Birth and Re-Death
Chapter 2: Things Get Medical
You know, I'm actually pretty surprised at how the battle goes the third time around. I guess I figured that it would go basically the same way, like maybe I was stuck in a sort of loop and the only things that change are what I change myself, but even without my intervention the Shepherds have a different structure to the fight. Instead of providing cover fire as she did before, Robin is much more aggressive with her tome and sword, fighting alongside Chrom rather than behind him. Frederick is doing less actual attacking as much as running a sort of interference/intimidation game to stir them up and make them vulnerable to the dynamic duo over there. Lissa seems to have less work to do this time around.
I decide I don't want to be lame and hide until someone gets hurt this time, so I run out and shout, "Hey! I'm a friendly!" Robin, the closer of the two, whirls around toward my voice, hand raised to blast me. Despite myself, I flinch. What? The look in her face when she fights is scary, okay? Anyway, she lowers her arm on getting a better look at me, no doubt dismissing my ability to be a threat.
"You a healer?" she asks, no longer looking at me but rather asking that in the middle of perforating a guy with Thunder bolt. I shout in the affirmative. "Good, then you're on me. Lissa, focus on Chrom!" I fall in line behind her, but with the distance she is keeping between herself and the baddies with that tome of hers, I don't get much action. That is, until a pair of mages rear their ugly heads.
Each of them level a wind blast at Robin at the same time. I cry out in warning, but I'm only able to stop one of them. Even taking one blast throws me back a few feet and onto my ass. Robin, meanwhile, earns herself a few pretty deep cuts to the chest and arms. As quickly as I can, I heal up her wounds. By the way, it's really trippy to watch skin un-separate itself. It also looks like it hurts like hell. I stalk over to one of the mages and realize this isn't the first time I've fought this guy. Because old habits die hard, I strike him in the temple with my staff again. I won't lie; it's pretty funny the second time. Robin looks at my chuckling self with alarm for a moment, but soon we are back at it.
I notice that although their initial strategy was different, we sort of end up in the same formation as we did the first time. I guess there's not much room for variability on a battleground consisting of one town square and one bridge. Speaking of bridge, here we are, and the battle is once again going pretty well. Lissa is handling Chrom and Frederick just fine, and on the rare occasions that Robin takes a significant hit I find it pretty easy to keep her in fighting shape. Before long, we are once again staring down the leader.
"Keep an eye on that axe," I say in a low voice. "Looks light enough to throw as well as swing." Chrom and Robin nod, and each of them take a side and try to flank him. The battle quickly develops beyond my ability to intervene helpfully; getting that close is just asking for another brain dissection.
I grab Lissa's shoulder. "We should stand back a little ways, in case things get out of hand," I say, pulling her away from the fight.
She protests, "But if one of them gets hurt, we have to help!" She tries to shrug me off, but I'm not playing that game again.
"Nope. We can heal them up all we want once they're done with him," I reply, firmly keeping her a decent distance from the fight and always watching what his axe is up to. Robin is keeping the bandit on his toes pretty skillfully, and it looks like it's taking everything he has just to keep up with the pair of them. Frederick circles the fight but can't find an opening that won't just mess up the pair's dynamic.
The leader raises his axe to bring it down hard on Robin, but before he can, she shoots a bolt at the axe and blasts it from his grasp. That should be the ballgame, I think, but then his free hand is reaching behind his back and suddenly a second axe is swinging upwards at Robin's face–
CLANG. Chrom's sword catches the swing and bats it down just in time. It still hits Robin's leg, but it's no longer the lethal blow it could have been. Meanwhile, she's gritting her teeth through the pain and grabbing the man's face, letting loose a blast from such short range I don't think the term point-blank does it justice. About a second later, there's not really a face left to grab. The remains collapse, leaving the axe still embedded in Robin's leg.
Wow, if the ESRB saw some of that, an M rating would have been merciful, I think to myself as I run over to the wounded tactician. "Jesus, you really went all out there, Tarantino," I say as I examine the wound.
"That's…not my name," she says without opening her teeth. "Neither of those are." I realize I'm going to have a tough time adjusting around here for a bit.
