A/N: I still don't have too much free time to write. I'm going to be particularly busy until the end of May, at which point I have no idea what my schedule will be like. C'est la vie.
I've been getting some great feedback from you guys! I've changed the probabilities of certain events transpiring based on what you guys expressed interest in. The dice is the final judge, of course.
Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows so far, everyone!
I'm dancing behind the setting sun. The caravan is nearby, with most of the troupe inside. Olivia never mentions them canonically, so I'm pleasantly surprised when they turn out to be a pretty cool mix of people. I've quickly become partial to Adam. The bishounen dancer is watching me with critical eyes.
"Stomp, and stomp, and pause!"
I hold my position. It's a little awkward, but acceptable. Adam walks a quick circle around me, analyzing my form. He nods and resumes clapping his hands with a steady beat.
"And go! One-two, three-four, one-two, three-four."
My focus is absolute. My steps are immaculate. I am the bone of my dance.
"Finishing in 5… 4… 3…"
Damn, I need a finishing move. C'mon, I can think of something!
"2… 1…!"
I jump, slamming my hand onto my thigh for emphasis and landing in a crouch. I hold my hands out and nice, I think I nailed it. Jiraiya would be proud if he existed. This is a really hard-to-hold pose, though.
There's clapping and it's not coming from Adam who else is here –
"Not bad, boy!"
A raspy voice. Thank Naga, it's just Nerine. "Thanks," I say, wiping the sweat from my forehead. The old woman is sitting patiently on the ground nearby. "How long were you here?"
"A few minutes," the old woman says innocently. Her crafty smile hints that there's something she's not telling me, but I know I won't get it out of her.
"How did you get so close without me noticing? Again?" I ask, exasperated.
"Maybe you're just bad at noticing things?" she asks back, head tilted.
"Am not." I'm great at witty retorts.
"You are," the woman says back confidently. Ouch. "You don't mind me watching, do you?"
"You're not going to go away even if I say no, are you?"
"No."
"Then nah, I don't mind," I say. "So long as it's just you and Adam."
"Ahem," Adam walks up and claps me on the shoulder. "So, your sense of rhythm is good! That's the hardest part to get down. I think we could make you one of us in a few months!"
"Wow, really?" I ask, surprised. We both know that I'm only staying with them temporarily, but it's the thought that counts. "I wouldn't mind getting in more practice with you every now and then, if you're okay with it."
"Sounds good," the dancer agrees. "Do you want to keep going for tonight?"
I'm about to agree when I see his eyes flicker to the caravan and then back to me. "I'd love to," I say aloud. "Thanks again. I appreciate you letting me practice without an audience. I just hate having too many eyes on me."
Too obvious? Oh well. The small smile Adam gives confirms my suspicions about being watched.
"Nerine and I won't say a word," he reassures me unnecessarily. "Although… why don't you grab us some water before we continue?"
"Right!" I agree, turning on the spot and jogging towards the caravan. "Be right back!"
If I move fast enough, I'm sure I can catch them in the act.
The body of the caravan blocks my vision of the door, but I hear people moving nearby, and catch a flash of pink. I hear a soft clatter just as the door comes into view. I knock twice and then, instead of waiting like I usually do, barge right in.
The inside of the caravan is a bit cramped, but the stout wood and cheery colours give it a homely feel. The only light comes through small windows, but it's more than enough to see by.
"Hey everyone, what's up?" I ask brightly, moving to grab a water-skin. My eyes flicker over everyone. Rock is too straight-forward to have been spying, so I immediately discount the burly man. Yahen isn't even here, so I guess all of the guys are in the clear.
The three women of the troupe are all relaxing nonchalantly, but only Elice makes eye contact with me when I come in. Shaya and Olivia are pointedly not meeting my gaze.
"Not much," Elice says innocently. I ignore her. Adam's sister is a dangerously good actress. I focus on the weak link.
"Hey Olivia, you're breathing pretty hard," I note, feigning concern. "You okay?"
"Ah!" Olivia's eyes dart up at me and then back down immediately. "Y-yes! Perfectly fine!"
Not bad for her usual standards, but that's not saying much. "You sure?" I push. "You seem a little flustered."
"Ah-hah, d-do I?" she laughs nervously. "Must be the weather!"
"The weather," I repeat, even as Shaya winces at Olivia's slip-up. "The weather inside the caravan. That weather."
"Umm…" Gotcha! Confess your sins!
Elice finally groans. "Alright, alright. We were watching you, sheesh! Stop bullying Olivia, already."
"Ruin all my fun, why don't you," I sigh, and the dancer grins right back.
"Ah, well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" Shaya chips in. The troupe's singer seems to have forgotten her earlier embarrassment as she forges on. "I mean, you're really good for a beginner!"
"Thanks," I say. "Though I'm not a complete beginner."
"Oh," Elice says. "And here I thought you might have some natural talent. Guess I was wrong?"
"Elice!" Olivia says, red-faced. She turns to face me, eyes still facing down. "I'mreallysorryforwatchingyoudon'tbemad!"
I feel like I kicked a puppy. "Hey, I'm not actually mad. I was just messing with you guys. Adam was in on it."
Olivia breathes out a sigh of relief – seriously, it's way too easy to frazzle her, but Elice gets a dangerous glint in her eye. "Was he, now?"
Creak. "If Ess'ai is saying anything bad about me, he's a liar," the troupe's only male dancer says lazily as he closes the door behind him.
"He was just telling us how you were involved in pranking our dear, sweet Olivia," Elice says.
"Nuh-uh, don't think you can make me feel guilty for something you were doing," Adam replies easily. He shakes his head in faux-helplessly at me, gesturing to the others. "Women, right?"
