Author's Note: So, yeah… last chapter hit kinda hard.
I finally got around to looking at the world map and realized that Robin was actually found south of Ylisstol in the actual game, not on the western border like was detailed in this story. Whoops, I guess I should have researched that at first. Doubt that will make much difference, and the difference led to a nice scene of Chrom stopping by where they were found to give his re-affirmation.
At least I got the Outrealm Gate location right! In the south!
Gaius is a blessing. I get to really explore areas of society that really could not be explored in a "T for Teen" game in a relatively tasteful manner. Someone like him definitely could've had way more character development that could've been done in supports that weren't, outside of his need for sweets all the time.
In binge-watching to catch up on My Hero Academia, it occurred to me that Raven's whole "slowly accessing power he already has, but making it his own" concept somewhat mirrors Deku's whole progression. Unintentional, but it's a fun new twist to the typical "I train myself to these heights". It becomes a "I have this, now to figure out how to use it". It becomes less physical and more mental, which fits me as a person (and probably why I enjoy that twist of the shounen concept of training).
Also, side-note worth noting. When I started this story, I wasn't a fan of Lissa. I found her to be annoying. But, that's also because I never did a lot of supports in my playthroughs. As I read the support conversations and started translating that into this story into the Lissa we have here, I started really enjoying her character. Not going to even sugar-coat it… that scene last chapter hurt to write. By the time I got to it, I kinda became a Raven/Lissa shipper. I actually re-read the whole story about a week ago, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed the dynamic the two shared. From just simple pranks here and there, to when she got rejected in the arena and she started opening up to him, to just the climax of that whole situation with the rejection. It was a bittersweet mini-arc to write and one that… egh… it's going to be interesting (and probably difficult) to write their dynamic past that.
Why does Fire Emblem Heroes make a majority of female characters look like lolis? I mean, obviously not Camilla, but… everyone else looks like they're fourteen, at best.
… and not the Yoko Littner from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, "is she really that age?" kind of fourteen, either.
Coincidentally, this chapter falls on my birthday. Random fun fact. Carry on!
Chapter 20
Outrealm Gatekeeping
It had been about four days since we departed from Ylisstol. Our journey south was relatively uninteresting, thankfully. Many of us had a lot on our minds with our own things.
Selena was uncharacteristically quiet most of the time and I could see she was struggling to keep up at times. I know Marth was the superior warrior, but this weakness was uncharacteristic of even a normal person. In the end, I told her she should ride in the supply convoy.
Her response was… less than hospitable, but she still obliged. Without Frederick along to be on top of things, I found myself naturally assuming the position of taking charge.
"Okay, also, Donnel, you are in charge of cooking dinner. Miriel, I would like you to assist him. Marth, you are on firewood duty. Sophia, you go with Marth and keep an eye on her. Also, keep an eye out on locations that your magic may work with. In case of a bandit attack, it would help to know possible areas we can defend ourselves and have the magic to our advantage," I finished.
"Understood!" the rest of them said. I rubbed my forehead in frustration as I sat down at a table with some papers on it. Since Robin wasn't here, it was up to me to also coordinate strategies for defenses. It was also up to me to try to fill the leadership void without having Chrom here. Somehow, despite the fact Marth said she was the right hand to the leader of the forces, she seemed to be nervous about taking any sort of charge of the group. Then again, she was my right hand in the future, so… I guess she naturally felt like taking cues from me? Also, these were people who were helped look out for her when she grew up, so…
… ugh, thinking about the future's possibilities makes my head hurt, especially since we're trying so hard to make sure it doesn't come true.
"Hey, Shady, what're you up to?" Gaius asked after entering the tent. Oh, I forgot to give him a task to do.
"I'm trying to figure out how far we should travel tomorrow. If we travel the entire day at a brisk pace and without breaks, we can make it to the port town before nightfall, but we still wouldn't get a ship until the next morning. We could pace ourselves and simply reach the port town the day after, but then we would go straight from travelling on land to travelling by sea, and if we arrive at town, there's no guarantee we would find a ship right away. Not to mention, I have to make sure I'm somewhat familiar with this territory, in case bandits attack and we need to retreat. We don't have the full might of the Shepherds behind us, so what if we got ambushed? I don't want any loss of lives on this mission, not when Chrom trusted us on a mission he didn't fully understand. We have to keep everyone alive, even if it means failing in the mission's primary objective. Then I have to figure out what could work with Sophia's mag—"
"Shady, stop," Gaius said, before holding out a lollipop.
"For me?" I asked.
"Sugar gives the brain a burst of energy. Now take it before I change my mind," he said. I took it with a nod of appreciation, unwrapped it, and popped it in my mouth. Mmm, tastes like vanilla and root beer.
"Thanks, Gaius," I said.
"You've been delegating menial tasks to us, Shady. Gather firewood. Cook meals. Pitch tents. Clear camp. Check supplies. Meanwhile, you've been our Frederick, our Chrom, and our Robin this whole time. Even Miriel is growing concerned… in her own weird way… I think," he said. "Shady, let us help you."
