Just Roll With It
Chapter One
Who Are These People?
Daylight flickers into my still closed sleepy eyes. A warm wind passes around me, overall it's a perfect morning to just keep your eyes closed and just enjoy the warmth of your bed. Well that's what I would be thinking if I hadn't just felt something press into my chest, I live alone so, I immediately know something is off.
Slowly I open an eye, all I see is white. Initially I thought I left the light on in my room, but this theory was put to rest immediately when the white shifted and Into view came a verdant field of rolling hills stretching well into the horizon. Shocked, I recoiled slightly causing the white at the bottom of my gaze to turn over revealing a young woman with stark white hair, which is odd, but hair dye exists, so I chalk it up to that.
Okay, this isn't an ideal situation, I have no clue where I am. Well a field obviously, but beyond that I am in the dark. There is a relatively attractive woman curled around my arm, not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know who this is, and I don't party, so I can rule out a drunken outing last night.
No later than that thought passes is when I hear footsteps approaching. I quickly shut my eyes. Hopefully whoever this is will just pass by while I wait for whoever is beside me to wake up. I'll get some sort of explanation then. I of course have no such luck, and the footsteps stop in front of my feet. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me out of my faux sleep.
Panic courses through me and I do the one thing I can think of. Brusquely, I shake off the hand and grunt in protest to being pulled from my faux sleep.
"Well, what do you propose we do?" A man's voice asks.
"Uhh… I don't know…," says a younger woman's voice.
"We cannot let them lay here any longer. The Farmer was clear about them leaving this place." says another man in a more gruff voice.
Suddenly, the woman at my side jumps out of my embrace, my eyes shoot open. To say what I saw standing before me was surprising would be an understatement. Two men and a teenage girl are at my feet.
One man is around my age. He has straight blue hair. He's dressed like the hero of every fairy tale ever. A dark blue tunic with silver trim rests over hit athletic frame. On his back is a long white cape with tattered edges. A spalder sits on his left shoulder, while his other shoulder and arm for that matter are bare. Completing his outfit, dark blue pants flow into off-white boots.
The other a taller man is wearing a full set of a lighter blue and silver plate armor. His face seems annoyed with his current situation. His eyes are trained on me as if ready to pounce at any second.
The third stranger is a girl who would come to around my shoulder if I was standing, she wears a yellow dress with a leather corset laced overtop. A childish pair of blonde twin tails sprout from her head. She has a confused yet kind expression on her face.
"You two know there are better places to sleep than on the ground, right?" the blue haired man jokes while offering me a hand.
I give him a sheepish smile and take his hand.
"True as that may be, I have no clue why I am even sleeping here." I say, sleep still heavy in my voice.
"That's strange, I always remember where I go to sleep." the blonde muses to no one in particular.
Well, even if I did remember how I got here, I definitely would not offer up that information to the local LARPers.
The blue haired man turns to face the woman I woke up next to.
"You all right?" The younger man asks
"Y-yes… Thank you, Chrom." Says the white haired woman
My head turns to my now standing "lady friend", She is my height if not a little shorter than me. She has a black coat with purple trim and golden cuffs embellish her sleeves enveloping her slight frame. Of what little I can see beneath the coat, she is wearing an almost tan shirt. Her midsection sports a belt with two straps interlaced. Her pants are the same tan color as her shirt, they almost spill off of her. For footwear, she has knee-high leather boots. Her hair is white as snow, and is pulled into twin tails that fall on either side her head.
"Ah, then you know who I am?" Chrom says with a light smile coming to his face.
"No, actually. I… It's strange… Your name, it just…came to me…" She says.
Splendid! Why do I always choose the crazy ones to go after… although, she does look genuinely confused.
"… Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?" The older man asks almost incredulously."
"My name is… It's… Hmm?" A pained look crosses her face as she scrambles her brain for the information.
"… You don't remember your own name?" Chrom asks patiently.
Chrom turns his head to me, "Do you know your name?"
"Uh… Yeah, I'm Nikolas, but you can call me Nik."
Chrom ponders my name for a moment, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Nik."
"Likewise." Is all I manage to mumble out.
The woman breathes, "I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?"
"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" Exclaims the younger girl
"It's called a load of pegasus dung. We're to believe you remember Milord's name, but not your own?" The knight spits
Wow, they take the role play far in these parts, even making up their own swears.
