Well this is a surprise. Never expected people to be interested in the story when I barely even got into the FE universe yet. So you may be wondering how this is a SI when our little protagonist does not even seem to be from our world {as common with SI's}. Well basic answer... I wasn't really focusing on that. I wanted the protagonist to reflect me so I am trying to write him with some of my quirks, but if I even try to connect him to the "real" me then I may wrap the story around that later.
Anyways next chapter out so yay! I was hoping to get this out TWO DAYS AFTER FIRST POST, but as you can tell that didn't work out because of time restraints and 7k+ words in a chapter that was going to be less than 2k.
On to Reviews.
Bonefish: Noooooo down the chupacabra hole! I actually like the mysterious nature of those kind of creatures which is why you notice my friend being so discreet in first strikes. The actual chupacabra does not attack humans {from what I know} so that makes it just a nuisance which makes it less frightening to me and cooler to me. So much lore possible. However he is not a chupacabra but I bet you can figure out why he transforms if you read closely.
AlexCrowley: Hope you stick around my follower!
CloudSkylark18: Glad you think that. I may get a beta reader and will keep you in mind, but I have the worst memory. Something I and Robin may have in common though his/hers is more extreme.
Kildemonas: Yes the 5+ year late fanboy has done a story on one of his favorite games, and it is SI. Speaking of SI when will your story update? I mean I really liked it even if your partner hated it, and I have been scanning the update list for it for awhile.
Waywatcher: Senpai noticed me! JK. Quite surprised you took notice of the story, but I guess I shouldn't be considering all the reviews and discussions we have had. I will be editing the story some more later but it took me a lot of time just to finish the second chapter. Voidauthor's notes? So you noticed him? Didn't expect he/she/it would be drawing notice already. I wonder if Void knows what will happen because I sure don't.
Shout out to Waywatcher's The Robin Variable which some of my ideas were published using his creative genius. Another to Kildemonas's and Ninni's New Game Minus.
Into the breach my friends!
Disclaimer: I not own this Fire Emblem. I is cheapskate and will nots battle giant cor-poral-a-shun. Only thing I own is this fanfiction and mys OCs.
Poke. Poke. PokePokePokePoke. Pokety Poke. Activity known as slightly prodding an object or individual. Pokers Pokingston the Pokety first… this is useless.
Do I normally think this weird? I ignore the thoughts as I attempt to regain sleep.
… 3 2 1.
"Ah!" I scream as my nerves scream in a quick intense pain all over.
"Ah!" a girl standing over me screams and falls backwards over a bag onto the wooden floor.
I stare at the collapsed girl trying to figure out where I am when she props herself up on her hands to look over her knees and the bag. She is wearing a brown tunic and long white skirt along with some rusty metal bangles on her wrists. Most of her olive hair is gathered in a ponytail though it is a mess with strands sticking everywhere.
"Gosh, is this the thanks I get for bringing you new clothes," the girl addressed with a toss of green hair. She tosses a gray tunic and trousers along with some undergarments on the bed I was on and some cloth shoes onto the nearby floor, seeing the gray clothes brings up an irritation in my mind that I ignore. "My father figures the person who saved us should at least wear something representable instead of those rags and go barefoot."
I look down to what I was wearing, torn beige shirt and pants, when she interrupted my inspection with a question.
"So what's your name, Claws?" The girl questioned with a barely contained smile, "My name's Caeda, after the legendary queen." She stands straight with her chin jutting out and hands on her hips like that name means anything.
I roll my eyes at her causing her jaw to drop in shock and her to glare at me when I try to think of answer to her question.
"My name is…" I start when a list of names come to mind without any reasoning behind them. Mark, Jokel, Yel'duz, Hrangle, Justice, Kells, Gran, Lintralhim, Draco, Polee, and on the names went none sounding like my name.
I must have had a weird look on my face, since a look of concern crossed the girl's, Caeda's, face.
"None seems to come to mind," I manage to get out causing more concern to cross her face as she began to fidget back and forth fingers tapping each other. "What was that name you called me anyways?" I attempted a distraction from the issue.
She perks back up with an awestruck look plastering her face as she excitedly forces out an answer, "Oh that's because of the claws you had when you attacked the bandits. I mean it was sooo freaky looking but when you pounced on that mercenary before he could pull his sword was amazing. Then you killed the man who was dirtying the dress father gotme andI thinkyou alsogotthatonearcher sincehedissappearedandyouweresoheroicImeanIcouldhavediedifyoudidn'tshowupsomeanddaandmaoweyouourlives," her speech got faster and faster as she got more and more excited from recounting the heroic tale of her rescue by the dark hero before her.
"Wait I killed people with my… claws?" I mumble out the question as for some reason panic grips my chest.
Caeda notices my near panic and sits on the bed close to me. She puts her hand on my shoulder and I immediately flinch from the contact. I don't like contact that much I manage to remember.
