Author's Note: Still feeling a bit sick, but hey… deadlines are deadlines! If I start using sickness as an excuse to skip deadlines, it's going to be a slippery slope.
Byleth in Smash. My Facebook is a warzone. Gods, help me…
Also, there might not be an update on either Monday or Friday (or both) next week, because I wanted to update Spellbinding Radiance on Saturday and that chapter is going to require a LOT of focus. I struggle with writing battle scenes, let alone whole battle chapters, so that's going to take a lot out of me. Not to mention… if I do write a chapter for this next week, that's two battle chapters in a week? No, that's going to take a lot of energy out of me.
This chapter is late, because of the unfortunate fact that when I get a cold, it sticks around. Forever. I really was working on it last night but I fell asleep on my keyboard and realized this would just have to be a day late.
Chapter 12:
What Goes Up…
I returned to my room after the meeting in the throne room. Chrom said that we would be meeting in the entrance hall of the castle at daybreak and leaving as soon as everyone was ready. Time was of the essence to evacuate the exalt from the palace before Plegia could do any more damage, although leaving just as the sun set was not an ideal option. I entered my room and saw a package on the bed. Curious, I opened the package to see my new outfit was finished. I smiled widely and, taking a few minutes to indulge myself, changed into the new outfit. It fit perfectly without any uncomfortable clamping!
I quickly folded my old outfit and wrapped it up using the torn wrapping. Never know when you might need another outfit, especially considering how a certain princess seemed to show no shame in stealing my last one. Plus, I can only imagine the inherent healing of this outfit would definitely help me on the battlefield.
I changed into my nighttime outfit that I had recently bought, especially after realizing neither of my outfits were particularly comfortable to sleep in, and turned in for the night. The sooner I could fall asleep, the sooner I could wake up and prepare for departure.
I woke up the next morning to see the sun was beginning to rise, but day had not yet broken. I quickly changed into my battle outfit and returned to the entrance hall of the palace. As I got there, I saw Elise was already ready to depart.
"You're usually here before me. You're late," she said to me.
"I'm early, unless I missed the announcement," I replied.
"What announcement?" she asked.
"Are you now a member of royalty? Should I bow to you? Princess Elise of the great land you hail from?" I replied curtly.
"My lord Raven, however could you have figured it out? I am indeed royalty, but a princess no more! I am a queen of the land of… uh…" she paused before stopping. We looked at each other and laughed, despite the severity of the situation going on.
"What's so funny?" Lissa asked as she walked over to us.
"Elise is a princess!" I said.
"Wait, what?!" Lissa said before gasping, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"He is only joking around. I am no royalty. Do I seem like I could be royalty?" she asked.
"You just need some obnoxiously extravagant dress in some bright color to mark your royalty," I said.
"Obnoxious and bright? You mean, like a large, puffy, orange dress?" she asked.
"Yes!" I replied. "Perhaps when things settle down, I will buy you a bright orange puffy dress and we can call you princess."
"That's… um…" Lissa said, a kind of reserved look on her face as she tried to shrink behind her staff.
"Lissa? Everything okay?" I asked her.
"Yeah, Ravey, everything is fine. I just… is that what you think a princess should be?" she asked quietly. Elise and I looked at each other before Elise walked to her.
"Lissa, a princess is whatever you want to be. If you want to be a peaceful person like your sister, who values avoiding conflict above all else, that can be a princess. If you want to be a warrior like your brother, who values protecting the peace above all else, that can be a princess. If you wanted to be a prankster, who values cultivating the peace of this nation into something to be protected and enjoyed, that can be a princess. You are free to do what you want, more than any other person. What makes you who you are is what you choose to do with that freedom," Elise said with a smile. "You could have chosen to be a self-entitled girl who thinks the world revolves around her, spending your time ordering people around at your leisure, but you are not. You are you, and that makes you a princess worth the love of your subjects."
"Huh, thanks, Parrot!" Lissa said with a smile. "You seem to know a lot about being a princess. Maybe you really were one in your previous life!"
"Oh, hardly… Frog," Elise replied. "If I were a princess, do you think I would have been travelling alone with Raven here?"
"I'm not sure if I should be insulted by that or not," I replied.
"I think she was trying to say there are much better options for guards than you," Lissa said.
"Yeah, that's what I thought she said."
"Nonetheless, Raven, I was merely saying if I were a princess, I would have had a whole guard around me," she said.
"Perhaps you were running away from home for some reason and took me, your most trusted and faithful of servants," I replied. "It would explain why you were wearing the armor."
"Although, let us not forget you were the one with the gold. Perhaps you were a prince and I was your most trusted and faithful of servants. It would explain why I have my armor," she replied.
"Perhaps you both were a prince and princess of two lands, fated to marry others, but you two eloped and were unfortunately caught in whatever caused you to lose your memory before you two could get married!" Lissa suggested.
"But we're hardly in love with each other," I replied with a frown.
"You lost your memory, Ravey. Anything can be true," Lissa said.
"I may be a hopeless romantic to believe this, but I would like to believe love would transcend something as simple as amnesia," Elise said with a small smile. Lissa paused for a second.
