Hello there.
I do hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Awakening.
"Brrr! F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" I heard Lissa complain. We had crossed the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox about a few hours ago, and I must say, I didn't realize that when they said north, they also meant snow and freezing temperatures. Thankfully, the cloak I constantly wore was nice and snug. Mari who was sleeping atop my head, keeping it warm was also a bonus.
As we trodden on the snow, I noticed the lingering figures of several Risen. At first, I was going to alert the others of their appearance, only to watch as the undead literally collapsed into a pile, their bodies so cold that it had become brittle. I watched as another frostbitten Risen attempted to approach us, only to trip over the snow and collapse, breaking into a small pile of body parts before dissipating.
Nearby, Miriel had written the ᚹᚨᚱᛗᚦ rune onto her hat and was now being comforted by a warm head and a hat that radiated warmth, one that also spread to her body to an extent. I had thought to do the same but didn't as I didn't wish to use up one of my mana-infused ink jars in less than a week. There was also another factor to why I didn't do it, my handwriting was still abysmal. To be fair, it looked like chicken scratch which wasn't all that different, but at least it was something. I believed it to be best if I made runes when my writing was up to a sufficient level.
Another thing to note was that after lending my tome to Reflet, she seemed to have become more open to me. Even though I say that there wasn't much of a difference from when she acted originally. She didn't hide as much, and she smiled more often, which to be frank was actually made her look beautiful, especially since the snow around her seemed to magnify her presence.
I had only just started to see her in a different light, though I'm not sure why. I have an inkling towards why, but until I had sufficient proof, I wasn't going to dwell much on it. Whatever the case, another thing to note was that I found Kellam to be hiding something. Every time, the three of us are together, he would always give me, her or the both of us knowing looks and chuckling behind a hand.
I couldn't question him however as every time I did, he would give me this mysterious smile before somehow disappearing on me. Whatever the case, it seemed we were reaching the capitol soon. We were soon stopped in front of a massive gate. I say gate, but it was more of an imposing wall with a massive double-door seemingly made of bronze. The stone walls stretched on for miles in both directions, both soon disappearing into the snowy fields. Glancing at the walls, I noticed multiple patrols made of four as they made their way in both directions.
There was another reason why we stopped. There lying on the ground, surrounding us were the cooled corpses of what seemed to be Ylissean soldiers, bandits, and people covered in robes with a similar color scheme to Reflet.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" A clear voice bellowed. Looking up towards the source, I found a woman in plated armor stare down at us, her short blonde hair blowing in the wind. I idly pulled Mari out of my hood and placed her near a large clump of snow. I then had her stay there.
"In The Name Of Ylisse, I Seek Audience, With the Khans!" Chrom called aloud. In response, I noticed several of the guards begin lifting up their spears. Getting a sudden sense of foreboding, I tapped Kellam getting his attention. Gesturing towards the guards, he soon understood. He then shifted and began walking towards the wall, uncaring of anyone watching him. Seeing as his presence wouldn't be noticed by anyone, I didn't say anything.
Holding her hand up, I watched as the guards readied their spears. "Not Another Step, My Bold Lad! I've Lancers At The Ready!" She bellowed once more. Frederick then stepped forward, his horse nowhere in sight.
"Hold Milady! We are not your enemy! Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest." He spoke diplomatically. He got a scoff in response.
"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!" She once more bellowed. Honestly, I'm surprised that she hadn't lost her voice yet...Oh, wait, she drinking heavily from a waterskin...
"Brigand?!" Frederick sounded so offended, that I could hear it and I was on the other side of the group. "Now see here-" Whatever he was trying to say was interrupted as the woman bellowed again.
"You think you are the first "Ylisseans" to try and cross our border? I have the authority to fell, such impostors, where they stand." Her voice was lowered, likely from overuse.
"How dare you! You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, the exalt's own blood!" Frederick went ballistic at the insult. Even though I was far away from him, I still edged away. In fact, since everyone's attention was on the knight, I snuck my way over to Kellam who had somehow made began climbing the wall. I grasped on one of his armor plates and held on as he easily carried me up. As we did, I watched as about a dozen spears were launched at Chrom.
I felt a bit of fear for the man, only for him to disappear in a flutter of feathers. Looking around, I spotted a shadow in the sky, soon revealing Sumia and Chrom, both riding on a pegasus...When did Sumia get a pegasus?
"Everyone attack, but don't kill. We don't want to ruin any chance of negotiation. Understand?" I heard Reflet call out. Kellam let out a grunt as he made it to the top. Letting go of the plate, I landed on my feet and unsheathed my sword. Unfortunately, I did not possess the same concealment as Kellam, which resulted in me being spotted almost immediately. As four guardsmen rushed me, spears ready, I prepared myself.
I had accepted the fact that I would likely be injured in this battle like I did with all others. The only question however was, how much damage would I accumulate? As the first guard neared, I swung my blade to the side, quickly cutting off the spearhead from the pole, and smashed my sword's hilt into the man's face. As the man went down with a groan, I had jumped at one of the others. Hearing a battlecry, I glanced back briefly, finding Kellam who had finally been spotted.
The man had forgone weapons and was tossing the guardsmen aside as though they were leaves to the wind. Pulling out three of my [Iron Throwing Knife], I threw them at the general direction of the remaining three guardsmen. I must be incredibly lucky, because all three knives had struck the guardsmen on their shoulders, making them instinctively drop their spears to clutch their arms.
Without delay, I shot forward, striking at each of their heads with my hilt, making them all collapse. With my side dealt with, and reinforcements too far away, I turned to assist my friend. How foolish of me. I had taken a single step before hearing the familiar sound of my body being pierced. Glancing at my left arm, I watched as it dropped limp, a spear weighing it down. I moved to turn to face the next group of guardsmen, only to stop. Why? Three more spears had penetrated my back, all fortunately at non-vital areas. Unfortunate it was that they still hurt.
