Chapter 1: Off to fight! I suppose.
Greetings journal. Entry 7, also my level. Cool.
Today I came across the weirdest thing: a book containing details I would have never even dreamed of. This book is lightweight in design, with pictures taken right out of a snapshot tome! I got it from some madman screaming for lord Chrom, Lady Lissa and Frederick. I realise I haven't even put who I am in this journal.
Tis I, Eli, an ex-bandit from Ylisse. I am part of the c-2 Bandit defence system. A group dedicated to defeating bandits when the Shepherds cannot be there. An ex-bandit killing bandits, I know the irony here. I should probably start from the start. To when we were sent out on that mission.
"Time to wake. Eli! Up and at em!" with this I was awaken, my eyes not used to the light.
"Cain? What do you want?" with that I reach for the duvet, just to be lifted, Cain proceeded, much to my dismay to flip the bed, tossing me off it. "Cain! Why?" why me! So many others to wake! Little to say I was definitely awake but something felt different. He was in full armour which certainly takes a fair bit of time. It turns out we have an hour to put everything we need away and be in the courtyard as the Exalt wanted us to go and fight some bandits, what joy! Wait definitely not joy!
After I practically shove Cain out, I begin to prepare. I have three bags and know what goes where. I am set within thirty minutes! New record and I'm very sure I didn't miss anyt- so it appears I have misplaced by weapon, an iron axe I called 'Breloth' the bandit organisation I used to be a part of. Used to being the main point. I locate my axe under the bed, thanks Cain.
I have to drag my bags outside, as they are pretty heavy. In the hallway I say hi to a couple of team members. Fiora, one of only two Pegasus knights we have in our team, the other being Kaya, a rather pretty blue haired girl. Pent, our local sage with a love for Arcthunder and finally Wolt, my personal favourite guy here. He was the one who came up with the unofficial name for our group.
Our official name: C-2 Bandit elimination team. Boring right?
Our unofficial name: Off Brand Shepherds. Best! Name! Ever!
"Hey Eli…" with that I look to my left, drawn out of my inner monologue, our Manakete stands in front of me: Fa. Her one bag is completely filled and something coming out. A pillow, naturally. Fa is always somewhere near her bed. Her blondish hair is pretty messy but that's not a surprise.
"Fa, need some help? You can't take your bed with you." I casually ask, watching her cheeks puff out, arms crossed resting on her purple dress.
"Yeah, I can!" she quickly replies, trying to drag the bag. We have had this argument many times and by now its some sort of script, like words on paper.
"What is in that bag?"
"My bed…"
"And?"
"Uhh." Got her. with that I ask to help organise her bag and she accepts, so we walk into her roo- right.
"The entire bed… wood and everything is in your bag… you literally took your bed apart so you could take it!" really! Who does that?! Fa, Fa does. I empty out her bag, absolutely no clothes, just her bed. Naturally I help her organise her bag.
In the end we have her bag sorted, with maybe ten minutes left. I grab her two Dragonstones and pass them to Fa, they are pretty small given what I have heard. I could hold four of them in my hand before I would have to stack them on top of each other. I start to close her bag when in the corner of my eye I see her putting her Dragonstones down her top. Does she have a pocket in her top? That seems pretty cool, who can boast that they have a pocket in their top? Wait.
Wait.
WAIT!
I HANDLED THOSE STONES!
WHO PUTS DRAGONSTONES IN THEIR… you know what, I refuse to continue that sentence.
Five minutes washing my hands later and a couple of self-deprecating jokes later about a log book later all the off-brand Shepherds are at the gates, listening to our commander tell us what is going on.
"C-2 Bandit elimination team. Yesterday reports came in about a large bandit force, assisted by an unknown figure, according to a few eyewitness accounts made the bandits very strong. Our mission is to travel to the camp and eliminate all threats. Eli, do you know of these bandits?" way to put the spotlight on me. To be fair I did come from a bandit group and a figure as they describe would be noteworthy, and my class is barbarian, despoil is a very nice thing.
