Meowfyre: It's explained in this chapter friendo.
227: Here it is.
TheGunmaster: Its explained here. I refuse to spoil the story, and yeah, Guts and Ike do look alike… Wait a second. That's a pun! AlIKE HAHAHAHAHA
Guest: Done.
Guest: Here it is.
Downhillrabbit6: Thank you daddy.
Rc48117: I think that was shown in the gameplay trailer for Berserk Mosou.
Dead Pann: Golden age Guts is before the eclipse. And I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Guest: No rape horse for you.
Guisniperman: Before the eclipse ser.
Doomkiller10: Keep your eye on it real good ;)
BloodWolf752: That's explained in this chapter my dear child.
Danney: Then follow the story ._.
Greyjedi449t: Here it is my friend.
As for those of you who followed but didn't leave a review… rape horse.
Guts woke up soon after the morning sunlight touched his eyes. His sword lay flat across his crossed legs, and his neck was slightly scratched from laying the back of his head against the trunk of the tree. He looked around the campsite, seeing Corrin lying down next to the fire pit curled up in a ball with her knees to her chest. The fire had died out well into the night, and Guts realized that he had fallen asleep during his watch.
He reprimanded himself for that. Guts stood up to his full height, and let out a small yawn. Guts sheathed his sword at his back, and stepped over to Corrin's sleeping form. He leaned down, and grabbed her shoulder, shaking it lightly.
"Wake up." He said.
Corrin groaned, opening one eye. She sat up, and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Guts stood up, as did Corrin. She looked around the campsite, spotting her sword stuck into the ground next to where she was sleeping. She groggily walked over to it, and drew it from the ground. Dirt clung to the end of the blade, and she wiped it off with her finger.
"Let's get moving." Guts told her. "We should run into somebody who knows what's going on."
She nodded in agreement.
"Yeah… maybe if we're really lucky we can find a way home." She said.
Guts smirked.
"If we're lucky." He repeated.
They made their way back up to the dirt path, and continued down the road. The dirt crunched beneath Gut's boots, and he found himself looking at Corrin's feet once more as they walked.
"I don't wear shoes because… well, walking barefoot has never really bothered me. My brothers and sisters constantly pester me about it. I like the way the ground feels beneath my feet, plus shoes are smelly." Corrin said.
Guts looked up.
"Shoes may not smell nice, but they keep you from stepping on sharp things. I remember one day my band was camped outside of a castle… and I decided to walk around the camp barefoot for a little while. Everything was fine until I stepped on a bunch of stickers…" He said, remembering the smiling face on the other members of the Hawks saw it.
Corrin giggled.
"Well, I haven't had that problem yet, I usually look where I'm stepping." Corrin said.
"But in combat, an enemy could easily stomp down on your toes. It already hurts if you're wearing boots, but imagining having no shoes on for that… well, it doesn't sound pretty." Guts said.
"No one's ever tried that on me." Corrin said.
"Well make sure that they don't, wouldn't want our queen here to have broken toes." Guts said.
"Hey! I told you it's a new thing!" She yelled.
"Sure thing your highness." Guts said.
Corrin huffed.
Fifteen minutes of walking went by before the silence was broken yet again.
"So… do you have a girlfriend? A wife?" Corrin asked.
Guts shook his head.
"No." He said. "Why?"
"I was just curious. I don't like long silences." She said.
"What about you?" Guts asked.
"What about me?" She asked.
Guts rolled his eyes.
"Do you have a husband or something like that?" Guts asked.
Corrin looked down to the ground.
"No…" She said.
Guts looked to her.
"If you're royalty aren't you supposed to… well, make more royalty?" Guts asked.
Corrin frowned.
"I'd like to change the subject. How long have you been with your Band of the Hawk?" Corrin asked him.
"Three years." He responded.
"How did you-"Corrin started.
She was cut off when an arrow embedded itself within Gut's left shoulder. His instincts took over. He quickly grabbed Corrin, and shoved her down to the ground, Guts sheltering her with his mass. He heard as the arrows whizzed overhead. He clenched his teeth.
"Guts! You're hurt!" Corrin yelled beneath him.
"It's nothing! Let me handle this!" Guts yelled.
