Chapter 3: Trial by Fire

I wake up bright and early the next morning, to Frederick's surprise. "I admit, I expected you to be a late riser." He remarks when I haul myself out of bed.

"Used to be." I reply as I stretch. "Back in the ill-spent days of my youth. My job required me be up at ungodly hours on a regular basis though, so I broke that habit."

"Admirable." Frederick nods in approval. "You've bested the rest of our party without difficulty." He goes back to work on his bag, tying his goods in place.

I glance around the room and grin. "Ah, kids. Always sleeping in like a bunch of lumps."

"Indeed. If there was doubt in my mind as to the truth of your age, this may well dispel it." Frederick chuckles. "Perhaps you'd be willing to wake these slugabeds up while I finish packing? We've lingered here longer than I intended, due to your injury. I'd like to have an early start."

"Seems like the least I could do." I look around and frown. "Now, how to do this without disturbing the neighbours?" I start by throwing the shutters on the window open. The bright light of dawn draws immediate reactions from the sleeping trio. Chrom cringes and throws an arm over his eyes, Robin sits up straight as if spring-loaded. And Lissa, to no surprise, pulls her pillow over her head and burrows into her sheets with a grumble.

"Morning already?" Chrom groans as he rolls out of bed.

"I'm afraid so." I reply cheerfully as I check on Robin. He's… actually still asleep, even though he's upright. "That is unnerving."

"Very much so." Chrom stares openly as he pulls on his tunic and armor. "Maybe shake him?"

"I'm almost afraid to touch him…" I look at the sleeping tactician uneasily. I grab him by the shoulder and give him a good shake, but he doesn't react. "Too weird." I grimace. "Okay, nuclear option, let's go."

"Nuclear option?"

"It's a saying from my country. Basic explanation…" I grab Robin and toss him out of bed. "It means overkill."

"WAAH!" Robin cries out in alarm as he hits the floor and scrambles to his feet. "Where am I, what happened?"

"You're in our room at the inn." Chrom blinks. "Please tell me you don't have amnesia again?"

"Oh! Chrom! I, no I'm fine." Robin dusts himself off and shakes his head. "Just needed a moment to wake up."

"Glad to hear it." I toss Robin his coat. "Get yourself dressed now and check your bag over. Frederick wants to leave early."

"Well done so far, Ben." Frederick replies with a pleased expression. "But be warned: your real challenge begins now."

"Don't I know it." I frown and stare down at Lissa.

"Best of luck. I'll be in the stable." Frederick slings his monstrous bag over his shoulder and leaves the room.

"Rather eager to escape the danger zone, isn't he?" I comment, only to pause as I realize Chrom is heading for the exit as well. "Chrom?"

He gives me a big grin. "Sorry, I have something to attend to. Good luck."

I share a look with Robin, who eyes Lissa's bed with trepidation.

His eyes dart to the door. "You know what-"

"Absolutely not." I grab him by the hood.

I eye the princess warily, then look over to where her dress and… weird frame thing are sitting on a chair. "I think Frederick has everything of hers she isn't wearing." She went to bed bundled up in the most elaborate nightgown I've ever seen, for the sake of propriety. "Where's that room she changed in last night?"

"End of the hall, I think." Robin replies as he tries to worm his coat out of my grasp.

"Cool, grab her clothes."

"Touch my dress and die, tactician." Lissa grumbles from beneath the covers. Robin looks at me with a panicked expression.

"It's a fifteen year old girl Robin, grow up." I roll my eyes. "Easy way or the hard way, princess. Your choice."

"Sleep way." She snaps back.

"Hard way then. Robin. Dress. Now." I march over to the bed and grab the ball of sheets Lissa's wrapped herself in.

"What are you doing?" Lissa's voice sounds panicked. "Stop, I'm awake, let me go!"

"I think I risked my life enough yesterday." I chuckle as I bundle the squirming princess up and haul her off the bed, sheets and all. Robin looks at me in horror as he holds Lissa's dress. "Right then, lead the way, Robin."

"This seems excessive." Robin mumbles as he walks into the hallway. "What if somebody calls the guard?"

"We've got the Prince of the country with us, we'll be fine!" I stroll down the hall, studiously ignoring Lissa's protests. We arrive at the room, little better than a closet. "Just put the dress there, and clear the danger zone."

