Chapter 2: Castle Life
So.
Very.
Tired.
I had finished my first chapter. My eyelids were drooping, and I'd just crawled back into bed when there was a knock at my door.
In comes Sharena, as powerful and bright as the midday sun, right into the middle of my room. I pulled the sheets up over my head, groaning.
"Come on, sleepy! The sun's nearly up, and it's the start of a brand new day!" Sharena beamed, oblivious.
"No new days, I wanna go back to the last one…" I mumbled into the pillow.
"Tough! We've got a lot to go through today, and just enough hours to do it in. So come on!" She grabbed at a booted foot sticking out of the bed.
I tried to hold onto something, anything that would keep me in bed, but I was yanked out onto the cold floor with only my pillow gripped to my chest.
"Are you this much of a sleepy-head in your world?" the princess asked, standing over me as I grovelled on the ground.
"No, leave me be…" I moaned.
Sharena sighed. "Anna! He's not coming!"
"Oh, I'll get him going then," Anna said, strolling through the open door.
She held her trust axe in hand.
I crawled upright, blubbering and whinging as I did.
"Fine, I'm up…"
"Good! It's time to meet the rest of the castle," Anna turned and left, axe resting on her shoulder.
"Come on, this will be so much fun!" Sharena grabbed my hand in both of hers, yanking me along.
I can vaguely remember being walked back through all the torch-lit halls, and back into the great hall. I walked up a small flight of steps, and was whisked into another large chamber, lit brightly on all sides.
I shielded my eyes from the light, and Sharena let go of me, bounding off somewhere.
"Where are we now…?" I mumbled, shoulders sagging.
"Your Majesty, King Gustav, I present the Great Hero of Legend. The Summoner of Heroes. The wielder of the Divine Breidablik. The Chosen One of myth! This, is Tazio!" Anna pronounced in front of me.
I rubbed my eyes, and could vaguely discern twin thrones raised on a platform in front of me. I could kind of see that they were very richly coloured, in golds, whites and velvety blues. Behind the thrones was the seal of the Order of Heroes; an ornate gold shield made out of those celtic lines.
And on the throne, the one that was a tiny bit bigger, was a regal man.
My eyes were still watery, and fuzzy, but I could tell a great man sat in that throne. He had dark blue hair – a navy colour, I suppose, and facial hair that framed his whole face, like a lion. He had powerful features, a strong nose, wizened cheeks, and a furrowed forehead.
But, that's all I can remember. Even my description here could be part fantasy, honestly.
"Sup, Gustav…" I said through a yawn.
I'm so ready for palace balls, aren't I?
"Errr, what he means to say, father," Sharena started to say.
"Hmmm?" Something clicked in me. "I should kneel for the king, shouldn't I?" I slowly pieced the idea together. I then flopped to the floor, on my knees, head bowed, the slap of my shins against the stone echoing across the room. Awkwardly…
I'm not sure how much time passed, but the next thing I knew, Alfonse was kicking at my foot gently, whispering harshly.
"Tazio? Tazio!"
"Hmmm? Did I doze off?"
"In front of the King!"
"Oh… That's bad, innit?"
"Yes, very bad!"
"Am I gonna be, erm… executed?"
"No," Alfonse said, pulling me up. "The king was very grateful for your help in the defence of the city yesterday, and Anna explained how different our customs may be to you. He simply left to meet with the Council after you started snoring."
"Oh… Al…" I said slowly, sleepily. "I'm sorry, man… I-I ticked off your dad… and, and… I'm real sorry, you know?" my eyes were drooping, my head lolling.
"You guys give me a bed, and I just do that in front of your dad, man…" I smack my palm to my forehead. "Silly Tazio… Ho-how about I go sit in my room to think about what I've done…"
"No time, Anna wants you heading to the Summoning Ruins to start summoning Heroes. Just in case Emblia attacks the city again."
I loudly whimpered that time, my head down.
"Why did you not sleep last night, Tazio?" Alfonse asked, frowning.
"I was writing, that's why!" I wailed, slapping my fists to my side.
"Writing?"
"I'm putting my thoughts down, so I can make sense of everything, but it got late, and I was so excited to write everything, and… now it's morning!"
"You have many talents, don't you, Summoner?" Alfonse said thoughtfully.
"Well I don't want them!" I whinged.
Alfonse sighed.
"Alright. Here's the deal, Tazio. We need new Heroes. Stronger ones. It's a cart ride to the Ruins, so you can have a nap on the way there, but we do need you to head out there. Do you think you can manage that?"
I meekly nodded.
"Sharena and Anna are going, so you should be fine. They won't let anything happen to you as you rest. You can trust them," Alfonse began walking me back out into the Great Hall.
"You ain't coming?" I said as we past an empty bird's perch.
"I am going to head to the library, to try and find any mention of your World in our archives. What would you say is the name of your World, so I can speed up my search?" Alfonse asked, leading me down into the practically empty courtyard. A wagon was there, hooked up to two horses.
"Errr… Earth?" I replied, confused.
"The World of Earth? Well, I'll give it my best to find anything about your World, Tazio."
"Oh, thanks," I said as I was passed off to Sharena.
"Ok Tazio, time to get moving!"
"Yaaay…"
I clumsily pulled myself up into the bed of the wagon, landing face first onto the lightly covered bed of straw there.
"Ahh, hello Tazio."
I rolled onto my back and saw Virion smiling down at me, sitting cross legged in a corner at the front.
"Virion? What're you doing coming along? And… what happened to your accent?" I said, the tiny shock keeping me awake as Sharena climbed in next to me.
"Well, to answer your first question, I am coming along to witness the new faces you shall be summoning into this army. I aim to be a figure of repute and joy for these new Heroes!"
"You just want to meet the ladies I summon, right?" I asked through narrowed eyes.
"Ahem…" Virion collected himself. "As to my accent; a certain Matthew made it known that my natural vocals will be more than enough to woo those I meet. There is no need to adorn myself with an expensive, exotic accent," He said with a smile.
"Expensive?" I mused.
"Matthew was going to keep Virions secret for a fee. One he couldn't pay," Anna explained as she casually leaped into the driver's seat.
"Ah-hahaha… Lady Anna, what a pleasure to see you again," Virion said nervously.
"Likewise, Virion. Stahl, hurry up!" Anna called out.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" A young man in green armour, with messy brown hair, with an eternal cowlick in the middle, came down the steps. He hefted a clinking, awkwardly shifting sack on his back.
The man named Stahl finally swung the sack into the back of the wagon, right at my feet. "Those were surprisingly heavy!" Stahl said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"They're more precious than heavy, Stahl. You were careful with them?"
"Of course. It was a bit harder, without having my second breakfast, but I managed."
"Second breakfast?" I asked no one in particular.
"Stahl here has a massive appetite. He can eat enough for a platoon all by himself!" Sharena said proudly, patting the young man on the back.
"Oh, I don't think I eat that much," Stahl said with a laugh.
"He does. It's a good thing he's such a good fighter that the chef's can put up with him!" Anna said with a wink.
Stahl laughed nervously. "Ok folks, are we all set to go?"
"Let's go, to the Summoning Ruins!" Sharena said with a cheer.
I don't know how the ride went. I tried to stay awake, and chat with Stahl, or the others, but the straw, despite being prickly, was so soft, and the rocking of the wagon…
I'm getting sleepy think about it.
In any case, I put my head down for a second, and opened them what felt like a second later.
To find Sharena's sleeping face right next to mine. Our noses were separated by mere centimetres.
I balked, flinging myself into the side of the wagon, scrambling upright.
I saw Virion smile at me.
"You two looked so peaceful there. I hadn't the heart to wake either of you. You are a lucky young man," he said with a wink.
My words came out in a soup, making Virion laugh.
"There is nothing to worry about, dear Tazio. You were simply friends resting next to each other. That is all."