"No, it's fine. I need… to ensure this mission's success," I said firmly. "I need to analyze every variable, every aspect, every possible thing that could come up, and plan accordingly. I must ensure each and every single possibility is accounted for and a counter plan of action is already prepared."
"Shady, stop. Relax. You've done enough for us. You've done more than enough for us. Listen, I've got connections at the port town we're going to. If we arrive early enough tomorrow, what say I get you some stress relief?" he asked.
"Stress relief?" I asked.
"I know the tavern owners that owe me favors and could get us some free drinks and discount food as well as connections to some… less than reputable owners of less than reputable businesses. I mean, if you find yourself needing female company at nig—"
"Gaius!" I exclaimed in a scandalous tone. "Please! Not my thing."
He shrugged and popped a piece of candy in his mouth.
"Your loss, Shady. When I was last there, they had this stunningly beautiful red-head who started working for them. I did a little research and snooping to find out she's a single mother to a marvelous daughter. Her husband was killed by bandits in a raid, so she had to find ways to put food on the table. Not a lot of options for someone of her stature. I could ask one of the owners for a favor. He owes me after all. Pull her off the appointment list of some royal guards and slide you in," he said. "You wouldn't even have to pay. I got you covered."
"Gaius, I appreciate the offer, but… wait… royal guards?" I asked.
"… what, do you think everyone who serves the forces of Ylisstol are like the Shepherds?" Gaius asked.
"Truthfully… never gave it much thought," I said.
"They're men, just like you and I… men with needs. Men with wants. Women, too, of course, but there's not as much of a business going the other way," Gaius commented. I sighed to myself.
"It… honestly amazes and scares me how much you know about that side of society, Gaius," I said.
"In my line of work and in living the life I live, he who has all the knowledge holds all the cards. You can be wise or you can be dead, Shady… and there's too many sweet things I want to eat in life to die young," he replied. I looked at him carefully.
"Gaius, I… thank you," I said with a sigh.
"How about a nice, friendly game of cards?" he asked, pulling a deck out of nowhere.
"What're we betting?" I asked.
"You know me well. How about the thing we have the most of? My candy versus your gold. How's that for our bets?" he asked.
"Seems unfair, but fine. A few rounds might help reset the mind," I replied.
"That's the spirit!" he said.
I regretted my choice shortly after and Gaius, after a few rounds, managed to make a small dent in my gold bag.
"Say, Shady," Gaius said as he shuffled the deck.
"No, no more," I said. "I've lost enough."
"You said that the last three rounds, before trying again."
"You know what you said about wisdom? I think at this point, I know when to hold and I know when to fold," I said. He smiled at me.
"You're learning. Always know when to cut your losses before you put yourself in an irredeemable spot," he replied. "But, that's not what I was going to ask."
"What were you going to ask, then?" I asked.
"I know you said the three of you had amnesia, but have you ever given serious thought into where that gold came from?" he asked.
"Frederick assumed I either was some lower noble from another land or someone who was in service to one who was entrusted with the gold. Same was said about Elise and her fancy armor," I said.
"See, I assumed that at first, too, but I pulled some strings on my connections, and there have been no rumors or discussion of missing nobles or lords in any nearby lands. There haven't been any reports of high-level robberies, either, in case you were wondering that possibly the armor and gold was stolen. That report honestly raised more questions than answers. You three truly are a mystery," Gaius said. I paled slightly.
"So, there's no explanation at all for where we came from, where this gold or armor came from, or Robin's strange outfit or symbol on the back of his hand?" I asked.
"None whatsoever," Gaius replied. "If there was, it's escaping my network, and that is impressive in and of itself, assuming that was the case."
"Then there's that possibility, because the other possibility seems far more impossible," I said.
"The possibility you just appeared out of thin air? Yeah, I agree. Which means whoever's connected to you and your past is far more dangerous and serious than anyone first thought," Gaius said.
"… Gaius, I…"
"Shady, relax. I got my ear out for ya. Thanks for getting those sweets before we left Ylisstol," he said.
"I still owe you a few more. Especially if you're having my back like this? I can't let a good deed go unrewarded," I said.
"Hah, save the reward for when I actually do save your life and if we find out you're actually some royalty. Like the former prince of some nation on the Valmese continent," Gaius joked. "I'd like my reward to be proportional to the person who's paying up."
"So, you'd have no complaints if I was actually a nobody and I got you nothing else?" I jokingly asked.
"Ouch, Shady, you wound me with that," he replied with a chuckle.
"Oh, Gaius. Raven. There you two are," Marth said as she peeked her head in the tent. "I was looking for Raven. There was something we… needed to discuss. In private. That is, if you two were done talking."
"Of course. Gaius, anything else you needed to talk about?" I asked. He shook his head before giving me a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm, maybe I don't need to pull that favor when we get to the port town after all," Gaius commented off-handedly with a sly smirk. He gave a small bow to Marth. "M'lady."
