Pain. Lots, and lots of pain. The strength I was using to lean on my newly acquired spear had left me and I started to plummet to the ground, until Chrom caught me, saving me from meeting the earth.
Was he talking? His lips were moving, but no sound came from them.
"The pain, make it stop…" I tried to say, but my lips refused to move nor make any sound.
Was I being picked up? I didn't care anymore.
"Make the pain go away… It is unbearable…"
Soft ground, a mattress. It was very comfortable and I could only spot moving blurs around me, three of them in fact.
Were they helping me to stop the pain?
A soothing green light enveloped me, and it eased the searing hotness that was my chest and now only felt sore. I was getting tired, but my heart said otherwise. It was beating a mile a minute and its sound overpowered everything I could have heard.
One thump at a time, the sound became hypnotic and I was about to fall asleep if it weren't for a red blur that came near me.
"Ow."
It poked me in my arm, but just as quickly as the pain came it went away. Were they truly trying to help me ease the pain if they were causing more of it? Then another poke and it was much quicker than before.
"Go away…"
You were causing more pain and I didn't want any anymore…
Wha… What was I seeing? A stream of red was flowing around the room like a graceful river, ignoring the laws of physics.
Where was it coming from? I turned my head slightly to my left and saw another blur. It was purple with a white top, the river was coming from them. I looked back at it and spotted its destination. There was a small hole on my left arm and that was its end.
What was this feeling? I felt like some part of me is being replaced with another, making my entire being feel full. The river was giving me energy, but it was still not enough to keep me awake when the river stopped flowing.
"I am so tired…"
Darkness.
The sight that I was quite familiar with, a sight that brought me here to this world. Whenever I go to sleep, I always could tell the difference between it and limbo and this was more akin to the latter. I was drifting in the darkness, non-existent gravity pulling me deeper into it that was only illuminated by my body alone, like a single candle inside a cavern.
I landed softly on a ground that too didn't exist yet it was able to support my body without issues. I was able to move and boosted myself up, the movement I made caused a sloshing noise under me. I tried to touch the supposed ground and water created a small outline around my hand, but when I pulled my hand away, there wasn't a single drop on it.
I didn't dwell on it for long and looked around the darkness and spotted… more darkness. I feel like I should retort my thoughts, but I didn't have the energy to do so. I wanted to find a way out so I tried to pinch my hand and I registered no pain.
Wait…
No pain meant…
I started to slowly panic, my thoughts not helping me in the slightest.
"Did I die!? No, no, no, no, NO! I still had some much to do! So many questions that need answers!"
I started to run in a random direction to find anything that would help to get out of this place. Each step I made echoed in the darkness, water sloshing all the while.
I ran and ran and ran until I could run no more. I started panting for air, resting my hands on my knees. When I looked around to find something out of the ordinary that wasn't the darkness that enveloped me, I came empty-handed.
"Am I really dead?" I croaked; my voice finally manifested itself.
My legs gave out and I hit the water covered ground while having the most torn expression on my face and started to cry and sob. I clutched my head with my hands and unleashed a scream that sounded distorted. I started to bang my hand against the ground, water splashing everywhere.
"DAMN IT!" I yelled out; the words echoed in the darkness. The sobs didn't stop and I was on my hands and knees, head slumped down from exhaustion. When I looked at the ground, the water was still and reflected my face.
Except it wasn't mine.
I was surprised at first to see this foreign face in front of me, but when I moved my head or created any expression, the reflection copied everything perfectly, as a mirror would. The boy had similar features to me if I had completely silver hair. When I tried to touch my cheek, the reflection, yet again copied the movement perfectly.
"Who are you?" I asked, bewildered by what I was seeing.
The reflection didn't respond, its lips moved yet no sound came from them. The water began to ebb and it started to form into a small lump of water that began to rise. I backed off and stared at the now-formed water pilar with a silhouette of a man inside I saw as my reflection.
The water burst, leaving behind a carbon-copy of myself, looking at the ground with lifeless eyes, not unlike a Risen. Its head then looked up to see who was in front of it, spotting me. Its lips began to move as well as itself, getting closer to me while outstretching one arm.
"Give… it back…" It spoke with a voice almost identical to mine that sounded hoarse as if speaking with foreign lungs. Its eyes bore into mine and they lit up an ethereal blue, cold and emotionless color.
"Give it back…" It repeated.
"Oh fuck this, I am out of here!"
I started to run away somewhere, trying to shake off this body-double, only for him to form from water in front of me, blocking my way of escape. Its hand was still outstretched as if looking for something I had, yet I had no idea what.
"Give… it… BACK!" It yelled an inhuman scream, more akin to a monster's roar, and charged at me with its outstretched hand, ready to strangle me. I tried to back off, but suddenly there was something akin to a wall behind me, blocking my path.
I braced for the imminent grab while closing my eyes, yet it never came. Once it was in reach, it deformed back into the water, splashing me. The water didn't soak my clothes and I wondered where the body double went.
I couldn't ponder on it for long however as a random earthquake began, trying to knock me off balance. I brought my knee to the ground to stabilize myself and franticly looked around for the source of the earthquake.
What I saw chilled me to the very core, like experiencing a cold night air as a child for the first time, or when your true fears manifest themselves before you.
Six giant red eyes stared at me, glowing in the darkness and illuminating the water below, making it look like the creature that stood before me had twelve eyes. Its stare was piercing my very soul and it opened its unseen maw and breathed, creating ripples in the water and was so strong it knocked me over on my rear.
"Your fate has been sealed, tiny one." It said in an ethereal voice. However, it didn't feel like the voice was coming from the monster before me, it felt like it was echoing in my mind.
"No matter how much you will try to fight it, destiny will find its way towards you." It then began a booming laugh that was mixed with a bellowing dragon and it began to approach me. Out of instinct I tried to back away until yet again I was met with an invisible wall and I looked like a cornered animal, ready to be killed by the predator before me.
"S-Stay back!" I squeaked, sounding vulnerable and weak in comparison to the being in front of me.
"Resistance is futile." It said in a berating tone. Tendrils of darkness sprouted from the ground, securing me so that I wouldn't run away. The tendrils visibly seared my clothes and flesh, yet they didn't hurt.
"Now, accept the blessing that I shall bestow upon you, for you will be the instrument of my will in due time. ACCEPT IT!" It yelled out and this time the tendrils started to burn. I yelled out in pain and it felt like someone was feeding me with hot oil. It too burned from the inside, veins felt like molten iron, while my heartbeat began to get faster, trying to circulate the blood in me. I could yell no longer as the supposed hot oil seared my throat and what came out of me were pleading whimpers so the monster would stop with the torture while closing my eyes.
