Disclaimer: Chain Chronicle is the property of GUMI and SEGA. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only characters so far that are of my own are Nova and Erin.

A/N: This chapter includes a spoiler from the end of Chapter 2 in game.


Town of Fortitude

I was surrounded by monsters. They were black with gleaming red eyes. Some towered above the rest and were covered in thick fur with long claws. Others wore robes and that hid everything except for their glowing eyes. The majority wore armor and were equipped with weapons from axes to bows. They had pinched in faces and drooping jowls accompanied by a reptilian sheen.

A multitude of lights- red, blue, purple, orange- blasted their ranks, sending the creatures into a scurrying panic. I felt the need to chase- to hunt them. Green aura hovered above my skin and covered me in light. Power flooded through my body along with a rage I didn't know I was capable of feeling.

Why am I so angry? My body was shaking and my vision was blurring into darkness. Please stop! This isn't me! The scene changed and the light dissipated.

I was standing in a burned village. It was silent. All that was left were the charred foundations of homes. The air was stale and humid as if the land were a sealed off room. The steel of broken swords and shattered axes glinted in the sun. Chipped arrowheads were scattered like birdseed in the ash. Clawed footprints smothered those of human origin and dominated the terrain.

My heart clenched, sending hollow pangs through my body. They rumbled through my lungs and I couldn't breathe. I fell to my knees. My hand clutched at my throat as I tried to force air into my lungs. A wail erupted from my lungs and echoed in the mute village. A tear fell onto my hand and rolled down my arm. More tears came until they were cascading on everything in front of me.

What's going on? Where am I? What were those things?

A hand touched my shoulder.

I launched myself up and swung my arms. The back of my hand cracked against flesh and there was a thump. My eyes met with orange eyes and I could feel cool air touching my back. My hands shot to my shoulders and my fingertips brushed bare skin. I snatched the fabric underneath me and covered my back.

"Hey! What was that for?" The owner of the orange eyes rose from the wooden floor, rubbing her rump. She looked vaguely familiar, but my frazzled brain couldn't connect the dots. "Huh? Hey, what's wrong?" She took a step towards me.

"INDOU!" I shrieked, tightening the fabric around me. "HELP!"

"Wait! Don't-"

A door slammed open. A silver-haired male clung on to Indou as the ogre dragged him across the room. The girl stepped aside as he bore down on her. A large purple bruise was painted on his left cheek. Before I could ask him what happened he was wiping my face with a clumsy hand.

I could feel the salty residue of tears weighing on my skin. Pulling away from Indou I rubbed my eyes with my hands. Rough fabric scraped against my cheeks and I noticed that my hands were bandaged. "I-I'm sorry. I'm fine."

Indou's eyebrows creased together.

"What happened to your face?"

He tilted his head, "You don't remember?"

"Did that assassin bastard do it? I'm gonna wring that guy's neck."

"You did."

I stared at him. What did he just say? "What?"

"You punched me."

I opened my mouth and closed it as I tried to remember. The last coherent memory I had was the assassin with an arrow in his back. "I-I don't remember that at all! Why would I do such thing? Indou, I would never try to hurt you."

He made to grip my shoulders, but his hands froze and withdrew, "I know."

"Wait, wait, wait! Before we get into this we should let Nova change and get her something to eat," the girl interjected.

Indou hesitated for a moment and nodded. He grabbed the collar of the man beside him and hauled him out of the room.

"Hey! Let me go darn it! I can walk on my own!" The man protested as Indou shut the door.

The girl walked over to a dresser and pulled my clothes out of a drawer. She handed them to me and turned her back. I eyed her for a while to make sure that she wasn't watching me from the corner of her eye. When I was satisfied I slowly dropped the sheet and stood up from the bed. A lightweight nightgown followed with me.

"How'd I get in this?" I murmured to myself, rubbing the fabric between my fingers.

"I changed you."

"WHAT!?"

"Hey! Shh! Not so loud. Do you want Indou and the Commander to burst in while you're changing?"

"N-no! But- But… That's so embarrassing."

"I guess," she shrugged, "You get used to it when you've done it as much as I have. I've had to treat my Commander on many occasions because there weren't any clerics nearby."

