Hello, dear readers. CrossVipeR316 here with the latest chapter of Gamer Emblem Awakening.
Man, can you guys imagine how it feels having no internet for a week? 'Cause that's exactly what's happened to me!
First off, I recently moved to a new town after being offered a job outside of it. The company that offered the job where even nice enough to help me find an apartment to live in. All in all, it's a nice place with affordable rent. Lots of things that I'm grateful for, and many people that deserve credit for what they've done for me.
Now for the internet problem. See, my new apartment was supposed to have everything set for connecting to the net. I just had to call the company owning the connection and tell them which variant I want to use. I get everything I need to set up my connection a few days later and start everything up. Now I can access the net, right?
Nope. For some reason, the connection doesn't go all the way through. So I call back to the company, and they tell me they'll send a technician to fix the problem. So, I just need to wait for the guy, and my connection problem is solved, right?
Wrong! On the night before he's scheduled to arrive, lightning strikes the region where I now live. I don't think much about it until the day after, when the guy calls me and says that said lightning strike resulted in him getting bogged down with enough work where he is at the moment to last him the whole day. That means he can't come to my place on that day. The bad news is; it's Friday. And he doesn't work during the weekend. Which means I have to wait until after the weekend until the dude can finally come to my place and check what's wrong. All of this, because if a f-cking LIGHTNING STRIKE!
As you can imagine, I've gone through a few emotions this past week due to having no access to the internet, most of them being negative. With few other options at hand, I've had plenty of time for self-reflection. That's how I've concluded that most of those emotions likely stem from something akin to abstinence problems, since I'm so used to having access to the net, only to find myself denied said connection time and again. I also found myself having a lot of time with nothing to do. Shows how much the internet takes of my time.
Anyhow, the problem is finally fixed, as you can see by the fact that I've posted this new chapter. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have major problems with my internet connection (though knowing where I live, I doubt that will be the case).
Now, onto some reviews:
kyle77776: Remember the Bronze Sword Jack picked up back in chapter 1? That's his go-to weapon. Unless stated otherwise, assume he's wielding the Bronze Sword whenever he's fighting.
Episoph: Well, as I've hinted at in previous chapters, I want Jack to be OP. That doesn't mean he'll destroy every single opponent he goes up against. Some major enemies in Awakening will give him trouble. Remember; Jack's spent less than a week in a world where the majority of the fighters have trained for years. Had his fighting prowess progressed at a natural pace, he'd be hard pressed to survive at all. Also, thanks for your feedback on the character interactions. I'm really trying to make them good.
Guest reviewer, July 30th: Wow... You have enough ideas to write your own fic. Feel free to try your hand at writing yourself. It's a lot of hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun.
Anonymous reviewer: Yeah, Miriel may not be a witch, since she doesn't dab in the occult, but don't f-ck with her. If you do, chances are she'll tell you to desist at once before she reduces you to a pile of ashes.
The guest reviewer who said that this story is trash: Look, I can respect if you don't like this story. I never expected this story to be liked by everyone in the first place. However, if you're going to openly say that it's trash, I expect you to at least tell me why you think so. To me, saying that something is bad without explaining why is disrespectful towards the one who originally made it, no matter what it is or who made it.
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
Yeah, right. And I'm the queen of Valm. - Raimi
Chapter 5: Winter soldier, Ferox style! Punching diplomacy is best diplomacy!
It's been about 20 minutes since we left Sumia to tend to the pegasus by the road side. After that battle we had with the Risen, our trip has thankfully been quite uneventful. As we're nearing Regna Ferox, I'm starting to feel the temperature getting lower. It's a good thing Frederick had the forethought to acquire some thick traveling cloaks for all of us, or else we'd practically turn into popsicles before reaching Flavia's residence.
I'm not the only one who's noticed the drop in temperature. Lissa's hopped back into a wagon to retrieve the cloaks and is now busy handing them out to everyone. Most of us put on the cloaks in anticipation for the cold weather save for Robin, as her tactician's cloak is apparently warm enough already, and…Vaike?
"Come on, Vaike! You'll need the cloak, or you'll freeze on the way to Ferox!" Lissa says exasperated as she tries to shove the clothing into the Fighter's arms.
Vaike replies by crossing them. "Nuh uh! Not happening! The Vaike can handle a little snow and cold, no problem. Besides…" Now he starts flexing his biceps…again. "...how're the gals supposed to see the greatness of these muscles if they're all behind clothes?"
I raise an eyebrow. "That's the reason why you're always half naked?"
Vaike grins confidently. "Gotta show the ladies the goods!"
Lissa gives a resigned sigh. "Fine, have it your way, Teach. Enjoy your cold while the rest of us trudge through the snow with warm cloaks on. Gods, you can be so stubborn sometimes!"
"I'll be fine! Trust me!"
*Crrnk…crrnk…crrnk…*
"Ok-k-kay! Gimme t-t-that c-c-cloak already! It's c-c-c-cold!"
We didn't march into the snowy landscape for more than a minute before Vaike caved in. Lissa rolls her eyes and hands Vaike a cloak with an annoyed "I told you so".
Virion scans our surroundings from his lookout spot on top of the other wagon.
"My, my. It is difficult to believe anyone would live in a place like this, let alone establish an entire country."
"You'd be surprised what mankind has thought up for the sake of settling down in some places." I answer the Archer. "They say that the need is the mother of all inventions. The feroxi have found a way or two to handle the cold, I'm sure of it."
"That's quite an observation, my friend. I was not aware you're so well versed in the ways of the world."
Did I let on more than I intended? Uh, cover story time!
"Well, we have a big library where I come from. There was also a retired scholar living in town. He was more than happy to teach the children how to read. Most of the children preferred playing outside, but I enjoyed reading. I used to spend a lot of days in that library reading whatever book tickled my fancy."
"I know what you mean." Robin comments smiling. "There's something soothing in sitting in a quiet place and immersing yourself in a good book."
"I know, right?" I reply grinning. "And books are packed with all kinds of information. Learning how to read must be one of the best things I've done in my life."
Robin and I continue discussing books with Miriel eventually joining our conversation. That's when I notice Miriel standing a bit taller than us. Was she always this tall?
Wait… Why is she hardly leaving any footprints? We're busy trudging through the snow – heck, the oxen have to pull the wagons through all that white mass! All because we sink into the stuff like rocks in water. It's a good thing the wagons are covered, or else we'd have snow piling up in them and covering everything we have stored inside (not to mention the poor oxen would have even more load to pull). Miriel's walking on top of the snow!
"Miriel, how do you do that?" I eventually ask. "How are you not sinking into the snow?"
"Oh, that's a trick every mage and cleric learns. It lets us walk over snow and sand like it's solid ground." Lissa piques in.
Miriel nods. "Indeed. Channeling mana is a fundamental skill that anyone who wishes to practice magic needs to learn. The better the practitioner is at channeling mana, the more effective their magic. What you see here is a practical application of mana channeling that eventually became a training exercise for many aspiring mages."
"So, how does it work?" I ask curiously.
"The theory is quite simple. Channel mana through your feet and out through your soles. When you do, shape it into a flat surface that expands from you soles while keeping it as thin as possible. This will spread your weight over a greater area, thus resulting in you walking on top of the snow instead of sinking into it. In practice, however, you need to keep a steady flow of mana to maintain the shape, or else it will break. Channel too much mana, and the snow below your feet will be pushed away instead."
Huh… Reminds me of those chakra control exercises from the Naruto series. Well, it sounds simple enough. Let's do this! Speaking of which…
"Hey, Robin, you're good with magic, right?" I ask the Tactician.
Robin nods. "Yes. I can only remember using it a few times, but I always feel more familiar with magic than with my sword."
"Maybe you should give this a try, then. With all the magic you use, your mana channeling should be good enough for this to work."
Robin thinks for a little while before she nods. "You may have a point. Alright, let's try it."
And so, me and Robin try to learn the art of snow-walking. It's quite tricky. My first few attempts blow away the snow beneath my feet (much to Robin's protests). Looks like I'm channeling too much mana. Instead of lowering my mana output, I decide to try from the other direction; start with as little mana as possible and work my way up from there.
Sure enough, my efforts soon pay off.
A new skill has been created due to a special action! You gained "Mana soles"!