With a heavy heart, I would have to leave the rest of the fighting to the rest of the Shepherds. Losing feeling in my legs, one of them being pierced in the calf, I dropped to my knees. I coughed once, as a large puddle of blood began to form, tainting the snow beneath. As I fell forward, I heard a panicked cry.
"Lux!" Before I could fall completely, I found myself in someones grasp. I couldn't tell who it was, my vision becoming blurred. I felt my body go numb, just as several jolts went through my body. I watched on as the blurred figure systematically pull out each spear, before pulling out a bottle containing a red liquid. He held the bottle to my lips and essentially forced me to drink it.
Coughing a few times when the blood had clogged my throat, or the liquid pouring down, I began to feel the effects of the red liquid, a Vulnerary if I remember correctly. As my vision cleared, I found myself in the arms of Kellam who sighed in relief. Without a word, he brought me to my feet and handed me my sword. Nodding my thanks, I glanced around, seeing only the bellowing woman and a few guardsmen had remained standing. As I looked around, I noticed an odd glint on one of the fallen guards.
Getting to my knees, I pickpocketed the glint, which were keys. Realizing the significance of the keys, I turned to my partner who was glaring at the guards.
"Kellam, you take care of the remaining guards. I'll go open the gate." I said, giving him a thumbs up. He looked like he was about to argue, before thinking thoughtfully for a bit. Finally, after half a minute of thinking, he nodded. Backing up against the wall opposite of the other Shepherds, I gripped the top and jumped over. Thankfully however, the snow broke my fall, so the only evidence of my presence was a somewhat bloody body hole.
Walking up to the gate, I noticed a pair of guards completely focused on the doors. Without a word, I mercilessly gripped the back of their heads and slammed them onto the doors. As the two bodies slumped in place, I inserted the keys into the rather large lock. Twisting it to the left, I was met with resistance, When I twisted it to the right, I was met with a satisfying clank. Pulling open one door slightly, I was met with the sight of another locked door, this one barred with a large piece of wood keeping it in place.
For this one, I knew I wouldn't have enough strength, so I relied on cutting it in half. Thankfully, the wood itself wasn't that thick so it took only a few minutes for me to cut through it entirely. Opening the second doors, which I found to be lighter, I came face-to-face with an amused Chrom, an irritated Frederick, a horrified Reflet and multiple other reactions from the others. Whatever they were going to say was interrupted as someone fell off the wall.
We all turned to see who had fallen. It was Kellam. His armor was dented in several places, but he seemed fine overall. As he was getting to his feet, another figure dropped from the wall. Landing on her feet, the bellowing woman stood, looking as untouched as she had first appeared. After brushing off some snow that had piled on her pauldrons, she pulled a lance off her back. The lance looked more of a hybrid between a tower-shield and a hammer more than anything else.
She lifted the 'lance' with a single hand and looked at us challengingly. As expected, Frederick accepted her challenge, no doubt still peeved over the insult to Chrom. I joined the others as we watched the two knights duel with eachother. Due to the woman using her unique 'lance', she had the advantage in defense, while Frederick had his horse, hence an advantage in speed.
Unfortunately for our mounted knight, speed wasn't everything when compared to defense, as the woman demonstrated as she sent the man flying off his horse, and landing head-first into the snow. Almost instantly, Chrom took the downed knights place and began to duel the woman. To my utter surprise, I watched as the man left a literal after-image in his wake as he struck in all directions. The woman was unable to counter as she ended up completely going on the defensive.
The duel, if you could call it one at this point came to an end when Chrom swung his blade in a way, as he disarmed the woman, her lance landing in a pile of snow nearby. Raising her arms in surrender, all remaining guards also laid down their weapons.
()()()
Once she had apologized, Raimi, as she called herself, escorted us to the capital herself, guiding us to a rather nondescript building, nestled between two towering buildings. It was strange that the capitol had no name, but when I questioned about this, Raimi simply referred to everything within the kingdom to be Regna Ferox.
"Prince Chrom, while I summon the Khans, please remain here with your warriors." She instructed before leaving the room. Right after she left, I made to leave as well.
"Wait, Lux, where are you going?" Chrom stopped me. I gave him a grin.
"She said, warriors. I'm a thief so I don't count." I said, still grinning. Without another word, I left the building. I heard a bit of shuffling and glanced back, finding Miriel, Reflet, and Stahl leaving as well. The four of us made our way into the market, which to be frank was about three times larger than Ylisstol. While we traveled through the bustling crowd, I intentionally separated from the others. Why? It was because I saw something glinting and I grew curious.
Walking towards the glint, I realized it lead to an alley, and if I remembered correctly, alot of bad things happened in alleys. As a result, as I closed the distance between the glint and me, I activated my [Inventory] where the glint was. The glint was, in fact, five gold coins, as well as two dozen silver coins. The fact it was deep into an alley, I had no doubts that this was either a hidden stash or a trap laid by some unsavory folk.
Finding myself much richer than before, I abruptly turned away and walked into the crowd. Opening my [Inventory] I subtly directed four of the silver coins into my pouch, before closing it, doing this all underneath my cloak. Speaking of which, because it was windy and cold, I kept my hood up at all times, meaning even if someone had realized I had stolen the money, no one knew what I looked like.
Another thing to note was that there was a large abundance of people wearing cloaks like me, further helping me in blending in. Walking down one of the buildings, I found what was essentially a pawn shop. Half an hour later, I was now the proud owner of my first legitimate gold coin, the others not counting. I then made my way to a local blacksmith and spent that gold coin, simply buying whatever I could buy with a gold coin. In other words, alot.
