"Behind you!"

Instinctively, she rolled forward. The axe found itself buried in the ground where she had just been, while its wielder found itself ablaze, courtesy of a timely fire spell.

"Thanks."

"No problem. That's four for me." Brilliant, he was keeping track of his kills. Leave it to Martin to find something to joke about in the middle of combat. He never seemed to take anything seriously. When he did, though, he was a force to be reckoned with. He had chosen to focus on both sword and spell with the intent of having a diverse set of skills. Complementing this was a sharp wit and a knack for anticipating enemy movements. He often acted foolishly, but he wouldn't be at her back if she couldn't trust him when the situation called for it.

Another Risen, this one a soldier wielding a lance, approached. A clumsy swing was brushed to the side and her own lance found its mark, dissipating the creature into black smoke. It had been three seconds. She couldn't help but smirk

"Seven." She might as well play along, if only to watch Martin's face fall.

His retort was cut off by a shout.

"I need help!"

Martin immediately took off towards the yell, and she followed close behind. The source wasn't hard to find; an archer, surrounded, was trying to fend off three Risen. To make matters worse, two more were closing fast. She seemed to be handling herself fine against the first three, using a knife to keep them at bay, but the Risen reinforcements might tip the scale.

Martin charged in with a fire spell, one Risen disappearing in a pillar of flame. She was only a step behind, skewering another Risen all too distracted by its prey. Martin drew his sword and cut down the third. The Risen that thought to help their allies suddenly found themselves cut down, the suddenly unopposed archer swiftly cutting them down before they could get close.

"Could you cut it a bit closer, Lyta?" Martin asked the archer, only half joking.

"Hey, I called you this time, didn't I?" Lyta retorted.

"Both of you, save it for the Risen. If you hadn't noticed, a few escaped." She pointed to a few remaining undead, running off towards the tree line. Martin grabbed his tome and started running after them. Lyta just nocked an arrow, waiting. Calling her an archer wasn't telling the full story, really. She could use a sword as well as any of them, though she preferred a knife when the enemy got too close. Her real talent, though, was her ability to blend in wherever she was. She had boundless patience and a sense for her surroundings, allowing her to pass unseen when she wanted. This skill had been augmented by her cloak, one side of which had been covered in haphazard green, brown, and gray splotches. This proved very useful in a forested environment such as this, where it broke up her profile and allowed her to blend in with the undergrowth. It was almost a rite of passage to be caught off guard by her sudden disappearances. Unfortunately, some of her talent towards hiding had even found its way into her day-to-day routine: she never left home without her cowl drawn over her face. Lyta spoke up.

"What's he at now?" Of course Lyta was in on Martin's game. She was usually encouraging him, for some reason.

"With that rescue you let him pull off, he's at 6." Lyta only nodded, and drew back.

"Poor sap. With this," she let fly, and there was suddenly one less Risen, "I'm at 13." That explained it. With all her skill, Lyta should have been able to get out of a trap like that if she tried. The fact that she hadn't was odd. By the sound of things, it was probably out of pity. Martin needed the help.

She started walking toward Martin and the remaining Risen. She had to make sure that he didn't hurt himself.

In truth, Martin was actually handling himself quite well. They all were. This was their third skirmish with the Risen ever since they found themselves laid out in a ruined fortress. A quick check around had revealed that the portal tome they brought with them was gone. If the Risen had been drawn to its power, they surely would have already been dead, killed in their sleep. But with no other lead, they had set off, hoping to at least make it out of the forest.

A fireball set the last of the fleeing Risen low, but something was bothering her.

"The Risen don't seem the kind to run. So why did they-"

Martin cut her off, pointing at a rapidly approaching cloud of dust. "They've got horses!"

It was a trap! With the two of them out in the open, the cavalry could engage. She could make out five shapes, cavaliers by the looks of them. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem. But no matter how skilled the rider, a charge was dangerous. As the Risen drew closer, she suddenly felt very exposed.

Martin shouted out, and she moved to the side. A second later the horses thundered by, far too close for comfort. As she picked herself up, she saw one rider fall from its saddle, an arrow in its head. Good, Lyta was in range. Martin turned to look at her.

