Hey There.
I Hope You Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening.
Looking around, I found myself on some sort of island. The island was, in fact, a floating one, if the distance between the island and the seemingly endless ocean meant anything. The island itself was rather large, perhaps the size of a town. In fact, now that I look at said island properly, I noticed that several buildings were in fact built into it. Walking around the island, I found there to be a total of four buildings.
The first building was near the middle of the island. Though to call it a building would be an overstatement. In reality, it was more of a wall with four pedestals. The pedestals each had a strange vertical writing. Resting atop of each pedestal was an outline of an open hand, similar to that of a handprint detector, one you'd find keeping locked doors sealed.
The second building was built into what may have been a hill at one point. The interior consisted of two floors, the main floor resembling a living room, having four wooden chairs, a table, and a fireplace. The stairs leading upwards revealed a room where it seems I could sleep in. There was only one thing in the room, that being a bed, attached to the wall.
The third building was actually a mine entrance. I discovered it to be this when I had entered, finding a tunnel leading downwards, thick planks of wood having been fashioned into a makeshift stairway. There were rail tracks, all connected, several minecarts laying about, some on the rails, other not. Covering the walls, and ceilings were large clumps of red, pink, and white crystals. I wasn't sure what the significance of the mine, but I was sure I'd find out soon enough. If not, then maybe another time.
The final building, similar to the first wasn't, in fact, a building, rather it was a massive pair of what seemed to be marble pillars, with an equally massive apparition of myself floating between them. My apparition wasn't wearing any clothing, revealing everything. The apparition was somewhat covered in red, a bit in pink, and leaving the rest in white. I was sure the crystals I had found in the mine were related to this. If not, then whatever theory I had regarding the two building's connection would be discarded.
Overall, the island resembled a bit of a small village, if one was to exclude the absence of the lack of roads, homes, villagers, and a wall. After walking around the edge of the island, I had taken the time to peer towards the sky, after having walked under various circles of shadows. At first, I suspected there to be clouds, only for it to be dissuaded when I found the skies to be clear. Up into the sky, and down below were other floating islands, all of varying sizes.
One of the islands I had discovered, had a silhouette of some sort of figure, a statue perhaps? Whatever the case, since I had no inkling of its origins, nor wasn't sure if I would ever see it up close, I decided to forget about it for now. As it was though, since there wasn't much else of interest, I began searching for a way out of this place. I suspected the four pedestals was related to my departure, but I wasn't sure what they could do. As such, I walked over to the pedestals and held my left hand out.
Placing a palm on the very far left pedestal, I watched as it glowed a bright green as lines began trailing down to the floor. Once it touched the ground, a single line streaked towards the empty clearing in the middle of the island. It stopped several feet away from the center, before splitting in two, curving around the clearing until it rejoined together, having created a green outline, surrounding the clearing.
Upon lifting my hand off the pedestal, I watched, eyes widened as the island began to shudder. Walking around the pedestals and towards the clearing, I watched as cracks formed from the center, before reaching towards the green outline. As it did so, the now loose stone rose upwards as though defying gravity. By the time the cracks had reached the outline, the majority of the clearing was floating upwards, as a sudden wind burst forth from the hole. The wind was initially simply strong, but after a few moments, it was a swirling mass of green, resembling a tornado being formed.
The loose stone swirled around the tornado, high enough so it wouldn't cause me any harm, but low enough that I may enjoy the view. Though I was close enough to the tornado, I felt only a gentle breeze from the natural phenomenon. As I did this, I heard a sudden swooshing sound, and peered down from the tornado, finding that a whirlpool was being formed. At the very bottom, a white glowing light was revealed. As if consumed by instinct, my body took a stance, one commonly used when about to sprint forward. A split second later, I was off, running towards the edge, and jumping into the tornado.
As I was in the middle of the tornado, I began to descend towards the whirlpool and the white light. When I neared said light, I was suddenly overcome with a mixture of drowsiness, and refreshment. Soon enough, my vision began to fade.
()()()
I calmly opened my eyes, blinking at the ceiling as I awoke. I wondered when I had made it to my room when I remembered the events the night before. I tried to move, only to realize something, or rather someone had latched themselves onto my arm. Looking down, I found Reflet sleeping peacefully, as she snuggled into my arm...I wasn't sure what to think about this. As such, I tried to slowly but surely wiggle my arm out of her grip. Thankfully she wasn't gripping my arm tightly, lest I suffer from a sore arm, so it wasn't so difficult to free myself.
Getting to my feet, I heard a small noise, and looked back to the bed, finding Mari stretching as she awoke. Seeing her made me realize I hadn't spent much time with her ever since I had joined the Shepherds. I then remembered something as well; even though I had joined the Shepherds, I still haven't officially joined. Apparently if you were to join a group, most tended to have a contract, otherwise, they wouldn't be paid for their service.
