"And here we have-- Summoner? Summoner! MAXIS!"
"Wh-what?! What?" I was hardly listening as Anna tried to explain… stuff… to me.
"Are you okay? You seem distracted."
"I…"
"Is it because of what happened… while we were fighting?"
"Erm-- I-- I think so, yeah."
"But you seemed so… calm before that."
"Maybe…" I shook my head hoping to clear my thoughts. "I don't know… Before that it just felt like a dream, but once I…" I took a deep breath before I could cry about it again. "Then it felt real… all of it, everything!"
"I see…" Anna gave a thoughtful nod before continuing. "Well, if you need to, I can send Prince Alfonse to show you to your room, so that you can rest."
"Thank you, Anna." At that she called over Alfonse who was looking over a document with his sister. He simply nodded and stayed silent when he was given his instructions. We ascended a flight of stairs and proceeded through some corridors until we arrived at a door.
"My apologies, Summoner, but we don't have a room that has been properly arranged for you," Alfonse told me. There was a hint of shame in his voice, so I quickly thought of a way to perk us both up.
"Oh, that's a'right. My arrival was pretty, ah… last minute. It's not like it's some hotel-- er, inn that I found." It was a terrible joke that couldn't even be called one, but I had to make an attempt.
"Y-yes, I suppose you're correct," he muttered. He gave me half a grin before continuing. "Well, I promise you that we will have a room ready for you by tonight, Summoner."
"You don't have to call me 'Summoner', Alfonse."
"Alright… Maxis. I'll leave you to rest now."
"Thanks."
-x-
I took my break and used it to spin Breidablik around on my finger. It was awkward at first, but I got the hang of it quickly. I eventually caught it mid-spin, then pulled the trigger just like any good little cowboy. There was that familiar flash of light again and out popped Virion, once more. "Ah, did you need me, Maxis," he asked.
"Erm, no, but accidentally summoning you gives me an idea."
"Oh? Do tell."
"Well, if I can just summon you on a whim like that, then you won't need to walk to the battlefield. That would save energy for the fight."
"Ah! What a splendid idea!"
"Thanks, but you can go now." And with an extravagant bow he was out the door. Not soon after I heard a high pitched voice stop Virion in his tracks. Out of curiosity I crept closer to the door and listened to the conversation. It was Sharena. Virion was explaining to her what had just happened. They each said their farewells and Virion left. Soon the door squeaked open.
"Maxis? Where are you," Sharena questioned. Then I decided to come out from hiding behind the door. "Ah! What was that?! A sneak attack?!"
With a chuckle and a sly grin, I respond in my voice of a cool and calm version of Solid Snake. "No, but you should expect more from me in the future."
"Uh-huh… Well, how are you feeling now?"
"Referring to… after the 'incedent'?"
"Um… y-yeah…"
"Well, I had forgotten about it, but now…" I suddenly realized that I should follow my own advice. "Ya know what? FRICK THAT GUY! IT'S HIS FAULT!"
"What?!" Sharena looked shocked, even scared at my statement.
"I'm sorry, I really should explain. When I was younger I realized that depression can go… die alone, for lack of a better word. I got angry at sadness. Then I told myself 'life doesn't me to be happy. It wants me to suffer, so I need to punch life in the gut and laugh in it's face.' So now I'm… laughing at a man's death. Hm… Well, as Frank Sinatra would say, 'that's life'."
Sharena just stared at me, dumbfounded. "Um… Well, I'm glad you're… not sad… I guess…"
"Yeah… Well, is that all you wanted?"
"I don't think so, but I don't remember the other thing."
"Oh. Well, do ya wanna stay and think about it?"
"Sure, thanks!" Sharena then made her way to the desk chair and sat down while I sat on the bed.
After a period of awkward silence I finally spoke up. "Hey, I've been thinking that maybe I should keep a journal while I'm here." At those words Sharena's lit up with joy. She then grabbed me by the arm started dragging me out the door. "Ah… Sh-Sharena," I cried out. "Wh-where are we going?!"
"To my room," she told me, as if it was obvious. "Now hurry up!"
"Uh oh," I mumbled. It's going to be all pink! We climbed up a flight of stairs and then another before stopping at the door to her room. It wasn't actually pink but themed after The Order's colors. "This is your room?"