"Still, though, I'm really sorry for inconveniencing you."

"That wasn't the inconvenience- it was you sleeping for three days."

My hands froze on the hem of the gown, "Three days?"

"Three whole days."

I frowned but continued on with changing. I scanned my memories but came to a dead end when I reached the assassin with an arrow in his back. My head throbbed as I tried to push past it. A small sigh of resignation slipped out of my mouth.

"Say, what happened to your back?"

I cringed, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, just curious. Are you done?"

"Yes."

She turned on her heel, "Do you feel alright?"

"Yeah."

The girl slanted her eyebrows and tucked a corner of her mouth in with her teeth. "Can you at least tell me why you were crying?"

"I just had a nightmare. Nothing to worry about."

"Alright, if you say so. I'll be right back." She left the door to the room wide open.

I stood for a while, inspecting the room as I wrung my hands, before sitting on the bed. I couldn't believe I had slept for three days. It didn't seem possible. A red line on my left arm caught my attention.

It was a fresh cut, barely a few days old. The skin around it was puffy with a pale, purple tinge. When did I get that?

Footsteps creaked towards the room. I glanced up and the girl came in with the other two following her. In her hands, she carried a steaming bowl and handed it to me. The polished wood was warm in my tense hands and a fragrant scent wafted from the broth..

"Thank you. Would you mind telling me your names again?"

"I'm Febrya," The girl pointed a thumb at herself and motioned with her head at the silver haired man behind her, "And that's my Commander- Velnar."

I nodded, "Alright, I'll remember this time. Where's Slay and Baiset?"

"They left for the Holy Capital. The Volunteer Army was arrested by the holy knights," Febrya explained.

"Why?"

"Apparently they kidnapped the Holy Queen," Velnar answered and sat on the floor. "Of course it's all speculation, there's no use worrying about it." He stretched out on his side and propped his head up with a hand.

"Hey, you need to eat while it's hot. It's no good cold," Febrya chided.

I picked up the spoon and began eating. While I was eating Indou explained what I couldn't remember. I would've stopped eating if Febrya hadn't prodded me to continue. When I was done I slowly set the bowl down by my feet.

"So… you're telling me that I was surrounded by a green light, went berserk, and ended up punching you?"

Indou nodded.

"That doesn't make any sense!" I ground the palm of my hand between my eyebrows, "How am I supposed to believe that?"

"Magic is about control. If you don't have control then of course you're going to go berserk. That's a basic principle." Velnar eyed me with a reprimanding tone.

"I'm sure it is, but I don't have any magic or powers or whatever it is you want to call it."

Febrya sat on the bed beside me. "Try telling that to the townsfolk. You saved the village from an attack and they've been leaving food with the innkeeper for you. A good majority of them saw you in action."

"Still-"

"And what about Indou? Are you not going to take responsibility for injuring him?" Velnar's tone sharpened, daring me to keep denying what had happened.

"No- I mean yes- I mean- Gah! I don't know!" I covered my face with my hands, "I'm so confused. This is frustrating! I can't remember anything. Why can't I remember something that I've done?"

"Don't worry," Indou put a hand on my head. "Just a bruise."

"Just a bruise could turn into something much worse," I answered, removing my hands from my face. "I don't have control of whatever this thing is and what's more- I don't have any memory of it. How can I not worry?"

Indou's shoulders slumped as he took his hand away. He had wanted to cheer me up and I shot him down. Way to go Nova. Way to go.

"Well, if it makes you feel better you did more damage to yourself than to him. Your knuckles were busted."

"But my hands feel okay. And how could they both be busted if I only punched Indou with one hand?"

"It probably happened when you were fighting the Black Troops."

"I can't remember any of it or why it even happened."

"We need to find your trigger. If we find out what caused you to use it in the first place then we can figure out a way to control it."

I frowned and glanced at Velnar, "That sounds dangerous."

"No control is dangerous." He sat up, "Any ideas?"

Images of the monsters from my dream flashed in my head. "Well, maybe one. Before I woke up I had a dream. There were a bunch of monsters and bright lights. Maybe there's a connection?"

"Black Troops, huh?"

"What are Black Troops?" Velnar's eyes bore down on me and I saw Febrya recoil beside me. I looked towards Indou for help.