"Kill the humans!" He heard a small, guttural voice yell from behind some bushes.
Guts looked to his left, where the arrows came from, seeing a bunch of four foot tall creatures step out from behind the large green bush. Their skin was a shade of grey, and their beady little black eyes were full of scorn. They were all bald, and wearing what equated to loincloths that covered their crotch area. Six of them wielded crossbows that were far too large for a creature their size to use. Ten others held small swords, and were baring their sharp pointy teeth at them. They had the bodies of slightly chubby children, and they had pointed ears along with tiny sharp nails.
Guts clenched his teeth in rage, and stood up to his full height, ripping out the arrow in his arm. Blood dripped down his wounded limb, and he ignored the pain. He drew his great sword, and the little monsters widened their eyes with what Guts assumed was fear.
He was about to charge forwards to cleave them all apart, but Corrin dashed past him. Before the nearest one could react, Corrin slashed its head off with a single slash, sending black blood flying everywhere. Almost too fast to see, she dashed to the next one, and slashed its fat gut open. Its black innards poured out onto the ground. The beast dropped to the ground, and Corrin cut through most of them with ease. The last remaining three ran away, towards Guts.
He brought his sword to bear, and slashed two of them in half. The last one took its tiny sword, and shoved it through his chest, killing itself. Corrin stepped over the corpses she had made, and took a deep breath, her yellow sword spotted with black blood. Guts stared at her, almost dumbfounded.
She… was good.
He caught himself staring at her, and he shook his head. This wasn't the time for that. They were just attacked by little monsters! Guts was glad that they were weak; it would have been horrible if it had been another Zodd…
Corrin ran over to him, grabbing his forearm and looking at the wound.
"We need to get this treated… if only I had a vulnery I could give you." Corrin said.
Guts pulled his arm away from her grip.
"It's nothing. Just a flea bite." He said.
Corrin looked down, and then looked into his eyes.
"Thank you for saving me. I'm in your debt." She said.
Guts shook his head.
"You don't owe me anything. Let's keep going." Guts said.
"Do you know what those things are?" Corrin asked him.
"No. We should probably be more careful from now on." Guts said.
Corrin nodded, and they continued down the path. The stinging pain in Gut's arm was ignored as he pressed on. They remained silent for an hour down the road, and then they both smiled as they saw what seemed to be a village in the distance.
"Look! We can get your wound treated there Guts!" Corrin yelled.
Guts nodded.
"And we can find out where we are." Guts said.
"Of course. Let's press on." Corrin said.
The duo made their way down the path, reaching the large wooden palisade gate. Two men stood watch atop the walls of the village, and one of them looked down to them.
"Do you wish to enter our little town?" He yelled.
He wore full plate armor, with a barreled helm that covered his head. His chest plate had a sword etched into the middle, and he wore an iron long sword at his hip.
"Yes! My friend requires aid! We were attacked by little monsters an hour down the road!" Corrin yelled up at him.
The man nodded.
"Aye those goblins are a real pest. I'll assume you killed the little bastards eh?" The guard asked.
Goblins? That's what they were?
"Easily." Guts said.
The guard chuckled.
"I like you lad. Aye, you can enter the village, just don't cause any trouble." He said.
The man motioned upwards, and the gate lifted up. Guts saw several other heavily armored guards standing near the gate. They made an odd gesture towards him and Corrin, locking their fingers together and nodding in their direction. Corrin did the same thing back at them, and they cheered. Corrin nudged Guts, and he rolled his eyes, doing the same thing. They cheered even louder for him.
A long dirt path divided the village into two. Each side had businesses selling a variety of objects in the front. The other buildings behind them must have been residential. They were all constructed of the same dark brown plank wood, and looked to have been recently built. Two paths separated from the one in the middle, leading to other parts of the town.
The two made their way into town, passing several shops and villagers. They all had the look of a killer in their eyes, and every single citizen brandished some sort of weapon at their belt. Guts narrowed his eye at this.
"Goblin season!" A vendor yelled to his right. "Some of the little shits can climb the walls! Bash them in the face with a good mace and send them straight to hell!" He rhymed.
