As promised, the next morning the group sets sail for Ylisse with the help of Brady. While the rest of the group relaxed within the ship, Xander spent some time speaking with Brady on the bow of the ship.
"Yeah it's not too far really, we should make it no time," Brady explains.
"You have my thanks again Brady, you are doing us a great service," Xander responds.
"Yuh know are you sure you're just a buncha nomads? You lot really come across as more noble types," Brady suspects.
"With all due respect you certainly don't fit the traditional noble type," Xander says.
"Can't really blame ya for that one, it's kinda complicated to explain why, but I'm the real deal, you'd be able to tell once you saw my Ma and Pop. My Ma is actually from a noble family in Ylisse," Brady explains.
"Is that so?" Xander asks.
"Yup, but since my Pop is from a noble house in Valm, they are going back and forth a lot, so I'm left to run things back home," He continues.
"Ah, is that why you decided to accompany us?" Xander asks.
"Sorta, since I gotta help out back home so often I don't really get the chance to leave so much, most of my friends are in Ylisse so I've just been waiting for a reason to finally come back and visit, and specifically see someone I haven't seen in a little too long," Brady continues.
"Your beloved?"
"You can say that. Last time I was Ylisse she, her sister, and her mother had to go off somewhere for private things, so it's been a very long time," He explained.
"Well I'm happy to do my part in reuniting you two. I'm actually traveling to Ylisse to meet up with my beloved as well," Xander said, somewhat feeling a connection with Brady after hearing his tale.
"No foolin'? Small world huh, what's her name?" Brady asks.
"Selena, you wouldn't happen to know her would you? She's got really long red hair, wears it in twin tails, and has a bad attitude," Xander explains.
Brady takes a moment to think, "Actually I do know someone who has twin tails hair and is pretty mean, she's a friend of mine, but her hair isn't red."
Xander had a brief shimmer of joy, but quickly had the moment taken from him, "Right, either way I'll finally have everything figured out," Xander muttered as he and Brady rejoined the others for the remainder of the trip.
Soon enough the ferry reached port on the neighboring continent, and the group had finally touched land and were one step closer to finally tracking down Selena, Laslow, and Odin. Once they had all gathered their things, Brady stood before the five of them to explain what was next.
"Okay listen up, before we can reach Ylisse we need to pass through Regna Ferox. It's a kingdom north of Ylisse," He explains.
"Is that going to be an issue?" Corrin asks.
"Well they ain't folk you want to pick a fight with, but I know the ruler and people in their army, as long as I'm here you don't have to worry," Brady assures.
"Ugh, first Valm now this, just how many more obstacles do we need to deal with," Leo mutters to the others.
"Also quick warning, you can kinda feel it now, but this time of year the land all around Regna Ferox is extremely snowy, just be prepared," Brady continues.
"We've traveled through worse climates; it's nothing we cannot handle," Xander says as they all began heading toward Regna Ferox.
The journey was moving along smoothly, Brady sat behind Xander on his horse in order to give directions, while Leo and Peri followed on horseback behind them and Beruka and Corrin followed from the skies on her Wyvern. They hadn't ran into any questionable travelers as they traversed the land and soon enough they would cross into the more colder climate. Thankfully after traveling to the Ice Village back in Nohr, the group were more than capable of dealing with Ferox's weather, Beruka's wyvern did not even have any trouble sustaining it's composure this time around. However, as they traveled Beruka noticed something in the corner of her eye due to her aerial view.
"Corrin, do you see that?" Beruka says.
"Hm? What is it dear?" Corrin asks.
"Look there," Beruka says as she points toward a forested area further ahead to the right of the group, "Some of those trees were moving."
"Yeah but why would-hey look!" Corrin exclaims as he sees more of the trees shaking further and further away from the group.
"Whatever is doing that must be something big, and it looks like it saw everyone and started darting off in that direction," Beruka said.
"That's the direction we're going too right? Do you think it's from Regna Ferox?" Corrin asks.
"It might be, if by the off chance that they have control over some large beasts," Beruka speculates.
"Well lets lower down so we can tell the others, I think I can see the kingdom from here, better they know now before it's too late," Corrin says.
"Right," Beruka says as they begin to descend towards the rest of the group, that is until an arrow comes flying in their direction. "Ugh!" Beruka mutters as she steers her wyvern out of the direction of the arrow, causing her wyvern to let out a screech, getting the attention of the group down below.
"Hm!?" Leo and Xander utter as they spot the wyvern's sporadic movements.
"Beruka! Corrin!" Peri shouts as they all watch Beruka slowly descend to the ground.
"What happened?!" Xander asked once Beruka and Corrin reach the ground.
"An arrow just came out of nowhere and almost got us," Corrin explains.
"It came from that direction," Beruka points toward the trail they were walking, clearing this attack was from forces in Regna Ferox.
"Damnit! They must have the wrong idea," Brady says.
Xander and Leo get off their horses to check on Beruka and Corrin, when suddenly the trees begin shaking.