Robin drops the dress like it's on fire and scurries out of the room. I look down at the bundle with a grin. "You're very light, princess."

"Let me go you big dummy!"

"As you wish, milady." I let the sheets fall open, and hear Lissa tumble to the ground in front of me. Before she can get to her feet and maul me I close the door and brace as she kicks at it.

"Was that really necessary?" Robin looks on fearfully.

"You saw how Chrom and Frederick ran out of the room." I laugh as I hear Lissa start shuffling around and getting ready. "I wasn't taking any chances."

"You laugh now, but when we get home I'll have you hanged for this indignity!" Lissa protests. "Hanged, I say."

"Fair enough." I shrug. "You good to meet us outside or do you need anything else?"

There's a long pause before she finally mutters "I'm good."

I share a grin with Robin, though his is far more relieved than my own. "Cool. I'll go put the sheets back."


"Ah, our sleeping beauty has awakened!" I raise my arms dramatically as Lissa stomps out of the inn.

"A job well done, Ben." Frederick nods from the back of his horse.

"Job well done my butt!" Lissa protests. "He dragged me down the hall and dumped me in the closet!"

Frederick looks at me. I shrug. "Job very well done, Ben."

It's a bit too much for me. "Hahahaha! Oh, you are sadistic in the morning!"

"Frederick? Sometimes I hate you." Lissa pouts. She looks over at me and frowns cutely. "And you! After I saved your life yesterday this is how you repay me?"

"Of course!" I raise a hand to my heart. "For what better way could there be to repay my savior than with the gift of a beautiful dawn sunrise!"

"Sleep is a good way."

"But to let you sleep we'd have to leave you behind!" I gasp in mock horror. "I could never do that to my hero!"

"Oh, fine then." Lissa sighs. "I'll just catch up on my beauty sleep when we get back to Ylisstol."

"As milady wishes." I bow deeply.

"This doesn't mean you're off the hook, mister!" Lissa swats at my head playfully. Then she stops, blinks, and puts her hand back on my head. "Oh my gosh."

"What's up?" I tilt my head up to look at her, "Something stuck in my hair?"

Lissa is eyeing my head with an expression that just screams 'I am scheming something.' Her hand leaves my head as she squints down at me. "Your hair… is very soft."

"Uhh… Thank you?"

"Interesting…" She grins and walks away. "Very interesting…"

"…Okay." That is troubling for a great many reasons, not the least of which being Lissa's reputation as a terrible prankster. This will probably end poorly. I look over at Frederick. "So now that Lissa has made me fear for my sanity, shall we get moving?"

"Soon." Frederick looks across the market square, still mostly deserted. "Chrom is running an important errand before we head out. He should be back shortly."

"An errand?" I don't remember anything important happening in Southtown in the game. "What kind of errand?"

"I dare not spoil the surprise. Ah there he is now." I blink at his comment. What are they plotting?

"Ah good, you're all ready to go." Chrom grins as he jogs up to the rest of us. "I thought Lissa might be a while longer."

"Ben performed his task admirably in that regard." Is getting Lissa out of bed really that difficult? I feel like I've had more accolades for waking a sixteen year old girl than I did for fighting bandits.

"Well done, Ben." He grins as he holds up a travelling bag. "Your trousers from yesterday are in here, freshly mended. One of your new fans stayed up all night making sure the job was done properly."

"My fans?" I blink as I take the bag and check my jeans. They look good as new.

"I talked to several of them in the tavern last night and they banded together to ensure you'd be prepared for the trip to Ylisstol. There's a canteen, some provisions, a bedroll, a hunting knife, and…" He reaches behind his back, and produces an axe.

It's a proper battle-axe, one that makes me think of the sort that Vikings used to use. The handle is bound in leather, and it has a simple steel blade. The blade flares a little at the top, and forms a sort of hook at the bottom. Good for pulling or pushing weapons aside.

"The smith here in town felt this would suit you better than the ones you were borrowing yesterday." Chrom grins as he hands it to me. "It's simple, but good quality. The handle is ash wood, it's bound with cowhide for a firm grip, and it has a well forged blade that won't chip. All in all a great improvement over those shoddy tools the bandits had."

"I… wow." I take the axe in my hand. It's lighter than the clunky things I was using yesterday, but I have little doubt it's even more dangerous. "I can have this?"

