Hello, dear readers. This is CrossVipeR316 here with the latest chapter of Gamer Emblem Awakening.
Man, the support for this fic is as awesome as the people reading it! At the moment, almost 600 have favorited it and over 700 have chosen to follow the story. Thank you, thank you all kindly.
Based on most of the reviews for the last chapter, you seem to enjoy Yarne being rid of his cowardice as much as I do. I originally planned a skillset that would befit his timid nature, but I couldn't find anything that fit at melee range (which is very ironic, since Yarne's basic class lineup mainly fights at close range). So I just decided flip the entire thing instead. Like I said; his entire build is based on irony.
Now for some specific reviews:
1silvergamer2: Huh… The more I read into your reviews, the more I realize how many unintentional parallels I ended up drawing between Yarne and Goku. Good eye on those hidden references – references I made without knowing.
Also, Nah as the Dragonborn? I have something else in mind. Something a little…funnier. I'm trying to balance badassery with cuteness for the adorable half-manakete.
SuperVegitoFAN: As far as I know, Ultra Instinct is actually based on a real-life phenomenon known as "the Zone". It's basically a mental state when a human's concentration and performance is at their best. However, staying in this state is rather tiring, since that's pretty much when you give 100 %. DBS simply takes this concept and pumps it full with animé steroids. And it looks awesome.
3-13 Sniper: Not a fan of any abridged series. And, unfortunately, the "Kaio-what?" joke will probably go untouched here due to me trying to limit the number of DB-style powerups Yarne will get in this fic. Seriously… Goku attains so many forms over the course of the series that it's absolutely ridiculous. Or as Superman puts in the first Death Battle: "Great… Not another- Oof!"
warrior of six blades: I try to put in all these small moments between Jack and Robin to show how marriage isn't just those super dramatic, passionate moments that are few and far in-between, but also the small moments that lovers share on a daily basis. And because I want an excuse for some fluff.
Sully's cooking as a torture method? More like a form of execution. That stuff is deadly.
Starwing1995: Nope, Owain's fighting style will be more…flashy. Something more befitting his over-the-top personality.
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: You were right on the munny (See what I did there?) regarding the KH elements. Enjoy.
Copyright disclaimer: I only own the plot of this fic. For a full copyright disclaimer, please read chapter 1.
I will show you the dangers of mocking a spellcaster. – Laurent
Chapter 17:
Let your heart be your guiding key!
Wild chase across the mirage desert!
"Hyah!" *Whoosh!*
I lean to the side to dodge Yarne's opening punch. Even so, I feel the wind pressure from where the fist passes my head. I lean forward and launch a fist of my own against his face. Yarne reacts quickly and catches it with his free hand. I'm about to punch him with my other hand as well, only to change it to a block as he sends a knee against me. I realize that he's had plenty of time to pull back the hand from his initial attack at this point and crouch low to send a sweep kick at his remaining leg. Yarne responds by pushing against my fist and jumps away from me. As he lands, we both retake our stances.
Breathe in…and out.
I take the initiative this time and dash straight at the half-taguel. As I draw near, I zip to the left and pivot into a reverse roundhouse kick. Yarne ducks and spins his entire body to wind up a right hook. I cross my arms in front of my chest to block the punch, but there's so much force behind it that I lift slightly off the ground and skid back a little by the time my feet get back down. Yarne follows up by getting up close to me and sends a roundhouse kick against my head, similar to how I just did it. I duck under his kick as well, but instead of countering with a hook, I snap kick at his other leg instead. Yarne lets the momentum of his roundhouse kick carry his entire body into a spin that he converts into the latter part of a butterfly kick instead, allowing him to dodge my kick and aim for my chest instead. I lean and flip back away from Yarne's counter before I rush in with my right fist reared back for a punch. Yarne barely has time to catch my fist with both his hands. That's when I send my other fist in against his torso. Yarne raises his right leg to block. I smirk at his response. It's a good one, which is exactly why I expected him to do it. So as his leg comes up to stop my fist, I abandon the punch and crouch to grab his ankle instead. Before my student has any time to get out of my grip, I yank the leg and slam Yarne into the ground.
