The Risen were as relentless as they were terrifying. Not a minute went by in that fort that the sturdy oak doors weren't being banged on. It made me feel like the whole world was crashing down around me.
Chrom, Robin, and Lissa walked out of the fort's main building around five minutes after my conversation with Marth/Lucina. Surprise, surprise, there was no backdoor exit. Not one that wasn't caved in, anyway. This meant that our fate was in the hands of a Butch and her surprisingly competent archest of archers.
Of course, the others didn't know about that last part. It would be a nice surprise. I always did have a soft spot for Virion.
"I really hope you have a plan. Or something at least." I mumbled to Robin, watching the door shake just a bit harder this time. "Because if you don't, we're probably gonna be torn apart."
"I do have an inkling, yes," Robin replied smoothly, "Chrom has given me the name and profile of the other Shepherd. If I am right, we might have a chance."
"That sounds creepy and cryptic. Package deal with you, huh?" I said, looking up at the parapet to see Chrom. His cape was waving majestically in the wind. He looked out at the dark expanse of land covered in moonlight, gaze never wavering.
Does he mean to look that badass, or does it just come naturally to him?
Robin laughed. "It would appear so, wouldn't it? It's so strange, knowing how to do all of these things and yet not knowing why."
I awkwardly pat him on the back. "Hey, man. It might come back to you eventually. If not, who cares? I think you're in pretty good hands."
"I suppose there is some truth to what you say. I am just worried I may have… forgotten something extremely important, if that makes sense? For instance, what if I had a family? A significant other? Those thoughts frighten me." Robin said all at once.
I stared blankly at him.
He truly has no fucking clue. Dear fucking Lord.
After chewing on the inside of my mouth for a moment, I gave my answer. "Maybe we shouldn't be having a heart-to-heart like this when we're in the middle of a murder fort. Wanna pick this up later?"
After a second of silence, Robin nodded his head. "Yes, you are right. Just nerves, I suppose. Have to keep focused." He looked up to the parapet. "I think Chrom wants us to see something."
I looked up to where he was standing and saw Chrom waving us up. I sighed and got up, knees creaking as I did so. We walked up the steps to the parapet silently.
"I guess the horde of undead outside haven't gotten tired yet, huh?" I said, looking out to the Risen that trapped us in that hellhole in the first place.
"No, they haven't. You're welcome to sing to them if you think that would help, Alex." Chrom said back, smirking slightly before his handsome face settled back to a neutral expression. "But in all honesty, this is not looking good. Sully hasn't arrived and the Risen seem to be making serious progress on that door."
Just as he said that, another bang, this time punctuated by the sound of wood cracking, was heard. It made me shiver. Below, in the main area of the fort, I could hear 'Marth' unsheathe 'his' blade, Frederick's armor clinking from him moving suddenly, and Lissa squeaking in surprise.
"…We're so fucked." I mumbled.
"Without your friend Sully coming in from behind, as well as the only exit besides the front entrance being blocked by rubble, there's… not a lot we can do other than brave the creatures outside, unfortunately. If we had some leftover barrels, we could have set them on fire and send them tumbling over the walls, but…" Robin murmured to himself.
Considering what you do during the Valmese War, the fact that plan crossed your mind does not surprise me in the slightest, Robin.
"Yeah, if only the people who used this fort before us could see into the future. Would've saved us a lot of trouble." I attempted to joke, but even I knew that it fell completely flat. The other two being all silent and grim was all the answer I needed.
Chrom sighed. "If the worst comes to pass, we must drive these creatures away from Southtown. We at the very least must do that!"
Oh, shit. We're really about to die, aren't we?
My grip on the lance/spear in my hands somehow tightened even further. It felt like it would snap in half. A terrible sense of dread began to overtake me. How the hell did it come to this? It was not supposed to be like this. There were less than ten or twelve Risen on the map in the game. But here, there were dozens of them. Breaking down our door like we were in some kind of zombie survival game.
If we were, it was a pretty shitty one.
Robin pulled the Thunder tome out of his robe and held it menacingly. "We may need to-"
It sounded like a whistle. A white-brown line fell from the sky and disappeared at the entrance of the fort, and I heard a meaty 'thunk' once said white-brown line of the gods hit something.
I looked at Robin.
Robin looked at Chrom.
Chrom looked at the Risen that fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of its head and black blood oozing onto the ground. It vanished into blackish-purple smoke a moment later.
"I'm not the only one who saw that, right?" I asked.
Silence was my answer as a second arrow hit another Risen. Straight in the head. In the distance, I heard shouting. The next thing to follow was a woman riding in on horseback, the light of the moon glinting off her lance. She laughed as her lance ran a Risen through the chest, spraying black blood over the ground and other Risen. The pressure on the door to the fort lessened as the Risen became distracted by the roaring woman.