I raise my hands up when Elice's eyes narrow. "No comment," I say tactfully.
The rest of the evening passes in playful banter, until the lack of light makes it impossible to see and we all head to sleep. We get to our first village the next morning.
I applaud along with the villagers of Padstow as Adam and Elice dance. The pair are an immediate hit.
It's cool watching everyone perform now that I've gotten to know them a bit. I've already seen the dancer siblings' routine, so I spend a little more time focusing on Yahen, Rock and Nerine as they provide the background music.
Rock's skin is glistening as he slams his massive hands in a steady beat.
Drum-drum-DRUM!
Yahen is playing a horn that I don't recognize, and I'm pretty sure that Nerine is, in fact, using a sitar. The older woman probably doesn't have the constitution to use the other instruments.
I hear Shaya shifting behind me. "Oh, sorry," I say, moving to give her room to get past me.
She chooses to peer over my shoulder instead. "Don't worry, I've still got a few minutes," she says, stepping back.
"Not gonna wear a hood up this time?" I ask.
Shaya tilts her head. "Hood…? Are you talking about our performance in Galt?"
I nod, and Shaya laughs with a secretive smile. Outside, I hear the roar of cheering that probably indicates that Olivia has taken the floor.
"What am I missing here?" I ask quizzically.
The singer winks at me. "Keep your eyes and ears on me today, and maybe you'll figure it out."
I'm glad that I don't blush easily. The singer giggles at my expression and saunters past me.
Rock changes his beat when he sees Shaya emerge from the caravan. Olivia, Adam and Elice are performing a routine, but I keep my eyes on the singer as she joins her voice to the medley being played.
I close my eyes in appreciation as Shaya sings. That is definitely not the voice I heard back in Galt. Shaya's voice is clear, piercing and sweet. For a few minutes, my mind conjures up warm thoughts of a world that I can't reach anymore…
I think Shaya might be the Olivia of singing. Have I stumbled onto this world's most talented artists?
I wipe my sleeve across my face and grab my bow as the troupe's performance finishes. There aren't as many people here as there were in Galt, but they make up for it in spirit with their cheers and cries. The troupe bows and waves out to the villagers, and out of the corner of my eye I see Nerine talking to an elderly man in the crowd.
Olivia falls straight back to the caravan, and I step aside to let her through. It looks like Elice is mingling, with Adam hovering protectively over her, while Shaya stays within sight of Rock and Yahen.
"Hey there!" A pair of villagers approach the caravan. I scan over their stats quickly and write them off as non-threatening.
"Hey," I greet back warmly, taking in their expressions. "I'm guessing you liked the performance?"
"L-liked it?" one of them says, clearly struggling for words. "Tha' was… amazing! Never seen nothin' like it!"
I give the man a knowing nod and gesture out to the rest of the troupe. "Why not talk to a few of the performers and let them know what you think? It'll make them happy to hear how much you liked it."
It's a pre-emptive deflection from my end. I've got a feeling that these guys are specifically looking for Olivia. I'm also pretty sure that Olivia wants to hide.
"Aye, but she's in there, right?" the man prods. Yeah, go figure. "I mean, everyone's good, but the one in pink was just…"
"Ah, sorry," I say. I think about telling them how shy Olivia is, then decide it's not really my place to say. "She might be out in a few hours, so you'll have to wait until then."
"C'mon, buddy!" the other pleads. "Just for a few minutes!"
I feel just a touch unnerved by the guy's tone, but I try not to show it.
"What, the rest of these amazing people not good enough for ya?" I laugh even as I shift my stance. "Go on, get to know some of the others, and maybe you'll see her around later."
I palm an arrow as I gesture out to the crowd. The first of the pair seems to notice and deflates, nudging the other when he seems ready to protest. They leave reluctantly.
"Thanks," a soft voice calls from behind me.
"No problem," I say without turning around. For a moment I think Olivia's going to follow-up, maybe to explain why she's so reluctant to mingle, but she stays silent.
It's alright. I can guess based off of her canon personality.
A few other members come by to drop off their instruments or change their clothes. I notice Elice smiling and clutching a shiny rock-pendant when she stops by. Next to her, Adam looks a little exasperated.
"Every time," he says to me as he heads out the door. "Seriously."
"Did Elice make an impression on a poor village lad?" I hazard a guess.
"You have no idea," Adam says, shaking his head.
"He's sweet," Elice defends.
"Everyone's sweet," Adam says. "Especially when you do that thing you do with your eyes and tilt your head down and look at them like this and-"
Elice smacks her brother on the arm lightly.
Rock strides up to me as the two set out again. "You okay?" he asks me, gesturing with a thumb to Olivia.
"I can stay here until whenever you come back," I reassure him, and the big man nods gratefully as I pick up his task at guard duty. There's no denying that he's suited for it; I read him as a level 20 fighter, with stats to match. Still, I doubt we'll get any trouble in this cheery village.
I stand guard outside the caravan for about a half-hour, deflecting a few people looking for Olivia and chatting about inane things with villagers until the crowd dissipates. Then I head back inside.
I find Olivia staring at her shawl. She starts when I clear my throat.
"Just wondering if you're planning on heading out at all," I say.
Olivia shakes her head furiously. "Um, that's alright! I'll just stay in here for a bit longer."
I shrug and drop my bow, taking a seat near the entrance. "No problem."
I see a flicker of guilt flash across her face. "Sorry… you don't have to stay here if you don't want to."
"Hey, it's no big deal," I say, waving my hand. "I noticed that you did the same thing back in Galt. Crowds get you nervous?"