"Make the pain… stop… please..." I pleaded in my mind that felt like it wasn't my own anymore. I opened my eyes and saw that nothing was before me. The six red eyes had disappeared into the darkness, no tendrils were holding me down, no signs of seared dark flesh on my body and all of the pain were gone. It only left me tired and I began to fall on my back, yet the ground that I was standing on just a few moments ago disappeared under me, with the water coming down as well.
I closed my eyes from exhaustion, and I was met with the same limbo that brought me to Ylisse.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
The limbo I have felt had left me in a state where I had no energy to do anything. I was so exhausted that I almost couldn't bring my arm on my head to stop the pounding headache while groaning. It felt like I heard some people talking and when I looked around I couldn't tell who it was.
All I knew was there were four blurs in front of me and the room I was inside was extremely bright. It was so disorienting that I had to resist the urge just to hide under the blanket that was on top of me, but when I tried to move my limbs, they felt extremely weak.
Since some blurs were murmuring stuff I couldn't understand, I thought that it would be for the best to ask, because I had no idea what happened to me, nor where I was. All I remember was winning the fight against Marth and then I didn't remember much.
"Where… am I?" I asked nobody in particular, hoping that one of the blurs would answer.
"Welcome back to the realm of the living, Radko." Wait… That was Chrom's voice, wasn't it? When I looked where the voice was coming from, all I could see was a blue blur. It was getting annoying that I couldn't see properly so I rubbed my eyes and once my vision was clear enough I spotted Chrom, who had the biggest smile on his face.
"Uh, can I ask what is going on? And where am I? Again?" I asked, completely missing what Chrom had said earlier and he burst into a fit of chuckles and I could have heard other people as well, most notably Lissa.
"Well, you certainly took your time waking up." Lissa quipped and I had no idea what she was talking about. What did she mean by 'taking my time'?
"Ok, will you keep me in the dark just to laugh at me or can you people tell me what happened?" I inquired more forcibly than I intended, but I didn't like it when people laugh at me for no clear reason. The question seemed to snap the royals out of their giggling fit and surprisingly Robin was here as well.
"You don't remember anything after the fight with Marth, correct?" Robin asked and she got a nod from me, prompting her to continue.
"Well, after your little 'stunt' of using a weapon you had no experience with, we were able to win the tournament for Flavia and obtain our alliance. However, you took quite the blow and almost bled to death if it wasn't for Lissa and Miriel stabilizing you and healing you, but you went into a coma that you simply refused to wake up from. So, without waiting for you to wake up, we took you with the Shepherds from Regna Ferox and marched to Ylisse and you slept through the entire march." Robin said in a lengthy explanation and I had to do a double-take.
Then, all the memories I had about the fight came rushing in like water from a broken faucet and I had to clutch my head from how much it hurt. They had worried expressions on their faces, but with my hand, I motioned them to stay away.
"How am I still alive?" I asked weakly, there was no way I could have survived that…
"As Robin said, we were able to stabilize you, but you lost so much blood we need to do a blood transfusion and thankfully Robin had the same blood type as you," Lissa explained, smiling all the while, trying to comfort me. I looked at Robin, who looked away for some reason.
Did she save me?
I steeled myself and got up from my bed, much to the protests of others and my body. I didn't care what others said however, I wanted to express my gratitude. I strode forward towards Robin, who was backing away slightly, but once I was in reach, I enveloped her into a hug with as much strength I could muster.
"Thank you so much, Robin. I owe you one…" I said, almost started to tear up, but I held them back. She was stunned by my sudden hug and once I broke it, could see Robin up close. She was almost a head shorter than me and had a delicate face with pale skin color. She adorned a stunned expression, speechless from my sudden hug.
Before I went inside my bed, I looked at myself at how horribly I looked, the light gown I had on didn't hide the awful-looking body I controlled. My arms looked flimsy and so did the rest of my body, probably because of malnourishment and how long I spent in my coma. I felt weak, the training I had in Ferox being pretty much nullified.
"Damn it…" I muttered as I clenched my fist and punched the wall weakly as I slumped into my bed, sitting on it and contemplating on how useless I was and still am to the Shepherds. I looked at the trio that surrounded me, but then I noticed it wasn't just the three of them.
There was another person in the room and it was someone I should have noticed immediately and I started to slightly panic.
It was Emmeryn the Exalt and I needed to put on a professional mask quickly.
"Y-your Grace! I… I am sorry that you have to see me in this inappropriate state." I responded although I didn't have much room for improvement.
"It is alright, we can skip formalities for now. We shall speak to each other in a more appropriate time." She said in a soothing voice and left the room, leaving the four of us alone. Silence filled the air until Lissa broke it with a snort and holding her mouth with her hands to hold in her laughter.
"Pffft, you should have seen your face when you finally spotted my sister." She said while still giggling, but I wasn't feeling with the laughter nor the thought of wanting company.
"Would the three of you mind leaving for a while as well? I would like to get some rest and I need to duel with my thoughts for some time." I asked them politely and they understood that I wanted some privacy.
"Of course, take as much time as you need. We shall bring you something to eat." Chrom said as he began to prompt the other two to follow his suit and they did eventually.
"Thank you." I thanked him and I was left alone in the room. I slumped inside the bed yet again, brought the blanket only halfway up my torso, and started to reminisce what happened during the fight until sleep enveloped me yet again, although this one I knew I would wake up much sooner.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
I wasn't able to move from the infirmary for a whole week before even entertaining the idea of walking around. I needed to do exercises to make sure my bones wouldn't snap in half from simple walking. I also had to eat, lots and lots of eating.
But eventually, I was able to leave the infirmary today and after a lengthy tour from Lissa and a small prank from her as well to cheer me up, I got to the first stop I wanted to visit.
Since I eventually chose to wield a lance instead of a sword, I opted to go inside a blacksmith shop on the second level of the city, recommended by most of the Shepherds. I could see smoke coming from a chimney and once I knocked on the door and entered, I was greeted with many weapons that hang on display, ranging from swords, lances to axes.
A man with a brown beard and sweat pouring from his bald scalp was forging something on an anvil, hammering down a long piece of hot iron, and was forging it into the rough shape of a sword. Once he realized he had a customer, he put the hot blade inside his forge and walked up to the counter.
"Welcome to the Arms of Ylisstol, what can I do for you young lad?" Asked the blacksmith while dusting his gloves off and putting them on the counter.
"Well, I wanted to ask if you take costume orders on weapons?" I asked him and he barked a hearty laugh while saying "Of course I do lad! Wouldn't be a good blacksmith if I didn't.".