"It's okay, I mean if you didn't uhhh dispatch those bandits," she carefully rephrased while resting her hands in her lap and avoiding looking at my panicked rocking, "I wouldn't be here to have this discussion with you."
An altered fate for better or worse.
I don't know where this confusing thought came from, but I manage to calm down with her words.
"That's better," Caeda manages a smile. She reluctantly gets up to leave the room picking up the bag she fell over, which was full of some brown clay jars with cork stoppers in the end, "We can talk more about what happened later. My father is downstairs selling some of the bandit's equipment and deciding whom to send the mercenaries belongings. I bet he may be willing to hire you to protect our wares if you are interested."
She frowns at a thought. "Well I don't know what he is planning, but you don't have to worry about anything with me to help ya!" she exclaims with pep as she leans backward and flourishes her hands at herself. "When you're changed meet us downstairs." With a twirl she lifts the bag onto her shoulder and turns to leave the room.
I hesitate to ask, but I may as well, "I understand you may be in a hurry, but you didn't need to wake me up that way."
She gives a slight turn with a look of confusion, "Uh, okay then? I mean I didn't even touch you but I guess I will remember not to wake you up in the future if you react that way."
The door knocks against the frame as I am left in room with the new set of clothes. Processing her reply I change into the annoyingly colored vestments. I notice a broken mirror propped on the wall so I go to inspect myself in one of the larger shards. I couldn't get much of angle from the shard so against sound judgement I remove the shard from its frame to get a better look at myself.
Why am I so gray! I am instantly annoyed at my look. Along with the gray clothes I have smooth gray hair and a gray mark around my eye. I rub my chin expecting something to be there, but I can't recall what. Maybe a scar? Anyways I angle the shard and notice abnormally long and pointed ears. They angle upwards when shock runs through me but relax quickly.
"Honestly wasn't expecting to look like this," I mumble.
You expected to look differently than what you are? I chuckle at the thought. I don't know why gray irritates me when I think I look rather impressive with my all gray attire, hair and mark.
I finally take in the room I found myself inside. It's a plain room with a dresser opposing the wooden door with two of three drawers missing. Besides the dresser is the bed I used. It was a lumpy mattress with feathers that were mostly stems sticking out of ripped seams. The only other things in the room where my cast-off rags and soiled underthings and the mirror whose shard I was borrowing. With nothing else to do I attempted to replace the shard causing it and more pieces to fall to the decaying wood floor and shatter and collected my rags before leaving the room. Time to find some answers on where and what I am.
Downstairs
I make my way down the uneven stairs where a red-haired man in purple and blue robes is talking to a brunette man in a white shirt and brown apron, who is cleaning the inside of a tankard with the inside of his shirt's lower rim. Does not seem sanitary to me, but an instinct inside me says to not bother the man on this. Perhaps I made the mistake of doing something similar in the past. A few memories emerge in my head of unconscious rat-like people and another of disheveled men in shiny black jackets. The sudden onset of memories causes me to trip over my feet and fall down the last eight steps in a roll. My back lays against the wall with my head between my legs. I noticed the men at the bar looking towards me, so I flip to my side clutching my bruises and stand.
Ignoring the embarrassing display, the robed man waves me over to the… bar, if the near rotten piece of bark could be called that. I take one of the seats less likely to break, while the redhead gestures the bartender away and he fixes his eyes on me in a hard stare with a slightly intimidating smile on his face.
"I have to say," he begins, "I and my family owe you quite a lot for your aid."
I ready myself for a similar spiel that Caeda gave when he surprises me by sliding a paper with writing on it towards me.
"So that is why I am going to let you in on a deal and sign up to guard me, my family and my wares."
Wait… what just happened.
"Come now boy," he continues with the smile becoming softer yet even more intimidating, "A man with your skills, would be a fool to waste your skills at… dismantling unsavory individuals. I can ensure you have decent housing and food, which you obviously were lacking before I came around. All you have to do is sign yourself into my service, and I can guarantee your life will improve."
I stare at him with a confused look as he mentions skills, but I remember back to what the girl said I did earlier. Before he even finishes naming his terms I realize he is wanting me to possibly kill people, the… the… same way I did before. I hope my face is remaining calm as currently I can not help panicking from the suggestion and the fact that I have no idea why or how the killing happened.
"Sir," I interrupt his sales pitch, "I have no idea where I am, who I am, why I can do those terrifying things, so I really can't deal with whatever crazy plan you have right now."
The man's eyes widen at the statement then narrow as he examines me. The situation makes me feel nervous but I seem to be handling it well. As quickly as his strict gaze formed on his face, he flashes a genuine smile and starts rubbing his chin with his right hand.