My mind was screaming a lot of other things. I looked down at the still sleeping Sharena. She was breathing gently in and out, her ponytail draped over her neck, her neck-wing beside her. Her lips were slightly parted, looking so soft, and sweet.
NO! NO! Not writing that down! Nothing was written down!
Oh, God, if she found this…
My completely plutonic friend Sharena opened her eyes at that point. I averted my gaze, respectful and full of nothing but friendly admiration for my fellow, strong, independant Order member.
"Oh, hey Tazio," she said with a little smile. "Hope you didn't mind me sleeping next to you for a bit. It just looked so comfy, I just could not resist!"
"Not at all, Sharena, you are free to sleep wherever, and whenever you choose, as I respect your choices!" I said.
(Ok, that's too much…)
What I actually said sounded more like this; "Oh, uh, it's cool, Sharena, you're ok to sleep around me, err, I mean, you can sleep with m- ump! You're fine! You're fine as is! You sleeping! Is fine! Is what I mean to say!"
(Smooth)
"Oh, good! It was really calming being around you, you know? So, it just kind of happened," she said, sitting up as she pulled her legs to her chest.
"Oh, that's… great?" I said, voice rising, looking away from her smiling face.
"We're here!" Anna called out suddenly.
"Oh thank you merciful God…" I breathed to myself, flinging myself over the side.
Anna walked our group into the summoning ruins; at the back of the ruins was a large, temple-like white stone structure, with massive, ornate pillars filled with chips and cracks along its surface. High walls ran alongside the temple, blocking access to the nearby forest. Stone statues lined up before the entrance, like rows of soldiers, each standing alone, strong and tall. We walked down one of the corridors without statues in it, marvelling at the imposing figures made out of marble (I think it was marble?).
"Summoning should be pretty straightforward once we get inside. We in the Order have never been able to summon particularly well, but our strongest Heroes have always appeared whenever we perform a summoning rite closer to here," Anna explained as we entered the temple.
We made our way to the back of the temple, marvelling at the carved artwork along the walls, showing scenes of great warriors unleashing attacks against their foes. Many Heroes appeared there, leaping into action; some wielded strange and magnificent swords, one had a strong looking bow and a pineapple looking hair-do. One well-endowed woman hefted a nasty looking axe.
At the back of the temple, it opened up again, into a well-lit, well-kept courtyard. A large stone structure sat in the middle of another floor of circular, twisting line-art.
The stone object was tall, with a rounded top. Ornate carvings in the rounded top showed what I could only describe as a tree, massive and old, holding a large circle within the centre that went all the way through the structure.
"This place is pretty interesting looking, isn't it, Virion?" Stahl asked, amazed.
"It all feels so… ancient, with great power surrounding us," the archer said slowly, clenching his fists as he spoke in marvel.
We looked out at the strange ornament before us. Right in front of it, inside the temple, was a small dais.
"This wasn't here before…" Anna said, carefully inspecting it.
I looked around, and saw two stone tablets sitting next to each other on a bench off to the side. I picked them up, and walked back, looking them over.
Both had four figures on display. The first had what looked like a man with a powerful sword, a woman with long hair flowing behind her, a young man holding a tome, and a young girl with pointed ears. The second tablet bored the busty woman from the carvings, the pineapple archer, a cheerful young boy, and a young lady with a pony-tail.
"Hey, Anna, any idea what these do?" I asked the Commander.
"Huh?" She said, looking up. "Oh, those look important!" she exclaimed, and grabbed the tablets.
'Ummm'ing and 'aaah'ing, Anna finally decided to set one of the tablets into dais.
"Ok, Stahl, do you have the orbs?" Anna asked without turning around.
"Right here, Commander," Stahl said, pulling the bag to the dais.
"Ok, Great Hero, do your thing!" Anna said, stepping away from the dais.
I lifted my Breidablik, and pulled the trigger, aiming at the stone pillar.
But once again, nothing happened.
Growling, I reached into the bag, and grabbed an orb out.
There was a small click from the dais.
Standing up, I looked at device again.
The tablet was gone, and in it's place was a plate with five indents, big enough for orbs to fall snuggly into.
"Uhhh?" I turned to look at the Heroes behind me. They all just shrugged.
"This is uncharted waters for us, Summoner," Anna explained.
Sighing, I turned back to the dais. I put an orb into the slot. Nothing happened, so I put another in.
Still nothing. So, I filled all the slots with orbs this time.
There was a shudder, and the orbs began to glow as soon as I put the last one in.
Their swirling colours deepened, and became solid colours.
Before me were orbs of red, blue and solid grey colours.
"Now we're gettin' somewhere!" I said, rubbing my hands together. I picked Breidablik up again, but this time, an opening appeared at the back of the tool. It was also shaped like an orb.
A little hesitant, I picked up the orb at the top of the plate, a red one, and shoved it in. The opening closed once the orb was in place, and I took aim again.
I pulled the trigger.
The blast of energy shot out of Briedablik, hitting the stone pillar right in the middle. The orb struck fast. Energy rolled down the pillar, blasting air along the ground. The pillar lit up, it's ornate design glowing, the lines humming.
There was a flash of light, the energy shooting up into the air. I blinked, blinded for a moment, only to look back and see a new Hero standing before the pillar.
He had pointy red hair, bright, sturdy looking red armour, and twin ribbons coming off of his shoulders. He sat atop a chestnut coloured horse, a strange, wiry weapon in his grip. A silvery glow faded behind him.
"I'm Cain, a cavalier of Altea," the Hero Cain announced, his horse walking forward. "Oh, yes – Cain!" he said, his voice booming and flamboyant. "Known far and wide as the Bull!"
"Uhhh, ok, Cain. You wanna come over here, pal?" I said, directing the cavalier into the temple.
"Of course, summoner! I take it I have been called forth to wage war, have I?" he said, his voice kept at an eternal 8 or 9 volume.
"Ehhh, yeah, I suppose you have? Talk to Anna, she'll help you out," I said, pointing to the ready Anna.
"This way, Cain, and I'll fill you in," Anna said, guiding the man outside. "Send any other Heroes this way, ok Tazio?"
"Will do!" I called back.
Sharena came up next to me now. "Ooooh, he looked strong! I hope he's friendly. Oh, what am I thinking, of course he's friendly!"
"Yeah, he seemed alright," I said, looking down at the other orbs.
"Summon another one, summon another one!" Sharena said, shaking me side to side.
"I can't when you're shaking me like that!"
"Oh, of course… Sorry again!" Sharena stepped back.
I grabbed another red orb, and readied Breidablik. Firing it, the same process happened.
The orb struck the pillar (it seemed to home into the centre), the light show played out after a blast of air. Then, after clearing my eyes, I saw a man step out onto the floor, silvery light fading behind him as well.
He had blue hair a lot like Alfonse's but without the golden tips. He had an ornate headband, regal blue and gold armour, and a sky-blue cape with a red underside. He smiled calmly under big, blue eyes.
"I am Marth, prince of Altea," the Prince said calmly, in a friendly tone. "It is good to make your acquaintance. Like you, I desire peace above all."
I raised an eyebrow. "Firstly, I've never met you before, secondly, how do you know I 'desire peace'?" I asked.
"I can see it in your expression," the young ruler said as he walked towards us. I could see the grip of a lovely looking blade at his hip. "You want the world to become a better, safer place for everyone. You care deeply for everyone you come across, no?"
"Errr…" I said, nervously. "A discussion for another day. How about you head out and talk to Anna. She's with a cavalier of Altea already. Maybe you know him; Cain?"
"Ahh, Cain! Excellent, I shall head that way immediately. Thank you, Summoner," Marth said with a bow of his head. He then strolled out of the temple, cape billowing.
I looked back to the others. They all had their mouths agape.
"That was the Hero-King!" Stahl said, breathless.