With my staff ready to roll, I take hold of the axe. "Ready?" I ask.
"For what?" she asks, a little delirious from the pain and adrenaline no doubt. A pang of guilt shoots through me for what I'm about to have to do.
"Deep breath," I warn, and after a beat passes, I wrench the blade out. Wow that's pretty medical. By which I mean blood is everywhere. Must've hit a vein or something; it's a good thing we can fix that up basically instantly. I was expecting a lot of screaming from her, but apart from some loud groaning she takes it like a champ. Lissa and I both point our staves at the wound and close it up. I glance at Lissa while we are doing this, and she seems mostly unphased by it. I guess despite the cutesy exterior, she's seen some real shit like this before.
After a moment, Robin has caught her breath. "...Thank you," she says to the pair of us. Lissa grins at her, and I give a small bow.
I turn to Chrom, who with Frederick has been checking on the villagers but is just now getting back. "So, I take it you're the leader around here?" I ask.
He nods. "That's right. My name is Chrom, and I lead the Shepherds. This is my knight, Sir Frederick, and this is my sister Lissa. The woman you just saved is our newest recruit, Robin."
I hear Robin stir behind me. "Wait. So you don't know this man?" she asks, gesturing to me.
Chrom is silent for a moment, then laughs lightly. "I guess you wouldn't know, huh? No, we've never met him." He turns to me. "What is your name, priest?"
Oh, crap. Should I tell him my actual name? Is that weird? I guess anything else could be just as weird. Fire Emblem is kinda one of those Aerith and Bob things, where any name goes, now that I think about it. I realize I've kept Chrom waiting a weirdly long time to hear my name.
"Well, I'm not really a priest, per se...but my name is Randall," I say, the name feeling weird in my mouth in this context. "Some prefer to call me Randy," I add.
"It's nice to meet you, Randall," Chrom says, extending a hand. I take it and wow, that's a firm handshake. "Though I wish it could have been under more peaceful circumstances."
"You're telling me," I say with a sigh. "I've never actually used a staff in real combat before," I admit.
"Mister Randall," Frederick says, stepping closer, "Not that I wish to pry, but I must ask. What did you mean by saying you're not really a priest, when you wear that garb and take on a priest's healing duties?" It figures Frederick would be the one to try and poke holes in my fake backstory.
"Well, I was raised in a monastery, and I was taught the healing arts by the monks that live there, but I never took any vows of my own or became a priest in any official sense. I just wear the robes because it's what they had there," I say, making it up as I go. "They were sad to see me go, but they didn't try to stop me from venturing out."
"Where is this monastery?" Frederick asks.
"Oh, uh, it's not on this continent. I grew up in Valm," I say. "The country, I mean. Pretty tiny country, really, despite that the giant continent it named after it." Frederick gives a sort of grudging 'hmph' and resumes dealing with the village elders.
"Don't mind Frederick too much," Chrom says with a well-meaning smile, "there's a reason he earned the title Frederick the Wary."
"No offense given, none taken," I reply. "But I am wondering, is there by any chance room among your number for another healer?" I look at him with pleading eyes.
"Of course," he says, clapping me on the shoulder, "not only are you a decent healer, but I saw what you did to that mage. You keep your head on straight in battle, and we need as many people like that as we can get. But are you sure that's what you want? It's a dangerous job."
"So is wandering around the country with nothing but some camping supplies and a very shiny staff that basically announces, 'Please rob me,' so I think I know which option I'm picking," I say gratefully.
Chrom gives a good-natured chuckle. "That's fair. Welcome aboard, Randall," he says, and just like that I'm a Shepherd. A hot ball of excitement wells up in my throat and I have to fight to keep it down, probably making me look a little like a lunatic. But can you blame me? I played through the game quite a few times, so I already feel a strong connection to this case, and more importantly, I've already died for this team. Twice. So even though they don't know it, I've already got a deep investment in this.
Suddenly, Lissa. Wow, I hadn't noticed earlier, but she's really not that tall. "So, Randy? Nice to meetcha! Thanks for your help earlier!" She grins, and it's like a knockout punch. Three precious five me.
