exhaled. She levelled Tiki with a look. "You're not to engage. Find him – but if he's already with Embla, you wait for Chrom and I. Understood?"

"Right."

Tiki once more rushed from the war room, taking to the summoning field. As soon as she saw sky, a bright blue stone flashed into her hand, its light engulfing her…


As days went, there had been worse.

Rooks scraped a hand over the bark of a tree, changing his path. On the one hand, he'd been ripped from his home to a world far and away from all he could ever hope to know. He'd seen much of Eorzea, but this? Askr? He boggled at the mechanisms and sheer magic force required to take one soul and rip it, unwilling, into another plane of existence. Never mind geography, this was something else entirely!

He exhaled. If it hadn't been such a rude arrival, he might have found space in his head to be impressed. "Alas," he grumbled aloud, slapping a branch overhead, "The view's not bad, at the least…"

It certainly wasn't. To describe Askr as verdant undersold the swell of life that coloured his new landscape. Trees standing tall, evergreen – were they evergreen? – in a bright, cloudless spring's sunlight, rays mottled by leaves shifting in slight breezes and the passage of life around them. The canopy offered shelter to songbirds carrying tunes, the undergrowth a home to foreign insects who had neither time nor thought to the strange new life encroaching upon their ancestral grounds. He crouched and watched a few of them struggle with a particularly large leaf, wrestling it back to their nest. Not unlike the antlings back home – though they owned far more impressive tunnels. Even as his heart sank, pining already for the land shorn from him, he found solace in the knowledge that life reached beyond his world, that another sun could gift such tranquillity to another troubled land.

Eorzea, Askr was not – but its charm he could see quite plainly, even with one eye.

He grunted, pushing off and making for the nearby clearing. His legs didn't fully co-operate with the notion, slowing his pace as he struggled to navigate broken branch and gnarled root. More than once had he stumbled on this path, always to some fool creature or crinkle in the land his natural dexterity should have accounted for. He blamed it on wonderment; not in many years had he so many new sights to take in! It filled his mind with a childish glee. What more awaited him here, in his search for a way home?

Rooks pushed through the last few steps, breaking into the clearing. Tall grass buckled underfoot, and he caught the first glimpse of clouds forming overhead. His wonderment faded into more serious thoughts; survival chief among them. The Order made mention of Embla, and even if he strayed from the conflict, a confrontation was nigh-inevitable if he intended to find a way home. "Enough daydreaming," he murmured, holding out a hand and focussing on his splayed fingertips.

Silence. A breeze danced lazily through the joints of his armour. Rooks stopped focussing, beginning to stare at his hand.

Perhaps, he mused, he should have been slightly more patient with Tiki. He dismissed the thought with a grunt, affirmed himself, and scrunched his eyes…

…Nothing. The light dipped as something passed over the sun. Rooks scrunched his brow, his face, contorting his scars into a monstrous visage of agitation. "Come on. Come on… Grgh!"

Nothing! He swung his hand down with a curse, throwing himself down into the grass. Where could he find a weapon, if his were out of reach? The city, Askr? No money, and having two kingdoms after him seemed like a worse idea than just the apparent threat of one.

Return to the Order? That had its strings. Not a chance. Another gust washed over him, fighting through wrapped cloth and a buttoned-down traveller's shirt. "No matter." He huffed. He'd figure it out, surely.

A shadow covered the sun. He took a breath, waited for it to pass… except when it didn't. Quite the cloud, he mused as the shadow kept on. He opened an eye.

"Rooks." Tiki smiled down at him.

Calmed from his abrupt arrival, he had neither the heart nor the energy to startle in response to hers. Rooks only exhaled, burdened. "I said you had a good heart. Accounting for your damnable persistence, I take that back."

"May I join you?" Her smile warmed, even as it cast a shadow over him.

"Is my refusal going to stop you?"

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

He sat up as she made good on her threat, scooping her cape and drawing her legs underneath her. "How are you finding Askr?" she asked, edging into her curiosity.

"Stop." Rooks grunted. "It's been scarcely a bell since I told you lot to leave me be. What do you want?"

She commented not on the unusual measurement, merely tipping her head to recognise it. "I do not wish to recruit you."

"Then…" Rooks's eye did more than enough accusing to make up for his trailing words. How quickly he sharpened from his relaxation, thought Tiki. She folded gloved hands in her lap.

"Askr witnessed the light that heralded your summoning. It caused something of a stir."

"And?"

"If it was enough to disturb the gentle souls of the kingdom, what do you think it might have stirred in any Emblian scouts in the region?"

His brow pinched. "How did you find me? Is that another part of the contract?"

