Chapter 12

Author's note: Italics in quotation are translated galdrar speak.


"Do you think he'll wake up anytime soon?" Robin's voice nervously asked someone that I couldn't see.

"The answer's the same as it was yesterday and the day before that. His condition while stable, is a far cry from what it should be given the amount of time he's been in bed and the number of staves that have been used on him." Owar's voice said dejectedly.

"So your saying that he'll never wake up, is that it?" Chrom asked sounding surprisingly level headed about what was going on.

Wait are they talking about me?

"No. What I'm saying is that while there is no medical reason for him not to have woken up by now, the fact that he's remained as stable as he has for the time he's been out is actually an encouraging sign when you consider that we were trying to save his life with no medical history to go on what so ever. So I guess you could say that his life is in his own hands now." Owar replied in a clear attempt to keep spirits up.

"And just so we're clear no one knows how this happened to him?" Chrom asked sounding irritated this time.

"I've already spoken with everyone in the shepherds and Frederick is currently trying to ascertain if one of the Tellians somehow did this to him or know anything, though even that seems unlikely at this point." Robin sighed tiredly.

"So it seems as though Zach is our only option for receiving an answer to what happened to him." Chrom said sounding thoroughly exhausted by this ordeal.

Shit they are talking about me! But why? What happened? Should I be worried?

"Hey! What do you people think your doing? You've no business here, now leave!" A guard from outside the room shouted.

"We are here to see our friend." A middle aged woman judging by her voice replied to the guard.

"Oh really, is that so? Cause here's what I think, I think your all assassins here to kill the people in this room on behalf of some Plegian noble." The guard spat hatefully at the apparent group of visitors.

"Nobody asked you for your opinion, or your absurd accusation. Now please let us through we are quite clearly unarmed." A somewhat older sounding man shot back with plenty of youth still showing in his voice.

"Lady Ena! King Naesala What are you doing here?" Robert asked clearly surprised to be seeing them here. Where ever here was.

"These people are with me, let us through at once." Robert stated firmly, leaving no room for any further discussion on the matter.

"Of course, anything for the Khan's esteemed guests." The overzealous and perhaps racist guard choked out while swallowing his ego. This was followed by the sound of the door opening and then promptly closing after several people filed in.

Okay seriously how big is this room?

"Well as much as would love to stay and chat with you all, I feel that Robin and I should be getting back to training with the others for our upcoming tournament." Chrom said apparently trying to offer some privacy to the newcomers. Or maybe he's just getting a little claustrophobic.

"Say Prince Robert if it's not too much trouble could you please introduce me to the Khan? I'd rather not have to go through another hurdle like we all did just now." Ena asked cautiously.

"Say no more, I'll take care of that for you as well as finding you your sleeping arrangements." Robert replied as he left the room.

"Wake up Capricorn, there is much we wish to discuss with you."

"I am awake I'm just not up is all." I replied smartly.

"Open your eyes Capricorn."

"As you wish, stranger." I retorted while slowly peeling my eyes open enabling me to see the people I had been conversing with.

"See now, isn't this better than what we were doing before?" Naesala asked facetiously.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but can I just take moment to ask Capricorn a few medical questions in regards to his health?" Owar asked using a sickly sweet voice that put me on edge.

"You aren't going to hurt him are you, miss?" Reyson asked trailing off towards the end of his question.

"Owar. And while it's a pleasure to meet you all I'm afraid I must ask you to either take a seat and sit quietly, or wait outside in the hall while I conduct my tests." Owar commanded authoritatively.

"Not until we know why your your doing these tests, and what they're for." Reyson and Naesala shot back irritably.

"It's all right, I trust her to do what is right by me, she is Scorpio after all." I replied trying to smooth things over before they got out of hand.

And now Owar is looking at me like I've grown a second head.

"Right, well if you guys could just have a seat somewhere that would be great." Owar suggested rather sheepishly. Thankfully they all did what was asked of them.

The tests Owar conducted were pretty much your standard guy comes out a coma tests, not that I would know first hand or anything. The two tests that did seem out of place however were the breathing and heart rate tests. Than again they were amongst the likes of the reflex tests, vision tests, concussion tests, and numerous paralysis tests.

"Well Zach, I'm not sure how you managed to recover from your injuries so quickly, never mind the fact that you made a full recovery in under half the estimated time it would take for your initial injuries to heal. But I digress, the point is that you should be good to fight in the tournament should you wish to do so." Owar explained.

"So that's it, I'm free to go, no more tests?" I asked Owar, eager to get out of bed and breathe in the crisp cold air that reminded me of my home.

"Just as soon as you promise me that you won't push your self too hard." Owar said flatly leaving no room for any kind of debate what so ever.

"You got it doc. Now how about we get out of this stuffy room and grab something to eat. I don't know about the rest of you but I'm famished." I replied to the room full of people. As I casually walked out of the room and proceeded down the hallway to the mess hall.

"Zach!" Owar called out from behind me.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked as I turned back to address her.

"The mess hall is this way." Owar replied gesturing for me to follow her.

"Oh, well lead the way than." I said as I fell into the makeshift line of laguz that had formed behind her.

"So, Zach, is my English okay? Do you understand me?" A timid voice practically squeaked from my peripheral left side.

"I can understand you just fine Leanne, so I'd say your English is doing great." I replied after getting over the initial shock that Leanne of all people had spoken a complete English sentence to me. And the fact that these laguz all looked a lot older now then when they were in Tellius.

