Chapter 2 – Walls

Jensen awoke, and he found himself back. Back to where he came from. Back in that hell, a place with only bad memories now all the good there overshadowed. He saw figures shambling out of the smoggy air. The whole world tainted with a red sky again.

"Why did you leave us?" a small child asked

Jensen shot forward from his bedroll in a cold sweat. His body aching in protest. He got up and looked out of his tent seeing that it was still dark. He sat down and began to focus holding his hand out in front of him staring at it intensely. His hand was held with his fingers together as he reached within himself trying to draw forth the light.

"It can't be gone…" he muttered to himself as he focused, and a small spark of light flickering appeared between his fingers. His eyes strained as he tried to make it larger as it became the size of a candles flame but illuminating his entire tent. He let the light die down and could feel how much that had cost him. He tried to sense his reserves of the light but could barely sense anymore inside of him. He then went to focus on the well. The well of energy that he drew from. The well that seemed bottomless. He searched for it and eventually found it. Yet it was different no longer a well it was more like a dam. Holding back an endless current with only a small crack dripping light into him slowly. He tried to draw more but he couldn't get it to flow any faster.

"I really am cut off." Jensen thought to himself. He reached into his bag pulling out his journal. He went through the entries. Seeing the long pause in the middle and at the end. He began writing but no longer documenting his own journey but trying to connect the dots of information he knew. He began writing down what he knew. Marth was a time traveler or one who went to parallel world back in time. He had only saw him for an instant and he went back and began to remember what he sensed when he entered that rift before falling unconscious. He had sensed the energy very briefly of a dozen or so others. "Other travelers." Jensen thought. Yet he had sensed something else when he entered. Something ominous, as if something was coming. "Could he sense the future?", it's possible and considering that another apocalypse was coming maybe it was so great that it bled into the timestream. The only thing he knew was that Marth and his companions had travelled back in time to stop the apocalypse he began to sketch what Marth looked like. Slowly drawing the mask in rough detail and then the sword. The sword was distinctive and as he looked at the sketch he felt that he'd seen it again. "Chrom's sword looked like that. Exactly like that. Marth likely took it up in the end of the world the sword of the crown prince is a symbol. So where are his companions?" Jensen began to feel guilty. "Oh. They've likely been scattered through time. Did I just do… no I can fix this."

Jensen left his tent and he could see the sun slowly beginning to rise in the distance. His body was no longer sore he still felt powerless but at least he felt he could move almost normally again. He walked around the camp. A small chill in the air now as he made his way around making his way to a roughly made training area. He found a wooden dummy that had dents from wooden weapons striking it. He propped it up and began wrapping his hands in loose fabric. He brought his left hand next to his side and his right hand in front of his face as he breathed slowly beginning to focus. Suddenly, his hand shot forward punching testing the material and how strong he was. He felt fine this time the sleep helping him immensely. Quickly another punch followed, and then a kick. The strikes became quicker, sharper, and increasingly more elaborate and complex. He jumped up kicking the dummy twice on the way down coming in for a sharp punch. The strikes became stronger and angrier beginning to dent the wood sending wood chips in the air as he became focused on this dance of combat. He began to lose track of time as he became lighter on his feet and more confident in his fighting. He didn't notice Frederick and Lissa coming out of their nearby tents and watching as he continued to strike the dummy. As he continued to vent his frustrations on the dummy. He jumped back after a strike rushing forward flipping up knocking the wooden head clean off the body before pivoting, landing back on his feet and surging forward punching the dummy his hand going clean through the chest before quickly withdrawing his arm sore. As he stood still sweating and breathing heavily. Before turning around his face turning white, noticing the admittedly impressed Frederick and the less impressed Lissa who was visibly tired and grumpy.

"What was that? That's not human!" Lissa said getting over her exhaustion now shocked

"Just adrenaline." Jensen replied defensively

"You seemed angry Jensen, is something wrong?" Frederick asked

"I'm fine."

"Did you have some unfinished business in your world?" Frederick asked worrying that Jensen might not be what he says he is

"No, I finished it a long time ago." Jensen said firmly

"Are we not going to talk about how he just punched a hole in hard wood that easily? And how he moved like that?!" Lissa demanded

"Be thankful I'm on your side. When's food?" Jensen asked

"Still another hour, we've got some fresh fruit if you're hungry after that. Then an hour after food we will make the last leg of our journey to Regna Ferox."

After breakfast the shepherds continued their march to the border. The air seemed cold and Lissa shivered as Jensen didn't seem to mind much.

"Brrr! F-f-frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" Lissa protested trying to keep warm

"Stand by my horse milady. She'll shelter you from the wind."

"So, this the fortress?" Robin asked

"Yes, the Longfort. It stretches the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox." Chrom replied

"The khans that rule Ferox have grown quite wary of foreigners. Still, don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility."

"Negotiation's not my strong suit, but I'll do my best. Remember everyone: your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse."