"That was such a sweet thing to say. Oh, Elise, I never took you for a romantic!" Lissa exclaimed with glee.
"You should never just assume a lady's heart is easily read," Elise replied with a small smile.
"A lesson Chrom seemed to have not learned," I remarked.
"Speaking of Chrom, where is he?" Lissa asked. "Where are the rest of the Shepherds?"
"I have no idea. Elise and I usually wonder this all the time," I replied.
"You two are always ready so quickly! Clearly Robin did not learn from you two," Lissa grumbled.
"Salutations and greetings."
We turned to see Sophia approaching us with a bemused smile upon her face.
"Hello! Welcome to the club of people who are chronically early!" Lissa said with a smile.
"It appears the fates have dictated that I arrive early once again," she said.
"Oh, if it isn't Shady," I heard Gaius say. Oh god, why is there two of them giving me odd nicknames?
"Gaius," I replied curtly.
"So, Chrom briefed me on what we're doing. Looking forward to working with you!" he said.
"You're fine, even though I haven't paid you with your pastries yet?" I asked.
"Seeing as how your mission is important, I have you on your word that you'll pay me back when we return here," he replied.
"Wait, you were just saying earlier how suspicious I seemed. Why the change of heart?" I asked.
"Reckon the way I see it is if my prince and my princess and my ruler all trust you, then your word has gotta mean something, right?" he asked.
"Huh, well, if it means anything, I'm good to get you whatever you want, legally, when we get back," I said.
"Sweet!" he replied enthusiastically. Well, he wasn't so bad after all.
We sat there talking until slowly the rest of the Shepherds arrived. I noticed Donnel was carrying around a spellbook and couldn't help but think Miriel was beginning to have a bigger influence on the boy than we first realized.
"Okay, Shepherds. We will be travelling with the Hierarch meeting us at the east gate. He will help lead us to the eastern palace where the exalt will stay until we return from Ferox. Are there any questions?" Chrom asked. None of us spoke up. "Okay, then. Shepherds! Move out!"
We all departed from the palace and headed to the eastern gate, where we met up with some kind of church-looking guy. I can only assume he was the Hierarch.
"Hey, Chrom," I said, shortly after we departed from Ylisstol.
"Yes, Raven?" I asked.
"How far is this eastern palace from here?" I asked.
"You are always full of questions, Raven. You're always looking for the details and always analyzing things. Then you just always seem to be able to read people's personalities," Chrom commented.
"Oh, sorry…"
"No, that's not a bad quality, Raven. I appreciate your diligence. It must have been a habit from your previous life. Anyway, the castle is about three days east of here."
"So that's three days east, then a week up north to Regna Ferox… a week back, and then three days back to Ylisstol. We will be gone for the better part of a month. Will our troops be able to hold in our absence?"
"This is our best option, Raven," he replied. "We need to request additional troops, and there isn't a faster way to get in touch with those up north other than simply going ourselves."
"That is true. I just worry for the people of Ylisstol."
"I do as well, Raven. I do as well…" Chrom replied.
"Oh, Chrom, one other thing," I said.
"Yes?"
"You remember what Basilio said before we left? How Lon'qu was his champion before Marth knocked him out?" I asked.
"I vaguely remember that," Chrom replied. "Why?"
"… do you think Marth really only won that fight because Lon'qu realized her gender?" I asked. Chrom paused and thought about it for a second before taking a quick glance over at Lon'qu.
"Huh, that's an interesting thought. Perhaps it's a thought worth pursuing," Chrom replied with a small smile.
"There! That's the smile I know you had," I said to Chrom.
"Hm?"
"You're under so much stress, Chrom. I just… wanted to get you to smile. Things may seem dire, but we're all doing our hardest. We'll all do our best for you, Chrom. So, don't overwork yourself. We're all a team here," I said encouragingly.
"Indeed," he replied.
"Including the ladies," I said.
"The ladies?" he asked.
"Look, I know Elise might not seem like a lady, but I can assure you she is," I replied.
"Gods, Raven, why must you bring that up?" he asked in exasperation.
"… because I doubt I will ever let you live that down. Who knows when will be the next thing I can mercilessly tease you over?"
"Just you wait, Raven. There will be something I will have on you that I will get you back with."
"Hah, I'll take that a challenge, Chrom. Find what you can! I relish the fight. It's no use joking with a man who rolls over in defeat," I said tauntingly.
"You got yourself a challenge, then," Chrom said.
"Besides, even if you get one thing on me, Chrom, I have plenty of things on you already," I replied.
"Such as?"
"Well, need I remind you of the poster?"
"I am well aware of that," Chrom replied. "What else?"
"Your conversation with Elise had all the charm of a bear headbutting a tree," I said.
"Gods, okay, look, I knew better Raven. I'm just not that great at expressing myself around the females," he said with a guilty look.
"Clearly," I replied. "At least you're better than Lon'qu, though."
"Thankfully," he replied with a laugh. "What else do you have?"
