Rigged from the Start

Chapter 13

A Fly on the Wall

Good news! The poisoning did not last past the night. I could genuinely call Maribelle a miracle worker, even though I should've already known that after she and Lissa fixed my knee. That joint did not give me problems anymore. The fact that she was able to heal me from my unintentional poisoning should not have been a surprise. Then again, magic is still something I'm trying to get used to. Magic back home is just simple tricks and nonsense. Most of it I could not figure out, nor did I try to. I liked the mystery behind magic shows, and the fun little tricks involving cards and stuff, but there were never any actual spells. Those were saved for books… or movies… or… well, video games.

Still hard to believe I'm technically stuck in one. Every morning when I woke in a bed that was not my small twin mattress in my apartment in Appleton, I would have to remind myself of that. I'm not sure I will ever get used to it. I've moved around a lot in my life, but shocker, I've never been transported to another world- er- dimension? Whatever it's called.

One thing I was surprisingly getting used to, Anna's ass whippings. They still hurt. Oh by God, they hurt badly. The bruises she gave me tended to linger longer than they should, especially since I have access to magical healing juice and healers. I guess she just hit that hard.

During our training, she never pulled punches. Which was consistent with her overall philosophy when training me. The world, the Risen, Grima himself; they would not hold back at all when I eventually fight them again. The best way to prepare for that was to train at full speed. No holds barred, bone crunching, sweaty, muscle cramping, training.

I wiped some sweat from my face. Despite the intense cold of Regna Ferox, Anna still managed to work me out till I was dripping with the stuff. Of course, that made me feel even colder. Sweat has a tendency to freeze when it's freezing out. Big surprise, I know. I guess Anna considered this part of hardening me up for the enemy.

I recalled what Raimi said when we first met her, and traveled with the Feroxi captain north to the Arena. 'The harsh winters make a Feroxi a Feroxi'. At this point, I was well aware of the Feroxi's reputation in war. They were unrivaled foot soldiers. Tough did not begin to describe them. Spartan was a bit closer. I witnessed them train briefly while I followed Anna out to the edge of camp to conduct our own training. Brutal: that was the only way I could describe it. It was no wonder they stood against Grima for so long.

Maybe Anna is trying to make me as tough as them? I snorted to myself, tightening my left hand around my long dagger and my right hand on the grip of my hatchet, Not likely to happen. But at least she's trying.

Anna paced to and fro in front of me. From a distance, it looked like she had hardly broken a sweat. But whenever we got close, when our blades crossed and she proceeded to beat me like a red headed step child, I could see that was I finally starting to push her. I blocked her blinding fast attacks better. I dodged her throwing knives better. All around, I was doing a hell of a lot better, bruises be damned.

They still hurt though.

She stopped her pacing and narrowed her eyes at me. I grit my teeth and readied myself. One thing I had learned about Anna during these training sessions, she is not patient. Not with me when it comes to training, at least. And I used that to my full advantage.

She charged, feet gliding over the ice and snow. I crouched low, making myself a smaller target as I anticipated throwing knives.

Instead, she barreled into me, surprising me with her strength as she lifted me off of the ground and body slammed my scrawny ass hard onto the icy ground. All of the air left my lungs when I hit the ground. Harsh coughs hammered my body as Anna pinned me down. My coughing came to an abrupt stop when I felt the point of one of her daggers jabbed beneath my jaw.

"Dead… again." She breathed.

Anna rose to her feet, giving my side a light kick with her foot. Her way of telling me to get up already. I raised a hand in response.

"Air…" I wheezed, motioning at my throat, "Can't... catch it."

Anna rolled her eyes, "Sit up." She commanded as I lay flat on my back.

I propped myself up on my elbows.

"All the way."

I grimaced and sat all the way up, every muscle in my body groaning in protest.

"Hands up. Lace those fingers behind your head. Open up your airways."

"Oh?" I wheezed, doing as she said, "I forgot about this."

Anna arched an eyebrow as she waltzed over to an icy boulder, where our water skins sat. She undid the cork and took a small sip, "Don't recall telling you about that before."

I shook my head, "You didn't." I inhaled deep, then exhaled, feeling the burning in them fade with each deep breath, "Football practice. Well… sports in general."

Anna looked at me, puzzled.

I hung my head, "It's a… football is a sport I am not good at."

"Why's that?" Anna asked, taking another sip from her water skin.

"You see how small I am?" I asked. She snorted out a small laugh, "Football is a big guy's sport. That or a mean guy's sport."

"And you are neither of those." Anna replied, "You are about as big as a reed." I hung my head, laughing under my breath at that, "And you are about as mean as Happy."

"I'll have you know, that dog tried to kill me."

"What does that say about how threatening you are then?" Anna remarked, flipping her dagger over in her hand as I got to my feet.