"Look out!" Peri shouts as suddenly they all see a giant rabbit like beast charging towards Xander. Xander quickly holds Siegfried in front of him to guard from the attack.
"Yarne stop!" Brady shouts as he quickly dashes in front of Xander only to be tackled by the beast.
As Xander begins to swing his sword at the beast he hears, "B-Brady is that you!?" The beast spoke, causing the rest of them to look at the beast with confusion.
"Gods, oh Gods, my ribs, I'm gonna feel that one tomorrow," Brady mutters in pain as he attempts to get back to his feet.
"Oh my gosh Brady I had no idea that was you I'm so sorry you came out of nowhere!" The Beast blurts out.
"Ugh! Yarne you dastard!" Brady shouts as he hits the beasts on the head, which didn't appear to faze the beast very much. "You could have at least slowed down!"
"Well this, is different," Corrin muttered.
The group all looks on in confusion still trying to figure out how the beast is talking, only for Beruka to break the silence, "Wha! Behind us!" She shouts as they all spot a second beast, a general, and several soldiers behind them.
"We're surrounded! What is this some sort of ambush!" Leo shouts.
"Brady? What's the meaning of bringing these strangers here!" The General shouts, removing her helmet to reveal a woman with short red hair.
"I should be asking you guys that Kjelle! We were just passing through and you try to attack us! What gives!?" Brady retorts.
"We sent Yarne on patrol and he said he saw suspicious people lurking around here, all of whom were heavily armed, plus it's not often we see Wyvern in these parts." The second beast said, this one sounding like a female.
"The heck Yarne! Did you not see me!?" Brady asked.
"Well you were behind the big guy, there was no way I would notice you with them," Yarne explains.
"And what's with you chargin' full force like that, since when are you so willing to fling yourself into battle like that?" Brady asks.
"The only way to overcome your fear is to face it head on," A voice said coming from further down the trail behind Yarne and Brady, the voice seemed to belong to a man with spiky black hair walking towards them.
The beast ran towards the man, "Did you see that!? I ran right into them without hesitating ready to attack!" Yarne said.
"I saw son, your progress is making me proud," The man said.
"Son!?" Leo and Corrin both muttered.
"You five, I am Lon'Qu, West-Khan of Regna Ferox, and I demand to know what you are all doing here." Lon'Qu states.
"Don't get the wrong idea Sir, like I was sayin' we are just passing through, we are headed to Ylisse and we needed to go through here," Brady explains.
Lon'Qu looks at Brady, then towards the group, "You," Lon'Qu says directed towards Xander, "You seem like the leader here, where do you hail from?"
"We don't have a homeland, we're just a band of nomads visiting friends of ours in Ylisse," Xander responds.
"Is what they say true Brady?" Lon'Qu asks.
"That's what I was told," Brady replies.
Lon'Qu takes another look over the group, still uneasy at the sight of all their weaponry. "Fine, you all may pass, but we will be keeping an eye on you until you are out of the kingdom,"
"That is fine Sir, thank you," Xander replies, keeping things as civil as they can be.
The second beast goes to Lon'Qu's side and suddenly morphs it's body into something human female like, much to the shock of the group. "Lon'Qu are you sure this is wise?" She says.
"D-Did she just!? Wasn't she just a…!?" Peri mutters out of shock.
"Perhaps those beast creatures are similar to the Kitsune and the Wolfskin of our world, like these different worlds and lands might have different animal-human species," Beruka whispered to the rest of the group.
"We have them completely surrounded with nowhere to go, they most definitely would have spoken up if they were up to something. Plus I doubt they would have Brady of all people with them if they were planning something mischievous," Lon'Qu explains. "We'll have Kjelle and Yarne escort them out of the kingdom and that should be that Panne."
"I don't know, but if it's those two watching them, I'll trust your judgment," Panne says.
"Kjelle!" Lon'Qu says.
"Yes sir?" She says.
"You and Yarne are in charge of escorting this group in the direction of Ylisse, make sure everything goes fine," Lon'Qu orders before he and Panne begin heading back into the Kingdom along with the other soldiers.
"Yes sir," Kjelle responds.
"Gosh, I forgot just how scary your Pop can really be," Brady says to Yarne as he turns into his human form.
"Well he has to be commanding when you're running a kingdom, he's only doing what's right," Yarne says.
"Good work going head first into battle like that Yarne, almost couldn't guess you used to be such a coward," Kjelle said.
"Hey don't tease me like that!" Yarne says.
"Heh, are you two lovebirds gonna get a room or help us get to Ylisse here?" Brady said.
"Lovebirds? What's with these people loving these sub-humans?" Leo muttered to himself.
"So uh, really sorry if we got off on the wrong foot there, I was just trying to protect my home you know?" Yarne explains to the group.
"Um, no problem, it's the right thing to do after all." Xander replies.
"Now then, let's get you guys to Ylisse," Yarne says as they all begin traversing through Regna Ferox.