"Well, the way you tried to ask Marth on a date was particularly embarrassing. I mean, you couldn't even finish your sentence! No wonder you got the response that you did," I said with a laugh. I'm pretty sure she had other reasons to turn Chrom down, but that's her business and Chrom really didn't need to know she was a time traveler.
"Look, Raven, she's always disappearing. I wasn't prepared! If I had time to figure out what I wanted to say, I don't think I would have struggled so badly,"
"Is that your excuse with your conversation with Elise?" I asked.
"That's my reason and I am sticking to it," Chrom said defiantly as he crossed his arms.
"Well, at least you're consistent."
"I don't see how you can speak to Marth so casually, though," he replied defensively. I shrugged my shoulders.
"What do you even see in her?" I asked.
"Well, she's a bit mysterious and sometimes aloof, but she's a damn good fighter, and she saved my life. I mean, she is also somewhat appealing to the eye and…" Chrom rambled before trailing off.
"Appealing to the eye? You can say 'cute', Chrom. Besides, I'm pretty sure you didn't think she was cute when she still had that mask on and we all thought she was a guy. It's not like she has a very feminine figure," I jokingly commented.
"That is true…" Chrom mused aloud.
"So, pretty much the same exact reasons Lissa asked her out, before we found out she was a girl," I said as I thought about it. "Huh, you two really ARE siblings."
"You don't find someone like that appealing?" he asked. "Someone who's strong and tough and can take care of themselves? I don't think I could ever spend my life with someone who needs every aspect of their life taken care of. Having grown up with dealing with a lot of responsibilities has made me want to find someone who can do that for themselves. I want to grow walking forward through life with someone side-by-side, not spend my time carrying them on my shoulder the entire time."
"I guess I can see where you're coming from? She's not my type of girl, though. I think I would prefer to be around someone who could be an artist or a musician, and I get the feeling Marth, or whatever her name is, would be hardly be interested in that. Anyway, what about Sully? She fits your standards," I suggested. Chrom made a face at me.
"I've known her for most of my life. That's a little bit awkward for me, honestly," he said.
"What about Miriel?" I asked.
"You are joking, right Raven?" he asked.
"Well, okay, yes, I am. There's also Maribelle," I said.
"Well, I mean, she can take care of herself and she is—wait, why are we talking about this? What about you, Raven?"
"What about me?"
"You seem rather interested in my personal life. What about you?"
"I am perfectly fine. I am merely looking out for the best interests of my female-challenged prince," I said to Chrom in a small, joking bow.
"Gods, Raven. You really do joke far too much sometimes…" Chrom replied. "Although I have noticed that you do that whenever a topic you are uncomfortable with has been encroached."
I paused when he said that and stared at him.
"Do I really do that?" I asked in curiosity.
"I had never noticed it at first, but you tend to slip to your more shocking brand of humor when you wish to steer the conversation away from a topic that you don't particularly want someone encroaching upon."
"Aw, look at you, maturing so fast and being able to read people!" I said with a smirk.
"… exactly like that," Chrom replied. "Normally, it provides an excellent distraction as you make your brand of humor and the victim of your joke the natural topic of discussion, causing those to forget what we were even talking about before, but I am beginning to notice that pattern. So, Raven, how about you? How are things with you and Elise?"
"They're fine," I simply stated.
"Fine? Just fine?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Is that all you have to say on the matter?"
"No."
"Well, Raven, what else do you have to say?"
"She's a good friend," I said simply.
"Is that it?"
"Chrom, you're definitely asking me about the wrong girl. Elise is just a friend," I said.
"Oh, well, glad you clarified that. How about Lissa?"
"Chrom! She's your sister," I said with a frown.
"How is that related?" he asked.
"… a sister is a female sibling. Surely you knew that, Chrom," I said in a halfway joking tone.
"There goes that humor again to deflect any inquiries!" he said with a triumphant smile. I grumbled to myself as I realize Chrom, of all people was beginning to realize an exploitable part of my personality.
"You know, Chrom, out of everyone here, I'm a little surprised you're the one who figured that out. No offense," I said.
"None taken. I do realize my limitations when it comes to social interaction. That's why I find it particularly enjoyable that I was the first to realize this quirk of yours," Chrom said.
"A quirk?"
"For lack of a better term," he replied with a smile.
"Huh, I never thought about calling it that. I personally just see it as a personality defect," I commented.
"Why would you consider it a defect? Would you really consider such a personality trait negative?" he asked.
"Well, maybe it's because I enjoy my privacy and solitude, but I seem to enjoy it when I have my own degree of… something uniquely me that only I understand, for lack of a better way to describe it," I said. Chrom paused as he gave me a contemplative look.
"In other words, you have an issue trusting someone enough to see your vulnerabilities," Chrom replied after thinking to himself for a bit.
"I suppose that's a way of putting it. It's not that I don't trust you, Chrom, because I trust you with my life… but I feel like there's parts of me that are better kept to me. By the way, you know what else is quite interesting?" I asked.
"What is it?" Chrom asked.