"Not much." I remarked with a wry grin, "But… I'm getting better."

I slipped on ice as I stood, and fell back on my ass. I winced, already feeling a fresh bruise down there. Anna shook her head, both exasperated and apparently amused.

"Yes, you are definitely getting better at being intimidating." She held out a hand to me.

I grabbed her hand. With a single, sharp tug, Anna yanked me to my feet. I winced as I stood up, one hand rubbing my back as I felt a lingering ache. Anna noticed this and nodded at me.

"I think this is a good time for a break." She remarked, spinning on her heel and walking over to the boulder. She grabbed my water skin and tossed it at me.

I snatched it out of the air and popped the cork, "You're letting me take a break?" She rolled her eyes at me as I spoke, "And you tell me that after I get up?"

"I can go back to kicking your ass if you want." She smirked, "But then I'll have to ask if you're enjoying it?"

My cheeks flushed, and she snickered.

"Besides," She continued, "You just told me something about your homeland. I'm kinda curious now."

I placed my water skin to my lips and gulped down the half frozen slurry that counted as water in these frigid conditions. My teeth crunched against the ice that was mixed with the freezing liquid.

"Curious about what?" I remarked, still munching on a hunk of ice that slipped into my mouth.

Anna shrugged as she sat down on the boulder, folding one leg over the other, "Never took you for someone who did sports."

I nodded, "For a time. Then the body broke down."

Anna raised an eyebrow, "You're not old like me, kid. You shouldn't be breaking down at all. Did you not get enough nutrition growing up?"

I scoffed, "If you ever saw the pantry in my world you'd think my family was royalty." I sniffed as some of the cold air rushed through my nose, irritating it. I furrowed my brow, "This place has sports?"

Anna nodded, "Different kinds, depending on where you are. Never paid much attention to them myself. Fighting is a favorite all over the place. Or… it used to be."

"Ah, boxing." I nodded, "Mixed martial arts." I chuckled a little bit, "Watching two guys beat the shit out of each other is pretty entertaining. Although, I think you'd enjoy the lopsided matches given how much you apparently get off on beating me up."

Anna folded her arms, "I don't get off on it, Sam. I'm just trying to get you up to everyone else's level. That way, when you are put in a situation where you have to fight-"

"I'll be ready." I finished for her, taking another sip of water, "Yeah, I'm aware. How am I doing, by the way?"

Anna shrugged, "I broke a sweat today. So there's some progress."

"Ha! I knew it!" I cheered, spinning in a circle like a victorious little kid, "You were breathing heavy!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You've still got a ways to go." Anna replied, an amused expression on her face. She kicked at some ice at her feet, chipping away small bits with the toe of her boot, "So, what did you do other than sports? You clearly didn't do any fighting."

"When I was really little, my dad tried to get me into martial arts. That didn't go too well." I replied, half walking, half limping over to the boulder and taking a seat beside her. My breaths were still heavy as I recovered from the ass whipping I had just received. I glanced down at my feet, "Kinda wish I paid attention more, now that I'm here."

"Mmm… so your father was a fighter?"

"He was a soldier." I replied, "So yeah, he was a fighter."

Anna blinked in surprise, "I would not have taken you to be the son of a soldier."

"Too fragile?"

"Like a porcelain doll."

I laughed a little at that, "Yeah well," I jammed the cork back into my water skin, "He wasn't around enough to really change that."

Anna's expression softened a little bit, "War?"

"Wars." I corrected, "My world, despite the advances in technology, medicine, overall quality of life, is not a peaceful one by any stretch of the imagination. But that's not the only reason. He was also a bit of an ass."

"Ah, and so you rebelled by not being a soldier." She surmised with a nod.

"Bingo."

"So what did you do then?"

I furrowed my brow, "Like for a living? Or for fun?"

Anna shrugged, "Why not both?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line. This was not something I expected. Anna never really got into personal details with me. She never shared anything about her personal life, at least not intentionally. I did know the dragon brooch on her breast was very important to her, but that was about all I knew about her personal life. What little I knew about her came from her supports in the game, of which there was surprisingly little. Then again, I could be remembering wrong. It's been awhile since I played Awakening in its entirety.

I'll probably never play it again at this rate.

"Hm… well…" I pursed my lips, "My life was… boring."

"Boring? In a world with those, light thingys?"

"Phones?" I said with a small life, "You'd be surprised by how monotonous those things get after a while. It's like books in this world. They're just there. You aren't fascinated by them at all."

"I don't know about that. I can lose myself in a good book every now and then." Anna replied, fingers tapping her waterskin, "It's been a long time since I've done that though. Used to read all the time on the road, whenever I stopped for the night. World was a lot safer then, even with the bandits, raiders, and the occasional war." She took a deep breath, "Don't suppose there were books where you're from?"

I popped the cork to my waterskin, "There were a lot of books. I love reading."