"Not really," Olivia says, still looking down at the floor. "It's just that… they were just watching me, and I was…" she pokes her fingers together.
"You were…?" I prompt when she trails off.
Olivia's face goes red and she shakes her head. "It's nothing! It's just, it's just-! I mean, they were all staring at me, and-!" She hides her face in her hands and mumbles something unintelligible.
Oh my god she's adorable. It takes a heroic amount of self-control to not poke fun at her obvious embarrassment.
"The performance is over," I say instead. "And… everyone seems to think you did pretty well, myself included. Good work."
She did phenomenally, but I'm sensing that I shouldn't give her anything higher than mild praise if I want her coherent anytime soon. It's only partially successful as she hides even further behind her hands.
She'll calm down on her own, I decide. I take a seat and decide to close my eyes for a bit while Olivia normalizes.
I think about Libra and can't stop a small smile from crossing my face. Conversation with the monk always came naturally. I wonder where he is now? Hopefully, he hasn't run into any bandits. God only knows how melancholic he'll be if he lets his battle sorrows build up without anyone to talk to.
I rifle through the small pack of supplies that I was able to prepare with Libra and Bran. It's mostly food, though they also gave me 10 gold as an emergency supply. Then, most importantly, there's my back-up notes for Emmeryn. Or Chrom, I suppose.
I skim it briefly, double-checking to see if I'm missing anything. I can't add anything without ink and a quill, but we're in a village now, so now's probably my chance if I need to.
"You can read?" Olivia's voice brings me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah," I say. "You?"
That might be a bit of a tactless question, but thankfully Olivia nods. "Not very well, though…"
"Just like you don't dance very well?" I note dryly, poking at Olivia's ridiculous humility when it comes to herself.
Olivia flushes. "I don't, though! I'm just-"
I laugh and wave it off. "Don't worry, I get it," I say.
"So, what is it?" Olivia asks, drawing close to peer at my notes. I'm acutely aware of the space between us. Argh, why couldn't she change from her dancer's outfit? Oh god, now I'm imagining – stop, clear your mind! Clear your mind. Sixteen squared is two-fifty-six. Seventeen squared is… 256 plus 16 is 272, plus 17 is 289? Eighteen squared is… 289 plus 16 is 306, plus 17 is 324.
That's better. Phew.
"This is…" I start, opening my eyes but not looking directly at her. Hopefully my silence can be played off as cryptic-ness. "… The reason I'm here."
I risk a sideways glance, but Olivia seems to be waiting for me to elaborate.
Ah, what the hell. "I'm going to Ferox to deliver this note," I state plainly.
"Oh," Olivia says. "Who's it for?"
"Prince Chrom of Ylisse, if I'm lucky." I return the notes to my pack.
"Prince Chrom?" Olivia is rightly confused. "I don't think you'll find him in Ferox, though."
"Normally, I wouldn't," I admit. "But the tournament between the East and West Khans is happening soon, right? That's probably the best chance I have of finding him and talking to him."
"Prince Chrom's going to be competing in the tournament?" Olivia says, looking alarmed.
"I think there's a good chance," I say. "Ylisse needs Ferox with Gangrel acting up. If he wants to get the support of a Khan in advance, when the price of an alliance is cheaper and terms are flexible, he's got to act soon."
Also, I canonically know it's going to happen. But why not pretend to be politically savvy?
"Oh," Olivia says, nodding her head and not looking at me. "R-right."
"Everything okay?" I ask when I notice her fidgeting.
"Yep!" she says quickly. "So, um, what kind of letter do you need to give to him?" For some reason her eyes widen. "Um, but you don't have to tell me! It's okay, haha..."
… Is she nervous that Lon'qu is going to go up against Chrom? Don't think so. Maybe I'll figure out the source of her odd behaviour if I just keep going.
"It's fine," I say, still watching her body language. Whoa eyes, don't wander. "Basically, I've heard some pretty nasty things a few people are planning against Ylisse. And Ferox, I guess. If I'm lucky, this might save some innocent lives."
A lot of innocent lives, though if I butterfly anything into a prolonged war I might end up achieving the opposite. Still, that's not an excuse for inaction.
I'm careful not to mention that helping Ylisse probably means harming Plegia. No moral ambiguity here, no sir.
Olivia looks suitably impressed. "Saving lives?" she says. "Father Libra did mention…"
She trails off before a determined expression comes across her face. "I can't do much, but if there's something I can do to help…"
"I'll let you know," I say, nodding. "Thanks."
Olivia smiles, and some of our earlier awkwardness disappears.
"Um, can I ask another question?"
"Sure," I say, nodding.
"Can you tell me which performance, um…," Olivia hesitates.
I decide to wait patiently instead of prompting her to continue.
"Not that they were good or anything, but, um. Which dance do you think was better?"
I tilt my head to indicate that I'm a bit confused.
"I mean, between today and back in Galt," the dancer clarifies.
"Oh," I say, thinking it through. "Well, I was pretty blown away when I saw you in Galt. As for today, I wasn't really paying attention to the dancing."
"Oh," Olivia says. "I thought… never mind."
The dancer draws in on herself and I mentally wince as I check my word choice.
"That sounded bad," I say. "Lemme try again. You were dancing really well! I know it and the crowd knew it. I'd would've been as captivated today, but I was kind of focused on Shaya this time."
"Shaya…?" Olivia says, surprise clear. "But she wasn't– oh!"
Olivia has a look of revelation and my words catch up to me again.
"Hold up," I hastily amend. "I wasn't looking at her because I wanted to specifically. I mean, it's not like I didn't want to look at her – she asked me to look at her, okay?"
Olivia covers her mouth with a hand. "She asked you to…?"