"I think I might have to head over to someone else to ask them about something, but… don't you find it interesting how the conversation shifted away from your question about your sister, leaving you without an answer?" I asked with a smirk before walking away. Chrom paused for a second as he realized what just happened.
"Wait, Raven. Come back here!" he called out.
"I'm afraid I can't! I have somewhere to be that isn't here!" I replied as I quickly wandered to a different part of the group.
… and promptly ran into Lissa. What a coincidence.
"Whoa, Ravey, what's gotten you in such a good mood?"
"Chrom," I simply replied.
"Do I even what to know what you just put him through?" she asked.
"… two-for-two on royal siblings reading me today," I commented dryly.
"Wait, what did Emm find out? You two have barely talked," Lissa said.
"… I was talking about Chrom," I replied after a brief hesitation.
"Chrom? My brother? Reading people? Do you have a fever, Ravey? I can take you into the carriage and start healing you if you're coming down with some kind of sickness," she offered.
"Wow, Frog, I see you have so much faith in your brother."
"I have faith in him with many things, Ravey. Reading people is not one of them."
"Anyway, how're you doing, Lissa? You seem to be in a good mood as well, especially considering what has been going on."
"There's a lot of things going on, Raven. Things that, honestly, scare me. But, I will continue to believe that if we grin and keep working toward a brighter future, we will see an end to this conflict. What is the point in frowning over things that happened in the past when we can smile as we change our future?" Lissa said. I stared at her. Did she say that?
"Lissa, did you just…"
"What, Raven? You know, I am capable of thinking once in a while," she replied, frowning at me.
"It's just that… it was such a wise thing to say. I just didn't expect such a wise statement out of you," I said in wonder. She glared at me in response.
"… you know, you're right about Chrom's level right now at how to speak to a woman," Lissa huffed.
"Wait, no, I didn't mean it that way!" I said quickly.
"… you're lucky I'm better than Elise at figuring out what you really meant on things," she replied quietly.
"Sorry, Lissa," I said apologetically.
"Still, at least you didn't make things worse," Lissa said.
"I could have, couldn't I?" I asked.
"There are hundreds of ways you could have made that situation worse, Ravey," she replied.
"Well, Frog, I thank my lucky stars that I didn't!"
She laughed bit and we continued talking as we marched toward the eastern palace. As the sun began to lower in the sky behind us, Chrom stopped us.
"I think we should set up camp here. There's no reason for us to start crossing that canyon up ahead this evening," Chrom said. We all nodded in response and started to set up camp. It was relatively quiet, but considering the seriousness of our journey, it made sense that things weren't as lighthearted.
That wasn't to say that camp went smoothly without mishaps, that is.
I happened to be on dishwashing duty… again. As I made my way to the mess tent, I saw Maribelle trip on a pack on the ground. Luckily she regained her balance, but she made eye contact with me.
"You! You will speak of that with nobody. Do you understand?" she said in a commanding tone.
"I wouldn't ever dream of telling anyone," I replied.
"Still, what careless lout elected to leave their belongings here?"
I saw Donnel start running over, spellbook in one hand and holding that tinpot on his head with the other. One of these days, when I remember and he isn't in a hurry, I'm going to ask him why he wears that pot on his head.
"Gosh, I'm sorry! That's my pack!" he said apologetically. Maribelle glared at him with an intensity that would have me quivering, yet Donnel seemed to pay it no mind. Maybe all that time spent having lessons with Miriel was beginning to have an effect on him.
"Well, I would ask that you be more careful in the future! In cases of emergency, this corridor is the escape route for the entire camp," she said. Wait, what? Corridor? Honestly, it just seemed like you didn't realize there was something on the ground in front of you.
"I didn't know that, Maribelle. I'm real sorry. We didn't have anythin' like that back on the farm," he replied quietly.
"Very well, then. I shall take it upon myself to instruct you," she replied.
"Huh?" Donnel asked in a confused tone. My thoughts exactly.
"We shall begin with the laws of Ylisse and the code of organizational regulations. You may borrow this book for now. I expect you to learn its contents front to back!" Maribelle said as she pulled a large book from the bag she was carrying. Why… was she carrying around a book like that at this time? Like, of all the things she could have had in that bag… snacks… a drink… some vulneraries… no, it's a book on the code of regulations of the land.
"Th-that's an awful thick tome, ain't it?" he replied, more scared and nervous than apologetic.
"Justice is a weighty matter."
"And ya want I should memorize this whole thing, ma'am?"
"Diligence is the noblest of the virtues, Donnel! Education elevates us. It separates us from the beasts of the field. Oh, and that volume was a gift from my father. I ask that you handle it with utmost care," she said as she handed him the book. He looked a bit overwhelmed carrying both that heavy law book and that thick spellbook that Miriel had him learning from.
"O-oh, yes, ma'am! I'll be real careful!" Donnel replied. Maribelle nodded to him and left us. He looked at me with a nervous look in his eye.
"Your Birdfulness, I was hopin' ya could do me a favor," he said to me.
"Only if you promise to NEVER call me 'Your Birdfulness' again," I replied.
