Hello, dear readers. This is CrossVipeR316 with another chapter of Gamer Emblem Awakening.

Man, the response from the last chapter was stronger than I'd expected. Several points in the chapter were taken up in your reviews, so I've decided to address some of the most frequently pointed out ones.

The massive influx in Jack's skill set.
Chapter 3 was mainly for transition between the in-game chapters as well as setting up Jack for the future chapters. The new skills that Jack gained from his training in the UBW are meant to lay the foundation for his fighting style and techniques in the future. I'm afraid I may lack the creativity to have a few skills get a massive variation of uses for the duration of the story (like how quirks are used in MHA), so I opted for a wide range of skills for Jack instead. And while Jack got a lot of skills during the last chapter, there is still more to come. Some skills will obviously get more use than others (Sword mastery is the perfect example). That being said, I will try to let just about every skill get at least one go in this fic. This brings me to the next point.

Jack's role as a scout.
As was implied in the last chapter, Jack's role as the Shepherds' new scout is only temporary. There are other members of the Awakening cast who fit the role as scout better than Jack does. They will shoulder that role in due time. As for Jack, don't worry. With the stuff I have planned, it's only a matter of time before he becomes a full-time frontliner. That's because I personally think the frontlines are more exciting (and dangerous) than the stealthy world of scouting.

Jack gets a lot of the spotlight.
Jack is the main character of this fic and the story is mostly told from his point of view. So it's only natural that he gets a lot of attention. That being said, I'm among the many people who think Awakening has a huge cast of characters with great designs and personalities. From Sumia's meek demeanor that steadily grows confident and determined, to Owain's over the top theatrics, and let's not forget Walhart's I'm-so-awesome-I'm-literally-in-a-class-of-my-own persona. Heck, I think Gangrel is a well-written character, and I don't even like the guy. My point is, while Jack does gets a lot of attention in this fic, I want to give the other characters their time to shine as well. The interactions that Jack has with them are not only meant to integrate Jack into the world of Awakening, they're also meant to flesh out the characters more, according to the way I see them (with some liberal exaggerations here or there for comedic effect). I even have some interactions planned between certain characters later on where Jack's not even involved. So you'll see Jack a lot, but he won't be everywhere (and no, Shadow clones don't count).

The groping scene.
Boy, did I step on a sensitive area with this one. First things first. This fic was rated M for safety – it literally says so in the summary. The groping scene was one of the reasons, aside from all the obvious violence, blood and the occasional vulgar language. And please understand what I'm about to say: while I do appreciate the female form, I have no intention of knowingly objectify women or fill this fic with sexual content. Have I made myself clear? Good! Also, let it be known that there will be more instances on Jack commenting on a woman's figure, though I will try to keep it limited. You have been warned.

Let it be known that I appreciate the reviews, as always. Now, onto some specific reviews.

meteorce: Ricken's one of the youngest members of the Shepherds and also one of the more childish ones (competing with Lissa and Nowi). Sully getting the recipe from him was more a result of his lack of responsibility than a grudge. As far as I know, Ricken's not one to hold on to grudges anyway.

Artyom-Dreizehn: The knife + CQC combo would be a bit tricky to utilize to its true potential due to how Jack's passive skills are designed. Martial arts mastery only applies when Jack fights unarmed. If he wields a knife, Sword mastery would apply instead since the knife counts as a dagger. CQC may be an interesting concept, but Jack would probably need to train specifically for the knife version and make it a separate skill in order for it to work. Not something I have planned, unfortunately.

ShadowPhoenix34: Iroh, definitely Iroh. Also, while I do enjoy making Jack OP, making him go Mihawk at this stage would not only be beyond his current physical abilities, it would be blatant overkill. There's dominating a fight and then there's being One-punch man levels of overpowered.

Naga Mada: You're probably one of the most active reviewers for this fic, and I take that as a good sign in the sense that you're quite invested in how this story will develop. While our opinions may differ occasionally, I appreciate the feedback. As for any physical contact between Jack and Robin; yeah, I agree that they're better off getting closer on a personal level first before getting physically intimate. Relationships are far deeper than just physical intimacy, despite some people claiming otherwise.

sid99: Aw, now I'll go around wondering what it takes to get a 10 from you.

Just kidding! XD I'll try to polish my writing as I go. The fact that you did give me 9 out of 10 indicates that I still have room for improvement (even though I'm not sure where it lies yet). Anyway, 9 out of 10 is still awesome!

Quest: While I prefer using the main story as a template for how things will go, I'll try to add my own twist on things. Some things will largely remain the same, and some parts of canon will probably get rekt with what I have planned. All in due time, though.

Memento Mori - The Truth: No, in fact, I did not know that piece of information. While I'm grateful that you let me know, this won't really change the way I plan to write this fic. It just means that I'll pull a few more deus ex machinas out of my non-existent hat than I originally thought. ;P

Guest reviewer: Whoa! Cool your jets, will you? I can understand if the updates seem to have a long span of time between each other, but I just prefer writing at my own pace, irregular as it may be. You know what they say; haste work is waste work (it's a biblical proverb, kind off).

Carylart: Oh, Jack will change his class during the course of this fic, all right. As for which class; well, it's- *The rest of this review response has been covered in a mysterious red substance. No living creature was hurt in writing this.*

Just kidding! XD It's a secret until Jack himself reveals it. Though you might find hints as the skill set develops. Watch out for red herrings.

Copyright disclaimer: Well, I kinda own Jack, since he's my OC. For a full copyright disclaimer, please read chapter 1.

Let's get the chapter started!

What can I say? I have a big appetite. – Stahl


Chapter 4: Highroad to hectic! Risen as far as the eye can reach!

Wooo… That was some great training, alright. Some quick math based on the built-in clock on my minimap shows that I've been at it for about 8 hours. Thing is, though, I didn't train for all 8 hours non-stop. Just a few hours into training, I was so busy replacing my clone for Rasengan training while doing a set of squats that I missed my MP bar hit 0. Instead of materializing another clone, I instead fell on my back with an unexpected wave of tiredness washing over me. That's when this alert popped up.

You have exhausted your mana! You are now suffering from "Exhaustion"!


Exhaustion, status condition
Pushing past your limits to grow stronger is good and all, but there's a price to pay for it. Mana is present in all life forms, as it is connected to their lifeforce. Trying to draw out more mana than you have available can therefore have grave consequences. In response to this, your body shuts down all but the vital functions to make sure it has enough time to recover its mana. If it didn't, you would end up shortening your own lifespan (You idiot!).
STR, VIT and DEX is reduced by 30 %. MPR is reduced to 0. Note: This status condition can be dispelled by consuming an item that restores MP.


Needless to say, I felt embarrassed for not managing my MP properly. The silver lining was that this happened while I was training and not while in the middle of a warzone.

With my body exhausted, all my active skills deactivated instantly. I was so tired that I couldn't even get off the ground. Fortunately, my clones remained. It was decided that they would keep up their training while I recovered. But even they ran out of MP and dispelled after a while. So there I was all by my lonesome, with no recovery of my MP and too tired to move more than the bare minimum.

With nothing better to do, I decided to pass the time by reading my Observe log. Just because I had recreated every weapon I could think of didn't mean I had read about them. Observing so many weapons did increase my level by 1, however. I love my titles!

My status condition lasted for a total of about an hour. After that, I felt my strength return and my MP slowly increasing again. It's a good thing all my clones were using Meditation during their existence, 'cause they helped me level that skill a lot! I decided to keep reading for another 20 minutes to let my MP return to a good level before reactivating UBW, make more clones and eventually return to my training. This time, however, I wouldn't make any new clones until I had sufficient MP. Even my clones were more careful in their training, so they wouldn't run out of MP, despite my encouragement to go nuts. With some careful pacing, I kept going until about 5 in the morning. Knowing that some of the Shepherds can be real early birds, I decided to start the day along with them. After taking a good rinse in the washing area (clothes included), I went back into my room, dispelled the ID and took my bed clone's place after dispelling it too. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my clone had taken time to read up on the Observe log on his own while covering for me. Combined with my own studies, the results were most pleasing:

Due to diligent studying, INT goes up by 1!

I would pat my clone on the back, were he still here. Maybe I should pat myself on the back instead then, since it would technically be the same thing.

Food for thought: If I compliment my clones, does that count as narcissism? Meh, I'll leave that question for another time.

All in all, I'm satisfied with the results of my first real night of training. Just look at my stats.