"Alright, I'll take the two on the right. You take the two on the left. Watch out for charges. We only need to distract them long enough for Lyta to line up another shot, or to get back into the trees, where we can surround them. Cainne, do what you do best."

With that, he sent a fireball blazing towards one of his targets, leaving her to figure out what to do with hers. The riders were coming around again, trying to make another pass. Her lance was short, made for close fighting or mounted combat. Trying to stop a charging cavalier with it would only result in her being run over by a dead horse. That left her with only one option. Martin had said to do what she did best, after all.

She inverted her lance and planted it in the ground. She wouldn't be needing it. Then she started running towards the enemy. Her hand went to the small stone hanging on a cord around her neck, and she felt a slight tugging sensation in her stomach as she reached for the energy within.

Then she changed. There was an unusual, but not uncomfortable sensation as bones shifted and elongated. Fur sprouted over her skin as she shifted form, limbs lengthening and bending. A specially designed system of straps and rings attached to the joints of her armor stretched and unfolded to accommodate the change, leather flexing and metal shifting as the wearer completely changed form. Suddenly, everything on the battlefield came into sharp focus. She could make out the individual hairs on each animal's head and almost predict where each cavalier was headed, even through the dust clouds the horses kicked up. She could smell the horse's perspiration and the char from Martin's latest spell. She could feel the ground beneath her paws. And she could hear everything. The beat of hooves against dirt, the calls of her ally trying to contain his enemy, the twang of a bowstring as Lyta responded, bringing down another rider. She could even detect the increase in the horses' heart rates as they noticed the threat that now stood in front of them.

It was almost a pity that the Risen didn't feel fear. Now, for their obstinacy, they would face the wrath of a Taguel.

The three remaining horses, scared, broke their charge and reared back. Cainne took the opportunity and lunged at the nearest rider. The creature didn't even have time to react before it was unhorsed and pinned to the ground. A bite to the throat finished it.

This of course drew the attention of the other two riders, who turned to face the Taguel. Cainne took a step back, settling into a fighting stance. The first one lunged with a spear, so she jumped sideways and swung at the mount. It fell, the rider tumbling to the ground. Before she could finish it off, the second cavalier was there, swinging at her with a sword, driving her back.

Only then did she hear the galloping. Cainne had been so absorbed by the battle that she hadn't noticed a sixth rider approaching from behind, quickly. Even worse, she had nowhere to go. Going backwards would get her trampled, but trying to dodge out of the way would leave her vulnerable to the sword wielder. She dodged to the side. A sword wound was better than being trampled into the dust.

The Risen wasn't paying attention to her anymore, though. It was focused on the axe that knocked it out of its saddle as a lithe figure in light plate armor, the sixth rider, galloped past. He slowed his mount, coming to face the Taguel.

"So the demonic rabbit strikes again! Though apparently not quite quickly enough," he said, flourishing his axe.

"I had it under control, Shione. You just cleaned up the scraps. And if you ever call me a demonic rabbit again-"

"I'm just happy to be of service," he said with a mocking bow, before riding off. Despite his confidence, he rode like there were demons, or perhaps a demonic hare, behind him.

The Risen that Cainne had unhorsed had already been dispatched by Martin, who was now checking over their immediate surroundings, looking for any other threats. For now, it seemed like they were safe. Cainne shifted back and went to retrieve her lance. She grimaced at the foul taste in her mouth. Risen was not something anyone should ever have to taste. No more biting attacks, she decided. Shione and Lyta were already on their way to rejoin Martin. Soon, the four had regrouped just outside the shadows of the forest.

"Shione, showing up at the last minute, as always. How'd you do?" Martin asked.

"If you're curious about my kill count for that silly competition of yours, it's two." Martin's triumphant grin was cut off as Shione continued to speak. "I did manage to find a fair amount of important information, however. Not only that; I found a horse," He said, gesturing over to his newly acquired steed. It had been tied to a tree with three of the remaining horses that the Risen had used, gathered by Shione after the battle. He'd always had a way with horses and other creatures, which was why he preferred mounted combat. Lyta, astutely, saw something was wrong.