"Well then this is exactly what you need my friend," I jolt at the statement, "After all us merchants are quite knowledgeable on all manner of subjects. If you truly don't remember perhaps on our travels we may find some answers."
He does not give up does he? "Look I remember some things," I stammer out, "they just… are unrelated to everything and I have too many… false memories I guess?"
"That does not matter much in business and if I can't convince you how business will help you solve those problems, maybe I can help you remember that money is what matters in this world." At the end of his statement the redhead adopts a look of manic glee before going to normal and continuing the conversation, "Anyways if you can't 'remember' exactly you still need a name so I will tell you what. I will give you a name for no charge."
I start to protest when he slams his right palm against he bar, causing another crack.
"You shall henceforth be called… Claudius!" he announces, "and I Anders will be the night terror's manager."
"Wait manager?" I think for a moment to me and his daughter's conversation, "Wait is that name supposed to be a…"
"Did I say manager?" the redhead adopts a confused look, "I meant employer, the two are quite similar aren't they."
I am getting very annoyed at this conversation when Anders decides to use this to his advantage. "Look the best chance for either of us to survive in this cruel world is if we team up. Just sign the contract and everything will be set."
He must have found the right buttons to press because I was ready to sign that paper when two things came to mind as I scanned the paper. One for some reason I can't read any of this and two I don't know how to write in the same way as what is on the document.
At the irritated confused look on my face and my hesitation to sign Anders comes to my aid. "It appears in my haste I forgot that most are unlearned in the written word. No matter, you only need to know that if you sign the contract you are in service to the bearer of the contract for the next 6 months. To sign just place a significant mark on the empty line. How about that sign on your eye?"
I remember back to symbol I saw in the mirror and I hesitantly ink the mark onto the paper with the red feathered quill he gave me. After signing he slides the paper towards the bartender who just appeared and who makes his own mark on another empty line.
"All legal documents need witnesses my friend," the merchant says as he tucks the rolled paper into his robes revealing a seemingly familiar orb before the robe wraps back over the two objects.
"A shot of your cheapest strong ale bartender," Anders shouts at the man who is standing right in front of him.
The brunette flinches and rubs a finger in his ear before reaching under the bar to retrieve two small wooden cups and a rather stained clay jug. He pours out a murky liquid into the cups. Anders grabs the nearest cup and lifts it to me. I repeat the motion with some disgust at the viscous liquid's lack of movement. The merchant quickly jerks the cup towards him and swallows the offensive liquid. With a slow hesitation I do the same as I feel the slimy substance slowly move down my throat. With surprise that it was not as horrible as I expected in taste or my stomach I beam a weak smile at Anders.
Foul Liquid!
With a sudden pain I am on the floor retching up the meager contents of my stomach. I look up to see the bartender had ducked below the bar, while Anders had a surprised look with a smile tugging the corners of his mouth.
I look to my hands and I noticed wood shards from the cup in my right and hand and some pieces of different colored wood in my left hand and more on the floor. I look to my side to see a sizable chunk of wood missing from the bar where my left hand was resting.
"I will take all of that sample, and here is some gold pieces for the damages," Anders dropped said pieces on the counter and grabbed the jug. He extends his hand towards me, "I think my family should meet their new bodyguard now."
I grab his hand to pull myself and feel another wave of nausea hit me before I manage to stifle it.
"Try not the puke on the clothes Claudius. They were the cheapest I could find."
With unsteady legs, I am led by my new… employer out the inn.
Marketplace
We walk out the inn and I walk near several large stalls setup in a cobblestoned plaza. A wagon is setup next to a stall where Caeda and a green haired woman are selling some gear and small clay jars full of a liquid. I notice some of the weapons and armor are stained with substantial amounts of reddish brown. Of course, being merchants the two played it to their advantage saying how the tools clearly were battle tested. However, villagers have no need for weapons, so the results were as expected. My focus trails taking in the other sights of the town. Besides the plaza there is little else except for the few bridges and the main river and canals. A large building catches my eye and I can tell that it is likely the town's center of affairs, what a wordy thought. Caeda spots me and her father and wave us over to the cart.
"About time you finished, these villagers don't know a decent vulnerary if it saved their life," she shoots an angry look at a nearby villager who had smelled a sample potion and had a queasy look on his face.
"Let your father handle this," Anders stretches his hands and pops his knuckles before walking over to the sickened villager, "I will be back after dealing with this fine man and talking to the elders."
"So how did it go," the girl walks over to me, "Did daddy have you sign over your soul?"
"Wait that was in the contract!" I yell at her causing her to stumble backwards on her skirt nearly falling over.
"Naga's name!" she shouts back after getting her bearings, "Of course not why would it… oh. Uh…" She fidgets in place head down. Her hand moves up without paying attention but she catches it before responding. "Sorry I should have realized you probably can't read. I won't do something like that to you again."
Crud I feel bad now.