Mana soles, Lvl MAX, Active, Cost: 5 MP/ second
A skill derived from Basic mana manipulation. Originally created by an apprentice mage living in a desert who was bored and wanted to try something new with his skills. By channeling his mana into the shape of a disk beneath his feet, the apprentice spread his weight over a greater area, thus allowing him to traverse the sands with ease so long as he could hold his concentration. His teacher became so impressed with the innovation that it soon became standard procedure to train every apprentice mage in this skill.
Allows the caster to walk on loose terrain like sand or snow without any movement penalty. Should the user be a mounted unit, the mount can be used as a medium to achieve the same effect.
Wow… The feeling of having snow beneath your feet that hardly compresses at all when you walk on it is a novel feeling. I expect to sink into the white substance the moment my foot reaches it, but I only sink about a centimeter before stopping.
"Wow, Jack! That's incredible!" Lissa exclaims upon seeing my success.
Miriel nods. "It is extremely rare for someone to achieve even a modicum of mastery in this skill within a few minutes of training. Tell me, Jack, do you have any formal training in magic?"
Cover story, round two!
I shrug. "Well, kind of. Remember the scholar in my hometown? He also used to be a Sage until a few years before settling down in our town. When he saw that my favorite books were mostly about magic and fairytales, he asked if I was interested in magic. I nodded happily. So he decided to give me a few lessons in magic – mostly how it works." I will myself to shudder. "Yet for all his kindness, he was also very strict in what he taught me. There was this one time when I found a tome about how to channel mana. Since I had taken a few lessons, I decided to try it myself. The old scholar found me just as I was about to make my first attempt and interrupted me by slamming the tome over my head. "Never attempt anything that I have not taught you!" he yelled."
I rub the top of my head. "Sometimes, I can still feel the sting of having the back of a thick tome brought down on my head. He may have been old, but that swing would've even left Frederick impressed."
Lissa looks at me with open awe. "Wow! I had no idea you grew up with such an amazing person."
I nod in response. "He was amazing, all right. As terrifying as he was at times, I miss the old guy."
"So, where is he now?" Robin asks curiously, while still trying to match my success, but still sinking into the snow.
I look out over the white fields. "He passed away about a year before I left my hometown to travel. Guess time had finally caught up with him."
Miriel brushes some snow off her hat. "If I may inquire, what was the name of this retired sage?"
Wow, these girls got more immersed into my cover story than I anticipated. A name… Oh, I know! What better name for my imagined magic geezer than the name of the magic geezer from the kingdom of Fiore?
I allow a wistful smile on my lips. "Makarov."
Before the ladies have any more time to pry further into my cover story (and risk exposing my whole ruse), I address Chrom.
"Hey, Chrom!"
The blue-haired prince looks in my direction (and shows a moment of surprise upon seeing me walk on top of the snow).
"Yes, Jack? What is it?"
"Want me to scout the road ahead?" I suggest. "After seeing all those Risen back before it started snowing, I thought it might be a good idea to look out for any other unexpected creatures along the road."
Chrom puts a hand under his chin. "Hmm… We're close to the border to Regna Ferox. It's unlikely we'll run into anything until then."
"Milord, I suggest we let Jack scout the road ahead." Frederick piques in.
Both me and Chrom look to the Great Knight.
"One can never be too careful, considering what we've fought against. The sooner we can prepare for an incoming battle, the better."
Chrom nods in response. "Alright. Scout ahead Jack. And be careful."
I nod before taking one last glance at Frederick. Unbeknownst to Chrom, the Great Knight sends me a look that can only mean one thing: I expect you to return soon and with an accurate report.
Frederick isn't just trying to put faith in me; he's testing me. Clever. Very clever.
I give a nod specifically for Frederick before running ahead and sticking to whatever trees that grow near the road.
I constantly use Mind's eye while running over the snow in order to get as much of a picture of the road ahead as possible. Boy, am I glad Miriel taught me snow-walking, or else running through the white landscape would be a massive pain in the neck.
I soon come up to a giant wall. This must mean I've reached the border. The fortress like building in the middle indicates that I've reached one of the outposts along the border – most probably the outpost where Raimi is stationed.
Right now, I'm scanning the place from a tree growing some 12 to 13 paces from the wall. From what little that Mind's eye can reach into the fortress, the place is bustling with activity. Weapons are passed around. Soldiers scramble and get into position. One person seems to be pointing every which way while barking out orders. That's probably Raimi.
Wait, there's an Archer looking in my direction. Has he spotted me already? I did make sure to hide where the foliage is at its thickest.
The Archer takes an arrow and nocks it on his bow. He's aiming right at me.
*Thunk!*
I barely manage to angle my head sideways. The arrow hits the tree trunk behind me just a hair's breadth from my ear. Yeah, he's seen me, all right! Better get out of here before he tries shooting me again!
I swing my way down the tree by the branches and land on the snow before running as fast as I can away from the wall, while making sure no more arrows fly in my direction. A few do, but I'm fortunately out of range. Well, that could've gone better. Looks like the feroxi will give us just as warm a welcome as in the game. Wonderful… Feroxi diplomacy it is.
I soon return to the others and relay what I found. While the Shepherds are glad that no more Risen are on the road ahead, they express concern regarding the way the feroxi are moving, especially Frederick. Chrom, however, tries to remain optimistic and keeps on marching.
A few minutes later, the great wall comes into view again. The wind starts to pick up, making the cold start to even go through our cloaks.
Lissa shudders in the snowy wind. "Brrr! F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebbing!"
"Stand beside my horse, milady." Frederick replies smiling. "She'll shelter you from the wind."
Lissa takes the invitation before anyone can protest about her being the only one getting some wind shelter. As funny as it looks, I hold my tongue regarding any height related jokes upon seeing that Lissa only reaches to about the height of the back of Frederick's horse. It's not just because Lissa's a bit shorter than the rest of us; Frederick's horse is freakin' huge! Do not piss off a little girl taking shelter beside a huge armored horse!
"So this is the fortress?" Robin asks curiously.
"Yes, the Longfort." Chrom answers. "It stretches along the border of Ylisse and Regna Ferox."
"The khans that rule Ferox have grown quite wary of foreigners." Frederick adds. "Still, don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility. This simply calls for a bit of diplomacy."
"Negotiation's not my strong suit, but I'll do my best." Chrom muses. "Remember, everyone: our actions here reflect back on Ylisse."
As we approach the outpost, we notice the soldiers standing guard, as well as all the weapons they have at the ready.
"Milord, those soldiers look like they're ready to let fly at a moment's notice." Frederick tells Chrom. "We'd best prepare for combat, just to be safe."
"Halt! Who goes there?!" we hear Raimi shout from the top of the wall.
"In the name of house Ylisse, I seek audience with the khans!" Chrom responds.
"Not another step, my bold lad! I've lancers at the ready!" Raimi shouts back.
"Hold, milady! We are not your enemy!" Frederick butts in hastily. "Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest."
"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!" Raimi fires back.
Frederick looks like he just got slapped in the face. "B-brigand? Now see here-"
"You think you are the first "ylisseans" to try and cross our borders? I have the authority to fell such impostors where they stand." At Raimi's retort, the soldiers on top of the wall get in ready stances to fire their weapons.
"How dare you!" Frederick shouts indignant. "You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, the exalt's own blood!"
"Ha! Yes, indeed – and I'm the queen of Valm!" Raimi scoffs. "You do realize impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes?" The Feroxi Knight rubs her chin for a moment. "Mmm… Then perhaps we should settle this the Feroxi way. You claim to be the prince of Ylisse? Then prove it on the battlefield!"
"Rgh… Emmeryn won't like this at all…" Chrom sighs exasperated. "Please, good lady! If you'd just listen-"
Raimi narrows her eyes. "I've heard quite enough! Attack!"
The Knights near the edge of the wall rear back their javelins.
"Chrom! Get out of there!" I shout to the blue-haired prince. It's too late, however. The Knights let their javelins fly, and Chrom can do nothing more than try to cover himself best he can.
*Shink! Shink shink shink!*
A split second before the javelins make contact, a white blur swoops in and takes Chrom away. All that's left in its wake are a pair of big white feathers. Everyone looks up to see something flying in the sky.
"Is that a bird?" Sully asks.
"Is that a plane?" I add jokingly.
Miriel adjusts her glasses. "That is a pegasus."
True enough, the flying object soon lands close to us and reveals itself to be a pegasus – with Sumia and Chrom riding on its back.