Except, I don't slam him into the ground. Even as I swung him over my head, Yarne had the peace of mind to angle his hands to hit the ground first, allowing him to stop the impact with a handstand. As he still has a leg free, he sends a kick at my chest that forces me to let go of his leg and take a few steps back.
I relax and nod. "Good form, quick and well-judged responses to counters, and well-honed skills. I can tell you've trained hard since last time you trained under me."
Yarne smiles as he gets back on his feet. "Thanks, Master. You know, training my technique without you around was kind of tough, since none of our enemies fight with their bare hands. So I had to focus most of my training on fighting armed opponents instead."
"That was a good call, Yarne. From what I learned from Lucina, you had to fight for your life almost every day. Seeing how well you've adapted that training into how you fought in the last battle means your hard work has borne fruit." I smile in approval. "Remind me again why you insisted I continue training you."
"Because you never finished." Yarne explains. "Before you…well, died…you told me there was an ability that I could learn if I trained hard enough."
I raise an eyebrow. "Was it the Kamehameha?"
Yarne shakes his head. "No. I had already learned the basics of it by then. When I asked you about this other ability, you simply told me that it's something that would allow me to use the full effect of my training, or something like that. Though you never actually told me what it is."
I scratch my chin upon hearing Yarne's description. Sigh. Why did future-me have to be so vague about it? I can understand that he wanted Yarne to find the answer on his own, but I'm kind of stumped here.
"Say, how exactly did my future self train you?" I eventually ask.
Yarne shrugs. "Aside from the whole exercise-'til-you-drop regimen? Well, there was one time when you had me spar against Severa while I was blindfolded and you told me I was only allowed to move slowly. If I ever broke that rule, you'd chop me on the head."
"Did I ever explain why?"
Yarne scratches his head. "I dunno. It was kinda hard to hear over Severa yelling and swinging at me like a girl possessed. Though I did hear bits and pieces that said something about moving on just instinct."
"And?"
"I ended up covered in bruises because Severa wouldn't stop hitting me." Yarne tells me flatly. "Mother was kind of upset you put me through that spar."
I sweatdrop. "I think I'll need to think about this for a while. I'm not sure what future-me was after, but there has to be something buried under all those riddles and weird training exercises." I nod. "Guess that makes it a good time to stop for today. Feel free to keep training on your own if you wish. I, for one, have a meeting to attend to."
Yarne gives me a thumbs-up. "Sure. See you around, Master Jack."
Your relationship with Yarne has improved!
I scratch my head as I contemplate my relationship with the half-taguel with the tuft of green hair on top of his head – the only indication of his relation to Stahl. I never thought future-me would go through such lengths to rid the guy off his cowardice, but it's a welcome surprise. Naga knows what a headache Yarne would be if he kept running away at the slightest sign of danger. This should hopefully make both training and socializing with him easier. On the other hand, I hope he doesn't take sparring too far.
I idly rub my arms. That right hook packed some serious force!
"Please tell me we are done traveling in a roundabout manner." Emmeryn tells us in a slightly pleading voice.
We're currently gathered in the war tent. Surrounding a table with a map of the continent on the center are me, Robin, Chrom, Frederick, Emmeryn and Phila.
Robin nods in response. "If I've got this right, this is where we take a turn northwards." She places her finger roughly at our current position and slides it up the map. "If we follow this route, we should reach the eastern main road to Port Ferox after a few days."
Phila squints at the map. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Robin, but does that route not cross through the Plegian desert?"
My wife nods. "Yes, Phila, it does. Specifically, it crosses through the eastern part of the desert, close to the mountain border to Ylisse. By traveling so close to the halidom, we limit the directions we could get attacked from. With the border on our east, we could potentially signal any nearby border patrol to come to our aid with a messenger bird in case we do get attacked. That effectively leaves the west and north as the only directions from which anyone could attack from, which in turn will make it easier for our sentries and guards to know where to look."
Chrom nods while rubbing his chin. "Huh. I never even considered using the nearby terrain to limit where the enemy could attack from. That's brilliant, Robin."