"Zach! Your okay!" The all too familiar voice of Lissa shouted as she ran toward me at full speed. And crashed into me with an immediate bear hug.

"Of course he's okay, what kind of Zodiac would Sir Capricorn be if he wasn't?" Naesala answered on my behalf much to my chagrin.

"Naesala darling, I think that was supposed to be a secret." Leanne told her husband in galdrar speak.

"That it was." I replied somehow using galdrar speak to answer.

"Whoa too cool Zach! Why didn't you tell us you were bi-lingual?" Lissa asked enthusiastically apparently missing what King Naesala had just said about me.

"Believe me Lissa, I'm just as surprised as you are. Now can we please get something to eat?" I answered truthfully.

"You wouldn't be trying to court my little sister now would you Zach?" Chrom asked as he approached us from behind with Frederick, Flavia, and Robin, Robert, Ena and three laguz that I had never seen before close behind him.

"No I'm just hungry is all." I replied, after performing an impromptu about face.

"I bet you are given how long you've been out." Flavia said in greeting to me.

"How long was I out anyway?" I asked the group.

"Three days. But now's not the time for us to dwell on these things, especially given how hungry you must be right now." Chrom answered albeit a little reluctantly.

"So can I go get some food in me now?" I asked hoping to be dismissed.

"Of course. And as it happens we were just heading there ourselves to have some lunch, although we were going to check and see how things were going regarding your health first." Chrom said with poorly veiled concern etched in his voice.

"So I guess I saved you all an extra trip than." I said only now acknowledging the other people that were also with Chrom at the moment.

"Yeah I guess you did." Chrom replied rather sheepishly.

"Alright, now that whatever this was has been taken care of why don't we go get some food. I'm sure young Zach here is about ready to devour anything he sees in the mess hall whether it's on his plate or not." Flavia said as she cleared a path to the dinning hall for herself.

When we arrived, the mess hall was a regular hive of activity, or at least it had been until we walked in cause that's when everything got really quiet and everyone started starring at me like I was some kind of radioactive freak. Ah well I'm too hungry to care right now.

"So Zach, what exactly happened to you?" Robin asked curiously.

Shit why'd he have to ask about that now? Ah well I guess I should have seen this coming and it's not like I could have avoided this forever.

"I dunno, why do you ask?" responded lamely after swallowing a rather large bite of food.

"Because no one seems to have a clue as to how you ended up half dead thirty yards outside of camp looking like you'd lost a fist fight with Sloan the Lion and were then subsequently trampled by a herd of giant 60 foot tall horses and then curb-stomped by an even bigger giant person. And I'm taking this both seriously and personally." Robin replied bitterly.

"Well I'm sorry Robin but I don't know what to tell you other than I don't remember what happened to me." I lied hoping to get away from this topic of conversation as quickly as possible.

"That's okay Zach, you just rest up tomorrows a big day for the shepherds you know." Robin sighed.

"Yeah the tournament starts tomorrow." I replied.

"Actually Zach, you slept through most of the tournament. So tomorrow starts off with the Quarter-finals and ends with the closing ceremonies." Robin explained.

"Oh, I see, so is there anything else I missed?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Well there's the laguz, although you've already met most of them. Oh and we got some new shepherds too!"

"So there's nothing else I need to know about?" I asked again for clarification.

"Not that I can think of, although you may want to introduce yourself to our new recruits." Robin answered.

"Just send them my way when you get the chance alright." I said as I prepared myself for a second helping of mutton.

"Now that, I can do. Oh and Zach before I forget, is this yours?" Robin asked as he reached into one of his many coat pockets that lined the inside of his coat and pulled out my 3DS.

"Yeah it's mine. Where did you find it?" I asked in reply.

"It was in the quiver that you gave to Virion, he didn't know what it was so he brought it to me and Chrom." Robin answered trailing off towards the end.

"And now your returning it to me after what I can only assume was a careful examination and investigation of my private property." I finished for him a little irritated by how little trust there was for me.

"Well yes, but that was mostly Frederick's doing. And we never could answer any of our most basic questions about it, so there's really no need for you to worry about your privacy." Robin replied nervously.

"So, just stay away from Frederick for a little while?" I asked.

"You said it not me. Anyways I should get going this army won't run itself you know." Robin said standing up.

"Thank you, Robin." I called out as he walked away.

Well at least I got my 3DS back, and hopefully no ones any wiser as to what it does.

"I suppose I should get to introducing myself to these new shepherds, amongst other things." I muttered as I stood up and began to clean up the mess I had made of the table when I heard the large oak double doors being pushed open.

"Do you think he's still in here, Erick?" A woman asked someone whose name was apparently Erick as they walked into the room.

"If he's not than we'll just be one step closer to finding him." Erick replied sounding both calm and confident.

"And who might you two be looking for? I might just be able to help you find them." I said walking up to them, after having at least made the table look presentable.

"Um well." The woman who I could now see was shivering on account of being dressed in something a lot like high summoner Yuna's gunner attire with the only difference being that she had an assortment of hidden weapons instead of pistols.

"Good god aren't you cold in that!" I blurted out without thinking.

"Well kind of, but it's nothing I'm not already used to." Zara replied a little self-consciously

"I think what Zara was trying to say before she was interrupted is that your the person we were looking for." Erick said getting us back on track.

"Oh, so what did you need me for?" I asked.

"We can't talk about it here, but if you want to know meet us in the sparring ring for a midnight training session. Oh, and be sure to get some sleep before that session too you'll thank us for it." They said as they walked away leaving me both speechless and dumbfounded.