AN: Let's take a moment to appreciate just how strong Sumia is. She only needed about a second to fly in, pick up Chrom and get back up in the air above the outpost, while dodging the javelins. And by the time Chrom reopens his eyes, Sumia has already put him behind her in a perfect riding position. The amount of strength required to accomplish this feat within such a short timeframe is ridiculous, especially given Sumia's physique. Remember, this is all canon. Sumia's a BEAST! And let's not forget her pegasus. Sumia barely gave the winged mount any time to recover before having it rush in through snowy weather and help her save Chrom – while still having just recovered!
"Whew! Looks like I made it in time." Sumia says relieved as she and Chrom dismount the pegasus.
Chrom looks at the newly minted Pegasus Knight in awe. "Sumia! You saved my life!" Then he looks at the winged equid. "And this – is this the same ornery pegasus we met on the road?!"
Sumia nods. "Oh, she's a sweetheart, isn't she?" Sumia starts petting the pegasus affectionally. "…Once you really get to know her…"
"Well, many thanks to you both." Chrom replies smiling.
Lissa giggles. "I think the pegasus is blushing!"
"And I think we had all best focus on the situation at hand!" Frederick comments.
"Chrom, they're coming!" Robin shouts from the front.
Chrom nods. "Alright. The Feroxi way it is!"
Quest alert:
Main quest: Warrior realm
You've reached Regna Ferox at last, only to literally stop cold in your tracks because the locals refuse to let you enter. In fact, you'll probably remain stuck in the snow unless Chrom can prove that he's the real deal. Time to try some Feroxi diplomacy; the harder you hit, the better your argument.
Objectives: Defeat Raimi
Rewards: ?, 3 000 EXP, 3 000 gold
Bonus objectives: ?
Bonus rewards: ?, 1 500 EXP, 1 500 gold
Failure: Death
"Hey, Chrom. Ferox is our ally, right?" I ask the prince.
Chrom nods. "Yes. They have been since times of old. Why do you ask?"
"Well, the thought of killing my allies doesn't sit well with me. Do you think it's possible to defeat them without anyone getting killed?"
Chrom takes a moment to consider. "I agree with you, Jack, but you have to understand that killing your opponent may sometimes be the only way. We'll try to keep them alive though."
Chrom then raises his voice. "Shepherds! Try to avoid killing the Feroxi soldiers if possible. Aim to knock them out and only kill if necessary."
The Shepherds nod their affirmative and get ready to battle. The first to approach us are a small band consisting of Mercenaries and Soldiers, with a few Archers spread among them. Let's see what Observe can tell me.
Feroxi soldier Lvl 13 Class: Mercenary
A member of Regna Ferox's standing army. Training in the harsh weather up north has given this barbarian warrior resilience and strength rarely seen elsewhere on the continent. Feroxi generally prefer being direct in their speech. This can make them seem rude by other cultural standards, but they're just being honest, if a bit tactless.
Damage taken from ice-elemental magic is always reduced by 5 %.
These guys take less damage from ice magic? Makes sense. They live in a cold climate.
It's a good thing I already have some experience fighting both sword and lance wielders. It's mostly been one-on-one, but I at least I know a bit of what to look out for.
*Clang!*
My first opponent is a Mercenary. Our swords lock together in a power struggle. His base strength is a bit higher than mine, but I have Reinforcement on my side. I quickly overpower him, but have to remind myself not to go for the kill. This is where I realize a problem; my weapon of choice is a sword! There's very little on a sword that's not meant for killing! It would've been easier with, say, a lance, so I could use the shaft to hit this guy over the head. If I'm going to make it in this battle without killing anyone, I'm going to have to be a little creative.
It's a good thing I can overpower my opponent by using Reinforcement, 'cause this allows me to easily force his sword down and get into position for a shoulder charge (Thanks for the tip, Chrom!). The Mercenary stumbles back from my unexpected move, allowing me to get in close and slam the pommel of my sword into his face.
*Bam!*
You have leveled up!
The Mercenary goes down like a sack of bricks. Next, a Soldier approaches me from the right. I get ready to face him, when he seemingly gets thrown to the side by some sort of impact and ends up unconscious on the ground. Well, that was weird.
Wait…could it be?
"Kellam? Is that you?"
"Oh, you can see me?" a voice says from seemingly thin air.
"Uh… I can hear you. Kind of. At least I know we didn't accidentally leave you behind."
"Good enough, I suppose." the voice sighs.
"Hey, can you make sure to stay close with us? It'd be awful if we forgot you outside."
"I'll try."
Well, now that I know that our resident Knight is present, that's…actually less of a weight off my back than I thought. Drat! I forgot about Kellam again!
*Thunk!*
Yikes! That arrow almost hit me! I look up to see a group of Ferox Archers firing from atop the wall.
"Guys, they have Archers on top of the wall! We need cover, fast!" I shout to the other Shepherds.
It's a good thing Robin heard my shout. After a short glance up the wall, she immediately starts to scan the battlefield.
"Everyone, to the woods, now!" she shouts over the battle noise and starts running.
I notice a cluster of trees close to the wall. If I remember correctly, that's the same cluster of trees that I used to scout the place earlier today.
It's not like reaching them is easy though. The feroxi quickly pick up on our plan and start to aim on intercepting us instead of hitting us directly. We can handle the soldiers on the ground just fine, but the ones on top of the wall are out of our reach. Now, how do I handle those guys?
Plan 1: Return fire.
Uh, the only things I can use are the javelins that the Knights keep throwing. The problem is that my opponents stand on higher ground and behind potential cover. Chucking those javelins against them would more likely result in giving them back their ammo.
The arrows and javelins are fired in a way to steer us away from the trees and towards the wall. If they succeed, we'll be easy pickings from at least two directions! Come on, there's gotta be a way out of this!
Plan 2: Climb the wall.
Nope. I can't find anywhere on the wall where I could get a grip for climbing. And even if I could, the soldiers could easily push me off when I reach the top.
Now that we're back out in the open, the soldiers start to aim directly at us again. Robin is busy fending off a Fighter, but doesn't notice the Archer aiming at her back!
I rush in and block the arrow before it can hit her. "Not on my watch!"
Before the Archer can fire another arrow, I manage to combine Reinforcement and Mana soles to sprint on top of the snow and within reach to punch the Archer in the face. Not even a second later, I have to jump back to avoid more arrows from the wall.
Plan 3: Have Sumia carry us over the wall.
Said Pegasus Knight is forced low on the ground to avoid becoming an easy target for the Archers. Nope, the plan is a no-go. The Archers will shoot Sumia out of the sky before she can clear the wall. And she can only carry one of us at a time anyway.
With all the ranged support that the ground-level feroxi get, we're hard pressed on fighting back. Stahl and Sully already suffer a few wounds, and Vaike's cloak is in tatters after several close shaves. I can even spot some bleeding between the rags. It's only thanks to Virion's skillful archery that keeps some of the Archers at bay, but I think he's running low on ammo.
Plan 4: Lissa teleports us into the courtyard.
Lissa doesn't know any teleportation spells. Besides, I think the only teleporting spell in Awakening is the Rescue spell, and it only teleports a unit to where Lissa herself is. If that plan is to work, Sumia needs to carry Lissa over the wall first, and plan 3 is already a no-go.
"Everyone, up the stairs!" Robin shouts.
Considering the attacks we're suffering, that might be the only place where we can fight safely. We run up the stairs situated on the side of the outpost, only to find the door at the end to be locked. Unlike in the game, none of the ground-level soldiers had any key on them. It makes sense, now that I think about it. What kind of moron would give the enemy any kind of opportunity to get through a locked door into a vital strategical place on your home turf?
(Meanwhile in many other points in Fire Emblem history, the captains of several castle guards sneeze.)
Robin soon realizes that she, and the rest of us, fell into a trap. We're surrounded by walls on the sides, there's a massive locked door in front of us and Feroxi soldiers block the path back down. Cr-p! They've boxed us in! It's only a matter of time before arrows and javelins rain down from all directions.
Alright, f-ck it!
Plan 5: Get over that door and kick every ass in sight!
Now to get over the door. Hm… I might be able to clear it if I can get a boost. But who will help me? Vaike's busy getting healed by Lissa, and everyone else would protest. If only I could- Wait, why is there a suit of armor in front of the door? Uh… Observe!
Kellam Lvl 15 Class: Knight
Hey, I can finally spot Kellam- What is Kellam doing there? No, wait. He might be the one I need.
I run up the stairs to the Knight. "Kellam!"