Simple to say, I was now a proud owner of fifty-six [Iron Sword], and five hundred [Iron Throwing Knife]. Why did I buy so many swords and knives? My sword was on the verge of breaking, and I didn't want to be left weaponless. On another note, why didn't I replace it yet? It hadn't broken yet, so I was going to use it until it did. I simply bought the knives because I realized I only carried nine specially-made knives, and I didn't want to waste them. On another note, I met the Anna with an Ahoge again.
The redhead had been perusing some metal at one of her sister's shop when I had walked in on her. By that, I mean I walked in on her making her sister laugh by making a poor imitation of some kind of warrior... Actually, she was acting alot like Vaike. Regardless, I had stumbled on a rather weird scene, and when the two realized they had an audience, everything became awkward.
"..." Ahoge Anna slowly stopped her fake flexing.
"..." The shop Anna slowly lowered until only the upper half of her head could be seen as she peeked over the countertop.
"..." I blinked.
"... Uh... Hi?" Ahoge Anna asked. I blinked again before slowly backing out of the shop and turning. Before I could fully leave, however, one of the Anna's yanked me back using my hood, sending me flying. I felt my head headbutt the counter directly, making my vision scatter.
"Ack!"
"Ah!" One of the Anna's cried.
"Anna! Why'd you do that?!" The other Anna yelled at her sister.
"If he left, he could have spread slander of our name!" The first Anna said. Why would I do that?!
"Who would believe him? Our reputation is universally great! By the way... Isn't he that thief you were talking about? He's even got those gray eyes you were talking about." The second Anna said... The only Anna who could have possibly said that would be Ahoge Anna...
"Oh Naga, your right! Are you alright?" I saw a pair of red spots come into my still scattered vision.
"Muh...?" I uttered still out of it.
"...Anna." I heard one of Anna's say.
"...Yes?" I heard the other say hesitantly.
"How much strength did you use on him?"
"... All of my might?" I heard a facepalm...
"What am I going to do with you?"
"...Sorry."
"Don't say sorry to me. Help me get him up." I then felt Anna sort of pull me up. As the two did so, I heard the door being slammed.
"What is this?! Are you manhandling Lux?! The Teach will teach you two a lesson!" I heard Vaike all of a sudden. I felt myself being propelled into the air as I impacted Vaike, I think if I heard right. I then felt Vaike I think, grab my leg and proceed to use me as a makeshift weapon. I felt my upper body impact against wood, stone and various objects as Vaike tried to 'teach the Anna's a lesson'.
"Why?" I groaned as my conscience began to fade.
()()() [Third POV]
Everyone crowded around Lux as he groaned, his limbs twitching every once in a while. Sitting nearby under multiple scrutinizing gazes was Vaike, and both Anna's. The sisters had a few bruises here, and there as well as ruffled hair, while Vaike had a black eye and bruises scattered around his body.
"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Chrom asked the three, as behind him, Lissa was focusing everything onto Lux' twitching form, while Reflet was fumbling with a Vulnerary.
"The Tea-I was trying to teach these two a lesson," Vaike flinched as a glare from Frederick made him reword his sentence. Chrom huffed before turning to the Anna's who faltered under his gaze.
"And? What's your response?" He asked calmly, which in turn made his appearance seem scarier.
"Ahem... It was my sister's fault." The Anna without the ahoge bailed on her sister instantly, getting a betrayed look from her. When the glare on her intensified, she gulped in fear.
"Ah...ahem...I-" She was interrupted when Lux' left hand shot towards the sky.
"Sacre Bleu!" He cried with an enraged face before dropping in a dead faint once more. Everyone stared at the body before looking back at Anna who was at a loss for words.
"..."
"...Can you at least explain his injuries?" Chrom asked with a sigh. Anna looked at the side chuckling sheepishly.
"I may have given him a concussion." She said, just as Lux shot straight up, with Lissa and Reflet panicking around him. He strutted over to Chrom and clasped a hand on his shoulder.
"Chrom!" He cried as foam began to form. By the time he had turned to face the formerly downed thief, the foam had already formed a beard.
"Lux! Are you alright?" Chrom asked alarmed. All he got was a garbled reply before Lux made a fist pump towards the sky. He then fell back, and smacked his head against the ground, knocking himself out. Chrom was too dumbfounded to react, instead opting to watch as Reflet suddenly began to act like a housewife whose husband had gotten into an accident. It was getting to the point where it was as though he was watching a play. The tactician had even placed the thief's head onto her lap and had begun to stroke it.
"What the hell am I looking at?" Was the general thought of everyone.
()()() [Somewhere in the Shepherds Barracks]
A plate cracked under the pressure of a maid. Nearby, the others gave her a wide berth.
"Clio?!" One maid asked as the plate fell, broken before it touched the ground. When the maid in question turned to face her, everyone froze at the dark expression on her face.
()()() [Third POV End]
Rubbing my head, I wondered what had happened. When I had come to, I noticed my head was on Reflet's lap as she stroked it gently, with a closed eye smile. When she had opened her eyes and noticed my bewildered expression, I watched as her face slowly turned red. She stopped stroking my head and began to look away, as her face turned an even darker shade of red. Around us, the others had given us various reactions.
Sumia had swooned, while Virion had given me this sparkling smile. Vaike was flexing his muscles while Stahl was just smiled. Miriel read from her tome uninterested, while Kellam gave us another of his knowing grins. Frederick was nowhere in sight and both Anna's were standing nearby looking on interested. Chrom meanwhile looked stunned, but also intrigued as he had examined us. I wish I knew what he was thinking about, but I was also glad I didn't.