With these thoughts, I made two goals for the day. The first was to draw up a contract, the second was to spend some quality time with Mari, though if I knew Lissa, she would soon take her from me, and spend the rest of her evening with the wolf pup. If that happened, then I suppose there wasn't much I could do. I didn't really want to deal with the young woman since she reminded me too much of my former teacher.
Leaning back, I picked up the still half-asleep wolf pup and placed her atop my head. The moment I heard the pup yawn, I could only sweatdrop as the pup fell back asleep. Silently chuckling to myself, I quietly opened the door, and left, closing the door just as quietly. Now that I was in the hallway, I walked down the hall, hoping to find the stairs so I could find the mess hall. As I did though, I came upon a familiar maid.
Clio, the maid who had lent me the kitchen the day before was wiping one of the windows with a rag. As I approached, she glanced at me, nodding at me respectfully.
"Good morning milord." She spoke, her tone rather similar to a certain knight that I knew. I nodded back. "Ah Clio, a good morning as well," I responded back as her eyes widened slightly.
"You remembered my name." She stated as if expecting me not to. "Of course. Did you expect otherwise?" I asked. She stopped cleaning the window, instead opting to face me.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. It isn't common for nobility to remember the names of their servants." She said as she sighed, closing her eyes as she did. "As I said the day before, I'm not a noble," I said, patting Mari's head as she slept.
"And as I had stated the day before, it doesn't matter what you say, you will always be a noble in my eyes. The noblest in fact." She said casually as she opened her eyes, smiling at the ground, a hint of a blush appearing on her cheeks.
"I see...I am curious about something though." I said as I raised a finger to my chin. She looked up, glancing at me curiously. "And that is?" She asked. I shrugged.
"What exactly did I do to gain such respect from you?" I asked. She blinked before giggling into a hand. "I suspected that you wouldn't know. I was born in Southtown." Simply by stating that did I realize what she was speaking of.
"Your family," I stated as she nodded, giving me a thankful smile. "My mother sent me a letter, speaking of a selfless thief, risking his life to save their lives. She spoke highly of his noble actions, and from what I've seen so far, I find myself agreeing." She said as I began to blush embarrassed. I didn't realize helping the townsmen of Southtown would lead to such an outcome.
"Really? I didn't do it by myself though. There were the others helping as well." I said, scratching the back of my head. She giggled once more as she looked at me. "Humble as well." I couldn't find any more energy to try and retort as my stomach made its discontent known.
"Ah, it's just about time for breakfast. Would you like for me to guide you to the mess hall?" She asked, slightly tilting her head. I nodded, too embarrassed to speak. She placed the rag on the windowsill before slightly bowing to me as she walked down the hall. I followed shortly after.
()()()
Upon entering the mess hall, Clio guided me to the kitchen as no one seemed to be awake yet. She walked up to the kitchen door and pulled out a key. Unlocking the door, she opened it and walked inside. Following after her, I closed the door as I walked over to the crates, where the provisions were stored. As I sifted through the contents of the crates, I heard Clio begin humming. Glancing over, I found her already preparing some food as she cracked a few eggs. After finally finding what I was looking for, I walked over to the kitchen fire.
The kitchen fire was, in fact, a giant campfire with a spit atop. Grabbing a small pot, I placed its handles on the spit hooks and filled it with water. Lighting the fire with a flint, which took several tries to start, I walked over to the counter. Placing the items I had taken from the crates, several apples and cinnamon, I grabbed a knife. Picking up an apple, I began skinning the apple, until only the fruity insides the skinned apple in half, I began cutting the core and seeds out, I placed it onto a plate that Clio had placed without looking.
Repeating my actions with the rest of the apples, I soon had a pile of apple skins and a plate of apple slices. I moved to pick up a slice when I heard a yawn. Blinking, I suddenly remembered on who was sleeping atop my head. Without looking, I offered the apple slice to the now awake Mari, who began eating cheerfully. Setting the pup on the counter, I then remembered about the water that I had left to boil over the fire. Grabbing a pair of cloth likely made for picking up heated cooking tools, I walked over to the fire, finding only a few embers remaining.
I carefully picked up the pot so I wouldn't accidentally burn myself, and walked back to the counter. Clio was pulling out a pan and a wooden spatula as I placed the pot down. I then looked under the counter, searching for a teapot.
"Clio, is there a teapot down here?" I asked. A second later, the maid was next to me, helping me search for the item in question. "I believe so milord. If I remember correctly, it should be around...ah hah, I have found it." Clio said, pulling out a teapot, possibly made of porcelain though I wasn't sure.
"Thank you, Clio." I said as I took the item and placed it next to the pot. Opening the lid, I dropped the apple slices and cinnamon into the teapot, before pouring the still boiling water into it. Closing the lid, I let it sit while I walked over to the crates once more. Pulling out some rather clean tomatoes, potatoes, and green onions, I began to chop them with a cutting knife I found on the counter. While it was true I could've used [Crafting] to have made my task easier, I found it was more of a stress-reliever for me in the morning. Something about cooking in the morning simply appealed to me.