"That's great, so is there a possibility to turn this sword into a spear?" I asked him while putting my sheathed sword on the counter for the blacksmith to inspect.
"You sure lad? Normally it would cost less to create a new one altogether." He said while looking at the sword. He unsheathed it and then whistled at the blade.
"I am willing enough to pay the extra," I said adamantly.
"Lad, it would be a waste to create a new weapon out of this." He said while inspecting Hielobjerg "This sword is well made.".
"I just want it gone and be useful to me in other ways." I said while looking at the blade with a scowl, reminding me of 'him'.
"Whatever you say, lad. So, do you have a design in mind?" He asked while bringing some parchment for the rough design and I pondered for a second, but ultimately knew how I want for the spear to look like.
"Blue shaft, a blade with the same sheen as that sword that can both stab and slice, silver butt and ornaments, and," I said while unpinning my lion that held on to the cloak like a champion "I want this lion to be on the spear.".
He looked up from his parchment and spotted my pin. His eyes were filled with interest and then smirked.
"Well, it's been a while since I got an order like that. Hopefully, you have the coin for the weapon itself!" He barked another laugh, and I couldn't help myself and chuckle. It felt good to let go of that sword.
"Don't worry, I have plenty. How long should it take you to make it?" I asked, hoping it wouldn't take more than a week.
"I recently was able to get fresh supplies so, it shouldn't take more than two days. Haven't been getting a lot of costume orders lately." He pondered out loud. During that time, I looked around the room for anything that could help me in the future and spotted a pair of blue leather gauntlets lined with a few plates of iron for protection. They looked to be my size, so I tried them on and they fitted perfectly.
"I see you eyeing the gloves, lad. Want them as well?" He asked me to which I only nodded. At least my hands won't get callused.
"Very well then, together with the weapon, it will be around hundred and fifty gold pieces." He asked for the money and I was slightly taken back by the price, but thankfully I had enough from just being Flavia's champion. I have enough money to last me for quite some time.
After counting over so many gold coins, I gave him a pouch with the amount he asked for and left the shop and aimed for the barracks of the Shepherds. They were nice enough to pack all of my stuff in Ferox and arranged it inside one of the barracks' rooms where I will live for some time. It's nice to know that there is a home for you to come where you will be welcomed with relatively open arms.
Sure, I still get a glare or two from Sully, Vaike, or Frederick, but it mostly calmed down. That still didn't mean they trust me, especially Frederick. I need to report every day what I have done on said day. It will get annoying quickly, but if this is the only way for Frederick to trust me, well what can I do?
I entered the barracks of the Shepherds and didn't meet anyone in the main hall, the reason is that every week, the Shepherds move out on patrols to get rid of small bands of bandits, ruffians, or Risen. I was thankfully not included because I still was far from a battle-ready state.
Speaking of being ready, there have been no signs yet of a bandit attack on Themis, so it will probably take some time before the 'plot' moves forward. For now, I will just opt for some simple exercise in magic and footing. Surprisingly, magic was something that didn't take a hit during my coma, quite the opposite. Sometimes I feel like I would burst from the amount of mana I had and I have absolutely no idea as to why.
The training yard was, as expected, empty, void of any of the bantering Shepherds. There were broken wooden training dummies that littered the ground without any semblance of order.
"The Shepherds have no idea what it means to be clean…" I trailed off while sighing at the mess that was the training yard. I took my time to replace and rearrange the training dummies so my eyes wouldn't pop out from the sheer mess.
Once I have done so I opened my tome with the traced spell that lets me summon a usable weapon made of ice. I was quite surprised just how much mana and concentration this extension requires. No wonder I felt tired when I used it in the fight with Marth.
I grimaced at 'his' name. I still had no idea as to why Marth would want to kill me. Maybe I did something in the future that made him attack me, but I don't remember much about that fight anymore. I think there was something that caught me off guard, but it probably wasn't important.
As much as a cleric told me that I shouldn't move too much, that doesn't prohibit me from at least doing some mild exercise. I summoned my ice spear, giving it a small twirl while being next to a training dummy.
Alright, how did my instincts guide me back then? It was left foot forward, right elbow at the same level as my shoulder, left hand guiding the tip, aiming it on the ground for now. A loose grip, only tightening it when attacking or blocking.
Alright, this should be it.
I took another deep breath and counted to three.
"One… two… three!"
I stepped forward with my right foot and stabbed the dummy with all my might which wasn't much. I was able to pierce the dummy, but it felt weak in comparison to what I was capable of back in Regna Ferox.
"I see you are still recovering." Said someone with a deep, sharp voice, but a one I could recognize because we were able to meet even before both of us joined the Shepherds.
"Yeah, all of the progress I made was pretty much thrown out the window. It's frustrating." I replied to Lon'qu as I clenched my spear tightly.
"Then use that frustration to build someone that surpasses the 'you' that was in Regna Ferox." He said almost commandingly, and I had to stifle a laugh.
Lon'qu is an interesting individual. Having jet black hair and a sharp face makes look fierce and hard to approach and it reflects in his fighting style, he is the definition of a lone wolf, while suffering from gynophobia. Scoring his myrmidon attire with a dark coat with a little amount of plated armor on his chest, beige baggy pants, leather boots, and armguards, he seemed to be ready to start his daily training exercise.
"Thanks for the encouragement, I can see that you came early," I said, trying to extend the conversation.
"The route we took was met with little to no threats, so it felt more like stroll instead. I need to shave off the rust." Lon'qu said curtly as he unsheathed his sword and began doing his routine with the training dummies I set up. I on the other hand won't push my limit when it comes to physical exercise, because I can barely walk from one destination to another and I have a bad reputation of breaking my limit too often.
I dismissed my spear and left the training ground and the barracks, wanting to go on a stroll, but I was stopped by a guard that was coming to me of all people.
"Are you sir Radko?" He asked. I am going to have to get used to being called that.
"I am," I confirmed.
"Then come with me, you are summoned by the Exalt." He curtly replied and aimed for the castle that I resided in for some time. I wondered why Emmeryn wanted to see me during our trek towards her abode and thankfully it didn't take too much time, enough time that I wouldn't collapse from exhaustion.
Instead of going inside the throne room that Emmeryn usually resided in, we aimed at a balcony to be specific. The guard prompted me to continue inside while leaving for his assigned post and once I was outside it left me speechless.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful. The balcony allowed me to see both levels of the city's main street and how crowded the lowest level was in comparison to the second where I could only see small dots roaming the streets while the afternoon glow of the sunlight shined in the distance. As much as hate this world for what it had done to me so far, there are moments like these that sometimes make the journey worth it.