Jack Lvl: 11 EXP: 120 / 6 600

Class: Traveler

Titles:
The Gamer (grants Gamer´s body and Gamer´s mind)
Self-aware observer (+ 5 % INT, gains 50 EXP for new observations)

Status condition: None

HP: 2 100 / 2 100
HPR: 29.2 (21*1.39) / minute

MP: 2 438 / 2 438 (1 875*1.3)
MPR: 36.8 (24.38*1.51) / minute

STR: 28.7 (19*1.44*1.05)
VIT: 30.2 (20*1.44*1.05)
DEX: 17.9 (17*1.05)
INT: 55.7 (53*1.05)
WIS: 73.4 (51*1.44)
LCK: 4
CHAR: 12

POINTS: 66

(AN: For those of you wondering about the 1.44 multiplier, that's from Meditation sitting on Lvl 35 at this point, providing a 44 % boost in STR, VIT and WIS. Shadow clones FTW!)


I. Feel. AWESOME! And that's just from one night of training. I don't even have to worry about my physical stats gains slowing down, since I have my Telekinesis trick to simulate increased gravity. Thank you, Dragon Ball Z, for providing me with that little tip.

With my body fresh from the wash and my mood as bright as the rising sun, I'm ready to take on a new day! Yeah, the sun is actually rising right now. Funny how something I often saw as a natural part of the passing of time can look so beautiful. I don't care what the cultural elite say in their fancy schmancy painting halls. THIS is true art; the sun rising over the mountains and bathing the land below in the first rays of daylight. Truly, a masterpiece. But I digress.

I make it down to the bottom floor when I notice I wasn't the first one up. Surprise, surprise; that honor goes to Frederick. Come to think of it, this might be the ideal opportunity to speak about something with him that we should have covered yesterday.

"Oh, good morning, Frederick." I greet the Great Knight.

Frederick turns in my direction and nods back. "I see you're up. Did milady's aid help you recover from the poisoning?"

"*Sigh* Well, it helped with the fever, at least. The rest was taken care of on its own after she sent me to bed. Say, you wouldn't know any way to convince Sully that I would prefer to eat something besides her cooking in case she offers, without upsetting her, would you?"

Frederick nods in understanding. "I'm afraid that is a problem I have yet to find the solution for. We generally vacate the barracks whenever she is on mess duty."

I shrug. "Oh, well. Worth a shot. Say, there is something else I wish to discuss with you. Do you have a few minutes?"

"This is normally when I prepare tea for milord and milady, as well as polish the silverware and plan today's lunch and supper. Before milord and milady awaken, I usually take time to-"

By Athos's epic beard, does this guy EVER rest?! I know that Frederick's practically a butler besides being Chrom's second-in-command and a generally fearsome fighter, but this guy could put the entire palace staff to shame and make it look easy!

"- and, should I have some spare time left when all of that is done, I use that time for personal training – provided the floors do not need sweeping, of course. But, considering you brought up a matter that might be important, I suppose I can spare a few minutes. Now, what do you wish to discuss?"

I nod dumbly. "Uh huh… Well, it's regarding both me and Robin."

Frederick raises an eyebrow. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Frederick, ever since the three of us met two days ago, I've noticed that you constantly regard me and Robin with a measure of distrust and wariness."

The knight nods. "I do so with any new person milord and milady meets. One can never be too careful when it concerns them or her Grace."

I nod in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I though too when I considered Chrom's and Lissa's stations in the halidom. You being wary of strangers is actually a wise choice, all things considered. I've heard my fair share of stories about nobles sending assassins in disguise to murder other nobles for all manner of reasons – from attempting to seize more power right after the deed is done, to petty revenge. And that's before we consider whatever rouge simply trying to get into a noble's good graces for the sole purpose of leeching off their riches. All in all, you're simply fulfilling your duty as a knight, and I respect that. It makes sense that you would regard me and Robin carefully."

Frederick nods in response to my answer. "It pleases me that you see the situation my way. Though the way you expressed yourself earlier indicates you have more to say."

"Yeah. I think it's reasonable during the first few instances, but you've held the same measure of distrust towards me and Robin even after we both fought side by side with you and Chrom twice. And both times were against foes who had no qualms about killing anyone who opposed them. And even after all that, you openly expressed your distrust right when we met with the exalt herself. If nothing else, I feel insulted, Frederick. Did either me or Robin do anything to earn your mistrust?"

"You misunderstand, Jack. I always regard strangers with the same measure of wariness. Yours and Robin's cases are no different. And while neither of you have done anything to truly earn you any distrust, neither of you have yet to earn my trust either."

"Now that's unjust, no matter how you look at it, especially in Robin's case!" I object. "She fought right by our side and directed us from the frontlines instead of behind allies. Had she truly been a spy or rouge, she could've easily fled the field in the heat of battle, yet she chose to stay in both instances! That should more than earn her your trust."

The Great Knight raises an eyebrow. "Well, you do bring up a good point, though I'm surprised that you would defend her case before your own."

I cross my arms. "To be fair, her case is easier to plead than mine, at least as far as I can see it. But I still think it unreasonable that you would regard me with the same mistrust even after those battles. I fought alongside all of you! Tell me, Frederick, if that wasn't enough to earn your trust, what does it take? What do I need to do to convince you that I'm sincere about joining the Shepherds and aiding Chrom?"

Frederick takes a moment to think. "A fair question. You would need to prove it. As you've already noticed, I am slow to trust strangers."

I shake my head. "Considering how little progress I seem to have made with you, I doubt there is much I can say to convince you about my sincerity within the near future. So, I have a proposal."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Watch me."

"You need to be more specific than that."

"Let my actions prove my sincerity. You know what they say; actions speak louder than words. See if I act as someone who truly wants to help the Shepherds protect the people. See if I am a trustworthy ally."

Frederick contemplates my words for a moment. "I suppose that's an acceptable proposal. Very well, I shall watch you closely in the future to ascertain whether you are trustworthy or not. That is, as long as it does not clash with my duty of watching over Chrom and Lissa."

I nod in response. "Thanks, Frederick. I guess that's all I can ask of you for now."

Your relationship with Frederick has improved!


With that conversation out of the way, I decide to get some practice done in the courtyard. Right as I exit the barracks, I hear a man shouting and the sound of something breaking. I run to the source to find Chrom standing in front of a broken training dummy and a broken training sword in his hand.

"Uh, good morning, Chrom." I greet.

Chrom turns to my direction and smiles in greeting. "Good morning, Jack. Had a good night's sleep?"

"Yeah. The bed may look simple, but it's very comfy to sleep in."

"And the poisoning?"

"Thank Naga we have Lissa around. I'd probably still be in bed if it weren't for her."

Chrom nods. "Sounds like you're fitting in just great. Say, I know this is sudden, especially when you just recovered, but would you like to spar with me for a bit? I've tried practicing with the training dummies, but they're not as durable as they used to be."

I'd say that has more to do with the guy having monstrous strength and zero restraint, but what do I know?

"Sure. I think I could use some exercise before breakfast. Just make sure we finish up before teatime. I talked with Frederick a bit earlier, and he's busy preparing tea for you and Lissa right now."

Chrom winces. "He's at it again?! Please tell me that's the only thing he has planned."

"Afraid not. I can't even remember half the stuff he's making himself busy with, and that's just the morning. Judging by the way you both phrased it, I'd say this happens often."

Chrom tosses the broken training sword to the side and starts to walk with me to the sparring ring. "It's not just often, it happens every single day! Lissa and I appreciate what he does for us, but Frederick takes it too far. It's starting to become suffocating."

"Have you tried talking about it with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he'd definitely listen to you, so if you make it clear that he doesn't need to do the work of ten stewards just to make your and Lissa's lives "easier", I think he would at least consider it."

Chrom nods. "Thanks, Jack. I'll give it a try."

Guess I just set up the B-rank support for Chrom and Frederick. Nice.

We arrive at the sparring ring and each get a training sword before taking our positions.

"Ready when you are." I tell the prince.

Chrom nods before charging me with a battle cry. As he closes in, he brings up his sword for an overhead swing. I sidestep to the left and try to retaliate, but Chrom quickly counters with a horizontal swipe that I barely manage to block.

*Thwack!*

Yikes! I felt that blow, and that was just from a one-handed swing! I'd better be careful around him, or he'll knock the sword out of my hands!

Deciding to go on the offensive before he can put more pressure on me, I charge in for a horizontal swing from the left. Chrom blocks it easily, but I expected him to. I let the sword slide off before switching to a diagonal swing. He blocks that one too and quickly forces my sword down, getting in position for a shoulder charge. Remembering that particular move from my spar with Sumia yesterday, I throw myself to the right and manage to get my sword out of the blade lock in the process. I roll back up on my feet to see Chrom stumbling a bit before righting himself. Seeing an opening, I rush in for an overhead swing. Chrom turns in my direction and meets me with an overhead swing of his own.