Jensen held up the rear as the leaders of the shepherds continued to strategize and they approached the fort where a woman in heavy armor called down to them.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

"In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!" Chrom replied

"Not another step, my bold lad! I've lancers at the ready!"

"Hold, milady! We are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest." Frederick stated as dignified as ever

"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!"

"B-brigand- now see here- "Frederick stammered somewhat off guard

Jensen could tell this was not going to end well and began scanning the field. There were three doors one a massive gate and the other two small that lead up the wall. The wall didn't look easily scalable, he should've brought more of his equipment with him. As for guards each side had three some archers, presumably some mages. He couldn't quite make out everyone on the wall, but he assumed it was similar.

"I've heard quite enough! Attack!" shouted the woman brining Jensen out of his train of thought. And before he could snap completely back into reality Robin was shouting orders drawing a book and a sword.

"Jensen go left with Chrom and Sully! What are you doing?" Robin shouted at him as Jensen sprinted to catch up. Men on the wall threw Javelins at Chrom before he suddenly disappeared.

"What the...? Nevermind." Jensen said as he continued forward decided to stop questioning this world for a few brief moments. Drawing his sword, he engaged in combat with a soldier and fought to try to conserve what little of his powers he had left. He found himself losing badly barely able to stop himself from getting stabbed. He concluded that his powers were necessary to win in this world. He was simply untrained and had over relied on his powers still. He needed to be smart otherwise he'd burn through all his reserve before the war truly began. Jensen figured speed would work best as he quickly parried a strike with pure dexterity before coming in grabbing the soldier from behind strangling him through his armor. Feeling the body go limp as Sully drove her spear through another.

"You know were supposed to become allies, right? Killing them might not be the best idea." Jensen said with a hint of shock in his voice as he dropped the unconscious fighter.

"They're trying to kill us. Keep knocking them out if you can but I'm not taking the risk of one getting a lucky shot."

"You there." Jensen pointed to the archer "You can die or surrender, I can't guarantee you will live."

The Feroxi thought for a moment before drawing a dagger and rushing Sully who dodged before a swift kick dropped him unconscious from Jensen.

"So how do we get through the door?" Sully asked

"Who knows it might be unlocked."

"You're an idiot if you think it is."

"I don't think it is but it's always worth checking, search them for a key." Jensen asked as he came up to the door and began to try to open it before a large armored figure rushed out knocking him back several feet.

"Bastard!" Jensen shouted in pain as he slid back in the snow as the figure approached him still on his back. Jensen swung a sharp kick at the knight's leg with no success.

"You really thought that would work?!" The knight almost laughed

Jensen looked around to see if anyone could help him besides Sully but found the others to be occupied with a knight of their own.

"I made the mistake for going for your legs. This time I'LL GO FOR YOUR HEAD!" Jensen shouted using his arms to leap up onto the knight shoulders using his arms and legs to obscure the knights vision. The knight struggled to raise his arms high enough in his heavy armor to grab Jensen.

"You're a dirty little twerp aren't ya!" the knight stumbled around before charging at the wall headfirst to attempt to knock Jensen off. Jensen nimbly ripped the knights helmet off kicking him through the door with the knight's own momentum leaving the knight unconscious.

"Phew, that's one way to open a door. Could you handle the next few Sully? Also, where's Chrom?"

"I think he's beaten both of us up." Sully observed seeing Chrom on the wall with Sumia

"Perfect. Let's not keep him waiting on us." Jensen said scaling to the top of the wall. Robin's team on top of the wall as well. The rest of the soldiers were dispatched, and they arrived at Raimi.

"Do you believe him yet?" asked Jensen sounding more annoyed than anything

"You're interesting, you're skinny yet you took down a knight fairly easily. You understand how to use your build to your advantage, yet you fight like you improvise everything. You also refused to kill my men." Raimi observed

"We came here to make allies killing when unnecessary doesn't help. However, I can't exactly let you fight the Prince, I can't risk his death." Jensen said drawing his sword and charging into battle with the much larger woman. Using his speed to keep up and try to exhaust Raimi before him he could feel the energy already dwindling and it would take a long time to recharge at this rate. He realized that a war of attrition would never work here. He needed to end this now.

"Robin. A little help." Jensen asked seeing Robin readying a spell and it strikes true bringing Raimi to her knees as she was hit from behind.

"You fight dirty. But even I know that that's Prince Chrom now." Raimi said getting up leading the Shepherd's into Regna Ferox.

Robin's Shepherd Bio's

Name: Jensen

Age: 20?

Birthday: Unknown

Physical Appearance: Light build, short brown hair, pale skin. Seem to have an affinity for wearing blue and white clothing.

Weapons: Seems untrained in swordplay despite using a sword usually as if he watched people using them but never was trained properly, is very proficient in unarmed combat. Always seems to be holding back and it usually hurts him.

Biography: Ended up in this world somehow when Marth travelled through time. In his world he was a vigilante who worked with a group of revolutionaries to overthrow someone. Overall, he is incredibly vague about his past but overall seems to mean well.