"I knew he was a great warrior, but I never knew he was that… regal…" Virion said, looking down at the floor, eyes darting.
"Oh, Alfonse will be so excited! Thank you Tazio!" Sharena said, lit up more than normal.
"Why's that?" I asked as I went back to the dais.
"Marth is a personal hero of Alfonse's. And not, like, a summoned Hero, but a personal idol of his! He's always wanted to fight beside him, even if he won't say it."
"Oh, well, I'm happy to help," I said as I grabbed a blue orb this time.
I fired it, going through the same routine, except this time, when the light cleared, a small girl stepped forward, a golden light fading from behind her.
She had long blonde hair that fell down her back in ribbons. She had big blue eyes, large, pointed ears, like an elf's, and a tiny tiara around her forehead.
She wore a black cape, with a large collar that came up to her ears. The cape was held together by a love-heart shaped pendant.
The rest of her outfit was… revealing… She had a, well, for lack of a better term, a bra on, held together by a small pink bow. She had long pink leggings on, held up by twin, crossed belts, and twin, massive bows and ribbons besides her hips. She wore thigh high legs/shoes, held to her pants with more love-heart shaped attachments.
"I'm Nowi, a Manakete. That means I'm a dragon!" the little girl said proudly, her little arms held delicately to her sides. "I'm also 1000 years old, so I'll be your big sister!"
The Manakete, Nowi, walked up to me, and looked right up at me. Her blue eyes were so big…
"So what's your name, little brother?" she asked, hands on hips.
"Uuuahahhhhaaaaaa…" I think my nervousness came across. She was the definition of what anime-fan called a 'loli'. I won't describe my initial thoughts, for safety reasons.
"Ooooohhhh!" Sharena squealed.
"You are so adorable!" she said, coming over to squat before the child-like Hero. She patted the small girl on the head.
"Awww, thanks!" Nowi said, a big, goofy smile on. "You can be my little sister as well! Wow, you're really pretty!"
"Isn't she sweet, Tazio?" Sharena said, looking up at me.
I had my eyes closed, my fist up to my head.
"Ok, Nowi, we need to get you something else to wear, firstly, and secondly, what do you mean you're a dragon? You're a little kid!" I said, eyes still closed. I just couldn't look at the girl in such a provocative outfit.
"Huh? What's wrong with what I'm wearing? It's comfy, and pretty, and cute!" Nowi said, confused.
"It's not what someone… looking like you are… should wear,"
"Aww, come on Tazio, I think it's a cute outfit. What's so wrong about it?" Sharena asked.
"Well, Sharena, how would you feel if you wore something similar?" I asked, hands on hips.
"Oh, yeah, I would look great, wouldn't I? Nowi, we would absolutely look like sisters then!" Sharena turned back to Nowi, excited, and oblivious.
I tried very hard to lock away my sudden mental image, and just frowned.
"Well, what about being a dragon?" I asked.
"Fine, I'll prove it!" Nowi said defiantly. She strolled back into the summoning yard, and pulled a stone from a pouch at her back. She held it high, the sun striking the clear crystal, roaring as she did in an adorable, high-pitched voice.
After a moment, Nowi gasped, looking at the stone. "Oh no, this is just one of my shines! Hold on…" she rummaged in her pouch as I held my hands at my hips, and pulled out an icy blue stone this time. Holding it high, it reacted this time. Light beamed back out of it into Nowi's chest, who glowed in turn, levitating off the ground.
Then, standing where Nowi was, a large dragon appeared, bright yellow, with seaweed like fins flowing off her snouted head. Powerful legs held the dragon girl up, supported by long, wiry arms. Green shaggy wings waved at her back, and her thick tail wagged side to side softly, looking tough and heavy.
I fell onto my backside in surprise.
"You're a dragon!" I shouted, pointing.
"I said that, silly!" Nowi said, her voice coming from the dragon, distorted and warped, like it was telepathic or something. She pointed her snout to the sky, and opened her maw.
"Dragon breath! Rawww!" she giggled.
Energy glowed in the back of her throat, yellow and hot, before a stream of arcing, chaotic lightning erupted skyward, striking the clear blue, heading into nothing-ness.
I could only gasp and stammer, looking at this God-apparent come forth from such a small child. I realised then that the rules of my world didn't hold up here.
And I grinned…
Nowi transformed back and skipped back to us. "Pretty neat, huh?" She said, hands on hips, head raised high.
"That was so cool, Nowi!" Sharena said, practically radiating joy. "How long can you stay a dragon? How many breathes can you make? Do you always control the transformation? How cool are you?!" the questions came tumbling out of her lips.
"Hehe, I don't know a whole lot, but I still have lots of fun when I'm a dragon!" Nowi giggled.
"Come on, let's go show Commander Anna!" Sharena said, guiding the way with a hand on Nowi's back.
"Oh, an Anna? I wonder how nice she is? I bet she's super nice, right? Stahl, come on, let's go play afterword's!" Nowi said waving the young man over.
"Uh, sure Nowi. That could be fun. As long as you don't turn into a dragon when we play…" the cavalier said, following the girls out of the temple.
I nodded my approval as they left. "She is going to be unstoppable…"
"Eh, Tazio,"
I turned to see Virion coming up to me.
"Your summons, so far, have been… interesting, to say the least," Virion commented, limber arms crossed. "But I feel that getting more ladies into the army will be better for moral. Don't you think?"
"I don't have any choice in who show's up, Virion," I said, walking back to the dais. "And besides, I summoned Nowi, and she's going to be incredible!"
"That wasn't what I meant by ladies,"
"She's over 1000 years old, remember?"
Virion arched an eyebrow. "Is that the line you'll keep to?"
"What do you mean by that?!" I asked as I placed a grey orb into Breidablik.
"Oh, nothing at all, nothing at all, Summoner," Virion said with a wave of his hand.
I grumbled and shot the orb at the summoning stone.
This time, stepping forth, was a woman with long, eye-covering black hair, a curvatious figure, and close-fitting clothing. Strange bladed armlets adorned her forearms, looking sharp and deadly, glinting with the silvery light behind her.
"I am Kagero, a ninja from Hoshido," she announced, kneeling before me. "You have a mission for me? Then I will serve you from the shadows…"
"Errr…" I looked over at Virion. He was staring at Kagero's bowed face, eyes bulging.
"How can one as lovely as yourself hide such a pristine, marvellous face within shadows? My dear, I must strive to keep your beauty within the light, so all can witness and be entranced by it!" he finally said, bowing low.
"Um… I appreciate the kind offer, good sir, but my duty comes before any… witnessing of beauty…" Kagero said bluntly to Virion.
"Oh, duty, what a troublesome cause to follow. Why not follow your heart instead!" Virion pressed, undeterred.
"Ok," I said, stepping in. "Kagero, nice to have you aboard. Please head outside for a debriefing with Commander Anna. Virion, you will stay here."
"Of course," Kagero leapt away, vanishing completely into the darkness. She was good at her job, I'll give her that.
"But, m'lady!" Virion said, head twisting, trying to locate the vanishing ninja. "Damn, Tazio, why must you block my advances?"
"Because you are here to fight, not flirt…" I informed him, loading the last, colourless orb.
"Would you stop a pet cat from chasing mice, or a fish from swimming in cool blue waters? No, Tazio, you must let us Heroes be ourselves if you wish to succeed in this war!" Virion commented, shaking his head.
I didn't pay much mind to the frilly man's words then, but on reflection, I understand him much more now. These Heroes are Heroes because of their quirks, good or bad. And if I want this Order to do well, till I head home, I need to capitalise on their strengths.
Even if that means Virion will be reviled by most ladies in the army…
I fired the last orb, and out stepped, in a reddish hued light, another Virion!
"I am Virion, the finest archer of the fairest of realms. Delighted to be of service."
I blinked, a bit confused, and then looked over to the original Virion.