Once I had gotten to my feet, Stahl kindly caught me up with what had happened while I was out. Apparently, the two Anna's were going to be Shepherds as well, though why I wasn't sure. Stahl had also offhandedly mentioned Reflet staring at the one with the ahoge with a menacing glare. When I had stared at Reflet, she merely looked away with her usual blushy face... Honestly, she was rather adorable when she's like this.
Anyways, it was night now and I was getting ready for bed. Before I did, however, I spent about half an hour playing with Mari who was attention-starved. Once the little wolf pup had run out of energy and had fallen asleep did I begin to prepare. However, before I got into my bed, I heard a knock on the door. Opening it, I found Reflet standing in her pajamas, they being her regular clothes, but without her cloak and shorter pants. She looked extremely adorable right now. Why? She was holding a pillow close to her chest as she looked at me with her blushy face.
"Yes?" I asked gently. She mumbled into her pillow, making me lean closer. Understanding my reaction, she attempted to speak louder, only to once more mumble into her pillow.
"...Did you want to sleep together again?" I asked, getting a small nod as her face turned scarlet red. With a soft sigh, I smiled at her as unbeknownst to me, the moonlight once more shined on me. Her eyes widened as I guided to the bed with a hand. By the time we had settled in, she was panicking. However, she soon stopped when Mari had sleepwalked over to her and rested her head on her cheek.
"Goodnight," I bid her as I closed my eyes.
"Goodnight," She spoke gently. As my conscience faded, I had one last thought.
'She has a rather beautiful voice.'
()()()
I was sitting at one of the tables in the inn, drinking a spoonful of soup. Sitting next to me was Reflet as she did the same. Both of us had blushes, though hers were more apparent. The reason why we had blushes was that somehow the others caught wind of the fact that the two of us had slept in the same bed and had relentlessly begun to tease us.
I tried to ignore them to the best of my ability, and I wish that Reflet could do the same. Unfortunately, it was not to be as every joke made her blush darken more and more. I couldn't try and calm her down as I was part of the jokes and as such, any attempts I made ended up making her blush even more. Thankfully, Kellam didn't join in on the fun, instead, spending his time trying to calm our tactician.
()()()
It was rather strange. I clearly remember watching the Shepherds sit in various parts of the Coliseum, yet for some odd reason, everyone was sitting together. Chrom had explained to us that the only way we would gain the cooperation of Regna Ferox was to win this tournament. The match was originally a six-vs-six, yet only five of us were down there they being; Chrom, Frederick, Reflet, Kellam, and Virion.
On the opposite side was a familiar sight, the masked swordsman who had helped us in the forest about three months ago. Beside them were seventeen warriors, each either carrying a sword, axe or spear. Usually, something like this would be considered unfair, however considering who they were facing, it was somewhat even. Anywho, I shifted in place as the announcer called for the match to begin.
The first to move was Kellam. I watched as the knight rushed forward, ignored by all. The moment he swung, multiple audible gasps were heard from the audience and in the arena. The one he swung at tried to block the blow, only to be sent flying from the shockwave alone. The knight stared passively at his opponents, relaxing in place. This seemed to annoy two of the warriors, swordsmen as they charged forward, echoing battlecries.
In response, Kellam shifted in place before slamming his shield forward, smacking both men in the face, and stunning them. He then released his grip on his shield and gripped his lance before swinging, dealing a heavy side-swing, knocking both into the air, and off of the arena. I watched as the two bodies fell into the dark abyss that separated the arena platform from the audience walls.
The remaining fourteen warriors, excluding the masked swordsman, tensed. Then, all of the axemen, seven in total charged forward, with the intent of defeating Kellam with quantity. Unfortunately for them, Virion had decided to join in. The flamboyant man spoke a few inaudible words before pulling out three arrows. He tossed them one-by-one into the air. Once the first arrow fell into his hand, he had already fired it. In the span of a single second, three arrows flew through the air, each striking one of the axemen, one in the calf, another in the left shoulder, and the final in the waist.
As the remaining four axemen charged forward, unknowing of their comrade's injuries, they fell to the hunter that was Virion. Without missing a step, he had already fired a volley of arrows, all aimed at the masked swordsman, but also passing through the axemen, inflicting multiple deep scratches. With their injuries, Kellam had dealt with extreme ease. The arrows were within a foot of the masked swordsman when they acted. Unsheathing their blade, they struck each arrow once, sending them off course and splintered.
Sheathing their blade, they stood passively as their allies grew encouraged by their action. The remaining three swordsmen and three spearmen charged forward, encouraged. In response, Reflet held an open palm forward, sending a pair of large arcs of wind. The wind arcs collided with two of the spearmen, sending them flying, while the remaining four dodged to the sides. Chrom must have noticed the masked swordsman's blade, for he rushed forward, not paying the approaching warriors any mind.
Before any could even blink, Chrom seemingly teleported behind the four as he continued forward. Each of the four warriors barely took a single step before being sent flying, all knocked out before they landed. Approaching the masked swordsman, Chrom unsheathed his sword, the Falchion and swung, his momentum making his blow stronger. In response, the masked swordsman tensed before jumping back.
Upon landing on their feet, they unsheathed their own blade, which I came to realize was an identical Falchion held their index finger and thumb to their mouth and whistled. Before our eyes, nine warriors, each garbed in eastern-based armor, climbed up to the arena. They must have been hiding underneath the arena...How strong were they that they remained there without tiring.
Whatever the case, everyone in the arena realized they were outnumbered once more. While Chrom initiated his duel with the masked swordsman, the remaining four grouped back up. Noticing their predicament, Chrom yelled to the audience.
"Vaike!" Said man, coincidentally beside me, stood.
"Alright!" He said rather cheerful. He grinned down at me, and all I could do was blink, before finding myself held up with both of his arms.