Said Knight turns to me (I think?). "Yes, Jack? What do you need?"
"Help me over that door." I tell him as I reach the top of the stairs.
"Um, wouldn't that be dangerous? There are enemy soldiers on the other side."
"Never mind that! If we don't do something soon, we'll have arrows and javelins raining down on our heads from the sides!"
Kellam looks a bit hesitant before nodding. "Um, okay. Just be careful."
"Don't worry, I got this. I'll find a way to unlock the door from the other side once I have the time. Just tell the others to hang on."
Kellam hesitates a bit longer before nodding.
"All right." I respond. "Just angle your shield and push it upwards when I tell you to. I'll need it to get above that door."
Kellam nods again and angles his shield upwards while bracing himself. I take a few steps back, make sure that Reinforcement is stacked three times and take a running start towards Kellam.
"Now!" I shout as I jump. I land on the shield just as Kellam pushes, allowing me to use the shield as a springboard and jump over the door.
*Thump!*
The Feroxi soldiers on the other side look at me as I land. I close my eyes and let Mind's eye be my "eyes" for this instance. A quick headcount tells me that eight feroxi are in my immediate vicinity.
I rise up and settle in the basic stance for the Snake.
I smirk and wave the soldiers over with a come-hither motion. "I could do this blindfolded. Come on!"
Naturally, the feroxi take to my insult poorly and charge me all at once. The first one to reach me is a Fighter. He raises his Hammer and goes for an overhead swing.
BGM: U Can't touch this, MC Hammer
*Crack!*
The Hammer hits the floor as I sidestep and deliver two quick jabs in the Fighter's face, followed by a strike to the solar plexus and an elbow to the back of his head while he's bent over. One down!
Next up is a Soldier who goes for a stab. I deflect the blow to the right with my hand and then use his brief moment of shock to grab him by the neck and choke slam him into the floor hard enough to leave cracks. Two down!
A Myrmidon approaches me from the right with a horizontal swing. Need to time this carefully…
*Clang!*
I manage to catch the sword between my knee and elbow, much to the Myrmidon's surprise. I use the opening to pivot around the sword on the right and deliver a back hand to the face. Then I grab the Myrmidon's free arm and neck, spin around and throw him against an incoming Knight. The Myrmidon-turned-projectile isn't enough to knock him out, but the impact stops his charge and makes him busy getting his now unconscious buddy off him.
*Thwip!*
I angle my head slightly to the left to dodge an arrow fired at my head from behind. Since I use Mind's eye instead of my normal eyes, the Archer in their group is constantly in "sight". I would normally take him out first, but since I always know what he's doing, he's a minor nuisance at best.
The dodge is quickly followed by me rolling forward to dodge an overhead swing from a second Myrmidon coming from the left. I use my low position to sweep kick his ankles and make him stumble, grab his left arm and throw him over the shoulder to slam him into the ground.
With my knees slightly bent, I jump just as two Soldiers stab at me from different directions at the same time. I kick one Soldier in the face before I snatch his Iron Lance. I give the lance a few twirls before I settle in a stance facing the other Soldier.
Soldier number two attacks me head-on. I use my own lance to deflect his blow to the left. Then I get in close and swing the other end of my lance in his face, dazing him. I push him back, then I run up and kick off his chest, allowing me to come down on the Soldier I snatched the Iron Lance from with a big overhead swing.
*Wham!*
It's a good thing he wears a helmet, or that blow might've caused something serious.
Soldier number two gets back on his feet now and looks pretty angry at me for using him like a springboard. I make another come-hither motion while smirking.
"That all you got?"
The Soldier in question looks positively pissed and rushes in impale me. I sidestep the lance and then grab it before yanking hard and bringing the Soldier close. I kick him in the gut, making him drop his lance in the process, and then deliver a series of blows on him.
*Whack, thwack, whack, wham!*
Face, elbow, knee, and over the head. He's down and out. Then I pivot, flip the lance and wind up for a throw.
Did you think I forgot the Knight from earlier? Nope. He had just gotten his unconscious Myrmidon buddy off him and was ready for another charge, so I hurl the stolen lance at him.
"Hryah!" *Crang!*
He reacts fast, bringing up his shield to block the incoming polearm. It did mean he had to abandon his charge again though.
Since I put so much commitment into the throw, it had the added benefit of me bending at the waist and dodging another arrow.
Only two feroxi remain. First: the Knight. He's got heavy armor basically covering all of him, so I have to think of a way around that. Here he comes!
The Knight is weighed down by his armor, so he can't keep up with my movement as he tries to attack me. On the other hand, I doubt I can get through that heavy armor barehanded. So we're in a stalemate. Now how do I get past those defense- Hello… The Fighter that I knocked out earlier had a Hammer, and Hammers deal bonus damage against armored units like Knights. Said Hammer lies right out in the open. Now I only need an opening to pick it up-
*Thwip!*
-while dodging the arrows. Between that Archer and the Knight constantly being on my case, this might be trickier than I thought. Hold on… Between? That's it!
I gradually circle the Knight and his continuous lance stabs until I'm between him and the Archer. With Mind's eye, I easily have both of them clearly in sight. I just need to wait for the Archer to take aim again. There!
*Thwip! Ping!*
When I dodged the arrow this time, it flew towards the Knight instead. Naturally, he raised his shield to deflect the arrow. But raising the shield also blocks a great deal of his vision forward, giving me the perfect opportunity to run up, climb up the shield and jump off the Knight on the other side. With the Knight now facing away from me and standing in the way for more arrows, I have the perfect opening to rush for the Hammer on the ground.
Nrg! This thing's a bit heavy for my taste. I'm gonna need some strength training after this if I ever want to wield such a heavy weapon (and to be fair, quite a few of the weapons that I've traced require a lot of strength to wield effectively).
The Knight sees me with the Hammer in hand. He hesitates a bit, then charges me again.
He tries a horizontal sweep with his lance to cover a wider area. In response, I go down in a roll with the Hammer down. The mallet head rolls along the ground with me, allowing me to dodge under the swipe. When I come up again, the Knight's right side is completely exposed for my swing.
"You're right where I want you!" *Wham!*
The impact is hard enough to dent the armor and probably break a few ribs. He'll need repairs for his armor and a healer when he gets back up.
*Thwip!*
"Yeah, yeah, I know you're still there!" I shout to the Archer. "Now it's your turn."
I make a beeline for him, dodging left and right as he fires arrows. As I come within reach, I slug him in the face, bend down to sweep him off his feet and then, while he's temporarily airborne, slam a palm strike into his chest and send him into the wall behind him. And that's the last of them.
I move my arms to the sides and exhale as I stand over my fallen opponents.
"All according to plan."
BGM ends
Now that the area's clear, I'd better look for a key to let my friends in. I finally find a Door key tucked within the Knight's armor. It takes some fiddling, but I manage to get the key off his belt and out from his dented armor.
I twist the key in the lock and hear the satisfying click of it opening. Then I grab the handle and pull the door open with a grunt. Even with three layers of Reinforcement active, opening this door on my own takes effort.
I look through the now open door to find my fellow Shepherds on the other side with their eyes wide in surprise.
"Jack? So that's where you went off to. How did you get here?" Robin asks.
"Kellam helped me get over the door. I figured that if we can't fight the Ferox soldiers from outside, we need to get in and bring the fight to them." I answer.
Chrom steps in and sees the unconscious feroxi lying on the ground.
"Hold on… You fought all of those soldiers by yourself?" he asks in disbelief.
"And I didn't even get a scratch." I grin proudly.
"Jack, that was reckless!" Robin shouts in my face. She does not look happy. "Why in the world did you think it a good idea to fight several opponents on your own?!"
"In my defense, I couldn't come up with any better ideas to get us out of the jam we got trapped in. The best idea I could think of was to get to the other side by any means and find a way to unlock the door from there. If I had to fight, I'd fight."
Robin frowns at my answer. "You should have told me. I would've gone with you, had you let me know."
I scratch the back of my head. "Sorry. It was only a matter of time before they got Archers at the ready along the wall to rain down arrows on us, so I thought I had to act fast."
Robin still looks displeased with my answer, but eventually nods. "All right. It's a good thing your plan worked – somehow – and that you didn't get injured. But please, promise me you won't do something that reckless again."
"Sorry, can't make that promise." I sigh. "I will try to think my actions through more carefully in the future, though."
Robin keeps her frown for a while longer before she sighs and heads in without another word. Ouch. That reply stung more than what she could've said.