"B-but it's the truth!" A now worried woman states
"… What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave these two here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?" Chrom asks.
"Just the same, milord. I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." The man who I so expertly inferred name is Frederick states
"Right then, we'll take them back to town and sort this out there.
Wait just one moment." Chrom declares, turning to move away from where our conversation takes place.
"Do we have a say in this?" Both I and the white haired woman ask simultaneously.
It's only then that I realize these men are armed with what I assume are foam weapons, and decide three on one wouldn't be a fun fight to take. I shrug and move to follow Chrom and Frederick. Anyway, when we get to town, I can use a phone and figure out where in the world I have got myself stuck.
Mid-stride, Chrom turns his head back to the younger girl and calls out "Come on Lissa."
Lissa nods to the white haired woman and starts walking after us. The woman exhales a deep sigh and follows.
We've been walking along this "road" if you could call this dirt path a road for about five minutes and in this time, I've realized that I am not wearing normal people's clothes. I am dressed just as ridiculously as the rest of these people. I'm wearing an emerald green tunic tucked into a black pair of trousers held up with a leather belt. On my feet are a pair of calf high dark leather boots. I'd normally think this would be a cool outfit for a Ren faire but seeing as I woke up in a field with no clue how I got these clothes, I am perplexed by the situation.
Finally, I decide to ask my "Shepards" what in the world is going on. However, before I can open my mouth the woman who I've decided fried her brain with all the bleach she must use for her hair speaks.
"What will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner?" A nervous look crosses her face for half a second.
Chrom chuckles at her "Hah! You'll be free to go once we establish that you're no enemy of Ylisse."
"Is that where we are? Ylisse?" she furrows her brow.
Frederick snorts, "You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actress. She plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing…"
My face blanches however, I quickly calm myself. I have never in my life heard of
Ylisse, not even from my friends who are into this sort of role play. They're gonna have a field day with me when I tell them about this.
I decide now is as good of a time to as any to interject, I turn to the woman
"If it makes you feel any better I have no clue what Ylisse is either."
"Frederick, please." Chrom turns to me and the mystery woman,"This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order… My name is Chrom but then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister"
"I am NOT delicate!" Lissa huffs," Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes, but you're lucky the Shepherds found you both. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!" Finishing her sentence with a bright smile.
The woman asks almost incredulously, "Shepherds? You tend sheep? … In full armor?"
I add on, "My thoughts exactly."
Chrom smirks, "Heh, it's a dangerous job," Pointing at Frederick, "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."
Frederick turns to look at the group. His eyes soften a tad and the ghost of a smile touches his lips.
"A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."
"I understand, sir. I would do no less myself. My name is Robin. … I just remembered that. How odd. I suppose that's one mystery solved." Robin says as she brings her hand to her chin and cocks her head.
Chrom cocks his head slightly upon hearing the name for the first time."Robin? Is that foreign? … Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we—" He is cut off by a shriek from Lissa.
"Chrom, look! The town!"
We all snap our heads to where Lissa is staring in awe. Black plumes of smoke waft out of the settlement before us. Frederick and Chrom look ready to spring to action immediately.
Chrom speaks first "Damn it, Southtown was set ablaze! Those blasted Brigands, no doubt… Frederick, Lissa! Let's go, quickly!"
Frederick hesitates and gestures to Robin and I "And what of them Milord?"
Chrom, a few steps ahead already calls back without turning around "Unless those two are on fire as well they can wait!"
"Aptly put, Milord." he sighs and charges after Chrom and Lissa.
Robin and I stand there for a few moments, dumbstruck by the fools who ran off towards the inferno that is Southtown.
I look at Robin and shrug, "Wanna go help those idiots?" I turn to start jogging toward Southtown, "Not like we have much else to do!"
Robin shakes her head and sighs as she's calculating her response, "Looks like the decision has been made for me."
At a rapid pace Robin and I chase after the self-proclaimed shepherds. Bounding over one final hill before the gate to the town appears before us. That's when I see something that would make a man with a weaker constitution retch, a man lies in the street with his head crushed. Chunks of his gray matter splattered on the cobblestones. Above him stands an absolute unit of a man with a war hammer in hand. He turns to look at me and smiles.