*Thwack!*

Our swords lock together, putting us in a power struggle. Man, this guy is strong!

*Crck*

Huh?

*Crack*

Oh, s-it! My training sword's starting to crack from the pressure! Gotta think fast! Gotta think fast!

I quickly angle my sword until it points to the left instead of up, then I let Chrom's sword slide off of mine as I sidestep to the right. The move leaves Chrom unbalanced, making him stumble forward. I press my advantage and go for a swing at his side, but Chrom dodges by turning his stumble into a roll. He's back on his feet in a second and ready for another round.

He's a better swordsman than I am, that's for sure. He's got the clear advantage in strength and experience, so I need to pull a fast one on him to stand a chance.

Any plan that I could come up with is discarded the moment Chrom decides to take the initiative again. He's going for a diagonal swing to the left. I manage to duck under the swing and try a sweep kick. Chrom quickly jumps over my leg and comes back down for an overhead swing. With no other options, I raise my sword to block.

*Snap!*

Oh…snap!

*Thwack!*

"Guagh!"

Chrom didn't just snap my training sword with that last blow, he managed to get a clean hit on my shoulder. Had he used a real sword, I would've lost my arm for sure!

"Jack! Are you all right?" Chrom asks concerned.

"No…" I whimper out. "I think I need to let a healer check my shoulder."

"Then I guess we should end our spar here." Chrom says as he eases out of his stance.

"My thoughts exactly." I reply and toss the now useless training sword near a crate while cradling my hurting shoulder. "Sheesh, Chrom. I knew you hit hard, but that was crazy!"

"Well, my former instructor often said that I have a lot of natural strength, so we focused most of my training on technique. That was before Frederick and I founded the Shepherds."

"And I assume Frederick never mentioned anything about your strength."

Chrom takes a thinking pose as we walk towards the barracks. "Well, the only time he might have indicated it was when he muttered about his own training lacking. I just assumed that he felt he needed to improve something that he was aware of, but I wasn't."

Of course… Why am I not surprised? Far be it for Frederick to point out something as trivial as – oh, I don't know – his liege hitting like a truck?!

"I thought the broken training dummies and weapons would be good enough indications." I comment dryly.

Chrom shrugs. "Oh, I just thought that the materials were bad. But now that you mention it, they did break more often after Frederick introduced his fanatical fitness hour."

That would explain a lot. Let's see what I can find out about that. "His what now?"

"He calls it "Frederick's fanatical fitness hour". A full hour spent on him leading the rest of the Shepherds though all manner of physical exercises under the sun. The reactions were mixed. Sully took to it like a fish to water. Vaike begged for mercy halfway through." Here he starts to smile amused. "Lissa didn't even make it that far."

I raise an eyebrow. "Is that why you call her delicate?"

Chrom chuckles. "Yeah. Neither Frederick nor I let her live it down until she can make it all the way through. But don't tell her I told you this. She'll throw a fit if she finds out."

"Duly noted."

Your relationship with Chrom has improved!


We arrive back at the barracks just in time for breakfast and most of the current Shepherds present. While Chrom and Lissa usually have their breakfast at the palace, they occasionally eat it in the barracks instead. Today is apparently such a day, because I barely make it three steps in before Lissa steps in my way with a frown on her face.

"Jack, why are you holding your shoulder like that? And you better have a good excuse!"

The walls suddenly look interesting. In fact, everything except for Lissa does. "Uh, heh heh… Funny story there, Lissa… You see, I had just come out of the barracks when I met Chrom, who was busy smashing dumm- I mean training. He wanted something better to practice on and offered to spar with me. I accepted and, well, he got a good blow on my shoulder…(please don't kill me)."


One very sharp tongue lashing later…

I can still feel my ears ringing after Lissa scolded me for "doing something so reckless right after I had recovered from severe food poisoning". At least she healed my shoulder and let me off the hook with an ominous "or else" hanging over my head.

And despite all that, my plight pales in comparison to what Chrom's going through right now. It's one thing to see the blue-haired prince get bossed around by his baby sister because she needs to heal him properly. It's a whole new level of comedy to see him bow his head in shame like a little boy as Lissa puts him through the verbal wringer for injuring one of her patients. Man, scary must run in the family. All three of the royal siblings can get threatening under the right circumstances.

With my shoulder healed, I can finally enjoy some good breakfast for the first time since arriving in this world. Like I've mentioned earlier, I don't really need food in order for my body to function properly (Gamer's body, remember?). But that won't stop me from enjoying a meal or two, especially among friends. In fact, some Observing told me that eating food actually replenishes a little HP. Wonder if I can stuff some food in my bag when no one's looking? Right now, a bowl of porridge and something to drink sounds wonderful.

Wait a minute. Is that…milk?

It is! Woo hoo! Look, I don't know if you're aware of this, but in the era when Awakening (and pretty much every other Fire Emblem game) takes place, milk is a precious commodity. This is before stuff like dairies and fridges are invented, so keeping the milk fresh all the way from the farm to the table can be a real hassle. And here they serve milk in a military barracks like it's a common occurrence! I love Ylisse!

So I grab a cup of milk along with the porridge and some salted meat (deer, apparently) for good measure.

I'm soon joined at the table by the other Shepherds. Sully's looking like she's fresh from a morning jog, Vaike yawns loudly before plopping down on his chair and then…there's…Stahl…

The green guy comes over to the table with both arms filled with food. Then he leaves the table, only to return with more food. And again. And again. And again…

In short order, Stahl has an absurd amount of breakfast in front of him, including (but not limited to): five loaves of bread, two bowls of porridge, a plate full of meat, half a dozen muffins, a whole cake, a large tankard of milk as well as an even bigger jug with more of the white drink.

"Stahl? What in the world-?"

"What can I say?" the Cavalier replies between bites as he demolishes his second bowl of porridge and his fourth muffin. "I have a big appetite."

My dumbfounded stare continues as everyone else continue with breakfast. I finally turn to Lissa and ask the question that begs to be answered while pointing at Stahl.

"Is that normal?"

Lissa shrugs. "Stahl's been like this ever since he joined the Shepherds. We were all weirded out the first few times before just going along with it. If anything, he keeps the bakers and farmers in the halidom busy."

I take another look at Stahl's massive meal (which, by the way, is down to about a third at this point).

"This kind of diet must cost a fortune in the long run."

Stahl nods halfway through the cake. "Yeah. In fact, I struck a deal with Captain Chrom. In return of getting bigger rations of food, my pay's lower than the others'. Good thing I don't spend much money on other stuff, so it all works out."

I guess the guy keeping a solid figure despite his appetite is a testament to an effective training regimen. Frederick's done a good job with this guy.


With everyone done with breakfast, we gear up and get ready to march to Ferox. I leave the palace grounds ahead of the others to make a quick stop at the smithy and pick up my new armor. True to her word, Anna has the stuff ready with her signature smile on her face.

No, really. Considering how crafty the Annas are, it wouldn't surprise me if they found a way to copyright their smile.

The chainmail and leather armor fit like a glove, much to my pleasant surprise. These were made by a person who didn't even take my measurements and she still got the fitting perfect. Since I'm confident that I'm doing good on money, I decide to leave an extra 100 gold on the counter "for a job well done".

Anna's smile gets a little brighter. "Did I ever tell you that you're my new favorite customer?"

"No." I answer with a smirk. "But with service this good, I might find myself returning here in the future. Here's to hoping that more people get to know your business."

I leave the smithy with a wave over my shoulder and Anna giving the customary "Come back soon!".


The Shepherds gather outside the capital gate a few minutes later. A quick headcount shows that everyone who volunteered is here. But I get this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting someone. Some big armored guy who's supposed to stick out from everyone else, but just doesn't.

Nope, doesn't ring a bell.

"Is everyone ready?" Chrom asks us all. "We've a long march ahead."

Everyone gives the affirmative.

"By the way, Captain, Miriel should catch up with us soon." Stahl adds. Then he turns to me and Robin. "Miriel's one of our mages. Oh, and thanks for telling me about the marching, Jack."

That makes Lissa turn to Vaike angrily. "What?! Vaike, you're the one who was supposed to tell Stahl! Did you forget again?"

"To be fair, Lissa, I ran into Stahl yesterday right as he got back to the barracks and told him about the mission. That's how I got to know him." I tell her.

That clams the Cleric down. "Oh. Well, that's good. It's such a relief that you're dependable, Jack, unlike Vaike here."