The rest of the Shepherds follow suit, expressing either concern for my health (in which I demonstrate my lack of injuries) or awe over me defeating multiple opponents on my own (in which I simply accept the praise and urge them to move along). Then there's Frederick. It's time that I made good on my silent promise to him back before we reached Ylisstol.
"Hey, Frederick?"
The Great Knight looks in my direction as I carry the Hammer I picked up earlier.
"I think you might like this." I say as I hand him the heavy weapon.
Frederick accepts the Hammer and gives it a few practice swings. Judging by how easily he moves the weapon, I'd say he has more than enough strength to wield it without problems.
"This is a finely crafted war hammer. Where did you find it?" he asks after taking a closer look on the weapon.
"One of the soldiers that I fought carried it. I figured a weapon like this might come in handy, but I'm not strong enough to wield it properly. When I thought about which one among the Shepherds had enough strength to do so, you were the first one to come up."
Frederick gives an appreciative hum. "How thoughtful of you. Though, will the soldier who originally had this hammer not demand it back?"
I shrug. "He's free to do so when he wakes up, if he can even find us. Besides, we're on a battlefield. Finders keepers, or something like that, right?"
Frederick nods in agreement before he puts the Hammer away…somewhere…
Seriously, where did that Hammer go? Frederick just placed it somewhere behind him and, poof! It's gone! It's just like back when he pulled a blanket out of nowhere and put it on Lissa when she slept under the tree two nights back. Wait a minute… Does this mean Frederick has access to the legendary mallet space?
Bah, I'm looking too much into it!
With us finally fighting the Ferox soldiers on even ground, the tide of the battle quickly shifts in our favor. A few more confrontations, and Chrom stands face to face with Raimi.
"So, you managed to reach all the way here. Not bad." Raimi acknowledges. "Let the battle sound out the truth of your words!"
"Everyone stand back!" Chrom orders us. We comply as we see the feroxi on Raimi's side do the same. Hmm… What are Chrom's chances of victory here?
Raimi Lvl 17 Class: Knight
The captain of Regna Ferox's central border guard and one of Flavia's most trusted subordinates. Raimi's stern demeanor and fierce battle prowess has earned the respect of her peers over the whole country. While new recruits may see her as nothing more than a drill sergeant at first, they eventually fall in line when they discover that her bark is nowhere near as big as her bite.
HP: 3 450 / 3 450
MP: 1 225 / 1 225
STR: 31
VIT: 35
DEX: 20
INT: 15
WIS: 18
LUCK: 12
CHAR: 20
Items:
Javelin (equipped)
Wow… She's a tough one. Good thing Chrom has those regular training sessions with Frederick, or else he'd be hard pressed to win this fight.
*Clang!*
As it stands, I'd say Chrom's got this in the bag. They've just reached the opening blows and he already displays an advantage in strength. Raimi tries to push back, but Chrom's brutal swings come so fast that her defense crumbles before she can mount it properly. A few minutes into the battle, Chrom manages to knock the Javelin out of Raimi's grip and her off-balance. Chrom, meanwhile, gets in a stance for the finishing blow.
"I will not fail!"
Chrom jumps up and brings down Falchion with a war cry.
*Krang!*
The downward swing is so powerful that it shatters Raimi's armor. Fortunately, she wears clothing underneath, so it's not like we're seeing stuff we're not meant to see.
"Then your claims were…true…" are the last words she utters before she loses consciousness.
Chrom has leveled up!
Due to constant strenuous activity, STR goes up by 3!
Due to prolonged exhausting activity, VIT goes up by 4!
Due to plenty of running and quick maneuvering, DEX goes up by 5!
Quest alert:
Main quest: Warrior realm
A crazy and daring plan allowed you to bring the fight straight to the captain of the border guard herself. Chrom managed to prove himself in single combat, giving you direct access to Flavia. Time to get cracking on those negotiations!
Objectives cleared: Defeat Raimi.
All objectives cleared!
Rewards: You gain 3 000 EXP! You gain 3 000 gold! Your standing with Ylisse has improved!
Bonus objectives cleared: Win the battle without killing any Feroxi soldiers.
All bonus objectives cleared!
Bonus rewards: You gain 1 500 EXP! You gain 1 500 gold! Your standing with Regna Ferox has improved!
National standing has been unlocked in the "Relationships" menu!
Lissa's busy giving everyone the customary checkup and healing any wounds sustained during the battle when Raimi approaches us with a new suit of armor on.
"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly took you for brigand impostors." she greets with a bow. "But no frauds could ever have waged a battle as you just have! I will send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally."
Chrom nods. "That would be most appreciated, thank you." With that, the Feroxi Knight leaves to prepare for the journey.
"Amazing. Her whole demeanor changed." Robin comments surprised.
"In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words." Frederick explains. "I should have known better than to overestimate the value of diplomacy here…"
"So can we get going, Chrom?" Lissa asks fidgeting.
"Yes, it's not getting any warmer." the prince agrees.
"A-b-b-bout t-t-time!" Vaike forces out between shivering teeth. "T-t-the Vaike c-c-can't t-t-take any m-m-more of this c-c-c-cold!"
Raimi and her subordinates fortunately have spare cloaks at hand. Vaike takes one the moment it's offered, wrapping it around his body like a second skin and bowing in thanks to the feroxi. We march through the snow toward the capital, where Raimi will lead us straight to the residence of the khan.
Timeskip
Chrom, Lissa, Frederick and Robin are allowed to meet the khan personally, while the rest of us "common" folk have to make due with staying in the mess hall. That goes just as well for us, since most of the Shepherds are both exhausted and hungry from traveling through the snowy landscape and then fight Feroxi soldiers on their home turf. I almost pity the feroxi who're going to give Stahl his lunch – keyword being almost. They did try to kill us not even an hour ago. Though aside from their rough demeanor, feroxi are actually a cool bunch (no pun intended). They're honest, straightforward, show a great sense of camaraderie among themselves and allies and have learned to enjoy the simple things in life. Even Larry, the guy I took the Hammer from, treats me well. Sure, he's still peeved over losing his Hammer, but he takes it in stride and resolves to get enough gold for a new one. That's some genuine sportsmanship, right there. Speaking of rough demeanors…
"Hey, Sully. You wouldn't happen to be from Regna Ferox, would you?" I ask the red Cavalier.
"Nope, not that I know of." Sully replies. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, it's just that it looks like you'd fit right in with these guys, considering your personality and theirs."
Sully takes a moment to look over the feroxi. Even though it's lunch, they treat it like a party, with all the companionship that comes with it. Vaike in particular seems to have meshed well with the barbaric people, having claimed a table to arm-wrestle with anyone willing (which results in a line of a dozen feroxi and growing). Sully eventually grins at me.
"Ya know… Ya might have a point. I could get used to this place."
While everyone's busy socializing with the locals, I take some time to check my new menu screen.
National standing, menu screen
Just like interacting with people changes your relationships with them, your actions on behalf of a country will change how its leaders look at you. This menu screen displays how well you stand with the various countries of the realm. Being in good standing with a country comes with all sorts of perks, like having an easier time to get an audience with the reigning leaders, to getting discounts from local shops. Just remember that being an ally of one country often results in you becoming the enemy of another. Ugh… Politics…
Current national standings:
Ylisse: Neutral
Regna Ferox: Neutral
Chrom, Lissa, Frederick and Robin enter the mess hall right as I finish checking my newest feature.
"Shepherds, I have an announcement to make!" Chrom shouts over the crowd. The hall goes silent. "I've agreed to represent Khan Flavia as her champion in the upcoming tournament to help her become the reigning khan over all of Regna Ferox. Should we win, she has agreed to forge an alliance with Ylisse."
"Tournament?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "Does this mean there are multiple sides competing for the throne, or whatever the feroxi use to signify who's in charge?"
"While it is called a tournament, it is more akin to a battle between the two khans of Regna Ferox." Frederick explains. "Each side picks a champion to represent them. Whichever champion wins has their khan become the reigning one until the next tournament. Currently, the west khan reigns, meaning we need to win this tournament to give Khan Flavia the power she needs to mobilize the Feroxi army."
"A one-on-one, eh?" Vaike piques in. "Well, good luck, Chrom! Feel free to ask Teach for some advice before the match."
"It's not that simple, Vaike." Chrom replies. "While it's true that the champions will fight each other, each champion is also allowed to bring up to four allies with them into the battle. The tournament is over when all fighters on one side can no longer fight."