In other words, this was our chance.
"Chrom!" Robin shouted. "Pincer attack! We rush them from here, while your friend keeps them busy over there!"
Chrom nodded quickly, charging down the parapet with us in tow. 'Marth', Frederick, and Lissa perked up once they heard the commotion, but were at full attention once Chrom was among them.
"We just got a lucky break!" He said, unsheathing Falchion. "Sully is distracting the Risen for us. We'll use this chance to take out as many of them as we can! Shepherds, with me! Charge!"
Must people tend to make a big deal about how strong Chrom really is. When I read stuff like that, I tended to simply agree with it and move on; usually, it wasn't very important. It wasn't until Chrom kicked down a sturdy oaken door – the opposite direction it was supposed to go, might I add – and it fell to the ground, crushing at least one Risen underneath it, that I really understood just how strong he was. Sure, the Risen were beating on that door pretty hard for around twenty minutes, but still.
Only Robin and I were even phased by this. Robin recovered completely only a second later, his face settling into a grim expression.
"At once, milord!" Frederick obeyed without question. He charged into the horde of distracted Risen outside. His shining lance looked like a piece of pure moonlight as it stabbed through several Risen, painting the ground in black blood and smoke.
'Marth' was silent as 'he' charged. The Parallel Falchion in 'his' hands cut through Risen like a hot knife through butter. 'He' fought them like a master, effortlessly dodging blows from rusted weapons or bony claws.
Robin was next. Lightning flowed from his fingertips like he was Zeus. One unlucky Risen felt the full brunt of the lightning that surged from his hand. It spasmed several times, the yellow electricity coursing through its dead, decaying body, before it fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. It vanished into smoke a second later.
Lissa held herself back, looking at the carnage before her. She occasionally healed someone someone with her staff if a Risen was lucky enough to get a shot in.
And what did I do during all of this?
I got caught up in the heat of the moment. I charged with everyone else, shouting a battle cry, although to my own ears it sounded grating as all hell. I came upon one solitary Risen that had been separated from the others and stabbed it through the chest with my lance. It stopped moving for a moment, as if in disbelief that I'd actually stabbed it.
And then it looked right into my eyes. The burning coals in its eye sockets felt like they pierced my soul. The Risen moaned, grabbed the lance, and started pushing it further into itself. It closed the distance fast, and I yelped as I fell. The lance was still inside the Risen, so it fell with me.
All I saw was its face. A pitted face. A hole where its nose should have been. A missing ear. A jaw that held only a few teeth inside of its rotting gums. Its mouth opened and snapped closed as it clawed at me, only stopped by the lance that held it just far enough not to completely maul me to pieces.
It got so close that it was able to wrap its gangly, decayed claws around my throat.
My chest felt like it was on fire. The only rational thought in my mind was me chastising myself for being stupid enough to not go for the head. I'd seen the others do what I did, with their own spears, but they were on horseback and had the advantage of momentum. The Risen practically broke apart when they stabbed them with their lances. Me? I was just a single human with a crude lance and not a lot of combat experience. Was it any wonder it wouldn't be enough?
The rest of my brain was in complete fight-or-flight mode. Since flight was significantly more difficult, my hands scrambled around for another weapon, or failing that, a rock.
My hands successfully grabbed the handle of something, and without even looking, I swung upward.
Black blood fell onto my face, temporarily blinding me. I kept my mouth closed and didn't breathe out of my nose, hoping it would dissipate. After a few seconds, I tentatively opened my eyes. An axe was lodged in the Risen's head, and its red, hate-filled eyes went out like a burnt-out lightbulb. Its body disappeared into purplish-black smoke not long after, and the blood that coated me went with it. The axe, and my lance, clattered to the ground.
Jesus H. Christ they may have been right.
The Risen fell to the others like wheat to a scythe. If the Risen didn't dissipate after suffering catastrophic damage, the ground would be covered in their blood and bodies. The battle didn't last long after my little escapade. Soon, any stragglers were cut down, by either Falchion or a lance.
At least you got one, bud.
I scrambled back to my feet, but the battle was already over. There were only the seven of us in that clearing in front of the old fort. Sully being the only addition to our little party. I had no idea where Virion was.
Sully herself is exactly what you would expect. She wore the well-maintained uniform of a cavalier, without the arm pauldrons, which showed just how toned and muscular her arms and shoulders were. With red hair cut short, it would be easy to mistake her for a man from far away, although I couldn't remember if she would be mad or happy if I said that out loud.
I voted more for mad.
"Damn, Chrom! Didn't expect ya to charge outta the fort just like that! Made my job easier, though. How many ya think we took down? Forty? Fifty?" Sully laughed, dismounting her steed and jogging up to the group.