She perks up with a smile, "Hey, maybe I can teach you how to read, and in return you can tell me more about yourself."
This catches me by surprise. "I guess, but I don't remember what's real or not. I mean I am pretty sure rat people don't exist and metal tubes don't send small metal pieces flying at high speeds."
Instead of looking at me as if I was insane, she gets more excited. "Oh, Claws! This could be a fun game. I mean the tube thing is unbelievable, but the rat guys may be taguel!" Her excitement is slightly unnerving, although refreshing that I am not treated as a tool or mad.
"According to your father my name is now Claudius, but I thank you for deciding to help me," I say with sincerity. I doubt I will regret agreeing to this contract.
"Well now that it seems your discussion is over, I believe your father plans to attempt to warn the mayor one last time so we should pack up our wares before he returns," the woman, whom I believe is Caeda's mother and Anders's wife, addresses the two of us. As Caeda moves to load her samples in some boxes in sacks the greenette… Olivette? Anyways the woman turns to me with a dark look in her emerald eyes. "My name is Maydis and that will be the last name on your mind if you lay a single scale on my daughter, beast," she whispers to me as I step back only for her to step forward. "Do I make myself clear lizard?"
I decide that I have had enough discussion today so instead of wording a reply and earning her ire, I nervously nod and dive into the work of loading the remaining jars, Caeda says they are vulneraries to heal wounds and sicknesses, and the remaining equipment the merchant's scavenged. I handle one bloodied axe that gives me a sense of unease, but I quickly toss it among the other weapons to Caeda's cry of not damaging her medical supplies.
After what I assume to be a segment or an hour, I still wasn't sure which was right, Anders arrives in a foul mood.
"Those cocky fools honestly think Ylisstol can afford to send out a contingent to protect them from these bandits. As if they even have the time or resources to waste on a backwater village like Southtown!" Anders rages hunched over with a look in his eyes like he was going to break the nearest object with a small purse he is swinging around, probably from the villager. "The dastards even had the audacity to accuse me of warmongering to boost my sales!"
"Language," I cough out receiving a look from the man who seems to have found his source of stress relief. I am saved by his balled fists by the least likely source.
"But you were trying to get the elders to purchase the weapons and armor weren't you dear?" Maydis saves my skin but I doubt for my safety, most likely for Anders if the horror story Caeda told me means anything.
Anders head decides to assume a color a singular color which I found adorable on a thirty or forty-year-old man. Guess the magic is still there.
"Of course," he stammers out his face getting darker than his hair, "It would be rude of me to fail to offer my wares when they will be needing them in the near future."
"Ha!" the lady laughs, "Anders my love I don't know if you have realized this yet but you don't seem to have inherited most of the negotiating skill in the family."
The merchant grunts and gestures to the wagon brushing past me and his wife only to sneak a kiss on her cheek as he passes causing a blush on the woman who will probably make my life miserable. Caeda giggles as her father climbs into the driver's seat after hooking the horses to the wagon. She takes her place next to her father while Maydis climbs into the back. Since there was little room among the wares I was forced to sit next to the woman and near the back opening of the wagon.
Contract or no contract if she pushes me out of the wagon I am leaving. At the thought my head feels as if it is being crushed in giant's head. I curl up with my head between my knees gaining a suspicious look from my companion. I recover quickly as the pain subsides. I didn't plan on breaking the contract but if there is a remote chance of that pressure returning I won't even entertain the thought.
As the wagon rolls out of the small town I decide to ask my hostile… I guess mistress since she and he are married, about what happened in town.
She fixes a look at me as if I was mad or… Oh, it must be related to what I did last night.
"During that ambush four nights ago," okay apparently my rest was a lot worse for me than I thought, "the bandits were discussing a main force they were going to report back to. So, after your bloody slaughter," I flinch at her glare, "my husband decided to hurry to town to try and warn the people off a possible bandit clan that may attack soon."
She snorts in derision, "However, the idiots think that Exalt Emmeryn will send out a hundred soldiers to defend them or that ragtag group of 'heroes' the prince leads will singlehandedly wipe out the bandits."
I note this information for later, and decide to ask some more questions. The conversation goes back and forth rather amicably with a little hostility from the woman. I found out that this land is called Ylisse and the bandits were from a land called Plegia who were still in a state of peril from a previous war the previous Exalt instigated. While Maydis had nothing but loathing for the cruel bandits, she understood why they felt driven to exact revenge on the Ylisseans for the past slaughter and the uncountable deaths from the loss of fertile farmland that preceded from after the war to even now. However, the current Exalt, Lady Emmeryn, stopped the war and attempted to repair relations between the countries after the mysterious deaths of her father and mother. Apparently Anders and his family were planning to travel to Ylisse and try to deliver a warning to the officials before the runner the elders sent. The merchant argued that he was hoping for a reward, but even I realized that the messenger on foot would likely get there much later even if they had sent him out before we left. The discussion went on for a couple more minutes but soon faded. We had been traveling for about thirty minutes when I noticed a small column of smoke rising from what Maydis had told me was Southtown.