Marth watched him walk out of the tent and gave me confused look.
"What did he mean by that?" Marth asked.
"I'm not sure at all," I replied, equally confused.
"What did you two talk about?" she asked, curiosity crossing her face.
"We were discussing timing of getting into town and then maybe getting some food and drinks and… he offered… wait… oh, no no! Damn it, Gaius!" I exclaimed, feeling myself blushing furiously and trying not to look at her. Gaius, I will get you for that, mark my words!
"You know what he was talking about?" she asked. "You're… turning very red, Raven. That look… is quite peculiar on you, I must admit."
"Peculiar? El, this is hardly the time for jokes. Yes, I know what he was talking about, but it's not important. Not. One. Bit," I said in a firm tone, still avoiding eye contact. She gave me a curious look.
"You're avoiding eye contact with me, Raven… but if you insist…" she said, giving me a look of almost trying to guilt me into telling her.
"I do insist. How went your tasks?" I asked, trying to quickly change topics. She sighed to herself, realizing I wasn't going to tell her. Like hell I was going to tell her what Gaius was suggesting.
"Firewood has been collected and Sophia has informed me there is one location where her magic can work. She demonstrated it to me what it did. Not really useful for any battle purposes, but it was refreshing to take a hot steam bath," she said with a relaxed smile.
"You took a… hot steam bath?" I asked, feeling myself turning red again. Damn it, Gaius, I'm going to shove my lance so far up yo—
"Her magic created a hot spring of sorts," Marth replied, interrupting my train of thought. "As soon as we figured out what it did, we doubled our pace so we could finish collecting firewood early. It was truly relaxing, Raven! That warm water just gently caressing your skin and relaxing your muscles, the feeling of all the filth and grime washing away… it was truly a memorable experience. Wait, um, you're turning very red, Raven. You're… not upset, are you?"
"Why would I be upset?" I asked her before taking a deep breath. "Relax, Marth. You did what was expected of you. I won't be upset with you if you took the time to relax after. Uh, say… is the hot spring still there?"
"No, she used her magic to retract it," Marth replied. I nodded and made a mark on a map I was looking at.
"Hm, okay, so Sophia can make a hot spring at will in approximately this location," I mused to myself as I looked at the map and made a mark.
"What are you doing?" Marth asked as she walked over.
"I've been documenting areas where Sophia's Chosen One magic works and the effects of each of those spells," I replied as I pointed to the one map I was working on.
"You're making a map of locations for her Chosen One magic?" she asked.
"In the case we ever return to these areas in the future, it would help to have some kind of documentation of knowing every advantage we have in battle," I said. She smiled at me a bit.
"Well, at least I know your due diligence was always a part of your nature," she commented.
"Now, you came in here saying you need to speak about something? In private?" I said pointedly. Hopefully this was important, especially considering Gaius was going to be making jokes at my expense for the next few days over that.
"I need to talk to you about something urgent. I know it's something I probably shouldn't divulge because of altering the time streams, but it's… become a high priority," Marth said. "I… wanted to ask of you a huge favor."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Selena's mother was Cordelia," Marth said bluntly. I gave her a look of surprise. Well, the vibrant red hair was definitely a giveaway, but she sure didn't inherit her mother's personality.
"… who is the father?" I asked.
"No comment. That's irrelevant to the matter at hand," she replied firmly.
"Why are you suddenly telling me this?" I asked.
"Her condition is steadily getting worse. She's been doing a good job hiding it, but the effect of Cordelia's death is having a very adverse effect on her physical and mental state. It's why I had you quarantine her to the supply wagon. She's doing all she can to keep herself from disappearing," Marth said.
"Wait… because…" I began. I pieced together the implication.
"… because Cordelia died before she was born, it's a ripple down the stream of time. Think of throwing a rock in the water. As those ripples go further down the river of time, the changes have more and more of an effect, until the changes become permanent. If she loses her focus and loses her will to live from the pain she is enduring, she will cease to exist."
"What is the favor?" I asked.
"After we bring back Exalt Emmeryn with the Aum staff, I ask that we use it again to bring Cordelia back to life," Marth said.
"… huh, I never even thought of that. Now that you suggest it, why not? Of course we would. Why wouldn't we?" I asked.
"As you know, there are limited number of uses for any magical staff, even one as all-powerful as the Aum Staff. The staff's uses could be used for more important things, such as if Chrom were to be accidentally killed or, if further down the road, a descendent of Chrom's were to perish against some evil force. The staff could have been used for that, but… I am selfishly asking you, for Selena's sake, to have one of its uses be used on Cordelia," she said.
"Marth, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't even have known where to go on this quest. Of course we'll use it for Cordelia. Tell Selena to hold on. We will do our best to save her. Also, as with your secret, hers is safe with me," I said. "One favor, though, before you go."
"Yes?" Marth asked.
"Selena came from the future with you, correct?"
"Yes."
"You mentioned you had friends who came back with you, but you also mentioned that many of those friends weren't fond of me in the future when you came upon my fallen body. Does Selena hate me?"