"I was wondering why you'd decided to demote yourself to a common, everyday horse. Don't you usually prefer something more...flighty?"

"I didn't have time to get to the stables when we were called to find Aiden. We all rushed, things were forgotten or left behind. And I'd rather have a mount, even one stolen by the Risen, than fight on the ground with you peasants," he finished, only half kidding.

Right, Aiden. The reason they were here, wherever "here" was. She'd been able to put that out of her mind during combat, but now the situation had again reared its ugly head. For some reason, Aiden had decided to steal some very important relics. The four of them, as his onetime friends, were sent to stop him. The warning had come quickly, luckily. Had no one detected the theft sooner, he'd have escaped, and they'd have no idea where to look. As it was, their hasty response had allowed them to track him to, and then through, a portal. They just had to find him. Somehow.

"You said you had important information?" Martin continued, bringing Cainne out of her thoughts. She should be paying attention.

"Right. As you know, I went scouting to try to figure out where we were. Well, I managed to get the jump on a lone Risen rider, probably doing the same thing I was. Since they seem to prefer living mounts, I was able to take his horse and find the road. A few miles from here is a rest station for merchants, caravans, and the like. According to the owner, last night was a bit troublesome. He says that the ground near here opened up and spewed flame, and that a few hundred white lights appeared all around the countryside. I think we can agree that's not normal," he said, using his characteristic sharp tongue. "Apparently the Risen started showing up after the lights disappeared." Martin spoke up, cutting Shione off.

"It'd probably be safe to assume that those lights were portals. That explains how the Risen got here. We still don't know why, though."

"I was getting to that! Apparently, a caravan that was resting for the night came under attack. They would have been done for, but a hooded man with two swords saved them. Now-" Lyta cut him off.

"That sounds like Aiden! So we know that he was here, like us." Shione, somewhat flummoxed, continued.

"That's not all. The man says that he could see a spell tome of some sort tied to the man's side. Said it was pure white and unmarked. As I was saying-"

"He managed to take the tome from us. That isn't good." Cainne said, though they were all thinking it. Then Martin spoke.

"He can't do much with it right now. Anywhere that it could be used is bound to be inaccessible for a single traveler. It'd either be too far away or too dangerous to be convenient. And remember, from what we know, he might have been just as rushed, if not more, in his escape. If I were Aiden, I'd be headed towards the nearest city for supplies and a place to hide out. He has the tome we brought, so he knows we're here. He can't actually do anything about it, though. Not without taking some extreme measures."

"If you will let me speak," Shione almost shouted, "I think I know where he's headed. The owner said that the caravan was headed to the nearest city, to the north. Ylisstol. Here's the interesting thing, though," He stopped, making sure he wasn't about to be interrupted again. "When I first showed up at his door, the owner assumed that I was part of the Ylissean Guard, here to deal with a bandit problem. Apparently they've been a problem here on the border for some time. The man says they look and sound like they're Plegian, but so far nothing has been done."

"The earth broke open, Risen are appearing everywhere, and Plegia might be raiding Ylisse? This doesn't bode well," Cainne spoke. "In fact, it sounds like the precursor to the war."

"Unfortunately, I think Cainne is right. We all knew time and place might vary between Outrealms," Martin said, "but if we don't find Aiden soon, we might be getting a very dangerous history lesson, very soon. We have to get going, and pick up some supplies while we're at it. I'd recommend heading to Ylisstol."

There was a small chorus of affirmations, and it was decided. They would go to the capital and prepare for their search. If things went smoothly, they might be home soon. If not, they were looking at an increasingly dangerous hunt. Cainne knew which she'd prefer.


Hey everyone, thanks for reading!

This marks the second chapter of what I've been thinking of as the "exposition block", three chapters at the beginning of this story whose purpose is to set up the story. I promise that things get more interesting, and more Fire Emblem relevant, starting with chapter 4.

I'm posting this earlier than expected, because I've decided that I want to get through this exposition block as quickly as possible, and because I finished my third chapter already (as I said before, I'm keeping at least one chapter in reserve in case my schedule gets a lot more intense. This is a distinct possibility.)

Please, check the author profile for more information on this chapter.

Thanks for reading, and please review!