All the World's a Sale

by Narwhal Lord

All the world's a sale, And all the men and women merely opportunities. An actor (Self-Insert) wakes up in Valm after a nasty incident in a play, and finds himself on the road with Anna. They become fast friends as the adventure unfolds, but the road to the end of Awakening won't be so easy... Adventure/Humor story containing darker themes.

34. By Any Other Name

Drych's voice- a tarlike, oozing memory that would never go away- crept its way into my thoughts. With Sialc's every step, the cold iron grip of panic tightened its hold on my heart. His wheezing breaths sliced through my will, calling to action the almost-forgotten aches of my body.

I planted the Duke into the ground, leaning into it as my legs turned to jelly.

Someone nearby was breathing raggedly, and it took far too long to realize that it was me.

It took time I didn't have to spare. I saw Risen at the fringes of my darkening vision, lurching closer even as soldiers moved to engage. Chrom shouted something, his voice muffled by the roar of my heartbeat. Breathe, Andrew.

Not here. Not now.

A stinging pain on my cheek cast my thoughts to the wind, shattering like spiderwebbed glass. My hand jerked upwards, covering my cheek as the world opened itself to me. The first thing I saw was two red eyes, gleaming faintly in the afternoon sun.

"Stay with us, Andrew," Anna said, her voice strangely soft. She looked away, pursing her lips. "I've... No. We can't have you dying because your head isn't in the game, hm?" As she spoke, her voice returned to its normal, 'merchanty', cadence. She smiled brightly at me, grasping me by the shoulder and pushing me out of my hunch.

"Ach," I hissed, blinking as my thoughts coalesced around the battle, "Did you really need to-"

Anna shrugged, waving my words aside as she stepped away. Resting a hand on her hip, she looked me up and down. "We'll talk later. Stay safe, alright? Things are heating up here, so I'm making my exit."

I worked my jaw, failing to make eye contact with her- instead, I turned towards the standoff between the Shepherds and Sialc. To the soldiers and the Risen, and to the rippling chorus of shouted orders that pinpointed Robin's position. My hands shook, clenching and unclenching; I wanted to be anywhere else, as usual. A useless coward, when push came to shove.

"I... I understand," I forced out, switching my Fire Tome for a Wind Tome, "See you after the battle."

A flicker of red in the corner of my eye was all I got before she slipped away.

The lurking terror, pushed to the back of my mind, made its presence known once again. My will quailed against it, like a cracked dam in a rainstorm.

But that was enough. For now.

"Risen approach on the right flank," Miriel barked, "Focus on the center of the group to avoid hitting our allies. Wind Tomes, prepare to deflect incoming volleys."

Distantly, through the dust and rubble, I heard Gangrel laugh.

I took a long, deep breath, flipping open my Wind Tome as my eyes opened once again. Tugging on my flagging reserves, I let the battle wash over me.

()()Tiki()()

This Deadlord did not smell of ash and age like the other one- nay, this one was newborn. Strong prey rather than aged and wise predator; much like my youth, much like a young dragon, I mused wryly. And like a dragon, he would have weaknesses he did not yet understand.

The moment this Deadlord- Sialc- stepped through the veil of death, I was gliding to Robin's side with the knowledge she needed. With the magic I had left to me that day, I would need help and guidance to do what was needed.

It would be ever so satisfying to bury an axe in his skull.

"And how much time are you hoping for, might I ask?" I queried, inspecting my axe for fractures and blunt edges. I let my eyes wander to the soldiers behind her, smiling thinly as they looked away from me. There was no shame in their curiosity; my kind were rare and strange. And Humans are a curious bunch.

Robin looked off into her thoughts, eyes unfocused as she ran an inky hand through her hair. "Not more than a few minutes," she began, turning and raising her voice, "Chrom, Kellam, Sully- you're on for this! I need you three over here. Two. Chrom is right here." Robin flushed, looking down at the ground as Prince Chrom smiled with equal awkwardness.

Chrom, who was now standing behind Robin, nodded curtly and looked at me. His gaze hardened, shifting from a leader's to that of a fighter. "I'm ready, Robin. You're sure you're ready, Lady Tiki? You've been fighting with us for hours today, and-"

I raised an eyebrow at him, planting my axe on the ground and resting my hands on the pommel. Yet another reason humans were such fascinating creatures- they worried endlessly. "I did not sleep through half of this siege for nothing, Prince Chrom. I can afford a few more minutes."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Forgive me. I'm just worried you'll get hurt."

