Chapter 2
Jon woke to find himself lying down on a cot. He looked around the room and noticed all of the other cots with people on them. He sat up and felt a sharp pain in his head. He put his hand to his head and felt the bandages. "She must have hit me harder than I thought."
"She hit you real hard. You have been out all night." A woman said from behind Jon. Jon turned to see that she was a healer based on the robes. "But you should be fine to continue training. The blows will leave scars."
"I'm used to scars." Jon said, running a finger along the scar above his right eye. It curved around the eye and went straight down. "So let's get these bandages off, so I can get back to the training. Did anyone from my squad come by?"
"Only Lucina came by." The healer said as she unwrapped the bandages. "She seemed to have been worried about you."
"Huh. Thanks doctor." Jon waited for the healer to move and got up. He looked at the healer. "Do you know where my stuff is?"
"It is all in a trunk by the door." She told Jon and went over to another patient who was groaning. Jon moved over to the door and found the trunk. True to her word, his supplies were in the trunk. He took a few minutes to put his armor on before heading out to the training area.
His squad was in the middle of a drill so he waited for them to finish. The drill seemed to be on where to hit your opponent. Sergeant Grom noticed Jon standing by. "Well look who it is. The tough little bastard himself."
Everybody stopped hitting the dummy and turned to look at Jon except for Lucina who kept hitting. Jon stared back at them. Grom walked over. "How is the head boy?"
"My head is fine sir. I would like to get back to training." Jon said, to the satisfaction of Grom who nodded. Jon took his place along the row of dummies and waited for the order to strike.
"Kill the dummy." Grom ordered. Jon unleashed all of his built up confusion, anger, and frustration onto the dummy with the wooden sword in his hand. The blows all landed on the head.
Everybody, including Lucina stopped hitting there dummy and watched Jon smash into the dummy. Suddenly Jon's sword broke. Jon looked down at the broken sword and back at the dummy. He started to punch it in the face. Grom had to step on. "Halt the attack."
Jon halted and came to attention. Grom stomped over. "You trying to hurt yourself boy?"
"No sir. I was just killing the opponent." Jon replied. His face held no emotion. Grom grunted, and walked away.
"Jon I have decided who to team you up with." Grom stood over next to Lucina. "Meet your new bunkmate and ally. You will learn to trust each other and how to work together. Is that clear?"
"It is sir." Jon said still at attention. Lucina nodded and went back to hitting the dummy. Grom picked up a new wooden sword and tossed it to Jon.
"Your technique is fine for killing people, and some of the best I have seen in a long time. You rival Lucina and the Exalt. But you have to learn control." Grom motioned for the practice to continue. Jon held his emotions in control. He hit the dummy in vital areas, with strikes to the throat, the top of the head, and the chest.
Jon stopped to take a breath and watch Lucina for a minute. She was beautiful with the sunlight gleaming through her blue hair, and landing on her skin. He noticed that with a sword she was a natural as her movements were like an extension of her body. She must have sensed something because she stopped and looked around.
Jon noticed that Elias was smiling. He glanced at Lucina and then back to Jon. Jon shook his head and walked over to Elias. "You noticed me looking didn't you?"
"A blind person could see you looking at her." Elias struck the dummy in the head. "Why don't you go and talk to her?"
"Because I don't think she likes me." Jon said and traced the scar on his head. "Besides I am new here and I don't even belong to nobility."
"Neither do I." Elias put the sword down. "The rumor is that you aren't from Ylisse. That you were found in a field by Lucina."
"Both are true." Jon took off his gloves and cracked his knuckles. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you where I am from?"
"Let me guess. You are from a different dimension and you ended up here by accident?" Jon looked at Elias, eyes widened. Elias nodded. "You aren't the first person to have that happen to."
"So how do I get back?" Jon was now listening closely. "Is there even a way?"
"Answers will come to you in time." Elias glanced back at Lucina. "You seem to be taking the transition to our world really well."
"I don't overreact very often." Jon said picking up Elias's sword. "I was taught the best way to survive in a new place is to blend in and accept the culture as your own. So that is what I am doing here."
"That is understandable to a degree. But you faced Lucina in straight combat without even knowing who she was." Elias leaned up against the dummy. "That seems a little unbelievable to me."
"It helps to learn who your allies and enemies are." Jon flipped the sword over in his hand and handed it to Elias. "I needed to see what Lucina could do and couldn't do. And to tell you the truth I am freaking out on the inside. I just don't show it."
"Then why tell me?" Elias smacked the dummy with the sword. It thumped against the wood. "I mean I am glad to help but you don't know me."
