The retching didn't last long. Era didn't have much in her stomach, besides whatever her last meal was, and some amount of dried blood.
The blonde girl was rubbing her back in soothing circles, calling to the other men. They sounded panicked.
"It's Era, right? Era, what's wrong? …Chrom, what do we do?"
"I… I don't know."
Era breathed heavily, trying to get her bearings. She felt better, after being sick, which - was that a good sign, or not? She didn't know. But she should probably reassure the others, she decided.
"I'm… I'm fine," Era croaked. "I'm fine."
Someone grabbed her shoulders again, gently guiding her away from the mess on the grass. Something was passed into her hands. "Here, drink some water."
Era gingerly raised the waterskin to her lips, but drank greedily once she realised how thirsty she was.
"Whoa, ease up, or you'll make yourself sick again," Said the girl, and gentle hands tugged it away. Era obeyed, and sat quietly on the grass. With every sip, the taste of iron and acid was washed away.
Her headache was fading, thank goodness. Everything was clearer, and she didn't feel like she was about to keel over again.
Era glanced at her surroundings, frowning. She thought they were in some sort of field, but it looked like the remains of a makeshift camp. There was a collapsed tent nearby, and what looked like the ashes of a campfire long extinguished.
"Frederick, I really think she has amnesia. She's obviously injured from… something," The girl said. "Maybe an old wound? It would explain why she still feels bad, even after healing."
"One thing's for certain - we can't leave her like this," Agreed Chrom.
"Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." The armoured man was looking at her warily.
"We should bring her to town," Chrom said, his mind made up. "Someone there may be able to identify what ails her."
Era attempted to stand, and to her relief, it was certainly easier to do.
"Will you need help to walk with us?" Chrom asked.
"No… No, I think I'll be fine," Era said. She massaged her temples experimentally. The pain wasn't as bad. "I'm starting to feel a bit better, I think… Maybe?"
"Good. Then come, we'll tend to you in town."
The group were silent as they walked. They had gathered some things from the disshelved camp they had found her in, that all fitted in a bag that Era clutched close to her chest. There wasn't much there. Some rudimentary supplies, a tome and a sword.
There was a very long, hooded cloak amongst them, which Era was happy to put on and hide the blood on her tunic. It was dark in colour. Hells, it seemed rather well-made and expensive. She wondered if it was hers.
Era watched the grass under her feet, not sure what to say. But questions were burning in her mind, and she couldn't hold them back any longer.
"Where am I?" She asked, finally.
"You're in Ylisse," Chrom answered. "We're taking you to a small country town near the border."
"Ylisse?" Era repeated, frowning. "I've never…"
"You've never heard of the halidom?" The knight behind them said sceptically. "Ha! Someone pay this actress, she plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing..."
"Frederick, please," Chrom said, with a brief stern glance at the other man. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt."
He blinked, suddenly remembering his manners. "I suppose proper introductions are in order... My name is Chrom—but then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."
"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa objected, stomping her foot. "...Hmph! Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"
"Shepherds?" Era asked. Her eyes swept over their attire. "But… You're in full armour!"
"Heh, it's a dangerous job," Chrom said with a smile. "Just as Frederick the Wary here."
"A title I shall wear with pride," Said Frederick. "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."
"That's fine," Era said. "I think I can see where you're coming from. I… don't suppose I look very innocent at all."
She looked down at the front of her clothes again, disturbed. Who's blood was that?
"Chrom, look! The town!" Lissa shouted.
Era jumped, glancing up. Towering flames billowed from the town's skyline, and alarm bells rang. It was a pretty stark contrast from the surrounding peaceful fields, like something from a nightmare.
"Damn it! The town is ablaze! Those blasted brigands, no doubt... Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"
Chrom started to charge forward, and fear started to congeal uneasily at the pit of her stomach. What was she going to do?
"What about her?"
Thank you, Frederick.
"Unless she's on fire as well, it can wait!"
Ah. Thanks, Chrom.
"Aptly put, milord."
"Let's go, already!" Cried Lissa.
Era watched blankly as they ran off without her.
What… was she going to do, now? Just wait there?
Alone with her thoughts for a few moments, Era frowned. Seeing Chrom rush off on his own was… scary, and she didn't know why.
Trusting her instincts, Era took a breath, and ran after them.
Running through the carnage affected Era much less than she knew it should have. The townspeople's screaming didn't grate on her, neither did the flames. She ran through the chaos of the town like a commoner late for work.
Stumbling towards sounds of battle, Era found herself in a burning marketplace. A flash of blue hair in the distance confirmed that she had found herself in the right place.
She wasn't sure that she should join the battle, so she just stood there. Her gaze swept over the brigands that posed a threat to her newfound acquaintances, noting what their strengths and weaknesses were, and what weapons they were carrying.
It occurred to her, then, that this probably wasn't something that other people could do. Did she have some sort of special talent? She must…
Era frowned when she saw Chrom's strategy, or lack thereof. They were just rushing into danger! What where they thinking? They were surrounded, for crying out loud.
The brown-skinned woman ran forward, intent on joining them.