"Of course!" Chrom's smile broadens as he watches me examine the weapon. "It wouldn't do for our newest Shepherd to go without a weapon. When we get back to Ylisstol I'll introduce you to Vaike, he can help you learn how to use it properly."

"Sounds good!" I smile at Chrom… while internally wincing at the idea of having Vaike as a teacher. Is it too late to take up the bow or something? From the look on Frederick's face he's not any more sure about the idea. Well, Frederick's good with axes, right? Maybe I'll just ask him later.

Until then, I'll just have to learn on the fly. "So how long of a trip is it to Ylisstol?" I ask as Frederick kicks his horse into motion.

"If we keep a good pace, we'll arrive tomorrow afternoon."

Nearly two days of walking. Oof. I haven't done any distance walking in a very long time. Good thing I've got hiking shoes on. This will be my first time actually doing any hiking with them though.

Yeah this is going to suck.


'Can't… give up yet,' I think to myself as I force my feet onward. My legs are burning from more walking than I've done in my life. My feet are only marginally better. The axe I was so pleased with this morning is a painful weight on my hip. My bag is not much better.

I won't let myself complain though. Not while Lissa remains composed. Well not composed, but she hasn't started whining yet like the games show her to do. And I will not lose to a girl ten years younger than me! It may be pigheaded masculine bullshit, but it's the pigheaded masculine bullshit I was raised to uphold, and I will. Not. Give. Up.

My face sets in a grimace as I carry on. It's not long until sunset. I can see the sun approaching the mountains to the west. It's hard to say for sure since we're in the woods right now, but I should only have to last a little longer…

"This seems like a good place to stop for the night." Frederick nods, remarkably composed and right on cue. He's been walking alongside his horse in full armor most of the trip and hardly seems winded.

"Thank fuck." I stagger off the road, to a clearing nearby. "I could use a break." Clear sky above us mean we can light a fire without choking ourselves with smoke, so it looks like a good spot. Frederick picked his site well.

"We'll have time for a break once we've made camp." Frederick states, tying his horse to a nearby tree.

I groan, letting my bag fall to the ground. "Fucking- yeah. Alright, you're right." I sigh as I stretch my shoulders. "If I sit down now I don't see myself getting up any time soon." There's a loud pop as I shift my arms. "Oh, that's the stuff. I'll look for firewood then."

"Then I'll catch us dinner." Chrom goes to Frederick's horse and pulls a bow off of one of the bags.

"You can use a bow?" I look on in interest. I had thought that he needed to train in that after the war started. Or use whatever the equivalent of a second seal is in this world, but I assume that those don't exist outside of video games.

"It's not something I like to use in combat, but archery training is common amongst nobles." Chrom replies, testing his string. "Emmeryn's quite a good archer as well, though she's only ever practiced on a range." Wouldn't have guessed that. It's truly amazing the world of possibilities that exists outside of game logic.

Robin decides to help Chrom with hunting, and Lissa and Frederick make themselves busy setting up camp, so I get to work gathering firewood on my own. Thankfully it's the middle of summer, so dry wood is easy to come by. It takes me a few trips but I soon have enough wood for both a cooking fire and a campfire. I let Frederick take the smaller branches for cooking while I set up a teepee of logs and fill it with bark and grass. My years in scouts may be far, far behind me, but the most important lessons never left me. Except knots, can't tie knots for shit.

"Can I get a light here?" I call over to Frederick.

He walks over with the flint and surveys my work with approval. "Not a bad job at all." He strikes the flint and smiles as the flame swiftly takes. The game wasn't kidding when it said he liked starting fires.

"I don't camp often, but I've had some training in this sort of thing." I grin at his enthusiasm. "I'll tend to this one for the night if you don't mind."

"I think we can let you off easy for the night." He smirks at me. "Though don't expect me to let your current stamina levels persist. I'll be working you hard when we get back to Ylisstol."

"Looking forward to it." I reply, feeding some branches into the fire while I wait for the logs to properly catch. I honestly mean it, too. I've never been much for keeping to an exercise routine, so if Frederick can help me get in shape I'll welcome it. It'll be a good opportunity to lose the gut. I fucking hate the gut.

It's another ten minutes before Chrom and Robin show up with a bear, grinning like they've just won the lottery, and I remember what dinner is going to look like tonight. If this sort of thing continues I may lose the gut even sooner than I can imagine, because that is NOT appetising.