"Chalk it up to a hunch that you are a good person." Jon lifted up his own sword. "Now when it comes to swinging a sword it has to be like a part of you. Now when you swing try to have it be a fluid motion, instead of the hacking you have been doing."
Elias nodded and swung his sword. It was still rigid and sloppy. Jon demonstrated how to swing a sword. Elias tried to copy but was still too rigid. Jon put his sword down. "Loosen up. Don't be so tight in the body. Think of it like you are loving a woman. You want to be smooth, not rigid."
That seemed to get through to Elias because the next few strikes were more fluid and the muscles in his body relaxed. Jon clapped him on the back. "Those were good strikes. Now if you continue to practice like that, it will come to you in no time."
"Maggots line up." Grom ordered. Everybody turned around to face Grom in a single line. He seemed to be angry. "I have an order that the Exalt will be here in an hour. I want us to be ready so we are going for a run and then finishing with drills."
Everybody nodded at once and followed Grom as they went for a run. A figure stood on the rooftop watching them. He was cloaked in all black. His face was hidden beneath a hood and nobody noticed him. He grunted and disappeared.
Jon was running with Elias when Lucina ran up next to him. She had looked at Elias. "Can I have a minute with him?"
Elias nodded and fell back to stand next to William. Jon looked ahead. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologize for hurting you badly yesterday." Lucina said, and Jon could tell she was sincere. "I didn't want to lose and it got the best of me."
"It's no big deal. We had a duel and I lost." Jon stopped and looked Lucina in the eye. "It wasn't entirely your fault I got hurt. When you knocked me down the first time, I let me pride get the better of me."
"It was a nice duel. You hit me a lot more than I usually get hit by people around my age." Lucina noticed the scar above Jon's eye. "How did you get that?"
Jon traced the scar remembering that day. It was a sunny day and he was walking through the park alone. He had stopped near a drinking fountain for a drink when a man pulled a knife on him. He fought the man and the knife caught him on the forehead and when the man ripped it away it left the unique scar.
Lucina cleared her throat and Jon snapped out of the flashback. "I got into a fight with somebody."
Lucina could see that he didn't want to talk about the incident so she tried to find another subject. "Where did you learn to use the sword? I heard you telling Elias that you were from a different dimension."
"Does everybody know that?" Jon asked playfully. "But yes I am. Your world is really different so I keep things to myself. And to answer your question I learned the art of using a sword from my father."
"Only Elias and I know your secret and I won't tell anybody. I am from the future so your situation isn't too hard to understand." Lucina picked up the pace. Jon smiled and followed her.
"From the future, eh?" Jon asked while trying to keep up with her. "Why did you tell me though?"
"I am your new partner, so I have to learn to trust you." Lucina stopped when Grom did. She turned to Jon. "I feel like we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am Lucina, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Jon smiled. "Well, Your Highness, the pleasure is all mine."
"How do you know I am a princess?" Lucina asked, but clearly pleased by the gesture. "I didn't tell you."
"Just the way you carry yourself and the way people treat you." Jon looked around. "So when do I get to meet the king?"
"I guess right now works." said a voice from in front of Grom, who bowed. Jon bowed his head. The man walked up to him. "Why didn't you bow?"
"Where I am from, all men are equal and we bow to no one." Jon said respectfully. "I meant no disrespect by the gesture."
"You must be the one my daughter is crushing over." The man said causing Lucina to blush like crazy. Jon laughed. The man turned back to him. "I am Chrom, Exalt of the Halidom of Ylisse."
"I am Jon Crier, Your Majesty." Jon stuck out his hand which Chrom shook. "Your Majesty, if it is all right, I would like to speak with your head scientist or mage to discuss how I got here."
"It is no problem. The Avatar could help you with that, and I wouldn't mind hearing it myself." Chrom winked at Jon. "Besides I don't think Lucina wouldn't mind seeing you around either."
"Father!" Lucina exclaimed to the satisfaction of Chrom who laughed. Lucina blushed even more. "I can handle my own affairs."
"The Avatar asked about him anyway." Chrom hugged his daughter tightly. "All of you are invited to the palace at sundown to eat with my family."
Everybody grew excited and thanked Chrom. Chrom nodded and whistled. A Pegasus flew over them and Chrom got on. "See you all at dinner."
Everybody watched him leave and Grom gave the order to go get ready for the dinner. Jon walked with Lucina back actually have a nice time. He saw something fly through the air and stepped in front of Lucina. It turned out it was an arrow.
It pierced the armor Jon was wearing and Jon fell over. Grom ordered the group down and Lucina stopped to help Jon. She removed the armor and kept pressure on the wound. Jon looked up at her. "Beautiful and smart, how did I get that lucky?"
Jon smiled and passed out.