"I cross my heart 'n hope ta die I ain't never gonna call ya that again!" he said. Double negative, Donnel. Anyway, I nodded to him.
"What did you need?" I asked.
"Can ya help me bring both of these here books back to my tent?" he asked.
"Oh, Donnel, of course!"
I took his spellbook and began to walk back to his tent with him. I curiously looked over the cover of the book and saw it was a dark purple book, written in a language that I could not understand.
"Is this yours?" I asked.
"It is!" he replied.
"Miriel's teaching you dark magic?" I asked.
"Indeed! It seems I can do it, which is great since she can't! I'm startin' to cast little balls of shadow in addition to my sword and axe training!" he said proudly.
"And you're also going to read that law book?" I asked.
"I might have to ask Chrom for a favor before we break camp tomorrow," he said.
"Well, if it will help you study, I don't see why not!" I replied with a smile.
"Anyway, this is my tent! Thank ya for helpin' me out!" he said.
"No problem. Say, Donnel, out of curiosity, why do you wear—"
I never got to ask him my question as I heard a loud scream come from a tent nearby.
"What in tarnation?" Donnel asked.
"Stay here. I'll check it out," I said as I quickly ran toward the direction of the scream. Wait, wasn't this part of camp…
"OUT! OOOOOOOOOOOUT!"
I arrived at the area to see Chrom running out of one of the tents. Wait, wasn't that the woman's bathing tent? Chrom looked at me and his face paled.
"Oh gods, why are you here?!" he asked.
"Hardly a day has passed and one more thing to talk about," I replied with a devious smile. "Why, I could've sworn this would have been something Vaike would have done."
"Vaike would have done this on purpose!" Chrom countered.
"You mean to say that, just by chance, you wandered into there on accident?" I asked.
"I was looking for Elise. I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday," he replied hastily.
"Well, congratulations, Chrom. You made things ten times worse."
"Thanks, Raven. I would not have figured that out on my own," Chrom replied. Was that sarcasm? Did Chrom say something sarcastically to me?
"All right, you! What sort of idiot blunders straight into the women's bathing tent?"
I saw Elise standing at the entrance of the bathing tent with a towel wrapped around her, glaring daggers at Chrom.
"I'm sorry! Very, very sorry! I misheard you, I swear it. I had no intention of peeping!" he replied. What could he have possibly misheard to be an invitation into the female's bathing tent? She sighed to herself in resignation.
"... just... fine. Apology accepted. Now what was so important?" Elise asked.
"I… wanted to apologize for what I said to you yesterday. I do see you as a lady. More so now than I did ten minutes ago!" Chrom blurted out. Oh my goodness, Chrom! Do you have a filter on what you say?
No wonder Marth looked so uncomfortably disgusted by your offer for a date.
"Really, Chrom? This couldn't have waited until I was finished taking a bath?" she asked. I thought to myself for a second. Wait, when did we get a bathing tent? Was this because the exalt was travelling with us? It would make sense for her to stay fresh in case of any diplomatic missions.
"Right... that's what I was thinking. Thanks for the advice. I'll wait next time! And, er... Yes! Well, that's it, I guess! I'll apologize when you got clothes on! So... yes. Bye," Chrom stuttered out. Elise sighed to herself again.
"Okay, this apology is accepted as well, Chrom. I know you didn't mean anything by it," she said.
"Thank you... and Elise? I'm really sorry about the bath thing. I honestly didn't mean to catch you like that," Chrom said.
"It's fine. Water under the bridge. Let's forget about it and move on," Elise replied.
"Er, right. Yes. Good idea. So! I'll catch you later? Argh, no! I mean, I'll see you later! No! I mean... good-bye!" he sputtered out before hastily walking off. Elise and I looked at each other and she frowned at me.
"Raven," she said curtly.
"Elise," I replied.
"Chrom had a reason, as terribly unfortunate as it ended up, for hanging around the women's bathing tent. What's your reason?" she asked me. I looked down and realized she still was wearing nothing but a towel. I just now realized the oddness and absurdity of the situation I now found myself.
"O-oh my goodness, um… sorry, I heard you scream and…" I said before trailing off.
"Are you looking down because you're ashamed to make eye contact, or are you more of a lecherous pervert than I initially thought?" she said in what sounded like a frustrated tone as she crossed her arms.
"No, Elise, I swear, it's nothing like that," I said as I turned away, trying to ignore the burning feeling I had in my cheeks.
"Oh, Raven…" she said quietly.
"I'll… be heading back to the mess tent. I have to do dishes," I said.
"You… go do that," she replied in an annoyed tone. Without a backward glance, I quickly walked back to the mess tent. The way she pouted at me had me nervous. She's never shown any sort of negative emotion toward me before. I hope we could work past this. I really don't want to lose my friend. I kept that in mind as I finished the dishes and had dinner.
As I changed into my nighttime clothes and got ready to turn in for the night, I began to wonder about the journey ahead. What kind of future would be in store for us, outside of the doom and gloom that Marth had predicted for us?