Marth bit her lip and I could see she was trying to figure out a way to answer that question.
"That… is a difficult question to answer, Raven."
"A simple yes or no would suffice. The reasoning is not relevant."
"The answer is yes, but the reasoning is very relevant," Marth said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I cannot tell you," she said.
"… did I treat her poorly as I did to you in the future? Please… tell me I didn't. She's… Cordelia's daughter. I couldn't… I wouldn't… do harm to the child of one of my closest friends," I said. Marth glared at me for a second.
"Well, that's a damn lie!" she snapped harshly. I felt myself recoiling from her anger in that very moment, almost as if a completely separate person had taken over her body.
"Marth? I…" I tentatively said. What could I say? Her reaction was all I needed to know. This future version of me was a terrible person. Marth gave a surprised look before looking down at the ground.
"… again, I have to remember you're not him. I cannot judge you by the sins of your… broken down, future self," she said quietly.
"Shh, El, come here…" I said, motioning to a chair next to me that Gaius had been sitting on earlier. She accepted the invitation and sat down.
"Look… I know it's hard for you to differentiate between him and I, but I understand. If… if you need to talk… if you need to get it off your chest… let me know. If you want to punch me again to vent it out, let me know. Just, um, not in the face again, okay?" I said. She laughed a little at the last sentence.
"It's fine. I know you two are different people, but sometimes just flashes of memory cross me. Between the struggles against the Risen, the incidents against their leader, and the experiences you put me through… it makes me uneasy. I feel scared all the time. I try to be strong, but… it's hard to stay strong when you failed at everything you've tried to do. I tried to save Ylisse and I failed. I tried to protect Ylisstol and I failed. I tried to save Exalt Emmeryn and I failed. No matter what I do, I seem to always fail… why, Raven? Why?" she asked. "Sometimes I wonder if I am even making a difference here, or if I only made things worse. Emmeryn is still dead and now, by altering the past, Selena's very existence is at stake. I feel like I made things worse than they could've been."
"Look, El…" I said quietly. She glared at me for a second. I turned myself slightly and pointed to my shoulder with a small smile. She tapped it gently with her fist with a sigh.
"I can't even be mad at you for anything. You're a kind, gentle soul. Hitting you is like kicking a puppy," she commented. "A weak, defenseless puppy."
"… not sure if I was just insulted right there…" I said, frowning at her. She paused for a second, realizing what she said.
"No comment," she replied with a mysterious smile. I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't going to get an answer out of that.
"Look… you saved Emmeryn back when you first came to us. You saved Chrom from serious injury. You've helped me to realize I have to become better than the person you grew up with if I want to save the lives of the Shepherds should the future come to pass. You've changed so much in good ways. Yes, other things have come up… bad things… but, you're not alone, Marth. You have me. You have Chrom. You have the Shepherds at your back. We're on this mission because we trust you and your choices. You're. Not. Alone," I said to her firmly.
"Raven, I… I… thank you," she said, wiping her eyes.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Yes. I just got… dust…" she said quietly.
"Speaking of obvious lies, you told me you were going to spend that gold on yourself," I said with a small smile.
"I did," she said.
"You spent it on those curtains for my room. Thank you for that, though. I really appreciate it," I said.
"That was… spent for myself. It was my choice to buy you a present. So, no, that wasn't a lie," she said back.
"Hm… I… you got me there. Okay, Marth, you feel better?" I asked.
"I do. Thank you, Raven," she said with a smile.
"Good. Now if you really want some stress relief, go find Gaius and punch him in the face a few times," I said sternly.
"Why?"
"… I won't forgive him for that comment from earlier."
"You have a good memory. I already forgot about that, Raven."
"I will not forgive a slight against me until the debt has been repaid," I said in a pensive, calm tone of voice. I saw her shiver slightly in her chair.
"That was… unnecessarily intense," she said. I smiled a little bit.
"I'd just like to think of it as equivalent exchange," I replied.
"You still won't tell me what he meant by his comment?" she asked.
"You would be as equally horrified and embarrassed at the implication as I was," I said. I saw Elise pop her head into the tent.
"O-oh, I didn't realize you two were talking. I'll just… um… go somewhere," she said.
"You're fine," Marth said with a smile.
"Yes, we were just plotting how to get revenge on Gaius," I said.
"I figured as much," she replied. Marth and I gave her a curious glance.
"What about?" I asked. "Why would you say that?"
"Gaius walked by me a few minutes ago with that trademark smirk of being up to no good before saying to me that if I valued my sanity and eyesight, I should avoid this tent because something I shouldn't see was going to happen. Naturally, I felt he was up to no good, so I came right over," Elise explained.
"What could possibly happen that he wouldn't want you to see?" Marth asked. I put two and two together.
"Raven? Raven! Your face is going pale," Elise said as she grabbed her healing staff.