Robin shrugs (though I notice the slightest hint of a proud smile). "We're escorting the exalt, Chrom. Safety is of the utmost priority."
"And that's not all." I add. I pick up a needle and pin it somewhere halfway along our route through the desert. "Remember the places where we found Severa and Yarne?" At everyone nodding, I pick out Itachi's scroll. "Turns out our designated route takes us close to a third of those locations the squirrels directed me at. By my estimates, it should be slightly west of the path Robin drew."
Emmeryn raises an eyebrow. "Honestly, I'm still surprised you managed to find such valued allies simply by hiring a group of squirrels, Jack. Not only have their strength proven to be such a boon, their presence has raised morale in the camp. Lucina in particular has proven herself to be well liked, and some of my guards even consider her exemplary."
I jerk a thumb at her brother. "Goes to show what a great job Chrom and Cordelia did in raising her."
A small blush creeps along Chrom's cheeks. "Hey, now. Technically, we've hardly raised Lucina at all. From our perspective, she's still a baby, time-traveling counterpart notwithstanding."
Frederick smiles at his liege. "Nevertheless, milord, the fact that Lady Lucina shows such stalwart behavior is a testament of the care you and Lady Cordelia no doubt will put into helping her grow into a woman befitting her station, if not more so."
I raise an eyebrow. "Well, it's all fine with Lucina, but what about Severa?" I get that Lucina often gets more attention due to her being the older sibling, but that's one of the issues that drove a wedge between the two princesses, if their interaction back in Nelson's former stronghold was any indication. Familial loyalty only goes so far when your elder sibling is constantly showered in praise and attention while you're left with the scraps every other day. Seeing as that was Severa's reality until Chrom and Cordelia died in the future timeline, I'm genuinely concerned for her.
Emmeryn places a hand on her cheek. "Now that I think about it, I've yet to spend much time with my younger niece. Perhaps some time alone with her would be time well spent while we're still traveling."
Phila clears her throat. "Yes, well, while spending time with your family is indeed important, I advise that you remember your duties, Your Grace."
"Oh, I am well aware, Phila. Especially since you make it a point to remind me every day when I rise in the morning." Emmeryn replies with a radiant smile (and – somehow – a sinister aura enveloping her natural radiance). "Rest assured, I am fully capable of fulfilling my duties while still having plenty of time for family. Do not presume otherwise."
A chill goes up our collective spine. Say what you will about Emmeryn and her genuine kindness, but this is a ruler who can both slip subtle threats into her conversations and give the impression that she can make good on them. She's the exalt since 17 years back for a reason.
Timeskip
The desert sun shines down from the sky, covering the sands with daylight and near oppressive heat.
"Are we-"
"For the love of Naga, Vaike, NO! We are not there yet!" is our collective response to the Barbarian.
This scene feels awfully familiar. The irony is that it happens at almost the same place, if my geography is correct.
Severa wipes some sweat off her brow. "Ugh! And I thought Jack-sensei's training sessions made me sweat. This stupid desert has my clothes soaked through and through! If I don't get a proper bath soon, heads will roll!"
"Just deal with it, Severa." Chrom sighs from her right. "Remember: hardship builds character."
"I think I've built quite enough character for one day, Daddy!"
I smirk at the complaining redhead. "What a coincidence. I remember your aunt Lissa say the same thing on the night after I met her for the first time. And that was when we camped out in a forest where it was all nice and cool."
"Did you have to bring that up?!" said blonde princess shouts from further back. "That was one time, Jack! And I'll have you know I've gotten tougher since then!"
I shrug. "Oh, I don't doubt that, Lissa. That giant Hammer of yours is a dead giveaway of that fact."
"Speaking of tough…" Yarne pants from my side. "…how do you put up with this heat, Master? Almost all of us have trouble with this heat except you."
I feel just about everyone staring at me. And, to be fair, Yarne has a point. While I suffered under the Plegian desert sun as much as the others two years ago, this isn't two years ago.
I smirk at the taguel. "Oh, I have my ways. Simply put, you have much to learn, my student."