"Eh?" I said as I found myself being launched into the arena.
"Ehhhhhhh?!" I cried as I flew. As I reached the arena, I noticed I was going to land on one of the eastern-like warriors, Myrmidons if I remembered correctly. Reacting quickly, I curled up into a ball, and secretly pulled out six [Iron Throwing Knife]. As I spun in the air, I directed my body so that when I landed, it would be on my feet. Coincidentally, I landed on one of the Myrmidon's back, which I used to jump off of. As I jumped, I did a back flip, flinging the knives forward, two striking the warrior on their left arm, and foot, the others missing and embedding themselves into the arena ground.
Landing on my feet, I unsheathed my blade, even though it was chipped and worn, and charged, unwilling on letting the warrior recover. Reaching said person, I twisted my body to the side as I released a half-spin kick, pushing the Myrmidon back. I then swung forward, hoping to deal a blow to the warrior. I was unfortunate as the warrior recovered quickly enough, as their blade clashed with mine. They shoved me off as they took a step back to recover. Without stopping, I charged forward, aiming for their waist.
...I could only watch as time slowed, the Myrmidon rushing forward at unimaginable speeds as the warrior swung their sword down, its hilt snapping my blade in two, while at the same time kicking me in the gut. Time sped up as I was sent flying, and landing near the edge of the arena. Getting to my feet, I only had enough time to look up, just as the Myrmidon's foot entered my vision. Everything went black.
()()() [Third POV]
Kellam froze upon seeing his friend, and partner Lux being sent off the arena and disappearing into the dark abyss. Within, something snapped and he saw red. Everyone around him froze in place upon noticing his appearance, which then led to a somewhat terrifying moment when the Myrmidon, he was facing was suddenly sent crashing into the wall, which was separated by the dark abyss. Two Myrmidons went to avenge their comrade, only for it to be in vain as without looking, he grabbed their heads and swung.
One had his head smashed into the ground twice, before being left alone, a puddle of blood forming, while the other was launched into the air, only for her leg to be grabbed. With a grunt, Kellam swung the woman to the ground, an audible snap being heard as her body impacted on the ground. He then swung in the opposite direction, once more snapping her bones. He did this one last time, before dropping the poor woman, who had been rendered unconscious from the second blow. The remaining seven Myrmidons tensed, before calming down.
The Myrmidon who had taken out Lux pulled out a Vulnerary and prepared to drink it, only to step back startled when an arrow struck the bottle, spraying the red liquid everywhere. Looking at the source, the flamboyant Virion wore a calm expression, for once not spouting words dramatically. He notched another arrow and suddenly turned, shooting at the berzerked knight. In response, the knight swung his halberd, slicing the arrow and releasing a wave of killer intent, one that ended up making the Myrmidon instinctively take a step back.
The Myrmidon blinked as they stepped on air. Looking down, they realized they had stepped off the arena. Turning to look at the calm archer, they looked as though to speak, only to be silenced as they fell, tumbling as they did as they disappeared into the abyss. The six Myrmidons looked at eachother unsure of what to do, only to stiffen when another whistle was heard.
The masked swordsman, still in-battle with Chrom made another whistle causing the remaining warriors to sprint at the back of Chrom, each of their swords poised. They would have made it to the two if it wasn't for the timely arrival of Frederick who had been rendering any remaining opponent unable to battle. He stopped in front of the dueling swordsmen and gave the Myrmidon a frightening glare. Hefting his lance upwards with ease, he tugged at his horses' reins, causing the said horse to rise on its hind legs, releasing a bellowing neigh.
Charging forward, the man's horse made quick work of two of the warriors, trampling them under its hooves. One of the remaining four had attempted to strike the horse down, only to fail as the horses barded armor rendered the attack useless. In response, Frederick swung his lance to the side, hitting the Myrmidon on the head, and knocking him out, possibly also giving him a concussion. The three remaining Myrmidon tensed and held their swords in front of them, only to cry out in pain as lightning arced throughout their body.
Several seconds later, the three now shocked, and smoking bodies fell to the ground, revealing the enraged face of one Reflet. As one, all four of the combatants of the Shepherds turned to watch the climax of the duel between Chrom and the masked swordsman.
()()()
Chrom grunted as he blocked the attack of the swordsman in front of him. He then swung his blade in retaliation, his attack holding more power, compared to the blow of the swordsman. While he fought, he couldn't help but be overcome with guilt. If he hadn't yelled out to Vaike, then Lux wouldn't have fallen and possibly died. To make matters worse, it was clear how his defeat had affected the other members of his team.
Kellam was enraged, no doubt by the possible death of his partner Lux. Though he hadn't seen the two in action, Vaike, Stahl, and Virion had marveled at how in-tuned the two were. Stahl had mentioned how Kellam fought as a wall, while Lux struck as the shadow of such a wall. Virion looked melancholic, no doubt having experienced such an event in his previous years. Frederick though didn't seem like it, he had known the man for many years and could tell how disappointed he was, in himself. No doubt, he felt that it was his responsibility to look out for the rest of the Shepherds, even if they were not of the Royal Family.
It was Reflet that seemed the most devastated, however. From what he could glean from his sister, who for some odd reason acted all mysterious about her, especially when it came to Lux, the tactician was apparently infatuated with the thief. While it was unclear why she fell in love with the man, it was clear that what she was genuine with what she felt.
Concentrating back to the fight, he decided to dwell on such thoughts after the battle. Gripping his blade, he held it to the side as he sprinted forward, running as fast as he could. He began to run so quickly, he left a complete after-image of himself, until it seemed as though he was leading a line of three other Chrom's all intent on cutting down the masked swordsman before them.