"Soldiers of the Black Army. They took over the Royal Capital to the west and are trying to invade the rest of Yggdra."

"So… they're bad guys?"

Indou nodded.

"How do you not know about them? Have you been living under a rock?" Febrya questioned.

I turned to Indou once more, "You didn't tell them?"

He shook his head.

"Tell us what?"

I sighed, "This is going to take a while."

Holy Capital

"Baiset, behind you!" Slay roared as he sliced through a monster preparing to attack the ogre.

"Ah, thanks, Slay. I owe you one."

The companions had arrived at the capital just as the Black Army hit. As they fought their way through to the holy palace they tried to find information on the Volunteer Army's whereabouts. They didn't have the time to deal with court politics which made springing their friends out of jail was their most effective option. There would be serious repercussions for skipping the diplomatic route, but they could use the confusion of the battle to cover their tracks.

They were approaching the steps to the palace when they ran into a trio of young knights fending off monsters. Despite the overwhelming number of monsters attempting to ascend the stairs, not one was able to get past the knights. Their swordsmanship displayed talent but the power and lack of power behind their strokes showed their lack of experience.

"I don't suppose we can sneak past them," Baiset scratched the back of his head.

"Probably not."

"Ah, geez. I didn't expect things to go smoothly, but they're just kids."

A roar bellowed off the surrounding buildings as heavy footsteps shook the ground. The monsters withdrew from the knights and cleared a path. An armored monster rounded a corner and made for the stairs. Steam blasted from its nostrils as it exhaled. In one hand, it carried a lance that could shatter a shield and blast an opponent away with one strike. In the other was an iron shield that would not yield to a physical attack.

"Regardless of whether they're our opponents or not, there's no way they can handle that beast alone." Slay narrowed his eyes as he evaluated the monster.

Baiset glanced towards the trio. Their shoulders were heaving as they tried to regain their breath. Their stances were a mix between tension and exhaustion. They had the endurance to handle small fry but were in no condition to handle the newcomer.

The ogre rested the back of his broadsword on his shoulder, "All right, let's take this guy down!"

The duo stepped in front of the knights and readied their weapons. The monsters around them shifted, anticipating an attack.

"Who are you guys?" A knight with long, blond hair and blue eyes demanded.

"Doesn't matter who we are. Think you guys can handle these while we take on jumbo?" Baiset answered.

"We can take them on and more!"

"Atone, settle down. You're just as exhausted as we are," His other companion with short, blond hair sighed.

"Yeah, but we can't let these guys show us up! C'mon Maurice, what about you?"

The third companion with blue hair closed his eyes in thought. When he opened them he gave a resolute nod to the ogre. "We will leave the leader to you. Come! Let's clear the way."

"And here I thought I would get a break."

"C'mon Thomas! Let's go!"

Slay chuckled, "They're an interesting group. That kid with the long hair kinda reminds me of you."

"Huh? How so?"

"Get ready, he's coming."

"Don't change the subject."

Slay launched himself at the monster. His blade screeched as it slid across the beast's shield. Orange sparks scattered in the air as he jumped out of the lance's reach. The force of the attack blasted the surrounding monsters off their feet and pushed Slay back. Baiset took the opportunity to slash the creature's extended arm.

It bellowed and jabbed the lance in a barrage of strikes. Baiset blocked a hit and was knocked back. Slay dashed behind the beast and pierced the exposed flesh between the helmet and shoulder guards. His shield went up seconds before the lance crashed into it. The wood buckled and Slay heard the bones in his arm crack.

"Guh!" He let out a cry as his back hit hard stone. The mercenary slid down the wall and landed chest first on the ground. He lifted himself with his knees and arm.

"You alright?" Baiset called to him.

"I'm fine. This bastard is stronger than I expected." The blond tried to move his shield arm and pain shot through to his collarbone. He gritted his teeth and stood up, holding his arm close to his body. As he searched for his sword he spotted puddles of black blood. While not ideal, if they could prolong the fight the creature would be easier to kill. In his current state Slay doubted that he would be able to land a decent blow or even endure for much longer.

Baiset dodged the monster and picked up Slay's sword. He slid to his side and handed him the weapon. "Got your arm, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure to return the favor."