Once again: humans and their worry. It mattered not that I was three thousand years old, with scales tougher than steel and the strength to break boulders- they would worry about those around them.

Not that I would tell them my age, not on my life! A lady is allowed some secrets.

"Do none dare approach me?" The Deadlord hissed, drawing my attention away from the approaching Shepherds. "There is no honor in hiding behind your soldiers, Prince of Ylisse. Or perhaps one of the dragons I sense will step forward?"

Sialc raised his hand, flooding the air with the putrid stench of twisted magic- Dark, but warped by the horrific offerings made in exchange for power.

"I can wait no longer," I told Robin, hefting my axe and taking a step forward, "We cannot allow him to summon more Risen."

Robin grimaced. "Be careful, and focus on defending yourself. Remember the plan."

Chrom drew Falchion, falling in line with me as I slid through the ranks of soldiers. "I'm with you, Tiki. Kellam, Sully- you know what to do."

A spark of thrill ran down my spine. This was what I missed, sleeping in the Mila Tree; the joy of standing shoulder to shoulder with heroes, the warmth of countless friendships, and the almost shameful excitement of bloodshed.

"Both?" Sialc rumbled, lowering his hand and placing it onto his axe, "Now this is a fight! I will allow you to make the first strike, Prince Chrom."

"No, you idiot!" someone snarled from on high, "Kill them now! I want their heads served to me on the Fire Emblem, and nothing less."

Chrom's head snapped up, his expression twisting for a heartbeat. "Gangrel," he said, "You'll pay for what you've done."

The Mad King was aptly named. That craven shell of a man was hunched over an odd balcony, sunken eyes gleaming over a too-wide smile. "Oh, I plan to reap the benefits, little prince! I will make Ylisse suffer for their crusades, and I will enjoy it."

He lurched to the side, rolling his eyes as an arrow clanged against the stone wall behind him. "Tch. Rude. Sialc, they've attacked me. Kill them."

"It is as you wish," the Deadlord sighed, switching to a two-handed grip on his axe. "I can no longer allow you the first strike, Prince Chrom. The Duel has begun."

It took him three human heartbeats to close the distance between us, batting aside Risen and Plegian corpses with ease. It took me two heartbeats to step into Sialc's path, bringing up my own axe and blocking a heavy blow with the axehead. My arms trembled under the impact, steel groaning and sparking as it fought to hold together.

The moment ended, and Chrom took a half step back. "What-"

"Honor," I hissed, the heat of battle tugging on my inner flame, "That is a cheap blow, Deadlord, and you know it."

Sialc laughed hoarsely, taking a half-step back. "I had to try, Dragon. And now, let us do battle!"

Kellam broke our contest, bashing Sialc in the side with a shield. Chrom hooked around the side, Falchion held parallel to the ground as he made to slice the Deadlord. Battle was met, and I could not help but grin.

Grunting, the Deadlord lurched backwards, twisting with the impact of Kellam's shield. Batting the Falchion aside, his axe traced a slanted path upwards from the ground. Reversing his grip, he swung parallel to the ground, forcing Kellam to bring his shield up. With such a line of motion, his axe would connect with Chrom before I could move to block.

Moving swiftly in a quarter-circle, Chrom positioned himself directly in front of the Deadlord as I stepped backwards. Without breaking step, he hammered the Falchion down on Sialc's armor, casting sparks of shredded steel to the bloodstained soil.

Following the same path as Chrom, I moved to Sialc's side, using the hook of my axe to catch his own before he could swing it. That, in turn, granted Kellam the opportunity to strike at Sialc's arm.

"No, no, no, not like that," Gangrel raved from above, waving around a corroded Levin Sword, "That looks like you're losing, Deadlord! Maybe those ten men I sacrificed would've done a better job, hm?"

Sialc grunted, pulling our locked axes down. Given the choice of considerable injury or taking a half-step back, I chose the latter. My goal was not to win here, despite appearances. I quite liked the idea of winning this fight; nearly losing to Drych had left a foul taste in my mouth, as the humans might put it.

"I," he began, growling like a lion.

"Do not," Bearing the brunt of another hit from the Falchion, Sialc grabbed Kellam's lance and twisted, caving the steel cone and shattering it.

"Lose." He dropped his axe completely, raising his right hand and hammering it back down in a glancing blow at Chrom's pauldron.