Miriel frowns at me. "I would appreciate if you were more honest with us, Jack. It is clear you are using magic to mitigate the effects of this desert heat on yourself."
The shock from the others is practically palpable.
"Really?" Ricken asks perplexed. "I don't see Jack casting any spells."
Miriel indicates my feet. "I am quite knowledgeable of the effects of using mana to traverse loose terrain, and I know for a fact that using mana in such a manner does not produce the phenomenon that Jack is right now."
The others take a look at my feet as well. Aside from the fact that I'm walking on top of the sand with Mana Soles, the sand swirls a little around my feet as well, which, as Miriel correctly observed, is not a biproduct of the skill.
I grin at the Sage. "Heh. I should've known I wouldn't be able to hide that detail from you, Miriel. Though, in truth, it's not really that hard, so long as you're good enough with wind magic. What you see is the outer layer of a bubble of air that I've made around myself. The air inside is completely still and isolated from the outside air using wind magic. By doing this, I get a protective layer from the desert heat."
Ah, the wonders of physics. Contrary to what many believe about air, the atmospheric mixture of gases is a surprisingly effective thermal insulator. In fact, if a person could make the air around them remain completely still, they could, in theory, stand in the middle of a Siberian winter stark naked and be completely fine, simply because of how effective of an insulator the surrounding air is. At least, that's what my physics teacher told me. The main reason why this just isn't feasible is because the air never stays still, which means that the air around said person is constantly replaced with new, cold air that keeps chilling their body until they collapse from hypothermia.
AN: Yes, this is a thing in physics. The phenomenon of air constantly moving, and thus continuously affecting the temperature of an object, is called convection. While sometimes used as a cooling technique in engines and computers, this phenomenon occurring naturally can give people a real headache because warm stuff just never stays warm. This is also the reason why we freeze more often when there's wind, as opposed to when there's no wind at all.
Robin blinks as she processes my explanation. "Wait… So you're telling me you use air to shield yourself from the desert heat?"
I nod. "Exactly. While mundane, I'd say it's a useful application of wind magic."
I sidle up to my wife. If one were to look at my feet, they'd notice the circle of swirling sand around them expand to encompass her as well. "The best part? I can decide the size of this bubble as I please – to a certain extent, of course. So now you're in the bubble too, Robin."
Robin smiles at me. "Well, aren't you convenient to have around?" She leans into me as her smile gets more…intimate. "And you're all mine."
Through Mind's eye, I can sense the other married women give their husbands a glance that screams "Why can't you do the same?". Ricken in particular sits under pressure from Maribelle's glance due to the guy being an established spellcaster. The men, in return, glare at me for putting them into this situation. Me? I don't care. I'm just gonna enjoy sharing my very own heatproof air bubble with my wife.
Though I'm not above smirking at the plight of my fellow married men. I'm that petty. Let it never be said that I'm a saint, 'cause I'm not.
"Man, I sure wish I had something like that." Yarne comments longing. "Having all this fur only makes the desert heat worse."
"On the contrary." Miriel corrects. "A fur coat can serve as protection from both cold as well as heat. That is why many animals living in the desert have fur. The same should apply for you as well, Yarne."
The male taguel looks down on his body like he just discovered the secrets to the cure of all diseases.
"Really?!" he exclaims. "Cool! Maybe being furry isn't so bad around here after all."
"Then why not share some of that?" Severa demands as she approaches him from behind.
"Huh? No way. This is my fur. Get your own, Severa."
"Do I look like an animal to you?! We're all suffering under this stupid desert sun, so the least you could do is share whatever protection you have with the others. You know, for the greater good."
Yarne gives the fiery redhead a flat look. "When you say "the greater good", does that mean you?"
"Of course it's me! Who else would need sun protection? Just look at my skin! At this rate, it'll start flaking!"
"Can't you go bother someone else? Like, I don't know, Master Jack? He did say he could make his…whatever he did with his magic…bigger. You could fit in too."
"Hey, leave me out of your squabble!" I snap back at my students. "This air bubble is for me and Robin only! End of discussion."
Severa points at me. "See?! Sensei won't share, even if I ask him nicely! That only leaves you or Panne, and Panne's already glaring at me."