I woke up the next morning early and was the first to use the men's bathing tent. So glad we have one of these! Seeing as how I woke up before even dawn broke, I found the quietness of the darkness quite peaceful and relaxing. Seeing as how nobody else was waiting to use the tent, I couldn't help but just soak for a bit and think to myself.
Marth was correct. All I have known in this world is fighting and bandits and the arena battle and now war. It was no life to live and, although I might have been a warrior at one point in time, just doesn't seem like a way I would want to live the rest of my life. I wonder if my future self went mad with the grief of losing his friends or the horrible realization I would have to immerse myself in killing and murder and war in order to bring peace to my fallen comrades? Did I drive myself crazy with the thought that despite their best efforts, humanity still fell in the end? Was my insanity brought on by the haunting thought that their lives, bright as they were and snuffed far too early, only bought eighteen years of unstable peace?
I shook my head. This was not a time to ponder such a bad future. This was a time to make sure that it would never come to pass. I got out of the tub, cleaned it out, dried myself off, and put on my battle outfit. Never know if bandits would attack, but now more than ever we had to be prepared.
I exited the tent and looked at the mountain range and canyon we were going to cross. That definitely did not feel like a safe pathway and felt like a prime opportunity for an ambush, but luckily, we had been making good pace, so there was no way any Plegian force could have made it this far, could they?
"Good morning, Raven," Sophia said with a dreamy smile.
"Oh, good morning Sophia. How is our Chosen One feeling today?"
"I had some troubling dreams last night, almost as if the stars did not align on my fortunes for today, but I have not the slightest idea what could possibly go wrong today."
"Perhaps you will catch a cold. Something minor like that."
"Oh Raven, a cold is no joking matter. It could affect the magic of the Chosen Ones. At the very least, I sense there is a concentration of the magic up ahead in the valley we are about to enter."
"A valley? I would consider that more like a mountainside pass or a canyon or something of the sort," I replied.
"Either way," she replied, waving her hand. "There is some magic in there for me to use that could help or hinder our journey."
"Help or hinder?" I asked.
"The magic does what the magic does. I can only control whether the magic happens or not. Whether it harms or helps is a matter of interpretation… as is the option and opinion of whether the magic should even be used in the first place or not," she explained.
"Well, that's a little different than the magic our mages use."
"The magic of the Chosen Ones is magic that flows with nature. It is magic that harnesses what our land gives us and bends in the way they want. I can see how the magic will perform, but I cannot change anything else about it."
"Have you told Robin about this yet?" I asked.
"No, why?"
"Perhaps you should."
"Yet, I have told you instead of Robin. The stars have told me you bear greater significance to know this information than he would," she replied.
"… but he's our tactician," I said in a confused tone.
"I do not question the wisdom of the stars," she replied with a glazed look, her eyes unfocused… or rather focused on an area behind me. I turned around to see Robin walking to the mess tent. He looked at both of us staring at him.
"What is it?" Robin asked.
"Oh, uh, nothing," I replied with a small smirk.
"Raven? Are you okay?" he asked as he started walking over.
"Oh, I was just having a lovely morning chat with Sophia here."
"Wait, did you bathe already?"
"Yes I did, Robin. The early bird gets the worm," I said enthusiastically.
"That joke stings a lot worse when it is you saying it to me," Robin replied with a laugh. Sophia laughed as well and soon the three of us were just laughing at what was an absurdly stupid joke.
"Anyway, as I was saying, do either of you want to get some breakfast?" I asked.
"Yes, please, that's what I was about to do before I was unnerved by you two creepily staring at me," Robin said.
"Really? Don't flatter yourself, Robin. You're hardly my type."
"Oh, right, I forgot. Your type is royalty," Robin said with a smirk.
"Oh, excuse me?" I said. "I can forgive Chrom for assuming that, because of the aptitude and proficiency of his social skill, but I didn't expect that from you."
"You seem unreasonably flustered when it is brought up," Robin noted.
"Well, that's because it's an unreasonably dumb assumption," I replied.
"You also get quite unreasonably defensive to the point your aura flickers," Sophia pointed out.
"Oh, okay, everyone just gangs up on me, I see how it is," I said with a sigh as I grabbed a plate. Scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast? Oh yes!
"To be fair, Raven, you're one of the hardest people to make jokes at in this army, despite the fact you're really good at teasing the others," Robin commented.
"Really? I roll with the jokes pretty well, I'd like to think," I replied.
"Well, to be honest, it's because it's hard to get anything on you. Honestly, you're very outgoing and lively, but you're also reserved and guarded with anything personal."
"Chrom said that to me yesterday," I commented.
"Wait, Chrom noticed something about you?" Robin asked.
"Lissa thought I was having a fever when I told her. You're taking it a bit better."
"The spirit of one whose life has seen many hardships shines bright because the flame is not easily accessed to be snuffed," Sophia said.
"Mmm, yeah, what she said," I commented. "I like my secrets and privacy."
"Meanwhile, you get on poor Chrom for things that aren't his fault. I mean, can you blame him for Frederick's initiative?" Robin asked.