"Bah, it was nothing. Just doing what I can," I say a little sheepishly. I'm not used to direct praise like that.
"Give yourself more credit," says Robin, who's now officially up and about. "You saved me more than once out there."
"It was you, Chrom, and Frederick that were really cleaning up out there, though," I say. "Not much credit necessary."
"Hey!" Lissa protests. "Are you saying healers aren't valuable?" She pouts at me.
"Of course not, just that they aren't usually the ones that get songs written about them," I reply, unable to resist the urge to pat her head at the same time. She may be a princess, but for now I can pretend I don't know that.
Her pout intensifies. "Well, I think we're plenty useful." I smile a little evilly at her expression.
We are interrupted by one of the villagers coming by and asking if we would stay the night. As much as I really don't like sleeping out with insects and stuff, I am also aware that for the game's events to happen we have to get out of town. So despite my desire to side with Lissa in the Great Dark Meat Debate, I bite my tongue and allow Chrom and Frederick to lead us out of Southtown.
I'm not sure how to describe the taste of bear. It's of course really gamey, but it's just difficult to nail down any other adjectives to describe its taste. Surprisingly, I actually enjoy it quite a bit. Maybe not as much as Robin—good lord is she scarfing that down—but it's still decent. My heart does go out to Lissa and Frederick though, as neither of them eat much that night. In the meantime, I pretend to learn a lot of things I already know: where we are, what Plegia is and how that dynamic is deteriorating, etc. Despite that I knew all of this in advance, it's still kind of cool to hear it out of Chrom and Frederick's mouths.
Before too long, though, exhaustion takes over. Maybe it's the bear. Either way, I make quick work of setting up my tent (Eagle Scout, what's up?) and roll out my bedroll on the ground. As I'm getting settled into my surprisingly comfy bedroll, I hear Lissa air some more grievances.
"How come Randy gets a tent and we don't?" she asks incredulously.
"Because he brought one," replies Chrom simply. "If you wanted a tent, we had some you could have brought easily."
"But that would have meant carrying it!" she counters.
"You mean like Randall carried his?"
"Hmph." I hear footsteps approach the tent. "Randyyyy, is there room in there for one more?" Lissa asks. Ooooh no no, I am not playing that game. Fortunately, Chrom intervenes.
"Lissa, you can't just impose on him like that. That's pretty clearly a one-person tent," Chrom admonishes.
My better nature takes over. I climb out of the tent and tell Lissa, "Look, he's right about the size, but if you want, I've got no problem out under the stars."
Chrom raises a hand dismissively. "No chance, Randall. She's gotta learn a little about action and consequence. Don't bring a tent, don't get a tent." Lissa looks like she might cry.
Instead, she punches Chrom in the shoulder. "Jerk," she growls, and stalks off. Chrom gives me an apologetic look and retires to his own bedroll, rubbing his shoulder a little.
After a few minutes, I'm satisfied that Chrom has gone to sleep. I step over to where Lissa is sleeping by the dying fire, tossing and turning to try and find a comfortable position. I crouch and lightly tap her on the shoulder. She whirls around on the ground to look at me. With a small smile, I nod toward the empty tent. Her eyes light up, but she's smart enough not to say anything. As she gets up, I drag my bedroll out of the tent and set it not far from the other three of us. I settle in and, despite the bugs, I find myself so exhausted it only takes a minute or so to fall asleep.
Rustle, rustle, grunt.
My eyes snap open, and after a few seconds I remember where I am. I look to see what the noise was and notice Chrom getting up and stretching a little as he straps on Falchion to his waist. That's right. It's the night the Risen show up.
He looks over at me, then does a double-take. "Why aren't you in the tent?" he mouths. I shrug and imitate a pouting face. He rolls his eyes and begins walking away. I grab my staff and follow after him.
"Can't sleep, cap'n?" I ask once we are a decent distance away.
"No," he admits. "I just get the sense that something's off around here." Oh boy Chrom, if you only knew.
