Three days until we arrived.

Noonday heat set the air ablaze, casting rippling waves of heat over distant scrubland. Wind, weak and dry, sapped motivation from my thoughts and made me wish I was back in Ferox. Or, really, anywhere other than here. We couldn't even march onwards towards our destination; it's practically suicide to travel around noon in this sort of heat. We'd lose horses, water, and probably our ears to Nowi's complaining. So we were stuck here, at a small oasis, until the worst of the heat had passed.

It was so bad that Anna had taken off her usual layer of padded armor, strapping gauntlets and shoulderpads to a much lighter (but still red) outfit. It was so bad that Lucina was napping, during the day no less-

Okay, if you want to know how bad it was, Severa wasn't giving me suspicious glares and Nowi wasn't talking at all.

It reminded me of that one time I went to Texas for a tech convention, but with less "Keep Austin Weird" shirts, actually. Which made sense, because there was neither Texas nor tie-dye shirts in Fire Emblem last I checked.

Huh. Could I invent tie-dye shirts? I totally could, couldn't I. I reached out for the journal I'd picked up recently and scribbled that one down in my ever-growing list of things to do. Chalk, ketchup, tie-dye... well, at least I'd be busy during the two-year 'time skip', right?

Crack!

"Damn it all!"

My head snapped up, colliding painfully with the palm tree I was resting against. "Ah, that's gonna bruise," I muttered, glancing around.

Anna hadn't noticed or was pretending not to notice, nose-deep in a book under a nearby tree. Nobody else seemed to have noticed, so I successfully didn't embarrass myself!

Oh, right, the noise. Groaning, I pulled myself up on stiff legs, looking towards the sound I heard earlier. Shading my eyes against the glare, I looked beyond the shade and saw someone standing behind one of the carts. They were holding... oh, darn it.

"Looks like I was right, Anna," I sighed, rolling my shoulders, "That hinge on the back was about to give out."

She flipped the page with two fingers, managing to turn the motion into a dismissive wave. "I never said it wouldn't, hm?" she said flatly, "I just wasn't worried about it. If you're wondering, carpenters usually charge somewhere around ten copper an hour for repair work."

I turned to go, stopping midstep as her words processed. "Hourly wages? You don't have good enough clocks for that."

Anna paused, lowering her book to look at me. "Better clocks, hm? I'll remember that. We have math, Andrew, and I've hired carpenters before. They work by the day, but they call a 'day' around twelve hours, and that's easy enough to do by sundial or time candle. Or a water clock, but you don't see much of those," she mused, putting a finger to her chin, "Two silver and twenty copper a day."

Right, fifty copper to a silver. Dungeons and Dragons had long trained me otherwise, but turns out real economies don't always follow nice rules. Shaking my head, I decided that was a good time to walk away.

Charging people for stuff like this felt mean, and I didn't even know who I'd send the bill to!

Right. The hinge.

While carts aren't nearly fast enough for stuff to slide out of the back when they get moving, they tend to bounce around a lot. Lighter things, even when properly strapped down under tarps, can get shaken loose and fall off the back. But if you put up a barrier to prevent it, you can't get things or people into the cart as easily.

In short, some carts have taut rope-and-tarp backs, others have sliding panels, and others have hinges on the bottom and bolts at the top so you can just swing it open.

The latter is the coolest, but after helping load the carts this morning, I'd noticed a few fractures in the wood. If someone pulled or pushed too hard on it, or forgot to remove the pins... well, you'd get this poor guy standing behind the cart, scratching his head as he held up a chunk of the cart back. I couldn't imagine how many times someone had to have done that for it to break.

"So," I opened, stepping into the soldier's vision (and, unfortunately, into the hot sunlight), "Need a hand? We can probably replace the hinged back with a tarp one for now."

The soldier looked up at me. He was a Ylissean solider I'd seen around before, with scruffy brown hair and and a soft face that made him look younger than he probably was. "I was thinking the same myself, Mister... Andrew?" He paused, continuing only when I nodded in confirmation, "The Captain might be upset about this if it isn't fixed, though. We all knew it was goin' to break sooner or later."