The Prince bit back a cry of pain, gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on the Falchion. I could not spare much focus to determine the nature of his injury. I would content myself knowing his arm was still attached. We exchanged glances- these were not the conditions for a 'controlled retreat' as Robin desired, but such is the nature of war.

But it was an opportunity he had to take, or risk rousing suspicion. Protected by Kellam's shield, Chrom moved to leave, slipping through the ranks to receive healing before continuing the plan. My place in the plan was here, holding Sialc a few moments longer.

I allowed myself a fanged grin, twirling my axe and burying it into Sialc's arm. He tore himself away, leaving a plate of armor behind.

"Now that- That's much better!" Gangrel sang, deftly leaning out of the way of another arrow, "Now kill that yellow-bellied Prince before he gets away."

"It is as you wish. Cowards shall be punished," the Deadlord ground out, inspecting his injured arm. Black sludge oozed from the wide cut, filling the air with the putrid stench of twisted magic. Flicking his arm to the side, he scattered that sludge across the ground, hefting his axe in his other hand and swinging it.

I had no time to concern myself with the Risen that emerged from his blood- I could afford no distractions. My strength was dwindling rapidly, crumbling under the siren call of slumber.

"Tiki, now!" Robin called across the battlefield. I allowed myself a brief sigh of relief, even as I prepared for the strain of my next act.

Batting aside Sialc's latest strike with a wince, I called upon scraps of my true self- the flame and scales of a Dragon. White fire erupted across my axe, casting showers of greenish embers to the wind. My senses sharpened, honed to a fine and predatory point.

In the span of a heartbeat, I closed in on my prey, dragging my axe through the ground. The Deadlord brought one hand up, driving a fist into my stomach-

But it was not enough. My axe ripped its way free of the soil, carrying with it hunks of molten earth and divine fire. A ripple of light and sound blasted us apart a moment later- a scream of wind and furious flame that carried the Deadlord into a wall.

Not a moment later, I tumbled roughly to the ground, breath knocked from my lungs and blood sinking into the soil. My hands curled into the earth, clenching as I fought the stinging pain.

Sleeping sounded... quite pleasant...

"Get up, you fool! The Shepherds are getting past you!" Gangrel screeched, calling me back from the brink. The irony of it was not beyond me.

Forcing myself off the ground, I bore witness to Chrom, Robin, and many of the Shepherds barrelling past us. Past Sialc, and into the fort proper.

I gained a great respect for Robin's boldness that day: it reminded me distantly of Mar-Mar's techniques.

That was all the time I was afforded. Accepting a Vulnerary from Chrom's future daughter- Lucina, I recalled- I drank the contents and hefted my axe. "I did not foresee fighting by your side this day, Marth, nor did I see you arrive," I hummed, licking the blood from my lips, "But your assistance is most welcome."

"Tch," a redheaded youth grimaced, rolling her neck, "Gawds, why wouldn't we be here, Lady Tiki?"

In the distance, I heard the scream of a familiar woman in pain. Anna had come, and for her cold heart there was only one reason she would be here. I found myself unconcerned with her health, to no great surprise.

"Why indeed," I murmured, watching as Sialc pulled himself from the wall- more irritated than injured.

[][Andrew][]

There is no world in which I entered this world- of spells and swords, of monsters and dragons- ready to take on everything it threw at me. Maybe it would've been better if it was Dungeons and Dragons, but surprisingly I hadn't seen a dungeon yet. Ideally speaking, if I did see one, it'd be from the outside, and the dragon would be Tiki or maybe Nowi.

Thoughts like that helped me distract the murky part of my brain, the part that alternated between digging up odd trivia and traumatic experiences.

Where was I? No world where I was ready to fight, of course.

See, I still wasn't ready after two weeks of training (no matter how skilled Olivia is, or how patient I was with tomes). But that's why the Shepherds have soldiers to back them up, and for once I felt like I was not under immediate threat of death while fighting.

You know, because of the soldiers. Who I was fighting with.

Since my mana reserves were essentially empty, (I had maybe one Fire spell left in me) and the mages had moved into the center of the formation, I'd trailed towards the back. What Risen found their way through the gaps- or were summoned behind us to begin with- threw themselves mindlessly at the shield wall, letting themselves get skewered by pikes and swords.

And I was near the back of that formation, working with a handful of soldiers to clean up the scraps left behind.