We walk for a while in silence. It's pretty nice out, if a little humid for my tastes. Before too long, though, the ground shakes a little. Then a little more. It starts getting louder and more intense by the second. Here we go. The ground opens up and fire and lava start pouring out ahead of us.
"Randall, run," Chrom says. Wait, am I Lissa? "I mean it, go!" We take off running, dodging falling fireballs left and right. That lava feels really hot, even from this distance. I see Chrom jump off a small ledge ahead of me, and I rush forward to follow. However, just as I am starting to jump, I feel a massive wave of heat and pain wash over me.
I fall off the ledge and onto my face. Within a second I realize I must have been hit by one of them. Is that what burning flesh smells like? Christ, that's horrifying. I start to try and crawl away, but Chrom hasn't noticed I'm not behind him yet.
The lava begins to spill over the ledge, and I am nowhere near fast enough to outpace it. After a moment, I see Chrom rushing back to me through the now-flaming trees. However, he's not fast enough, and my brain lights up in panic as the lava starts overtaking my legs.
I would say it's painful, but only for a second. After that, the nerves get burned so quickly they cease to function at all. My brain is aware I'm getting swallowed by heat, but the pain function shuts off pretty quickly. The last thing I see before the heat renders my eyes useless is Chrom standing helplessly on the other side of the lava wave, watching me get swallowed by fire and molten rock.
Rustle, rustle, grunt.
My eyes snap open, and I am instantly relieved to be here. Updating save points are the best. I decide to feign sleep while Chrom gets ready to head out. However, after a little bit I realize Lissa isn't going with him. I rush over to the tent and shake the snoring Lissa awake.
"Whuh-what? Izzit breakfas' already?" Lissa moans.
"No, it's still night. But I think we're in trouble," I say, making it up as I go. "Chrom noticed that I let you have the tent and he looked pretty peeved; I think you should go talk to him."
"No waaay, it's fine. I'll talk to him in the morning," she responds.
"Lissa, please. I'm new here and I don't want the boss angry with me," I plead.
After a few moments, she stirs with a groan and slowly gets to her feet. "Fine, but you owe me," she says sleepily.
"Says the one who slept in my tent," I retort with a raised brow.
"...Point," she says, and after I point her in the right direction she heads off.
I consider going back to sleep, but considering how little time is left before things start moving, I decide against it. Instead, I quietly pack up the tent and the rest of my supplies and get them all ready to move. Moments later, I smell smoke on the wind.
I shake Robin awake, but before I have time to get to Frederick he is instantly standing, with his bedroll miraculously rolled up before he has even picked it up. I decide to not ask questions and simply accept that he is Frederick.
He leads us in the direction of the fire, and soon enough we meet with the rest of the crew. Oh, hi Lucina. Wow, that's more Risen than I remember fighting in the game. They move really weirdly, now that I am seeing them in action. Like they can't run properly, but they still try, and it's kind of like they're running with legs of two different lengths. It must be pretty uncomfortable to be one of them.
I turn to Robin, "So, tactician lady, what do?"
"Alright, everyone," she begins. "To win this, we can't be reckless. We are going for fort control, and hopefully we can funnel them in and take them out in manageable chunks. Don't underestimate the archers they have with them, though, even if you're in a fort safely. Try to draw them in as well. Chrom, you will go with Randall to take the north fort and act as an enticing draw. Lissa and Frederick, you will go with me to take the southern fort. Hopefully once we control both we can split up their forces and disorient them. Let's move."
Chrom and I make a run for the north fort, which is frankly smaller than I imagined. It's essentially a glorified supply post surrounded by four stone walls, but it will still get the job done. As we run, Chrom comments, "So, you let Lissa have the tent after all, huh?"
"Look, I know you're her brother and it doesn't work on you, but the average man cannot say no to that face," I say defensively.
"Right. Don't flirt with her," Chrom warns, and I consider responding but decide against it. Soon we are ready and waiting inside the fort walls, watching the oncoming swath of Risen coming closer and closer.
This looks like it might hurt.
Thanks again for reading! I'm hoping the way this will work is that while The Hardest to Kill updates more infrequently with larger chapters, this can update more often with smaller ones. As always, comments and critiques are welcome. See you next time!