"No – only my intuition. It's rather easy to find a man who chooses to hide in an open field."

"You got me there. So, what – you're here to protect me?"

"This isn't your war, as you rightly say." Tiki closed her eyes. Part of her waited to hear the rustle of him fleeing, but it didn't come. "I come with a promise of shelter and aid from the grasp of those who would use your strength for their own advantage."

"Is that not what Askr wants?" he returned, dry.

Tiki's smile flickered. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"I can at least thank you for the warning," he sighed, standing, "But I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse than soldiers and bandits."

Her voice carried after the steps he took to leave. "It's your legs, isn't it?"

Rooks turned. "My what?"

"Your legs." She dusted her cape as she stood, following after him. She crossed the field with ease, as if the land itself bowed to grant her passage. "They won't listen. Not properly. I saw you stumble at the Gate."

"So?"

"There was nothing for you to trip on."

"Lest you forget – I was just stolen from another world. That tends to disorient, last time I checked." Not that he was a leading expert, but Rooks forced the point with as much authority as he could muster.

"It's more than that." Tiki shook her head, arms folding. "It's a fatiguing of the spirit we call summoning sickness. Mages get it the worst. They can barely cast for a time after their arrival. Exhaustion, disorientation… minor symptoms. Robin was bedridden for a full day after his summoning."

She saw his fist coil and knew she'd hit the mark. She pressed the point. "Even if you carry the strength and skill in you to overwhelm a full legion of soldiers, you will find it hard so soon after your arrival, to say nothing of your lack of weapons."

Rooks opened his mouth to retort. Coming up short, he ground his teeth together and tried again. "Aye. You didn't think to tell me this earlier?"

"Your aggression rather preoccupied us."

Again, his mouth opened. Again, he found nothing. "Fair. What now?"

Tiki sighed. At least he had sense enough to concede an argument. "We get you back to the palace – at least until we know the danger's passed. This war is no fight of yours, but-"

A shape ripped past the pair of them, whistling as it went. Rooks pressed a hand to his cheek, examining the warm dew of a cut. Both turned. Another arrow barely missed them – and the archer already had another nocked.

"Embla!" Tiki hissed. She seized Rooks by the wrist and tore towards the brush. Rooks, startled by her strength or too busy cursing out the pain, didn't protest until they hit the brush and ducked behind the trunk of an old oak.

"What was that for? I can run by myself!"

"Are you in the habit of arguing every decision one makes?" Tiki's eyes blazed. "Now is not the time!"

Rooks scowled and wrenched his hand from her grasp. He edged around the tree and tried to peer into the clearing. "I count three. No, four. Just the one archer."

Tiki poked her head around the other side. Four, like he'd counted – two with swords rattling as they made for the trees. "We don't have long," she breathed, "I can cover your escape."

"What?"

"This isn't your fight," she said, "Not then, not now. I can protect you."

"With what?"

"Rooks!" Her exasperation tangled with her dread, bubbling over in a fearsome hiss. She glared at the man. He matched her ferocity.

"I'm not leaving you to die. What do you take me for?"

The troops' voices carried through the wood, drawing nearer. "I can't ask you to fight." Tiki whispered.

"You're not," he replied, poking his head out, "They started it. Got a weapon?"

She watched him draw to full height, readying himself. He coiled to spring, like a jackal scenting prey. She saw neither discipline nor style in his stance; only savagery born of experience. "In a manner of speaking."

"Good. On my mark."

She stood with him, clutching her stone. One breath. Silence…

A song of steel cut through the woods as the swordsmen cut their way to the pair. She checked his hand. One finger. Two…

"Now!" Rooks lunged from cover with a roar. He slammed into the nearest scout, crushing his throat with a blow made heavy by his gauntlets. Tiki whipped around the other side, gathering energy in the crystal she clutched. So distracted was he by the ambush, her target didn't see the spark until it jumped from her hand, arcing to his armour and into flesh. He crumpled.

Rooks wrestled the blade from his opponent. He dropped low, throwing the startled sap over his shoulder and running him through in one expert motion, and silence returned to the forest. He pulled the sword free, finally getting a good look at them. Black and pale gold armour, carrying motifs much like Askr's with their thick, criss-crossing lines and long capes. He looked to Tiki, standing triumphant. What was it with this realm and capes? "You good?"

"As I can be."

"You're a mage?"

She looked to the stone, and he followed her eyes. She clasped a pale blue, faceted crystal that hummed with residual energy. "After a fashion, yes."

"What does that mean?"

"Need I remind you that these two were not alone?" She offered, nodding to the clearing.