"Heh, maybe around forty-five, I'd say! It makes me wonder why we sealed ourselves in the fort at all." Chrom replied, chuckling.
"Only forty-five? Shame, that. Although me an' Ruffles saw some more fall outta that weird portal-thingy farther down the road. Remembered you'd all be here and came a-galloping!"
Chrom was about to say something, but he stopped himself and raised a brow. "Ruffles?"
"Oh. Long-haired, annoying little peacock he is. Helped me take out a few of those creatures though so I guess he can't be that bad. Should be here in mo-" She was interrupted by said peacock apparently appearing out of the fucking ether.
"Milady! Did you not see my arrows as they fell from the sky? They were things of beauty, of such unequivocal grace that even I, the archest of archers, nearly wept gentle tears once they hit their intended targets!" Virion practically gushed, getting everyone's attention.
You a good guy, Virion. At least you're funny.
Virion was a strange case. Unnaturally purplish-blue hair cascaded down the sides of his head, framing a charmingly handsome face. His form was lithe, and he wore armor and clothes distinct from everyone else.
All in all, exactly as I expected. Too bad that couldn't have been said for anyone else when I first met them back in Southtown.
"Oh Gods, he's here already." Sully mumbled. "How'd ya get here so fast? You were all the way up that hill."
"Nothing can stop Virion when he has a beautiful lady in sight. Not even these foul creatures!" Virion continued, flashing a dazzling smile in Sully's direction. This seemed to only piss her off more as she glared at Virion.
"Maybe that kick I gave ya back there wasn't enough. Maybe I shoulda aimed just a bit lower. Right between the legs."
"N-Now there is little reason to get violent, milady! One kick from your shapely legs is enough for me."
If this keeps up we could be here for a while. Let's keep this going.
"Uh, not that this conversation isn't riveting banter, but, um, who are these guys?" I asked awkwardly, fidgeting with my hands. Lissa silently stared at me when I did that.
"This is Sully, one of the Shepherds." Frederick introduced her, before staring at Virion suspiciously. "I, however, have no idea as to who this is."
"Have I not introduced myself? Pardon my manners, my new friends! My name is Virion, the archest of archers! A pleasure to make your acquaintances!" He swished around a bit, bowing in such a way that it made my back and legs hurt.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm Sully. Nice to meetcha and all that." Sully waved at me, and then at Robin. "Who're you guys?"
"I am Robin. I look forward to working with you in the future, Sully."
Sully nodded, then looked to me.
"Uh, name's Alex. Nice to meet you too." I stuttered like a complete and utter idiot.
"Heh, what's wrong? Nothing wrong with me, is there?" She gave me a strange glance. "There better not be anything wrong."
"Nah, just a bit… rattled." I murmured, looking down at the ground for a second, staring into nothing.
"Hey," Lissa said, walking closer to me. "Are you okay?"
She looked me directly in the eyes then, and I almost fucking broke. However, considering there was other people there, I was not inclined to break down into a screaming fit. It was better to do that alone, in an enclosed space. Without windows.
Sully pointed towards 'Marth' who, up until this point, was as still as a statue and as silent as one. "Who's dark, masked, and handsome over there?"
'Marth' flinched slightly but said nothing.
"Oh, that's Marth." Chrom explained. "He helped us escape from that horde a while ago. Speaking of which, I thank you again for that. Without you, we would all be… well, it wouldn't be pleasant."
"There is no need to thank me, sir." 'Marth' replied curtly. "I am merely doing what I need to."
"Is that so?" Frederick said. "And what is it you need to do?"
"I'm not here to talk about me." 'Marth' responded quickly. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude." 'He' then turned around, with the swish of 'his' cape. "You have been warned."
If I wasn't on the verge of an extremely destructive panic attack, I would have had a fanboy squeee!
"Wait, calamity whatsitnow? Wait, come back!" Lissa called after 'him', but 'Marth' was already gone.
"A strange individual. His skills do not lie in conversation, but his swordsmanship is impressive. We will see his name again." Frederick said.
"I certainly hope so. That kind of swordsmanship could be great to have on our side." Chrom said and turned to Sully. "You said something about more of these creatures being down the road?"
"Yeah, there's a few more of those purple dastards down there. We should probably take 'em out too before they get too close to another town." Sully informed us.
"We can destroy them on our way to Ylisstol then." Chrom nodded. "We need to make sure no more of our villages are attacked by these monsters. Virion, do you want to come with us?"
"Ah, an invitation to take down more beasts of the terrible night? If so, I gladly except! My excellent skills as the archest of archers are at your disposal!"
"Uh… Right."
I picked up my spear, my hands shaking. We gathered what little we could from our old camp, before setting off down the road.
"Lissa, for the last time, I do not have a funny hat, nor do I have a dark and troubled back story. Please, for the love of God, drop it." I moaned, barely keeping pace with the others as we marched towards Ylisstol.