"I see you like to admire the scenery." I heard from my left and turned to face the Exalt herself in a more suitable outfit in comparison to her sage one. It was a simple dress with a light yellow and green accent, ideal for everyday walking in the castle. I had to say that she looked very pretty in that outfit.
"I do." I answered, then I cleared my throat and bowed slightly to her "Greetings your Grace, my name is Radko and it is an honor to meet you. Can I inquire the reason as to why I was summoned?".
Emmeryn shifted slightly, thinking over something, but then chuckled.
"Can we please skip the titles and formalities for now? I would like to talk to Radko himself and not someone else." She spoke gently, throwing me off guard.
Ok, I wasn't expecting that at all. She saw through my mask so quickly. I only chuckled and eased a little.
"Very well then, what do you need from me, Emmeryn?" I asked, feeling weird to call the queen of a nation with just her name.
"Let's talk over some tea, I have heard you are quite the connoisseur." She prompted me to sit at a table that was on the balcony with two chairs, almost as if this being a place Emmeryn wants to meet people in private. I haven't spotted Phila either, but she was probably somewhere nearby, ready to step in if something was amiss.
We sat down and Emmeryn pored us a really good smelling tea. Was that cherry? It seems cherry is quite popular among the Ylissian nobility.
"How are you feeling?" She started.
"It could be better honestly. I haven't been feeling like myself a lot these past few days. If it is from the trauma of escaping death twice or from my malnourishment, I don't know." I answered.
"That is sad to hear, but you have been holding on very well, despite your medical condition," Emmeryn said reassuringly and I had to resist the urge to scowl, but couldn't hold it in.
"I would be a lot more useful to the Shepherds if I wasn't making a lot of dumb decisions that would lead me towards the said condition," I said, berating myself.
"And why would you think of yourself like that? From what I have heard, you were able to secure a spot as khan Flavia's champion and waited for the Shepherds to come and get our alliance. You were able to deduce all of that by visiting Ylisstol only once." She admired and I hate how I get compliments that didn't belong to me. If I didn't have 'that' certain knowledge, I would be next to useless.
And I hate being called dead weight.
"No, I didn't do any of that," I said, dismissing Emmeryn's compliments.
"But you did." She corrected.
"What do you know!?"
"No!" I shouted while freezing the tea that was inside my cup. Silence filled the now-tense atmosphere until I realized that I have shouted at the Exalt herself and immediately started apologizing.
"What is going on with me!? I have never been this agitated before!"
"I… I am sorry, your Grace. I didn't mean to shout like that." I apologized, berating myself yet again. Emmeryn wasn't mad, in fact, she was smiling.
"Your secrets are eating away at you, don't they?" She stated, and I stopped and looked at her with a stunned expression. She was able to deduce that so quickly and see through my excuse so well.
"How?" I asked, almost ready to tear up.
"It is quite easy to tell since I had done a lot of hiding my fair share of secrets as well." She explained with a smile on her face that was so inviting, equivalent to a mother who saw her child having trouble with anything.
"It hurts to lie to them, but I feel like if I told them what I know I would get shunned for being crazy or they just wouldn't believe me," I explained while unfreezing the cup I had and drink the cold liquid, earning a small shiver.
"So, basically you say that you hold the knowledge that in the wrong hands could cause havoc?" She asked and she couldn't sum it up better than I would.
"Yes," I answered curtly and Emmeryn shifted slightly in her seat but yet again the same smile graced her features.
"That is very admirable, Radko."
Wait, what?
"How is being a liar and not hiding it admirable?" I asked, bewildered by Emmeryn's choice of words.
"Is it that hard for you to see?" She asked back, also bewildered.
"Yes, I do not see it," I confirmed.
"It is admirable for a simple reason. You bear something that you could easily take advantage of, but so far, you had only used it for the betterment of others. I have an inkling that this knowledge helped to see the problem in our land, and you used it so we would secure our alliance with Regna Ferox." She elaborated and she was met with a shocked face of mine. How could she come to that conclusion so early?
"You are very observant Emmeryn," I remarked with a disinterested tone.
"So, you don't deny it?" She said in a bemused tone. What a way to put me in such a pickle. I didn't think that Emmeryn would be this cunning. It made it hurt more that such a loveable lady has such an awful fate in front of her.
"No." I eventually answered.
"Is it that hard for you to take compliments?" She admonished with a playful tone and it almost felt like I was talking to my mother again.
"No, I just don't like taking compliments that don't belong to me," I spoke.
"But they do. Oh well, nobody is perfect." She giggled and I have to say that she was a really good listener. Our conversation took us to a multitude of topics that weren't about me or Emmeryn. They ranged from favorite tea blends to how Emmeryn needed to choose a tavern on the second level of the city for her brother and sister which was so funny just imagining Emmeryn berating her younger siblings.
"Well, I didn't think it would get this late so quickly." She said while looking at the visible rising moon in the navy-blue sky "I think we should call it a day.".
"Yeah, thank you for the tea and company Emmeryn. I needed that." I said in a thankful tone. Truly, I feel like myself a lot more. Maybe it was because she helped me elevate my troubles about hiding my secrets.
"You are welcome and as I said, don't be afraid to tell them. The sooner you do so, the less damage it will cause you." She advised, almost the same way as Flavia did back in Ferox, with a lot less hitting.
"I will keep that in mind." I said, while also bowing slightly "By your leave.".
"Please stop with the act, you look like someone I had met once a long time ago, and I don't want to mistake you for someone else." She said and I perked up. I looked like someone she knew? I grew a little curious and asked her about who she was talking about.
"Who do I remind you of?"
"That isn't important, he is long gone as far as I know," Emmeryn said with a solemn tone.
"Oh, I am sorry for prying." I apologized.
"No, you were just curious and that is fine. Now, I think it is time for us to leave." She curtly replied and left the balcony, leaving me alone to my thoughts yet again. I punched the railing of the balcony, loathing myself for getting even slightly attached to Emmeryn.
"God damn it, why am I such a coward…" I contemplated and left the balcony too.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
It has been three days since my little teatime with Emmeryn and I mostly spent my time either rehabilitating or doing some minor physical exercise or magic training lessons. Seriously, I had no idea as to why my magic flow has been so responsive and full of energy, but my body felt all kinds of shit.
Anyway, I am currently on my way towards the blacksmith where I made the special order. I was quite excited to hold the weapon in my hand, like a small kid who picks up a branch and swings it around pretending it be a sword. Except for the fact that it is a quite real and dangerous weapon, meant for killing.
With that bad train of thought coming to its end, I reached the shop and got inside and saw the same blacksmith. He checked who was it and when he spotted me, he began to grin.