"Hey, that's low, Lissa!" the Fighter yells angrily. "Don't blame the Vaike just because someone else did his job!"

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true! You're so scatterbrained, you'd forget your own name if you didn't say it all the time. Speaking of which, are you SURE you remembered to bring your axe?"

"That was one time!" the Fighter yells indignant. "Okay, twice, but training sessions don't count! See? I got it right here. Teach is loaded and ready for action!"

True to his word, Vaike pulls out a big Iron Axe and places it confidently on his right shoulder.

I walk up to the Fighter and give him an appraising look. "Hm… Yeah, I think I'll feel safer with you and your axe around. Here's to hoping we'll fight well together." I say as I reach out with my fist.

Vaike grins as he accepts the fist bump. "Glad to have you along, Jack." Then he leans in to whisper. "And, uh, thanks for covering for me. I actually forgot to tell Stahl all about this mission."

I shrug. "You're welcome. If you really wanna return the favor, just keep a firm grip on the axe and help me take down whatever tries to stop us."

"Can do!" Vaike answers confidently.

Your relationship with Vaike has improved!


We've been marching for a few hours at this point. It's a good thing we were supplied with two carts complete with oxen pulling them, or else we'd be lugging around an impractical amount of stuff on foot. I am NOT turning myself into the pack mule just because I have infinite inventory space. I'd have way too many questions thrown in my direction if I started pulling tons of stuff out of my bag.

I decided to make some small talk with the other Shepherds while marching. I got to learn quite a few interesting tidbits about them in that span of time. For example, Stahl originally wanted to work as a cook before answering the call of duty and joining the Shepherds instead. Turns out Frederick has done the "Chrom wants you" campaign at least once before this point in time (thankfully, the posters showed Chrom clothed and not in the buff). And, while Vaike had some humble beginnings, he was more or less the king of the streets in his hometown (or so he claims) before Emmeryn came along. When Emmeryn did show up, he kneeled. He joined the Shepherds three days later.

One thing that's been bothering me during the march is that I've frequently heard the rhythmic clanking of heavy armor. My first guess would be that Frederick's the cause, since he wears the most armor in our group, but he's on the opposite side of where the sound comes from. I check things out with Mind's eye but come up with nothing. Weird… Did Frederick pack an extra suit of armor for himself for the trip?

I'm in the middle of discussing the applications of lightning magic with Robin when an alert pops up.


Quest alert:
Main quest: The Shepherds make their debut
You're on your way to Regna Ferox when you stop at the sight of Risen. Bad news: They've spread far. You need to clean up the highroad off the undead menaces before you can advance. It's a good thing you're traveling with a larger group this time around. The time has come for the Shepherds to show what they're made of.
Objectives: Defeat all Risen
Rewards: 2 500 EXP, 2 500 gold
Bonus objectives: ?, ?
Bonus rewards: ?, 200 EXP, 200 gold
Failure: Death


The game's not exaggerating. We see Risen wandering all over the road.

Chrom winces at the sight of the undead. "Gods, have the Risen spread this far?"

Robin looks at Chrom in question. ""Risen"?"

Frederick narrows his eyes. "We needed a new name for this threat, so the council gave them one."

Chrom draws Falchion. "Everyone, remember what we're up against!"

Vaike steps up with a confident grin. "Mya ha! They'll remember ME once I drive my axe into their-"

I take a look at Vaike's right hand. It's empty. When did he lose his axe? "Uh, Vaike? Where's your axe?"

Vaike twitches his fingers a few times, only to grab air. "What the- But I had it a second ago, I swear!"

Chrom sighs. "Vaike, this is no time for jokes…"

"But I'm serious! It's gone, but I JUST had it! It's got to be around here somewhere…"

Chrom steps into the lead with Falchion at the ready. "Keep to the rear, then! The battle is nigh!"

I push Mind's eye as far as I can in the hopes of finding Vaike's axe. Nope, nothing. He must've dropped it at least a few minutes back, considering the pace we've been marching at.

Lissa and Virion stay at the rear along with Vaike. The rest of us step up beside Chrom and get ready for combat. The Risen spot us and charge with a battle cry.

"Raagh!"

Or at least, as intimidating of a war cry that counts as.

"Shepherds, charge!" Chrom shouts and runs towards the undead. The rest of us follow. Time to show the fruits of my training!

A Risen Soldier charges at me with its Iron Lance ready to impale me.

"Oh no. It was bad enough that your buddy got me with that last time I saw your ugly mugs. I am NOT getting a lance in my body again!"

I redirect the strike to the left and grab the lance with my free hand. Before the Risen has any chance to react, I yank at the lance and bring the wandering corpse close enough for me to stab my sword straight into its face. The Risen goes down in an instant. Next!

*Boom!*

I notice a few Risen fly out of a cloud of dust about a dozen paces away from me. Chrom runs out of the cloud a second later and beheads a Risen Fighter with a mighty cry. A Myrmidon tries to attack him from behind, only to be flattened under the hooves of Frederick's horse with a vengeance.

Sully and Stahl ride around on the field and pick off whatever Risen that manage to survive Chrom's and Frederick's brutal attacks. Adding Robin's lightning magic helps tremendously. We thankfully have the situation under pretty good control. Here's to hoping that we don't get overrun by a sudden wave of more Risen.

"Jack, go back to the rear and make sure Lissa and Vaike are safe. I don't want to repeat the same mistake we did last battle and leave those who can't fight back unguarded. I know Virion's there, but he can't handle too many enemies at once!" Robin shouts between lightning spells. Seeing as the others have a firm grip on the situation, I nod and run back to where the others have taken cover.


True to Robin's prediction, some Risen managed to circle the frontlines and find the others. Virion's firing arrows as fast as he can, but there are too many for him to hold back by himself. It only gets worse by the fact that the undead have enough numbers to have some of them hunt the Archer down. This forces him to stay on the move and only gives him time to shoot an arrow or two before running for another spot again.

Vaike's protecting Lissa from three Risen who managed to get past Virion's arrows. For someone who's left weaponless, Vaike's doing a remarkable job in holding the Risen back barehanded. Possibly a result of having his fair share of street fights when growing up. As skilled as he is with his fists, though, he's having trouble against the undead triple team, and he has the wounds to prove it.

This puts me in a dilemma. Should I head towards Virion and get the pressure off the Archer's back so he can fire arrows in peace, or should I run towards Vaike and get the Risen off his case before he gets any more wounds?

"Begone, foul miscreation! Hrah!"

Wait, that was neither Virion nor Vaike shouting…

*Thunk!*

An Iron Axe flies in from the side and nails one of the Risen that attack Vaike in the head. The undead corpse dissolves into purple mist moments later.

"Whoa! My axe!" Vaike exclaims as he picks up his trusty weapon and beheads the other two Risen in a single massive swing.

"I wondered what manner of ignoramus would mislay their weapon." We turn our heads and spot Miriel walk up to us. "Now I know."

"Thanks, Miriel!" Vaike grins happily. "…Er, for the axe, anyway."

The Mage scowls at the Fighter. "Perhaps next time I'll use a spell to fasten it to your hands – permanently."

"No need!" Vaike replies hurriedly and runs towards the frontline to join the fray. Smart move. Considering Miriel managed to headshot that Risen with a weapon she's not even trained to wield, in a manner that it's not even intended to be wielded, I'd take her threat seriously. That, and she's the closest to a scientist the Shepherds have. She'd find a way.

"Vaike! No running into battle while you're wounded!" Lissa shouts as she runs after him.

"So, your name is Miriel?" I ask as I walk up to the bespectacled Mage.

"Indeed." she replies. "I heard from Stahl yesterday that we had received new recruits. As I am unfamiliar with your face, I assume you are one of them."

I nod. "Yep. Name's Jack. The other one is Robin, your new tactician."

Miriel nods. "A tactician? How intriguing. I have yet to meet anyone who has made battlefield tactics their profession."

I stretch out my hand with a smile. "Well, here's to hoping that we'll get along in the future."

Miriel stares at my hand. "Offering to shake hands as a means of social interaction. Very well. I accept your proposal, as working in groups increases the probability of surviving a battle."

The handshake feels awkward, but I think I've made a good first impression on her. It feels weird to hear her pick apart and analyze everything as if it's part of a scientific study.

And why do I feel like hundreds of deadpan stares are directed at me at this very moment? Must be my imagination.

"Could you please save your pleasantries for later?! I am in desperate need of assistance here!" we hear Virion shout.

Oh, right, Virion. Kinda forgot him with Miriel showing her latent axe skills and everything.