Within a second he lunges forward at me. Without thinking, I grab Robin by the wrist and run past him. Once we are clear of him we look up to see a lone man with his bow trained on us. Robin pulls herself from my grip and dives into a nearby alleyway. Pain shoots through my right arm, I look and see red staining my shirt on my right forearm. Fight or flight takes over as I rush to the alley that robin has hidden herself in.
"What the flying fuck is happening." I manage to sputter out fear ripe in my voice.
"Brigands," like chrom said." She replies not bothering to take her eyes off the book she has in her hands.
"Well, brigands or whatever the fuck is happening we need to get out of here." I say taking an edge in my voice.
She ignores me, after a moment her gaze meets mine, "We're going to fight them." a spark of something I don't like flashes in her eyes.
Stupefied I look at her "L-Look, I don't know what part of stupid town you blew in from, but I have no weapon. And those guys are definitely stronger than both you and me."
Robin smirks, "That's why I have this!" she holds out the book in my face with two arms extended, a devilish grin plastered on her face.
"Okay," I sigh, "and what do you suppose we do with that!? Read them a story and hope they fall asleep?!"
An arrow thunks into the crate not too far from Robin's head. She jumps up and opens the book and places a hand on one page.
"When the archer goes down grab his bow" Robin tenses ready to spring into the street.
"Wait—What?!" Is all I can get out before another arrow plinks off the stone wall beside us.
"NOW!" She screams, tearing the page out of her book and jumping into the street.
I lunge to pull her back to safety when something unbelievable happens. The page Robin tore out of her book started to crackle with electricity, the smell of ozone permeating through the air. She throws her arm forward just as I reach her left arm, tugging it slightly. A bolt of lightning crashes into the Brigand with the bow, forcing him to flop over, seemingly deceased. Robin lowers her right arm and lets the torn out page fall to the ground.
I'm dumbfounded "What was tha-" I'm cut off by a sharp slap
"What the hell did you think you were doing? I could have missed." Her words were venomous, "Go get that bow, now!"
There was no chance I was going to disobey the thunder goddess further. I did not hesitate again, I rushed over to the brigands prone form and quickly took his bow and quiver of arrows. As I was about to rush back to Robin a hand lunged forwards and grabbed me by the wrist. I yelped, as I was pulled onto the ground. In a flash the brigand straddled my waist with a dagger in hand. He brought his dagger down towards my face, without thinking I moved my head to the side of his blow.
A brief moment of respite as the metal clinged into the stones, I took that moment to capitalize. With practiced efficiency I trapped his dagger and against my side at the elbow, then bucked my hips forward throwing the brigand off balance and in one swift motion reversed our positions. Thank god for the time I spent studying Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I sent two strikes down on the man's nose and chin, while he desperately tried to reach for his dagger. Swiftly, I grasp his arm in between my legs and turned his thumb skyward, pushing up with my hips and pulling as hard as I could. After what felt like minutes but was probably seconds, I heard the sound I had been praying for crunch.
I released the armbar and moved to grab the dagger. With hate in my eyes I turned to the brigand who was now holding his now broken arm and brought the dagger across his throat. Realization of what I just did hit me like a freight train, I just killed him, I just killed a man. I retched for a moment before Robin rushed to my side.
"Are you okay? " She asked, worry in her eyes.
I replied after a moment, "Not really, but we've bigger problems at the moment."
From the gate we entered the village through, four more brigands stomped into view. Hurriedly, I throw the bow across my body and attach the quiver to my back. Robin grabs my arm as I push the dagger into my belt, and we tear down the street away from the brigands.
Eventually, we stop as the street we are racing down opens up into a town square of sorts. Then from almost nowhere something hits me hard, as I hit the ground my breath leaves me. When I open my eyes to see who has tackled me I see a familiar face and relax. Chrom looks down on me, sword in hand ready to bury it in my chest. Realization dawns on his face when he recognizes me.
Chrom lets out an exasperated sigh, "Nik, what are you doing here? I thought you and Robin were going to wait outside the village?" Now standing he offers a hand.
I take his hand and grunt, still trying to catch my breath, "'I thought we were going to fight fires, not people."
Chrom utters a small laugh "Not exactly, Where's Robin?"