I sidled to the side of a Risen's sluggish and brutish blow, leaning forward into a jab that punctured straight through the monster's armor. Pulling it and myself back with a shk of steel on rotten flesh, I wrinkled my nose and fought the urge to throw up. Again. One of the soldiers stepped into my place, bearing the brunt of a sloppy sword-slice with his shield. Grunting as it clanged, pushing him a step back, another soldier skewered the Risen through the side, and-

As with every other Risen, this one crumbled into greyish, muddy ash that clung to our boots. Another readily took his place, but we were ready. Once this was over, I resolved to get these guys' names. They weren't much for talking, but they'd probably saved my life a few times so far.

Now wasn't a great time to talk, either. Over the roar of battle and the discordant groaning of Risen, I was barely sure my internal monologue was actually internal.

"'s outside, if that's what ye mean," one of the soldiers told me helpfully, "Jus' that last bit, though."

Ah. Fighting back a flush- easy, when the adrenaline is high- I rubbed the back of my head. "My bad," I apologized, stepping in line with the soldiers and taking a jab at another Risen. "I'll just-"

I snapped my mouth shut as Robin shouted something I didn't quite catch, and kept it that way as the jangle of marching metal intensified. Before I could even ask if the others had caught it, I had to shade my eyes against a pillar of white light and molten rock that blew high into the sky.

"Get up, you fool! The Shepherds are getting past you!"

Oh, so that's what was happening. It wasn't a very complicated puzzle to put together: Tiki had done something 'dragony' to the Deadlord, and now the Shepherds were pushing in towards the keep. But why would they...

My thoughts cast themselves back to Sialc's self-introduction, and I quite abruptly realized that my simple puzzle was actually a puzzle piece to a larger puzzle. Sialc had said something about fighting until he couldn't lift his axe and so long as Gangrel was alive. Logically speaking, that'd mean killing Sialc was still required, but...

"Ohhh," I nodded, resisting the urge to cross my arms, "And if Gangrel is killed, it'll be easier to make the Deadlord give up, I guess? Wait, no." It was one of those things that made me want to sit down and think, but out here in battle? I couldn't afford that. My point was proven when a Risen took a swipe at me, just barely grazing my elbow as I moved in to strike.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled my wandering thoughts back in and focused. Maybe I didn't quite get Robin's plan. But that's what tacticians were for, right? Working out clever stuff for the rest of us. I'd just have to trust that-

That was when I heard the scream.

I knew that voice- I'd heard that scream, that gasp. My mind flashed backwards, pulling from the depths a faint memory of my first fight. Of watching a bandit crumple, only to lash out and pull Anna down when she least expected it. Of letting someone get hurt because I wasn't good enough.

Turning my head to look was a battle in itself: fear crashed against the ever-crumbling bastion that was my willpower, begging me to just look away, don't bother, she wouldn't help you, after all. My breath came in ragged gasps, drawing in hot, bloodied air that singed my lungs- gods, I need air, please!

Anna was in trouble. The padded armor on her right arm was split from shoulder to elbow, staining the red fabric an even deeper hue. Her teeth flashed a feral, desperate grin as she pulled herself from the ground, a dagger in each hand. Two Risen closed in on her, groaning and lurching with clear intent.

"Come on then," she hissed, voice barely audible over the clamour of battle, "I've got a deadline to meet. Let's see what you're made of!"

Without thinking, I took a step towards her, and-

Stopped. She'd be... she'd be fine, right? She'd find a way to escape, or someone stronger would help her, because I wouldn't be able to do much of anything. Just get myself killed for a woman that almost cared.

It would be... alright. Such thoughts rose up from somewhere like a thick blanket of fog, soothing my fears and turning me to face my true opponents- the Risen I'd been fighting all this time.

That moment would haunt me for the rest of my life, even if I'd made the right choice in the end.

Because not a moment later, another scream seared itself into my memory. Anna let out a pained groan that lit a fire in my heart. A flame of remembered pain and aching betrayal-

I took that pain and held it tight, like I'd promised myself. A searing ember born from a broken heart, boiling my blood and scorching my thoughts. The Duke hummed in my hand, warm and comforting.

"Someone's in trouble over there," I said loudly to the soldiers, "I don't know if you can back me up, but I'm going to help."

And I ran, fast as my legs would take me. The world sharpened to a single point, the crimson-stained soil stretching into infinity. I'd never get there in time. Anna was going to die, and I would never forgive myself for it.