It's remarkably easy to just get caught up in the moment and forget what the plot has in store for me. Good thing too, because if I had remembered what happens tonight I would not have found sleep easy.

As it stands, I fall fast asleep after managing to score last watch, and rest quite well until being awoken by the first earthquake I've ever experienced in my life. Which is very disorienting and confusing, but wakes me up in a proper hurry.

"What the fuck was that!?" I haul myself off of my bedroll and look around frantically.

"Trouble!" Frederick is swiftly strapping himself into his armor with practised motions. "Chrom and Lissa are missing!"

"Shit!" Looks like it's time for chapter one. I wrap my bedroll up and toss it bodily at Robin, who's still disoriented. "Wake up, man, we need your brain operational!" The bedroll knocks him on his ass, but he starts moving properly after that so I consider it a job well done.

"Leave the bags, we'll come back for them once everyone's safe!" Frederick shouts as he finishes donning his armor. "Hurry now!"

"Go ahead Frederick, we'll catch up!" I wave him on with one hand while pulling my jacket on with the other. Robin is fishing his spellbook out of his bag. I turn to grab my axe, and when I look back Frederick is already riding into the woods.

"How does he know where to go?" Robin wonders aloud as he straps his sword to his belt.

"My guess: he's heading to wherever things are shittiest and is going to fight his way out from there." I grab my axe and start jogging after him, doing my best to ignore the pain in my legs. They're still trying to recover from the marching, so I have no choice but to grit my teeth until the adrenaline kicks in.

Robin groans as he keeps pace with me. "That means we're about to run right at that forest fire, doesn't it."

"Most likely." I grunt. "Let's get them out of there fast, before we all get caught in that mess."

"Sounds good to me."

I'm not ready for this. My legs are like dead weights from the march. I'm going to get to these risen and barely be able to walk. "I need to work on my cardio, fuck!" I groan as I stumble through the underbrush.

"Don't forget to breathe in through your nose." Robin advises from beside me. "It'll help filter the smoke."

"Right." I slow for a second as I focus on my breathing. It takes a moment, but I manage to stop gasping and control myself properly. Robin slows as well to keep pace with me, like the absolute champion of a guy that he is.

The smoke gets thicker overhead as we run, before I can finally see the flames in the distance, pinpoints of orange light through the trees. "Shit." I stop to catch my breath. "We must have passed them, no way they're still that close to the fire."

"What if they are, though?" Robin peers into the darkness curiously. "They could be trapped over there."

"If they got trapped in that, then they'd already be dead. No way they're going down that easily. We need an alternate plan to find them."

"Are there any landmarks around here?" Robin looks around frantically, but between the smoke and the trees we can't see far in any direction.

Guess it's time for game knowledge, rough though it may be. "I think I saw an old fort or something earlier. Let's get away from the fire and see if we can spot it."

My legs start burning again as we backtrack through the woods. The smoke continues to billow overhead, and I grimace as I consider the timeline we're working on right now. We have to find the Shepherds and get out of here or we'll all burn alive. And with the shape I'm in my chances of outrunning a forest fire during dry season are practically nonexistent.

Am I seriously in mortal peril again already? Fuck's sake there better be a proper break after this. I refuse to believe that events will keep happening this quickly without game logic to push them forward.

"Ben!" Robin grabs my attention and gestures to our right, where figure are moving through the trees. "That must be them!"

"They're moving awfully slowly for that." I muse as we change course. "And they're not going the right way to escape the fire." Oh shit. Is this…

Robin thinks on my observations for a moment, but moves in anyways. "They could be injured or turned around. Besides, even if it's not the Shepherds we have to make sure they're alright."

It's really hard travelling with a guy who's ignorant about the oncoming zombie apocalypse without giving plot knowledge away. I want nothing more right now than to grab Robin by the coat and scream 'he's already dead!' But as handy as that may be for the short term it would cause me no end of long term problems. So I do the only thing I can, which is to follow behind him and ready my axe.

"Hello there, sir! Are you alright?" Robin calls out as he approaches the guy I'm increasingly sure is just a Risen. "We're looking for our… what the hell?" He trails to a stop as he spots the peeling skin and glowing eyes. "What is that?"

"What the fuck!" I exclaim, probably a bit too loudly. "He's already dead!"

"Already dead!? You've seen this before?" Robin glances at me in shock.