"If someone like that existed, we bandits would absolutely fight each other for any advantage, however these bandits are organised, something isn't right." With that we set out in order, singing as tradition demanded. However, when we were out of view we instantly stopped and instead just talked, Fa jumped into one of the caravans and sat on the bags. I went to find Kaya, I found her near the front of the march, singing softly to her Pegasus. I chose not to interrupt her calming down her anxious Pegasus. Instead I walked to another person in view, Wolt.
"Eli! Finally hit level three earlier! I finally got five strength!" Wolt bragged completely unaware of both my four levels above him and seven strength above him.
"So, you got a few kills? Nice when did that happen?" I ask, we often joke about his 20% strength growth, yet 40% magic growth. A magic bow would do wonders for his usability.
"A bit ago on the last bandit strike down! Fiora left one at a single point and I just shot the dude." DUH, of cause he stole a kill to level up.
Fa sat in the caravan, spilling her heart out to Fiora. "I cannot believe it! He thinks I'm a kid! A kid!" Fa hugged Fiora, crying.
"Fa, I shall not lie. You sure act like a child. Perhaps you shall stride to alter your activity for the sake of attracting his eye." Fiora ruffles Fa's hair, before taking out a brush and starting to brush her hair. "I shall stride to assist you in your mission, as partial repayment for your saving of my hide a year ago."
"Thanks, Fiory"
"Fiora, not Fiory."
Two hours later they stopped to adjust baggage. The commander gave out orders before he looked around and yelled for everyone to stop and stand to attention.
"Come on Chrom! We can rest here for a while and replenish our supplies!" her highness Lissa practically begged commander Frederick to let them rest here but prince Chrom refused. Lissa managed to sway Chrom to remain in the camp for twenty minutes. Fredrick went to gather some water while the other two stayed in camp.
Lissa wandered the camp, looking for a certain someone, she came across a pampered Pegasus sleeping and immediately aware of who's mount this was. "Curly? Bingo Kaya is here." Turning the corner, she came across Kaya and a sage, a purple haired man trying to drag a large bag off the caravan. "Kaya, Pent! Nice to see you lot again!" Kaya and Pent turn at the same time to see Lissa.
"Lissa? By the Pegasus's rear feather! What a shock to see you again!" Kaya moved to hug Lissa, Pent sighing at his now inability to move his own bag. "Where have you been Lissa?"
"Chrom insisted we prepare to go visit each village and help them prepare a proper way to defend themselves from bandits. Maribelle has to be worried sick." Lissa replied, both unaware of Pent trying to shove the whole bag himself, grunting.
"Maribelle is rather concerned, she expressed concern to the effect of sprouting five white hairs so far." Pent proceeds to clear his throat. "Pent? Oh feathers I forgot! Lissa mind helping?" with that all three worked to adjust the contents of the caravan.
"Kaya? I suppose you plan to leave this whole fight business after we bonked the bandit's heads in, right?" Pent asked, he and Lissa were the only ones aware of Kaya's secret.
"Yes, I imagine Phila will not approve of me hanging up the lance for the married life, especially for the hand of a noble but I won't abandon my friends." Kaya shoves the bag one last time, its shift makes Pent fall over, slamming his nose on the wood. "guess who the lucky guy is?"
"Chrom?" jokes Pent just to receive a slap.
"Naga no!"
"Samuel?" Lissa asks next, giggling.
"I would rather hurl myself into the well."
"Well who then?" Pent asks, squeezing an elthunder tome.
"Leo!" Kaya excitedly exclaimed, twirling her blue hair.
Pent starts laughing. "The son of that Hierarch who assisted the Exalt when she was younger?"
"Yes! He is a fine gentleman."
With that they kept working until Fredrick and Chrom finished comparing reports with the group, the three of them leaving as the off-brand Shepherds moved on.
A/N
Thanks for reading, the story will be updated when I have the time and figure out this site a little better. farewell for now.