"I mean, are you suuuure? You were wearing something pretty strange looking when we found you. Does the United States of America have cool swords? Oh! Oh! Do they have any pretty staves!?" Lissa squirmed a bit. "Do they have better dresses there too?"
"Yes to the last, no to everything else. Now please-"
Those next few days after the first time the Shepherds encountered the Risen were a mixture of brutal and oddly humorous. Brutal in that we found the remains of several groups of people who came upon a roving band of Risen unprepared, and humorous in the conversation and company I seemed to keep.
Take Lissa. She was a veritable ball of energy in some respects. When she wasn't complaining, at least. She was also, oddly enough, one of the few people I talked to during that week, the other being Robin and on occasion Frederick.
When it came to the remains of the villagers, we found…
I smelled it before I saw it, but that in no way prepared me for it.
"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ-!" I gasped.
It was a pile of bodies on the side of the road. They were spread out a bit but the volume of them made it seem like a pile.
"Alex? What's- Gods…!" Chrom stopped once he saw the bodies. "What… What happened here!? I thought we destroyed all the creatures that came out of the portal!"
"Milord, either there were more of them then we realized, or there were more portals. Or perhaps these people were attacked by bandits." Frederick reasoned, coming up behind us on Jagen.
I looked at the bodies, grimly noting that many of them had more wounds then was probably necessary to kill someone. In other words, they were mutilated. Many of them had lost a limb, with only the bright white of bone to show that there used to be an arm or a leg there. A veritable ocean of blood covered the ground where the bodies laid, and it looked disgusting, coagulated. They had been there for a while, if that and the smell were anything to go by.
I gagged and looked away when I saw a little arm poking out of one particular set of bodies. A man and a woman, trying to shield and failing at protecting their child-
I nearly threw up. I looked to Chrom whose blue eyes were practically on fire with rage.
"We need to find who did this. If they are those creatures from before, then it is my duty to-"
"Milord-"
"I can't just let them get away with this, Frederick! They've murdered innocent people and we weren't here to-" Chrom seemingly calmed himself down, quite forcefully. Several deep breaths later, he addressed Frederick. "Speak, Frederick."
"Yes, Milord. We must return to Ylisstol as quickly as possible. We are only one group of people against potentially hundreds of these creatures. The sooner we make it back, the sooner we can make sure what happens here does not occur elsewhere."
Chrom nodded, looking down at his feet. "I-I understand Frederick. I just…" Chrom looked back up. "Lissa and the others are still back down the road, right?"
"Unless they have felt the need to speed up, then they should." Frederick affirmed.
"Go to her. Inform Sully and Robin of what we found here. And… make sure Lissa doesn't see this."
Frederick would have bowed, but since riding on horseback made that a bit difficult, he nodded deeply instead. "At once, milord."
There was no mention of shit like that happening during small timeskips between chapters, but in hindsight it made sense. Awakening was only light-hearted on the account of omission. It did have its darker moments, but it didn't show an entire group of villagers butchered like cattle on the side of the road. At least, not as graphically as this. It was enough to give anyone nightmares.
I didn't get nightmares, though. Not since that first night.
"And there it is, Ylisstol in all of her glory." Chrom said, walking up the last stretch of hill to its crest.
Frederick was next. "No signs of major damage. The city was spared the worst of the disaster."
Robin breathing hitched. "I've never seen a city this large…"
"Considering you've only seen one, that ain't saying much-" I began to say, but a sudden tug on my arm made me go faster. "Hey! Hey! Quit pulling me-!"
"But you're going soooo slow! C'mon, I wanna show you the capitol!" Lissa whined.
"Best to do as a fine lady says, my friend!" Virion said, climbing up the hill a lot faster than my fat ass could.
"Fucking- Alright! I'm hurrying up. Please stop trying to pull my arm out of its socket!" I moaned, picking up the pace.
Sully was already there when we got to the top of the hill, looking out at a no doubt scenic view. Once I was there, I drank the sight in as best as I could.
Well, that's a little underwhelming.
After all the time it was talked up by everyone else, after all the urging to see it and to get there as fast as possible, I expected a metropolis on the scale of New York, or perhaps even bigger than that. I expected a mega city of truly epic proportions, with gleaming spires and floating islands held aloft by poorly explained magic.
Instead, what I saw was a fairly ordinary 'city'. 'City' as in it was barely up to my standards of what a city was. I didn't know much about medieval culture or way of life, but I did remember reading somewhere that the average population of a city during those times was around ten-thousand to a hundred-thousand people. If I'd been pushed against a rock and asked at gunpoint how many people lived in Ylisstol, I'd have to say somewhere in the middle. Around fifty-thousand people. Pretty large by most standards of a time like the middle ages, but not impossible.