I felt a pang in my chest, subtle as it was- I really should have mentioned it to the soldiers, rather than just in passing to Anna. If they hadn't known, someone could've gotten in big trouble. "I figured," I agreed, turning towards the cart and fanning my face to try and cool off a bit. "I don't know where the, uh, tarp thingy is, so how about I stay here and take what's left of this one off?"

He grunted, glancing around. "Sounds good to me. I don't see any tools, so how are you going to get it off?"

A good question, and one I only figured out the answer to once it was asked. Pulling out the bolts on the back, I guided what remained of the back panel down and let it swing free. The metal hinges (rougher than the ones back home, unsurprisingly) were on the inside of the cart and held in with nails, which bothered me to no end.

Screws were much better for holding things together under strain, but screws were also harder to make in small sizes. Thinking about it, it was probably more difficult than just making a mold and... shaking my head, I refocused. It being nails was actually a boon here. "I'll use one of the bolts," I started, hefting a bolt and using it to point at something in the cart, "And that conveniently placed mallet to push the hinges up and off the wood of the cart. Thank you for the hammer, Anna!" I smiled, looking over my shoulder and raising my voice so Anna could hear me.

Anna dropped her book to her lap, sighing irritably and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Why would you assume that's mine, Andrew? I've not been over there in an hour and I already told you I don't care."

Feeling a bit brave, I waggled a finger at her. "I don't hear a denial in there," I said cheerfully, "So, thank you."

"I don't know why I put up with you," Anna grumbled loudly, flipping her book open again.

"Well," the soldier said politely, "I'll go get the rope and tarp. D'you think you can save the nails from the hinges? Those things aren't cheap, I'm told."

I blinked, turning back towards the soldier with a smile. Huh, nails would be pricey before mass production, wouldn't they? "Sounds good to me. It's always good when I can reuse old... stuff... Hmm."

"I don't like that expression," Anna called out, "It means you have one of those ideas."

I did. "I don't like your tone, young lady," I fired back, accepting the chunk of wood from the soldier and grabbing the hammer with my other hand. "Don't worry, I'm not going to get stabbed or find any dragons this time."

"Or get kidnapped," Anna replied testily, "Or play hero. Because that leads to you getting stabbed or finding a dragon." Despite her tone, she smirked, putting a finger on her chin.

That simultaneously hurt and made me feel, well, strangely warm. As opposed to the sunlight, which was going to give me a sunburn if I didn't hurry it up. "Don't worry. It's another board game. Nothing like Monopoly- if anything, it's more like... tic-tac-toe, if you know what that is. It's called Hex."

I couldn't quite catch the details of her expression from here, but she seemed bemused. "Fix the cart and then we'll talk."

[][][][][][][][]

Two days until we arrived, maybe a bit closer to one. Time marched forward at a brisk pace, dancing along my nerves and worrying away at the fringes of my thoughts.

It was for that reason that I sat alone between silvery night and the amber glow of fire, chiselling away at a scrap of wood. Making the markings- a rhombus-shaped collection of hexagons- wasn't terribly hard, once I managed to get a parchment one to trace. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it didn't have to be.

I was going to make the boardgame called Hex, darn it, and I was going to beat Nowi at it. Maybe. Hopefully.

The crackling of the campfire and the distant chittering of bugs was starting to get to me. Stifling a yawn, I pulled my hands away from the board- it wouldn't do to injure myself with a chisel. I nearly missed the soft crunch of sandy soil, masked as it was by my own yawn. Who would it be? Lucina, here to reveal some truth that caused an existential crisis? Severa, reminding me that she didn't trust me? Or maybe Olivia, or a random soldier... no, it couldn't be Olivia. I could see the top of her head from here, and the footsteps were behind me.

"New game, hm?" Anna said, sidling around me and taking a seat at a right angle to me.

I held back a snort, drawing upon the sudden pang in my chest. "Reminds me of something my parents used to say," I said idly, rubbing the back of my head, "Yeah, it's the game I mentioned earlier. Hex. First year or so I wasn't great at it, but that's probably all the edge I need to actually beat Nowi at a game, huh?"

Leaning over, Anna hovered a hand over the board, inspecting it. "That's a lot of work for something that's probably cosmetic, but I'm not complaining. Hex, huh... not as interesting a name as Monopoly, but hopefully it'll be just as interesting to play, right?" She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Something in me twanged, and before I could think words had forced themselves out. "You mean as profitable, right? Because it won't be, Hex is largely forgotten where I come from despite being younger than Monopoly."