"Is that normal," I question the family as they turn around and quickly adopted looks of fear at the sight.
"By Naga!" Caeda shouts, "the town is burning!"
Anders whips the reigns on the two horses spurring their speed. "I knew the bandits would attack soon! I just can't believe those dastards are braving it now!"
A crawling feeling creeps up my spine.
"So, we are just going to leave the same town who has no weapons to their fate," I say, no, I growl out.
I do not understand why but the thought starts a smoldering rage in my thoughts almost consuming my reason slowly but with growing speed.
The red head looks over his shoulder to me with a bit of shock when he sees me. I look down and noticed some gray scales forming along my hands and my fingertips sharpening.
"I didn't have you sign the contract just so you can leave my family defenseless!" he manages to shout out as Maydis maneuvers to place her body between me and Caeda.
At his word the rage and transformation cease and subside. I still feel uneasy leaving the people behind but the uncontrollable urge is at least gone.
"But what about all the innocent villagers?" Caeda looks towards her father pleading with him."
"I warned them and offered them weapons!" Anders shouts at his daughter causing her to shrink away near the edge, "I will not risk my family for fools who rejected the little help I can offer."
Caeda looks away from her father. From this angle I can see tears falling down the right side of her face.
"If Claudius is going to pull his weight then why don't we send him to stall the bandits?"
The three of us face Maydis as she speaks.
"If he stops them then we save lives. If he doesn't then at least there will be less able warriors to chase us." I bet if I die and do not return she would be just as happy.
The feeling returns and builds up putting a false pressure at the base of my neck causing me to fidget in place. Anders sees me sitting on the edge of the wagon moving my jaw back and forth before I stop because my now sharp teeth cut into my tongue.
"Fine!" He rages. "Go help them and you better come back safe," He commands, "I will be hiding in the nearby fortresses once it reaches nightfall, and you better return by then!"
He turns and spurs the now still horses as I abruptly jump out of the cart at a run in the direction of the smoke-filled sky.
"You better come back Claws," Caeda whispers towards the gray figure running away from the wagon.
Southtown
I enter past the rubble of the gates. I expected the rage to send me into a fury running into the square, but for some reason the instinct sends me slinking among the back alleys tracking some of the bandits down. I see one axe-wielder having cornered a maiden forcing the woman onto the ground. Before the man could do anything I pull him away onto the ground and grasp his throat. My hand pulls way claws bloodied, but I run onwards past the crying maiden looking for my next victim. I find a female mercenary walking out of a house her sword freshly bloodied. I tackle her before surprise finished crossing her face. Now both my hands match. Again, I run away from the gurgling bandit to prevent myself from being caught red-handed. Why… why did I think of that now. I reach a back alley next to the inn of the town square, the same one I slept in.
Hearing a racket I briefly run into the square and slink into the bar with my body low to the ground and on all fours. I spy the innkeeper dodging the blades of a dual-wielding bandit and the lunges of a lance wielding one. The man is wielding a mace but does not have the room or reach to go on the offensive. The lancer keeps his distance from the bartender but leaves him open to me. I lurch toward him swinging my leg out and knocking the man over. Before I could shred the man my claws get stuck in his armor as he rolls out of the way. Unfortunately, the roll pulls me onto him and I proceed to claw at the bandit's armored back regardless of the protection the plating affords him. An arm pulls me away from my foe and tosses me aside.
I make ready to block the new enemy's attack with a scaled arm between me and my assailant, only to see the bartender raising his bloodied mace up and proceeds to bludgeon the armored bandit repeatedly in the chest. In the end the marauder is left coughing on blood with his breastplate shattered and restricting movement. I look around and notice the sword-wielding bandit slumped against the bar with blood and something else leaking out dent in his skull.
I guess I was right to not antagonize the man.
The innkeeper turns toward me with his spiked mace on his shoulder. I let my guard down as the man lowers the mace to his side and walks towards his bar. He pours a drink into an engraved tankard and taking a swig of the liquid.
"You better get out there before the bandits get bolder," he states as if the whole scenario is commonplace.
I scowl at him before a shriek cries from outside the establishment. As I turn towards the sound spreading my claws, I see the man smirk in the corner of my eye.
Regardless I race towards the doorway and leap out the door towards the next bandit. Of course, since I was indoors, and I just rushed outdoors I was half-blind and barely grazed the man as he lifted his axe to strike down the blonde girl. I roll several times before righting myself scrabbling at the stone beneath me to get up.