They moved up, Rooks clasping the longsword he'd wrenched from his foe. Sturdy, solid iron. Nothing fancy, but it would do. Two remained; the archer who'd alerted them and one whom he assumed to be the captain. He held an axe as tall as he in both hands, watching the treeline from behind a full helm and thick plate. "Well, you've got the big one." He murmured.

"I do, do I?" asked Tiki.

"You're the mage, sort of. I don't stand a chance with this toothpick."

"Right." She huffed.

Rooks thrummed, rasping as he considered the situation. They hadn't moved, perhaps waiting for them having heard their comrades fall. The archer kept an arrow nocked but hadn't drawn. They wore light armour to maintain that draw strength. "Getting close will be tricky. What's the range on that focus of yours?"

"My focus?"

"Your stone."

"Oh. I could strike from here, but it won't do much."

"Aye. We can't break cover without one of us getting shot – he's ready now. A distraction would be nice…"

Tiki paused. She stared at her stone. "I can provide one."

"What, by getting shot? Don't be daft." Rooks looked to her, eye harsh.

"Trust me. Just be ready to move."

"Trust you? Seriously?"

"You trusted me to take care of the other warrior." Tiki returned. She'd found her smile again. "Trust me now."

Rooks pursed his lips. He turned his attention back to the Emblians. "Alright."

Tiki stood, taking a few steps away from the man. "Move as soon as they see me."

"Don't get shot."

She breathed a laugh, holding the stone to her breast. Light began to swell and engulf her. "I'll try."

Rooks resisted the urge to watch, knowing that the light would blind him to the battle to come. He felt the surge of magic and the explosion of wind that marked the completion of whatever she'd planned.

The archer looked first, dropping his arrow and pointing skyward. "S-sir!"

Rooks lunged. He tore across the field with a burst of strength, sprinting with his blade pointed straight at the distracted archer. Neither he nor his captain noticed until it was too late. Rooks snarled as the grim familiarity of flesh giving out caused the archer to scream – briefly.

"You!" roared the captain. His axe lifted. He faced Rooks. He tried to pull his sword free, but…!

A roar that was not his own spat a chorus of lightning. Bolts snapped and tore into the captain, searing the grass in line either side of him. Like his men, he fell – and Rooks could only watch as he saw the form of Tiki's distraction.

A green dragon beat wide, translucent wings as it landed. Its scales caught the light and glistened like emeralds in firelight, a narrow head turning back to check on Rooks. He looked to the trees, trying to see the woman who must have summoned the creature. "Tiki!"

"Yes?"

His eyes snapped back to the dragon. It half-bounded, half-glided towards him, coming to rest a few feet away. Up close it resembled more sea creature than any great lord of the skies, and it moved with similar grace.

"Where are you? Riding…?" But he saw no saddle.

She barely restrained her laugh. "Not quite."

"Where are you?"

Light once more engulfed the drake, and it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Tiki floated down, cape draping over her as she came to rest. She caught Rooks gawping. "Never seen a dragon before?"

"I've seen plenty of dragons!" He blurted, gesturing wildly. "Never seen 'em change into beautiful women before! How did you do that? How did you keep your clothes?"

"You think me beautiful?"

"That's what you respond to?" Rooks snapped. He sniffed, catching a whiff of the roasted Emblian captain and remembered their circumstances. "Can you see any more?"

Tiki chanced a look around. "It appears we are safe. The vanguards usually move in small groups to cover more ground. Are you hurt?"

"Fine here. You?"

"I am whole." They shared a glance. She saw the barest glimpse of relief in the flicker of a smile on the man. "You fought well."

"You're a dragon." Rooks repeated. He'd left the blade buried in the archer.

"Yes. I'm a dragon. We call ourselves manaketes."

"Manaketes…" He turned the word over in his mind. She saw his eye shift as he considered her, looking her up and down as if they'd just met, and smiled.

"Ah. It appears the cavalry has arrived."

Rooks turned in the direction she pointed and saw the white of Askran uniforms. Anna rushed towards them on a brown mare, Chrom lagging just behind. She gripped an axe in her off-hand. "Didn't peg you for an axe lady." Rooks noted, gesturing.

"What did I say?" Anna yelled, dismounting with a skilful swing of her leg. She pointed at Tiki. "I said 'don't engage'!"

"They left us with rather few options," Tiki returned, matter-of-fact, "Rooks handled the situation very well."

"She's a dragon," Rooks repeated, again. The thought seemed lodged in him, as if one of the arrows had struck true. "Which, uh. Gave us an advantage."

"I bet!" Anna exclaimed. "We saw you fly, and so did every other pair of bloody eyes near here!"

"They would have seen me searching for Rooks."

"That's how you found me?" Tiki nodded. "Huh. Explains the wind."