Unless...

Sidestepping a lurching Risen, I drew my Wind Tome from my pocket. What little mana I had rose eagerly when I called, but it wouldn't be enough. So I reached deeper, grasping at what energy lay below. Oh, this was going to hurt.

My desperate plan started to push itself together, urged on by a few tidbits of physics that reinforced it. The Wind Tome crumpled in my grip, slowly collapsing into a pile of ash as I went through the motions of a Wind spell. Needles of pain rippled outward from my fingers, spreading like ink in water as it made its way up my arm.

And then, just before the Wind spell was finished, I clenched my hand and stopped the spell- no, I wouldn't be pushing air at anyone. That wouldn't be enough. I pulled.

Nature, you see, abhors a vacuum. If you pull all the air out of a location, the surrounding space will collapse inward, often taking anything not nailed down with it.

Risen are not nailed down.

If not for the agonising, fiery pain in my arm that pushed me to the edge of sanity, the sight of two Risen sent soaring into the air would have been hilarious. I was later told it was quite memorable, so there's that small comfort. The scream I made, though, was... less comforting, apparently. I didn't remember making it.

I skidded to a stop next to Anna's body- no, that was too morbid. I shook that idea off. Anna was on the ground behind me, groaning and very much alive. "Sorry about the delay," I grunted, turning to spit a gob of blood onto the ground, "No excuses there."

Anna pushed herself up with her left arm, blowing strands of loose hair from her face. Her expression was caught between pain and surprise- I didn't blame her. "Andrew?" she murmured, not meeting my eyes, "What- why are you even here?"

I didn't know, really. "You were in trouble," I shrugged, grimacing as my left arm fought against the movement. "It was... the right thing to do. What was the worst that could happen, right?" I tried to smile, but that didn't work out either.

She looked at me, brow furrowed, but said nothing for a long moment. Finally, sheathing the dagger held in her right hand, she reached up towards my face, and- flicked me in the nose.

"Idiot. Now you've jinxed it," she rolled her eyes, smirking.

I smiled back.

Our 'moment' ended when Gangrel cackled again, prancing madly on his balcony. Guess I had jinxed it.

My smile faded further when I saw why he was laughing.

From that far back, I could actually see what was going on at the entrance to the fort. Lucina and Severa were desperately trying to hold back Sialc's attacks, each blow loud enough that I could hear it faintly over the wind. Dread formed in the pit of my stomach- where was Tiki?

"Against the wall," Anna murmured, grasping my wrist, unfolding my pointer finger from my fist, and pointing it at the splash of green and red. "She'll be fine, I think."

It didn't stop the chill that ran up my spine, or the ice that crystallized in my blood. My closest friend was slumped against the rubble, unconscious and unmoving.

Crack!

And there went Lucina, crumpling to the ground as Sialc kneed her in the gut.

Severa screamed something that I didn't catch, running to Lucina's side. She was lucky that Sialc didn't seem to care anymore- an honorable Deadlord? I wouldn't have believed that before now, but here we were. Honorable, huh... that gave me an idea.

Sialc turned languidly towards the fort, rolling his neck.

"I don't like that look, Andrew. That's your 'idea' face, and I don't want to get killed," Anna hissed, releasing her grip on my arm.

She was right. I knew what I could do here. It wasn't that complicated, now that I thought about it. I might render my left arm useless to do it, and then I'd just get killed by Sialc. Unless, hm. "Nah," I shook my head, trying to act more casual than I was feeling, "You'll be fine and I'll probably be fine. Once I do it, I think enough people will get the message."

"Like who?" Anna snarked, "The Khan? Me? Naga herself?"

"Let's go with the Khan. Cover your ears," I nodded, smirking to myself as I took a deep breath. I could actually see Flavia from here, and it looked like she was moving our way. "Khan Flavia!" I shouted, wincing at the volume of my own voice, "Get ready!"

Flavia, wearing battered and blood-spattered armor, hefted her axe over one shoulder. She jerked her head towards the Deadlord, grinning.

Ignoring Anna's cursing, I withdrew my Fire Tome and marched forwards. The spell didn't need to be strong, it just needed to get someone's attention. That someone being Gangrel, of course.

()()Tiki()()

It took all my remaining strength to remain conscious as my blood sank between the stones. I did not care to count how many bones I had just broken, or how long the scar on my chest would last.