The poor guy is almost cornered by the Risen chasing him. Only his quick thinking and skillful archery has kept the undead at bay – barely.

I turn to Miriel. "I'll get up close. How well can you aim your magic?"

Miriel readjusts her glasses with one hand and pulls out a Fire tome with the other. "Well enough to score a direct hit on these creatures without incurring friendly fire."

I guess that works. I charge the Risen and use the opportunity to stab one through the spine. It barely has time to twitch before I rip out the blade through its side, dissolving it into mist. It's surprising how these guys can have such a one-track mind when it comes to killing. You would think they'd be more cautious with their surroundings, but, nope. They rely on overwhelming numbers and the simplest strategy ever: charge and attack.

The remaining Risen turn towards me upon noticing that they're one buddy short. Seeing as I'm the only Shepherd among us intended for melee combat, I take the opening given to me.

"That's right, corpses. I'm the one you're after."

I emphasize my point with a come-hither motion. The Risen take the bait and charge me. The first Risen to reach me is a Myrmidon. It goes for an overhead swing – a terribly telegraphed one at that. I hold up my sword and angle it downward slightly to let the blow slide along the blade to the side, leaving the perfect opening to slice open the undead's neck.

Next up is a Barbarian going for a horizontal swing. I duck low at the last moment and swipe at the Risen's legs, making it stumble. That allows me to come up behind it and sever its spine with a clean slash on the back.

It's a good thing I have Mind's eye active, or else I would've missed the Soldier coming in from behind trying to stab me with its lance. I already told you undead bozos, I am NOT getting impaled on a lance again! I quickly step to the side just as the Risen Soldier goes for the stab. Its overcommitment makes it stumble forward, giving me the perfect opening to stab it through the heart. And there it goes.

I get ready to face two more Risen when they suddenly get an arrow each in the head and literally go up in flames a second later. That's the last of the Risen that were remaining after Vaike and Lissa left.

"Nice work, both of you." I tell Miriel and Virion as I walk back to them.

Miriel nods. "The predicted outcome."

Virion answers with a smile. "A magnificent display of skill, my friend. It is reassuring to have an ally on my side."

Uh huh, sure. Thanks, but flattery will get you nowhere.

"Say, Virion, were there any more of those Risen around before I came to aid you?"

The Archer rubs his chin for a moment. "Not more of them per see, but I did notice that their chasing got more relenting when I ran through the convoy. I am unsure as of why, but it gave me some much-needed breathing room."

Now that sounds odd. "I'll go look around in the convoy in case there's any unwelcome visitors. You two join Chrom and the others in taking those things down."

Miriel frowns. "It is reckless to investigate such a matter on your own, especially during a battle. I advise you let at least one of us accompany you in your investigation."

I nod. "Good point. I take it you'll join me then?"

I get a nod for an answer. "That is acceptable, yes."


We all agree on the plan and set of in our respective directions (though Virion did send a brief glance in Miriel's direction before running towards Chrom and the others). Miriel and I soon reach the convoy and begin searching the carts carefully. We notice plenty of footsteps in the dirt, which indicates that several people ran through the place recently, in accordance to Virion's story about being chased through here. I check our surroundings with Mind's eye, but find only the supplies stored in the carts, and nothing else.

"Some of these footsteps end abruptly with the shape of bodies hitting the ground." Miriel tells me as she gets back from examining the dirt road closer. "It would seem those creatures were ambushed by an unknown assailant."

"Any leads on who this mystery attacker could be?" I ask.

Miriel points at a set of footsteps that seem to turn every which way. "There is one set of footsteps that does not follow the trend that I just described. I surmise these belong to the assailant. Notice that these footsteps are slightly deeper than the others. That would indicate that the one we are searching for wears weighty gear – significantly heavier than any other person who has run through this place."

Wow, Miriel's got a sharp eye for details. She'd make an awesome investigator if she ever gave up scholarship.

We follow the set of footsteps until they stop – at a suit of armor standing between the carts.

"That's strange…" I mutter with a frown as I walk up to the armor. "I know I heard the clanking of armor while we were marching, but I never expected Frederick to pull out a spare suit of armor and put it up as a decoy in the convoy. Now that I take a closer look, I doubt armor this big is practical for mounted combat."

"*Sigh* That's because this armor doesn't belong to Lieutenant Fredrick. It's mine." the armor tells me.

I nod in agreement. "Yeah, I suppose that makes-"

…Wait a second…

"The armor can talk?!" I freak out.

"It's me, Kellam." the voice deadpans.

I try looking at the armor extra carefully and notice a face. Hey, it IS Kellam!

Hold on… This guy escaped my notice WHILE I was using Mind's eye when he was CLEARLY within range. How the heck did he do that?!

While I'm contemplating the possibility of Kellam being glitched, Miriel approaches with a thoughtful look.

"How fascinating… You stand right before us, and yet, we find it unnaturally difficult to see you."

Kellam shrugs. "It's always been like that. No matter what I do, people just don't seem to notice me. I could wave in their direction out in the open and they don't even glance my way."

I rub my chin in thought. "I guess this explains why Virion had an easier time dodging those Risen while they were running through here. It wasn't that they had a harder time chasing him, you simply held them off as they passed by."

Kellam nods. "Yeah. I tried to get his attention, but, well, he just kept running."

I nod understandingly. "Well, that clears up that mystery. We'd better hurry and rejoin the others in taking those walking corpses down."

"If I may make a proposal." Miriel interjects. "I suggest you rejoin the others on your own, Jack. Kellam and I will stay here with the convoy and stand guard in case any bandits show up. It would be unfortunate if anything was stolen while we were all busy fighting."

"Hm… Sounds like a plan. I'll let the others know."

Kellam looks at Miriel. "Will you really be alright standing guard together with me? Won't it seem like you're doing it on your own?"

Miriel adjusts her glasses while looking in Kellam's general direction. "That is another reason why I wish to stay here with you. Your ability to remain undetected even when you wish to be noticed is most fascinating. I wish to study it."

With that, I leave the convoy behind. Huh. From my personal experience, Miriel treats most of her support conversations as if they were scientific studies, no matter who she's talking with. Out of all things she can study, Kellam's ability to go under everyone's radars might be among the most interesting. Conversely, most people who Kellam can have support conversations with simply try to get used to him being hard to spot, while Miriel takes a genuine interest in it. Their conversations develop an odd relationship that's generally professional, but slowly grows into something more.

Speaking of Kellam being hard to spot, I wonder if he'd do better as a spy or assassin. I mean, there's a reason why he can reclass into a Thief when given the opportunity. That would turn his ironic stealth into a crucial tool that borders on OP, right?


I eventually manage to rejoin the other Shepherds. Looks like they got some good momentum going while I was away. The bridge that I noticed before the battle broke out was quite a distance away from us when we started. Now they've moved the battle to the other side.

"I'm back. How's it going?" I call when I reach Virion, who's standing at the rear and providing ranged support.

"As well as can be, I suppose." the Archer responds. He readies another arrow and lets it fly without looking. It nails a Fighter in the head before it even gets close to Sully. Showoff. "Dear Robin has guided us marvelously over the battlefield. Nothing seems to faze her as she directs one standoff after another and allows us to gain ground one pace at a time. And the grace she does it with! Splendid!"

"Uh huh… Gonna ignore those last two sentences. Speaking of which, where is she now?"

"She is further up, right at the frontline. Last I caught a glimpse of her, she was directing sir Frederick and Stahl in a pincer maneuver against a group of enemy soldiers. By the way, what happened with you and that lovely bespectacled mage after I left?"

"We found the cause of why the Risen seemed to relent when you ran through the convoy. Turns out it was Kellam all along. We just forgot him while we were marching and unknowingly left him behind when the battle started." I wince at remembering the stealthy Knight. "We REALLY need to apologize to Kellam when this is over. Anyway, Miriel, the Mage, decided to stay with him by the convoy and stand guard in case any bandits pass by and try to steal our supplies."

Virion nods. "A wise choice. Perhaps we should set up guards for the convoy in the future as well. After all, an army marches on its stomach."

"Hmm. Sounds like good idea. Better let Robin know about that."

With that, I leave Virion and join the frontline. Vaike is literally in full swing as he tears through a Soldier with his axe. Though he missed the fact that there's a Fighter right behind it trying to avenge its (re)fallen comrade. Good thing Sully's nearby and tackles the enemy Fighter to the ground.

Turns out Sully doesn't just pack a mean left hook. She's also got a good elbow drop. And Boston crab hold. And German suplex. And- Dear Naga, is that Zangief's Spinning piledriver?!