Anna gave me a surprised look, "Really?"

I nodded.

"Favorite genre." She asked.

"You first." I remarked.

For the first time ever, I managed to make her sputter, "We- erm- nuh uh- not going there."

"Oh? Now you have me curious." I said with a slight laugh.

"Shove that waterskin down your throat already, before you put your foot there instead." Anna said quickly, a slight tinge of red rushing over her cheeks.

"Okay, fine." I sighed, "I'm a fan of fantasy."

She arched an eyebrow at me.

"Y'know," I motioned with my hand, "Magic, knights, king and queens, mythical creatures and grand adventures."

"So the way you are living now?" Anna replied with a slight laugh.

I blinked, "Well shit, I did not think of it like that before." I drew back, "I'd put this world more in the grim dark fantasy category rather than something Tolkien would write."

"I'm guessing Tolkien is a fantasy writer."

"The fantasy writer, and don't you forget it." I swiftly correct, "He wrote some of my favorites. The Hobbit being chief among them. Although, that's not the work he's most famous for."

"Interesting." Anna nodded, "What else?"

"Well-"

I stopped talking as I glanced back over at Arena Ferox. My brow furrowed as a Ylissean rider came riding full speed towards us. Anna sat straight up when she noticed him too. Her jaw clenched tight while my stomach churned. There could only be one reason a rider was rushing towards us like that: bad news.

His horse whinnied as he yanked on the reins, slowing down in front of us.

"Miss Anna, Samwise, I was sent to fetch you by Lady Tiki." The rider said breathlessly, face pale with fear.

I glanced over at Anna. The merchant hopped off of the boulder.

"Can I ask why?"

"A visitor." The rider swallowed hard, "Not a good one."

Anna's eyes widened. I looked at the rider puzzled.

"What's not a good visitor?"

"Grima sent a messenger?" Anna breathed, stunned.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

That's definitely not a good visitor.

Anna took off back to the Arena. I hesitated a moment, then willed my sore, stiff legs to follow her. I knew I would not be able to catch up, but I could not afford to not be there right now. A messenger from Grima sounded rare. And, as with anything that had anything to do with the Fell Dragon, it was never a good sign. It affected all of us, and I did not plan on being blindsided by Risen again.

To say everyone was tense within Arena Ferox would have been an understatement. Every single Feroxi soldier guarding the long, wide corridors and the heavy doors looked fearful. The Ylissean soldiers by their side appeared petrified as Anna and I strode quickly through a tunnel near the base of the Arena. A tunnel that led to the center field of the Arena. A place that was once the center of festivities in this frozen county was now going to be the sight of a terrifying standoff.

Anna and I paused as we neared the tunnel exit. She spun around to face me, the faint light of the outside world silhouetting her.

"Listen, keep your wits about you." She said, voice hushed in the frozen air. Breath misting in front of her face, "Grima has never sent a messenger before. So I have no idea what to expect."

I swallowed hard and nodded. A hint of hesitation filled me, "Are you sure I should be-"

"You may be a kid, but you aren't one of the kids." Anna replied quickly, "You're mature enough to know when to listen to me, and when to act on your own. Even if those actions tend to be idiotic."

I nodded, "I'll take the compliment."

"Good. Depending on how this goes, this may be the last one you get."

With grim determination on her face, Anna turned towards the exit and marched up the sloped surface into the Arena. I trailed behind her, shivering as a biting cold wind swept down from the grandstands surrounding us.

My eyes widened as I stepped out onto the snow covered center stage. The Arena looked massive from the outside, and it looked even larger from its center. The closest I could compare it to was stepping onto a professional football field, seeing the stands ascend high into the sky all around you like a massive shell. Only this shell was stone and concrete instead of steel. If this is what seeing the Coliseum is like then I regretted never going to see it.

Any awe I felt faded quickly as Anna hissed at me, returning my mind to reality. I turned and continued following her over to a group of people standing near the center of the arena. Soft, powdery snow crunched beneath my footfalls as we approached Exalt Lissa, Lady Tiki, Captain Raimi, and Frederick.

Anna and I drew up alongside Frederick. The Knight nodded at Anna then turned his impassive gaze to the tunnel directly across from us. I furrowed my brow in confusion as I noticed we were the only ones within the arena. Before I could question why we were all alone, an iron gate groaned in the opposite tunnel. Chains creaked as the gate shuddered then ascended.

My heart jumped to my throat as a lone figure stepped through it. A figure covered head to toe in black armor. A black cape torn and tattered rested over its shoulders. Its face was hidden behind a black helmet and mask. But through the eye holes of the helmet, I could see crimson eyes glowing at us.

A sense of menace slammed into me. The air somehow became colder, if that was even possible. I gritted my teeth behind my frozen lips as my hands tugged my cloak further over my shoulders. I was tempted to draw my hood, but I also feared that it would draw attention to myself. After all, no one else was attempting to hide their identities. The last thing I wanted was for whatever this thing was to look at me and grow curious.