"No, no, no, I'm fine! Gaius is just taking a joke a little too far. Understandable, considering how little dirt there is on me to make jokes with in relation to everyone else, but… give him an inch and he takes a mile. How frustrating," I commented. "Almost as bad as Chrom teasing me about Lissa. Oh…"
"I didn't see Lissa before we left. She said she wanted to do something important before seeing me off, but… she never showed up," Elise said. "You two are close. Do you know what she was up to?"
"… I… don't want to talk about it," I said evasively. "Is there a reason you came, Elise?"
"Do I need a reason to talk to my friend?" she asked back. I sighed.
"No, I suppose not. I'm sorry… I've just been stressed dealing with these maps and everything," I said.
"Why don't you ask one of us to do some of this?" Marth asked.
"It's a huge responsibility," I said.
"You can trust me," Marth said pointedly. I knew what she was implying by that as well. "Let me organize the day to day chores that Frederick normally does."
"I as well. Robin has been leaning on me on occasion to help with strategy meetings. I may not be at his level, but I can do my best to emulate him!" Elise offered. I looked at the both of them and felt an overwhelming sense of… of… I cannot describe this emotion. Between the stress of planning for this mission and still not fully having recovered from Cordelia's death, I've been running myself ragged. I felt this lump rising in my throat until I felt myself shedding a few tears.
"… these… damn… dust… invaders…" I said as I wiped my eyes. "We need to camp in less sandy areas."
"Of course, Raven," Elise said as she put a hand on my shoulder.
"Th-thank you both, though," I said, before clearing my throat. "I will… take your offers into consideration."
"Please don't just say that, but actually mean it," Elise said. Marth nodded.
"I… I think I'm going to the mess hall to check on Donnel and Miriel. You two coming?" I asked.
"Actually, Marth and I were going to sit here and look at these papers and help you come up with some strategies and movement options for tomorrow," Elise said pointedly. Marth nodded.
"Yes, exactly. That's what we were thinking," Marth replied.
"Huh, suit yourselves then…" I said. "I'm going to have a preview of tonight's meal."
"Sir Raven, do you ever think of anything besides food?" Marth asked.
"I'll answer that for him. The answer is no," Elise said before I could even open my mouth.
"… I hate the both of you. Never talking to either of you again," I said with a frown.
"Quoth the Raven…" Elise said mockingly.
"Nevermore," Marth finished. The two of them looked at each other and began laughing with each other.
"It's bad enough Virion always said that to me, but not you two as well," I said, sighing to myself.
"Go and have your advance meal. Let us figure things out in here," Elise said, waving me out of the tent. I walked over to the bonfire area where Miriel and Donnel were working. I could see them having a heated discussion.
"No, no, Miriel, ya gotta cut the potatoes evenly!"
"I do not understand the value in whether the potatoes are sliced evenly or not. The stomach does not have any discernable preferences how the potatoes are prepped. It is all ground into smaller, uneven chunks in our mouths, digested in the stomach, stripped of its nutrients, and excreted at a later point in time," Miriel countered.
"Just… ugh, how about you stir the pot over the fire and make sure the stew doesn't boil over," Donnel said in a frustrated tone.
"Such a trite and unimportant task. Do you take me for a simpleton?" Miriel asked back angrily.
"Did I miss something?" I asked as I walked over. Quick as a flash, Miriel turned to me and with a look of relief, blasted me with a huge fireball. I got thrown back and landed on the ground in a crumpled heap and a crash of my armor. Elise and Marth ran out of the tent to check on the commotion and saw me laying on the ground in a smoking pile. I saw Marth immediately pulled her sword out and dashed up to Miriel.
"No, Marth… it's fine," I said. Marth paused and looked at me.
"She clearly hit you with a fireball," she replied. "What Shepherd attacks another?"
"It's the condition for wearing this outfit," I said. "See, look? My wounds. Miriel, are you taking notes?"
Marth looked at me and saw the wounds healing.
"Wait, that's what was so special about your armor? I… heard you valued it greatly, but it gives you magic to heal?" she asked.
"More precisely, it has inherent magic that interacts with specific individuals for specific effects," Miriel said. "How curious. Might I conduct an experiment?"
"Well, that's the point of this," I replied. Donnel shook his head and went back to prepping the food for our meal.
"I will hit you with a small fireball," Miriel said. I nodded. She conjured a small fireball and hit me with it. I stumbled back a step and got a small scratch on my left arm, but I was fine.
"Hmm, fascinating. Now take as much of the armor off as possible," she said.
"How about I switch outfits?" I asked.
"That works as well," she replied. I nodded and changed into my old outfit in the supply convoy. As I returned to the scene, I saw Miriel had a fireball conjured and was adjusting it to be the same size as the first one. With one motion, she slammed me with it. To my surprise, I was thrown backward three feet and crashed painfully into the ground.
"Owww…" I moaned in pain.
"Stupendous! Your magical resistance cannot be quantified with a normal adjective! Words such as 'abysmal', 'pathetic', and 'miserable' do not do justice to how extraordinarily low your magic resistance is!" Miriel exclaimed. "Oh, Elise. Could you please tend to his wounds? He is currently not wearing his armor."