The vendor had an assortment of very well crafted maces at his table. The building behind him was full of the sound of metal hitting metal, and a sign hung above the door. It read "Mace to the face" and Gut's jaw dropped. There were places like this?
"Creepers are a real problem! Buy a hound to keep the little blighters at bay!" Another vendor yelled to his left.
The man who yelled, was a short, tan man with long black hair. He was as wide as a tree, and had a long, black beard. His brown eyes glistened when Guts looked in his direction.
Several large, muscular dogs stood in front of him, all sitting at attention, and staring at Guts. They were all short haired, and had long snouts. Their ears were short, but floppy, and they had tails about a foot long. Some had blue fur, and others had tan.
"They really seem to like you sir! These hounds can only listen to the strong. They respect you." He said.
Guts was about to open his mouth for a retort, but Corrin cut him off.
"They are so cute!" She yelled, kneeling down next to them.
They all went up to sniff her, their tails wagging. She scratched them all on their ears and chests, and they licked her face.
"You must be a strong one too, they like ya! So what do you say? Do you want one? They're about ten gold pieces each. A bit steep I know, but in this world safety is a number one priority. And it'll keep those damned creepers away!" The man declared.
Corrin looked up to him.
"What are creepers?" She asked.
The man furrowed his brow in confusion.
"You don't know what a creeper is?" He asked.
"I'm new to this area. Care to explain?" She asked.
"Creepers are one of the worst things that inhabits the forests around here. They got eyes blacker than sin, crawl around all fours, and have tentacles that come out of their stomach! Disgusting things. They're known for stealing children and killing house pets. Thankfully they have a deep rooted fear for dogs of all kinds! They won't come within a mile of you if you have but one dog. Then again, they aren't exactly a creature to be feared by full grown folk like you. They stay away from the adults usually."
Corrin visibly shivered.
"There are beasts like that here?" She asked.
"That isn't even the worst thing in these woods dear. You'd have to be brave to walk through the forest or even on the roads this time of year." He said. "Aye… you there, big fella, you got an arrow wound. I can fix that up for ya, free of charge."
Corrin nodded.
"That would be great! Thank you!" She yelled.
The man reached into his satchel, and threw Guts some gauze. The commander of the Hawks raiders nodded in his direction, and began wrapping it around his wound.
"I have a question." Guts said.
The man nodded.
"Ask away." The vendor said. "My name is Luen by the way."
"Where are we?" Guts asked.
Luen smiled.
"You're in the village of Gim, a place where warriors like to rest their heads. Everyone who lives here is also a fighter." He said.
Everyone was a fighter?
"Thank you. But I meant… well, what country am I in? Is this Midland?" He asked.
Luen tilted his head in question.
"I don't know what this 'Midland' is my friend. This is the country of Toss."
Guts was slightly taken aback, as was Corrin, who stood up.
"Do you know where Nohr is? Hoshido?" She asked.
"Never heard of those places either… are you two foreigners?" He asked. "The girl especially, never seen someone like you, and I've seen plenty of odd looking folk."
Guts frowned deeply. He had never heard of Toss… How did he get from Midland to another country?
"Do you have a map I could see?" Guts asked.
Luen nodded.
"Aye I do, I'll be back in a moment." He said.
Luen walked into his shop, twisting the grey doorknob and stepping inside. Corrin looked to Guts.
"I don't know if you've heard of this term before, but have you ever heard about Outrealms." She asked.
Guts shook his head.
"No."
"Well… I believe that we are in one." She said.
Guts furrowed his brow.
"What the hell is an Outrealm?" He asked.
"Well… to put it simply, it is… another world." She said.
Guts frowned.
"You sound ridiculous." He said.
"I'm being serious Guts! Have you ever seen goblins before? Or someone like me?" She asked.
Guts remained silent.
"I believe that you and I are from different worlds, and that this one is neither of ours." She said.
Guts shook his head.
"That sounds too far-fetched for me to believe Corrin." Guts said. "I've fought a monster before, maybe there are more that I didn't know about."
"Please just trust me. We'll know for sure once we see the map." She said.
Guts nodded. The two waited for a few minutes before Luen came back out with a large scroll.