"Only in stories." I reply as I ready my axe. "But there's been a lot of that going on with me lately." God damn, look at me dropping these lines like some sort of badass. I'm seriously feeling the morale right now!

The Risen looks blankly at me with his glowing eyes, and then rushes forwards at a far faster speed than I'm expecting. "Oh, fuck!" I throw myself backwards as a rusted axe blurs through the area I was just standing in. Morale's gone now. Morale is super fucking absent from my life.

"I've got him." Robin darts in front of the monster and draws its attention, leading it in the other direction as I scramble back to my feet. "Right this way, ugly!"

The Risen tilts its head back and lets out a raspy groan, like it's trying to roar but just doesn't have the lung power to do so, before charging again. Robin is far more prepared for that maneuver than I was though, and rolls aside just in time. The axe sticks itself in a tree instead, and the Risen stops as it realises that its weapon is firmly stuck. It tugs at the axe with one hand, while reaching over to claw at Robin instead, but calling the attack ineffectual would be generous.

Robin scoffs at the pawing hand, steps around the Risen, and brings his sword into the back of its neck. "Not very bright, are they?" He says cheerfully, as the beast dissolves into smoke.

"Thanks for the save." I sigh as I watch the last traces of the monster fade away. "Wasn't expecting that rush at all."

"It was quite the surprise, yes." Robin nods as leads us further into the forest. "I noticed when it swung at you though, that it doesn't put much thought into that attack. Or anything else, apparently. Nothing but raw aggression. It's rather easy to take advantage of something like that when you know it's coming."

"I guess that's why you're the strategist." I shrug. "I'm too worried about not dying to think of stuff like that right now."

"You'll get there." Robin claps me on the shoulder. "Now let's get going."

"Why are we going this way?" I ask as we head deeper into the forest.

"That monster was focused on something in this direction." Robin explains. "It didn't look at us until we were right on top of it."

"Ah, so we're assuming it was focused on the others." I nod.

"It's the best lead we've got right now." Robin points ahead. "And look, there's another one."

"How nice of them to leave a trail for us." I grin.

"Yes, very kind indeed." Robin replies as he darts ahead. "Switch roles this time; I'll get its attention, you go for the kill."

'Switch roles!' he says, as though he didn't fill both roles just fine earlier. "Very generous of you." I mutter as I charge in.

Robin plays his part well; the Risen has its back turned when I reach it, and by the time it turns to notice me my axe is already swinging for its skull. The new axe cuts the monster's head clean off with little trouble, a testament to Chrom's excellent eye for reliable weaponry.

Robin whistles as the Risen hits the ground. "No wonder you handled things so well yesterday. You've got a lot of power in those swings."

"Power I can do." I grunt. "Now I just need to work on speed, technique, strategy, and not collapsing before I reach the enemy."

"At least you have a starting point." Robin shrugs. "Not everyone can say that much."

"Maybe not." I frown. "But most have more than this." I've got a long way to go if I want to get home in one piece.

"Rather determined to put yourself down, aren't you?" Robin gives me a look that I don't really know what to make of. It irritates me a little, honestly, but I try not to dwell on it. If he wants to take a perfectly practical statement and make a big fuss over it that's his choice.

"I know where I stand." I start moving again. "It's not a bad thing, far as I'm concerned. Better to think less of yourself than you are than more. The first might hold you back from time to time, but the second gets you killed."

"Can't argue there, I guess." Robin falls back in next to me. "Oh, hey, it's that building you saw."

I glance ahead and see it, a dark tower, barely visible through the smoke. The game map is awfully generous as to what qualifies as a fort. "Fire's getting closer." I note, eyeing the flames to our right. They're still distant, but it's not looking good. "This whole area will be torched within the hour."

"I hear fighting ahead." Robin says, increasing his pace. "Let's hurry."

It's another minute before I hear the sound of weapons. The tower is properly in sight by now, and I grimace when I see the mass of Risen around the base of it. Frederick is barely visible through the masses, blocking the door with his body as the Risen batter at him. The knight is enduring well, but he seems too hard pressed to fight back with his lance.

"At least ten crowding the door." Robin notes. "A few more scattered around the sides, but from the way they're grouped I think we can assume there's no other entrance. Two horses on the other side of the clearing, meaning at least one extra person to manage. I don't suppose you can ride, Ben?"