He had arched an eyebrow, and tapping his fingers against his crossed arms, stepped down to look at the new arrival. The new Virion looked the original up and down, pulling a similar pose. They circled each other, taking in all the sights.
"I would recommend training this Virion over myself," original said after a moment.
"I agree. I am just more skilled with the bow then this fine man," the newer Virion added, nodding in approval.
"I thank you for the kind words, good sir, and I hope you are well supported in your future endeavours," original Virion said with a small bow.
"I don't… I can't…" I stammered, looking at the clones.
"This is quite simple, Summoner Tazio," original Virion said, stepping back up to the dais. "This Virion would be classified, with the Order's grading system, as a three-star Hero. I, however, am only a one-star. As such, this Virion can learn more skills than I can, and would be more valuable within your army."
"It is the more tactful argument," new Virion added. "If we can relinquish this Virion, sending him home, to his own World; there would be less mouths to feed, less bunks to prepare, less hassles within your forces," he said, calm and casual.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Lord Virion," original said.
"Great minds think alike, no?" new said with a playful smile.
All I could think was; Just kiss already!
I held my tongue with a tremendous amount of willpower, a strength I doubt I'll ever have ever again…
"Ok, so how do I send you home, then, mr Virion?" I asked to original Virion. At least, I hoped it was the original.
"According to Anna, it requires the use of your tool," Virion said with a shrug.
"Hmmm…" I turned Breidablik over in my hands. I aimed it at original Virion slowly, frowning. "Are you sure this is what you want me to do?"
"It is the only logical conclusion," the well-dressed archer said with a shrug.
"Well… then I return you to your home," I said, pulling the trigger.
There was a flash from Breidablik, I saw Virion smile, and then, he was gone.
Five white, pristine feathers floated down from where Virion last stood. I stepped down, and grabbed them, putting them into a pocket. If Virion left them for me, it would be rude to dispose of them, I figured.
"A wise decision, Summoner Tazio," Virion said with a bow.
"I hope so…" I mumbled. "Hey, why aren't you putting on an accent?!" I said, realising the inconsistency.
Virion smiled nervously.
The rest of the day I spent all the Orbs Anna had collected. I used each and every one, no mater the colour that formed. I made quite an army of Heroes from them all, now that I think about it.
I was able to ask Sharena, when she came back, more about the star system Virion mentioned, and she explained how Heroes were summoned with differing power-levels, which could be divided into five levels, with one-stars being the weakest of Heroes, often summoned further away from the summoning stone, to five-stars being the strongest, most well-equipped Heroes.
From all my summoning, I was able to notice the light glowing behind each Hero indicating their star-level. Reddish hues indicated three-stars, silver for four-stars, and gold for five-stars, like Nowi.
I kept summoning and summoning, going through the orbs. Sharena laughed and gasped at each new Hero I summoned, while the new Virion made passes at the ladies, or clicked his tongue in barely-hidden disgust when a younger lady was summoned.
"I can't control who shows up!" I shouted at the man once again, before realising I had shouted it at original Virion.
Off memory, I summoned these Heroes; Lon'qu, Est, Setsuna, Frederick, Chrom, Fir, Bartre, Azama, Hana, Eliwood, Barst, Arthur, Beruka, Sully, Donnel, Lissa, Shanna, Catria, Jagen, Oboro, Niles. They were all so powerful looking, so intimidating.
But also, friendly. Mostly… The less I talk about Azama or Niles, the better… Egh…
But amongst them, I also called forth several five-star Heroes. Firstly, from a red-stone was Tiki, another young Manakete with a polite accent, who yawned often. Sharena tried to get Nowi to come back in and play with the nice girl, but Tiki was already napping in a corner.
I was incredibly surprised to summon forth a more mature, more, um… grown, Tiki not much later, as a four-star. After introductions, she promptly sat down and napped next to her past-self, the smaller Tiki resting up against the older Tiki's shoulder.
As I marvelled at how sweet they both looked, I wondered how many different forms of Heroes might show up…
Next, I called forth a woman on a Pegasus calling herself Caeda. She pronounced it like a cedar tree, so I'll write it like that. Strangely enough, Marth wandered back in, and was ecstatic to see his lifelong friend back with him. The blue-haired, sweet girl ran over and embraced the Prince, laughing like a school girl.
Virion was not impressed, let me tell you now. He looked so pleased when she showed up.
Marth didn't have to wait long before another childhood friend appeared as a five-star with Merric, a wind mage. The two chatted away happily, and I could have sworn they sounded exactly the same… I guess that's what happens when you grow up together.
The next five-star was a bubbly girl with twin pigtails atop a horse named Elise. She and Sharena smiled and laughed and were just brimming with happiness around each other. Sharena was so excited, she started talking about holding a party with all these new Heroes.
I was able to summon another Hero that was shown on the plaque I inserted, this time a blue-garbed sword-wielding lady. She introduced herself as Lyndis, but insisted I call her Lyn.
She was spellbinding, that Lyn. She had the most gorgeous, perfect face, green-hair pulled back into a ponytail that reminded me of fresh, soft grass, and she held herself well; confident, proud, and at ease with the world around her.
I could not wait to see her in action, the curved, elegant sword she wielded looking deadly and quick, like a samurai sword.
I experimented with the other plaque, and was immediately rewarded.
Hmmm, on second thought, I'm not sure if rewarded is the right word…. She's banging on my door right now, asking if she can come in and tuck me in…
I called forth the well-endowed woman in deep-black armour. She rode astride her wyvern seductively, legs only just crossed, her lavender hair curling and rolling like silk down over her face, chest and shoulders. She held a massive, heavy axe in one hand, and suggestively held a finger to her plump, rosy lips as she drank me in. Greedily…
"I'm Camilla, eldest princess from the Kingdom of Nohr," She slide off her wyvern, patting it on the head as she walked towards me, one high-heeled foot in front of the other, like she was on a catwalk. "Need my protection, sweetie?" she asked, coming right up to me, her bust giggling openly. "Consider me yours," she finished, touching my nose with her silky black glove.
I had no words, no thoughts, no feeling except shock and wonder.
Nothing like this had ever happened to me. I must have been frozen like a statue for far too long, probably staring at things I shouldn't be staring at, because Camilla turned, looking hurt, her arms wrapped around her, pushing up.
"What's the matter, sweetie? Don't you like me? How I… look?" she said, her figure turned to be on perfect display.
"No! No, no no no no…." I could only babble.
"Oh, aren't you just adorable…" she purred, patting the top of my head, the cold, pointed metallic glove sending shivers down my back.
"What about yourself, young man?" she said, turning to Virion.
I had forgotten he was there. Looking at him, he was as speechless as me. But he collected himself, stood straighter than a tree, and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
"No, m'lady, I was simply so enraptured by your beauty that I couldn't utter words! Besides, anything I come up with to describe you would simply fall short of the mark, my dear. Simple descriptors cannot match your ravishing splendour!" Virion said, as earnestly as he could, elegance lacing his utterances.
"My, don't you have a lovely, silver tongue!" Camilla said, walking with a wiggle in her hips to Virion. I could see beads of sweat drop off his nose. "I would so love to hear more words from you." She ran her talon like hand over Virions neck.
"But make no mistake. I am dedicated to my dearest Corrin, you understand," Camilla said, smiling sweetly. "And if I catch you darting that lustrous tongue of yours at them, I shall rip it out."
"Of course, ma'am! I shall hold it from them, m'lady!" Virion said, eyes wide.
"But you won't have to fret, my sweet," Camilla said, coming back to me. She ran a bare finger under my chin. It was so soft and warm… "You can say whatever you want around me…"
"O-oh kay…" I stammered, my tongue trapped in my mouth, my face rigid, paralysed by her touch.
"Hey, Tazio, the Commander say's it's time to head home, so finish your session and -oh my gosh, you're Camilla!" Sharena said as she walked back in.