"Well, you couldn't have come in a better time, lad. Just finished your order this morning." He said while rummaging through one of many shelves and procuring a long narrow object wrapped in leather. At first, it almost looked like what Alexander first gave me back at the bridge, but I threw that memory aside, I specifically have ordered this weapon for that reason.
He laid the spear on the counter, but it was still obscured from my view.
"Well, open it." Prompted the blacksmith.
I slowly began to unveil the spear and once I looked at it, I felt elevated, like a heavy imaginary weight has been lifted.
The spear looked amazing.
The tip of the spear had a straight stemmed blade that functioned both as a weapon for stabbing and slicing while retaining its blue tinge. Blue shaft complimented my coat and newly obtained gauntlets nicely and the silver decorations at the butt and head of the spear made it look unique while not being too flashy. It was then I spotted my lion on the head of the spear, embedded inside and roaring into the sky.
I picked up the spear and I could already tell the difference between this and my spears made from ice. This weapon was balanced and refined in comparison, but now I had a template to creating better lances with my ice magic and obtained a new weapon as well, killing two birds with one stone.
Just holding the spear felt right. While I wielded Hielobjerg with scorn, I didn't feel any of that while holding the beautiful spear this blacksmith made. I just couldn't stop admiring it.
"You certainly look like you like it." The blacksmith smirked and he had the right to, this spear was a masterpiece in my eyes.
"It's beautiful," I spoke.
"Well, I have to say forging the spear from that blade of yours was quite the hassle, damn thing wouldn't melt. The steel that your blade was made of was one of a kind and I was happy to see that it retained its sheen even after reforging it." The blacksmith elaborated to which I only nodded because I didn't know much when it came to forging. He then rummaged through his shelves one more time and brought me the sheathe to the blade that no longer existed and rested in my arms in a different form.
I took it wordlessly as a reminder, but nothing more. It will probably accumulate dust inside the barracks anyway.
"Be sure to keep the blade in fine condition and if something happens to the spear, just come back and I will fix it for you lad." He said and it put a smile on my face.
"I'll be sure to remember that. Thank you." I said and left the blacksmith to his charge and aimed for the barracks. The walk there was very peaceful, not only that but I was still ogling the spear in my hand. It had been some time since I felt this giddy, but then one thought invades my mind.
"Where the hell will I put this thing?" I asked out loud, only for me to almost start laughing. I feel like this will be a running joke on how I can't plan things. Maybe I'll use the Hielobjerg's sheathe as an emergency spear frog.
I was hoping that I would use my free time in the barracks to relax, maybe do some training, getting back to shape or have another chess match with Virion or Robin, but I was able to do none of those things because once I entered the barracks, it was as if the world was on fire.
Everyone was scurrying from one place to another, franticly packing their belongings for another march and I had no clue what was going on. I spotted Virion who was doing the same and I stopped him from going into another room.
"What is going on Virion?" I asked, needing an answer to this mess.
"Ah, Radko, great timing. Chrom has announced an immediate march towards the western border between Plegia and Ylisse. Emmeryn has requested a parley with King Gangrel and Chrom beat her to it to have the Shepherds as the honor guard." Virion answered. It took me some time to register what he said until…
"Shit!" I exclaimed while bolting to my room to get ready, but I was stopped by Virion, blocking my path.
"Now hold on, you are in no condition to leave the capital. You are staying here, Chrom's orders." Virion relayed and I had to do a double-take.
"Chrom's orders?" I parroted and Virion nodded.
This was exactly what I was afraid of.
"So… I would be dead weight out there, wouldn't I?" I asked, fist bawling up from anger.
"I wouldn't call it that, but you still haven't recovered yet. From what I have heard, there might be a chance of a skirmish and you are far from battle-ready." Virion reasoned and I forced myself to calm down.
Yes, I wasn't ready to fight, and going out there could lead me to probable death. But that doesn't mean I couldn't help.
I pushed Virion aside, going inside the main hall and found the nearest parchment with a quill and an ink bottle, and started to scribble down everything I knew about the chapter where Maribelle gets kidnapped. Virion eyed me a little suspiciously but didn't comment, only watched.
Once I was done, I thrust the paper at Virion who slumped slightly from the impact, almost knocking the air out of his lungs.
"Give this paper to Robin once you leave Ylisstol and don't you dare read it," I commanded him and after he recovered, he looked at the paper and then nodded. He went somewhere to finish his packing and while I couldn't participate in the march, I helped around the barracks to help the Shepherds pack as fast as possible.
As much as I want to keep secret about my knowledge of the future, I won't let it chain me from helping the Shepherds in other ways. From what I remember, this chapter is brutal on harder difficulties and I hope that Robin will make use of the information I wrote inside the letter while hoping that she won't talk about it to anyone.
They were prepared in less than an hour and were ready for the march and I was the only Shepherd who won't participate. I eyed the caravan with all of their supplies and spotted Chrom doing some last-minute preparations with Robin and once he was done, he spotted me, a regretful smile gracing his features.
"I know you have just joined the Shepherds and are eager to-." I held my hand to stop him and gave him the best smile I could muster.
"It's alright Chrom. As much as I wanted to join and be helpful out there, staying here is a sounder option. I'll keep Ylisstol safe until you return."
My answer seemed to satisfy Chrom and instead of the regretful smile he adorned, it turned into a smirk.
"Very well, then I hope you won't have nearly as much work as we do," Chrom said and didn't wait for my answer as he got ready to start the march towards the border. He checked if everyone was ready to march and once he deemed so, they began their trek with Emmeryn in tow with a few pegasus knights.
I waved them goodbye and was left alone, again.
At times it felt like the world just wanted me to be alone. From what I have heard they should be back in less than a week, but what was I supposed to do with this free time? I know I was supposed to be resting and regaining my strength, but what else could I do?
I pondered about what will I do on my way back to the yet again empty barracks. Saying that this place was a mess would be an understatement and I was genuinely surprised by just how unorganized the barracks were. Maybe I could take some time and clean up this place a little bit once I find the right time.
Now I want to do some drills with my new spear while taking some spare or broken lances that were littered on the boxes, some parchment, and ink bottles. I have been using my spare time for reading and found an interesting idea when it came to casting.
Tomes work like a catalyst that allows the user to use an element of their choosing based on the text in the tome. Now, the question I have given myself was 'Is the tome the vacuum that sucks mana, or the text?'.
I have taken the time and finally learned how to read the runes inside my tome to a certain extent, allowing me to mostly understand the script.
I now was in the training yard and put my stuff on the ground while stretching my back. Man, Virion wasn't kidding when he said I wasn't ready, I just can't seem to rejuvenate properly.