"It's not what you're thinking!" I say. "Wait, no. I'm not doing this."
I take a deep breath. The best defense is a good offense!
"Olivia," I say, completely changing my demeanour. I let a hint of curiosity through. "Shaya's voice was totally different than the one I heard at Galt. Back then, who was singing?"
The ball is back in her court, and the dancer predictably blushes and completely looks away. Success!
"Wow," I say, genuinely impressed. "So that was you, huh?"
"Umm, I… well, I mean," she stammers, playing with her fingers again. Her voice is practically a mumble. "Shaya's been giving me some lessons."
"Just play some instruments and you'll be a one-man troupe," I joke.
Olivia shakes her head resolutely but doesn't say anything, still embarrassed.
I stretch a bit and sigh as silence falls between us, lying against a wall. I tilt my head to the side to look at her.
"So, is this usually what you do after performances?"
"Mmhmm," she nods. "I just can't go out and see everyone after I perform. Rock usually stays, too, but I think he just does it to keep me company." She glances at me and makes eye contact with a tentative smile. "Thanks, by the way."
"Anytime," I say. I'm more interested in talking to a future Shepherd than exploring a random village. Also, I'm a guy and she's Olivia. Seriously, how do the Shepherds fight alongside her without getting distracted every other second?
"Are you sure you don't want to check out the village though, even a bit?" I continue, gauging Olivia's reaction. I continue when I see her look a little interested. "No one's outside the caravan now, and you could go with a cloak."
Olivia pokes her fingers together, looking lost in thought. "Well… maybe…"
I'm about to push a bit further when I get a strange feeling, and I pause. Maybe I'll let Olivia decide on her own.
Eventually the dancer shakes her head. "You can go on ahead. I'll be fine here."
I repress a sigh. Damn. Maybe I should've pushed for it while the metaphorical iron was hot?
I shake my head, too. "Never mind, then."
We leave Padstow behind on the very same day after picking up some supplies. It's not worth staying in such a small village for too long, and we've got places to be.
"So, you're all from Ferox?" I ask the troupe idly a few hours later. Yahen's sitting at the entrance of the caravan, guiding the horses dutifully north.
"Nah," Elice says. "We're all from Plegia. Think Olivia's the only Feroxi, actually."
Rock grunts.
"Olivia and Rock," Elice amends. "They're the newest to our group. Well, after you."
"You guys been together a while, then?" I ask.
Shaya sits down next to me. "Years," she says. "Though Olivia and Rock just joined us... hmm, 4 months ago, I think?"
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "Oh. Then why's the whole troupe heading to Ferox?"
I know the answer to this question, but they don't know that I know.
Elice playfully drapes an arm around Olivia's shoulder. "'Cuz Oli here really wants to see her lover~"
Olivia blushes almost instantly. "Elice! He's not – we're not! H-he's my friend!"
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Nerine cackles, and next to me I notice that Shaya's blushing, too. "Nothin' to be ashamed of, girl. I hear he's quite the looker!"
"Leave her alone, ladies," Adam comes to Olivia's rescue. Then he pokes her in the arm playfully. "I mean, there's no way her friend looks as good as I do."
"Nice one," I say appreciatively. "There's no good way for her to answer that."
Adam bows with one hand as Olivia groans. "Not you too, Ess'ai," she complains.
We keep some light-hearted conversation going as the caravan plods along. I tune in again when I hear Nerine talking about bandits.
"He's not sure why, but there's more of 'em wanderin' about in small packs," she says. "It's just not safe on the road anymore, not at night."
"I heard from a merchant near Galt that a big pack of bandits broke up recently," I recall. "Maybe it's related?"
Or maybe it's related to Gangrel ordering soldiers to pretend at banditry. Who knows?
Nerine shakes her head. "It's always bad news when bandits get antsy. Let's just hope we don't get caught up in it."
Olivia shivers, and Adam pats her on the shoulder.
"We'll be fine," he says confidently. "With Rock, Ess'ai, and 'specially me, we won't lose to bandits."
I blink as Adam reaches behind his and Elice's packs to pull out a scabbarded sword. He strikes a heroic pose.
"Whoa! You have a sword?" I ask, genuinely surprised. I've asked around, and weapons aren't cheap. "How on Earth did you-"
Elice groans. "Don't. Please don't ask him, Ess'ai."
"But that's a pretty big deal!" I insist.
"It's a good story," Yahen agrees, and Rock nods silently.
"Men," Shaya says with a small smile.
"Boys," Elice corrects with a shake of her head. "I'm not listening to this story again. I've already heard it twice today."
"In the village?" I ask, and Elice nods, looking at me with a weary and pitiful expression. I know she's playing me, but I relent anyway. "Fine, fine, I won't ask. Still, that's really cool. I didn't know you could fight, too."
"I can't," Adam admits brazenly, and I nearly choke at his careless tone. My sometimes dancing instructor winks at me. "But the bandits won't know that, will they?"
The troupe doesn't have many expectations of me, as I don't really draw from their supplies. Libra and Bran gave me enough food to see me safely to Ferox, so long as I ration it sparingly with liberal use of Estus. I'm used to the constant hunger, and while I'm sure I look a little thinner and weaker than I did when I got here, I don't mind. A little bit of hunger keeps me sharp.
We stop at another village several days later as the sun is setting, and decide to spend the night. It feels different, though. The villagers of Padstow greeted us with curiosity and goodwill, or neutrality at worst.
The villagers here seem wearier, and their eyes are evaluating when they look at us.
"They've seen bandits," Nerine tells all of us plainly as we huddle in the caravan. "And we'll be getting closer to their old hideout if we keep going north. Everyone's scared."