Anna puffed her cheeks out. "Tiki, get back to the palace with Chrom. And you!"

"And me?" Rooks arched a brow as she swung to face him.

Anna's ire dissipated. "Sorry. You, yes- will you be returning with us, or will I be sending her out to find you again in a few hours?"

The wound on his cheek smarted. A shallow thing, but reminder enough of Embla's pursuit. Still holding the encounter in his head, and with the knowledge that a dragon could swoop down and find him wherever he went, Rooks bowed his head. "Lead on."

Anna barely masked her relief, shoulders slumping. "Thank the gods."


Chrom led the group back to the palace, circling and searching for any hint of Emblians seeking to avenge their fallen. They found none, and soon the high walls of Askran royalty welcomed them home.

Rooks lagged behind, considering his situation. Accepting their aid meant he owed them. Owed Tiki, at the very least. He caught her attention as they pushed into the hall, and she fell into step with him. "Listen," he began, clearing his throat, "Thanks."

"Whatever for?"

"The hells do you mean? Finding me."

She smiled, lips curling. How did one of such strength hold such warmth? "I should be thanking you for fighting at my side."

"Ah…" He scratched the back of his neck. "I couldn't leave you to face them alone."

"I know."

"And besides – wouldn't it be worse if they got their hands on a… manakete, was it? Bit more valuable than a common man."

"A man you might be," she breathed, "But common, you are most certainly not. How's your wound?"

"This?" He pointed at his cheek. "I've had worse."

"I can see that. Anna, did you bring any vulneraries?"

"Here." The commander passed a small pouch back. Tiki turned to face Rooks, causing him to stop.

"May I?"

"May you what?"

"Your wound," she nodded, "You're familiar with the practise of medicine, I trust?"

He shot her an unimpressed look. "Fine."

Tiki opened the bag, revealing a collection of various herbs and flasks. She located and opened a small, plump phial filled with a paste. Rooks wrinkled his nose. "It only smells foul, I promise."

"Give me a conjurer any day. Don't you have a healer?"

"Not to hand. Are you content to keep bleeding in the halls of Askran royalty?" Tiki mused. She didn't let him answer, for his reaction suggested that he didn't much care, and stepped forward to apply the paste using her finger. "'Tis the guise of bravery that typifies your kind."

"What, warriors?"

"No," she teased, "Boys."

"Oi!"

"Keep still."

Rooks did so, rolling his eye. She worked the paste over the cut, and already the magicks ground into the concoction began to stitch his mangled skin together. Up close, she could see the pale skin masked by countless cuts and carven valleys, though she dared not press to uncover the black cloth wrapping the left half of his face. "There," she said, satisfied, "Better."

"Better. Where are you taking me?"

"We were headed back to the war room," Anna answered, having stopped part ways back. "You've no obligation to come. Tiki can show you to a room – it's in the barracks so it's not quite as luxurious, but there's a bed and a change of clothes if you need them."

"That'd be good," Rooks rumbled, feeling again the fatigue of his normally tireless body. Since when did one fight exhaust him so? "I could use the rest."

"Alright. Tiki?"

"Of course. This way."

She guided him out of the hall and across the courtyard. From there, they made a straight-ish route towards the barracks, a large facility built into the east of the structure. Once more, Rooks caught himself searching for someone, anyone besides those he'd already met.

"Where are the servers? Surely the royals have some kind of staff to keep the building tended?"

"Most are preparing to welcome the other Heroes home. You can join us at the meal, if you wish. It's been quite a while since we've all been together at once."

They passed an armoury, a spacious hall with dummies and targets lined up at the far end – and finally a long hall, full of evenly spaced and sized chambers. There, finally, they were greeted by an aging butler who handed Tiki a key, which she in turn offered to Rooks. "Your room, for as long as you have need of it."

He accepted it, nodding. "Not too long, I hope."

"Indeed. If there's naught else, I'll be returning to the others to report on the battle. Shall I collect you for the meal?"

Rooks stared at the key, pondering. She watched the conflict of his decision play out in his shifting expression. A frown, a wince; a volatile cocktail of discomfort. "I don't ask you to fight, only to meet your fellow Heroes. They will be glad to see a new face."

"Maybe." He replied, looking up. "Alright."

"Alright," Tiki repeated, her words soft. "Rest well."

Off she went. Rooks watched her leave. "Oi – Tiki."

"Yes?" She turned in time to see his weathered frown lightened by another decision; one that teased the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly.

"It's Averill. Averill Rooks. That's my name."

She warmed fully, eyes lighting for a moment before they closed, making space for a broader smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Averill Rooks of Eorzea. See you later."