"Oh, I indeed am, young girl, and who are you, precious?" Camilla said, with a smile and tilt of her head at the approaching Askan Princess.
"Oh, wow! I'm Sharena, Princess of Askr, and I have to say, you really are beautiful! Alfonse wasn't lying then. Oh!" she said with a snap of her fingers. "He would just love to meet you! I know he loved looking you up in our catalogue when he was younger!"
"Oh, how… sweet…" Camilla said tactfully, a hand under her chin.
"Come on Tazio, time to mount up!" Sharena said, pulling Camilla out of the temple.
"Uh huh…" I mumbled. Once Camilla, and her dutifully following wyvern had left, I went back to Virion. "You ok, man?" I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't stopped bowing.
"There are some women in these worlds that one mustn't approach. They are an embodiment of the Venus Flytrap, my boy," Virion said, shakily pulling himself upright. "They may seem sweet and alluring to begin with, but if you get too close, you will be trapped in their cage, and devoured…" he said, gulping.
"You know, we have a word for women in my world like that," I said, leading the shocked nobleman away, my bag of orbs over my shoulder, substantially lighter. I think there were only three left over.
"I shall hear your descriptor another time, Tazio. For now, let me catch a reprieve in the wagon, if you will," Virion said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Sure, sure…"
The trip home was a colourful one. All the fliers took to the sky, swooping and gliding up above us, their shadows an aerial show for us on the ground. Some had taken some passenger with them, like Caeda, who guarded a sleeping young Tiki on her back, like a big sister. Camilla had urged me onto her wyvern, but I declined, telling her I wished to speak with and get to know all the other Heroes.
A guard of horse riding Heroes encircled the wagon that Stahl continued driving. At the head of the group was Frederick, who dutifully removed any and all pebbles in our way as we travelled, leaving the cleanest path for us to follow. Cain, Bartre, Sully and Barst walked together, hollering and laughing heartily.
Fir, Hanna, Oboro and Lissa all chatted away happily, till Elise and Lissa met up and laughed away, giggling like little girls. The man, Arthur, dressed colourfully, like a super-hero from my world, proudly walked near the front. Somehow, only he was hit by a falling tree branch, with a bee hive, whereby he was chased into a pond filled with mud. The goofball smiled all the while, his square jaw as chiselled as a statue's.
Setsuna followed a similar fate, winding up in animal traps more times than I could count. Luckily Kagero would appear and release her, only to fade back into shadow. Eliwood and Lyn chatted happily, being old friends, while Marth and Merric did the same. Chrom stood in the centre, looking out at everyone, watching them all like the Shepherd he was, till Lissa decided to introduce his shirt to the new frog she'd picked up.
"Hey, hey, Tazio!" I looked down and saw Nowi walking beside me.
"What's up, Nowi?" I asked, looking at her smiling face.
"I found this shiny stone!" She said, holding up a flat, salty-white crystal up to me. "And I wanted you to have it, for being such a good little brother!"
"I-well, thank you Nowi, I'll treasure it," I said, taking the grimy stone with a smile. I looked it over, and thought it was a quartz or something.
"Hehe, I know you will! Now to give Sharena hers!" Nowi darted off to the wagon.
I smiled as I watched her struggle into the moving wagon, till the pot-wearing farmer, Donnel, pushed her up the last bit.
"Well, I didn't know you were into those kinds of girls," a saucy whisper trickled into my ear.
"Ghaa!" I cried out, stepping away from Niles, who leered over at me with his one eye, his dirty white hair going everywhere, hiding his eye-patch.
"My, aren't you high-strung… Maybe I could convince all these little ones to give you a back-massage. You'd enjoy that immensely, wouldn't you?" Niles said, looking over to Elise and Lissa, his lips curling in delight.
"You're presuming a lot there, Niles," I said after I'd caught my breath. "I've no interest in them besides them being Heroes," I said, raising my head high.
"Heroes, huh? And what does a Hero do for you, Summoner? Do they fight? Do they win? If need be, do they die for you?" Niles asked, poking me with each question.
"If need be, they will fall in battle, yes. But, they will come-" I started before he cut in.
"Oh, so you're a masochist… You make them go out to fight, and then watch these pretty little flowers getting all torn up, their clothes in tatters around their small, supple bodies… Oh, yes!" he said loudly, looking heavenward, a massive grin growing. "I can just imagine it now. The look of ecstasy across your face, the run of drool down your lips. My, my, you're a very naughty boy, aren't you?" Niles said, leaning in, eyelid lowered, coy.
"Wait, what, no, it isn't anything like that!" I said, my body getting hot. This man was as eager to get under anyone's skin like a barb, but he was so surgical and quick about it, he was more like a surgeon's knife.
"Oh, dear, Summoner, you've gone beet red… what will the others say of your scandalous reaction to all these helpless, naïve girls being harmed before you? Maybe the rumours of your private, night-time activities with them will grow as well…" Niles said.
"Hello their Tazio! And it's nice to meet you, Niles," coming down from the clouds (like an angel) on her white Pegasus was Caeda, Tiki still peacefully napping away against her back.
"Oh, thank God…" I said to the floor. "Hello, Caeda. You doing ok with Tiki?" I asked, looking directly at the blue-haired maiden.
"She is doing quiet well, thank you. But, I wondered if you could watch her? I wanted to talk to Niles," she asked sweetly.
"Oh, of course!"
Caeda landed, her Pegasus walking at a steady pace. Caeda then gently lifted the little Tiki off the flying horses' flanks, and onto my back, her feet slipping over my arms, her warm head resting on my shoulder. I leant forward so she didn't slip away.
"Ahhh, how kind of you, holding that little one up against you," Niles observed, smiling.
"It's very sweet of you doing a favour for me, Tazio," Caeda agreed. "I'll let everyone know how kind and supportive you are to us all," she said with a nod.
Niles frowned, looking at Caeda. "So, what would you like with me, dear Princess?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
I mouthed 'thank you' to the considerate flier as I walked closer to the wagon, leaving Niles to his fate.
Tiki was so light, I could easily hold her up with little effort at all. But, I'm wondering now if in coming to this World, I got stronger, as I was never this capable of anything like this at home.
Eh, not important. Anyway, Tiki's long, elf-like ears began rubbing the back of my neck, tickling me, so I quickly pulled my hood up, glad I didn't wake her.
"Ah, how nice it must be to nap like that," a well-spoken woman said as she came up to me.
I looked over and saw the adult Tiki walking next to me now, smiling down at the little Tiki.
"I don't think I'd be able to carry you as easily," I admitted, looking the Manakete up and down. She had slender arms and legs, a loose red dress, and stronger facial features, but there was no mistaking that she was an older Tiki.
"Oh, no, I doubt very much that I could nap up against you," Tiki said sweetly. "I think I would be too distracting,"
"Hehe, what do you mean?" I said, trying my best to avoid looking at her chest.
"I'm sure you know, Tazio. And it's quite alright. I have been considered a goddess, or close to one, in my world," Tiki said.
"The Voice, right?" I asked, remembering what she said as she was summoned.
"Yes, but it really is just a title. Now, here, I am just Tiki once more," she said, looking around.
"I must thank you, Tazio. You have brought me back to my friends, people I thought I would never see again," she said, looking over to Marth and Merric. "There is no greater gift in this world, or any other, for this chance."
"Oh, it's my pleasure," I said, smiling sadly. I guess that Tiki was more than 1000 years old at that point. She had seen a lot of people pass away before her, I guess. It must have been hard.
"Tazio!" a shout came from the wagon in front of me. I turned to see Nowi.
"I want a ride as well!" Nowi cried out, standing up on the edge of the wagon.