Elise ran over and healed me with the staff. Marth glared at Miriel.
"What was the point of that?" Marth asked.
"Is this lack of comprehension a fault of your eyes or your brain?" Miriel asked her.
"Speak," Marth said in a clearly frustrated, irate tone of voice.
"His armored battle outfit bestows properties of magical resistance in addition to healing. He is equipped to handle battle with primarily magical units. With his quick motion, it is safe to assume his strength in battle would be infiltrating an enemy's backline, assassinate a few of the clerics and mages, and then flick back to our lines for safety," Miriel broke down. Marth thought about it for a second and seemed relatively satisfied with the response. I nodded to Elise.
"Thank you for that," I said.
"Of course, Raven. I am honored to help out," she replied.
"So, Miriel, the outfit amplifies my base resistance. Can you ascertain whether it an addition or a multiplier?" I asked.
"Uncertain without rigorous testing over various states of time. I shall have to conduct multiple experiments of the same nature over regularly scheduled intervals to ensure proper data collection. We will also be working on raising your unbelievably miraculous levels of subpar magical resistance, both in practical application in combat as well as for observation with this experiment. Might I suggest repeating this exercise every hour?" she asked.
"Is this you asking in a scientific way or is this you asking for catharsis from the stresses of life?" I asked.
"Is a psychological solution to an issue of mental frustration not a scientific way?" she countered. I frowned at her.
"Catharsis that was. Once a week, Miriel. Once. A. Week," I said firmly.
"Hmph. Very well, Raven. I shall see you a week from today. Please be prompt. I do dislike waiting. It might affect the frustration level and accidentally poison the control portion of the experiment by making the fireball larger than it should," she said. Was that a threat? I shivered slightly.
"Understood," I replied. Marth gave all of us a weird look, as if unable to comprehend what she had just witnessed.
"Hey, Sophia, careful with… whoa, you're pretty good with a knife," Donnel said. Sophia smiled as she finished slicing the potatoes skillfully.
"This Chosen One does know a few useful domestic skills. When someone who shares a mutual interest makes me their chosen one, I would be ecstatic to use my skills to ensure the success of our romantic ventures," she said.
"She's a weird one, but Chrom's right… she's useful," Marth whispered in my ear. I nodded in agreement as a reply. I saw Gaius give me a look before giving me a wink and a thumbs up.
My response, although equally non-verbal, was nowhere near as positively cheerful, polite, or tasteful. Gaius rolled his eyes with a smile before walking off.
"Okay, now if everyone is done watching the spectacle, let's relax for a bit and have dinner," I said with a smile. The rest of the group nodded. We all assisted Donnel with certain tasks and soon enough, the stew was finished. Afterward, we retreated to our tents to pass out for the night.
I lay in my tent, staring at the ceiling for a bit. This was a monumental quest we were on. Chrom, you entrusted its success to me. I will not fail you.
I closed my eyes and slowly faded into the blissful abyss of slumber.
I saw myself arrive an encampment in the middle of the night with an assortment of stealthily-clad fighters around me. I brushed some of my longer hair out from my face before looking around cautiously. Under the cover of night, we managed to reach the edge of the encampment.
"What supplies shall we burn?" one soldier asked.
"Food and clothing. Steal the weapons while you're at it," I replied. I saw one of the soldiers walk up with a worried expression.
"General, might I ask you to reconsider? Causing them to starve seems a little…"
I looked at the person who raised an objection and shook my head.
"We have a responsibility to our nation. I must order everyone to do so. I admit, I am not fond of this option, but if things drag out, dire things could happen," I said.
The scene slowly faded and was replaced by what seemed to be in the future. I stood amidst a few tents that were on fire, eating something that I had in my hands.
... was this from my past? Or was this the future? Was this the tactics that Marth said the General of Flames used? I… I really set this camp on fire. These people who didn't want to join us in Ylisstol… who thought they could fight the Risen by themselves. I forced their hand.
I watched myself dodge a huge sword that swung at me.
"Somehow I knew you were behind this madness," a swordsman said.
"… it pains me to see us reunite under these circumstances," I replied. I guess I must know the rebel...
I woke up to something poking me. What was that? Was I really that cruel and ruthless in the future? Set a camp of rebels on fire to force them to join us? I had no business telling someone what to do! If they wanted to fight the Risen on their own, they had every right to do so. Were people that discontent with me running things?
Oh, right, something was poking me. I blearily opened my eyes and looked to the side of the poking.
"Oh, Shady, you're awake," Gaius said. I looked around to see it was still relatively dark.
"Gaius? What… what's going on?" I asked.
"I had the night watch tonight. There's a bandit group about a mile away, probably looking for a village to pillage. They don't know we're here, so I would suggest we do our best to pack up as fast and quiet as we can and start our day early," he said.
"Good call. Inform the rest of the camp," I said.
"They already were informed. I assumed that would have been your decision and got that ball rolling already," he replied. I smiled at him.