There was one buildings that stood out, though. It wasquite easily the castle that the Exalt and her family lived in, as it pretty much towered over everything else. It was practically blinding to look at, though. It was made of some white stone that reflected light directly into my goddamn retinas. Felt like it would have made me go fucking blind.
"Damn…" I breathed out.
Lissa squealed. "I know right!?"
After almost of week of travelling – with it feeling more like a century – we were there. While small and generally underwhelming from first impressions, the giant castle notwithstanding, I did remember the main characters remarking that Ylisstol was a bustling city at the very least. I hoped that it would remind me of home, in that way. I was still determined to make the most out of this chance I had been given, but that did not mean I did not get homesick. And, on that hill overlooking Ylisstol, I felt the first pangs of it.
It would not be the last time I felt that.
"This… is a lot of people. More than I've ever seen in one place." Robin breathed out as we walked the cobbled streets of Ylisstol.
I gave him a sidelong glance. "Again, really not saying much, are you?"
Robin chuckled. "Heh. I suppose not." Robin looked around a little more. "It's just a bit… overwhelming."
On that, we could agree. Whatever my first impressions of Ylisstol when we saw it from the distance, they were completely destroyed by the time we arrived in the city proper. Well-maintained buildings made of high-quality stone lined the streets, which themselves were almost clean enough to eat off. People went to-and-fro, rushing down the streets. The sounds of the crowd itself was nostalgic. Every once in a while, we would come across a vendor stall, with an assortment of items, usually jewelry or food of some sort.
In a way, it did remind me of home. Which was a relief. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stick around.
My thoughts from earlier – the two people I murdered, almost being strangled by a Risen – almost surfaced again. I shut them down as hard as I could. I would not break down in the presence of everyone else. I refused.
Frederick was in front of us, making sure the way for us was clear. For some reason, he seemed to be staring at the ground very intently. What he was looking for, exactly, was anyone's guess. Sully left, going to the barracks I assumed. Virion followed her, going on a tangent about something related to how Sully's armor perfectly accentuates her womanly figure. I had to stifle an outright laugh at that. The rest of us were simply walking the street, enjoying the sights.
That was, until a random guy near us cried: "Look! The Exalt has come to see us!"
I looked around wildly for a moment before I found her.
Again, expectations blown way outta the water. She wore a tan and white, extravagant robe, that seemed to billow in non-existent wind. Just like a certain blue-haired lord was wont to do. Emmeryn went down the road nearby, flanked by Pegasus Knights. The woman herself was perfection given form. A beautiful, inviting smile, as well as friendly blue eyes observed the crowd with a motherly warmth.
"The Exalt is your ruling monarch, correct?" Robin asked.
"Indeed," Frederick confirmed. "Her name is Lady Emmeryn."
Robin looked around at the crowd, a slightly worried expression on his face. "Is it safe for her to be among commoners like this, unprotected?"
Frederick stared at Robin for a moment, before he seemingly remembered that Robin 'claimed' to have amnesia. "The Exalt is a symbol of peace – one of Ylisse's most prized qualities. Over a thousand years ago, the world was threatened by the fell dragon in an event known as The Schism. The First Exalt led a valiant effort against it, and with the help of the divine dragon, slew the beast. Exalt Emmeryn has stood as an exemplar of peace for her whole life."
I felt a shiver go down my spine at the mention of the 'fell dragon'. I felt my stomach drop when I remembered that the woman I was staring at, in a couple of months at best, would be dead. I pushed it down again. As hard as I could. I refused to break down in front of others like this. I refused. I've dealt with much higher-pressure during college. What was this to that?
At least, that's what I kept telling myself.
Robin seemed to absorb this information like a sponge. "I see…"
"She's also the best big sister anyone could ever ask for!" Lissa added cheerily.
Robin chuckled. "Heh. Yes, I imagine she… is…"
"He has finally figured it out, milord." Frederick said, as Chrom rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"You're… You're both royalty!?" Robin exclaimed.
"They are." Frederick confirmed, eyeing Robin for the nth time with suspicion. "You say that you know milord's name and not this?"
"B-But you all said you were Shepherds!" Robin said, sounding almost hysterical.
This is even funnier up close.
"Indeed, we are. We just have a very large and unusual flock." Chrom said, laughing a little to try and placate Robin. "It is not such a big issue…"
"C-Chrom…! I-I mean, Prince Chrom! Forgive me for my imprudence in regards to-"
Chrom held up his hand. "Peace, Robin. Just call me Chrom. Never really been much for formalities."
Robin nodded his head slowly. "Yes, alright… The Prince and Princess, then? That explains why Frederick puts up with so much."
"Indeed. The things I have had to deal with…" Frederick bemoaned.