"Pretty sure him getting turned down by Marth was his fault," I replied with a chuckle. There was a pause between us.
"Wait, Chrom did what now?" Robin asked. I looked at him in surprise.
"Considering Lissa was there, I just assumed half of the camp would have known about Chrom's disastrous attempt to ask that Marth girl out to dinner," I said. Robin snorted to himself in laughter.
"Somehow, I'm envisioning her giving him a look of confusion as he stuttered out the entire thing," Robin commented.
"It had all the grace and elegance of a bucking bronco in a glass shop. At least Lissa was more graceful, outside of blurting 'wangodinnerwimme?' at a million words a minute," I said. "Lissa is… a lot more princess-like than she gives herself credit."
"I want to tease you for how you came right to Lissa's defense and complimented her without prompt, but I am curious what you're talking about. Lissa's what was more graceful?" Robin asked. I scowled at him.
"When she asked out Marth and got rejected. Of course, that was before we knew she was a girl, so it was understandable," I said.
"I do remember her talking about how dreamy Marth was before the arena battle, but…"
"It's a bit of a sore subject with her, but at least now I think Lissa understands why she got turned down."
"Life is a series of learning experiences, Raven. The fact you and I and Elise can draw on the benefits and wisdom from those experiences, despite not being to consciously access them, really has been a blessing," Robin said.
"Indeed it has. I can't even begin to imagine what I would be doing if I didn't know how to wield the lance," I replied.
"Perhaps you would be a mage," Sophia commented.
"A mage? Me?" I asked.
"Well, you have plenty of battle experience. If you could not wield a weapon, that means you were previously a mage," she replied.
"Or I could have wielded a… sword," I replied, thinking about what Marth said. I was found dead among a sea of enemy bodies with a lance and two swords. Can I wield a sword? That's something I'll have to find out another time.
"Why not both?" she asked.
"Psh, who uses both?" I replied with a laugh. Robin cleared his throat rather loudly nearby.
"Does that answer your question?" Sophia asked with a small laugh. I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.
"Sorry, Robin. Anyway… did you see we had a new recruit?" I asked.
"You mean Gaius?"
"Besides him."
"Oh, you mean Panne?" he asked.
"Panne? I'm referring to the lady who makes me think of a bunny," I said. "I mean, those ears somewhat resemble a rabbit and I thought I caught a glimpse of a tail, although I wasn't sure if that was actually one or a fashion accessory. You never know what kind of things people are fond of these days."
"No, that's actually a tail," Robin replied.
"Oh, see! Like a bunny."
"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't appreciate you saying that."
"Well, seeing as how I don't know the actual term for what she is, can you blame me?" I asked. Robin paused for a second.
"Oh, that's right. You weren't there when she was talking to the exalt. You were out with Chrom, presumably watching him get awkwardly rejected," Robin said.
"Awkward doesn't begin to describe the disaster I had witnessed," I commented nonchalantly.
"Anyway, Panne is of a race known as the taguel. She is apparently the last of her species… and it is a sad state of affairs to think that Ylissians were hunting them down for being able to transform into powerful beasts," Robin said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"Such is the matters of life. There will always be those who fear those who have abilities that seem unnatural. Could you imagine a person who could transform into a dragon at will?" Sophia asked.
"Transform into a dragon at will?" I asked.
"Just imagine a person with a stone who could transform into a dragon, or a large wolf, or a large fox. Would you not be unnerved?" Sophia asked. I tried to imagine it.
"I would be, at first," Robin slowly admitted.
"It would scare me, to be honest. But in time, I would grow used to it," I said. Sophia smiled at us.
"The celestial beings appreciate your honest answers! Moons and stars celebrate the fact you did not show false bravado claiming nothing scares you or you would treat them like any other human being. We naturally fear what we do not understand, and some choose to destroy rather than coexist," Sophia said. Robin and I paused and looked at each other.
"Like Ylisse and Plegia," I said.
"Precisely. Although, the efforts of the exalt to try to find peace has been greatly appreciated, the sad conclusion is the lack of effort from the Plegian king is what drives this conflict."
"You know, Sophia… you're far wiser than you generally let on," Robin commented. "Sometimes when you go on your rambles about Chosen Ones and celestial beings, I never know what to think."
"It is understandable! Truly. Wisdom is not something to be advertised. I just choose to live my life as I want to in whatever way I please. If I am understood, then I am understood; if I am misunderstood, then I am misunderstood! That is life and how beautiful it can be. All of the Chosen Ones understand this balance and understand the depths of everyone's individuality usually far exceeds our own individual understanding," Sophia said. "Now, if you will excuse me, as I have finished breakfast, I must return to my tent to absorb the immediate duskiness of the atmosphere until it is time to depart."
"Uh, yeah, you go do that. Peaceful meditation, Sophia," I said.
"And a peaceful journey to you as well, Robin," she said to me with a smile.
"Uh, I'm Robin. He's Raven," Robin pointed out.
"O-oh! Whoops! That was t-terrible," she stuttered out as she blushed.