Just stay quiet, Sam. I thought, my breaths quickening as the Thing paused a few meters away from us, Be a fly on the wall.

Something peculiar caught my eye about the visitor. All of us standing in front of him had breath misting in front of our face, especially Tiki. Raimi and Anna not so much, probably because they were more used to the cold. But this Thing standing before our small group did not have a single hint of fog coming from his helmet. The knot in my throat tightened as those red eyes narrowed at all of us, studying us for a moment. Daring us to speak to it already.

Tiki was more than happy to oblige.

"This is a strange occurrence." The powerful Manakete said, green eyes focused like lasers on the messenger, "I was not aware Grima knew how to parlay."

A hoarse rasp sounded from the helmeted warrior, making me shiver with fear. I could not tell if that was a scoff or a laugh, but I had a bad feeling that it was a laugh of the mocking variety.

"It is a strange occurrence." A voice like venom slipped from it's masked helmet, diving into my mind and slashing against my ear drums like a piercing hiss. I noticed Frederick's throat bob and Raimi's fist clench tight when it spoke. Lissa paled a little bit. Anna and Tiki remained like stone, unfazed, "I did not expect to be received by you, Child of Naga. I expected the Khan to speak to me." Another hoarse rasp rattled from the messenger, "Is she… unwell?"

"I doubt you are here to discuss our well-being." Tiki snarled back, "To whom do we owe the pleasure?"

It hissed again. I could not call it snakelike, because I had never heard a snake hiss in person before, and I also had a feeling that even a snake would be disturbed by the soft sound emanating from… whatever this thing was talking with.

"Vykrik"

My teeth started to chatter behind my lips. I wanted to believe it was from the intense cold permeating the air around me, but my brain knew better. This thing in front of made me feel terrified, and small. Smaller than I already physically was. It was not an imposing looking thing by any means, probably average in height and build. But the presence in exuded was nothing short of terrible. Without it even trying, I knew it could kill me and everyone in this yard, with the exception of Tiki, easily. Tiki was probably the only thing keeping the Thing wise.

Tiki inclined her chin, "Grima gives his servants names now? I wonder what brought that about?"

"I doubt you are here to discuss my origins, Child of Naga." The Thing, Vykrik, rasped.

Every syllable slipping from the dark void of its helm made me want to shake in my boots. Only the knowledge that some of the most powerful, and deadly, warriors in the land were right beside me kept me from crumbling in fear.

"Then what do you wish to discuss, Vykrik?" Tiki replied, unafraid to address the messenger.

It rasped again. A harsh sound, more mocking laughter.

"If it were up to me, we would not be speaking. However, my will is not mine, but my master's. And my master wishes for me to deliver a message to you." It raised a clenched fist and turned it over. It's long fingers splayed open, and two locks of blue hair fell onto the white floor.

Frederick reacted immediately, "Bastard!" He bellowed, reaching for his sword.

Raimi's hand snapped out and grabbed Frederick by his arm, preventing him from drawing his weapon.

I heard Anna utter a soft sigh at the sight of the hair. My eyes remained glued to it as well. Only one family in Awakening had that color of hair. I saw it on Cynthia, and she shared it with her father and her sister. Given what we already knew regarding Lucina…

This is bad.

"I guess you could say, I am here to discuss your well-being." Tiki's green eyes narrowed dangerously at the messenger, "Or, at the very least, the well-being of your precious little Princess." It tilted it's head, crimson eyes glaring at a frozen Lissa, "Unless of course you wish to negotiate."

I heard Anna step towards Grima's messenger. I hardly registered her movement as she stepped around Tiki and approached the armored thing. Her hard gaze unwavering as she marched up to it.

"Do you have a response?" It rasped, voice shuddering as Anna stopped in front of it. As if it was excited to have one of its enemies so close to it.

The merchant glared up into the red eyes of the armored creature. In one, lightning fast motion, Anna drew her dagger and jammed it up through the creature's jaw. An ear splitting shriek reverberated through the air, causing me to cover my ears with my hands. Tiki winced and took a step back, one hand reaching up for one of her pointed ears. Frederick grit his teeth, placing an arm out in front of Lissa while Raimi remained unmoving.

"Take that back to the fucking Lizard." Anna left the dagger jammed into it's jaw as she stepped back.

The shriek ebbed away. Vykrik's eyes blazed and pulsed. It's hoarse voice rasped several times. An indecipherable noise that I wanted to say was laughter again, but it would not surprise me if it was enraged snarls. It's entire body shuddered. Pieces of armor peeled away in clumps of black ash. With a final rasp, it crumpled into a pile of the inky stuff, staining the snow where it once stood.