"That's where Robin comes into the picture!" Lissa adds proudly. "She's already picked who's going with Chrom! That's what the announcement is really for."
"Well, don't keep us in suspense!" Sully shouts. "Who gets to bust skulls on the big stage?"
"I've given this careful thought." Robin replies. "Aside from Chrom, the ones who will fight are Frederick, me, Jack and Lissa."
At everyone's surprise at hearing that the young Cleric will participate, Robin elaborates.
"Lissa doesn't have to fight. She could just yield when her turn comes and leave her opponent to the rest of us. The west khan is likely to send his strongest fighters into the tournament, so even if we win a fight, it's more than likely going to be a hard-fought victory. Lissa's role is to heal the other fighters between their battles so they can get into the next battle fresh."
"Is that even allowed?" Stahl asks in the middle of his fifth bowl of stew.
"I proposed the idea to Khan Flavia earlier." Robin replies.
"And as far as I know, no tournament rule forbids it." the east khan herself explains as she enters the mess hall smirking. "Have one fighter lose on purpose so they can dedicate their time patching up the other ones. That's brilliant! There are no rules about this since no one's ever tried it!"
Flavia turns to Chrom. "Chrom, I've gotta say, that's one h-ll of a tactician you've got there. Coming up with that kind of strategy for a tournament, of all things… You'd better keep an eye on her, or I'll steal her away from under your nose!"
At Chrom's nervous expression, Flavia starts to laugh. "Nah, just kidding! But, seriously, make sure to treat her well. Tacticians of her caliber only come around once in a blue moon."
"The tournament will take place in a few days." Frederick tells us. "I suggest everyone who will participate takes time to prepare as much as they can. As I myself will take part, I shall train along side you with a special training program."
Lissa pales at hearing this. "Oh no, please not the fanatical fitness hour!"
"That is indeed how we shall train, milady." Frederick replies smiling. "By the time of the tournament, I will make sure that you can clear the whole hour."
"Frederick? I really, really hate you right now!"
Quest alert:
Main quest: East meets west
Flavia is more than willing to forge an alliance with Ylisse – provided she has the political and military power to do so. The only way she can get that is if Chrom and co can win a tournament and make Flavia the reigning khan. As this tournament only takes place once every few years, this is the only chance you have to get the alliance Ylisse needs for the battles to come. But it will be far from easy. You know who's waiting for you at the tournament.
Objectives: Win the tournament of the khans.
Rewards: Increased standing with Ylisse, 4 000 EXP, 4 000 gold
Bonus objectives: ?
Bonus rewards: ?, 1 000 EXP, 1 000 gold
Failure: Death. Ylisse loses its prince, princess and any hope of surviving in the upcoming battles.
An hour later, the five of us are gathered in a separate room that Flavia provided us with for training. While Frederick originally wanted us to train in the courtyard, he changed his mind after Lissa nearly mauled him in protest. She drew the line at training in the snow.
"Now, then. Let us begin." Frederick tells us.
The next hour is spent on Frederick leading us into all kinds of physical exercises.
One fanatical fitness hour later...
Due to constant strenuous activity, STR goes up by 5!
Due to prolonged exhausting activity, VIT goes up by 6!
Due to plenty of running and quick maneuvering, DEX goes up by 3!
Oh, my aching…everything!
I thought the only way I could feel tired would be if I allowed myself to get afflicted by the "Exhausted" debuff, but Frederick managed to prove me wrong. What's even crazier, I thought I couldn't get any muscle cramps either (Gamer's body, remember?). Well, Frederick proved me wrong there too. I have muscle cramps in places I didn't even know you could get muscle cramps in.
I look to my right to see Robin lying flat on her back panting for air and sweating a waterfall down her face. Lissa's not fairing any better, though she made it through 45 minutes before giving up; a new personal record! In contrast, Chrom seems tired, but overall okay. And Frederick? The guy barely looks winded despite going through every exercise along with us – while wearing armor! Is this guy even human?!
Ugh… I can barely make heads or tails of the Great Knight. Might as well try something more productive. Like getting myself some water. It's a good thing one of the Feroxi soldiers dropped by with some waterskins a few minutes after we started training. I get up on my feet with a grunt and walk to the bench where the waterskins were placed. I take one for myself and am about to head back when I see Robin in the exact same position on the floor and trying to move, but having little success.
Well, I can't leave a friend hanging like that, now can I? So I put the waterskin back down and walk back to the exhausted Tactician.
"How're you holding up?" I ask Robin as I approach.
"Can…barely…move…" she replies panting.
I bend down and stretch out my hand. "Here, give me your hand."
It takes some effort, but Robin manages to raise her hand a shaky foot or so before I decide that's enough and catch it before it falls back down. I help her up in a sitting position and then drape her arm over my shoulders before lifting the two of us up with a grunt. I gently lead Robin to the bench where the waterskins are and place her on the bench. The Tactician slumps back against the wall panting when she sits down.
I sit down beside her and hand her a waterskin.
"Here. You'll need this."
Robin looks at the waterskin like it's everything she could possibly want at the moment. And keeps looking. Then she looks at me in a way that I can't really place.
…
Oh, yeah, she can barely lift her own arms! Uh… Looks like I have to help her, then.
I open the waterskin and put the opening close to her mouth. Then I tip the waterskin gently to make sure Robin can drink the water instead of it spilling out to the sides. The waterskin is tilted at a 90-degree angle when Robin takes it in her own hands and starts to drain whatever she can get from it on her own. Judging by how she gulps it down, she must be really thirsty. Seeing as she's got things handled, I decide to help myself with a waterskin of my own.
"Th-thanks… I…needed that…" Robin pants when she finishes drinking.
"Anytime, Robin. Anytime." I reply.
Your relationshp with Robin has improved!
It's gotten dark and most of the people at Flavia's residence have gone to sleep. As for me, it's time for my second training session – the secret one, that is. I leave a clone in my bed with the same instructions as last night and activate ID Create to sneak out of the building.
I've marched quite a ways away from the residence to make sure I won't get spotted for what I am about to do. Instead of a solo training session, it's time that I tried out the other feature of making an ID. So I activate ID Escape and then repeat the process of creating and escaping ID's until I get the alert I want.
ID Create is now level 1! New ID unlocked! You can now cast "ID Create: Bokoblins"!
That's right, it's time that I got started on grinding EXP alongside my skills. I normally would've preferred another night or two for just grinding my skills, but with how fast things are bound to progress in the near future, I need more combat experience.
I'm all by my lonesome in the snowy landscape as I get ready to take the plunge. Let's do this!
"ID Create: Bokoblins."
The world around me is tinted red as the mana dome spreads out from my position. It's not long before I hear a familiar sound from the woods behind me. I turn around and spot what I was expecting; Bokoblins. Red ones, to be specific.
Red Bokoblin Lvl 13 Monster
A creature native to the land of Hyrule. Among the many fell creatures who have made their home in the kingdom, Bokoblins are the most human-like. They are quite intelligent, having learned how to craft simple weapons and even structures such as watchtowers and spiked fences. They are even proficient in horse riding.
The Bokoblins' designs are exactly the same as in BoTW, meaning they can pick up any weapon they can find on the ground and use them to fight. A quick scan with Mind's eye reveals that there are a LOT of them approaching my position. That's fine by me. That means I'll get plenty of practice for what I'm about to do.
I concentrate a massive amount of mana and activate the skill that will serve as our battle ground.
"Unlimited Blade Works!"
Next thing the Bokoblins know, the snowy landscape has vanished and is instead replaced with grassy hills with weapons sticking out everywhere.
I myself Trace a pair of familiar short swords: Shirou Emiya's signature weapons Kanshou and Bakuya. I settle in a stance and beckon the Bokoblins.
"Come on. Pick a weapon and fight me."
The pig-like creatures need no further prompting and pick up the first weapons they can find. This kind of training may be reckless (in which case I will probably have to apologize to Robin if she ever finds out about this), but it's the most effective combat training I can think of right now. There's a plethora of weapons in my reality marble, so I'll get practice against a great number of different weapon wielders in a single night, even if red Bokoblins are among the weakest creatures I can fight.
You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up! You have leveled up!