A shadow passed over her face. "I was going to give you a cut of the profit," she said eventually, shifting away. "It just didn't seem important to mention. You've got a lot on your mind."

Rather than say something I might regret, I returned to my work. I appreciated her respecting my focus, but still...

The chisel slipped, slicing through the edge of my thumb. Pain lanced its way up my arm, coming out of my mouth as a hiss. I yanked my hand back before blood could spill over the board, grimacing. "I guess I do have a lot on my mind," I bit out, sucking on my thumb.

No response. I wasn't really expecting one, anyways. All I heard was the crunching of soil as someone- Anna- walked away.

I didn't blame her. It was just her way to try and turn a profit, and even when she abandoned me it never felt like she was using me- if that made a lick of sense. Not like I had much else to do at the moment other than think. I couldn't even return to my work just yet, not with a bleeding thumb.

I looked up at the stars, tracing familiar lines in a sky that held no familiar shapes. I could pretend that was Orion, and that over there was Cassiopiea, but some day I'd learn what this world had as constellations. Until then, I could watch the stars twinkle away, flickering prisms of light and false nostalgia.

Crunch crunch.

Boots on soil, gliding towards me with a cadence I now recognized. "You're back," I said quietly, inspecting my thumb. Still bleeding, still stinging, but not nearly as much of either.

Anna slipped past me, holding a strip of cloth in one hand and a vulnerary in the other. "Of course I am," she rolled her eyes, smirking slyly, "Stick out your hand. Hex might be more popular than you think, hm? But I'll need to see it for myself, first. Tell me about it."

I did as instructed, doing my best not to look Anna in the eye as she bent down. "Um, thanks, Anna."

"Don't mention it," she muttered, uncapping the Vulnerary with a pop, "It'd ruin my reputation. Remember, I don't do charity. This should only take a few drops of the stuff, so..."

"Of course," I agreed, feeling a bit warmer.

"Andrew," Anna said eventually, "The game?"

Blushing, I nodded. "Right. It's sort of like tic-tac-toe, in a weird way. Do you know what that game is?"

"I had a childhood, yes. Some people call it crosses and circles, but that sounds sillier in my opinion," Anna shrugged, gesturing towards the pile of wooden tiles, "But you wouldn't need this many counters for tic-tac-toe."

We talked long into the night, about things that were neither here nor there.

[][][][][][][][]

One day until we arrived. One day until we would bear witness to the end of a war.

I slumped down in the back of the cart, covering my face with my hands. I took a deep breath, feeling warm, dry air slip between my palms and into my lungs. This journey had been more taxing than I imagined possible- well, without fighting, that is. Think, Andrew. Breathe, concentrate.

"I..." Anna began, tapping a finger to her chin, sitting cross-legged next to me, "I think I see a move, Andrew."

The source of my pain and misfortune gave me a toothy grin, her pinkish-purple eyes glittering with impish mischief. It was a trait all the Manaketes shared- well, except Naga, which would make it only two Manaketes.

"Andrew?" Someone prodded me in the shoulder.

Point is, Manaketes have it out for me, in their own way. As friends. Except Naga, who was more like a nice old lady that lives down the street. Her visits were infrequent without me weirding her out, so I resolved to never tell her that.

Nowi twirled a lock of yellow-green hair, fidgeting with her pink sundress. "I see a buncha moves! But you're not doing any of them. C'moooon, Andrew, do something!"

"On the left side, upper corner," Anna whispered in my ear, "I think she's making a decoy path."

Flinching, I did my best not to rocket into the air. Putting a hand to my chest, I gave Anna a mock glare. She responded with a lopsided smirk, shuffling away to give me some space. Looking back towards Nowi, I huffed, "Strategy takes time, Nowi. And unlike you, I haven't been around for a thousand years to get scheming skills."

Sticking out her tongue, Nowi prodded the board. "But I'm getting bored," she pouted, "I wanna win before we get there."

"We still have a day or so, Nowi. I'm not that slow," I admonished her, looking carefully at the board, "Anna, I know what you're thinking, and don't say it."