Too slow. The man swings his axe at me putting me on the defensive. Another swipe and the axe caught my left hand. The blade chips along the impact area while my fingers are left intact, but my fingers feel shattered leaving an echoing pain in my skull. I dodge backwards again barely backing out of his range. I have no idea how to fight this bandit one on one, every time I attacked in the past I had the advantage. I attempt a strike after his swing but his shaft blocks my claws before they reach his flesh. A quick choice of impulse and I grasp the axe with my unwounded hand. A poor choice as he jerks the shaft upwards, pulling me into his grasp.
A quick twist and my arms are braced against my body as he gives me a crushing hug. I can't breathe, I can't think, I can only feel my lungs burn from deprived breath. My teeth gnash at the air as I weakly attempt to claw the man, which he responds by head butting me.
A manic thought rushes through my head and I sink my now sharpened fore teeth into his shoulder. I rip a chunk of flesh out as he instinctively releases me to care for the gaping wound on his right shoulder blade. A quick lunge and my claws pierce his chest silencing the man's cries.
With this pause in action I have time to assess wounds.
Spit it out!
Oh why… I spit out the offending object and proceed to vomit up the little stomach contents I had collected on my wagon ride. Seriously again? Guess my ability to detach from the killing is over.
"Why did I even bite the marauder?" I mumble out as I grasp my wounded claw, having reverted to my regular hand, to my chest.
"I can fix this!" the blonde shouts out as she runs to my side wielding a sphere topped staff.
She kneels next to me with the orb glowing as an uncomfortable feeling crawls along my skin and pain increases in my wounded hand and I feel if my very bones are cracking. I groan in pain eliciting a cry of concern from the blonde girl.
While I am trying to deal with this pain, I take a closer look of the woman attempting to care for my wounds. She can't be much older than Caeda, although I do not know what my friend's age is. Her blonde hair is tied up in messy pigtails set in a strange white or button lace headdress. Her dress a brown corset around a yellow dress with a white lace apron at the front. Through some slits I notice some metal rods and white. Judging by how the skirt is a bit lifted behind her as she kneels in front of me it probably goes throughout the whole dress as a sort of battle cage. Apparently, she is smarter than I, when it comes to armor.
"Why isn't it working!" she cries as she lights up the orb again causing me more pain and slits to open up and bleed at my wound.
"Could you please stop doing that!" I grunt out.
"I'm soooo sorry if I was more useful and did what Robin said I wouldn't have gotten myself in danger and you wouldn't be in pain and…" she cries before after the seventh attempt the pain subsides and a warm feeling crawls along the injury along with a fuzzy sensation.
The blood stops flowing from the wound, and the shattered feeling in my joints ease. Skin knits the wound together and the blood ceases to flow. After the pinprick feeling passes I flex my fingers to test movement.
I start to get up as the blonde pushes me back down using my shoulders to pick herself up.
"Whoa you aren't going anywhere til I make sure you are alright!" She grabs my hand and start to check it over for more wounds.
"Milady what are you doing away from milord Chrom?" A blue and white armored brown haired knight on a similarly armored horse rides up to the two of us, his lance at the ready still dripping with blood of some unfortunate bandits.
"Frederick, this villager attacked a bandit who snuck behind us during the fight," The blonde replies avoiding the question. She releases my hand and points her staff towards the bandit's body. "He took out the bandit with his claws. If he didn't I would have been this jerk's next victim"
"I… see," the knight's stony face gets harsher as he examines the hole in the corpse and my gore covered hand, "Regardless I must maintain that you keep your distance from milady until I am sure of your intentions towards her and milord."
"What!" the girl shrieks, "But he saved my life! Why do you have to be such a worrywart!"
"I am fine with the distance if she doesn't torture me with her staff again," I add my thoughts to the conversation. I notice a cloaked and a blue haired figure fighting bandits. I can't tell much about the cloaked figure but the blue swordsman wears an all blue outfit with a torn sleeve on his right arm and a silver pauldron on the other. Knee-high blue boots complete the attire with a torn white cloak trailing behind him. "Besides I must rid the world of the rest of these murderers." My hand changes back into a claw as the fighting focus, better name later, sets in.
"Whoa!" the blonde exclaims at the minor transformation, "You're not going to do the other hand?"
What does she mean? I look at my left hand only to see scales forming from my elbow halfway to the wrist before becoming randomly set in the skin.
"Great."
The woman begins to lift her staff towards me.
"Oh no!" I shout at her, hiding the affected arm behind me, "You have done enough!"
She pouts crossing her arm. I ignore the spoiled sight, kind of adorable even if she isn't a kid. Wait, is she?
I direct my attention to the grouping of criminals gathering across a bridge in front of a burning building. I notice one bandit standing out among the group. His face is scarred, and he has a large slash of paint across his stomach. The violent side of me laments that it is only paint and he is not wounded. I noticed his axe is different from some of the other axes with a much shorter blade and shaft he carries several of the weapons in a belt.