The icy fangs digging into my skin lost their grip. The fear that clenched my heart with a tight fist loosened, letting me exhale for the first time in a while. I doubled over, the knot in my throat moving down to my gut as Anna remained standing where Vykrik once stood.

As soon as my hands touched my knees, Lissa shoved her way past both Frederick and Raimi. She sprinted around Tiki and came to an abrupt stop where the locks of blue hair rested in the snow. One of her trembling hands reached down and plucked them from the powder. She swallowed hard and looked back at us, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Frederick..." She whimpered, lip quivering.

Frederick strode up to her, wrapping her up in his arms as the Exalt sagged against him, quiet sobs wracking her lungs. Anna took a deep breath and turned around, a snarl on her lips. She did not say anything to Lissa or Frederick. She marched directly at me. Not a word was spoken. She just nodded at me, beckoning me to follow her out of the Arena. I cast one last glance back at Lissa as the Exalt's mask of elegant strength crumbled away, then I followed the merchant out.

The mood within the barracks that evening was a toxic mixture of desperate and furious. Two emotions that I did not like, which made me shrink to a corner of the common room as the kids fumed within the warm space. I stayed silent the entire time, keeping to my philosophy of being a fly on the wall during times of crisis. It was less stressful that way… somehow.

Kjelle paced back and forth near the bar, fists clenched tight at her sides. Every so often, she stopped, grabbed the half empty bottle of firewine on the counter, and gulped down a swig of it before slamming the bottle back down and resuming her pacing.

Brady sat quietly at the bar while she paced. He gently swirled some firewine in a glass, glossy gaze focused on the mostly empty bar behind the counter. Occasionally, he would bring the full glass to his lips, ponder taking a sip, then set it back down in front of him with a sigh.

Severa fumed in her spot near the fire, eyes glued to the flickering flames. She refused to speak to anyone. The most acknowledgement she gave to anyone was a small grunt, signaling she heard them but did not want to give a response. Her mind was wrapped around figuring out a way to rescue Lucina. She already wanted to storm out and do that a couple days ago, but now with evidence of Lucina's capture, it took everything in the redhead not to just get up and go.

Cynthia was practically inconsolable. So much so that Morgan and Owain both left the barracks with her and went to the Arena, hoping to find some comfort with Exalt Lissa, Lon'qu, Tiki, or even Sir Frederick. Her sharp wails upon learning about the meeting in the Arena earlier today lingered like a haunting echo in all of our minds.

Two of the other kids, Inigo and Gerome (someone who had not said a single word to me this entire time), lingered by the window near the front door. Both of them were keeping an eye out for the Justice Cabal's return. The trio left an hour or so ago, and none of them had returned. But that was probably due to a massive snow storm that came barreling through the area about an hour ago, around the same time the kids exited. I could barely see a few meters beyond the barracks due to the amount of snow and ice that swirled through the air.

Yarne shivered next to the fire. Nah sat in a chair beside him, legs dangling in the air while a heavy book rested in her small lap. Laurent and Noire remained with their parents at their workshops, something I was semi-grateful for. Laurent was a good, sane buffer between me and his mother. Noire… well… the further away she was from me the less likely Henry would think I'm attempting to be a suitor for her.

I shook my head as I sank further into my seat.

Am I seriously thinking about that now? I glanced around at the teens sitting quietly in the barracks, One of their friends is captured, maybe even dead, and I'm worried about me?

I grimaced at that realization. I guess it was just easier to focus on something not so heavy, and that happened to be my situation with Henry rather than Lucina's capture. Hard to believe that thinking about someone who wanted to kill me for fun only a day ago was easier to think about right now.

I glanced down at my hands, folded neatly in my lap. I did this when I was nervous or anxious. Call it an involuntary reaction to those uncomfortable feelings that I was all too familiar with. Every time I felt this way, I would curl up into a tight ball. Or as tight a ball as I could manage without it being conspicuous. It happened to me on family road trips when I was younger. I'd tuck my legs close to my seat in the car, fold my hands in my lap, tuck my chin, and close my eyes as music blasted in my headphones. A meager attempt to block out my own nervousness about the world. Some things don't change between worlds it seems.

Severa snarled and rose to her feet. She marched up to a small pile of firewood lying beside the stone fireplace, grabbed a fresh log, and chucked it into the fireplace. The wood smacked hard against the stone at the back of the fireplace before nestling against its already burning companions. Without missing a beat, she turned to me.

"The hell is she doing in the bunkroom?"

I pursed my lips. By she, Severa was referring to Anna. Anna had been the one to tell all of them the news. She said it in a way so… callous and off handed that it honestly stunned me. As soon as she told the kids about the meeting, she retreated into the girl's bunk room and locked the door behind her. Making sure no one could follow her inside, least of all the two enraged kids, Severa and Kjelle.