Anna was right, that was a decoy. I'd wasted four moves on that! Exchanging glances with Anna- a raise of an eyebrow traded for her rolling her eyes- I gently put down my red token. This move had taken several minutes, and I'd taught Nowi the rules to Hex maybe four hours ago. I'd have taught her earlier, but after staying up all night to get the board and counters cut, I ended up sleeping through the morning.

Nowi instantly put her own piece down. I groaned, dropping my head.

I'd been playing Hex for years, competing against professors and fellow students ever since a friend of mine introduced me to the game. The 'board' is an 11 by 11 arrangement of hexagons in the shape of a rhombus, and players take turn placing pieces down onto it.

The first player to link opposing sides of the boards with an unbroken chain of counters wins. Theoretically, you can expand this to three players for a full hexagon, but nobody else had shown interest in playing. It didn't help that it was difficult to explain, let alone describe in words for a little pamphlet.

Except for Anna. She preferred backseating me to actually playing, for some reason. Might be that I absolutely destroyed her in our first game, and she wanted to make me feel bad.

Anyways, point is: I demolished Nowi in our first game and won handily in the second. Game three, on the other hand, had been going for about an hour now. If this kept up, game five would be like playing against one of those Chess AIs back home, but infinitely worse because Nowi is smug.

"Today, Andrew," Anna hummed musically. "Come on."

Frowning, I blocked Anna's commentary out entirely. I needed to focus here and getting upset wouldn't help anyone. Patience and careful play were needed if I wanted to win this.

I knew something Nowi didn't. Several somethings, actually. Glancing off to the side- bad idea, I could see Severa and Lucina in the cart behind us- I put down my counter move. "Hold your applause," I said drily.

"I'm holding it," Anna assured me, leaning back, "Let's see where this goes, huh?"

Nowi narrowed her eyes, a fang hanging over her lip as she grinned. "Oooh, now this is fun," she nodded, toying with one of her pieces, "Is this a distraction, or are you... umm, huh," she paused, scratching her head and furrowing her brow.

Suppressing a grin, I crossed my arms and leaned back-

Anna hissed. "Hey, that's my arm you're going to crush, there."

"Oops, sorry, sorry," I said, popping back up moments after the back of my head hit her arm.

Glancing towards the front of the cart, Nowi nodded to herself. "I think..." she began, inspecting the board with ominous glee, "You're pretty close to winning, huh?"

Wait, what? She's admitting that? I blinked. "Pardon?"

"But," Nowi continued, grinning toothily, "You forgot something!" she trailed off musically, placing down another counter.

Anna cursed in several languages, including something that sounded vaguely like French. Filing that tidbit away for later- and resolving to de-rust my French skills from High School- I did my swearing internally. Nowi'd been playing the long con! She had been faking less skill than she'd somehow learned in the last four hours, and now we were paying for our pride in spades.

"With melting wax and loosened strings," I muttered dramatically, earning a confused expression from Nowi and Anna, "I underestimated you, Nowi. Well played!"

Leaning back, I smiled and stuck out a hand. "And Anna, if you think you could do better, you're free to play as well."

Anna only grumbled in response, putting a finger to her chin.

Nowi shook my hand with a smug glee, eyes sparkling. "That was fun, Andrew! Playing with someone else sounds fun too, though."

Releasing our handshake, we started taking pieces off the board. Maybe I should play a more aggressive opening next round?

"Alright," Anna declared, cracking her knuckles, "Let's give it a go, Nowi. Andrew, scooch over."

I couldn't help but smile.

[][][][][][][][]

Our arrival was not so serene, but I suppose that was to be expected. I told Anna as much, and she flicked me on the nose.

"Not so serene," Anna shouted, fighting to be heard over the din and chamour of battle. "Of course it's not serene. If we wanted that we would have to arrive during the middle of the siege, or maybe even an hour ago. But no," she paused, taking a breath and dodging around a soldier, "You said those kids should get a little extra sleep. And now they're going to freak out because they can't find their- well, you know."

I crossed my arms, huffing as dramatically as possible. "Hey, Olivia and the captain agreed with me. Ah!" I had to stop talking and cover my ears as a wyvern roared uncomfortably close to the camp. The subsequent crack as ten or so Wind spells took it down were just a bit worse.