"Wait, wait, Nowi, no!" I cried out, trying to raise a hand, but the little dragon girl leapt into my face, gripping my shoulders, her blonde hair shoved into my face, going up my nose. She wrapped her booted legs around my hips, hugging me like a baby koala, except she was giggling all the while.
"Hmmm?" a drowsy Tiki roused behind me at the shaking and jostling. "Cae-Cae?" she asked, before realising where she was. "Oh, hello Tazio. I didn't realise I was moved. I hope I haven't been a bother to you?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as she spoke so politely after her rude awakening.
"Erk, nope, you're fine!" I said, trying to breathe through Nowi's smothering hair. "It's the other dragon girl who's being a bother!"
"Hey, I wanted to play just like Tiki is all. I'm not being a bother…" Nowi said, sullen.
"Oh, you're Nowi?" little Tiki said, realising the existence of the other girl holding onto me.
"Yeah, hiya! Sharena said she wanted for me to play with you, but you had a nap instead, and I was still chasing Stahl around!" Nowi said excitedly, looking over my shoulder to Tiki.
"I'm sorry. I was just feeling sleepy, is all. We'll play another time, I promise," Tiki said, earnestly.
"Yay!" Nowi cried out, punching a fist into the sky. "We can play real dragon-tag!"
"Would it be alright if I joined in as well?" adult Tiki asked, stepping forward.
"Oh, a second Tiki? Sure, that means more fun!" Nowi said excitedly.
"Are you-?" young Tiki began to ask, looking the other Tiki up and down.
"I am you, from the future," adult Tiki said kindly with a nod.
"Oh, you, I mean, I, get so pretty!" young Tiki said in amazement.
"Oh, thank you, and I had forgotten how cute I was at your age," adult Tiki praised in turn.
I grumbled to myself, feeling like a pack-horse for dragons.
The travel home was largely uneventful from then on out. Tiki fell asleep, and Nowi, despite her protests of not being sleepy, followed suit afterword's, her head against my chest, making the walk a little easier for me.
We walked into the city, to the cheering and whistling of the villagers who witnessed us coming in.
"Gee, I shure din' think wee'd get such a warm welcom'!" Donnel said, with his charming farmer's accent, scratching at his head under his dented copper pot.
"You're Heroes, Donnel," I explained. "You're going to be protecting all these people, and they're very thankful, to all of us" I said, looking around at them all.
Seeing all of them, the women, men, children, elderly, and everyone in-between, I felt a pang of guilt grip my heart. I had forgotten about my desire to get back home up until that point. I was just lost in all the happy, hopeful people lining the streets. I'm feeling… awful… now…
Ah, moving on, we passed by a massive tower this time, one made of stone and covered in ivy and runes.
"Oh yeah, Tazio!" Anna called out from the wagon. I hurried over to her. "That right there is the Training Tower. You can use that place to train up these new Heroes'. I'll show you how it works later,"
I just nodded my approval, falling back, wondering how that tower would train the Heroes.
The cheering followed us all the way into the castle, with several Heroes waving pleasantly, some like Elise and Lissa basking in the adoration. Camilla blew kisses out to the crowd from her wyvern, high above all the men that leered up at her. Nowi and Tiki woke up and began waving as well, hanging off of me, smiling wide.
Several children darted in and raced around everyone's feet. Sully and Cain lifted some kids up for a ride on their steeds. Bartre flexed and hollered with manly grunts. Eliwood and Lyn smiled and pated some of the little rascals on the head. Donnel looked like he was incredibly pleased with himself, but looked a little shy and out of place.
We rolled into the castle to meet Alfonse and the other Heroes we left behind.
I briefly saw Raigh, on the top step, looking out into the crowd of Heroes, frowning. But, the next time I looked, he wasn't where I last saw him. I couldn't see Matthew there either.
"Welcome, Heroes, to the Castle of Askr," Alfonse announced loudly as the gates into the city wee closed. The flying Heroes had landed, and everyone listened intently.
"You have all been summoned here because you are warriors with unique skills, passion, and power beyond the ordinary," Alfonse continued. "Because of that, we ask you all to help our kingdom, my kingdom, in stopping the Emblian Empire from attacking us, and invading the Worlds you all come from. This war is one that affects not just our World, but all your Worlds, all your loved ones, as well. So please, stand with us, and fight!"
He raised his sword high, to a cheer of clapping and whistles of admiration.
"Yay, well said, Alfonse," I heard Sharena say, clapping heartily. I saw Anna nod in approval.
From there, the older Heroes came down and helped allocate bunking for the new Heroes. There was laughter and greetings all over the courtyard as old friends and allies met again. The two Lissa's were a real sight to see, dancing with each other, trying to see who would slip a bag of moths down their dress first. Soon, everyone drifted inside, to see all there was too see.
Alfonse was gobsmacked to meet Marth and Caeda at the same time. He was incredibly flustered when Sharena introduced him to Camilla, who toyed with the poor prince.
I quietly left to find Raigh and Matthew, the only Heroes I hadn't seen in the hall.
I went into the direction of my room, hoping to bump into Raigh, and was found by Matthew first instead.
"There you are Tazio. I'd hoped to find you," he said, hand at his hips.
"There you are, Mat! Glad I found you, I wondered where you were, you weren't out there when the new Heroes arrived,"
"Mmm, yeah, I was still mapping the Castle out. Speaking of the new Heroes…" Matthew suddenly became uncharacteristically nervous, his smile gone. "Did you happen to summon someone by the name of… Leila?"
I thought for a second, and then shook my head no. "Sorry, no one named Leila. Why, did you know her?" I asked.
"Hmmm, oh, she was just a good work colleague is all, and it would have been nice to have someone like her here," Matthew said, his grin back.
"Oh… ok…" He seemed ok, but I'm sure there was something Matthew wasn't telling me.
"By the way, have you seen Raigh?" I asked, moving to a new subject.
"Oh, yeah, the kid went into the library. He was in there with Alfonse for ages today," Matthew informed me. He then gave me a copy of his castle map, and sent me on my way.
I hurried through all the corridors, following the map as well as I could. I was able to get to the library easily enough, without turning myself around. Walking inside, I marvelled at the massive selves of books, wooden benches and tables with open tomes upon them, and the huge ceiling and paned-glass portrait above everything. It smelt like burning wood and dry paper, but it was kinda cozy, despite the size.
I stalked through the shelves, looking for the green haired boy. I found him alone in a corner, the furthest one away from the entrance, near a fireplace.
"Raigh, hey there, what're you up to?" I asked, walking up to him. He looked up from his book, and frowned.
"None of your business," he said, dark and moody.
"Oh, ok then…" I sat down next to him.
"I saw you out to greet the new Heroes. But then you vanished. I take it you didn't find the Hero you were looking for?" I asked, bluntly.
"Oh, I found plenty of Heroes out there. No horrible people at all…" Raigh muttered, snapping the book he was glaring at shut.
"I'm feeling hungry. I'll see you later," the young mage said, shoving the book into a shelf as he hurried away from me.
Once he'd left, I carefully found the book he'd had, and opened it. The page he was on fell open, with a page folded between the others in Raigh's hasty closing.
I was able to read most of it, but I was surprised by the portrait at the top of the page. A young girl, with a huge smile on her face, looked out at me. She had cropped greed hair, much like Raighs, and a small blue dress with a mid-night blue cape. The Hero's name was apparently Nino, and she hailed from the World of Blazing. Reading a bit more, I found the poor girl had suffered a torturous, heart-breaking childhood at the hands of a group of assassins', but had finally been freed with a fellow assassin, and had fought alongside Lord Eliwood in a war for his home.
"Tazio!" I was shocked away from the book by Lissa, who had appeared at my side.
"Geez, Lissa, no need to shout. This is a library, after all…" I said, catching my escaping breath.
"I tried talking, but you were in daydream land," Lissa protested. "Anyway, it's time to come eat, so let's go!" she pulled at my sleeve, dragging me out of the library, her twin pig-tails bobbing as we raced.