"Sorry it took me so long, haven't had to look at the thing in years." He said, unrolling it.
He handed it to Corrin, who scanned it with her red eyes. She clenched her teeth.
"It is an Outrealm…" She said.
Guts took the map from her, and looked it over.
A large landmass was in the center of it, with the words TOSS written over the top of it. It was surrounded by three other countries. The only way that they were connected to Toss were these thin, mountain passes. The mountains also separated the country from the ocean behind it, meaning a naval invasion wasn't possible. The country was shaped like a large circle, mountains being its natural border, and it was larger than the other three countries on the map combined. They were called Grall, Shu, and Fus.
His hands shook with shock.
Where the hell… was he? Could Corrin's words actually hold merit here? A different world… was that even possible? How did he get to a different world? How was he going to get back?
Griffith…
…
…
…
Corrin looked at the shocked impression on Gut's face. His helmet doing little to hide his shock. He clenched his teeth, and his grip on the paper tightened. Luen tilted his head again, and gestured for the map back. Guts took a deep breath, and handed it to him. His hands fell to his sides, his fists tightened, and Corrin thought she could see sadness in his eyes.
"This is bullshit…" He muttered.
He walked away, Corrin following closely after him.
"Hey! You don't want a hound? Bah! Maybe next time." Luen yelled after them.
Guts continued to storm off, and Corrin grabbed his shoulder. He shrugged her off.
"Don't touch me." He said.
Corrin continued to follow him.
"If we got here, that means that there is a way to get back, we just have to find it Guts. Don't give up hope. Please." She said.
He stopped storming off, and looked back at her.
"And how is that?" He asked, his eyes narrowed.
"We have to find the gate. There has to be a gate here somewhere if we got here right?" Corrin said.
Guts took a deep breath.
"This is crazy…" He muttered.
"I know it is. Crazy is my life." Corrin said, flashing a small smile. "Until we find the gate, I think we should stick together."
Guts looked to the sky, and shut his eyes.
"I'll do anything to get back to where I belong." Guts said.
"Then stick with me, we can find it together alright?" She asked.
"…Alright." He said. "Griffith is going to wonder where the hell I've been…"
"Griffith? Who is that?" Corrin asked.
"He… he's my best friend." Guts said.
Corrin nodded, smiling.
"Don't worry Guts, you'll see him again, I bet we'll find that gate in no time!" She declared.
Guts nodded.
"I hope so." He responded.
"Well… I think we should rest here for tonight, ask around, then we can set out in the morning. Does that sound good to you?" Corrin asked.
"Yes. I'll go ask people about what this place is like. I'm guessing you're going to do the same?" Guts asked.
Corrin nodded.
"My thoughts exactly. How about we meet back up here in half an hour?" She asked.
Guts nodded, then they split.
…
…
…
After asking about Toss from the locals, Corrin was shocked. The country was one of war and honor. That was all that mattered. It was infested with all manner of monsters that the citizens of Toss were all too happy to fight. Almost everyone has killed something, be it man or monster. Civil war was all encompassing, but the people here told her that in Toss, war was sport.
To die in battle was the highest honor, and that symbol the guards made to her and Guts at the entrance basically meant that they would wish to fight you one day. Corrin immediately regretted making the gesture at those knights. She asked if there was a sovereign, and they said that there were nine.
One for each region in the country. They were the strongest in their area, which put them in charge. If anyone knew where to find the Outrealm gate, it would be one of the Lords of Toss. It just had to be. There was apparently much more about the country that she and Guts needed to learn about. When she asked about the monsters, everyone smiled, and listed off the great beasts in which they had slain.
Many of them complained about goblin season, which was happening right now. Apparently they always attacked whatever was alive during the warmer months. There were several species of goblins, some couldn't handle the sunlight, while others could climb like a spider.
The way the citizens spoke of them made it sound as if they were more like pests than an actual threat.
How could a country like this exist? Where the people actually enjoyed war? It blew her away. The war she fought was enough for her lifetime, but living in it constantly? She couldn't even imagine it. She felt like her nephew Shiro would enjoy it here.
She wondered how her family and friends were doing… Were they safe? Or were they possibly here with her? She shuddered at that thought. This was a dangerous place.