()()()
Clio had taken out some eggs and was going to make poached eggs with bread on the side. I say was because I had suggested making something else, like an omelet. I was shocked when she had voiced her confusion over the subject of the dish. As a result, I began teaching her the recipe and the best way to prepare and serve an omelet. Half an hour later, she was proudly serving delicious omelet's filled with sliced tomatoes, potatoes, and green onion. We had made plenty of the dish, so after placing them onto about two dozen plates, they were ready to be served.
Clio soon excused herself, having needed to attend to her other duties. Glancing at the dishes, I idly opened my [Inventory] and began to slowly store away half of the meals. The interior of my pocket dimension had changed into what seemed to be a storage room, where its back wall never ended, nor appear. The walls were covered with shelves, chests, crates, barrels, boxes, racks and other containers while the middle was covered with tables.
Another thing I found rather convenient about [Inventory] was that it would automatically store the items in the appropriate container, or table in this case. Though I say it was convenient, it wasn't really such a case. If I wanted to move a table, or container so I could store a large object, I would be unable to as the containers and tables were unmovable, no matter what I tried to do to move them. This means I was restricted to the types of items I could store, though I wasn't sure what exactly I couldn't store in the first place.
After closing [Inventory], I lifted the lid of the teapot, taking a whiff of the smell came from the opening. Satisfied with the smell and heat, I placed the lid back on, before pulling out a rather large tray. Placing the dishes onto the tray, I briefly opened [Inventory] once more so I could place the teapot along with a stack of teacups before closing it and exiting the kitchen, holding onto the tray as I did.
As I left the kitchen, I found Chrom and Lissa already seated and were in a discussion. Walking over to the two, I used my free hand to place a plate in front of the two, gaining their attention.
"Ah, Lux. A pleasant morning isn't it?" Chrom greeted. I nodded as Mari yipped, trying to get onto a free seat. Once she managed to do so, she leaped onto the table and walked towards Lissa who patted her head.
"Indeed, a good night of sleep has done wonders for my body." I replied as I set the tray down."...Wasn't that because of my heal staff?" Lissa asked as she stabbed her fork into the omelet. While the two ate their meals, rather quickly after Lissa had audibly revealed how much she enjoyed the taste, I silently pulled out a teacup and filled it with some of the recently brewed apple and cinnamon tea. After setting the cup down next to Chrom, I repeated my actions for Lissa, all while the two ate their meals, not noticing my actions.
At some point, the other Shepherds began to slowly trickle in. As I did with the two siblings, I readily served the others their breakfasts as well as pouring them a cup of tea. I was actually beginning to think that my action of pulling teacups from thin air wouldn't be seen until...
"Hey Lux, how are you doing that?" Stahl asked, breaking the one quiet atmosphere. I blinked at him, silently asking him to elaborate. " I meant, where are you getting those teacups from?" He asked once more, gaining the attention of everyone, even Reflet who had just entered the mess hall. I stared at him, before glancing at everyone. After staying still for what seemed like minutes, despite it only being seconds, I finally moved.
Reaching behind my back, blocking any viewing glances, I pulled out a teacup and poured some tea into it. "What're you going on about?" I asked as I casually took a sip from the cup. As I did this, I put away the teapot and continued casually sipping from the cup as I closed my eyes to savor the taste. I heard multiple thuds while I did, so I opened my eyes only to find most of the males to have fallen off their seats. Pfft.
()()()
After the event that had happened in the mess hall was done, I had made my way over to the entrance of the shepherds Garrison. I wanted to bring Mari with me to the market but after taking a whiff of her scent, I had asked a maid if she could clean the pup, one the maid agreed to. Speaking of maids, for some reason, the only servants in this building were maids, no butlers of any sort. I wasn't sure what to think of this but chose not to wonder about this topic any longer. Perhaps I could ask Clio about this matter later.
As I approached the entrance of the building, I found Reflet, looking outside with an uncertain look.
"Good morning Reflet." I greeted, as I shifted my hood, having picked up my armor from her room after breakfast. She flinched, before hesitantly turning around to face me. I raised an eyebrow at her reaction. Leaning forward as her face gained an extremely visible blush, I glanced at her face.
"Is something the matter?" I asked. Was she ill? Did she have a fever?
"A-Ah u-um, no nothing. N-nothing's wrong." She stuttered out. I still had my eyebrow raised as I leaned back. "I see." I said, not sure what to say. We stayed like this until she finally broke it.
"Ah! Lux, are you going somewhere today?" She asked. I nodded, before shifting my armor into a more comfortable position. "Yes, I was hoping to buy new armor, and a few other materials." I said. For some odd reason, Reflet suddenly became delighted.