Robin pokes into view, "Hi there, can we get back to surviving now?"
Chrom takes off towards a set of stalls, then jerks his head indicating for us to follow. Not dallying another moment Robin and I follow him. Now tucked out of view we take a minute to gather ourselves. Lissa is here holding a staff, so tightly her knuckles are white from the strain.
Chrom sits against the back of a stall and begins grumbling to no one in particular "We're outnumbered heavily, Frederick ran off somewhere trying to save a family from these dastards."
At the mention of being heavily outnumbered I poke my head above the stall and see at least twelve bandits rummaging through their contents. I breathe out a pained sigh glancing down at my very bloody arm, I've finally started to feel it as the adrenaline starts to leave my system. Lissa is also staring at my arm. In a flash she takes my arm and pushes up the sleeve, wincing at the sudden abrasion to my arm that looks horrible.
I pull my arm away stifling a shout, "What are you doing, Lissa?"
Chrom gives me a reassuring look, "She'll fix you up in no time, don't worry."
Lissa moves forward and places the head of her staff against the wound. I look at her through squinted eyes. The cool metal of the staff burns against my wound
"It'll be fine." She chirps up at me, a smile fading from her face as she begins to focus.
I let out a quiet laugh, "If you say so."
A glow begins to emit from her staff, I feel and the burning of my wound turns to itching. Skeptically I peer down at the wound, to my shock the wound is closing. The pain from it is replaced by a warm feeling coursing through my body.
I gaze up at the young woman and inquire, "H-How did you do that?"
Robin cuts in "Healing magic, now onto the more pressing matter. We need a plan."
Healing magic, what the fuck happened to me last night. This can not be reality.
"You're right, got any ideas?" Chrom asks.
Robin is taken back for a moment, She twists one of her twin ponytails in hand. After a moment she looks up and smiles.
"I have a few," she looks at me, "Nik how many enemies did you see when you looked out there?"
"Around a dozen maybe more, they were working their way toward us though." I stated matter-of-factly.
"So here's what we are going to do…" Robin begins.
I am now standing in an alley offshoot of the town square, Lissa is beside me. As per Robins instructions I have my bow ready, arrow knocked. I wait for the signal, lightning crashing down near the middle of the square. I glance over at Lissa, a look of sheer will and determination on her normally jovial face.
BOOM! A bolt of lightning cracks through the air followed by a blood-curdling scream. My muscles tense, I prepare to move out from the alley when I hear thunderous footsteps come from just outside the alley. A blue and brown blur flashes by us.
Lissa smiles up at me "Took Frederick long enough."
I start out of the alley and see two brigands moving towards Robin's position. Quickly I draw my bow back, my arm struggling with the draw weight of the longbow and let an arrow fly towards the closer of the two. It becomes apparent that I am an awful shot when the arrow sails past him and harmlessly smacks into a wood post. Fuck, this isn't going to go well.
Clumsily, I draw another arrow out of my quiver and ready it to fire. Taking a deep breath, I see that Robin has dealt with one of the brigands. The other is about to crash into her when I release the arrow. Time slows down for me as I see the brigands axe begin to make a wide arc to her unexpecting form. The arrow strikes true hitting the brigand in the neck. He lets out a garbled cry alerting Robin to his position, her moves are as quick as lightning she shoves her short sword through his chest. Relief flows through me.
No sooner than turning away from Robin, I see a mounted Frederick barreling towards us, his lance an unnatural crimson shade.
"Move aside!" He bellows.
Lissa and I both jump to the side in the nick of time. I turn over to see the knight run a Brigand through with his lance, a sadistic smile plastered across his face. I realize quickly Frederick has just saved my life. In style too, if I may add. Frederick reers his horse around to regroup with Lissa and I.
"We've gotta get to Chrom and Robin." I bark at Frederick and turn to run towards them.
Frederick dismounts handing the reins to Lissa and moves to follow me to the middle of the square. When I get into position I see something that makes my heart sink. Chrom and Robin are on the bridge leading out of the square to a church, Bloodied and fighting tooth and nail for some sort of advantage. At either end of the bridge are Brigands capitalizing on their vulnerable position. Great plan Robin, a winner for sure. Chrom's cape flutters after he takes a blast of wind from what I can only assume is a mage.