I sighed, "You act like I can read her mind through a wooden door and solid stone."

Severa clenched her jaw, "You work with her, don't you?"

"She trains me." I clarified as I shifted beneath Severa's intense glare, "That doesn't mean I know what is going through or head, or what she is planning."

"She's probably planning nothing, like always." Kjelle sniffed, wiping a hand over her mouth as she continued her pacing, "I mean, this is Anna we're talking about. As soon as Grima popped up she wanted to get the hell outta here."

"B-but she didn't." Yarne stammered.

"Was I talking to you?" Kjelle glared at Yarne, making the Taguel shiver closer to Nah.

"Is that really necessary?" Nah asked Kjelle.

Kjelle shook her head and said nothing back. I furrowed my brow as Severa spun away, grumbling under her breath.

"Ya both need to just take a breath." Brady spoke up, voice much quieter than normal, "I'm sure Lady Tiki and the Exalt are thinking of something."

"What could they do?" A much quieter voice croaked. One I was unfamiliar with. I whipped my head around the room until I saw Gerome staring out the window, "What can any of us do?"

"Ah, the nihilist speaks." Kjelle huffed. She finally stopped pacing and sat down in a stool a few seats down from Brady, "Please, tell us how it's all hopeless and we might as well be dead."

"Am I wrong?"

"Very." Inigo sighed, "There's always hope as long as we-"

"Now you sound like Owain." Gerome grumbled, glancing at Inigo, "I doubt you're that naive." He glanced back out the window, faint wisps of his breath misting against the cold glass, "The Exalt and Lady Tiki will do nothing. Just as they've always done. Because there is nothing they can do." He pushed himself away from the window and glumly walked towards the guys bunkhouse.

"What makes you say that?" Severa snarled at him as he walked away from her.

"Experience." He replied, voice like gravel as he disappeared down the hall.

I frowned, "He's a lovely ray of sunshine, isn't he?"

"Heh," Brady sniffed, "Gerome's just-"

"Weak." Kjelle growled, "It's not hopeless right now, just hard."

I winced after that statement. There had to be an extremely good explanation as to why Gerome acted the way he did. I mean, when the world beats you down as much as it has these kids, and there is never any sort of reprieve, eventually all you know is misery. Gerome probably thought that instead of feeling miserable because of the misery, he would just accept it. I was not sure how healthy that kind of mindset was though. He hardly seemed happy with anything in the few moments I have seen him.

Inigo jerked away from the window.

"The Exalt is coming!" He hissed to all of us.

Severa's head whipped over to the door right as it was pushed open. A blast of icy wind carrying large puffs of snow shot into the room, making me shiver. Frederick held the door open as Lissa and Lon'qu strode into the barracks. Brady bowed his head a little bit as Lissa entered. Severa scowled and folded her arms. Inigo smiled at the trio, trying his best to remain the lone cheerful soul in this gloomy situation. Kjelle's face resembled stone as she eyed Frederick. Yarne kept his eyes averted from Frederick and Lon'qu. Occasionally he would glance up at Lissa, but he failed to find her usually gentle visage. Nah kept her nose buried in her book, unconcerned with everyone else around her.

The door clicked shut behind Lissa. Her appearance was a far cry from the sobbing woman in Frederick's arms a few hours ago. Any tears she had were long gone, replaced with grim determination that made her look strange to me. Lissa was not supposed to be this serious. Then again, I knew the game version of her. A version nearly twenty years younger and with nowhere near as much responsibility as the one that stood in the common room now. I saw an Exalt standing in the room, not a fun loving cleric. Somehow, that made me feel stronger in the face of this grim situation.

Lissa's blue eyes flicked over to me.

"Anna?"

I grimaced, "The door's locked." I warned as Frederick marched down the hall, following Lissa towards the girl's bunkroom. Lon'qu motioned for me to tag along as well. One glare from the swordsman made the rest of the kids stay in place.

I hesitated, but Lon'qu's glare turned to me, forcing me to rush after him, Frederick, and Lissa. As I made my way down the hall, I saw the girl's bunkhouse door slightly ajar. Lon'qu disappeared inside ahead of me. I stopped at the door and took a deep breath.

The Exalt ordered you to come with. Anna won't be upset by that. Just… go in and-

Lon'qu poked his head back out the door, reached for my shirt, and yanked me into the room, shutting the door behind me as soon as I was inside.

"Lissa, for once I am going to agree with Tiki." Anna said as I entered the room mid conversation.

"Of all the times for you to get along with her, you choose now?" Lissa sighed as she massaged her eyes. She sat slumped in a chair near Anna's bunk, exhausted.

"Yes." Anna replied as she stood near the window, watching the snow cascade down outside like a great white waterfall. She glanced back at Tiki, "This is so obviously a trap, Lissa."

"That doesn't mean she's dead!" Lissa shot back.