The extra horse is a good thing, since it means Sully and likely Virion as well are both in that tower. Unfortunately the horse can't do anything for us, since the last time I rode a horse I had an allergic reaction that swelled my eyes shut. "Not a chance, sorry. Think we can take their attention off Frederick enough that he can hit back?"

"A pincer maneuver." Robin thinks on it for only a moment. "Given our time limit, I see no better options. I'll open with spells, strike only when you feel it's safe to do so."

"Aim for the legs." I advise, watching Frederick struggle against the horde. "If we can knock them over they won't be able to pressure the tower."

"We'll make a strategist of you yet!" Robin grins as he readies his tome. His hand crackles with electricity as he turns to me. "Go now, I want you right behind this attack!"

"Right!" I rush forward with my axe clenched in both hands. The thunder spell flies past my shoulder to crash into the horde, sending several Risen reeling. A couple of them turn back to face Robin and I, but I'm already swinging by the time any of the ugly fucks get a glimpse of me. I aim for the back of their knees, looking to keep them stuck on the ground. Crawling zombies may be a horror classic, and creepy as hell, but they're not likely to be dangerous to anyone paying attention.

"FREDERICK!" Robin yells as he follows my example and hamstrings a Risen with his sword. Between the two of us we knock five of them to the ground before they know what's going on. Robin signals me to fall back, and I stumble away from the grasping hands of the fallen monsters as more trip over them. The two of us look up just in time to see Frederick make his move.

I have to take a moment to appreciate just how absurdly strong the guy is. He's been bracing against them with his lance, using the door frame to help block them. But that's still one guy against the power of at least four Risen at once, plus the other dozen or so pushing behind them. Now that almost half of those are on the ground though, with the others distracted, the big guy turns the tides.

Frederick snarls in the face of the Risen horde, holding his lance horizontally in both hands, and shoving back against them. He catches three of the beasts he was holding back and sends them crashing into the monsters behind them, and suddenly the whole mob is collapsing like dominoes. As if waiting for that signal, Sully and Chrom burst out behind the great knight, practically leaping over him as they fall upon the enemy. Then comes Virion, flourishing as he fires into the crowd.

The horde is erupting into smoke almost entirely at once; no doubt the Shepherds were very eagerly anticipating this chance Robin and I have given them. I bring my axe onto the head of one of the few Risen still crawling about and point towards the horses as our group meets up. "Fire's coming fast! Knights, grab a horse, grab a royal, and get the fuck out of here!"

"Who the hell are you?" Sully looks ready to snap at me, but stops when she sees the fire. "Oh, shit! Never mind, message received! Lissa, c'mere!" She whistles for her horse and mounts up in an effortless motion, and Frederick practically tosses the Princess up behind her. The two take off at a gallop, and I gesture to Robin and Virion that we should start running.

"I won't accept being carried to safety while men who fought alongside me are left in danger!" Chrom protests. "I could never live with myself!" Frederick has other ideas though. He hurls Chrom onto his horse easily, knocking the wind out of him. The horse takes the weight without so much as a flinch, and I start running as Frederick mounts behind his prince and kicks the horse into a swift motion.

"Well trained horses." Robin comments as we start to move. "I'm amazed they didn't bolt."

"Admire them later, we are still very much fucked here." I snap as I force my weary legs back into motion. I can already tell this isn't going to work, I can barely lift my feet anymore.

Virion eyes my pace with clear concern, but a glance back at the fire behind us has him pushing ahead. "Oh dear." He gasps, before looking back at me. "Good sir, I pray you don't think less of me, but alas I have far too much riding on my shoulders to allow delay here-"

"If you're going to run then fucking run!" I snap back at him as I pant. Christ it's like running in an oven. "And don't you dare fucking wait for me either!" I turn to Robin with just as much venom. "I will not be responsible for getting your ass killed!"

"I can't just leave you to burn to death!" Robin protests, as Virion races ahead. "Not after all this!"

"Fuck you, start running or I'll kill you myself!" I snarl. "You're a tactician, make the smart move!"

"Perhaps you should all make the smart move!" A voice calls from our left. Robin and I jump in surprise, and I hear Virion curse as he trips further ahead. I look in the direction of the voice.

Oh, of course! It's her! Or him, rather. Marth, blessed hero from the future who is most definitely not Chrom's future daughter and is definitely a boy who is not named Lucina.

"You three are running downwind!" Lucina calls impatiently. "This way, quickly, or you'll have no chance of escape!"