"Nothing we can do about that," Adam sighs.
"No," Olivia disagrees, looking unusually fierce. "There is."
Most of us are against performing in this village, but Olivia won't hear of it. She shines that night, her shyness melting away as her steps become more and more graceful. I'm sure it's hard for her, but she keeps eye contact with as many people as she can while she dances. Sometimes, she closes her eyes, and when she re-opens them it's always with a sudden burst of energetic steps.
Everyone is entranced. For a little while, this small village forgets its troubles.
We strike north-west, hoping that our roundabout route will let us bypass the bandit hotspots to the east.
"Step, step, hold!" Adam commands as he dances at my side. "Aaaand relax. I think that's enough for tonight. Good stuff!"
I breathe deeply and my muscles take in precious oxygen, sighing with relief. Dancing is physically demanding, and despite how lackadaisical Adam normally is he's pretty hardcore when it comes to his craft. I take a few gulps of his proffered water-skin, not even wincing anymore at the unusual taste the container brings.
Ah, what I'd give for a good plastic water bottle.
"Thanks, man," I say, passing the water back to him before grinning. "Man, this is way more fun than I'd thought it'd be."
Adam gives me a haughty look as he picks up his sword from his feet. "With me watching over you, how could you expect anything less?"
"Of course, oh great dancing master," I say, picking up Hush and re-securing my bag of arrows to my belt. "I apologize for ever doubting-"
Rustle
My reaction time is poor, but I grab an arrow and turn. "Freeze!" I shout instinctively, looking for a target. Adam runs up to my side, though his inexperience is showing as he hasn't drawn his weapon. "Who's there?" I add belatedly.
I relax when I hear a mild eep and see a sliver of pink shifting behind a tree.
"Oh, Olivia," Adam sighs. "Don't scare us like that."
"Sorry…" Olivia emerges hesitantly, blushing as furiously as I expected. "I wasn't trying to spy on you or anything, though!"
"We never said you were," I say, and Olivia's blush somehow deepens. "What are you doing out here, though?"
"… Nothing really," Olivia says after a pause. I'm not sure what she sees in our expressions, but she backpedals and stammers out a quick apology. "I'll just, um, head back now! Sorry again! Good night!"
"Olivia," I call, but she's already gone. Adam gives me a wry grin.
"Looks like you've got a secret admirer," he says, nudging me.
"I'm learning from the best," I quip back, before frowning. "Although, she really shouldn't wander from the caravan. I mean, we have our weapons, but she doesn't have anything."
"Things have been getting tenser, haven't they?" Adam says.
There's just something in the atmosphere as we approach Plegia's northern borders. We should be safe when we enter Feroxi territory in a couple of days, and from there it's only about a week until we reach the Longfort.
That means if something's going to go wrong, it's going to happen soon. We're all a little wary.
"Yeah," I agree. "Maybe we should put off our practice until we cross the border to Ferox."
"We could, but then Olivia's going to be alone when she sneaks out to practice at night," Adam points out.
"Huh?" I say. "Wait, is that why she was out here?"
"Probably, until we distracted her."
"Hm. Then we'll have to convince her to not practice for a couple of days," I say.
"Nah, let her practice," Adam disagrees. "She can't become the best dancer in the world if we let something like bandits get in her way."
"Wha – best dancer in the world?"
"Next to me, of course," Adam grins. "But c'mon, anyone can tell that Olivia's going to make it big. It's our job to make sure she gets that chance!"
"Is that something you're allowed to say considering your sister's a dancer, too?" I ask skeptically.
Adam snorts. "Elice 'n I have made our peace with it," he says, turning to face the sky. "Olivia's just better than us."
"I'm impressed," I admit. "You don't sound as bitter about it as most people would be." Thinking back, I've never picked up any animosity between the troupe members for as long as I've been with them. That's unusual.
He chuckles ruefully. "You say that now, but you should've seen my sister when Olivia first showed her up a few months ago. Boy, was she pissed."
"Ooh," I wince at the thought of Olivia having to deal with a frustrated Elice.
"She couldn't stay mad at Olivia for long, though," Adam says, and I nod. I've witnessed the power of kicked-puppy Olivia, and it's not a force to be trifled with. "And honestly, we're all learning a lot from each other."
When Adam turns to face me again, he looks unusually serious. "Still, you'd have to be blind to miss Olivia's talent. And that's why we're going to keep her safe."
"Keep her safe?" I say quizzically.
Adam nods. "So she can practice, of course! A missed day of practice loses you a week of results, everyone knows that."
I blink at his surprising work-ethic. Come to think of it, I don't think any of the dancers in this troupe have missed a single day of practice. "Man, first the sword and now declarations to protect maidens. Are you secretly an upcoming story-book hero?"
The dancer laughs sheepishly. "Well, Olivia picked up her night-time practice habits from me, so I guess we have to take responsibility."
"Ahh, there it is," I nod in understanding. "Wait, why am I getting involved in this again?"
Adam claps me on the shoulder. "Because you're my student now! The master and student share their troubles, right?"
"Eh, why not," I shrug.
It's honestly silly, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious. There's only a few days before we reach the border. What's the worst that could – wait, no, I'm not going to tempt fate.
Instead, I'll make plans for how to react when things inevitably go wrong.
We go an entire day without meeting anyone on the road, and decide to stop near a river before the sun sets. It's a good spot to water and rest the horses, and we've got a pretty open view with no bandits in sight.
Of course, that means Adam and I can't really be discrete about watching over Olivia when she sneaks downhill to practice next to the river.
"Please stop staring," she says meekly.
"We're not," I say defensively. Adam smirks and I hit him on the shoulder. "Okay, I'm not. I can't speak for Adam."