She paled when she saw some myrmidon charged straight for Chrom. He wasn't facing the brigand, too busy with some mage firing at him to his right, and another brigand. Oh… Oh gods…
Frederick shouted, rushing to his lord to help, but it was in vain.
Lissa's scream rang through the air as Chrom was run through from behind. He froze for a moment, hand going up to his chest as if he couldn't believe that the blade was there. Then he crumpled, and fell. The brigands laughed, Chrom's killer cheering in triumph.
Era stood, staring wide-eyed. This couldn't be happening; Chrom couldn't be dead.
This was all wrong.
She couldn't just let someone die like that.
"No!" She yelled, reaching her hand outwards towards the scene as if by muscle memory.
Then, in response, time itself seemed to sputter, and pause.
Era watched in confusion as the world before her blurred, then rushed past her. An odd zipping noise ran through her ears as the scene seemed to play out backwards. Chrom's body returned to a standing position, and the sword was back in the myrmidon's hand.
They all rapidly stepped backwards, taking their places as if they were actors on a stage. Then, the zipping stopped, and time moved as normal, with everyone exactly in the same positions that Era saw them when she arrived.
She clutched her left palm to her chest, glancing down at it as if it'd give her the answers she wanted.
"…What the-?" She whispered to herself. "Did… Did I do that?"
The surreality of the situation should have been more apparent in her mind, she knew. It should take her longer to figure this out, but there was no time. Any more delay, and Chrom would get killed once more.
She could stop this.
The scene she remembered was playing out exactly like it was before. Frantically, she looked down for a weapon. There was a tome at her hip, and for some reason, she was somewhat sure she knew how to use it.
The brigand was almost at Chrom's back again, and in a few more moments, she'd be too late. Wait, she could use magic from a distance, couldn't she?
Holding her tome with one hand, she let her body take over, muscles remembering vaguely what she had to do. Lightning crackled in her hand, and the bolt struck out just as Frederick yelled out his warning.
"Milord!"
"Hm?"
The brigand stumbled as he was zapped by Era's spell, convulsing and falling to the ground before he could take a stab at Chrom.
The blue haired man jumped and almost turned around. Mercifully, the mage in front of him was distracted, immediately deciding that Era was also an imminent threat.
"Wh- Era?" Chrom asked. "When did you get here?"
"No time to explain!" She called back. "Go, cut that mage down!"
He blinked, but pulled himself out of it. "Right."
She glanced around wildly, watching the flow of the battle. This was difficult. Era felt like an amateur in a professional's position.
Some movement caught her eye. Era whirled around, and gasped. "Lissa, duck!"
The aforementioned girl did as she was told, just as an axe swung where her head used to be.
"Frederick, take out the barbarian!" And that he did, his lance making short work of the brigand before he could take another swing at Lissa.
This felt… familiar. Shouldn't that be disturbing? They were killing people.
She shouted another order, feeling how natural it was for her to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses like she was.
This was familiar. Perhaps… Familiar was good.
As Garrik's corpse hit the ground, Era let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
She said nothing, and watched blankly as the blood pooled under the barbarian's corpse.
"Phew!" Said Lissa, breaking the silence. "Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Era! You were incredible! Swords, sorcery, AND tactics! Is there anything you can't do?"
"I've done this before…" Era said quietly. And that thing she did back when Chrom got stabbed - was she just going crazy? Did that really happen? Deep down, she knew that it did. It felt as familiar as her tactics. Moreso, actually, considering that she really didn't feel that her tactics were that good at all. Barbarians weren't exactly hard to beat in the realm of tactical genius.
"Well, yeah! You've probably trained hard to reach the point you are at now," Lissa exclaimed, clearly excited.
"You're certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure," Remarked Chrom. He looked impressed as well.
"Indeed. Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?"
Ah, Frederick. Always asking the hard questions.
"I… I really don't know. I know I've done this before, but when I try to think, I…" Era rubbed at her temples, frustrated. She really needed time alone to think about everything.
"Don't strain yourself," Chrom said placatingly, as he nodded in understanding. "We don't want a repeat of what happened back in the field."
He turned to his knight. "She saved my life, Frederick. If it weren't for her quick thinking, that brigand would have run me through. Era fought to save Ylissian lives, mine included, and my heart tells me that's enough."
The knight frowned. "And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its counsel as well?"
"Even if she didn't save my life as she did, the Shepherds could use someone with Era's talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbours, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician? Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be."
"I… Thank you, Chrom," Era said.
"So, how about it, Era? Will you join us?"
Era wasn't sure, to be honest. But where else would she go? Something told her that this was the path she needed to take.
She took a breath, and smiled slightly. "You know what? I think I will."
A/N: Ugh, I hate just re-spitting out the game's scenes at you all, but it'd probably be worse if I just skipped over it, too. I'll try to get more originality in when I'm not just recycling cutscenes from the game, I know it prob must be boring to you all. Hopefully as the story progresses, I'll be able to put more soul into my writing as I construct scenes from scratch. Ah, well.
Thanks for reading! Next chapter will prob take a little while.