*Boom!*

Owww… That Risen's gonna fell that after returning to the afterlife. No wonder women around the halidom call Sully "the woman to end all men"! I can see how she handed everyone their asses when she joined the Shepherds at age 15 – before Frederick stepped in and returned the favor.

As for the Great Knight, he rides full force towards a trio of Risen Mercenaries and skewers all three on his lance. And then he lifts up the lance – with all three Risen still impaled on it – before jumping off his horse and slams down the Risen into the ground headfirst.

Seeing as they have things handled on that side, I turn the other way to see how the battle's going.

Chrom and Robin make a surprisingly good team. Chrom runs in and cuts down a Risen Soldier, Robin fires a Thunder spell on a retaliating Mercenary. Chrom follows up with a stab to finish the job, Robin draws her own sword and fends off a Barbarian. Robin ducks just as Chrom comes in with a horizontal swing, and then she springs up to stab the Barbarian through the heart. And so on and so forth.

That leaves…Stahl! He's being pinned down by a pair of Archers while a Myrmidon tries to cut down his horse! Good thing he's taken cover behind some trees, but he won't get out of there with those Archers standing on a nearby hill with their sights set on him.

Taking care not to be spotted, I circle the hill while the Archers are looking elsewhere. I eventually reach the other side, allowing me to sneak up on the Archers from behind.

Pick a corpse, any corpse. Right one it is.

*Shink!*

Considering most soldiers (the Archers included) wear helmets, the neck is the next best thing to aim for. My sword sinks cleanly into the Risen's neck before it dissolves. The other Risen turns around and finally spots me.

"Too slow!"

*Shink!* "Guarargh!"

That's both Archers down. I look in the direction of the trees and see Stahl in the middle of fending off the Myrmidon.

"Stahl! The Archers are down!"

Stahl briefly glances in my direction before returning his attention to the fight. With his movements no longer limited, Stahl breaks off the fight, leaves the trees and rides towards me with the Risen hot on his heels. We nod to each other as he approaches the top of the hill. With my higher vantage point, I have an easy shot on the undead Myrmidon still running uphill. I take aim and throw my sword at the corpse as it approaches.

*Thunk!*

Dead on! The sudden impact of a sword being thrown in the chest stops the Myrmidon cold in its tracks and makes it stumble. With the opening provided, I run straight at it and deliver a haymaker right in the face.

*Pow!*

My punch sends the Risen tumbling down the hill.

"I love this part!" I hear Stahl shout behind me.

The green Cavalier rides past me and has his horse jump as he nears the fallen Risen. Then Stahl himself jumps off his horse and delivers a fatal stab right through the undead's head. It gives out a final cry of pain before dissolving.

Stahl grunts as he pulls his sword free from the ground while I pick up my own sword. We face each other grinning and bump fists.

"Nice moves." I comment.

"That was all you." Stahl replies.


Warning! Warning! Boss level enemy detected!


And there's the mandatory boss fight. I look further up the road and spot a Risen chief similar to the one we fought last time, including its ridiculous size. This one, however, carries a different weapon.


Short Axe, Axe, Base damage: 40, Rare
While identical in design to a Hand Axe, this weapon is made of a metal that is significantly heavier than iron, and also gives it its distinct red color. The increased heft allows for deadly blows no matter what range it is used at. However, the higher damage output comes at a price – literally. Not only is the metal needed to make this throwing axe rare and difficult to mine, the technique to forge this weapon without making it impractically heavy is almost equally rare among blacksmiths, thus resulting in a very steep price. Because of this, Short Axes are mainly found among army officers and veteran soldiers who specialize in axes.


The fact that that zombie holds such a weapon can only mean one thing; it used to be a skilled axe wielder back when it was alive.

It's a good thing the others finished up with their fights right around the same time as me and Stahl. We're soon gathered in front of the Risen chief and its remaining half a dozen fellow zombies.

"Think we can take this one down the same way as the last one?" I ask while glancing at Robin.

Robin narrows her eyes at the giant undead. "I doubt it. The same strategy rarely works twice over time, especially in a row."

Chrom gets in a ready stance. "Careful everyone. The last time we fought one of these, it took all of us to defeat it."

Vaike grins as he readies his axe. "That's because you didn't have the Vaike around. I'll chop 'em up lickety split!"

"Don't count on it, Vaike." I comment. "The last giant zombie we fought against destroyed an entire watchtower by throwing an axe like yours at it."

The Fighter looks at me in disbelief. "What?! Seriously?!"

I nod. "Robin and Virion barely managed to escape the tower before it was hit by the axe. So, think you can top that?"

Vaike scratches the back of his head. "Yeah…maybe after a training session or two. Might need some more muscle."

Our conversation comes to a halt as the Risen charge us. There's enough of us to match the zombies person for person, excluding whatever support we get from the rear. I engage a Mercenary on the left with Sully and Robin nearby.

Parry, dodge, slash across the chest, redirect, counter, blade lock. Compared to the spar I had with Chrom this morning, this corpse feels more like warmup than a challenge. Its technique is sub-par at best and it's nowhere near as strong as the blue-haired prince. I quickly overpower the Risen and kick it in the stomach, making it stumble backwards. That gives me the perfect opening to stab it in the heart.

*Shink!*

And done!

I look to the right and see Robin fencing with a Risen Myrmidon. She's holding up quite well, but they're more or less locked in a stalemate. I run into the battle and slash the Risen in the side. The unexpected attack makes the undead step back to reassess its situation.

I step in close to Robin. "Mind if I join in?"

Robin smiles before facing the Risen again. "Not at all."

Our tag team makes quick work of the enemy as we take turns attacking it. Any time either of us delivers a strike, we back off immediately afterwards to let the other one get a hit in. I eventually manage to bait the Myrmidon into overcommitting a swing and circle it to kick it in the back.

"Finish it!"

Robin shouts a battle cry as she strikes with a jump slash. The Risen splits from shoulder to hip and dissolves soon after.

"Nicely done." Robin comments smiling.

"We've got some good teamwork." I answer with a grin.

"Raargh!"

We both turn to the sound of the Risen to find the chief fighting Vaike in single combat. Vaike may be strong, but the giant zombie has him beat in that regard. It's only thanks to his quick thinking that Vaike is still alive.

"We have to help him!" Robin shouts and runs towards the battling duo.

"Don't die on us, Vaike." I mutter as I follow suit.

The Shepherds' Fighter has sustained quite a few wounds during the fight. He's bleeding in several places and panting visibly. The Risen chief goes in for a diagonal backhand swing. Vaike manages to pull a fast one and dodges before going in for a retaliatory swing.

*Shink!*

Much to everyone's surprise, most of all Vaike's, the Risen chief pulled one of it's underlings into the fight and used the minion as a meat shield. Before Vaike has a chance to react, the Risen chief tosses its underling, with the axe still lodged in it, over him like it's dead weight (and to be fair, it can literally function as a dead weight). Vaike gets pinned under the still moving Risen, unable to push it off in his weakened state. The Risen chief's going in for an overhead swing!

"Hang on, I'm coming!"

Chrom charges in from the side and shoulder tackles the Risen chief just in time to make the swing miss Vaike's head – by a full two centimeters.

Vaike blanches as he looks at how close the axe is to his head before renewing his struggles of getting the Risen off him. I soon reach the two and grab the Risen by the head. Then I place my sword by the neck and slice!

The undead quickly dissolves, allowing me to help Vaike up unhindered.

"Man, that was way too close! That could've been the end for the Vaike!" the Fighter exclaims as he stands up shakily.

I hand him his axe while keeping my eyes on the Risen chief, who is now busy fighting Chrom and Robin.

"Well, you're alive, and that's what matters." I reply. "You'd better get those wounds healed. Fighting while injured is a terrible idea."

Vaike nods before retreating to the rear in search for Lissa. As for me, I return to the battle against the boss.

The main problem is that the Risen chief has the most physical strength out of everyone fighting. It'll pretty much always win in a straight-up fight unless we can weaken it. That begs the question; How do we weaken it?

"Hard at work strategizing, my friend? I thought that was Robin's task, no?"

I turn to the voice to find Virion behind a tree.

"Don't the others need covering fire to handle their opponents easier?"

The Archer shakes his head. "I believe that will not be necessary. Our comrades have gained enough of an advantage to outnumber those hideous creatures two-to-one. The most problematic opponent right now…" Here Virion indicates the Risen chief. "…is that one."

So we have ranged support. That's good. The Risen chief will probably try to tear Virion apart if it realizes he attacks from afar. That's bad. The Risen chief can do that without taking a single step thanks to its weapon. That's even worse.