"You're doing fine," Adam reassures her. "And we've been over this. The best way to get comfortable in front of bigger crowds is to practice in front of people you know."
Olivia doesn't look convinced, but to her credit she tries to pick up her dance again. She's clearly conscious of us, though, and her movements are stiffer than what I'm used to.
I decide to take it easy on her and instead keep scanning the horizon. There's no one else here, and we're only a few minutes away from the caravan in case of trouble.
Olivia fumbles a step and stops again. "S-sorry," she sighs, twiddling her fingers. "I don't think-"
Whatever she was going to say is cut off as a piercing scream cuts the air.
"That was-" I start, grabbing my bow and Mend staff.
"Elice!" Adam finishes, scrambling to his feet and grabbing his weapon. I hesitate. There's two dancers, but only one sword between them. And frankly, Olivia's stats are better in almost every way.
Adam
Dancer
LV: 3. EX: -.
HP: 17/17
Str: 4
Mag: 1
Skill: 9
Spd: 10
Lck: 6+4
Def: 7
Res: 2
Skills: Luck+4.
Olivia
Dancer
LV: 10. EX: -.
HP: 25/25
Str: 7
Mag: 3
Skill: 15
Spd: 15
Lck: 10+4
Def: 5
Res: 4
Skills: Luck+4, Special Dance.
"Can either of you use a bow?" I try, and the dancers shake their heads in the negative. Damn.
I should tell Adam to pass the sword to Olivia, but what if I'm wrong? While my combat seems to run on RPG mechanics and turns, I still can't tell if the same applies to the world. Olivia's stats won't help if she freezes up.
I end up saying nothing as we race back uphill, and the caravan comes into sight. I spy four bandits, circling Rock and Yahen. They're both unarmed. Hopefully, the others are safely hidden in the caravan.
Of course I wouldn't get to Ferox uneventfully. I haven't had a chapter with Olivia yet, after all. Fuck my life. Is this chance? Or are battles literally unavoidable in this fucking world?
Calm down. You can do this.
I close my eyes and slow myself, trying to mind my feet as I quickly skim through the bandits' levels. Level 6, 3, 10, and 18.
My eyes snap open and Adam catches me as I almost trip over the uneven ground.
"What're you doing?" he asks. "Let's hurry!"
It's too hard reading stats and trying to move at the same time, but I double-check quickly while repeating Sumia's mantra. Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip.
"The ugly one with the scar's the strongest, and that one's the second strongest, I think," I say quickly, pointing out the level 10 and 18 bandits to Adam. "Don't fight them, they'll tear us apart."
I'm glad I've spent some time thinking about our combat capabilities as a group. The obvious problem is that our strongest fighter, Rock, doesn't have a weapon. If we kill the level 3 and pass his axe to Rock, though, we should be good.
The bandits haven't spotted us yet. We can strike pre-emptively with my bow, but that'll ruin our chance for diplomacy. I want to think that bandits are just regular human beings, and that they'll be reluctant to fight against even numbers. Then I remember the Raven's crew, and my hope flickers.
Gods damn it all, what do I do?
Argh, fuck it. "Olivia, hold my staff for a sec and be ready to give it back," I whisper. "Adam, I'm attacking. Keep me safe 'til we take down the weakest guy over there."
Attack. I bring up my combat forecast against the weakest bandit. Barbarians have a low defense, so I can actually hurt them. If they close with me, though, I'm fucked.
Ess'ai
HP: 20
Atk: 6
Hit: 91
Crit: 0
Krull
HP: 33
Atk: -
Hit: -
Crit: -
Attack.
Though my body is coursing with adrenaline, my movement is as smooth as ever as I jog up the remaining distance to the bandits, nock an arrow and loose.
"Argh!" the bandit that I hit cries out in pain. My arrow gets him squarely in the shoulder.
Rock doesn't let the opportunity go to waste. He rushes in and wrenches the axe from the bandit I just struck, slashing at him wildly before retreating.
"Hold it!" I bellow as forcefully as I can. My attempts at starting a conversation to diffuse the battle fall flat as the level 18 barbarian roars in rage, hefting his axe at Rock while his weaponless ally staggers back.
"Take 'em out!" their strongest member snaps to his remaining allies. I gulp as the level 6 and 10 turn their gaze towards us. They're coming closer.
"Stop now, idiots!" I try again, and something in my tone must get through because the bandits slow down and actually stop. Adam draws his sword and hovers next to me uncertainly. I can see his eyes flicker across our sudden battleground, probably searching for his sister. "Are you trying to get yourselves killed for no reason? Back off now. I can heal your friend when you all go away, and we can pretend that this never happened."
Gascon
Barbarian
LV: 10. EX: -.
HP: 40/40
Str: 17
Mag: 0
Skill: 8
Spd: 13
Lck: 7
Def: 5
Res: 2
Skills: Gamble.
Oh no. With that Silver Axe, the bandit's attack is 33, so I can't tank a single hit. And he doubles me, so if he decides to fight me I'm definitely going to die.
I wish I had Libra with me. I shouldn't have split up from him.
Find another way out!
Adam might not be able to see the enemy stats, but I think he comes to the same realization.
"Look, guys. We don't want trouble, and we won't go telling anyone you're here," he says, looking at the stronger of the two. He flips his sword in his hand with surprising dexterity. "We've got weapons and you know we can use them. Why risk it? People come across this road all the time."
Bless Adam. He might not be able to fight, but I'll be damned if he can't bluff it with the best of them.
"There's easier targets than us," he continues persuasively. "I don't want to die. You don't want to die. Let's all take a few steps back, yeah?"