Oh shit I didn't even consider the wind! As somebody who's had to deal with out of control fires nearly burning his house down before, I am completely dumbfounded by the oversight. "We're fucking idiots!" I exclaim as I rush towards Lucina.

"I would never presume to refer to you as such." She replies with a strained smile. "Swiftly now, Master Virion!"

"Ah, yes!" I hear Virion stumble as he starts to run after us. "I will be with you all momentarily!"

"This way!" Lucina takes off at a quick pace, with the rest of us struggling to keep up.

"When I get to Ylisse I am demanding all the leg training and cardio Frederick can provide!" I gasp as we make our way along a path that does seem to be rapidly putting the fire behind us. "I've always known I was out of shape, but I never expected it would come so close to getting me killed!"

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to have such a willing pupil." Robin chuckles as he helps me along. "The looks he was giving you during today's march… it was like the cat that got the cream."

"And suddenly I am far less enthused." I sigh, to the amusement of the others.

The four of us run (or stagger, in my case), in silence for the next ten minutes. The others seem happy to slow their pace for me now that they won't burn and die for it, which I can appreciate. And finally, once we've successfully looped around the fire and put it far behind us, we arrive in a clearing and are given the chance to rest.

"Ben! Robin!" I blink and look up just in time for Lissa to crash into the both of us sobbing. "I thought you guys were gonna die!"

"Nah we were fine! It wasn't even close!" I return her hug with a grin.

"Glad to see you crazy bastards made it out in one piece!" Sully runs up and gives us a relieved grin. "You're tougher than you look!"

"Good thing too, or else I'd be dead five times over already." I reply, transferring Lissa over to Robin so I can sit down and catch my breath. "Though some credit must be given to our savior here." I gesture to Lucina, who has taken her preferred place on the edge of the crowd.

"Oh right!" Lissa lets Robin go and curtsies to her new hero. "I have to thank you as well… for before. You were very brave!"

"It would seem that most of my companions owe you a debt of gratitude." Chrom walks up to us with a smile. "My name is Chrom. Might I ask your name?"

"You may call me Marth." Lucina replies in a deep voice that is just… laughably, obviously, fake to anyone who knows of the girl behind the mask.

I sit back and tune out while I catch my breath. I already know how the conversation goes: Chrom wants to know more about his sister's hero, Marth deflects all questions, and drops a vague, unhelpful warning about the upcoming apocalypse. It's all right out of the script, and not one bit of it important enough to merit any input from me.

Sure enough, Lucina concludes her speech about this prelude to destruction and begins to walk away, but something about the way it ends catches my attention again. Why do I feel like something is missing?

Lucina stops at the edge of the clearing and looks back towards us. "Tough times are coming, Prince Chrom. You need to ensure that you're prepared when they do. Consider the company you keep carefully, and be wary of where you place your trust. You have been warned." She turns with a sweep of her cape and vanishes silently into the night.

Ah. Yes. 'You have been warned.' That was the line I was waiting for.

So what the fuck was all that stuff in the middle!?

"After all he's done for us I did not expect an attempt to sow dissention amongst my comrades." Chrom frowns as he watches after Lucina's retreat. "It would seem that he is not quite as righteous as he wanted us to believe."

"Holy crap that's rich!" I burst out laughing at Chrom's statement. "You meet a claimed amnesiac and a claimed interdimensional traveller and see no issue with recruiting us, but as soon as somebody shows up and tell you to be careful about trusting people that's when you get suspicious!"

Chrom blinks at my observation, before he starts laughing as well. Before long every Shepherd present is laughing, which is weird because it really wasn't all that funny to begin with. If I had to guess I'd say the near-brush with death we all had just makes us want to laugh about anything. It's not laughter at my crap-ass joke, it's laughter for the joy of being alive. Good feelings all around, yay.

But behind that laughter I can't help the unease that's stirring within me at Lucina's comment.

It's not the change in lines that bothers me, and it's not the fact that she seems to have some trust issues in this iteration of the story.

The most concerning thing is that, even across the clearing, even behind her mask, I can somehow tell that as Lucina added those lines about not trusting, she was looking at me.


...Nah, I'm probably imagining things. No way that's relevant.

A little bit of physics to spice up an otherwise simple level. Because seriously when the ground starts spewing lava in the middle of a forest I expect the fiery aftermath to be much more widespread. It just makes sense, you know?