We all had a good laugh at that, defusing tensions. I felt a little bit of the anxiety I had building up from before ebb away when we did.
Chrom perked up. "Looks like Emm's heading back to the castle." Chrom looked at me and Robin. "Would you two like to meet her?"
The anxiety came back two-fold.
It became a downward spiral for me mentally from there. It all started when we approached it, and I was nearly blinded by the light reflecting off of it. We entered through the front 'door' of the castle to possibly the most massive and lavish entrance hall I'd ever seen. Massive white pillars stretched all the way to the ceiling, and the hall was lined with armor on display.
It must be a bitch to keep this place clean.
Felt like my stomach was tying itself into knots once I spotted Emmeryn, and that feeling became ever more pronounced the closer I came to her. She was speaking to another person, a tall man wearing luxurious robes, before she saw Chrom and Lissa approach and quietly excused herself. Behind her stood who I assumed to be Captain Phila. With her startlingly white hair tied up in a small bun, as well as the practical yet still fancy Pegasus Knight armor on, she was… a bit intimidating.
The whole situation was intimidating, so Phila's appearance really didn't make me feel worse than I already did. At least, until I realized she would die too.
I was in the presence of two future dead women.
I just wanted to go to the nearest corner and curl into the fetal position.
Emmeryn spoke first. "Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home. Oh, and good day Frederick. How did you all fare on patrol?"
The fact that this is so similar to the game is not helping.
"As well as we could – we should not have to worry about bandit attacks for a while." Chrom replied.
"Wonderful! And the people?"
Chrom flinched. He might've been remembering the people we saw butchered on the side of the road. "As safe as they can be. But there will be more. The bandits we faced spoke with a Plegian accent. And… you did feel the quake, right? And the portals in the sky?"
Emmeryn nodded solemnly. "I did indeed. Captain Phila's scouts reported that they opened up all over Ylisse."
"There are signs they opened all over the continent itself, milady." Captain Phila said. "And as for the bandits, if they crossed over from the Plegian border, I need to apologize. I should have had my Pegasus Knight intercept them long before they made it so far into our heartland."
"There's no need, Phila." Chrom said. "Your duty is here, with the Exalt."
"'Sides, we had plenty of help anyway!" Lissa added cheerfully.
Ah shit, here we go. Try not to make an absolute ass of yourself in front of literal fucking royalty, boy scout.
"Ah, you speak of your new companions?" Emmeryn said, acknowledging us for the first time.
"These two are Robin and Alex." Chrom introduced us. "Both of them fought alongside us when we drove the bandits out of our land. I've decided to make them both Shepherds."
"It sounds as though Ylisse owes the both of you a debt of gratitude." Emmeryn said, a warm smile adorning her delicate features.
Robin's pale cheeks looked like they were on fire. "Not at all, milady!"
Robin, I can understand. I, however, am the last person you should say that to. Especially considering what I'm going to allow to happen.
It felt like I was gonna vomit.
"Forgive me, milady, but I must speak."
Frederick my boy back at it again with the justified, if somewhat annoying, suspicion.
"Robin here claims to have amnesia, but it is just that: a claim. For all we know he could be a brigand himself, or even worse, a Plegian spy." Frederick finished, completely airing out his suspicions for everyone to hear.
Chrom almost recoiled at Frederick's words, and Robin flinched at every word he said. "Frederick!" Chrom nearly shouted.
Wait, he didn't mention me? I mean, yeah I have evidence and shit, but still…
My backpack still felt like it weighed a ton. Unfortunately, I forgot my spear on the battlefield in front of the fort, so I was essentially weaponless at that time.
"Yet you have allowed him into the castle, Chrom. Does this man have your trust?" Emmeryn asked.
"Of course!" Chrom coughed into his fist. "I mean, yes. Robin has had plenty of chances to attack us, and yet he hasn't. Beyond that, he has fought and saved Ylissean lives. They both have." I perked up at the mention of 'both'. "They have earned my trust."
"Indeed… Well then, Robin. If you have Chrom's trust, then you have mine as well."
Robin bowed. "Milady."
Shit, should I be doing that? I think I should be doing that. I didn't do it. Why didn't I do it!? GRAGRH.
"Regardless, I thank you for your prudence as ever, Frederick. Truly Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have such a guardian watch over them. I do hope they have made this clear from time to time…" Emmeryn trailed off, an unasked question in her words.
"They have, on occasion, shown something that is akin to gratitude, yes." Frederick confirmed. "However, we have other more pressing matters to attend to. These creatures that have fallen out of the portals must be addressed."
Emmeryn nodded. "Indeed, they must. Chrom, we are about to host a council. I was hoping you could join us."
"Of course."
"Welp, that looks like our cue!" I yelped - the first time I'd even made a noise since before entering the castle, I realized – as an unnaturally strong arm hooked around mine and pulled me in the direction of the grand doors. "C'mon Robin! Alex! I'm gonna show you a cool place!"