We ran into the mess hall, where all the other Heroes were already seated. Across the tables were pots and plates filled with immaculate, mouth-watering bread, soups, cooked meats, salads and toppings. Lissa excited sat me down next to her and Chrom, and they dug in.
I followed suit, and was surprised at how hungry I had gotten. I realised I hadn't eaten anything since being summoned by Anna, and was lost in all the excitement. So, I dove into the food.
I later found out that Donnel, at least a version summoned by the Order, was leading the kitchen these days, with his own personal army of cooks to do his bidding. He had taken charge after another Hero summoned by the Order, Felicia, had been removed from the kitchen following several catastrophes.
I listened to all the Heroes chatter away as I shovelled food, and watched as opposite me, Stahl kept pace with me, eventually eating more than me in the end, chatting all the while.
I looked out and saw there was no order or reason to the seating. Everyone had spread out, and was talking and meeting everyone else, getting to know them all.
Everyone laughed when Arthur stepped up, but fell backwards, his feet slipping up on a banana peel that had appeared behind him suddenly.
Sharena hardly sat still, moving from table to table, talking to everyone, getting to know them as well as she could. Alfonse smiled at his sister from a seat he kept to himself close to the back of the hall, while Anna tried to get prices for some of the weapons the Heroes carried from other worlds.
I noticed some Heroes weren't in the hall, like Matthew, Kagero, and Raigh, strangely enough. I could understand why the spy and ninja weren't present, but I was getting worried about Raigh.
Once we'd all had our fill, Anna gave a short speech about how grateful Askr was to have the Heroes, and that the fighting was sure to begin again soon, so rest and training would be needed for everyone.
Everyone then headed out, and feeling tired, I headed back to my room.
I was stopped in the middle of the Great Hall by Alfonse, who called out to me.
"Tazio! A word, please," I turned to him, expectant.
"What's up?"
"I spent the day looking through our records of Worlds. Every single one we've discovered and visited. However, I couldn't find any known as the World of Earth, unfortunately," Alfonse said, bowing his head.
"Oh, ah… right, well, we'll just have to keep looking, right?" I was surprised and a little guilty at that point. "Gotta get home somehow, right? Haha…"
"In some ways, I'm glad I didn't find anything…" Alfonse cautiously added. "Sending you home so soon… would just end up putting us back to where we started, and I'm sure Sharena would just be heartbroken if you left so soon,"
"Errr…" I could almost see the tears in Sharena's eyes if I told her I was leaving for good.
"But, then again, it would certainly… hurt less… if you were too leave before she became truly attached…" Alfonse muttered, almost to himself, hand to his chin.
"Uh… Yeah, you've got a point. Well, I'll make sure, even if we do find the gate to my World, I'll stick around to help finish Embla off. Just cause I'm nice like that," I said, winking as charmingly as I could.
Which, truth be told, wasn't much.
"Hmmm?" Alfonse came out of his musing. "Right… Well, I shall bid you a good-night, Tazio. I'm sure you want to train all these Heroes extensively tomorrow at the Tower."
"Yeah, that was gonna be my plan," I said, thinking of all the Heroes I'd summoned, and some team combinations.
I bid the prince a good night, and headed for my chambers. As I walked through the flame-lit corridors once more, I bumped into Chrom.
"Hello, Tazio. Off to sleep, are we?" the Shepheard asked, truly interested.
"Yeah, got lots of training for everyone tomorrow, so I need my tacticians rest!" I said, twirling around the powerful man.
"Indeed. I didn't mention this before, but I'm glad to be here, Tazio. I feel confident, with your support, we'll become even greater than we were in our own Worlds. You remind me of a good friend, whom is also a tactician. I just hope the bonds we build are as strong as the one I hold with them," the man said, putting a gloved hand onto my shoulder. I could almost feel the support and admiration he had for me flow across to me.
"I- Thank you Chrom. That means a lot to me," I said, shaken, but feeling bolstered.
"It is my pleasure. An army is but a collection of animals without a tactician to guild them!" he said, heading to the men's bunks, a hand over his head in goodbye.
I got to my room without any other hassles, and promptly fell asleep. No writing for me that time.
I had training on my mind.
He next morning, we all fasted quickly. I was eager, and flited about the room, chatting to as many Heroes as I could. Sharena was gobsmacked, looking like her job had been taken.
But while she may have been interested in becoming better friends with the Heroes, I was checking what skills and abilities each Hero could learn. I was able to quickly plan out some team combinations for the tower, focusing on the five- and four-star Heroes to be trained up.
Once everyone had eaten, we headed out, a massive, brightly coloured contingent swarming for the imposing Training Tower.
Anna explained the rules the mystical Tower maintained for it's training regime; only four Heroes could enter (not including myself, Anna assumed) and each floor of the Tower contained differing foes of differing difficulty to fight. The foes were generated randomly by the Tower's magic, and occasionally Heroes would be generated within each floor.
We set up a mini camp within the parkland that surrounded the Tower. I organised for the Askr trio to head in first, with new Virion in tow. I set Marth and Chrom in charge of the Heroes in our absence.
The rest of the day was spent working with each group of Heroes, improving their power, developing fighting techniques and strategies for each unique team. We climbed the Tower's dark, ethereal staircases as soon as one floor became too easy to conquer for all the units in the team.
As the day wore on, Anna would stop to offer me a, um, I think she called it a 'ausdauer' potion? I just call them stamina potions. In any case, the sweet fluid revitalised me and my allies, making my lips and chest tingle. Anna said the potions were good for extended marches, but were no substitute for a healthy meal.
I switched teams as soon as I noticed a Heroes power's peak, which often happened when we were close to the tenth floor. I'd then switch to a different team, and take them through, running them through the gamut.
As we switched I noticed the camp of Heroes chatting or playing with the villagers that had ventured into the park, curious and eager to see the summoned champions of other Worlds. Chrom and Marth did a great job of keeping things together while I and the Askr trio were away.
From all the training I did, I have to write down how good the five-star Heroes are. Nowi and Tiki are just tanks; they hit hard, and take little damage. Their dragon forms are truly terrifying, looking like mini-Godzilla's (no one here will get that…).
Lyn was so quick and powerful, as long as she wasn't hurt too often. She would slash and cut through any foe in multiple strikes, some so fast I didn't notice them till I saw the deep cuts appear in the randomly made foe before her.
Elise was an exceptional healer that galloped across the battlefield, providing an aura of healing light for any Heroes in trouble, moving incredibly well.
Merric was a good guy. It took me awhile to find his niche, but his Excalibur tome will ruin any flier's day!
Caeda… well, she's very good at looking after the horse stables back at the castle. And she's so lovely to everyone. Yeah, I'll put that down…
Some other Heroes I want to highlight from my time in the tower include Kagero, with her devastating poison daggers that cripple any infantry units; Camilla was a brute that struck furiously at anyone in her way; Marth was just a great overall guy; and Chrom was a sight of pure fury in action. I hope to see them as five-stars someday.
The other Heroes were powerful in their own right, but it will take more time to find their spot on a team.
As we trained, I asked Anna about the star system, and she mentioned that there was a way to enhance a Hero into a five-star form. It wasn't a well-known technique, but it required lots of Hero-Feathers.
"Hero-Feathers?" I reached into my jacket pocket, and pulled the five, still glowing feathers Virion left as he departed. "Like these?"
Anna's eyes widened, glowing in the semi-dark of the Tower. "Yes, yes, exactly like those!" She reached out for them, looking grabby.
"How about I hold onto them…" I said, yanking away from her. I put them away into a safe spot.
"So how many to make a Hero five-stars?" I asked as we reached the seventh floor. Donnel lead the way, but Setsuna was nowhere to be seen. I sent Beruka off to find her.