I sucked in a breath.

Oh that's what they're talking about.

"Oh?" Anna turned away from the window and took a few steps towards Lissa, "And what do you suppose she is then? I don't recall the Fell Dragon being the type to take prisoners." She sighed as some tears bubbled in Lissa's eyes. The merchant looked down at her feet, "Look… maybe there is a chance she is alive. Maybe she has some value to Grima. I don't have any clue what that would be, but maybe that is the case. And that is a big maybe. Do we want to risk more lives on a maybe?"

"She is the princess and Chrom's daughter." Frederick growled, "We have to-"

"We don't have to do anything." Anna cut him off, "Honestly, that might actually take that fucking lizard off guard. He wants us to come after her, otherwise he would not have bothered with a messenger. This is purely meant to lure us into a place where he can easily kill all of us."

"He can already easily kill all of us." Lissa breathed, giving Anna a stark reminder that made the merchant's mouth close, "Why would he want to go this route?"

Anna shrugged, "Cause he's a sadistic bastard?"

Lon'qu snorted. A quiet sound that I assumed was his version of a laugh. Frederick scowled at Anna. Lissa rested her head in her right hand, her fingers massaging her brow as she nursed her exhaustion and what I assumed had to be a massive headache.

Anna took a deep breath, "Look, Grima has been one step ahead of us at every single point in this war. He knows how we think, he knows how we fight, and I guarantee he knows what it'll take to make us break. This could be his attempt to finally shatter us. Then all he has to do is mop up. Grima is powerful, and evil, but he's also shown himself to be extremely patient and pragmatic. That…" She gulped, "If I'm honest, that scares me a little bit."

"Why would he want to be patient?" Frederick wondered out loud.

Anna shrugged, "Beats me. Maybe he just gets off on our suffering. That's always a possibility."

"Do you believe Lucina is alive?" Lissa cut in, tone exasperated as she spoke, "Yes or no?"

Anna worked her jaw back and forth, "Gaius seemed to think so."

"Have we heard anything from him?" Frederick asked.

Anna shook her head, "Nothing, and now that messenger shows up? That's not a coincidence."

I swallowed hard, "You don't think Gaius has been captured too?"

Anna glanced over at me, "More likely he's been killed. He has no value to Grima." Lissa bowed her head, lip trembling as Anna spoke, "All that'll happen if we go after Lucina, is we will be adding to the body pile."

"Not if you do it." Lissa breathed.

Anna drew back a little bit, "I am not suicidal enough to-"

"But you are good enough to do it." Lissa rose from her seat, "You and Gaius are the best we have… had." She took a deep breath, "And you're more careful than he is. If anyone can infiltrate Grima's horde and find Lucina, it is you."

Anna shook her head, "That is a mission bound for failure, Lissa. I am a scout, not an infiltrator like Gaius."

"It wouldn't be the first time you've done it." Lissa pointed out, "I recall a Fort in Valm that you and Gaius both snuck into in order to rescue some of our Shepherds."

Anna snorted, "Valmese grunts, and Risen, are two very different opponents."

"Correct, Valmese grunts actually have a brain for you to compete against. Risen don't." Lissa pointed out.

Anna kept her arms folded tight over her chest as Lissa looked at her, eyes begging for Anna to do something. I remained standing near the door, continuing the fly on the wall policy. After all, it's gotten me this far.

"Please, Anna." Lissa took a shuddering breath, "I promised Sumia that-"

"I'm aware." Anna hissed. She wiped her mouth and huffed, "Fine." Lissa's eyes lit up, "but this is it for me."

The joy in Lissa's gaze evaporated. Anna glanced over at Frederick.

"After this, I'm done. I want a boat that'll take me far away from this doomed continent."

"We aren't doomed." Frederick argued back.

Anna snorted, "Keep telling yourself that. Regardless, I've had my fill of Archanea."

Lissa drew back, straightening to her full height as she regarded Anna. I could see some betrayal in her eyes as she stared stunned at the redhead.

"Fine." Lissa replied bitterly, "If you manage to save my niece I'd say you've more than earned a way out of here."

The Exalt spun on her heel and marched out without saying another word. Something I was a bit grateful for. It meant I would not be dragged into a tense conversation that I missed part of. Frederick opened the door for Lissa as they both strode out. Lon'qu nodded at Anna, then left with them. As soon as they were gone, Anna uttered a long groan and hung her head.

"This is stupid." She muttered, shaking her head as she trudged back to her bunk. She sank down onto the mattress, "Beyond stupid."

"It's um… brave." I spoke up, trying to reassure her.

Anna glanced over at me, "Brave is not something we're supposed to be right now. Brave gets you killed Sam. You should know that already."

I grimaced, running a hand along my side, "I'm still breathing."