I note my target and bolt towards the river across the market. "You better help out those two now," I call back. My companions are left wondering what I am planning as I quickly pass the bodies left behind the two fighters who are attempting to assault the guarded bridge. The cloaked figure trades balls of fire with a robed bandit. I reach the river and a quick dive has me submerged in the bloodied waters.
I never thought I would be glad to have this focus as I swim underneath the surface to the other side. I raise my claw out and gouge a hold into the brick side. I repeat the process scrambling up the side with only my one clawed hand and the holes it left behind to aid me. I reach the top and barely lift myself up with the untransformed hand. I spot the leader, but a nearby bandit proves to tempting for my instinct to ignore.
The criminal dodges back from the blue warrior's strange blade and a sword wielding bandit takes his place. He had the misfortune of backing towards me and from my crouched position I swept out his legs and used the subsequent piercing to lift myself up. The front row fighters are unaware of their fallen comrade leaving me to start an attack on them. However, I suffered from the same misfortune as my victim and walk into the view of the fireballer who prepares his magic. I raise my right hand to block the incoming fire ball hoping it provides the same protection as with the axe. Lines form around him and the fire releases towards me lighting my arm on fire.
"GRAAAAAAAGHHH!" I scream as the immeasurable pain attacks my senses. Good news the bandits are distracted from the two fighters by my scream. Bad news, Pain so much pain! It felt like an eternity before I remembered water quenches flame. I bowl past the swordsman pushing him into the bluenette who dispatches the man.
I blindly dive into the waters. It still burns. I stay submerged longer and still it burns. Before I ran out of air the flame flickers away leaving reddened tissue that is not scarred but in much pain. I ignore the absurdity and rise to the surface.
Magic is death.
I agree with the thought as i breach the murky surface. The clash of battle seems to have quietened as I slowly swim across the polluted surface. Before I get swept down river in my weakened state a lance is lowered towards me. I lunge for the lifeline and grasp it with my left hand as I attempt to wrap my arm around it. After some effort the lance retracts with me along with it. As I reach the level of the marketplace I lurch forward and roll onto the stone and lay there.
"You shouldn't leave your cleric behind if you plan on doing stupid stuff all the time!" a familiar voice greets me as a prickly sensation crawls over my burnt arm.
"Perhaps you could learn to show the same level of intelligence as an amnesiac if you weren't so foolhardly," another, more annoying voice, chimes in.
"You mean I could have had a better idea than attacking the enemy from behind?" I growl at Frederick, "Maybe assaulting the enemy from the front when they have a fortified position?"
I know I wasn't considering that in my focused state, but the comment influences the dismounted knight, namely lowering his lance towards my chest. "I will never allow a lowborn fool as yourself to disrespect milord Chrom!"
The girl knocks the lance away from my chest with her staff. I look across the bridge to see the cloaked figure and blue swordsman discussing with the villagers. The fallen leader lays at their feet burns across his body, eliciting a feeling of respect in me towards the two and annoyance at myself for not finishing the cruel man myself. The swordsman seems to be comforting some of the distraught victims while the cloaked figure is ordering some of the villagers around who begin the move the bandit's bodies and run out into the town towards other fires. The cloaked one must be Frederick's lord. I have to admit the man was a capable warrior and leader from what I have seen so I decide to apologize to the knight.
"I have to admit that my words were hastily spoken, and I should not have spoken ill of someone who was capable of fighting off the bulk of the bandits in direct combat."
The knight still glares at me but manages a nod.
"Well your arm seems to be healing better than before," the blonde interrupts our staring contest, "I don't know why you were hurt so badly when the mage was pretty weak."
I look at my hand and see the discolored skin seems to have retained its original state, though still sore.
She stands back up from her kneeling position over me and offers her hand. I accept the offer and pull myself up from the ground.
"Thank you for your aid, miss…"
"I'm Lissa," She beams at me and giving a quick hug I try to squirm out of, "the scowler is Frederick, Chrom is my brother and Robin is our tactician."
So the bluenette's name is Robin. I feel an unease come over me and remember what I have to do now.
"I'm sorry but I must get back to my employer," I say causing Lissa's smile to flip, "I barely got permission to come back here and I need to find where he and the others are hiding before I start to feel worse."
"Hiding? Perhaps you would care to tell us who your employer is?" Frederick's frown deepens at his suspicion.
Annoyed after everything I have been through I snap at him, "I have killed a lot of people today! I am tired, I was in a lot of pain and I am this close to getting sick from all the killing!" I may be going mad and this man just keeps irritating me. "Along with that I have a messed-up memory, an uncontrollable urge to kill bandits, and a jerk whose every sentence has only been to annoy me."
The knight actually steps back from the onslaught, both hands gripping the spear.