Anyway, I picked up my tome and checked the script for my ice shards. I touched the text and I was able to create a small ice shard, no need to go big. It seemed that everything was working as intended, now let's try touching the cover with the intent for casting.
Once I did, sparks started to form on my hand, but it didn't form into anything. It lingered until it fizzled out, disappearing like a wisp of smoke. So, the bound catalyst functions as a conduit for magic veins, and the symbols are the guidelines for the spell to form.
Interesting…
So far, I have only heard that mages only bound themselves to a tome and I think I have an inkling as to why. Parchment is the easiest place to write the symbols since it's flat and the ley lines are easy enough to follow. If it were on a cylinder object for example the process would get not only more complicated but also more tedious.
But it should still be possible.
I picked up one of the broken lances and I was trying to find the best place where I could try to replicate the ice shard symbol. I could minimize it so it would fit on the flat blade of the lance.
I started to scratch with a quill the symbol on the lance and once I was done, I touched the cover of my book, creating sparks that didn't form. Once I touched the writing on the lance, it sizzled out just like before, leaving me slightly confused. I made sure the rune looked nearly identical.
Wait, I needed to infuse the ink with mana, didn't I? I silently facepalmed myself and picked up the ink bottle and tried to, well, infuse magic into it. I was expecting a lot of things to happen and this was sadly one of them.
When I tried to force my magic flow into the bottle, the ink inside shot from it, like a squirt gun high into the sky. I immediately backed away so I wouldn't get ink all over myself and it landed on the ground with a splash, completely counting the ground with it.
"Great…" I muttered. Well, I guess I wouldn't be a Shepherds if I wasn't making a mess. I found a mop with water that was inside the main hall and cleaned the ink before it would dry out. There still a few smudges of ink on the ground, but that was the best I could have done.
So, I need to find a way to infuse ink. Well, thankfully the royal library was open to all Shepherds and even though I was not with them right now, I still count as one.
The library was located near the castle at the highest level of the city and I needed to pass a total of three guards, just to get inside the damn thing. But once I was inside, I think the amount of security was needed. This place was huge and I was happy that there were a lot of different books and scrolls of all types of literature.
Now let's find what was I looking for.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
Ok, I have never thought that rummaging through that library would take so much time. So much so that it was getting late, but here I was, back inside the barracks for another round of tinkering with magic.
After finding out that the way you need to infuse ink with magic was a simple ritual of drawing a symbol underneath the bottle and activating it with some of the sparks coming from my tome, I successfully created magically infused ink.
I proceeded to write with the ink on another lance with a matching blade and touched it with my hand with sparks flying across it. It eventually formed into the ice shard I wanted, leaving me smiling at my achievement. I absorbed the ice and looked at the lance again to see that the marking had disappeared.
"Why did it disappear?" I muttered.
Maybe it was because it wasn't pure mana like the ley lines are. The spell burns the ink away, so maybe that was how the dispensable tomes work. The special parchment gives it enough strength for it to work and once it is used the ink burns the parchment it was written on.
So, I have a way to create ink, now I would need a catalyst, but the process is extremely taxing on magic veins and your body as well. It is simple enough to execute, but the amount of willpower and magic you need from what I have heard is a lot.
Some mages bypass this ritual by having multiple people at once helping the individual to bond themselves to a book but I haven't found many documentaries where they would use anything else.
Well, time to make history, I guess.
I started to create a diagram on the ground from the infused ink, so much for cleaning this mess earlier, and picked up my newly acquired spear and stood in the middle of the circle. The way you do it is to draw a little amount of blood and let a few drops fall on the diagram.
It might be a little reckless, but from what I have heard the worst thing that could happen to me was passing out from exhaustion and that was something I had the experience in.
I cut my hand with my spear while simultaneously testing its sharpness and it was as good if not even better than Hielobjerg's. It hurt a little, but I steeled myself and let the blood drop on the diagram, coating it.
Once I deemed it was enough, I held the spear in front of me with my bloodied hand and started to murmur the words of the incantation for it to work.
With this contract, I bind myself to this object before me,
marked by my blood.
Mana started to flow through my veins, the world around becoming nothing. My eyes were closed, and I only saw darkness and the outline of the spear in it. My body felt cold as ice, yet I didn't feel I was in danger, I felt safe.
The ground under me began to freeze and I felt becoming weaker by the second. I may have underestimated just how taxing this process was, but I steeled myself once more and said the second incantation.
Let it open my blind eyes to the beauty that is magic in this world!
The declaration almost created a shockwave of energy and the spear began to suck all of my mana, not just a portion, all of it, like a tome would with its vacuum. The stress was becoming more unbearable and I tried to hold on, but when the spear emptied my mana pool, it found another.
It was much more sinister in nature, but it was still a part of me none the less. What was it that I have been trying to hide? It felt foreign yet at the same time, I somehow had an inkling for what it was, but couldn't find a solid conclusion.
Whatever this foreign power was, it was part of me whether I liked it or not. I began to open myself to this source through my spear and tried to let the spear suck it out while spouting the rest of the incantation.
We are now bound,
You shall answer to my wi-!
"Ack!" I flinched from a sudden pain from my chest once the vacuum tried to suck the sinister power and the spear flew from my hand. I clutched my chest and then started to cough. Saliva escaped from my mouth and I spotted a few drops of blood in them as well. My vision starts to tunnel, and I was ready to collapse if I didn't have a vulnerary on hand.
I drank the chunky liquid down and the chest pain from earlier started to ebb, but it didn't leave me. It still felt hot, like my heart was pumping some sort of acid through my veins, but I had enough strength to stand up and picked up my spear while breathing heavily.
Damn it, I didn't think the ritual could backfire like that. The book stated only that only nausea or exhaustion were the only symptoms, not an aching chest nor coughing up blood. I coughed a few more times before the pain settled down and no longer flooded my system and I could breathe finally without the feeling of my lungs burning.
It was then I heard a rustling sound, coming from one of the bushes in the training yard.
An intruder?
I readied the spear for a throw. I tried to spot the silhouette for any movement, and I saw another rustle coming from the said bush. I turned and threw my spear at the bush with as much force I could muster.
I heard an audible yelp coming from the bush and once the spear passed through it, a young boy appeared out of it wearing blue mage's robes similar to Miriel, wearing a long pointy hat and red hair, it was the mage Ricken.
"Ricken!? What were you doing there!?" I asked, worried I have scared him. He was visibly shaking, and I felt so bad that I immediately went to him and tried to comfort him, only for him to stop me.
"S-Stay back!" He pleaded and this situation felt familiar for some reason, but I didn't dwell on it. I ignored his plea and hoisted him up unwillingly and then tried to put the most worried expression on my face to comfort him.