Olivia nodded, saying something I couldn't understand over the noise.

"What?" I said loudly, "I can't hear you!"

She said it again, blushing and looking away. Something about Nowi running off?

"Say it when we make it to the war tent!" Anna decided, pointing ahead to a large, canvas tent. "It'll at least be a bit quieter in there, I think."

[][][][][][][][]

It was a bit quieter in the tent. We passed by Cordelia, who was on her way out, and she was giving Anna a rather unpleasant glare. Anna didn't seem to care much, so there was that.

But that was all a diversion from the important scene occurring here: Olivia was introducing herself to Chrom and Robin, doing her best to hide inside her own outfit. It was a bit different from in the game- rather than outdoors, in some random corner of the map, it was across a table with that map on it.

In some alternate world, this was the conversation that somehow led to Lucina being Olivia's kid. I mean, sure, Olivia is shy, but she's probably one of the more attractive women I've seen in this world. Slim but toned, long and well-kept hair, and an inexplicable sparkle to her presence that turned into a blaze when she started to dance or fight.

For an impish moment, I thought about telling Lucina about this alternate possibility. I then felt awful about it, and dismissed the idea entirely.

I stepped forwards as Olivia stepped aside. Giving Robin and Chrom a shallow bow, I put a hand to my sword and did my best to look Chrom in the eyes. It was hard to maintain, contesting his fiery and passionate will against... well, me trying to be polite. "I hope you don't mind that I came along as well," I said, glancing between the pair, "I'm not much better with a sword than I was two weeks ago, but I can handle a lot more magic without tiring myself now. Anna... well, she's here because it's en route to her destination. Right?"

"Well, if you trust her," Chrom said, furrowing his brow and stroking his chin, "That's all I really need to know. Robin," he paused, glancing to his side, "You said we needed reinforcements for the ranged battalions, right?"

Robin ran a hand through her hair, eyes flickering across a map in front of her. "We're minutes away from deploying ourselves for the final push, Chrom. We need reinforcements everywhere."

A pause.

Sighing, Robin wrung her hands and looked at me. "Find the mages and see what Miriel needs. Just... stay out of the fighting. Phila would have my head if she found out a civilian was fighting on my orders, a-and I can't say I disagree."

I couldn't disagree either. This was, the longer I thought about it, a terrible idea. And yet, it was the right one, in some indescribable sense of the word. Anna put a hand on her hip, leaning over to whisper: "I'll stick around. Tiki will have my head if you die."

Yeah, she probably would.

"U-um, sorry, but," Olivia squeaked, blushing as everyone turned to look at her, "What should I do? I-I'm not the best fighter, and dancing isn't helpful on the battlefield, but..." she stopped, looking away.

Anna snorted, crossing her arms. "She's a fine fighter, trust me- or don't. I-"

I felt a buzz in the back of my head. At the same time, Anna brought a hand to her forehead and Robin hissed, holding her head in both hands.

"Robin!" Chrom moved swiftly to Robin's side, worry shining clear through his expression. "Are you alright?"

"Dark magic," Anna spat, teeth gritted. "Not the elegant kind, either."

It was safe to say I had a bad feeling about this.

[][][][][][][][]

The moment passed, though, with no indication of anything going... well, terribly. No soul-rending screams to mark the presence of a Deadlord, which was my primary fear, but it left me with a pervasive dread. It sank like a cold stone in my gut, weighing each and every action with a subtle pulse of worry.

But we couldn't let that stop us.

No. The Shepherds couldn't let that stop them. Anna and I were just going to walk towards the source of the fireballs, thunderbolts, and greenish arcs of wind- so I could support from afar, and Anna could stay out of the action.

Wherever they were, I hoped Severa and Lucina were safe. I worried briefly for Tiki's safety, but I was beyond confident that she could handle herself.

It didn't take long for us to find Miriel. She was nursing a headache, issuing curt orders to a group of thirty or so mages. A smaller group of mages sat behind them, resting and drinking water.

"High arcing shots, Fire only, forward right," Miriel droned, pointing off towards the fort in the distance. "Archer holdout. Backline, prepare to counter with broad-sweep Wind."