Nay, I focused on trying to pull myself from the rubble before Sialc entered the fort- I did not need a tactician to tell me that it would end in disaster. Nothing the Deadlord had would kill me, and distracting him for a few precious moments would be a worthy way to begin a century-long sleep. I could only hope that Andrew was alright- his scream, distracting as it was, had left me concerned for his health.

A thin line of light lanced across my vision, colliding with the stone next to Gangrel's head. A curious use of a Fire spell, to be sure, but to what end?

Sialc paused, glancing towards Gangrel as the Mad King sputtered and grumbled.

"That," someone- Andrew?- shouted, "Was me, Sialc. I'll do it again if you don't turn around and duel me."

Andrew, always the fool. A clever one, but this would only lead to death- but not that of Chrom and Robin. Sialc turned around, hefting his axe. "A duel?" he rumbled, "I cannot in my right mind decline after an affront to Gangrel."

"No, you idiot! Kill the prince first!" Gangrel roared, his voice stinging my ears. I sorely wished to shut him up, but that was the point of this whole endeavour, wasn't it?

And then came a throwing axe, then an arrow, then a blast of wind. Gangrel dodged them all, but the damage was done.

"Come, Deadlord Sialc! I, Khan Flavia, challenge you to a duel!"

Sialc held his ground, trapped between orders and honor for a heartbeat. I amended my earlier conclusion: Andrew was more clever than foolish.

With a flex of his wrist, Sialc called more Risen into being, directing them into the fort with a jerk of his chin. "You will be protected, King Gangrel," Sialc rumbled, marching towards his many challengers, "Honorably, and to the ends of my strength."

Gangrel merely screamed. Who was the beast here, again?

[][Andrew][]

Anna took a long look at the Deadlord, only looking away to inspect the wall of Risen that took his place at the fortress' entrance. "I," she sighed, "Have several things I'd like to say to you, Andrew. But we'll talk... after the battle, alright? I'm going to the healers."

"Stay safe, Anna," I murmured back, grimacing as I fought to keep my left arm from twitching. That Fire spell had gone beyond pushing my luck, and now Maribelle was going to get me in bed for a whole week. "I won't be long, I hope."

Flavia lumbered up next to me, managing to look tall despite being the shortest of the three people present, if not by much. "Oh no you don't," she chuckled, grasping me by my good shoulder and spinning me around to face Anna. "You've got guts, Andrew. Guts bigger than your muscles, if you catch my drift. So you're going to follow Anna here back to the healers, whether you like it or not."

And, with a mighty shove, she sent me tumbling towards Anna. Oh, this was going to be awkward-

"Whuf."

Right. This was Anna.

She neatly stepped out of the way, casually catching me by my right arm to slow my fall, and then let go again. I got a faceful of dirt and a snickering Anna for my troubles. At least she was offering me a hand to get back up, I guess. "Come on, Andrew," she practically sang, putting on her 'merchant voice' again, "You heard the Khan."

I took the offered hand, pushing myself off the ground as Anna pulled. "What was that for?" I sighed, following as she turned to walk towards what I assumed was the backline healers, "That was kind of mean."

A silence followed my question, allowing some uncomfortable thoughts to creep in. I turned around to look at the battlefield, watching as Flavia, Vaike, Basilio- I think that was Sully there, and a few mages trailed behind- marched towards Sialc. They'd be fine. It felt wrong somehow to not help, but... well, I'd just get in the way. I'd done my part.

Anna's pace slowed audibly, and I hurried to catch up with her. "Am I too heavy?" I queried, looking at her out of the corner of my eye, "Or was this payback for something?" I bit back a joke about weight. It didn't really feel like the time.

Her expression morphed into something I'd never seen on her face before, and I didn't really know what to make of it. Was she sad? Irritated? Anxious? Happy, for some reason?

"That's two times you've saved my life, Andrew. Three, if Tiki was serious about biting my head off," she chuckled darkly, fidgeting with her belt. "I swear I've got a Vulnerary in here somewhere."

"It's the right thing to do," I said simply.

"And you know I wouldn't have done the same for you," she stated, looking away. "Here we go. Half-full, but enough for us to take a detour."

"Pardon?"

Pushing loose strands of hair from her eyes, she uncapped a Vulnerary and took a swig before offering it to me. "Drink the rest."