Phew… It's been about 20 minutes of non-stop fighting. The Bokoblins just kept crawling out of the woodwork, each either picking up a new weapon from the ground or picking up a weapon from a fallen comrade. I had to constantly use Mind's eye and keep track of Reinforcement to make sure I wouldn't be caught off-guard. The funniest part was probably the Bokoblins who picked up bows. They had ranged weapons, but no ammo. They got so frustrated that they simply tossed their chosen weapon aside after a while and went for another one.
And as tiresome as fighting Bokoblins non-stop for 20 minutes was, it was well worth it. Fighting with a sword in each hand gained me a new skill, which I got to grind plenty during the fight:
Dual wielding, Lvl 14 [26.1 %], Passive
The art of wielding a weapon in each hand is a skill that many have tried to attain, but few have succeeded in. And among those few, fewer still have managed to reach its full potential. Wielding two weapons simultaneously allows you to use the abilities of both at the same time (provided they have any) and generally gives you more offensive options than if you only wield one weapon. It also looks awesome when done right.
Attack speed and attack power is 78 % of the average of both weapons wielded. This skill only applies when wielding two weapons of the same category.
Judging from what I can read about this skill, I still have a ways to go before it's combat ready. More shadow clones, then.
Warning! Warning! Boss-level enemy detected!
Oh? There are even bosses here? Neat.
The enemy in question soon reveals itself from the top of a hill, holding a copied Boulder Breaker in its hands.
Silver Bokoblin Lvl 34 Monster
A Bokoblin who has been infused with magic from an evil entity. The corrupted magic has increased its strength and resilience far beyond what is natural for its kin, making them dangerous adversaries. Silver Bokoblins are easily distinguished by their silver-colored skin and purple markings, so recognizing one is simple. While they are powerful, the nature of the magic that strengthened them also makes them more vulnerable to light-elemental magic.
I may not have any light-element spells, but a Bokoblin is still a Bokoblin, no matter what color they are. This one just hits harder and can take more punishment. This shouldn't be too hard.
*Thoom!*
See? The downward swing from the silver Bokoblin is strong enough to leave a small crater on the ground, but I've fought enough of these guys in BoTW to know when to dodge and how to dodge. Any time the Bokoblin swings, I just need to dodge and strike in the opening given to me. Time even seems to slow down to a crawl when I time my dodges correctly, allowing me to counter with flurry rushes that quickly whittle down the creature's HP. Its skin is tough though, so the wounds are minor at best.
The Silver Bokoblin eventually has enough and starts to spin the Boulder Breaker over its head while advancing towards me. I decide to wait out the storm and back away from the spinning weapon. The Silver Bokoblin tires soon enough and stops the spinning. That's the opening I was looking for.
"Game over, n00b!"
I rush in and stab both short swords into the silver Bokoblin's neck. I didn't just swing aimlessly during those flurry rushes. Most of my swings were aimed against the neck in the hopes of finishing this fight quickly. While the Silver Bokoblin's hide is thick and resilient, it's not impenetrable.
*Shink!*
And my efforts finally pay off as the swords sink into its neck. With a roar of effort, I rip the swords to either side and decapitate the Silver Bokoblin in the process. The fell creature's body turns black before it vanishes in a poof of purple mist. That's how all Bokoblins vanished when I killed them.
Silver Bokoblin has been defeated! You gain 2 300 EXP!
You have leveled up!
You got a skill book!
Due to constant strenuous activity, STR goes up by 2!
Due to prolonged exhausting activity, VIT goes up by 4!
Due to plenty of running and quick maneuvering, DEX goes up by 3!
Phew! That's the last of them. It was a good training session, all in all, but I think I'll spend the rest of the night training my skills only. I've already been involved in three battles and one of Frederick's fanatical fitness hours. I think I've had enough exercise for one day.
So with a careful eye on my MP bar, I make a bunch of shadow clones and start practicing my skills for the rest of the night. At least it's more fun than repeatedly doing physical exercises.
Time skip
The day comes when we leave for the arena where the tournament is set. Everyone's packed their stuff and is ready to leave.
While we march towards the arena, I hear Robin whoop for joy. I turn her way and see her standing on top of the snow.
Robin gained "Mana soles"!
"Yes! I finally did it!" the Tactician shouts to the world.
"Wow, Robin! That's incredible!" Lissa joins in.
"Cool! Now we can take snow walks together." I comment with a grin as I approach them.
Robin's smile turns coy. "Oh, just the two of us?"
"Er…" I don't know why, but I think my brain short-circuited.
Robin giggles. "Relax, Jack. I'm only teasing you."
"Oh…" is all I manage to say as everyone else walk past me. You know…I can't help but wonder what would've happened, had I said "yes".
We can see the arena after a few more hours of marching. It's not just a lone colosseum sitting in the middle of nowhere; this place has a whole town surrounding it. What's more, the town is bustling with activity. Hundreds of people walk the streets. Traveling merchants have set up shop and try to sell their wares. I even spy a stall managed by an Anna.
"Wow… There's so many people here!" Lissa exclaims in wonder.
"I'd be surprised it there wasn't." Flavia replies smiling. "The tournament isn't just for deciding who becomes the reigning khan for the next few years. It attracts people from all over the continent. People love seeing these kinds of fights, so it's a great source of income for Ferox when it happens. H-ll, I've even seen a few nobles in the seats during most tournaments. Though it's the first time we have nobles fighting in it."
"And let me guess; where crowds gather, the merchants set up shop." I comment.
"Exactly." Flavia replies. "That in itself nets Regna Ferox some extra gold since the merchants have to pay a small fee if they want to put up a stall. If we didn't do this, there would be merchant's stalls clogging up every street in town." Flavia rubs her hands in glee. "And all of that gold lands in the pocket of the reigning khan."
What does Basilio say about getting between Flavia and a full coffer now again? Oh yeah, he pities you.
After passing the main entrance, a Soldier directs Flavia and the ones fighting in the tournament through a corridor to the right while the rest are led by another Soldier through the main corridors. We're led through a few twists and turns before coming into a sizable hall. Fortunately, all the corridors are lit with torches to provide heat and light.
"You may make any preparations you need before the battle while in here." the Soldier tells us. "Let me know when you're all finished." With that, he closes the door.
Frederick starts to go through every piece of his armor and then inspects his Silver Lance down to the finest details before nodding in satisfaction. Chrom draws Falchion, takes a look on the blade, nods and re-sheaths it without a word. Robin looks through her Lightning tome and then inspects her new Iron Sword. Lissa checks on her staff and makes sure it's in good condition. As for me, I'm off in a corner Meditating.
"Jack? What are you doing?" Lissa asks as she approaches me. Guess she's done preparing.
"Meditating." I answer.
The Cleric's face scrunches up in confusion. "Medi-what?"
"Meditating." I repeat. "It's an exercise to calm down and focus the mind."
"Why do you need that?"
"Honestly, I'm nervous. Not only am I on my own when fighting in that arena, I have to do it before a large crowd. I need to calm down and concentrate before the fight, or else I could mess up."
Lissa tilts her head to the side. "And you can do it just by sitting down and closing your eyes?"
I shake my head smiling. "Not quite. The important part of meditation takes part in your mind. You basically gather all your attention on a single thought and hold it there. If I only think about my upcoming fight and what I'm supposed to do, I stop thinking on everything else that makes me nervous. That should make the fight a bit easier."
"Oh… Well, I hope I didn't disturb you."
"It's okay." I wave off. "I think I'm as prepared as I can be."
"Good. That goes for all of us." Chrom says. "I'll let the soldier know."
After notifying the Soldier, we're led through one more corridor. This one has no torches lit. The only light we see is at the end, which is probably where the arena is. As we near the end, we hear cheers from hundreds of people.
The sound gets even louder when we step out into the arena. The layout of the arena reminds me of the Roman colosseum, only that it has a dome shaped roof to prevent snow from filling the place. The middle of the fighting area has a raised platform where the fights most likely take place. The seats are packed with spectators.
"You can do it!" we hear Stahl shouting. We turn our heads to see the other Shepherds sitting just above the entrance where we came in from. How nice of the staff to provide them with front-row seats.
"From now on, it's all on you." Flavia tells us. "Make me proud." With that, she walks off to the side of the platform towards two particularly fancy-looking seats. Probably reserved for the khans.
A middle-aged Berserker walks up on the platform and calls for silence. The audience quickly complies. The Berserker takes a deep breath before shouting out his opening speech.
"Travelers! Warriors! Visitors from every corner of the continent! I hereby welcome you to the tournament of the khans!"