He couldn't help but begin to dislike the swordsman. It was one thing to ambush an opposing force, but that was usually on the battlefield, not in an arena, a place for both entertainment and sportsmanship. Glaring at the figure before him, he feinted an upwards swing, the swordsman moving to defend the fake blow, before feinting another swing, this one to the left. Predictably, the swordsman quickly made to correct their defense, making him grin. Without delay, he stopped and quickly swung above once more, striking down at the swordsman's' shoulder, drawing a gasp from them figure, who let out a somewhat feminine gasp.
Of course, this was Chrom, who figured the swordsman just happened to have a high-pitched voice. The swordsman attempted to bring their sword upwards into a stance, only for Chrom to poke his blade into the hole of the identical blade, and pull it upwards, out of their grip and into the air. The blade soon clattered behind the two, with Chrom pointing his blade at the now weaponless swordsman.
"Yield," Chrom stated, his glare directed solely at the figure. Said figure gulped before nodding, holding their arms up for extra emphasis.
"I-I yield." They agreed. Almost immediately, the crowd exploded in applause, as the announcer hailed of the East-Khan, Flavia as the Ruling Khan. As the applause grew, many of the Shepherds could only grimace at what had happened for such an event to occur.
()()()
I was awoken almost immediately when I have plunged into a deep pool of water...or a river in this case. I watched my surroundings as I was idly swept down the river, and towards this light that drew closer and closer. Once I had made it to the end, I realized two things;
One, I was still alive.
Two, despite being kicked in the face, it didn't hurt at all.
There was also another thing to note, I was still being swept down the river, the light, having led to a room where all the other Shepherds were at currently. I watched as they turned to stare at my floating body.
"..." They stared as one, bewildered as I floated near a dark tunnel.
"..." I remained silent as my curiosity for the tunnel grew larger. Unfortunately, I would be unable to learn of where it led as I found myself being pulled out of the water by Kellam who looked both bewildered and relieved. Placing my soaking body on stone, the first thing I did was strip off my cloak and went into the slow process of removing the water from my clothing.
"Lux! You're alive!" I heard Reflet cry aloud before feeling her hug me from behind. I idly continued wringing my cloak.
"Indeed I am...Ah, could you do me a favor?" I asked as I suddenly got the feeling I was being stared at. I glanced back and past Reflet's tearful smile was the rest of the Shepherds, giving me this interested stare. Beside them, I noticed Ahoge Anna biting on her thumbnail as she stared at us with an unknown expression.
"Yes?" She asked curiously.
"Could you step away for a moment? My clothes are wet and they're getting uncomfortable to wear." I muttered as she stared at me questioning. She then froze as her blush slowly returned to full as she quickly unlatched herself and backed up several paces.
"R-Right." She stuttered, as she pulled up her hood to hide her embarrassment.
"Boo." Lissa suddenly booed getting a stare from me.
"What?" She asked as she crossed her arms, looking away so to stare at Reflet who tried to hide away.
"..." I didn't say anything, except go back to wringing my cloak. By the time I had started on my shirt, I heard a thud. Turning, I found both Reflet and Ahoge Anna fainted.
"..."
()()()
While Flavia and the rest of the Shepherds celebrated the newly founded alliance, I was off buying food. I'm only doing this because, upon looking at our supplies, did I find that it was nearly empty, mostly due to Stahl not knowing when to stop eating and Vaike being...Vaike. Anyways, I was at the market now, looking for ingredients that wouldn't perish immediately, nor would taste bad if eaten raw.
Holding up two apples, I scrutinized them with an intense glare, comparing size, density, and color. The shopkeeper had complained for a bit, before turning a complete one-eighty when I gave him a silver coin. Obviously, this was a show of my sudden wealth, and it may seem as though I was arrogant enough to just casually do it, but the truth was that the man was going on about the old days or something, and I wasn't really in the mood to listen.
In the end, I ended up buying both apples, alongside with some other ingredients. Holding up a crate of food, I quickly made my way back to the building where the celebrations were being held. As I did, I heard the sound of someone sneaking by, as from the corner of my vision, a figure peered around a corner. Feigning ignorance, I continued my way across the road, silently activating [Inventory]. Pulling out an [Iron Throwing Knife]. Once the figure began to move again, I reacted instantly. Dropping the crate, I turned and threw the knife, watching as it soared through the air and impacted on the corner of the building where the figure was moving towards.
The figure flinched before turning and bolting off. Grunting, I picked up the crate again and continued on my way. It took me another ten or so minutes left to reach the building. The moment I entered, I was greeted with a cacophony of noise, made of both cheering and fighting. Blinking, I sort of kicked the door closed as I made my way to a table filled with food of all kinds. Next to said table were three pits, a roaring fire inside, with several crisscrossing metal rods separating the fire from the rest of the building.
Resting on the rods already, were several slabs of meat, boar if the half-butchered hog meant anything. Resting nearby was Vaike who was drooling from the smell alone. I don't think he was in charge of the meat, seeing as he looked more concerned at eating it then actually preparing it. Shaking my head, I made my way to the nearest pit and placed the crate down. Lying on the ground, were multiple spare rods, though these ones were smaller and slightly thinner.
Picking up one of the rods, I began to tend to the meat, waving the muscular man away. He looked at me disappointed but relented when I pulled out a whole [Grilled Chicken]. Watching the man walk away, face literally stuffed with chicken, I slowly tended to the meat, flipping them over as it sizzled, its juices dripping down into the fire below.
As the meat cooked, I was soon joined by Stahl and Kellam. The three of us remained silent, enjoying the others company as we tended to the food.