"Relax, it's fine. Just as long as you don't start calling Elise 'Parrot', then it's fine," I said with a smile. "Yeah, just remember, I'm the cool bird. He's just some annoying common thing with an orange chest that will drop white globs into Vaike's hair in a precision strike from the air."
"Raven! That was uncalled for. Besides, we do not know if it was indeed a robin that put its droppings in Vaike's hair as it flew by," Robin protested.
"Well, it surely wasn't a raven. Haven't seen one of those around," I said. Sophia started laughing a bit to herself.
"Thank you, Raven. Thank you, Robin. Salutations and farewells! May you have a blessed day," she said with a small bow before departing. Robin looked at me for a second as if he just realized something.
"Parrot?" Robin asked.
"Lissa's nickname for Elise," I replied.
"Are you still 'Ravey'?"
"Yes. Are you still 'Robbey'?"
"Unfortunately," he replied, frowning.
"You seem annoyed by it."
"No, it's just that… I would hope nobody would get the wrong impression by our interactions," Robin said. I punched him gently in the shoulder.
"I don't want to hear that from mister I-Assume-Raven-Has-A-Crush-On-Lissa," I said to him jokingly.
"Gods, when you put it that way…" he began.
"Yeah. Yeah… see, I don't care what people think of me, so I do what I want. I happen to enjoy the jokes. They're like a breath of fresh air. Robin, ever since we woke up, we've experienced bandit attacks, fighting for our right to an alliance in an arena, and a war. Don't you appreciate the much needed breaths of levity in between? You were the one who once told me levity was needed in a camp," I said.
"I did, but sometimes I feel Lissa goes too far," Robin replied.
"That is something she's working on. Seriously, do you think Lissa is going to put a frog in Panne's clothes?" I asked. The both of us looked at each other and paused.
Would she?
We finished our breakfasts and worked with everyone else to break down camp together. We soon departed and found ourselves in the mountain pass. I looked to my right to see a steep drop into what looked like a raging river. Thankfully this path was wide enough that we could easily travel without worry of falling, but the thought of it unnerved me all the same. We looked to be about halfway through the pass when a random thought hit me.
"Hey Chrom," I said as I walked up to him. Chrom sighed to himself.
"Yes, Raven?" he asked.
"What was that reaction for?" I said in reply.
"When you start off with a 'Hey, Chrom', usually it means you're about to joke about something. Sometimes, or usually, at my expense," Chrom said.
"Not this time. I was just wondering something," I said.
"What is it?"
"We are travelling to the eastern palace, correct?"
"Yes, Raven."
"Do you know where it is?"
"I've been there a few times, so yes, I know where it is."
"Does your sister know where it is?"
"Of course she does. She's the exalt. She knows quite a bit about our land," Chrom said.
"… so, why did we need the Hierarch to lead us to it?" I asked. Chrom looked at me and frowned.
"Well, he offered to lead the way. After the attack on the castle, he must have known that we would be trying to move Emm. He has served us for many years and oftentimes know what we will be doing next," Chrom replied. I nodded, but something was still bothering me.
"Wait, Chrom… did the public find out about the attack on the palace?" I asked.
"No. We kept it secret to keep the people from panicking," Chrom replied.
"… then how did he know about the assassination attempt?"
We both paused as the realization hit us. The group stopped moving forward and we glanced up to see Frederick giving the signal to stop.
"Frederick?" Chrom asked as we ran up to him.
"The Hierarch said we should stop here and rest, as the trail further on gets slightly narrower," Frederick said. No sooner had he said that than a large group of bandits appeared from behind the trees and bushes ahead of us.
"Time to die, prince-y!" one of them yelled out. Frederick and the rest of us tried to keep the horses from freaking out. Nothing good could come of the horses bolting in this rather narrow pathway, with a ravine next to us.
"Plegian soldiers? Damn! How did they know we were here?" Chrom asked. We watched the Hierarch run forward toward the bandits.
"Hold, sir! I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive orders to take me into your protection?" he pleaded. No way, we were betrayed!
"I've orders to protect a man, yes, but I see no man before me. Only a pig! A rasher of treacherous bacon that sold out his own ruler! And what do we do with little piggies, men?" one of them said, presumably the leader.
"Well, you… you let them go free?" the Hierarch asked.
"Oh, are you a chicken now? Look, men, one man can imitate a whole barnyard! Well, it don't matter to me. The axe will fall just the same," the leader declared. Before anyone could react, he ran forward with his axe and decapitated the Hierarch. We all gasped, unable to fully process what had just happened in front of us.
"Shepherds!" I heard Chrom call out.
"Ah, right, now to the main event! By the moon's end, they will be erecting statues of me in the capital. The hero that saved Plegia from the dogs of Ylisse. Give me the Fire Emblem and the exalt, and perhaps I will consider letting you go free," he said.
"Phila, take Emm and lead her to the back. Keep her away from the battle we're going to have up here," Chrom said.
"Understood," Phila replied.
I quickly ran to the convoy and pulled my weapons out. I should've had them equipped the whole time, but I was too trusting of the Hierarch. Damn it…
It's time to fight… for the life of the exalt.