"Are you alright? If I know you were inside that bush, I wouldn't have attacked you." I reassured him and he seemed to calm down a little though he backed away slightly away from me.
"Y-Yeah, I think I am." He responded a little weakly but was thankfully fine.
"I am so sorry." I apologized.
"N-No, it's alright, I shouldn't have been sneaking up on you." He explained and I just breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can I ask you what are you doing here? Shouldn't you supposed to be with the Shepherds?" I asked. Ricken to which he began to pout.
"Yeah, I would like to be if it wasn't for Chrom not letting me go!" Ricken then eyed me from top to bottom "And from to looks of it I am not alone.".
"That's true, but that doesn't explain why you were hiding away in that bush from me," I said in a matter-of-fact tone and Ricken stiffened.
"That… that was because sir Frederick ordered me to keep an eye on you, while they were on their way towards the border."
He… he did not just say that. I balled my fist in anger.
"So, Frederick wants to play that game, huh?" My thoughts resurfaced. That was until I realized that Ricken shouldn't be here!
"Shit!" I exclaimed loudly to Ricken's surprise and picked up my spear and immediately went inside the barracks. Ricken was right behind me, panting from the sudden sprint.
"W-Wait! Where are you going!?" He franticly asked while seeing me pack necessary belongings for a fast march, throwing him for a loop. I didn't answer him, my thoughts were like a roaring tornado.
No, if Frederick told Ricken to look out for me then that means no one will be there to save Maribelle!
Damn it! By just existing I am already screwing up the plot!
I realized that I haven't answered Ricken's question to which I responded curtly "To the border.".
"What!? Didn't Chrom said to us to stay put?!" He asked. I didn't have time for questions like that! I took Ricken by his robes to his surprise and looked him into his brown, slightly red-colored eyes.
"Do you want to save Maribelle or not? Because I don't have time for indecisiveness." I asked him sternly and he gulped, but then conviction flowed into his eyes and he resolutely nodded.
"Great, then pack your things and get us two horses. The faster we get there the better." I said as I let him go and Ricken bolted to his room and already had things packed. I guess he just needed a push.
"I already have a horse ready, and she is strong enough to carry both of us," Ricken said and that put a smile on my face. This guy was more prepared than I was.
"That's great. Let's go, we got no time to lose." I urged and once we were ready, I was met with the stables of the barracks for the first time and sure smelled like horses and shit alright. I bear through the smell and we immediately charged for the border once we left Ylisstol. We should have enough supplies to survive the way there and hopefully won't run into any Risen or bandits.
The horse we were both on was galloping for more than five hours and still didn't show any signs of exhaustion. Ricken was not kidding when he said the horse could endure our weight, but I just hoped we will be to get there in time.
{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
We were so close to the border I could practically smell the tension in the air. The negotiations were probably happening right now. However, it wouldn't be that easy, I don't know how Ricken was able to sneak into the hills without getting spotted, because I could see the wyvern riders on the horizon. Seeing those creatures for the first time involuntarily brought a chill down my spine. Those things were huge.
Ricken however was yet again able to prove me wrong and found a path where not one of us could have been spotted and I have to say that the blunder back in the barracks didn't reflect on how good his stealth was. I could be considered a complete amateur in comparison to him.
Once we got close enough, I could see the Shepherds in the lowest hill, talking to the Mad King Gangrel himself, perched in the highest peak. As much as he acted like a clown sometimes in-game, Gangrel looked regal in his outfit to a certain extent. He had his trademark yellow cape and crown on his red-haired head. His figure looked on the leaner side, and he was currently cackling like a mad man, probably because the negotiations reached its failed conclusion.
"I have my war!" He yelled out, being heard even this far away "This slow and painful war will bleed all of you Ylissians dry down to a single drop and my people will relish in it!".
"Commander Orton!" He called out and one of the many wyvern riders came down to him and they started talking that was no longer hearable, then out of the corner of my eyes I saw our kidnapped Maribelle next to the hag that was Aversa.
"Alright Ricken, the way we enter-." I began, but once I looked at my left side Ricken was nowhere to be found. It was after I looked at Maribelle again that I saw Ricken out of the corner of my eyes that he was bolting to Maribelle's rescue.
Damn it, kid! Your rashness will get you killed like that!
I immediately followed suit and went downhill, following Ricken's trail, and started to sprint because I need to get to them as fast as possible. I saw Ricken using his wind magic to push back Aversa, but from the looks of it, it didn't do much. It gave them enough time to went down another hill however and escape Aversa.
But she wasn't going away, she was chasing them down.
It was then I started to meet some resistance in the form of few enemy soldiers, but I didn't have time for them. I opened my tome and cast my shield, leaving it active for now, since my mana reserves have been fully rejuvenated after I attempted creating a non-tome catalyst.
"Get out of my way!" I shouted while pocketing my tome and readied my lance and charged, while one soldier tried to block me. He tried to stab me with his lance, only to meet my defense and I responded in kind, stabbing him and not looking back.
I got closer to Ricken and Maribelle with each passing moment, but they were cut off from one of their paths that led towards the main group and now were surrounded by two wyvern knights and Aversa herself. I pressed forward, needing to get them as fast as possible, only to be blocked by one of many wyvern riders.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" He said in a mocking tone, looking down at me while perched on his flying wyvern.
"Don't stand in my way, or I'll make you move myself," I said threateningly.
"Hah! As if you could! It's been some time I had to hunt some prey. Beg for your life!" He bellowed and flew into the sky on his wyvern and began to dive-bomb with his ax held high and swung it in massive arks. Dodging those attacks proved to be difficult, not only I had to worry about the ax, but also the wyvern itself. If that thing would ram into me, it would be equivalent to getting crushed by a car.
The wyvern rider was ready for another dive-bomb, but I got a surprise for him. I waited for the wyvern to get closer and once I deemed it good enough, I opened my tome and created a wall of ice for the wyvern to ram into, the sudden hotness in my chest resurfacing.
The rider tried to pull up his wyvern, but in vain as he rammed into the wall with a loud bang, not even cracking the ice I made and was sent flying over the wall. He stumbled down the hill that went down to the location of Maribelle and Ricken who were valiantly trying to fend off their attackers and I could see the Shepherds reaching the same hill.
I picked up the pace, trying to reach them, but I was stopped by the same wyvern rider again.
"Heh, you are a worthy prey! Die!" He charged me with his ax, and I was expecting my barrier to block it, but it gave out. Shit, I have used a different spell and forgot to cast it! I poorly blocked the strike with the shaft of my spear, but thanks to my gauntlets the ax didn't nick me and his assault continued.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Aversa charging a spell that looked deadly enough to me. I successfully parried one of his strikes and pushed him off, while bolting for Aversa.