()()()
As I prepared myself for the night, I felt a shiver crawl up my spine. Without delay, I took the sole chair in the room, one that came with every room rented, and placed it beneath the doorknob. Only then, did I feel a bit safer. Getting into the bed, I felt Mari curl up atop my stomach as I slowly drifted off.
()()() [Third POV]
Standing outside Lux' room, a shadow waited until the sound of breathing became faint. The shadow then held onto the doorknob leading into the room and twisted, only to find it barred. The shadow grunted as they tried to pry it open, only to be unsuccessful. They started to apply more force to the door, only for it to begin to creak, cracking under the pressure.
Awaking from his sleep, Lux glanced at the door, cautious. He slowly picked up Mari and placed her on his pillow and got to his feet. He placed his armor onto the bed and quickly got dressed. Once his cloak was donned, he crept over to the lone window in the room, his movement being muffled from the padding in his boots. He slowly opened the window and turned to the still sleeping Mari. Creeping over to the sleeping pup, he slowly picked her up and placed her atop his head, pulling up his hood so she would be more secure.
Creeping back towards the window once more, he crept over the windowsill and onto the entrance roof. Closing the window as quietly as he did opening it, he then moved to the edge of the roof. Gripping it, he pulled himself over until he was hanging over the entrance. Releasing his grip, he landed quietly onto the ground and began making his way away from the inn. As he did, he could hear the sound of the chair finally succumbing to the pressure.
His pace hastened when a cry of unknown intention was heard and loud movement could be heard. Walking to a nearby inn, he promptly paid for a night, which was fifty copper and went to his newly acquired room and slept.
()()()
Once morning had struck, I left the inn and returned to the inn I had originally slept in. Climbing onto the roof of the entrance, I pulled up the window panel and slipped back inside. Closing the panel, I turned to examine whatever mess the one who had barged into my room made. To my surprise, I found only the chair to be out of place, having being splintered into several pieces, all scattered near the door.
Opening said door, I heard yelling on the floor below, so after making sure, Mari was properly secured atop my head, I made my way down the stairs. Once I was in the lobby, I looked around, finding everyone vocally causing chaos. One of them must have noticed me because soon I was subjected to stares from everyone.
"Where were you?!" Frederick almost yelled, his face barely an inch away from mine. I took a step back.
"Sleeping in my assigned room," I answered, only for him to inch closer once more.
"Lies! Lissa could find no trace of you when she entered your room." He said, getting a raised eyebrow from myself.
"And why was she in my room exactly? Was that why the chair in the room was broken?" I asked, making the person in question fidget in place. Frederick dropped his glare to stare at the princess, myself doing the same, only to get a fidget and her staring away.
"I'm glad to see you safe, Lux. Though, might I ask where'd you've departed to, before returning to your room?" Chrom clapped a hand on my shoulder, gaining my attention. It's been awhile since I've last seen that easy-going smile.
"Hm? What, ever do you mean captain? Like all the others, I had been in my room, preparing for a night's rest." I replied easily. His smile grew, his relaxed expression never changing.
"I see, I see. I would accept that answer, if only for one problem. You were the only one heading off to sleep. Do you not remember, we've all been still on the lower floor, celebrating our newfound alliance." He spoke, his smile breaking into a grin. I sighed but nodded smiling as I did.
"It seem's I've been outwitted. Very well, I had gone to another inn to take my rest, having felt some sense of foreboding, though that may have been due to Lissa and her prankster nature." I explained to him, getting a nod from him. What I said was true, I and several others having fallen prey to her pranks, though mine were more mild, compared to Stahl, and Vaike's.
"Her dreadful pranks are something to reckon." He agreed, getting an indignant cry from Lissa. He unclasped his hand and held it to his side as he glanced at me questioning.
"By the way, if you hadn't escaped from your room, how might have you've dealt with Lissa?" He asked nonchalantly. I blinked before whipping out three [Iron Throwing Knife] between my fingers.
"With how close the door was to my bed, I'd have struck them down with these knives," I replied easily, drawing a gasp from the princess in question, Frederick beside her, his face scrunched up with a complicated expression.
"I'm surprised you've kept such weapons on you. The inn doesn't allow the use or handling of weapons." Chrom said, glancing at a weapon rack, where everyone's weapons laid. I nodded.
"That may be true, however, you've possibly had forgotten, my weapon having been destroyed during the arena fight," I said, getting a look of guilt from the man.
"Ah yes, I apologize for that. My decision to involve you in our battle was more of a rushed plan, and something I hadn't actually gone through with Reflet." He said, drawing a glare from our tactician while I smiled, scratching a cheek.
"It's quite alright, though I'd be alot better if you'd inform me of such decisions ahead of time." I forgave him, getting a chuckle from the man.
"Back to the previous topic, while the inn prohibits the use of weapons, it doesn't mean I cannot have them on me," I replied easily. He hummed before nodding.
"Then, might I ask how many weapons do you have at the moment?" He asked. I replied by pulling out a dozen knives.
"Many." Was all I said. He glanced at the knives, before gesturing to the floor.
"Humor me then. Could you remove all your weapons and drop them onto the ground before me?" He asked. I nodded. I could have easily dropped only two dozen knives and a sword or two, but I didn't really want to suffer from any future consequences I may or may not create by doing so. Without a word, I pulled knives and swords from my cloak, sleeves, and pants, each time subtly opening my [Inventory]. Once I had pulled out thirty [Iron Sword], and one-hundred [Iron Throwing Knife], I stopped.
Everyone stared at me speechless, not knowing what to say. Chrom soon started, clearing his throat.
"Lux, would you be willing to relinquish ownership of these swords?" He asked, picking up one of the broadswords. I blinked and frowned.
"I paid good money to buy these though. No, I don't think I will." I denied, drawing a frown from the prince.
"It will benefit our army." He spoke. I shook my head.