"You there! I challenge you to single combat!" She heard a man yell.
She turned behind her, seeing two men standing across from each other. They both brandished swords, and only wore regular cloth, no armor.
"I accept! May the strongest man win!" The other yelled.
Several other people gathered in a circle to watch the two fight. Corrin widened her eyes and dashed over between the two of them.
"Stop! Don't kill each other!" She yelled.
"Step aside. This is a duel of honor. I will not have you taint it with your presence!" The man on the left yelled.
"I agree! This is a tradition in these lands! Do you not see our symbols?" He asked.
Corrin looked at the two symbols emblazoned on their shirts. One being the image of a flaming sword, the other being a gem.
"We are both different striders from two different regions. Our honor demands that we combat each other. To the death. There is no hatred involved, only respect for the enemy." One said.
"Yes. I agree with my fellow strider, if you do not stand aside, the guard with jail you. This is our sacred right! We represent our region in battle!" another yelled. "This is but one of the many games of war! Do not disgrace our culture!"
She felt a large hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Guts standing there, looking between the two men.
"Just let them fight. We'll mind our own business." He said.
"Listen to your friend. He seems to have some sense of honor." One of them said.
Corrin looked to the ground in defeat.
"How could… how could you just want to kill someone like that?" Corrin asked, her fists shaking.
"It is our way." One of the striders said.
Guts steered her away from the two Striders, and she could hear the clashing of steel soon afterword's, along with the cheer of the villagers. Corrin could feel herself beginning to tear up. How is it that Toss is like this…?
Once they were well enough away, Guts removed his hand from her shoulder. She looked up to him.
"Is it like that where you're from too?" She asked him.
"No, there is war, but it isn't done for fun." He said. "Someone told me about the Striders earlier. They're wandering soldiers that seek challenging foes to face. They live by a set of rules, and one of those rules is if they see another Strider from a different region, then they have to fight. That's just how it is. Let's just try and find the Outrealm gate then we can head home alright?"
Corrin sniffed, then wiped the tear from her eye.
"Okay. Sorry about that Guts." She said.
Guts nodded, then yawned. Corrin noticed that the sun was already beginning to set, and she too, yawned. It had been a long day.
"Let's find somewhere to sleep for tonight. There's an inn just around the corner." Guts said.
Corrin nodded, and followed the swordsman down the road. Once they reached the inn, she looked above the door, seeing a sign that said 'Soldiers rest' her gaze was downcast once more. They both stepped inside, seeing no one but an old lady with deep wrinkles occupying the desk at the far end of the building.
They both walked over, and the old lady looked up to Guts.
"Are you both looking for a room tonight?" She asked.
They both nodded.
"Five copper pieces, and there is only one room left." She said, pointing to the door that lead to what seemed to be a basement.
"We don't have that." Guts said.
"I see. Freeloaders. They come in all the time during the summer. I'll allow you one free night, then you skedaddle out of here." She said.
Corrin smiled.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome. My my… you are a pretty one. Are you two on a honeymoon?" She asked.
Corrin felt red in the face.
"No! We're just travelling companions." She said, slightly flustered.
"How boring. Well, make your way downstairs. The room has two beds. If you two decide to take a tumble you can push them together-" She started.
"It's not like that!" She yelled.
The old lady chuckled.
"Enjoy your stay." She said, opening the door to the basement.
Her and Guts walked down the creaky wooden stairs, seeing two cotton beds on the opposite sides of the room. A brown bear rug lay between them, and the beds both had blankets of red silk, and white sheets. Her eyes felt heavy, and she trudged over to her bed, laying the Yato down at the foot of it, and pulling the blankets over herself.
Guts did the same thing, laying his sword down next to his mattress while pulling the covers over himself. Not even bothering to take off the armor.
"Goodnight Guts." Corrin said.
A moment of silence passed.
"Goodnight Corrin." Guts replied.
I'm just going to say this now. The world of Toss is mine. As is everything in it. The only things that are not mine are Guts and Corrin and any other characters from Berserk or Fire Emblem that appear. I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to cross these two over, and I decided to build an entirely different world. Remember, MINE.