"What a coincidence, I was going there as well. D-do you mind if I accompany you?" She asked, her tone slightly quivering. I lowered my eyebrow and held a finger to my chin in thought.
"...I don't see why not." I said as her smile grew.
()()()
As we walked down the street that would take us to the market, the two of us encountered an odd sight, that being Vaike who was being scolded by the mage, Miriel I believe her name to be. The two of us passed them as the redheaded woman berated the half-naked man about something relating to weapons. Whatever the case, we arrived at the market, its streets bustling as men and women went about their day, kids rushing between their legs.
The day, despite being nice and sunny out was a bit chilled, so I had my cloak on, the hood providing a bit of warmth. As we walked down one of the streets, we passed several noticeable figures, like Sumia who was examining several flowers that were put up on display by a florist. Another was Virion who was in a conversation with a man who was dressed similarly to him.
As we passed by several shops, each selling unique objects that I would otherwise not find back home. Such items included tomes, staves, armor, and other such equipment. We also passed by several bakeries and even one of those pawn shops. There was one place I found interesting though; a rather nondescript building found between a clothing store and a stable of sorts.
Earlier, Reflet had separated from me, having found a store that sold equipment exclusively for mages like herself. Entering the building, I found myself in a room filled with weapons of all lengths and sizes. Near the back of the room was a large forge where a familiar redhead was hammering away at a heated metal. As I approached her, said woman looked up, noticing me.
"Eh?" She muttered as I approached. "Greetings," I said, stopping in front of her. She blinked at me owlishly before letting out a yell.
"You're the one that left me behind!" She said angrily. I blinked, before letting out a brief sheepish "Ahah..." as I looked to the side. She huffed at my response as she placed her hammer on her shoulder, her free hand on her hip, the heated metal having been put into a bucket of water to cool down.
"So? What do you want?" She said annoyed, her anger dissipating almost immediately. I blinked at her change of emotion. "I would have thought you'd still be angry." I said, getting a look from her.
"I would be but I can't fault you for what you did. Most tend to shy away from me when I speak. My sisters say that when I speak, I end up looking like some sort of...What?" She stopped when I held a hand up. As she was explaining herself, she was slowly becoming more and more sullen.
"You can stop. I understand." I stated, making her sigh relieved. Using a clamp to pick up the now cooled meta, she lifted it and placed it back into her forge, heating up the metal. As she did so, she glanced back at me.
"So? What is it you need from me?" She asked as she moved the heated metal back to her anvil where she began pounding it once more.
"I'm in need of weapons, knives to be precise." I clarified when she raised an eyebrow. She pounded the heated metal a few more times, before placing it back into the bucket of water. Putting her hammer down, she walked over to an iron table, and placed both hands on it, gazing down at it.
"And what do you need knives for? What kind do you need for that matter?" She asked, before pulling out a waterskin and began to drink from it. I stayed in place as I thought about it. What did I need them for anyway? Ah right, those bone knives I saw in the [Crafting] recipe book. I looked around her shop as I thought of something to say.
"I need knives that can be used to block larger weapons but can be thrown as well. Do you have spare paper and a brush?" I said as I glanced at her. She wordlessly pointed near one of the weapon racks where a crate laid. Prying open the container, I found multiple wrapped bundles, likely paper and several dozen bottles of black ink and several brushes. Pulling out one of the bundles, a few ink bottles, and a few brushes, I closed the crate and brought them over to a cleared table.
Pulling out a sheet of hemp paper, as Anna had confirmed for me, I opened a bottle of ink and dipped one of the thinner and smaller brushes into it. Lifting up the brush, I began to sketch the picture of the [Bone Knife] from the [Crafting] recipe book. Once I finished the sketch, I lightly began to write on it, drawing a line for each part of the knife. Once finished, I placed the brush down, away from the paper and stepped to the side so Anna could have a better look.
Anna held a hand to her chin and examined my sketch, eyes narrowed. After a few minutes of waiting, she looked up with a strange look on her face.
"Your drawing is rather good, but...What is this writing?" She asked, hovering a finger over one of the writings I had put down. I looked down, and after a moment glanced at her confused.
"What are you talking about? This here is explaining what function the blade has. This one over here explains the reason for its width." I said pointing at various lines, each connected to a part of the knife sketch. She glanced back to the sketch before giving me a look.
"...Where did you learn this handwriting from? It looks Valmish." She asked. I glanced down at my handwriting. It looked normal enough so I looked back to her, not understanding. She didn't seem to understand so the two of us simply looked at eachother awkwardly. Eventually, I got tired of the silence and coughed.
"Perhaps, it would be better if I explained it verbally." I spoke, as she nodded. "That would be best I suppose."
()()()
Exiting the forge, I moved towards the store I had seen Reflet enter. Back in the forge, I had gained a contract with Anna. In exchange for a promise of being her sole contractor, she would craft any weapon I desire or would craft a specific weapon via any blueprints I sent her. Should she have run out of the materials needed to construct such weapons, I was responsible for procuring the needed material, or supplying the money needed to order such material.