"You say that, but do you not mean yourself? I've seen you go through iron swords when training like water flowing down a river." I countered.
"I'll pay you to give up these weapons." He tried to bribe me. I sighed but still shook my head.
"You never pay me. Why should I give you my weapons, when the money you give me would originally just be my salary." I said easily.
"I'll pay double on your next pay." He tried once more.
"Once more, you've never paid me."
"I'll pay triple."
"You've never paid me."
"I'll pay quadruple."
"How much money are you willing to spend just to gain ownership of these weapons?" I asked as he gripped his head, frustrated.
"I'll pay quintuple!"
"You're not even listening to me are you?"
"How much money do you want?!" He howled. By this time, the majority of the Shepherds had seated themselves and had begun eating breakfast.
"...You done?" I asked calmly as the prince's face grew crimson from the rage alone. It had gotten to the point where visible steam was emitting from his head.
"I'll give you the hand of my sister Emm-" He was about to offer me when he was interrupted by the slamming of the inn door. There standing was a heavily exhausted man, dressed in light clothing, a satchel draped over his shoulder.
"Milord! I bear grave news from Ylisse!" He yelled, gaining everyone's attention. Chrom calmed down and faced the messenger. Meanwhile, I slowly gathered up my weapons, hiding them away, repeating the actions I had made, but in reverse.
"What is it?" Chrom asked, the messenger giving a grateful smile when he was offered a mug of water. After gulping down the content, he spoke.
"The heiress of Themis has been kidnapped by an infamous captain of Plegia's Grimleal known as Aversa." He reported. Chrom and most of the Shepherds present had a grimace, mine and Refelt's being of confusion.
"Plegia?" I voiced aloud. As one, everyone with the exception of Kellam and Reflet gave me shocked stares. I honestly had no idea of what Plegia was exactly. Kellam sympathetically patted my back.
"It's alright, I've no idea either." He spoke. For some reason, he was seen by everyone as they gave him incredulous stares.
"Where did you come from?" Sully asked still shocked. In response, Kellam's eye twitched.
"I was always here." He responded.
"Plegia is a desert located west of our kingdom and south of Regna Ferox. There is no true leader of the lands there, instead, the citizens are split into multiple tribes of varying sizes, each occupying and ruling a part of the land. If I remember correctly, Plegia has around two hundred tribes, each around a hundred strong." Stahl informed us. I nodded appreciatively.
"Indeed, however after the recent war we had with the other, it seems several of the largest tribes have merged together, their leader, a chieftain known as 'Gangrel The Mad'." Chrom continued as he picked up his Falchion and strapped it to his waist. Without a word, everyone began to mobilize, each hurrying to finish preparations. After I pulled out one of my [Iron Sword] and strapped it to my waist, I tapped Chrom on the back.
"Where will we be heading?" I asked. He nodded.
"We'll be returning back to Ylisstol before regrouping with Emmeryn." He said as I nodded.
"I see, I see...Who's Emmeryn?" I asked, getting another incredulous stare from everyone. Frederick huffed before puffing his chest proudly.
"Lady Emmeryn is the Exalt, and the Queen of Ylisse." He proclaimed with a somewhat zealous tone as I simply hummed in thought.
"...So she's that green-headed lady with the same birthmark like Chrom, except on her forehead?" I asked nonchalantly. Frederick tripped and slid on his face a second before leaping to his feet with a murderous expression.
"HOW DARE YOU INSULT LADY EMMERYN?! I SHOULD-" Whatever he was going to say was stopped by Vaike slapping a hand onto his mouth, turning the man's yelling into muffles. I soon tuned out said noise as I glanced at an equally confused Reflet.
"Are you just as confused as I am?" I asked, getting a nod from her. With a nod, I clasped her right shoulder and used a single arm to hold her close, getting a squeak from the woman, I then held my hand outwards.
"Then don't worry. One day, we will catch up to them and not feel like uncivilized primates." I said determinedly. Reflet meanwhile was frantically trying to calm her rapidly beating heart as her face became a scarlet red. Behind her, Lissa was giggling mischievously, hiding it behind a hand.
"That's a wall." Miriel shamelessly ruined the moment. Without pausing, I turned an abrupt ninety-degrees and held my hand outwards.
"That's a door." She corrected once more. I pumped my fist into the air.
"It's the thought that matters! Isn't that right Reflet?" I asked, turning to face her, only to be met with an extremely crimson Reflet, her bangs covering her eyes. She squeaked and timidly raised a fist as well. I accepted the gesture and made another yell, this one joined by Kellam who also raised his fist. We stared at him briefly, before pumping our fist with renewed vigor, though only two of us were actually pumping our fists. Reflet laid in my arm, having finally collapsed from how close she was to him.
Done. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter.
There have been many changes to this chapter.
This message will remain short this time.
The reason for the late update was that my boss had upon finding out I was free for the summer, he now has me working every day until closing hours which isn't until late into the evening. By then, I am dead exhausted from the events that lead up to that point. I've found myself capable of only writing this chapter due to drinking multiple energy drinks.
Whatever the case, some of the changes I made are;
-Ahoge Anna has been introduced.
-The currency comes as the following; Platinum, Gold, Silver, & Copper.
[Platinum] Value of 1,000,000,000 Copper.
[Gold] Value of 1,000,000 Copper
[Silver] Value of 1,000 Copper.
[Copper] Value of 1 Copper.
-Arena Battle has been enhanced.
-Shen has been damaged again with greater effect.
-Shen & Reflet has not attained A-Support.
-Aversa has been introduced early.
-Plegia is divided into 210 different tribes, several being merged and led by Gangrel.
One final poll has been made. Afterwards, the next poll will be about pairings.