As soon as Frederick see's their precarious situation he pounces. In a flash he is behind the three bandits accosting his charge, his spear impaled through the closest Brigands throat. The other two Brigands turn to face him, eyes wide with a mix of shock and fear.
"Milord, this way!" Frederick calls to a battered Chrom.
Another blast of wind hits Chrom, my senses return to me. I draw my bow, take aim and fire on the unsuspecting mage. The arrow clips the mage in the left leg, granting Chrom and Robin the opening they needed to make a push towards a Frederick who is holding his own against the two remaining on our side of the bridge.
Robin sends a bolt into one of them, he falls over dead on the spot. Frederick takes the initiative, quickly dispatching the last of the Brigands on our side of the bridge.
Chrom and Robin reach us, Lissa Immediately gets to work fixing a nasty slash across Chrom's exposed shoulder.
Lissa growls at Chrom, "How did you manage to get cornered like that stupid?"
Chrom only sighs in return.
Meanwhile, Robin and I are launching everything we have across the bridge, only her magic has any impact, my arrows are being blasted off course by a now recovered mage.
Robin is tiring quickly, each spell she throws drains the color from her already paling face.
"Robin, I'm running out of arrows here!" I call, "any bright ideas?"
She wheezes, "Nothing that won't get us killed."
I shoot my second to last arrow, and sling my bow. Robin falls to one knee, prepared to collapse completely. I draw my dagger in preparation for the incoming bandits. In a flash a blue and white blur shoots across the bridge and crashes into the line of incoming Brigands. Frederick has remounted and in spectacular fashion holds them back. Chrom is up and hot on his heels to rejoin the fray.
"L-Lissa," I stutter, "I hope that staff works on dead people."
Confused she looks up from tending to Robin "Why-"
I don't hear the rest of what she had to say, I'm already sprinting after Chrom and Frederick to help in what little way I can. I catch up quickly. Chrom removes the head of a Brigand in one stroke as I arrive. The worst pain I have ever felt shoots through my side. I turn to see an axe wielding Brigand ready to bring it down on me. I try to dodge, but I catch his axe on my left forearm.
Yelling at my attacker, "Man, y'all have to be the biggest fucking cowards I have ever seen, what did anyone here do to you?"
A smile peels his lips revealing rotten teeth, "Nothing at all."
Enraged I lunge at him as he retracts his arm, scoring a shallow cut on his arm. He kicks me in the chest sending me to the ground. The Brigand begins to cackle.
"Pathetic."
When he moves to finish me off a blade stops his attack, Chrom has ceased his assault. Thank god. Chrom sweeps his sword to the side breaking the blade lock, and disarming the brigand. Frederick rides by finishing the now defenseless Brigand. The battle is over, my eyes start to feel heavy
Chrom looks to me, eyes filled with worry. Kneeling at my side and grasping my wound with two hands trying to cut the bleeding off.
"Nik, keep your eyes open!" he looks up, "Lissa I need you now!"
Lissa reaches me a few moments later, and begins to work. Frederick and Chrom waiting with bated breath. Within moments the itching returns, but on a much larger scale. A minute passes, and the wound has closed up. My strength returns to me soon after, I move to stand up. Whatever dream I have to be in is amazing. Healing magic is the best thing ever, I should be very dead.
Chrom grasps my hand and helps me to my feet.
"T-Thank you," I manage to squeak out, "Lissa you're amaz-"
Finally upright my stomach drops, an unmoving Robin is propped up against a stall in the square on the other side of the bridge. The mage stands over her, book in hand, ready to take one victory from this battle. In seconds my bow is off my shoulder with an arrow nocked. The mage tears a page from his tome, and slowly raises his hand inches from her head. I let loose my last arrow. Time all but comes to a halt as it flies toward the enemy mage. The arrow strikes true. A wail erupts from the mage as the arrow penetrates the base of his neck. The mage falls over in a heap, the torn page drifting harmlessly onto Robins lap.
Author's Notes:
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I have been reading a lot of different Fire Emblem SI's recently. (Enough to make me want to try my hand at it) Namely ones from Syntaxis, ThreeDollarBratwurst, mixedvalence, and TheBobcat18. This was my first attempt at writing anything ever so, any feedback would be very much appreciated.