As an act of goodwill, Anna had taken the blueprint of the [Bone Knife] recipe and had constructed a dozen of the weapons, all made from leftover iron and a bit of leather. She had also sold me several knives sheathes, all that can be easily sown onto my armor, having tiny holes provided for the eventual task.
Glancing around, I found the tactician holding up a sword, a steel one I think. She was doing a few practice swings before nodding to herself. She pulled out a bag of coin, to the merchant who accepted it readily. Sheathing her new sword to her side, she turned away from the merchant and walked off. I wordlessly walked up to her, out of her line-of-sight.
As we traveled down the road, we chanced upon Chrom and Vaike who seemed to be negotiating with a burly man. The said man was speaking with a gruff tone as he placed a large wood plank on his shoulder. We were too far away from them to hear what they were talking about, but I figure, perhaps their conversation had something to do with construction.
Finishing this thought, I noticed the setting sun and realized just how long we were out in the market.
"Should we return to the Garrison?" I asked Reflet. The woman in question glanced at me, before freezing in shock.
"H-how long were you there?" She asked, still shocked. I blinked, before glancing upwards, humming in thought. "Since you got that sword I think..." I wondered as her cheeks gained a slight red hue. She looked down, as I glanced back at her, waiting for her response. My mouth quirked up into a smile as a faint wisp of steam emitted from her head.
After what seemed to be minutes, she looked back up, a slight blush visible.
"Yeah, let's go..." She trailed off, as she looked away, trying to look at anywhere but me. Amused, I couldn't help but try to enter her eyesight, making her glance around even more frantically. In the end, she may have gotten to embarrassed as a visible cloud of steam flew from her ears as her face turned pink. She clamped her hands onto here hood and frantically pulled it up, covering everything but her mouth.
She then sprinted off, forcing me to run after her. I couldn't help but chuckle though, her actions being entertaining for me. As I chased after her comedic trail of smoke yelling apologies, I couldn't help but wonder...
()()()
When we were halfway back to the Garrison, Reflet had finally slowed down, still clutching her hood, likely still clutching her hood, likely still embarrassed. Stopping a few feet behind her to catch my breath, I couldn't help but scratch my cheek sheepishly. For some reason, I felt her embarrassment to be my fault. After catching my breath, I slowly caught back up to her, still smiling sheepishly.
"Once more, sorry for troubling you." I said as she muttered something. I ask her to repeat herself, feeling that she would run off again, so I stayed silent. Glancing forward, I noted we were almost back to the Garrison, being only a few yards or so.
"h, it seems we are back." I muttered as Reflet released her grip on her hood, letting her arms fall limp. I was about to bid Reflet a good evening when I heard her speak softly.
"Wo... yo... per...ps acco...y me th.. e mark... a...in on... day...?" She spoke, not making any sense. When I didn't speak, she glanced over to me, noticing my confused grimace. She took a breath, repeating her sentence, this one being, unfortunately, quieter than before. Being unable to comprehend what she was saying, I sighed.
"I can't understand a word your saying." I said getting a startled glance from my companion. She sighed, possibly to herself before taking a deep breath.
"Could You Possibly Come With Me Again?" She said aloud, before hastily covering her mouth with both hands. I stared at her blankly, not really understanding, before coming to a conclusion. As I did, I noted that the only part of her face, her mouth, was becoming a rather dark shade of red.
"So...Like an activity?" I asked as her skin tone turned a startling shade of white. She shuddered in place, moving her arms similar to a robot before stilling. She suddenly slammed a fist into her palm.
"Ah! Right! An Activity! Right...right..." Her tone ended sullenly as she slumped in place. She then turned and slowly walked away, heading into the Garrison. I couldn't help but wonder, did she mean something else?
After pondering on her actions for a bit, I finally moved, heading into the Garrison as well.
()()()
Standing across from Stahl, the two of us were situated in the courtyard, both holding a wooden sword. Said sword resembled two pieces of wood, one longer than the other, tied together with a piece of rope.
Holding my sword in my right hand, I tensed, watching for any sudden movement that my opponent may attempt. Stahl meanwhile, held his sword forward, both hands gripping the sword as he hunched slightly forward. Watching our spar were Chrom, Vaike, Lissa, Sully, and Frederick. The latter was also the referee as he raised his armored hand into the air. After a few moments, he swung his hand down, signaling the start of the match.
Leaning forward, I sprinted forward, holding my sword to my side as I rushed towards the swordsman. Stahl tensed in place, trying to gauge my attack. Once I was near, I swung my sword at him, watching as he moved to block the attack. Unfortunately for him, my attack was actually a feint, as I paused mid-swing and jumped to the left. I then swung, whacking the wooden sword onto his side, getting a wince from the man. As soon as my attack ended, I jumped back, far away enough that he wouldn't be able to reach me without moving.