"B-But what about-!" Robin tried to say, being pulled along with me.
"Oh, they'll be in there for hours. This is gonna be much more fun then waiting around!" Lissa interrupted.
If only it was fun. If only.
"Aaand here we are, the Shepherds Garrison!" Lissa held her arms out extravagantly, like she was presenting something absolutely amazing. "Go ahead and make yourselves at home!"
The Shepherd's Garrison… Well, it had character. It was a giant building, all things considered. Not unlike the fort we hid in back near Southtown. Unlike most of the stone and wood used in the construction of literally almost everything else in Ylisstol, most of the garrison was a washed-out grey color, but still just as well-maintained as the rest of the city that I had seen so far. All in all, it was a pretty impressive building.
Not as impressive as the castle of blinding light that is Castle Ylisse, or the giant tower I'd seen from the distance, but pretty far up there.
I looked at Robin to see him in rather stunned silence, as he was for most of our time in Ylisstol. Since I needed something to get my mind off of everything, I attempted to strike up a conversation. "H-Hey, Robin-"
I didn't know at the time why I stuttered. It was merely a prelude to what was to come.
I was interrupted by a drill-haired blonde bounding out of the woodwork itself to directly in front of Lissa, holding her hands in her own. "Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right!? I've been on pins and needles since you have left!"
Maribelle.
Lissa giggled. "Oh, hey Maribelle!"
"'Oh hey' yourself!" Maribelle huffed. "I've sprouted fourteen grey hairs since you've left! I shall be completely white long before my time!"
"Aw, c'mon, Mari! You worry too much! I can handle a battle or two… Although I could go without all the bugs and bear barbecue…" Lissa visibly shivered. "Never again…!"
…Something's wrong. I can't tell what, but something is wrong.
That sense of impending doom wasn't even alleviated by a person who was clearly Vaike entering the scene. "Hey, squirt!" The spiky blond-haired man said, his voice deep, not unlike the first guy I murdered. "Where's Chrom? I bet you all had a hard time taking out those brigands without ol' Teach's axe to cover you!"
He laughed heartily to himself, his bare chest on proud display.
"Oh?" Lissa arched an eyebrow and smirked. "So 'Teach' is it? I didn't know you could teach people to lack wits, Vaike!"
I need to get away from here. Now.
I felt sweat bead on my forehead for no other reason than because. I heard a few tentative footsteps to my left and saw Sumia in all of her clumsy glory. Medium length greyish-brown hair, as well as the somewhat less fancy looking Pegasus Knight armor made me notice it was her instantly.
"Excuse me, but when might we see the captain?" She asked politely.
I was not paying attention anymore. Not really. All I was focused on was trying to find a suitable way out of the conversation, and away from all the people.
"Poor Sumia, she has simply been beside herself with worry and concern…" Maribelle said dramatically. "Her eyes focused on the horizon all day during training. She may have earned a few less bruises if she were blindfolded and her legs were tied together…"
"W-What!? I-I mean of course I was worried for the captain! He's the prince, after all!" Sumia rebutted poorly.
For some reason, my breathing picked up. It felt like I couldn't calm down. I couldn't understand why everything was going so slowly, so painfully slow.
Vaike regarded us with a raised brow. "So, who're these strangers?"
"No one's stranger than you, Vaike." Lissa quipped. "But these two are Robin and Alex! Chrom found them both around Southtown. He made them into Shepherds!"
"He did, eh? Tell me, can they do… this!?"
Vaike let out the biggest belch I'd ever heard. It was a shame I couldn't appreciate it.
"Heh, I'm sure I have much to learn in the belching arts, 'Teach'. Either way, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances."
I need to get out. I need out. I need to get out right now. I NEED TO GET OUT.
"U-Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you all. U-Um, Lissa, can I ask you something?" I stuttered out that sentence like I was asking her out to prom in freshman year, Christ.
"Hmm? Yeah, what- Hey, are you okay?" Lissa replied, concerned.
"A-Ah, I'm fine, I was just wondering, u-uh, where do we sleep?" I asked, attempting to keep my breakfast in my stomach.
"Yeah, they're down that hallway. Just pick a room without a name next to it and it'll be yours. But seriously, is something-?"
"Just told you, n-nothing is wrong." I interrupted her, doing a poor job at assuaging her apparent worries. I was getting stares like you wouldn't believe. "I… I'll just be going then-"
I slammed directly into something huge and metallic.
"Ah, sorry about that. I should've warned you." A normal voice apologized, from somewhere in front of me.
Kellam. I completely forgot about you.
"N-No worries." I replied, making sure my nose wasn't broken. "I'll, uh, just be going now!"