"Well then, should we give it an all-out assault?"

Slay nodded and hunched down. He readied his sword in his hand as he focused all his senses on his opponent. Adrenaline spiked through his veins he built up energy in his legs and arm. He let out a roar and blizted the beast.

His blade sliced the beast's neck from behind while Baiset's sword punctured the beast's chest. They jumped away as the creature swayed and toppled to the ground. With their leader slain, the remaining monsters fled.

"They're heading to the Great Shrine! C'mon guys, we gotta follow them!"

"Atone, please calm yourself."

"Yeah, what's the rush? We were assigned to guard the stairs anyway."

"But!"

"They will call us if they need us. In the meantime, we will maintain our posts." The kid with blue hair turned to Slay and Baiset. "Thank you for your assistance. I am Maurice and these are my companions: Thomas and Atone."

"Not a problem. Monster leaders are difficult to deal with even when you're an experienced fighter. I'm Baiset and he's Slay."

Maurice ducked his head, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He noticed Slay's arm and looked towards his companion with short hair. "Thomas, do you have enough mana left to heal his arm?"

"I guess I can scrounge up something." He strolled to Slay's side and hovered a hand over the mercenary's shoulder. A blue glow emitted from his palm as he slowly moved his hand down to Slay's wrist. "Done."

The blond clenched and unclenched his hand. When he didn't receive jolts of pain he moved to rolling his shoulder. "Huh, thanks, kid."

Thomas shrugged, "All in a day's work."

"Say, do you guys know anything about the Volunteer Army?"

"They're the guys who kidnapped the Holy Queen," Atone shouted.

"They've been cleared of those charges. Commander Einslotte released them and they all headed to the Great Shrine."

"That's a relief! I knew those guys wouldn't do something like that," Baiset grinned.

"Are you their allies?" Maurice asked.

"We are," Slay nodded, "Can you point us to the Shrine?"

"Follow the monsters and keep heading straight until you reach a fountain. There will be a road that slants to the right. Take that road and you'll arrive at the Shrine."

"Thank you."

"Was it really okay to tell them?" Thomas mused.

"We should follow them!"

"We will stay here. We owed them that information for coming to our aid. Besides, Commander Einslotte found the Volunteer Army to be innocent. We should believe in his judgment."

"They were pretty strong. I wonder if there are more guys like them in the Volunteer Army."

"There sure are! When I was fighting with them outside the Capital I ran into their Captain. He was incredibly strong! Stronger than those guys!" Atone flailed his arms as he spoke.

Thomas scratched his cheek, "He sounds like a monster."

Great Shrine

"Rah!" Hiro slashed through the last monster leader. He surveilled his surroundings for monsters attempting to slip past their defenses.

Einslotte was forcing the she-demon back with each swing of his sword. They had been on equal footing when the battle had started, but the demon's confidence couldn't match the knight's endurance. Each strike and block were calculated and precise, counterbalancing the demon's flashy displays of magic and wild barrages. Hiro noted that he still had more battles to go before he could match the Commander's level.

"Captain!" Baiset's voice boomed.

Hiro didn't have time to prepare himself. He was thrown into a headlock and given a noogie. If Baiset were a human he might have been able to escape. But there was no chance of getting away from an ogre's brute strength. The young man could feel his scalp burning and knew who to blame if he went bald early.

"You kidnapped the Holy Queen? You rascals!"

"T-That was a mistake. She asked us to escort her after we saved her from monsters."

"Uh-huh, that's what they all say."

"No, really..."

"Graaaaaaaaah! Come back you coward!" Eineslotte roared at the sky.

The demon's laughter permeated the air and faded into the distance. Hiro ducked out of the ogre's loosened grip and approached the Commander. Pirika fluttered over from Phoena and landed on his shoulder.

"Do you know that lady?" The sprite inquired.

"In the battle for the Royal Capital... She defeated me. My failure to stop her allowed her to slay my Liege."

"How awful," Phoena murmured.

"I had the opportunity to exact revenge, but it slipped through my fingers." Einslotte turned a sharp glare on them. The knight's killing intent made the steel of his sword brighter. "Just who are you? Why did that book summon monsters? Are you her allies?"