I think we're getting through to the level 6, but the level 10 is staring at something past us. He's looking at…
Oh, son of a bitch.
Olivia.
Olivia, who's still sweaty in her dancer's outfit and is more-or-less a walking wet dream.
Slowly, the level 10 bandit grins, and Olivia takes a step back involuntarily. Unbidden, a memory rises.
No, stop it! Get off of me!
Maybe without Olivia, Adam and I could've talked our way out. Still, it's not her fault she's so pretty. If anything, I should've predicted this. Did Rena's fate teach me nothing?
I recognize that look on Gascon's face too well. My grip on my bow tightens.
Stop! Please, stop!
"Olivia, be ready to break for the caravan," I say quietly. "Don't get caught. And… if things start looking bad, run with the others."
Rock's the only one who can take on the level 18 without dying, but a quick glimpse shows that his fight is going poorly. Yahen's keeping the bandit occupied, and that's the only thing keeping Rock alive right now.
How unfair. Even with a numbers and level advantage, Rock is losing. Fuck off, lunatic mode.
There's no time left. We need to act.
"Adam, we need to get past these guys so I can heal Rock," I say. "Olivia, you need to pass my staff back as we run. On three."
If his leer is anything to go by, Level 6 seems to have finally noticed Olivia. It's given us enough time to plan, though, so I'll take it.
"One, two, three."
We burst into motion, the three of us running for Rock and the caravan. I put my arrows back into my pouch, and Olivia hands me my staff as we run. Healing is more valuable than damage, now.
So far, so good. The bandits are unfortunately only caught off guard for a second, and they rush to intercept us.
"Hey now, didn't you want to talk?!" Gascon jeers. I've got an urge to shoot an arrow into his face, but none of us actually fall for the taunt. "'Coz I've just thunk a way to settle this nicely, pretty lady."
The two dancers outstrip me quickly, being fitter than I am. The bandits are gaining on me, too. I see Olivia's eyes flicker back towards me. I get a cold feeling as I see a familiar expression of determination cross her face.
"Don't-" I start to say, but she slows down.
"Please, heal Rock," she says, and then she intentionally falls behind.
"Goddamnit Olivia, get back here!" I snarl. But I can't be that guy that fucks everything up and wastes valuable seconds by dithering. I try to keep an eye on her.
The bandits grin as they catch up to Olivia. My heart nearly stops when the level 6 grabs at her, but she twists away at the last second.
Naga, if you can read my thoughts, keep her safe.
"Show us a dance, girlie!"
Olivia's face hardens imperceptibly at their jeers. It's terrifying watching her try to bait them, so I can barely imagine what she's feeling right now. But if I don't do my part and support Rock, then her actions will be in vain.
Focus. If I try to heal Rock from this direction, my body's going to ignore everything to try to get to him. That means I'll be open for the Level 18 to intercept me.
Yahen is still trying to distract the Level 18. They're moving around, so I need to wait for it. Wait for it… now's my chance! I close my eyes.
Staff – Mend.
My mind's eye settles on Rock. The rest is up to fate.
Like a puppet, my posture suddenly shifts as I race towards my ally, staff in hand. Light pours from my staff, and some of Rock's wounds visibly close.
When true awareness returns to me, I realize that Olivia has caught up to us and Adam has turned to try to hold off Level 6 and 10, waving his sword like a stick to keep them back.
My senses are running in overdrive, trying to figure out what to do.
Just macro, dumbass, keep healing Rock!
I run a couple of steps away from the bandits and close my eyes again.
Staff – Mend.
I'm only peripherally aware of what's happening as my staff shines and Rock is healed further. The healing gives my ally enough courage to finally close with the level 18 bandit again. There's a vicious exchange of blows, and Rock stumbles back as blood spurts from his chest.
His opponent falls, though. With the strongest enemy down, Rock can carry us to victory. I feel a surge of triumph as I hear the sounds of a level-up pinging in my head.
It turns into horror as I slowly gain awareness of myself. Level 6 is right next to me, the sun shining off his axe as he raises it skyward.
What's going through Adam's mind when he shoves me away? Is he thinking of what an idiot I am for not moving when the enemy is clearly right next to me?
Panic flares as my staff clatters out of my hand, rolling away with the force of Adam's push.
The dancer gets me out of harm's way, but in exchange an axe bites into his side. His face is right in front of mine, his expression screwed up in pain. His scream burns its way into my mind.
Rock is there immediately, slashing at Level 6 with reckless abandon and getting in a hit. I hear a cry of alarm as Gascon catches his ally's plight, rushing towards us. Rock shoots Adam a worried glance, but is forced to leave us and intercept Gascon.
At least the Level 10 can't try to abduct Olivia in the confusion anymore.
The Level 6 is charging us, his face a rictus of anger. I can't understand it. Rock just wounded him. Why isn't he running away? He should want to live. Isn't he afraid, like I am?
He draws close. The world around us stops existing. There's just me, Adam and the Level 6.
I can't leave Adam undefended to get my staff. I don't need to see the dancer's stats to know he can't take another hit. But I can. It's what my class specializes in, isn't it?
"I can heal myself if I get hit," I say in a rush to Adam. "Just try to hit him back."
I don't know if Adam's grasped my plan, and I don't have time to check. Level 6 draws near. I close my eyes, checking his health.
Rayne
Barbarian
LV: 6. EX: -.
HP: 15/38.
Rayne swings his axe straight at me. I make no move to dodge it. I'm thankful for the time I've spent experimenting with my mental commands.
"Now, Adam!"
Inventory.
Estus Flask 2/5: Use item.