"Cause you got lucky, Lucky." Anna reminded me. She sighed and shook her head again, "Naga, why do I let them talk me into this crap. If Grima caught Gaius then in all likelihood he killed both Lucina and…" She trailed off when she noticed my face drop, "It's our cruel reality, Sam. Best you get used to it."

"Hard to get used to something like that." I replied.

"Maybe." Anna rubbed the back of her neck, "But you don't have much of a choice. Especially since you'll be coming with me."

My stomach dropped. Anna rolled her eyes at me.

"Don't start telling me it's a bad idea. I'm already aware it is." Anna sighed, "But… if I don't make it back, you won't have anyone to show you the ropes. Besides, I'll feel better knowing I've got someone watching my back out there. Gaius may be content wandering the wilds alone nowadays, but I am not. Consider this learning on the job, only you're moving straight to the final exam. This mission won't be an easy one."

I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat growing larger as my own anxiety surged. I was about to go with Anna on a desperate rescue mission that she personally described as suicidal.

And Gaius thinks I'm lucky?

Anna dropped her gaze as she reached up and untied the ribbon from her red hair, letting the long locks fall down over her shoulders. She sighed and set the ribbon down on her bed.

"You look like you just got punched in the gut." She said, rising to her feet and moving to her trunk at the foot of her bunk. She popped it open and withdrew a loose, red robe.

I grimaced, "Well… you just said this is suicidal."

"Did I?" Anna replied, closing her trunk, "Hm… maybe I did. It's not inaccurate."

"Oh… great." I replied with dry sarcasm.

Anna snorted, "Jaded already, eh?" She shook her head and tossed the folded up robe onto her bunk, "Just stick close to me and you'll be fine, alright?"

I nodded.

"Good," She gestured to the door, "Now if you don't mind, I need to get changed. Make sure you pack your things tonight. We won't have time tomorrow morning. I plan on leaving before any of those damn kids even realize we're gone."

"Understood." I nodded, my voice quiet as I turned to leave, "It uh, shouldn't be a problem. Not like I have anything to pack." I grabbed the doorknob.

"And Sam-"

"Yeah?"

Anna glanced at me as she started undoing the buttons on her brown and yellow shirt, "Not a word to anyone."

I took a deep breath, "Got it."

I quickly exited her room before I saw anything I probably shouldn't. The door clicked shut behind me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

And Gaius calls me Lucky. I sniffed and shook my head, That better be true otherwise I'm probably going to wind up dead.

I entered the guy's bunkroom, which was across the hall from the girls. When I entered, I noticed Inigo, Gerome, and Brady already inside. Inigo gave me a lopsided grin as I entered with a dark red blush. Gerome did not bother to look in my direction as he lay in his bunk, face staring up at the ceiling with his mask still over his eyes. Brady snickered to himself as he sat across from Inigo's bunk.

"See anything?" The Priest asked.

I gave Brady an exasperated look, "What do you think?"

Inigo chuckled with Brady, "Anna's letting him in her room now, what next?"

Brady shrugged, "Dunno, but I am curious."

"I'm-" I blushed furiously, grit my teeth, marched to my bunk, and flopped down in it. All the while Brady and Inigo howled with laughter.

"Aren't you all supposed to be sad right now!?" I cried, turning over onto my side to glare at them.

"We are." Inigo said, taking a breath, "But… sometimes you just need to laugh."

I shook my head at that. The resilience these kids had constantly amazed me. I rolled back over onto my back and stared up at the stone ceiling over my head. A chill lingered in the air from the snow storm battering against the window. I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to sleep. But sleep eluded me, mostly due to fear. I was about to go on a mission that I could very easily die on after all. A knot twisted in my gut. I thought about what Brady and Inigo were insinuating, feeling my cheeks heat up a little bit again.

The knot released as I uttered a light chuckle, then I drifted off.

And chapter! Alrighty, Anna and Sam are on their way to rescue the Princess. Or at least try to. It's going to be one dangerous mission, that's for sure. We also get a peak at Grima's Envoy, Vykrik. An original creation of mine that I had fun coming up with.

Also, I am going to announce that I am pushing this story to a two week update schedule. Reasons? One: I am trying to juggle two fanfics at once, this one and The Force's Shepherds. Both are wildly different in tone, writing style, and scope, so it makes transition from one to another in just a few days (or even hours) in order to update them difficult. That sacrifices the quality of both, and I don't want to do that. My goal is to deliver high quality stories to you guys, and that means prioritizing and giving myself a little more leeway with my timetable. Second Reason: I am going to be adding a third project on my plate. An original novel (time to pursue the dream!). This fanfic has been a big experiment for me when it comes to writing in the first person, and it helped me visual an original concept a little better. So I'm going to get that started as well. It'll be slow going with it, but it's something I've been wanting to do for a while and I need to make the time to do it.

So, that's the news for today. Let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!

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