The audience answers with nigh earsplitting screams and cheers. This goes on for a few minutes before the Berserker calls for silence once more.
"Three years have passed since the last tournament, where the West-Khan once again solidified his reign. Today, we shall see if that reign continues, or if we get a new reigning khan!"
More cheers and screams.
"I am Julius of Ferox, the proctor of this tournament. Without further ado, let the battles begin! Send up the first two warriors!"
We've already decided that I'm up first.
"First in representing the east is Jack of Ylisse!" the proctor calls out to the cheers of the audience.
"Go get 'em, Jack!" I hear Lissa cheer as I ascend the few stairs up the platform.
I turn around from the top and give her a thumbs-up. "I've got this!"
"First in representing the west is Lon'qu of Ferox!" the proctor calls out next.
Wait, WHAT?!
I turn around and have my suspicion confirmed.
Lon'qu Lvl 18 Class: Myrmidon
Oh… Ooh s-it… I thought Lon'qu wouldn't participate because "Marth" handed him his ass and took his place as champion of the west. This… This is NOT what I expected!
...
Alright, looks like I'm forced to reveal my hand earlier than I thought.
Instead of drawing my Bronze Sword, I turn back to the stairs and unbuckle it from my waist before I toss it to Lissa.
"Lissa, catch!"
The princess catches my sword with a baffled look.
"Jack, what are you doing?!" Robin shouts from Lissa's right.
"Trust me, it's better this way." I reply.
I turn back to the arena to find that Lon'qu has already drawn his Killing Edge. Yep, I definitely made the right call.
"You would throw away your weapon when faced with an armed opponent?" the Myrmidon asks scowling. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Sorry" I reply grinning. I settle in a stance with my arms horizontal and pointing out diagonally from my body. My hands are palms-down and pointed forward. "The thing is, I can tell that you're strong. The weapon I tossed aside will do me little good in this fight."
Sparks begin to envelop my arms. My grin grows a bit bigger. "If I want to stand a chance against you, I have to go all out from the beginning."
The sparks fly from my hands. "Trace…on!"
To be continued
Preview of the next chapter
*Camera shows Emmeryn in castle Ylisstol*
Chrom: Emm, I bring news about our trip to Ferox.
Emmeryn: That will have to wait, Chrom. Gangrel demands we negotiate with him immediately. He has taken duke Themis' daughter prisoner.
Lissa: Oh no! Maribelle!
Chrom: We have to rescue her. And maybe stick a sword in Gangrel's gut while we're at it!
*Camera shows Ricken sneaking around on the mountain side*
Jack: Ricken? What are you doing here?
Ricken: I'm saving Maribelle, what else?!
Jack: Oh yeah? You and what army?
*Squirrels pop up from everywhere*
Jack: Uh…okay?
Next time on Gamer Emblem Awakening:
Everything you khan do, I khan do better! Allies and enemies enter the stage!
Jack: Maybe I should've joined Cronk's scout corps. They teach their members how to speak Squirrel.
Omake: Proper motivation
Lissa's on the ground gasping for air after Frederick's fanatical fitness hour. Jack squats down beside her.
"You okay, Lissa?" he asks.
"I…can…hardly…move." Lissa pants.
"Uh huh…" Jack replies before pointing at the princess' feet. "Hey, is that a snake?"
Lissa jumps up with a shriek, only to find no snake on the ground.
"Jack, what was that for?!" she asks angrily.
"Huh…" Jack muses grinning. "I guess you have a lot more energy than you said if you can stand up that easily."
Lissa's face grows steadily redder. "You…! You…!"
Chrom, Robin and Frederick look to see Lissa chase Jack as if neither of them had just gone through Frederick's training regimen.
"Get back here, Jack!" Lissa shouts angrily.
"You'll never catch me alive!" Jack fires back.
"Wow… I never knew Lissa had so much stamina." Robin comments in awe.
Frederick nods. "Despite what milord and I say about her, milady has the potential to develop astounding physical prowess, should she dedicate herself to the proper training."
"Frederick and I have tried to motivate Lissa to train harder for years. Jack may have found a solution to our problem." Chrom adds.
*Crack!*
"Rgh! Stand still!" Lissa shouts while pulling out the massive battle axe that she swung into the floor.
"Only if you put away that giant axe first!" Jack shouts back while pointing at said weapon.
"Make me!"
"Right back at you!"
"Oh, it's on!"
New skills:
Mana soles, Lvl MAX, Active, Cost: 5 MP/ second
A skill derived from Basic mana manipulation. Originally created by an apprentice mage living in a desert who was bored and wanted to try something new with his skills. By channeling his mana into the shape of a disk beneath his feet, the apprentice spread his weight over a greater area, thus allowing him to traverse the desert with ease so long as he could hold his concentration. His teacher became so impressed with the innovation that it soon became standard procedure to train every apprentice mage in this skill.
Allows the caster to walk on loose terrain like sand or snow as if it were solid. Should the user be a mounted unit, the mount can be used as a medium to achieve the same effect.
Dual wielding, Lvl 24 [36.2 %], Passive
The art of wielding a weapon in each hand is a skill that many have tried to attain, but few have succeeded in. And among those few, fewer still have managed to reach its full potential. Wielding two weapons simultaneously allows you to use the abilities of both at the same time (provided they have any) and generally gives you more offensive options than if you only wield one weapon. It also looks awesome when done right.
Attack speed and attack power is 98 % of the average of both weapons wielded. This skill only applies when wielding two weapons of the same category.
Jack's encyclopedic corner
Kanshou & Bakuya, Dual blades, Base damage: 65, Unique
The signature weapons of the heroic spirit, Shirou Emiya. These single-edged swords are meant to be wielded as a pair. While Shirou himself eventually gained the ability to conjure a great number of different weapons to be used in various situations, these twin short swords were always his go-to weapon in melee combat. The swords possess several different abilities, depending on which timeline they appear in.
Available skills when wielded: Boomerang blades, Blade morph, Blade burst.
Knight, Class
A soldier that focuses on defense and stability above all else. Knights wear heavy full-body armor that offer fantastic protection against physical attacks and compliment this with wide shields and sharp lances. They are often found as guards, stationed at strategic spaces and narrow pathways to prevent the enemies' advance. The armor is also a burden, however. Not only does it take a lot of strength to move with so much metal on the body, it does little to protect the wearer against magic.
Increases attack power by 10 % when attacking with a polearm. Damage taken from physical attacks is reduced by 10 %. Movement speed is reduced by 5 %. Damage taken from magic spells of any element is increased by 10 %. This unit counts as a heavily armored unit.
Killing Edge, Sword, Base damage: 52, Very uncommon
Now that's a katana! This sword is of foreign make and is therefore often difficult to come by unless a merchant with the right connections is contacted. The method of forging this weapon is very precise and time consuming, resulting in a steep price on the market. In return, however, it boasts an incredibly sharp single edge that can even cut metal in the hands of a master. Fighting anyone who wields a Killing Edge is dangerous, as a single mistake can leave you open for a fatal blow.
Passively increases critical hit rate by 30 %.
Door key, Key, Uncommon
A key to unlock a door. Despite its generic design, it can be used on doors anywhere in the world. Yet the moment it is used, it can only open the lock it was used on. Scholars across the lands have tried to figure out why this happens for centuries, but no one has managed to solve the riddle.
And there you have it.
This chapter ends with the first notable divergence from the game's main story; Lon'qu fights in the tournament instead of sitting it out. And Jack's his opponent!
This chapter also introduces something that I plan to integrate in future chapters; BGM:s. I'm doing so in the hopes that it will add to the atmosphere as you read. I recommend that you look for the BGM on Youtube when it comes up in the text. All BGM:s will be searchable on Youtube, so finding them should be easy.
There's one thing about chapter 3 in Awakening that's bothered me for quite some time; why in the world would the Feroxi border guard station soldiers on ground level with keys to the upper area of the stronghold? Keys that anyone can get their hands on if the soldiers fall in battle! I know it's so that you can get past the doors and access the top to face Raimi, but come on, game developers! That has to be the worst security ever!
Also, regarding keys: Locksmiths in the Fire Emblem universe may be among the most international professionals in fictional history. I mean, you can pick up a Door key in Ylisse and use it to unlock the door to one of the treasure chambers in castle Valm! And the same principle applies in every Fire Emblem game. The locksmiths truly go for the one-size-fits-all.
Well, that's all for now! Until next time.
VipeR out.