Watching me warily, Stahl released his right hand to touch the area I had hit him. Considering how the swords were really just blunted sticks, I figured it didn't really hurt. My thoughts were right as after rubbing the spot a few times, he gripped his sword once more. I held my sword at various angles, every few seconds. I waited for Stahl to finally lose patience and take action.
Fortunately, that didn't take long as what I believe to be a minute later, the man rushed forward, sword held high as he yelled a battle cry. I stayed silent as I barely dodged to the side, leaping back when he tried a lunging stab at me. The moment I landed on my feet, I took action, not giving Stahl enough time to regain his balance. Swinging at the man, I managed to land three hits, all on his right arm, before having to jump back to avoid being hit.
Stahl was beginning to become impatient and sloppy I believe as he hadn't managed to land a hit on me yet. This showed as he rushed at me again, swinging before he reached me, wasting energy as he did. Grinning as I dodged his sloppy strikes, I held my foot out, tripping him, and making him fall to the ground, face first. Smiling, I held my sword down, right at the back of his head.
"Yield." I said easily. Stahl froze from where he tried to stand, before letting out a weak chuckle. "I yield." He said, getting to his feet as I held my sword away from him. Hearing clapping, I turned, finding Lissa and Chrom clapping amused. Vaike and Sully, on the other hand, looked really interested in the result of the battle, though I wasn't sure I liked the looks they were giving me. Frederick, of course, didn't seem impressed, though he didn't look disappointed either.
"Good job Lux, you as well Stahl." Chrom praised the two fo us, though only Stahl seemed pleased. He then offered to spar with me, though I immediately refused.
"Chrom, if I was to spar with you, I believe I'd find myself beaten in less than a heartbeat." I said, getting a laugh from the blunette. As the man walked away, Stahl and I moved to put away our training weapons. Once we did so, the two of us bid the other a nice day before splitting up. As I began to move into another room, I heard a cough behind myself. Turning, I found Lissa smiling at me.
"Hey there, Lux." She greeted cheerfully.
"Do you need anything Lissa?" I asked as she nodded.
"You sound like you wish to ask me a favor." I said, getting a raised eyebrow from her.
"I never said anything about a favor though." She said, as I hummed.
"Your tone implied it." I spoke, before closing my eyes in thought. After a moment, I opened them.
"Would you like to discuss whatever over tea?" I asked, pulling out a teapot from my back.
()()()
"You need to teach me that one day." Lissa said as we drank our tea. Placing my cup down next to a slice of cake that one of the many maids given us, I rested my chin on a hand.
"Do you want to clarify?" I asked easily as she pouted.
"I meant the pulling objects from thin air." She elaborated as I hummed in response.
"If I told you, I'd have to marry you." I said smiling, as she began to splutter. I chuckled at her response.
"I was joking by the way." I said as she frowned. Closing her eyes, she tea pouting as she did. The moment she gulped down her food, her eyes widened almost dramatically.
"Wait! You never answered the question!" She all but shouted. I blinked as I calmly sipped my tea.
"I didn't? Ah, well...I'll tell you another day." I replied getting an angry frown from her. Glancing down at her untouched cake, I pointed at it.
"Are you going to eat that?" I asked as she slapped away my hand. She almost immediately stabbed her fork into her cake and began to eat it. Chuckling, I did the same with my own cake.
()()()
Since the cook had returned, dinner was already finished by the time I entered the mess hall. I was going to find a seat, when I noticed Clio waving for me. Walking over, I found her holding up a plate.
"Would milord be willing to pass out dinner for us?" She asked. I smiled at her, before nodding. She smiled back as she placed the plate back down, before pulling out a tray, its contents being plates of what seemed to be steak. Picking up the tray, I walked towards the tables, passing everyone a plate. There were utensils already distributed, which explained why I wasn't given any to pass out. After handing the last plate to Kellam who thanked me readily, I walked back to the counter, handing one of the maids, the now empty tray.
Thanking me, the maid took the tray, and moved away, likely to help the rest of the staff. A moment later, Clio appeared once more.
"Thank you, milord." She said as she handed me my dinner, a well-done steak. Smiling, I nodded my head. "I thank you as well." I said drawing a smile from the maid. Walking to my seat, at the edge of one of the tables, I began to dig into my meal.
()()()
With the day ending, I moved to my room, slowly heading up the stairs to the second floor. As I reached the last step, I heard my name being called, and turned, to find Reflet hurrying towards me. Waiting for her, I took the last step, before turning to face her completely.
"Did you need anything?" I asked as she smiled at me.
"Could you help me tomorrow?" She asked me. I raised an eyebrow confused.
"With? Also, couldn't you have asked me tomorrow?" I asked her. If anything, her smile grew.
"Come find out tomorrow, and also, I could've, but what if you went somewhere, then I wouldn't be able to find you." She responded. I was unable to find any flaw in her logic.