I set out towards the broken gates walking past the shocked cleric. I make my way past rubble and blood on my journey through the town before exiting the town. I pick up pace as I head out towards the woods trying to find the fortress where Anders, Caeda and the other one went.
Shepherd's POV
"That takes care of that," Robin said as Lissa and Frederick approached the two.
"Lucky for the town, we were close by. But holy wow, Robin! You were incredible! Swords, sorcery, AND tactics! Is there anything you can't do?" Lissa gushed over her new friend, "With you and… NOOOO!"
Robin and Chrom jolt at Lissa's shout.
"Lissa what's wrong," Chrom questioned his sister worrying something tragic had happened.
"I didn't get his name before Frederick scared him off." Lissa turned her back on the knight and assumed her usual pout.
"Whose name would that be?" Chrom thinks and then remembers the boy who had ambushed the bandits giving he and Robin the chance to push forward. Last he saw the man, his arm was on fire from the mage and he jumped into the river. Robin was quick to break past the bandits and kill the man before he could cast another spell.
"Pardon me milord, but Lissa is referring to the strange individual who had taken down a bandit that accosted her after she ignored the amnesiac's orders," Frederick calmly said though he inwardly raged against the disrespect the stranger had shown, "It is for the best since we should not have more unknown individuals accompanying milord and lady, especially another who also claimed to have memory problems." Frederick makes a point to glare at the tactician who was fidgeting under his glare.
"Frederick," Chrom said with a tinge of disappointment, "Robin has proven to be loyal to Ylisse and her people and if this man who saved my sister and helped us save the town is in trouble we should do what we can to help him."
"So, what do I do now?" the tactician asked.
"Well we will be taking you with us to Ylisstol of course," Chrom states but then notes the worry on the tactician's face, "If you are willing to join the shepherds of course."
Robin is shocked at the statement, "Chrom are you sure you can trust a stranger like me?"
"I know you to be a good person, Robin, and you care deeply for these villagers. Of course I want you to join us!"
The tactician ponders these words before replying, "Very well I will join you."
Chrom laughs and Lissa embraces the tactician. "Yes! Now we have our own tactician!" Lissa shouts as Robin tries to squeeze out of the tight hug."
"And the first thing we should do is return to Ylisstol and report the bandit's attack. We may even come across our mystery warrior on the way."
Lissa begins to argue with her brother over staying the night, while Frederick and Robin are left to ponder their mysterious benefactor. The former about what to do to prevent the disturbing individual from harming his charges and the latter about whether the boy knows about their related memory problems.
Maybe I will find out more about my past and why I called out Chrom's name and someone called Echo.
Void notes:
Well that went better than expected. I didn't expect him to wake up this early, but I was hoping for more of a reaction. Regardless the events are proceeding as predicted except for those lives "Claudius" has saved. If only I knew what he is planning. It would be foolish of me to believe that the fallen ones or the grimleal do not have their own plans. On another note I seem to have gained some attention elsewhere. I should probably avoid him for now.
Author's Notes:
I take back everything I have ever said about Grammar and spelling errors on fanfiction. Having experienced the nuisance that is uploading, I am almost convinced the document glitches and deletes some letters, since there were some obvious mistakes that I missed. That being said if I still have horrible mistakes in the story don't hesitate to tell me.
I bet you thought I was going to skip the chapter {I planned to but I didn't want to abruptly end the chapter or immediately start Chapter 1}
So Claudius has a name! AND PUNS ARE LIFE. Expect more from the merchant family they are quite an important plot point to the story. If you thought I was going to have Claudius wreck the entire bandit team you would be disappointed. The only advantage he has in combat is his speed and ambushes. Kill count this chapter: 3. Total kill count: 7. Not a miscount =)
Poll regarding Claudius has been started on my profile.
On two side notes you may have noticed I didn't mention Robin's gender. Because I have no idea if it is a boy or girl! I mean M!Robin is a go to character for fanfiction and yes he is quite the staple, but on the other hand F!Robin is best for the feels and some of my favorite fanfiction has F!Robin so complex it gives the puppies in my heart a sugar rush at the development. So, I am torn between the Robin I could write and the Robin that I like. Both are great, but which is better for the story is debatable. If I do go F!Robin don't expect Chrobin {though it is still likely} since if you read my profile I like the idea of unusual/uncommon pairings. So its up to you reviewers which Robin I choose {I know what Waywatcher's choice is}
The other note is that magic seems to greatly affect Claudius, yet I have magic as a possible path for him. Well that will be explained later but basically you should know that for now unless he is exposed to it slowly then sudden exposure to a magic type will have devastating effects {Yes it was quite possible Lissa could have killed him by healing}
~Oh yeah now I remember
Claudius Stats
Power(level): 2
Knowledge(Exp): 74
Claudius Supports:
Caeda C