"Yep," Sharena told me, as she began rummaging through the drawers in her desk.
"So, I'll be getting a room like this, right?"
"Of course! In fact, I think the room across from mine will end up being yours."
"Mm. Are Anna's and Alfonse's rooms close, too?"
"Uh-huh! Right next door!"
I let out a chuckle before saying, "We could call it 'The Hero Hall', then."
"Haha, yeah. Oh! Here it is!" Sharena pulled out a small book with the Askr crest on it. "My spare scouting journal!"
"I assume you use it to take notes of suspicious activity while out in the field?"
"Yep! But this one I want to give to you so you can keep track of all your experiences!"
"W-wow! Thank you, Sharena!"
"It's no problem! In fact, I'll help you with your writing!"
"Do you have a lot of experience with stuff like that?"
"Of course! Besides writing scouting reports, I often write letters to my mother. We live in the same castle, but we rarely have a chance to speak!"
"Wait, what?! When was the last time you had a conversation with her, then?"
"Uh… I think maybe a week? But I did catch her early enough to say good night about 3 days ago."
"A WEEK?! Jeez, you need to see your family more."
"Yeah, I know." Sharena wore a face of guilt, but I couldn't stand to see her like that.
"Maybe it's not your fault, though. You should at least say good night and good morning to your mom every day."
"Okay, I will."
"Now," I said, with a hand clap. "Where should I start?"
Sharena was visibly excited at those words. "Just before you met Anna!"
"Alright, I can do that," I told her. I didn't write for very long before there was knock on the door. Sharena got up to see who it was and it was her own brother.
"Sharena, have you seen the Summoner anywhere?"
"Yep! We--"
"And did you deliver the message?"
"…No. I'm sorry, Alfonse."
"What's the message," I hollered.
"Summoner! I apologize for my sister," Alfonse said with a bow.
"Riiight… Well, it's not a big deal. What was important, though?"
"Lunch is ready."
I chuckled at the 'vitality' of the message. "Well, I suppose that is important considering the fact that I didn't have breakfast this morning. So! What's on the menu for today?"
"Er… Just… Sandwiches."
"Great! I haven't had a good sandwich in a long time!"
"Erm… Right this way, then, Summoner."
"You can just call me Maxis." Alfonse nodded and led the three of us down to what I could only assume to be the dining room. Dining hall was more accurate, though. "Nice chairs ya' got here!"
"Erm-- Thank you," Alfonse muttered. "Uh… Shall we sit?"
"Sure, sure." At the head of the table was Anna with half of her own sandwich finished already. She was glaring at what could only have been some sort of report. "Hey, Anna," I called. She looked up, grunted, and went back to reading her document.
"You can sit anywhere you would like, Sum-- Maxis," Alfonse told me. At that I took a seat two seats away from Anna.
"That a report, Anna?" She let out a sigh, then gave a confirming nod. "So what's it say?"
"Just… eat," she muttered with her face in the palms of her hands.
Sharena spoke up. "Commander?"
"I'm-- I'll be right back." Anna got up and left through the door that we came in through.
"What was that all about," I asked Alfonse.
"I think today will be a hard one for us," he replied.
"Frickin' gloves, man! I didn't even know I had these things on! And my hands get sweaty easily so they aren't doing me any favors there," I ranted to Alfonse and anyone else who would listen. "Maybe I'll wear them still, though, because--"
"Listen up, everyone," a newly arriving Anna hollered. "I've gotten word that the Emblian Empire has invaded the World of Mystery. They're seizing control of its Heroes in hopes of using them to mount an attack on our kingdom. Unfortunately, they already possess one of that world's most important Heroes-- Marth!"
"The legendary Hero-King," Alfonse questioned. "If Marth leads a charge on the Askran Kingdom, it would be devastating."
At that Sharena chimed in. "Well, so what if they have a legend on their side? We have one too. Our summoner here!"
To which Anna continued, "let's go to the World of Mystery and free their Heroes from Embla's control before things get out of hand. It's going to be a tough battle. I hope you're ready for this, Maxis."
I stayed silent as tears welled up in my eyes.