My body ignores Rayne's axe as it slashes across my body, mechanically sipping my Estus. When I regain awareness, I see Adam landing a shallow hit with a clumsy swing.
There's the tingling feeling of phantom pain and my chest is bloody, but the Estus healed back all of the damage dealt. Trying to heal through enemy attacks is a completely valid tactic in Dark Souls, especially if you have an ally who can make use of the time that you buy.
Ess'ai
Outrealmer
LV: 6. EX: 11.
HP: 20/21
"The hell?" Rayne tries to change tactics, moving to attack Adam. I brazenly step in his way as he slashes again, acting as Adam's human shield.
Inventory.
Estus Flask 1/5: Use item.
I heal back the damage that Rayne dishes out immediately. The phantom pain is stronger when my awareness returns, but Adam nicks the bandit again in return.
Rayne
Barbarian
LV: 6. EX: -.
HP: 9/38.
I grin madly at Rayne, trying to unnerve him. It works a little too well.
"The hell are you?" he asks, eyes wide. The bandit adjusts his grip on his weapon. "What's tha' orange bottle doing?"
"Last chance," I say in a sing-song voice. "I'll let you run."
I can't take another hit, and if I try to initiate a bow attack from so close I'm going to be forced to run back a little bit, to gain the traditional 2-range of Fire Emblem. That'd be fine if Adam wasn't on his last legs next to me, panting deeply. I can't leave him alone right now.
Fuck. If I wasn't double-dipping into Estus as a food source, I'd have all 5 uses available for this fight. I'd have been able to tank until we killed the bandit.
Also, my bluff seems to be failing.
"Jus' die, freak!"
Shit. Shit shit shit.
I try to dodge the next attack, but it catches me in the shoulder, even as Adam lands another hit on Rayne.
"ARGH! Are you kidding me?" I manage to spit out, stumbling back. "Do you want to die? Stop it!"
But the sight of me being injured, no longer able to shrug off attacks, seems to have given our enemy a second wind. His eyes are wild. Damn, did I freak him out too much?
"DIE ALREADY!" he gasps, clutching his own wounds. He launches himself at us again.
I step back, shoulder awash in pain. If I run, then Adam's going to die in my place.
My plans are failing. There's a way to salvage victory from this, I know it. Our enemy is on the ropes. Just think!
But I'm looking death in the face and I'm scared. Who can plan in this kind of situation? Robin? I'm not her. As much as I'd love to be the guy who never wastes a second, who optimizes properly at the critical times, I'm not.
I'm a planner. I've come this far with premeditated strategies, like tanking with Estus. With Rayne charging at me, murder in his eyes, I can't think quickly enough. I freeze.
The axe descends.
And I get to watch as once more, Adam steps in to save me. I get to watch as Rayne's axe cuts my friend down, watch as he laughs away his last breaths.
"Hah… just like a story-book hero."
Rayne
Barbarian
LV: 6. EX: -.
HP: 6/38.
Adam
Dancer
LV: 3. EX: -.
HP: 0/17.
No…
I can't hear the sounds of horrified screaming coming from the caravan. I can't hear the final roars in the fight between Rock and Gascon. All I hear is Adam's laugh as he falls in front of me.
No! NO!
Attack! ATTACK!
I ignore the percentages and numbers. My mind shouts denials, but my body is smooth. Mechanically, I run away from Rayne. Pivot. Arrow on the string. My shoulder burns in agony, but it's a detached pain when I'm in my attack animation.
A clear shot. My body doesn't betray me, and an arrow lodges firmly in the bandit's chest. But…
Rayne
Barbarian
LV: 6. EX: -.
HP: 1/38.
But he's alive, and instead of running away he's charging at me. What a madman. What idiotic bloodlust. I should be disgusted, but my mind is filled with hate.
Running never crosses my mind. I want to see the motherfucker who killed Adam burn.
Attack. Attack!
But anger doesn't give you special powers. It doesn't let you break the rules of combat.
I already attacked once. It's not my turn anymore. So my body just isn't fast enough, and Rayne catches up to me even as I put a second arrow to Hush.
The bandit's blood lathers his skin as he bleeds profusely through the wounds that Adam and I inflicted. His eyes are half-closed, and his breath comes in short growls. With all of his remaining might, he delivers a vicious downwards slash.
My bow and arrows fall from my hands. My chest opens and I stagger forwards. Dimly, I can see someone running towards me. Olivia? No, that's Elice. Elice, Elice, Elice.
Sorry, Elice. I couldn't protect Adam.
Hah, that sounds like a pretty cool death quote. Am I anime now?
I stumble blindly towards Adam. Sorry, Adam. I thought things would work themselves out. I underestimated lunatic. I'm an idiot.
If only I told you to give Olivia that sword. No, if only I told Olivia to stay back completely. If only I asked Libra to come with me. If only I fired those extra goddamn 20 arrows to get the bonus damage from C-rank. If only, if only…
Filled with regrets, my eyes finally close.
Ess'ai
Outrealmer
LV: 6. EX: 21.
HP: 0/21.
YOU DIED
A/N: Welcome to Dark Souls. I'd like a moment of silence for every poor soul who's played early-game Lunatic or Lunatic Plus. We're all probably familiar with the stress of just barely keeping everyone alive. One screw-up later, and half of our team is dead.
Fun fact - Ess'ai passed every single Libra-related roll, including one that required a minimum of 80/100! Together they cleared every battle without death, were never outright ambushed, and Libra finally ended up believing Ess'ai's tale.
The first Olivia combat roll was a Critical Failure (3/100), which is generally a story-changing or relationship-destroying roll. Or both.
The irony is that this was the easiest roll to pass in the entire story so far.
Welp. GG.