"Alfonse knows a bit more about these technical things, but I think the number 20,000 was mentioned?" she said, in her pose, trying hard to remember.
"20,000!?" I asked, incredulous.
"Hey, I don't make the rules," Anna said with a shrug.
"Where am I gonna get so many…" I mused to myself.
As the sun began to sink over the hills surrounding the city, casting shadows over the park below the Tower, we all headed back for the Castle, eager for a meal.
As the Heroes headed into the mess hall together, cajoling and hollering to each other, Anna took me to the side.
"I completely forgot to introduce you to another member of the Order, Tazio!" She said, slapping a hand against her forehead. "Come this way!"
She walked me to the head of the Great Hall, to the bird-perch on the right. This time, a light-grey owl sat atop the forked branch.
"This is Feh!" Anna proudly presented the bird. It hopped up with a flutter of feathers at hearing its name. "She is our messenger owl! She'll often bring news of the outlying villages and lands of Askr, as well as gifts to the Order from around the country. Isn't she the best little owl?" Anna said, cooing and stroking under the bird's beak.
I was bamboozled.
"Huh?" I uttered, shoulders sagging. "We in Hogwarts now?"
"I don't know what you mean by that…" Sharena said, appearing at my side.
"Don't worry, it'd take too long to explain…" I groaned.
"Oh!" Sharena exclaimed. "Look, brother, summoner!" she said, pointing. Feh had picked up a sealed letter into her beak, and was waving her little wings excitedly.
"It looks like Feh brought something to give us!"
"Hmmm?" Alfonse came over, and I went next to him, looking down into the nest wedged between the perch's fork. Sitting in the straw bed were two orbs and a stamina potion.
Sharena let the little owl up onto her arm, praising the bird with pats and neck tickles. "You're so clever, aren't you?" she cooed.
Alfonse and I reached in to grab an orb each. I almost dropped mine was I felt it heat up the palm of my hand.
"I-it's warm…" Alfonse muttered, gingerly holding the orb away from him.
"Oh, the letter is from a priory in the south. They sent us the stamina potion as thanks for sending the Embla Empire packing last month!" Sharena said excitedly.
"Stamina potion? Then… where'd the orb's…" I asked, horror creeping into my thoughts.
I turned to Alfonse. The prince turned to me.
I undid the tie on my pouch, and quickly slid the orbs into it, tying it off.
"We shall never speak of this to anyone," Alfonse said, eyes forward.
"Speak about what?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Exactly…"
The rest of the night was spent in relative peace. All the Heroes were exhausted, with most of them reaching floor five in the tower, or floor eight or higher if they were five-stars.
The chefs were all prepared for the meals this time, as they had to improvise without Donnel around to help out. Luckily, the meals were fine, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly. I had no idea how crazy things would get on the way to bed…
After I had finished, I headed out for my chambers, but was stopped by Lyn, who had come up from behind me, lightly tapping me on the shoulder.
"Hmm, yes, Lyn?" I asked, hands on hips.
She looked nervous, wringing her hands around her wrists, or tugging at the hem of her Sacaean robes. "I'd like to offer my thanks for today. It's for all the times you've helped me. Nothing more, nothing less" she bowed her head as she said this, avoiding my gaze.
"It's alright, Lyn, thanks' for giving your all today as well," I said, feeling proud.
"But, while I'm at it, I should also thank you for giving me courage and never failing to be kind… to me…" she looked up and grabbed my hand, holding it between both of hers, shocking me.
"Those are rarer qualities than you may think! In fact…" she pulled me close. Too close…
"I think you are more precious to me as the breeze that blows across the open plains of Sacae…" she whispered, her lips close to my face, her passionate eyes looking down at me, misty.
"Oh my!" Lyn suddenly exclaimed, leaping back, her hands behind her back, a blush growing. I wonder if it was as red hot as mine. I doubt it. I felt like my cheeks would melt off…
"Pay me no mind!" she said urgently, waving her hands, "But, please, know that I'm always here for you, alright?" she said, solemnly.
"Uh-huh…" I grunted out, turning around stiffly. I shuffled across the hall, my neck rigid, in the same position Lyn had held it in, so close to her beautiful face…
Once out of sight of Lyn, I stopped and held myself up against a wall, panting, holding a hand to my erupting heart.
What in the actual hell?! I exclaimed in my head, trying to move past the looks Lyn gave me. Where'd that all come from?
After a moment of collecting my thoughts, I just notched it up to all the work she and I had done in the Tower. I realised I had favoured her with Camilla, Nowi and Elise in the higher levels, and had worked them harder than any other teams, just because they were all so powerful.
I tried to make my way back to my quarters, but my head was spinning, and I felt like I was in a thick fog. I must've bumped into three walls on the way to my room.
"Found you, Tazio!" I heard a small girl shout as I turned a corner. I sighed, and stumbled to my door.
"Hey, hello Nowi," I tried to say as evenly as possible, but I'm sure I sounded like a stupid mess. I slid down to the floor, and Nowi came over, looking down at me, looking pleased with herself.
"Hey! Let's play together! How about some hide-and-dragonseek?" Nowi asked, tugging at my hood.
"Maybe not tonight, missy," I said, gently getting her hand off my hood.
"Oh, um, tag?" she asked again, her smile faltering.
"No, how about we just… relax, eh? We all worked hard today, don't you think?" I said, a hand resting on my knee.
"Huh? You just want to chat? I like to run around a bunch, but… If that's what you want, we can do that!" she promptly sat next to me, her knees together, legs sticking out awkwardly. She grinned up at me, her teeth white and pointy.
"So you had a good time training today?" I asked her, my heart slowing down now.
"Sure I did! I got so big and strong, and everyone else was super tough too! Elise is so nice and pretty, and so is Camilla! She's so scary too, like her wyvern! Grrraaaahhh!" she said, trying to mimic the wyvern's growls. She snapped her fingers like a jaw up at me, making me laugh.
"You're a pretty good team. I know you'll all do great things here with the Order," I admitted as I pushed the Manakete's chomping hands away.
"Yeah!" Nowi said, putting a tiny fist into the air.
"That's the spirit," I nodded, feeling proud again.
"You know…" Nowi said, her tone getting serious. "I really love playing with you, Tazio…"
Alarm bells flashed and sounded off in my head. I could feel a twitch begin to develop under my left eye as I prayed no one found this little child talking to me like this.
"You're nice, and you're fun, and I feel safe with you!" Nowi said, looking up at me with a heartfelt look.
"Er, uh… and you're great to work with as well, Nowi…" I said, trying to be tactful but pleasant at the same time.
"Hmmm?" she cocked her head. "Awww! How sweet!" She pushed herself upright to hug me across my chest, nuzzling her head under my chin.
"If that's how we both feel, let's stick together forever and ever!" she exclaimed, over the moon.
"Uh, wait, can we talk about this? Maybe use different phrases?!" I tried to say, hands up high, not touching her.
Nowi let go, and stood up now. "Since I'm older, I'll be sure to keep you safe, Tazio!" she gave me a thumb up. "It's a promise!"
I could only gargle, my mind fritzing out.
The blonde Manakete nodded in approval, and skipped down the hall with a 'bye-bye', leaving me twitching and broken in front of my bedroom.
After an age had passed, I was finally able to pull myself inside, and began working on this chapter.
So I feel, now, I must write down that I hold no romantic, nor sexual feelings for any of the Heroes summoned to this realm. They are work colleagues, at must be respected as such!
Man, I wonder if the Order has a HR department… I would be so screwed if they found out what just happened…
In any case, I think it's clear that five-star Heroes that plateau their strength will, I guess, 'confess' to me, and I need to be vigilant from here on out.
I guess this kinda make's me the protagonist of a harem anime… Joy…
Well, at least I have the more troublesome Heroes out of the way now-
Oh, no, Camilla's back… I'm going to end writing here, and hide under my bed. Till next time!