"Einslotte, please lower your weapon. They saved my life." The Holy Queen strode out of the Shrine. When the Commander didn't respond her eyebrows creased. "I ordered you to stand down."

"I refuse! I desire to avenge my lord!"

"This is my final command: Stand down, Einslotte."

"I will not obey a fake Holy Queen, Louise. Not while my greatest foe is still out there to scheme."

"W-what!?" Pirika stuttered.

"A fake?" Pheona echoed.

"You were the one that put me in this position. If you do not intend to listen to me then perhaps you want the Holy Capital to know they are without a queen. I may just be a double, but my determination is genuine. I returned because the people need their queen... even if she is just an imitation."

Einslotte lowered his weapon. Many emotions flashed across his face as he tried to find the right words.

"I'm finally ready to take on my role as Holy Queen. With you by my side, I will defend this country," the girl sent a smile towards Hiro and his friends, "As well as those who opened my eyes."

"I see," Einslotte sheathed his sword. "In my ambition to seek revenge I forgot what matters. Holy Queen, please forgive my rudeness."

"All is forgiven. Come, stand by my side." She turned to Hiro and bowed her head, "I owe you my thanks. You have saved me once again."

"It was only natural for us to help. There's no need for you to owe us anything. But-," Phoena bit her lip.

The woman picked up on what Phoena was trying to ask. "I am the double of the Holy Queen Juliana. My name is Louise."

"What happened to her?" Pirika inquired.

"She ran off to seek revenge for the Holy King. Because we have similar appearances I was selected to be her double."

Einslotte stepped forward, "This information must remain confidential. If it were leaked the consequences would be grave indeed."

"Your secret is safe with us!" Pirika declared.

As the Volunteer Army waited for their baggage to be returned, Phoena made her way over to Slay and Baiset. "I'm glad to see that you're both safe."

"Ah, hey Phoena," Baiset greeted.

"Were you able to recruit the swordsman?"

"Kinda," the ogre glanced at Slay.

"His traveling companion was injured a few days ago and they will join us once she's better."

"Oh, I'm sorry that she was hurt. But it's wonderful that we'll be gaining two more companions."

"There might be four people joining. Two wizards teamed up with them, but I'm not sure if they plan on sticking around," Baiset added.

"The more the merrier. Tell me, what are their names? What are they like?"

"The swordsman's name is Indou. He's an ogre from the Nine Territories. He doesn't talk much and he doesn't show any expression, but his swordsmanship is superb," Slay reflected.

"And his companion is Nova, The Organ Puncher. She's a real sweet girl, but man-oh-man does she have a feisty side!"

"O-oh, really?"

"Mm-hm, I watched her take out a top-class assassin."

"They both sound amazing. Should we stay here for a little longer to wait for them?"

"No, we'll send a message to them to meet us at the checkpoint to the Sage's Tower. It'll take them longer to get here than to the checkpoint," Slay explained.

"I see. Well, I can't wait to meet them! Thank you for going out of your way to recruit them. I'll let you both rest now." She bowed her head and walked off.

"Organ Puncher?" Slay gave a wry smile.

"It'll be fun to see her reaction to having such a 'formidable' reputation," the ogre chuckled.

Slay nodded and began polishing his sword. He would have to thank Dusty for selling him a durable blade. If had kept his last sword it would've shattered the second it hit the monster leader's shield.

"Should we have told her?" Baiset leaned on the wall beside the mercenary.

"We're not entirely sure of what happened so any information that we do release could hurt Nova. For now it's best for her handle the situation."

"But we will tell them eventually, right?"

"Hopefully, we won't have to."

Town of Fortitude

When the two wizards had finished listening to the girl's story they went back to their room to consult. They were silent, mulling over the information they'd been given. While magic made many things possible, there had been no research into traveling between worlds- at least not to Velnar's and Febrya's knowledge. What was even more confounding was the fact that Melchior would be interested in her considering that his area of focus was might.

"What do you think of Nova's story?" Febrya asked her Commander.

"Well, it makes sense why Melchior would want to see her. And why he would change his mind about us bringing her back." Velnar paused for a moment, "I get the impression that he wasn't aware of her power until just a few days ago."

"Wouldn't that be why he wanted to see her in the first place?"