"True. Alright, I'll come." I said. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but I thought I heard Reflet say 'yes' happily. I then heard her make a sound.
"Is your room also on the second floor?" She asked me. I blinked, before nodding.
"Yes, it is. It's actually next to your office." I informed her, making her blink.
"Huh, who'd have thought." She muttered. I didn't comment as I looked away for a moment. Looking back at her, I gave her a smile. Unbeknownst to myself, I was coincidentally standing to an open window, the moonlight shining down on me.
"Well, have a pleasant night Reflet." I said as she lightly blushed for some reason.
"Y-yeah, you too Lux." She spoke before I moved to my room. Opening the door, I entered my room, it having a bed, a desk and chair, and a table in the middle of the room. As I moved to my bed, I suddenly realized something.
Where was Mari?
Done.
I do hope you enjoyed this chapter.
My apologies for the long delay, but I was trying to extend the chapter as much as possible, without actually straying from the original contents. Though it took a while, I managed to extend the original content from 4,059 words to 6,721.
I removed the original dreamscape as I found it served no relevant role in the story. Besides appearing once, it was replaced by another mindscape a few chapters later. The new mindscape I have replaced it with will remain, adding more and more detail as the story goes on.
I added the Warrior Anna that originally appeared in Sengoku as a blacksmith. If any was wondering if she was a possible marriage candidate then, my apologies, but she was intended for another role.
Speaking of which, there are actually several candidates that Shen/Lux could possibly marry, they being;
{Reflet} An amnesiac tactician who is capable of using both magic and swords.
{Clio} A maid who works in the Shepherds Garrison.
{?}
{?}
If you've read any of my previous in-completed stories, and seen my previous polls, then it is likely you know who the other marriage candidates are. If not, then you'll find out later on.
{Decision} This will determine Shen's path in the future.
Pick 1;
{Earth Lord} Combining various runes/kanji, Shen learns the imprint such writing onto the earth itself, constructing a virtual army at his command.
[Stone Warrior] Animated statues based off of samurais. These golems carry two katanas', a bow & quiver, and a spear.
[Stone Giant] Giant animated statues based off of samurais. These golems carry two katanas', a great bow & quiver, and a zanbato.
[Hwacha] A siege weapon that can fire up to two hundred firework-propelled spears.
[Stone Claws] Shen focuses on unarmed combat, encasing his hands with earth, forming stone claws.
{Mastermind} Honing his stealth, Shen lies in the shadows, while also learning how to imprint runes/kanji onto wood, constructing an army at his disposal.
[Puppet] Wooden golems based off of mannequins. Their limbs are imprinted with various runes/kanji making them lightweight, durable and fireproof.
[Bodyguard] Puppets who have been upgraded with various runes/kanji, making them immune to wind and lightning, while also being able to cast said elements. They also have regeneration and carry double-sided spears and dual swords.
[Siege Tower] Mobile towers made from wood, these towers are used to house soldiers who upon connecting with the enemy wall, will drop a bridge from the top, allowing the soldiers to do battle.
[Cane Sword] Shen focuses on one-handed combat, carrying a cane sword, with its blade being enchanted to never rust, and to always be sharpened.
{Shadow Blade} After training, and advancing to an assassin, he imprints runes/kanji onto himself, giving himself an edge in the battle as he cuts down all enemies in his path.
[Shadow Haven] Shen hides in his target's shadow.
[Shadow Dimension] Shen enters an alternate dimension, invisible and unable to be interacted with to all, but still capable of interacting with the world.
[Wolf Rider] After training Mari to fight, Shen rides Mari, who displays superior senses compared to a horse, and can release a howl that instills courage within allies and terror within enemies.
[Stiletto Knife] Shen carries a unique stiletto knife made from an unknown metal. It is capable of ignoring armor, piercing through it like butter.
{Druid} Learning the arts of healing from his comrades, Shen delves into the study of runes/kanji, learning how to use them to take the form of various creatures.
[Healing Magic] Imprinting runes/kanji on his hands, Shen is able to directly heal his target, without using a heal staff.
[Changeling] Shen is capable of taking the form of the following creatures;
(Bear)-A humanoid bear with runes/kanji inscribed onto it. It has twice the strength of a bear and the ability to absorb lightning into its fur, increasing its defense.
(Falcon)-A humanoid bird with runes/kanji inscribed onto it. It has twice the speed of a falcon and the ability to fire the feathers on its body like an arrow.
(Shark)-A humanoid shark with runes/kanji inscribed onto it. Its senses are twice of that of a shark and the ability to fire compressed water bullets from its mouth.
(Deer)-A humanoid with the lower body of a deer and has its antlers. It has twice the stamina and speed of a deer.
(Beetle)-A humanoid beetle covered with carapace. It is able to shed its exoskeleton, creating a sort of clone and can crush stone easily.