"I don't think any of us can stop that thing if it decides to attack you. Try to make yourself as discreet as possible. If you find an opening for a crippling or fatal shot, that would probably be the best opportunity to fire."

"That it would be." the Archer agrees and finds cover in some nearby bushes.

Chrom and Robin have done a great job in fighting the giant zombie, but it looks like they're starting to get tired. Their hit-and-run tactics are getting slower while the Risen chief just keeps going at the same pace as in the beginning of the fight.

Robin is a step too slow in attack, allowing the Risen chief to intercept her sword strike with a powerful swing that knocks the sword out of her hands and Robin off-balance. Before the undead can bring its axe down on the Tactician, I grab hold of her hand and pull her back.

*Thoom!*

O_O

Bladed weapons aren't supposed to make that kind of impact when they hit the ground! The fact that Chrom does it regularly doesn't exactly help my point, but it's Chrom!

"You okay?" I ask Robin.

"Y-yeah." the Tactician replies a bit shakily.

"Try lightning magic on it. I'll fill in for close combat."

"Alright. Be careful, Jack."

Chrom tries to hold the Risen chief back in a power struggle, but he's quickly losing ground. Just as the zombie tries to break the weapon lock, I attack from the side with a stab.

"Not today!"

The Risen chief is anything but happy that Chrom got away and decides to exact vengeance on me with a hard back hand.

*Wham!*

That hurt! The strike knocks me flat on my back, and it's only thanks to a timely Thunder spell from Robin that I manage to get away before the Risen drives its axe into my chest.

I sidle up next to Chrom with Robin behind us and the giant Risen in front.

"Any ideas?" I ask the Ylissean prince.

Chrom scowls at the Risen. "That thing isn't just strong, it always has a good foothold to make use of its strength. If we could make it lose its balance, defeating it should be easier."

What he says makes sense, but how do we unbalance something that's probably twice my weight? With our cavalry busy, we don't have anything to build up enough momentum to knock the Risen chief over. If only we could weaken the foothold instead.

…Wait a minute… Weaken the foothold? That might work!

"Robin, Chrom, I have an idea."

I manage a quick strategy session with the prince and Tactician "Think that'll work?"

Robin takes a moment to think. "Maybe, but we'll need to attack in a way that makes it stay in one place."

"Raarrgh!"

Yeah, we've talked long enough. The Risen chief's gotten impatient and charges us head-on.

Chrom and I split to attack from the sides while Robin meets the undead with a Thunder spell. The Risen shakes off the spell and continues its charge at the Tactician. Robin dives to the side and manages to dodge the axe swing. Before the Risen chief can follow up, Chrom rushes in with a horizontal slice on its side.

The Risen chief turns in Chrom's direction and growls before aiming a kick against the prince.

"Peekaboo!" I shout as I jump onto the undead's back, making it stumble from the extra weight. My grin turns a liiittle manic as I jam my sword as hard as I can into its shoulder before hopping off.

"Robin!"

You know what comes next. Robin fires a Thunder spell on the sword, which conducts said electrical spell directly into the giant Risen. I dare say the silver-haired Tactician is wrong. This'll be the third time in a row that the same strategy worked on a boss-level enemy.

The Risen chief twitches in pain and anger as the Thunder spell wreaks havoc on its nerves. The most important part is that its legs finally remain in one place.

"Virion! Aim for the knees!" I shout to the Archer.

Two arrows fly in quick succession and nail a knee each on the Risen chief. With its kneecaps wrecked, the giant corpse no longer has the strength to remain standing on its feet and instead crashes down on the knees.

"He's all yours, Chrom!"

The blue-haired prince gets in a ready stance a few paces in front of the downed Risen.

"Your end has come!"

Chrom takes a running start and jumps high into the air (with his cape billowing majestically behind him and the sun projecting a halo in the perfect position) with Falchion raised above his head. With a mighty war cry, Chrom brings down the divine sword.

The Risen chief desperately tries to block the incoming overhead swing with its axe, but with its knees shot (literally), the block barely lasts a fraction of a second before breaking along with the axe. The corpse has no time to react to its situation before Chrom pivots on his lead foot and beheads it with a horizontal swing.

The head falls off the undead body before dissolving with everything else.


Risen chief has been killed! Nice team combo! You gain 700 EXP!

Due to constant strenuous activity, STR goes up by 1!
Due to prolonged exhausting activity, VIT goes up by 3!
Due to plenty or running and quick maneuvering, DEX goes up by 2!


Quest alert:
Main quest: The Shepherds make their debut
A splendid battle! The Shepherds have proven their mettle in combat and shown themselves to be reliable allies. You'll fit right in with their merry band. With the Risen cleaned up, the road towards Regna Ferox is finally open. But wait. Wasn't there bound to be an important meeting happening further down the road?
Objectives cleared: Defeat all Risen.
All objectives cleared!
Rewards:
You gain 2 500 EXP! You gain 2 500 gold!
Bonus objectives cleared: Notice Kellam in the convoy. Don't let Kellam die.
All bonus objectives cleared!
Bonus rewards:
Your relationship with Kellam has improved! You gain 200 EXP! You gain 200 gold!


"Finally, and good riddance!" Chrom shouts exasperated. His face then turns contemplative. "But if they're appearing this far up the Northroad…"

"Then no path is safe." Frederick finishes. "We'll need to stay wary."


While Lissa does her routinely checkup on everyone in the group, I take the opportunity to chat up with anyone available.

"A guard for the convoy, huh?" Robin asks.

"Indeed." Miriel answers. "Having a few of our numbers keep watch over our supplies while the rest fight the battle should act as an effective deterrent towards any bandit attempting to steal anything from the convoy."

Robin nods in agreement. "Thanks for the suggestion, Miriel. I'll give it some thought as we march."

Miriel adjusts her glasses. "It should be noted that it was mostly coincidental that Kellam and I acted as guards for the convoy during the latter half of the battle. Had Virion not noted any odd signs while fleeing from the Risen, neither Kellam nor the idea of a convoy guard may have been discovered."

Robin takes a look around. "Speaking of which, where is Kellam?"

"He's standing right besides Miriel." I answer while indicating the big Knight.

Robin squints her eyes at the place I indicate, only to jump back with a yelp when Kellam clears his throat. "Wha- Kellam?! When did you get here?"

"I've been here the whole time." Kellam answers. Then he looks at me (I think?). "But I'm surprised you noticed me, Jack."

I wave off the comment. "Eh, I figured you'd still be with Miriel after the battle. Since I already had an idea what to look for, noticing you was a little easier than normal. It's a matter of spotting the signs."

Kellam smiles (I think?). "Wow. That's probably the first time someone outside my family noticed me so quickly. Maybe I won't go so unnoticed in the future after all."

Then Miriel jumps into the conversation. "You claim there are signs that indicate when Kellam is nearby. May I inquire as to what these signs are?"

The way she worded that question sounded like she won't take "no" for an answer. So the rest of the time we have before we resume marching is spent with me trying to explain what tells Kellam gives off when he's nearby. It might've been a smoother conversation if I didn't constantly forget those tells faster than Vaike forgets his axe. What little I can remember to share seems to please Miriel, thankfully. Looks like she's made the stealthy Knight her newest subject of study.


Our march continues pretty much unhindered after the battle against the Risen. As we near the border to Regna Ferox, we spot a peculiar animal beside the road.

"Well, what do we have here?" Robin asks curiously.

Lissa pops out from the wagon that she hitched a ride on and looks in the same direction. "Hey, is that what I think it is?"

We approach the animal to find our suspicions confirmed.

"It's a pegasus, all right." Chrom comments with a nod. "I think it's hurt. Let's have a look here…"

Before he can get close enough, the pegasus starts thrashing around. Must be some kind of survival instinct that kicks in when an animal is wounded.

"WHOA! Down, girl! Easy there!" Sadly, Chrom's attempts at trying to calm the winged equid down fail completely.

"Captain, one moment!" Huh? When did Sumia get out of the wagon?

The brunette approaches us and almost stumbles on the way. Well, looks like her running training in the forest is already paying off.

Chrom looks towards Sumia. "Come no closer, Sumia. This beast is crazed!"

Sumia's face grows determined. "It's okay, Captain. I can handle this…" She approaches the pegasus with a gentle smile. "Shhh… Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you."

The pegasus reacts the same to Sumia at first. But the brunette keeps approaching the animal patiently and with open arms. Not even a minute later, Sumia's petting the pegasus gently on the head. The winged horse is as calm as a baby in the arms of its mother.

"Shhh… There, there."