I summoned a few ice daggers and launched them at her, while simultaneously casting my barrier again for a probable attack of the wyvern rider behind me. My chest getting hotter, but I ignored it.
Aversa spotted the daggers I launched and effortlessly dodged them stopping her from unleashing the spell she had ready while looking at my charging form. I could visibly see her smirk, but she didn't say anything.
One of the myrmidons tried to attack me but met a swift death with another of my stabs before he could reach me. I grimaced from the sound, but I had to push forward. I unstuck my spear from the myrmidon and rushed Aversa, attacking her with another thrust, and out of nowhere, a lance appeared in her hand, redirecting my attack aside.
"Oh, and what do we have here?" She pondered out loud.
"Shouldn't you have scurried back to your king by now?" I asked with venom.
"I would, but what is the fun in that?" She said in a sickeningly sweet voice. I didn't answer back and went on the offensive, but no matter how much I tried to hit her she almost perfectly dodged or blocked my attacks.
She outclassed me in every aspect of wielding a lance.
I went for another thrust, but she was able to redirect it again leaving me wide open. She went for my heart, but thankfully the spell I had for that one wyvern rider came in handy and blocked it, surprising Aversa. I pushed her away even further by forcing her to back off from one of my strikes and instead of pressing my advantage, I created another wall of ice, blocking Aversa from following me.
My chest began to burn, but I had to bear through it and turned to finally reach the duo I have been trying to reach this entire time.
"Radko!? What are you doing here!?" Shouted Maribelle. If she was happy to see me or not, I didn't know.
"We can talk about that later! Come on the both of you, we need to get out of here!" I urged them in the direction where the Shepherds were and I didn't need to tell them that twice and we charged through a few soldiers to get to them.
I led the charge while Maribelle and Ricken were behind me. Ricken took care of any wyvern rider that came across, thanks to his wind magic shredding the leathery membranes of wyvern's wings, prohibiting them from flying at us.
It felt as if a miracle had happened and we were able to reach the Shepherds relatively unharmed, thanks to a vulnerary or two. We were met by Chrom who had a scowl on his face before he spotted us three rushing for their help.
"Ricken!? Radko!? What are you two doing here!?" He questioned, but yet again I had to shut him down.
"Not now, Chrom! First, let's get out of here! Reinforcements will come any minute now and we have no time for questions! Sound the retreat!" Chrom was slightly taken back by my forceful tone, but nodded and yelled out "Everyone, retreat! We got Maribelle, let's escape this hell hole!".
The Shepherds responded immediately, but sadly the way downhill was only a narrow pathway, creating a bottleneck and we needed to fend off a few more soldiers before the rest could make their way down.
I was one of the last to go down, Maribelle being in front of me and I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but as fate would have it, it was far from over. The road we were on was covered by another steep hill, blocking us from seeing what was up top and once a roar came from the said direction, another wyvern rider appeared, and it aimed right at me.
"Don't think you can escape me that easily!" The same wyvern rider bellowed out and I didn't have space to dodge his attack. I braced myself with my spear, but instead of attacking me with his weapon, the wyvern's claws grabbed both of my arms, talons sinking into my arms and shoulders.
I yelled in pain and before I could somehow make my situation better, I got lifted into the air, the wyvern dragging me with its appendages.
"Radko!" Maribelle shouted, her sound getting quieter as the distance between me and the Shepherds grew. I was barely able to stay conscious since my chest still burned on top of all the pain I was experiencing. I was hoping the Shepherds wouldn't let the wyvern escape and my wish was granted.
An arrow flew through the air and was able to pierce the membrane of the already quite damaged wyvern, forcing it to throw me away as it flailed around to get more height, inevitably falling with its rider. I hit the ground with a loud thud, stumbling on it until I was facedown.
I was surprised that I held on to my spear, so I used it to hoist myself up and tried to check my surroundings. I had no idea where I was because I couldn't see up nor down from this spot, the only thing I could see were soldiers, more than I could take on in my current state and one of them was Aversa.
"So, finally done playing the hero?" She mocked while having her tome at the ready.
"Never said I was one." I retorted while hissing in pain. I was honestly shocked by how I could still stand, but I didn't dwell on it. I had a crowd to fight through. I opened my tome and when I started to cast the heat in my chest reached its boiling point.
I started to vomit from the heat, the acid burning my throat and my heart raced again, pumping blood that didn't feel like my own. I could only hear Aversa giggle.
"It seems you have reached your limit. I have to say it has been quite some time since I fought someone with an ice affinity. Glad you gave me a refresher." She said in that stupid sweet voice that felt like somebody was drilling a hole inside my head.
Suddenly, I felt a light enveloping me and I had to do a double-take if I wasn't hallucinating it. Aversa immediately stiffened and charged her spell and fire a ball of darkness and I didn't have time to dodge it. The light then became blinding that I had to cover my eyes and it felt like my body was moving at insane speeds, like an upward rollercoaster.
Once the light died down I was somewhere else, standing on the ground and dumbfounded from what happened to me until I heard a feminine voice.
"Jump on, quickly!" That was Maribelle and once I turned around, I saw her with her hand stretched out and with a peculiar staff.
Holy shit, rescue staffs are a thing! I would kiss you right now Maribelle but now wasn't the time. I nodded and took her hand, hoisting me up to her steed.
"Hold on tight." She advised and I hugged her instinctively and we bolted to the Shepherds, her horse galloping in the wind and I could see Aversa on one of the hills, a scowl on her face. At least I had the last laugh if that amounted to anything.
We reached the group relatively unharmed thanks to a vulnerary Maribelle had. I need to make sure I have those in future battles. Chrom saw us and a smile graced his lips before adopting a stern expression.
"Alright, that's everyone. Retreat to the capital Shepherds!" He commanded and everyone picked up the pace and marched back towards the capital. I could saw some wyvern riders trying to chase us but immediately pulled back once Virion shot a warning shot.
After our retreat and making a camp for the night. Thankfully, the stuff me and Ricken brought weren't lost and we could make a tent for us to sleep in with the rest. I got healed from Lissa, who was a little quiet after she healed me, so I gave her a thankful smile.
While I was there, another person entered the healing tent and the one was Robin. She looked at me with an expecting look and had crossed arms while tapping her foot.
"We need to talk, alone." That was all she said.
Well, shit.
AN: So, that happened. Anyway, I don't really have much to say to this chapter, it just happened, I guess.
Here is the link to the Fanfiction Treehouse for those who are interested: gg/9XG3U7a
Anyway, I hope you guys have a great day.
God's speed.