I did as she instructed, drinking the strangely bitter brew down before handing the bottle back. My whole body tingled faintly, filled with a strange warmth that brought my aches down to a dull throb. "Ahhh," I gasped, flexing my left hand experimentally, "Thank you, Anna. But, what do you mean, detour?"

Her expression wavered, red eyes sparkling dully. "We need to talk, Andrew. You... you and me. Andrew and... Anna," she bit out, "Now, before I think better of it."

"Alright, then." Something twinged in my stomach. I wasn't sure what to say next, or even if I should say something.

Instead, we watched the battle play out from a distance. As Sialc clashed with the Shepherds and the Khans, trading blows in a spectacle of skill that made more more nervous as time went on. Gangrel had slipped inside the fort at some point, but I didn't think much of it.

"I," Anna said finally, her wavering voice broaching the dull roar of battle, "Have been a terrible person, Andrew. I've been awful to you, and I don't deserve..." she gestured broadly across the field, eyes lingering on me for just a moment. "Any of this. I- I can't even apologise, Naga damn it, because we both know I haven't changed."

I worked my jaw, fighting against the tight feeling in my throat. "I know."

"An Anna always puts profit first. It's selfish, I know, but that's how we are, when we're on the job," she continued quietly, "So an Anna wouldn't apologise to you. An Anna would compensate you for saving their life, and then move on. No debts, no expectations."

"It sounds lonely," I said eventually, eyes tracking a certain green dot in the distance, "But I understand, I think."

Silence stretched onwards. I coughed, wincing. Maybe that was all Anna had to say? "This feels strange, you know. I always thought I'd be part of this battle, right? And here I am, watching it all happen from afar."

Anna hummed in response, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't know."

She wouldn't. "Fair."

The silence resumed, awkward and painful. Or maybe that was just my arm complaining.

"I think Tiki's awake," I whispered, pointing towards a certain green dot, "Looks like she's sneaking up on Sialc. Guess she's alright, then."

So we were going to win this war. I didn't really expect... well, at that point I'd just be repeating myself. I expected to have some dramatic finale, some violent crescendo that marked the end of the Plegian War. There was going to be one, of course; I just wasn't part of that.

"There you go," Anna sighed, elbowing me, "Repeating yourself."

"Sorry," I apologized, rubbing the back of my head, "I thought that was inside my head. Guess my inner Andrew wanted to be, um, outer Andrew?" I chuckled awkwardly, trailing off into an equally awkward shrug. "I don't know where I was going with that, but it was meant to be a joke."

Anna looked off into the distance, stray hairs drifting in the breeze.

My heart soared. "There she goes," I said, pointing at Sialc, "Looks like Tiki surprised Sialc there. He doesn't look like he's down, but-"

"Mary."

I blinked. "What?"

Anna grabbed me by the shoulder, turning me forcibly to face her. Her expression was soft and sad, her eyes wide and looking everywhere but at me. "That's my name. Mary Anna."

A ripple of warmth spread from my chest, bubbling upwards as I caught her drift. "Mary Anna," I repeated quietly, "Huh."

She took her hand off my shoulder and stepped back, looking towards the ground. "I-It's nice to meet you, Andrew," she said clearly, "I hope we can be friends someday."

A shout of joy caught my attention, but I didn't turn to look just yet. This was more important. "It's nice to meet you as well... Mary. I look forward to being yours- er, your friend, that is."

Anna- Mary- finally looked up, if only to roll her eyes. "I got it the first time, Andrew. I've read enough terrible novels."

That shout of joy had turned into a chorus, and I could ignore it no longer. My heart soared further than ever before, a smile spreading across my face-

Chrom had emerged from the fort, sword raised high into the sky.

The war was over.

And, more importantly, I'd met a woman named Mary Anna, who I hoped would become a close friend.

"Good Naga, you're cheesy," Mary huffed, flicking me on the nose, "And to everyone else, I'm Anna, okay?"

I could live with that.

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END OF ACT 1

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Author's Note:

This chapter is a week late when I attempted to make it a week early- and what I have learned is that I can't rush myself like that. It's really hard for me to write a chapter I am happy with in that time, even as I see other authors easily pull that off.

Anyways, here I am, here's the chapter, here's the end of Act 1! I was going to take a break for a few weeks to put the story together for Act 2, but we'll see.

As always, I'd love to hear what you think! Drop a review, PM me; whatever suits your fancy.

Cheers,

Narwhal Lord