"Gaius, you're amazing. Thank you," I said before yawning. I'm an early riser, but even this was a short amount of sleep.
"I'll head back out and make sure everyone is on task," he said. I nodded in reply and he departed from the tent. I eventually got out of my sleeping bag, rolled it up, and packed things up in my tent. As I departed to put things in the supply convoy, a nagging feeling was in the back of my head.
Bandits really have grown to be a big issue in this nation. For all that Exalt Emmeryn tried to do with bringing peace to this country, these bandits threaten her very dream. I think I might have to have a word with Chrom when we get back about recruiting for the Shepherds and putting out more patrols to help curb the bandit problem.
We packed up our stuff and headed out as soon as we could. I had Gaius in the supply convoy and told him to get some sleep. Thankfully, none of the bandits found us and we arrived at the port town safely before nightfall, but I thought to myself about what it must have been like for the people who don't have weapons training or a guard?
What about the people who were in situations like the one we encountered in Donnel's village?
These questions were rolling through my mind as we checked into an inn. I spent a little extra gold to get Selena her own room so she could rest undisturbed and focus on not disappearing. The others gave me a curious look when I said she got her own room, but I told them it was because she was coming down with a sickness and didn't want us to catch it.
I looked at the room assignments, wondering if I put everyone in the right rooms. Miriel, Sophia, Elise, and Donnel were in one room. Marth, Gaius, and myself were in another. Originally, Selena was going to be in our room as well, but due to her development, she ended up in her own room. I wanted to keep both time travelers with myself to try to keep them as safe as possible, but a part of me was wondering if I should have kept Donnel in my room as well. Then again, would Marth feel safe sleeping in a room of three guys while the three girls had the other room? I could separate it by gender, since Selena wasn't going to be with us, but somehow that felt demeaning.
I shouldn't have to organize rooms like children, but it honestly was better safe than sorry.
I got to my room and put my stuff in there. I saw Marth and Gaius do the same around the room.
"You know, Shady, I was hoping you'd splurge a little bit and get each of us separate rooms," he said.
"Why is that?" I asked. Gaius coughed slightly.
"Not a topic to discuss with a lady present," he said.
"I could always put the mask back on," Marth replied. I snorted to myself. Did she actually make a joke?
"Marth, did you just… make a joke?" I asked.
"… goodness, Raven, I'm not devoid of humor," she replied.
"Yeah, you put Miriel in the other room, remember?" Gaius commented.
"Hey, I'm sure with all that intelligence, she has the capacity for a joke somewhere," I countered.
"… not everyone is good at everything," he replied. "Now, if you two will excuse me. I have some… red-headed favors to call."
We watched him leave the room and I plopped down on one of the two beds in the room.
"Well, if he's just going to do that and not even bother to show me some places to get food, then he can sleep on the floor," I muttered to myself.
"What does a red-head have to do with food?" Marth asked. I sighed.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're pulling my leg, El," I said. I winced as she punched me in the shoulder.
"Stop calling me that," she said firmly.
"Does it really bother you that much?" I asked.
"Yes! N-no! I mean, but… yes. I think… maybe… just stop calling me that!" she said.
"It almost seems as if… wait… has nobody ever given you a nickname before?" I asked.
"You call me Marth," she replied.
"That's because I don't know what else to call you," I countered.
"That's not… I mean…"
"Relax, Marth. I won't call you 'El' anymore if it really bothers you. Just thought it'd be a nice nickname between friends," I said as I started staring at the ceiling. She mumbled something to herself that I couldn't quite discern.
"Say that again?" I asked.
"I said… it doesn't bother me," she said quietly. "I mean… it does, but it doesn't."
"… I'm honestly not sure which one of us is more confused right now," I replied. "Either way, I'm going to head into town and see if there's a tavern that can serve some late night food. You want to come along?"
"I have no money," she replied. I shrugged my shoulders.
"How did you manage to get by during your time before joining up with us?" I asked with curiosity.
"… I promise I will pay all those farmers back," she merely replied with a guilty look.
"What a curious non-answer. Well, look, stick with me. I'll get us some food and company. Maybe some of the people next door would like to come along," I said. "I'd ask Selena, but I'm pretty sure in the shape she's in… she just needs rest."
"Really, Raven?" she asked in a hopeful tone.
"Marth, again, stop thinking like you have to do everything yourself. You're one of us. Plus, if there's something you know that you can't tell the others, just tell me and I'll relay it to the others as my intuition or something," I said with a smile. "I'll even keep Chrom on a leash so he doesn't try asking you on a date again. He does have his sights on someone, after all. She's just perfect for him, because… because…"
… Cordelia. Because he should've been with her.
"Raven, wait, no, everything's going to be okay," Marth quickly said. I sighed and stared at the ground.
"I know, Marth. I just see it in front of me, though. Fresh in my mind, vivid as the day it happened," I said quietly.
"It's only been a week. Wounds take time to heal," she said. "Come, let us go out and find some people next door and go into town. You need to take your mind off this."