Everyone looks at Sumia in surprise.

"How did she calm it so quickly?" Robin asks bewildered.

"Wow, that's incredible, Sumia!" Lissa gushes.

Chrom shakes his head in wonder. "I've never seen anything like it."

All the attention makes Sumia blush. "Oh, it's…it's nothing, really. I just have a way with animals, I guess. Captain Phila says it's because I used to spend so much time in the stables when I was a new recruit."

"I should say so!" Chrom comments with an impressed smile. "You look like a natural."

Sumia keeps up her gentle petting while inspecting the pegasus' wounds.

"You all go on ahead." She eventually says. "I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

"We can make time to wait for you." Chrom offers.

Sumia shakes her head with a smile. "Thank you, Captain, but I can manage. Every moment is precious when Ylisse is in danger."

"Right, then. Be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir."

With that, we leave Sumia to take care of the pegasus while we continue north. And let me tell you; dang, Sumia's got some good character development! She starts out meek and clumsy, but by the time the Shepherds arrive in Ferox, she's become a confident ally who's determined to make a difference. And what a difference she makes! The best part? It's all canon!

Here's to hope that the feroxi give us a warmer welcome than in the game. Ferox diplomacy is simple and all, but fighting a group of trained warriors in heavy snowfall is not my idea of fun!

To be continued


Preview of the next chapter

*Snow as far as the eye can reach*

Lissa: Brrr! Why does Ferox have to be so cold?!

Frederick: Never fear, milady. You can take shelter from the wind behind my horse. And, please, try this winter coat. And ear muffs. And wool mittens (personally crafted, of course). And here's a cup of warm chocolate. And-

Lissa: Thank you, Frederick! Now please stop pulling all this stuff from out of nowhere, or you'll bury me under it!

*The Longfort comes into view with Raimi standing on top of the wall*

Raimi: Halt, intruders! One more step and I'll have you all speared where you stand!

Chrom: We come in peace! I'm prince Chrom of Ylisse and I wish to speak with the kahn of Ferox.

Raimi: You? Prince Chrom? Yeah, right! If you are who you claim to be, then prove it!

Chrom: *Sigh* We don't have time for this.

Vaike: C-c-can w-we p-p-please j-just g-g-get o-on w-with it?! T-t-the V-v-vaike's m-muscles a-are g-g-gettin' f-frozen s-stiff h-here!

Robin: Well, maybe you should've heeded Frederick's advice and packed some warm clothes for the trip instead of traveling half naked all the time!

Next time on Gamer Emblem Awakening:

Winter soldier, Ferox style! Punching diplomacy is best diplomacy!

Jack: I knew I should've picked Charmander as my starter. Then I'd have a badass Fire-type to keep me warm and fly around through the sky. Charizard, man!


Omake: Sumia's pegasus bloopers

Sumia walks into the film studio and plops down tiredly on one of the sofas with a sigh.

"Oh, hello, Sumia. You're finally done with the latest chapter, aren't you?"

Sumia looks up to see her fellow Pegasus Knight, Cordelia, with a cup of coffee in each hand. She graciously accepts a cup.

"Hi, Cordelia. And, yes, we finished the last scene about half an hour ago."

The red-headed Pegasus Knight sits down beside Sumia.

"I saw some of the footage from that scene. The way you tamed that pegasus was beautiful."

"*Sigh* Yeah, but it didn't go smoothly. We had to redo the scene several times."

Cordelia raises an eyebrow. "Really? What happened?"

"Well…"

Take 1

Sumia approaches the wounded pegasus patiently and with open arms. Unfortunately, the winged equid takes to her approach poorly and thrashes around even more.

Eventually, the prop wings on its sides and the small cloaking device tied around the horn fall off, making the flames on the mane and tail return in full blaze.

Chrom and the others start scrambling for anything to prevent a grass fire. "Gods, someone calm this beast down, or we'll have an entire field on fire!"

As Jack runs to the nearest stream to fill his buckets with water, he starts ranting angrily about the situation.

"I was told that this Rapidash had been trained properly, and then the Fire-type goes ballistic right in the middle of the field?! Blaine, you jerk! You tricked me!"

Take 2

Sumia reaches the wounded pegasus and starts to pet it gently.

"Shh… It's all right. We'll get your wounds dressed and then you can come with us. I think we'll become good friends."

The pegasus tilts its head sideways as if contemplating Sumia's words before shaking off the brunette.

"Hmm, no!"

That's all the winged horse says before it vanishes in a rainbow colored sonic boom.

Jack facepalms. "That's it. That's the last time I hire someone from the kingdom of Equestria."

Lissa scans the horizon for wherever the flying animal disappeared to. "Well, to be fair, I think Rainbow Dash was a bit small to be ridden anyway."

Take 3

Sumia approaches the wounded pegasus patiently and with open arms. She reaches for the mane and starts petting it gently.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for ya, you birdbrained pony!"

Everyone (the pegasus included) turn their heads to see an angry red-furred satyr approach.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Phil!" Jack shouts exasperated. "We almost had that scene perfectly!"

"Hate to break it to ya, kid, but Wonder boy needs his flyin' oat muncher back, pronto. You'll get 'im back tonight."

"What?! But Hercules said I could borrow Pegasus since he's busy training all day! We need the guy to shoot the scene!"

"I thought Sumia's pegasus is supposed to be female." Robin comments.

"No one's going to look at that part of his anatomy, so it'd work out anyway!"

"Well, here's the deal." Phil explains with a sigh. "Herc was mindin' his own business and going through his usual 24 hour workout when his girlfriend came in."

"Meg?" Jack asks.

Phil nods. "Got it in one. Anyway, she asks if Wonder boy wants to go on a date. He accepts, but I remind him that he still has another 20 hours to go. Herc practically begs me to let 'im go, so I agree on the condition that he finishes his workout first. Kid goes all hyper and finishes up everything, and I mean everything, in record time, so now I have to keep my end of the deal and let the lovebirds have their date."

Jack raises an eyebrow. "I fail to see how this has anything to do with you looking for Pegasus. Can't Hercules just pick up Meg and parkour his way to their dating spot? He's a freakin' demi-god who sent the titans flying into space. All of them. At the same time."

Phil rubs his temple. "Yeah, that's what I said. But his girlfriend said it ain't, bleah…romantic enough. She's got the kid all wrapped around her finger too, so they won't scoot until I get Horsey over here back to the stadium."

Jack joins Phil in rubbing their temples. "*Sigh* Great. Herc's got it bad."

"Ya don't know half of it."


Jack's encyclopedic corner

Iron Bow, Bow, Base damage: 34, Common
The standard issue bow for any soldier who focuses on archery. The rigid iron frame allows for greater draw weight than a bronze frame, and thus, more powerful shots. In return, the iron frame weighs more, making aiming harder as a result. While Iron Bows are generally considered to be easy to wield, it's often recommended that a practitioner of archery gets some experience in the field before trying to wield one.

Vulnerary, Consumable, Common
Medicine for healing wounds, should the need ever arise. While the taste is horribly bitter, the medicine works fast, making this item a must-have in dangerous situations or when traveling far from civilization.
Each flask can hold up to three rations. Restores up to 10 % of the consumer's maximum HP.

Iron helmet, Head gear, Uncommon
Standard equipment for any soldier in a standing army. Since the head is a very vulnerable part of the body, the advent of headgear was groundbreaking for its time. A well crafted and maintained Iron helmet can block deadly blows from arrows and axes alike. Take good care of your helmet, and it will take good care of you.

Mage, Class
A practitioner of the arcane arts. Since the potency of magic is related to the wielder's intellect instead of their physical strength, Mages typically spend a lot of their time studying various fields and disciplines for the purpose of honing their minds. Mages are scholars before they are soldiers, so their physical prowess and protective gear is generally weaker than most other fighters'. This doesn't make them handicapped by any means, however. An experienced Mage can use their magic to tear through armor as if it were made of paper.
Passively increases max MP and INT by 5 %. Magic spells of any element except dark do 10 % more damage. Any damage dealt with a physical weapon is reduced by 10 %. All physical damage taken increases by 5 %.


Hah! Finally got this chapter done! Man, writing the battle scenes took longer than expected. Anyway, this should be good. We're finally reaching Ferox, and it's time for some violent diplomacy.

You might've noticed that I put some of the characters' battle quotes in the dialogues during the fights. My hope is that it'll make those quotes seem more dynamic by putting them in some context. In addition to that, Jack has some battle quotes on his own.

Also, arrow to the knee FTW!

Well, that should be everything for now. Please rate and review.

CrossVipeR316 out.