"I don't know why he was so eager, but I think he wants more time to observe her before we bring her to the Tower."

"Or maybe she wasn't as strong as he was hoping she would be," Febrya suggested.

"If that were the case he would've called off the mission. I just feel bad that she has his attention."

"That's what you feel bad about? You were pretty harsh with her you know? Even by normal standards! She nearly cried a couple of times."

"W-what?"

"She covered it up pretty fast but-"

"I wanted to make sure I had the facts straight. Besides, just like us when we go berserk, she needs to take responsibility."

"I don't think she was ever intending not to. But if I were in her shoes I think I'd be just as lost and confused. At least we retain some memory when we go nuts."

Velnar sighed, "Yeah, I guess I'd feel the same way. Geez, I guess this means I owe her an apology."

"I don't think you were entirely in the wrong, but it definitely could've come out better." She grabbed a towel and a fresh pile of clothes. "Now, I'm going to go take a bath. Catch you later, Commander."

"Later."

The girl walked to the Inn's bathhouse and slipped into the women's section. She undressed and took a quick shower to wash off the day's grime. When she was done she slipped into the hot water of the bath.

"Oh, man! This feels great!" She squealed.

"F-Febrya?" A voice asked beyond the steam.

"Huh? Nova? That you?"

"Y-yeah," her voice sounded weak.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just, um- why are you here?"

"Is that even a question? I'm here to kick back and relax. Where are you anyway? Get your butt over here."

"C-coming." Febrya heard her get out of the water and moments later spotted her walking around the tub. Wrapped in a towel, Nova dipped her legs in the water beside her.

The mage thought about the jagged scars she had seen on the girl's upper back. She had asked Indou if he knew what happened to discover that he hadn't been aware of them. Given her position in the Sorcerer's Army, she was used to seeing injuries of all kinds. But Nova's scars weren't a one slash and done deal like most battle-related wounds. Something had been repeatedly dragged across her shoulders.

She wanted to her again but decided against it. Given how harsh Velnar had ben and how hostile Nova was the first time the question was asked- it wasn't the right time. She sighed through her nose and noticed that the girl still hadn't gotten in.

"Well, aren't you going to get back in?"

The girl shook her head, "Sorry, this is kind of an awkward experience for me."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never been in a public bath. It's not a common thing where I'm from so I'm a little uncomfortable."

"Really?!"

"I mean there are Jacuzzis and but they're a… different concept."

"Do you guys at least have private baths?"

"Yep!"

"Okay, then I think I'd be able to survive there." Febrya smiled. The girl chuckled, bringing a bruised hand to her mouth. "You took off your bandages."

"I figured I might as well take them off."

"How are they doing?"

"My knuckles are swollen, but they're okay otherwise."

"The medicine that cleric gave us is working wonders then."

"What do you mean?"

"We tried getting a couple of clerics to heal your hands since they were in... bad shape but none of their spells worked. Then we ran into the Nostrum Chemist. When we showed her your hands she practically gave us an herbal ointment. Actually, she had to put it on them initially because they were pretty gross. Good thing they're better now!"

Nova inspected her hands, "Did Indou pay for it?"

"Yeah, he did. I've been meaning to ask; are you guys a thing?"

"No, nothing like that. My instincts told me to trust him and I do."

"So, the first night you came here you trusted a complete stranger just because your guts told you to?"

"That and I didn't have too many other options. What made you ask?"

"It's odd that you guys have a strong bond for only knowing each other for a couple of days."

"It is unusual, but I think dealing with that assassin had a large impact. I only know that I have a lot of work to do in order to make up everything Indou's done for me."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Indou's not keeping track so you shouldn't either. Though I'm sure he'd appreciate the thought." Febrya felt a twinge of jealousy. She had good friends and allies, but she couldn't think of one person she trusted entirely. Her line of thought reminded her of the conversation she had with the Commander. The mage shrugged off her negative thoughts and turned back to Nova."Oh, before I forget, don't mind the Commander. He's a little harsh, but he has good intentions."

"He's scary."

"He's not scary. Just blunt… and crude… and hot-tempered."

"I want to avoid him even more now!"

"Don't do that! He'll call you out on it and it'll make things worse."

"Can I go cry now?"