I nodded. We left the room and knocked on the door to the next room over. Elise opened the door and looked at us.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"We are going into town to find food for Raven and myself. Thought it would be nice to extend the invitation to everyone in your room," Marth said.
"The rest of my room already left. I stayed behind, because I didn't feel like being in the middle of… um… it's nothing. I would absolutely love to come along," Elise said.
"Middle of what?" Marth asked.
"Is there an issue between people in that room?" I asked.
"Far from it. In fact, it looks like things are working out quite well between Donnel and Miriel… not that Sophia is noticing a single hint," Elise commented.
"Working out, as in… Donnel's doing well in magic studies?" I asked. Elise sighed to herself.
"Nevermind, Raven. Sometimes I wonder why do I even bother with you," she replied.
"Wait, Elise, what is it?" I asked. She smiled at me slightly.
"I am quite sure you will understand someday," she replied. I frowned at her slightly.
"Today can be someday," I said.
"It could be… but it's not," she said in a teasing tone of voice. Not fair, Elise… not fair.
The three of us walked through the town, talking about what we were going to eat, until we found an open tavern near the outskirts that seemed to not be too busy. The three of us entered and sat at a table. It was a quaint little place with a few patrons gathered at the bar area. One person was sitting by the fire, telling tales to those who cared to sit down and listen.
"So, who's going to order the stuff?" I asked. The two girls gave me pointed looks and even I picked up on that hint.
"Oh, alright," I said with a sigh. I walked to the bar.
"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked.
"Uh, three plates of chicken," I said.
"What're ya drinkin'?" he asked.
"… uh, water? I didn't actually ask them," I said. He laughed heartily at my response.
"Water? Hah! Kid, this is a tavern, not yer mother's kitchen. I got some ale, some mead, some wine… you got the coin and we got the drink," he said after he got himself under control.
"I guess, um, let me ask them," I said. I walked back to the girls.
"What do you want to drink?" I asked.
"A mead," Marth said quickly. I looked at her.
"That was a quick answer," I said.
"I haven't had one in a while," she replied with a shrug.
"Aren't you a little young to have a preference?" I asked.
"I come from a different culture," she merely replied.
"I'll have a glass of wine," Elise said.
"Okay then," I replied. I walked back to the bar.
"So, what are you going to order?" he asked.
"A mead and a glass of wine," I said.
"For you?"
"Hm… an ale," I said. The bartender nodded and took my gold before I returned to the table.
The food soon came out and the three of us ate heartily and drank deeply. That ale was good. The flavor went with the chicken. I felt the room start to get a bit warm, but I figured it was about time the heat from the fire coming over and taking me in its sweet embrace.
I ordered another ale, but found that it, too, disappeared sooner than I wanted. That tastes good!
Tastes so good!
One more. Before I run out of gold.
Me run out of gold… ha ha.
… s'gonna take more than a few drinks to run me out of my gold!
"Raven?" I heard a voice say. I saw Elise looking at me.
"Yesh, Elise?"
"Are you okay?"
"I feel fantashtic!"
"… okay, perhaps we should stop you here," she said.
"No! I already ordered it. S'all paid for! Jus' one more," I insisted.
"… fine," she said.
"Sir Raven, I… must insist you stop."
"Whaz one more gonna hurt? I already feel off. S'already paid for! One more drink! Toast to Cordelia. Best teammate I ever had! Hope she finds life'n the afterlife better than this dunghole of a place. Stinkin' bandits always ruinin' the lives of honest citizens. Damn 'em all to hell. She deserved better'n what she got," I rambled before staring at the ground. I saw Marth sigh.
"Fine. Last one. For Cordelia. Then we go back," she said.
"Yesh, bosslady. Say, anyone say how ya got hair lookin' like Chrom's. But way longer. And prettier. Anyone ever tell ya that yer hair is nice?"
"N-no," she replied.
"Well, it is! Better than Chrom's. 'course he's a guy, so dunno what that says 'bout you, but… 'tween you two, no contesht. Y'got a girl's hair. Which ish funny! 'Cause you're a girl! But we didn't know that at first! Pretty hair and pretty eyes. All blue like blueberries. I like blueberry pie," I rambled.
"One ale?" the bartender said as he walked over.
"Aye!" I said loudly as I raised my hand.
"Last one, Raven. Then we go back to the room," Elise said firmly.
"Grab yer drinks," I said. Elise held her half-empty glass of wine and Marth held her second mead as I held my ale.
"Fer Cordelia. Fer Emmeryn. Fer everyone who fell… n'for hoping our future still stays bright," I said.
"Hear, hear," Elise and Marth said. We clinked our glasses together and I quickly downed the rest of that ale. My vision started blurring further and I felt both Elise and Marth gently lead me from the table. Blurs everywhere and things kept getting blurrier! I saw a dog walking by and held out my hand.
"Doggie!" I exclaimed, feeling fur on my hands as I pet the dog. "Imma name you Matthew! Who's a good boy!"
… and that was the last thing I remembered of that night.