I hadn't gotten a good look at our enemy before now- or the battlefield. What I saw made my guts churn, still knotted by the weighty dread in my stomach. Dead soldiers and shredded corpses littered the battlefield, peppered with arrows and often smouldering. The Wyverns were most recognizable, often resting in shallow dents caused by their falls.

My heart clenched. There were pegasi too. Too many pegasi, dead on the blood-soaked battlefield between us and Gangrel.

Anna elbowed me. "You too, huh?" she said carefully, stepping into Miriel's field of view, "That was a nasty pulse of Dark magic earlier. Any ideas?"

"None," Miriel said abruptly, her hat wobbling comically as she turned to face me, "Andrew. I trust my guidance was of some assistance?"

"Um-"

"Inferring from your presence, it was. We will discuss your advancement once the battle has been concluded. At this moment, you may serve to help deflect arrows." Miriel continued, brushing my comments off as she pushed her glasses back up.

I rubbed my head, glancing back at the mages and the battlefield. Distantly, I could see a pointed formation of rather colorfully armored soldiers pushing through the ranks, scything through the battlefield with ease. The Shepherds, no doubt. Something twisted in my gut again, knotting itself painfully.

Anna elbowed me again, pointing towards a collection of black specks rapidly approaching us.

That'd be arrows. I pulled out my Wind Tome and got to work, fingers tingling.

[][][][][][][][]

The tingle of magic had long turned into an ache, one that echoed sympathetically with my knees and feet. Every so often, the mages would push forwards, moving as the front line crept closer to Gangrel's fortress.

Our shadows grew longer as the battle stretched into the afternoon. My heart grew weary, stretched with every injured soldier the healers carried past us. It was a numbing sort of ache, a creeping horror that dulled the mind.

I would hate it with every fiber of my being, had I the strength to spare.

But the worst was nearly over. This had to be the worst, watching people die as the Shepherds fought for every inch of ground.

Anna stood beside me, wiping one of her knives with a bloodstained rag. I didn't ask, and she didn't seem like she wanted to answer.

The plan was simple, though. Once Robin gave the signal, the mages would fire upon the gate to Gangrel's fortress. With any luck, that'd blow it open. And then...

And then the war would be over.

There! A puff of fire, launched straight into the sky. I breathed a sigh of relief, switching from my fraying Wind Tome to a Fire Tome Miriel had handed me at some point. Now, it was as simple as closing my eyes to call upon what remained of my flagging Mana reserves. Heat flowed through my hand, swirling and buzzing as I went through the motions.

"Fire!"

How accurate, I mused wryly. I lobbed my fireball in time with the rest of the mages, watching with satisfaction as they arced through the air.

The sound they made when they hit the gates was as awe-inspiring as it was deafening; a crack as the wood shattered, a groan as the very stone around the gate gave way. A plume of dust blasted its way into the sky, tossing shards of wood and stone like so much murderous confetti.

"We're almost there," I whispered to myself, even as something buzzed in the back of my head.

A scream tore the air, drenching me in frigid dread as shivers crept down my spine.

Something moved in the dust, pulling itself up like a puppet on taut strings.

Thud.

That thing grew larger, moving towards us as the dust slowly settled.

"Shepherds!" Chrom roared, his voice lancing through fear like wind through fog, "Hold fast! Today, King Gangrel will pay for his crimes against not only Ylisse, but Plegia. We will not be stopped!"

Thud.

The dust was clearing now. I could make out a pair of crimson eyes, oozing like blood- and a massive axe, hefted over one shoulder.

Thud.

A single, armored boot erupted from the dust cloud, slamming against the soil like a hammer blow.

Thud.

Before us stood someone- no, something- clad in bluish steel and brown leather, tattered cape drifting in the wind. Its face was hidden behind a silvery six-eyed mask.

"I am Sialc," it declared stonily, its voice like a distant avalanche, "And so long as I have the strength to swing my axe, so long as King Gangrel draws breath, none shall pass."

[][][][][][][][]

Author's Note:

This is... two days late. I'm super sorry about that. Things have been a bit rough on my end, but I think I've worked out a schedule! If things go well, expect chapter 34 this Sunday. If things don't go well- expect it next Sunday.

As always, let me know what you think! Drop a review, PM me, whatever suits your fancy.

Cheers,

Narwhal Lord