Once I was out of sight, I practically sprinted down the hallway. Door after door went past me in a blur. I felt like I was going through time itself. It took forever, but I finally found an unmarked door, and nearly tore it off its hinges getting it open. I slammed it shut once I was inside, my backpack falling to the ground with a dull 'thump'.
A sparse, but homely room greeted me. A single window to the outside bathed it in an almost ethereal glow. A bed, a desk with a chair, doors to what I assumed was a closet, as well as a conspicuous wooden bucket was all that was in the room.
I stood there, shivering, sweating, and breathing rapidly in front of the door for what felt like centuries.
I only regained control of myself once I felt something well up at the back of my throat. I barely made it to the bucket in the room in time.
I vomited straight into the bucket. All of my breakfast, gone in what felt like the most drawn out, torturous moment of my entire life up to that point. I did this until all that came up was a small amount of bile, and I fell backwards, onto the floor. Sweat cascaded down my face and almost every other part of me, and my hands and legs shivered considerably. It felt like I was spinning, Like I was feeling the rotation of the planet itself.
With a herculean amount of effort, I sat up.
"…A-Are you serious, Alexander." I growled to myself. "Y-You're gonna have a panic attack over something… something as trivial and stupid as this!?" I got up, feeling like my own blood was boiling in my veins. "So what, you've killed two people. You've almost died. What about everyone else who was with you, huh? What about them? They didn't show any fear. They didn't balk at the thought of killing people who were raping and pillaging a defenseless town! All of them have done all of that and more. And what do you do, huh? You sit there and throw up into a fucking bucket and cry."
I walked unsteadily to the desk in the room, cursing myself with every feeble step I made. I slammed my fists down on it as hard as I could, hearing the creak of the wood as I did so.
"You've always wanted something like this to happen, you despicable piece of shit!" I shouted. "You should be grateful you have this chance! You should be happy you even have the chance to make yourself useful, you disgusting waste of oxygen! So, tell me, Alex, my old friend, you old fucking fatass…!"
I grabbed the edge of the table, feeling hot tears stream down my face.
"Why. Aren't. You. HAPPY!?"
I flipped the desk. It went sideways with a surprising amount of force, crashing to the ground but surprisingly enough not breaking. I felt myself stumble backwards.
"W-Why aren't you… Why am I not… happy…?" I felt my back hit the corner of the wall. "Oh… Oh God, what am I… even doing… Oh God…!"
I slumped to the ground, curling into the fetal position. I was there for what felt like hours, crying and mumbling incoherent gibberish.
It had finally all caught up with me. My 'displacement' into Awakening, the battles and people I'd killed, the visceral horror that was the Risen, the knowledge that I was most likely allowing two kind-hearted real people to die for the sake of the future, everything. I tried my best to shut it down, but it doesn't go away. It never does. It will always be there. Waiting for a chance to get out. I was just lucky enough that it happened while I was alone.
You aren't cut out for this life, boy scout.
"…Alex?"
I wasn't alone for long.
After a few moments, I successfully dredged up the will to look up and see Lissa standing in the doorway to the room I chose, concern written all over her expression. I gave a half-hearted, extremely fake smile.
"Oh… Hey, Lissa. Just a… bit of a mess right now." I mumbled.
"Yeah…" Lissa looked around at the room, eyeing the flipped-over desk and the conspicuous wooden bucket. She took one look into that and promptly turned away, looking a little green.
I coughed, feeling phlegm in the back of my throat. "So… do you need something?"
"Uh, yeah!" Lissa said, her expression brightening as she apparently decided on what she came there for. "Noticed you were all down in the dumps earlier, so I decided to ask you to come with me, right?" She leaned in closely. "I found this amazing pond just outside of the city right before we left! Since you're, ya know, all new here and all, I thought it would be a good idea and a good excuse to show you around! Wanna come with?"
I put aside the question on how exactly she found my room I actually considered her proposal seriously. I wouldn't usually. In fact, it'd probably be one of the things I'd consider doing the least. But, being in that emotionally vulnerable state that I was, I almost said yes instantly. The thought of travelling a big city, exploring a pond of all things just outside of it, doing so with someone akin to the little sister I'd lost… A wrenching nostalgia filled my chest.
It reminded me of home, again.
After a few seconds of consideration, I nodded. "All… All right. I'm down."
"Great!" Lissa cheered. "Here, let me help you up!"
Lissa held her hand out to me. I stared at it for a moment, still a little mentally drained from my… outburst. It still felt nice though.
I grabbed her hand.
Been a while, but I wanted to make absolutely certain I got this chapter right. I'm also well on my way to completing chapter 4, too. Hell, I basically have the entire first act of this fic planned now, which is a really good thing. First act might even be done by the end of this summer.
This might even be the first fic I ever complete. Imagine that.
Hope you enjoyed!