(Chameleon)-A humanoid with the ability to become invisible.
[Mobile Wall] A wooden wall attached to wheels. It is made of three layers; wood-stone-wood. It covers both the top and sides of the one using the wall.
[Battlestaff] A wooden staff with iron ends. The iron is enchanted to cast a stunning imprint on the target.
{Alchemist} Partially giving up the life of war, Shen takes up the profession of an alchemist.
[Alchemy] Besides learning how to concoct potions, Shen has learned to create four unique potions, ones only he knows how to make;
(Bottled Rage) A glass bottle containing an orange liquid, one that bolsters one's defense in exchange by making them go berserk.
(Mana Battery) A glass bottle containing a maroon liquid, one that vastly increases one's mana regeneration in exchange by increasing their sensitivity by a large margin.
(Cell Rebirth) A glass bottle containing a black liquid, one that revives the recently deceased by reviving their cells, however, they must only be dead for less than ten minutes.
(Mute Senses) A glass bottle containing a pink liquid, one that removes all senses from the target.
[Homunculus] After studying runes/kanji, Shen learns how to imprint them onto his concoctions, inadvertently making artificial life.
[Battering Ram] A large wooden ram attached to wheels. Its head is down as though it is to ram into something. Runes/kanji are inscribed onto its head, giving it the ability to combust upon contact.
[Unstable Potions] Shen uses failed, or unstable potions that have varying effects, such as explosions, blindness, and so forth.
{Gravekeeper} After taking upon the task of burying the victims from the war, Shen takes upon the role of the gravekeeper, the one who guards the dead.
[Tombstone] Inscribing runes/kanji onto varying carved tombstones, each have varying effects;
(Cross Tombstone) A tombstone in the shape of a cross. It causes any undead to fall down dead once more.
(Sword Tombstone) A tombstone in the shape of a sword. It gives off a slight empowering feeling to those around it.
(Nature Tombstone) A round tombstone with carvings of flowers and trees on it. It gives off a slight healing effect on any living being in the area.
[Pitfalls] With his enchanted shovel, with a tap on the ground, Shen can instantly create pitfalls.
[Reanimation Prevention Rune/Kanji] A unique rune/kanji that is written on paper. When said paper is planted on a body, it prevents it from being reanimated. It also works on Risen, as they are categorized as the undead.
[Shovel] A shovel with runes/kanji inscribed onto it. It is enchanted so it can cut through stone easily, and can absorb magic to repair itself.
{Grimleal} Defecting to Plegia, Shen is taught the religion of Grima and taught the dark arts.
[Dark Magic] After studying much of the dark arts, Shen developed his own branch of dark magic; bone magic.
[Risen] Shen learns how to condense his magic, turning it into a purple miasma that merges with a corpse, transforming it into a Risen.
[Bone Walker] A walking goliath made from the bones of both humans and animals. Immune to magic, these abominations are only weak to blunt attacks.
[Waste] A dark tome that covers the target(s) in a dense cloud of wretched darkness.
{Gangrel's Elite} After defecting to Plegia, Shen eventually gains the trust of Gangrel, who appoints him as one of his personal guards.
[Living Armor] Imprinting various runes/kanji on pieces of armor, Shen creates a small army at his command.
[Wyvern] After accumulating various achievements, Shen is given a wyvern of his own.
[Guerilla Warfare] Shen introduces the art of hit-and-run tactics.
[Plegian Spear] A unique spear is given to Shen who imprints runes/kanji onto it. It is given the ability to carve through iron easily and is able to repair itself by absorbing the iron found on armor/weapons, giving said equipment rust in the process.
{Tengu} Visiting Virion in Valm, Shen becomes involved with the rebellion, using his knowledge of runes/kanji to even the field.
[Flight] Using paper, Shen is able to create makeshift wings, giving him temporary flight.
[Lightning Magic] Imprinting runes/kanji onto his arms, Shen is capable of firing bolts of lightning from his hands.
[Wind Magic] Imprinting runes/kanji onto his arms, Shen is capable of launching wind arcs by swinging his hands.
[Lightning Spear] A jagged spear similar to the Levin Sword, Shen can shoot lightning from its blade every few seconds.
{Reluctant Guard} Helping in the rebellion, Shen is separated from the Shepherds and is forced into an honor-bound duel. Losing in said battle, he serves the victor, Yen'fey.
[Lightning Blade] Using lightning, Shen increases his reaction speed, making his attacks become seemingly like a blur.
[Tornado Blade] Using wind, Shen encases his blade with wind, allowing him to cut through virtually any metal.
[Shield Sheath] A metal sheath that has a unique function, allowing it to extend itself into a shield.
[Katana] An ordinary steel katana inscribed with runes/kanji that allows it to cut through stone easily and can absorb blows to repair itself.
As the story continues on, many paths may appear, but for now, these are the possible futures Shen could embark on.
As it is, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will see you in the next one.