"Well, maybe she wouldn't if you stopped eyeing us like fur coats!" Yarne replies while taking a few steps away from Severa. "Seriously, drop it, Severa."
Laevateinn is drawn in the blink of an eye. "Not a chance. Give me your fur!"
"Help!"
It's impressive how two of my students can traverse the desert sands so quickly, given that neither of them have learned Mana Soles. Though it does mean that running with their feet sinking into the loose terrain is bound to wear them out fast, and that's before we factor in the blistering sunlight.
Cordelia sweatdrops (both from the heat and the crazy scene). "Shouldn't we stop them? They'll exhaust themselves at this rate. In fact, just looking at them feels exhausting."
"Leave them." Panne replies. "This should serve as good endurance training – and a lesson in acting wisely."
True to Panne's words, Severa and Yarne stop running across the sand a few minutes later, both grabbing onto a nearby cart each for support as they gasp for more air during our continued trek through the desert.
"Stupid…Yarne…" Severa wheezes out. "Why couldn't…you just…stand still?"
"Because…I like…my fur…where it belongs…" Yarne replies.
Lucina facepalms. "I apologize on behalf of my comrades, and my sister in particular, Master Jack. I wish to tell you that they are normally not like this, but incidents like the one earlier have happened before."
I wave off her concern. "Eh, no need to apologize on their behalf, Lucina. They're both adults, so they need to take responsibility for their actions." I glance at my two panting students. "That being said, they might need a few lessons in discipline after we make camp."
Heh. The shivers running up their spines upon hearing my assessment amuse me to no end. Like I said; I'm no saint. I am *Ahem* low-key sadistic.
A few more minutes traveling under the desert sun pass, with the predictable complaints popping up every now and then among our group. However, all of that stops the moment Virion perks up at his lookout point at the front of our group.
"What great fortune!" the Bow Knight exclaims for all of us to hear. "My razor-sharp gaze spies a town in the distance, not far from our traveling route. Your Grace, might I suggest we make a stop there to stock up on supplies and recuperate from the exhausting travel?"
Emmeryn nods from under her cloth cover (that Frederick and Phila somehow had on hand just mere minutes before we started traveling the blazing hot place). "Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea."
Severa is quick to zip to her elder aunt's position with stars in her eyes. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, Aunt Emmeryn?"
The exalt smiles at her red-haired niece's antics. "You might have indicated such since you joined us, Severa. Perhaps we could spend some time together while resting in town?"
"Yay! *Ahem* I mean, I would like that very much."
With out next destination decided, we urge the animals drawing our convoy just a tiny bit in the hopes of reaching the town slightly faster. Yeah, desert heat can do that to some people.
I gingerly pick up the pastry and take a whiff. Ah… Freshly baked, just the way I like it. If memory serves, I detect a hint of cinnamon in the sweet fragrance wafting from the bun. Well, there's only one way to determine whether I'm right.
I take a bite out of the bun and chew slowly as I process the flavors that spread through my mouth. Honey, pistachio, sesame… Aha! I knew there was cinnamon included!
I swallow the chewed piece of pastry, take a sip from my cup of tea, and give a satisfied sigh. When Maribelle learned about this town having a café working together with the local bakery, which, in turn, had a close working relationship with the many merchants passing through town regularly, she made it her mission to try out what said café had to offer. I let my curiosity spur me into joining in, and I'm anything but disappointed. This bun is a masterpiece! The flaky crust on the outside, the soft, sweet filling hidden inside, and the entire thing baked with the utmost care, all of it comes together to make a pastry worthy of the royal courts. No wonder the owner claimed it was their local specialty. The cup of slightly bitter tea that comes with ordering this bun only makes tasting it all the more satisfying, even with the sun shining bright and hot in the sky.
"Hm? You certainly seem to enjoy your order, Jack." Maribelle comments from a nearby table.
"Do I ever." I reply. "This little pastry could give even the finest bakers in Ylisstol a run for their money. I'm going to take my sweet time and enjoy it for all it is worth."
"I'm surprised you could eat something like this slowly at all." Stahl comments from the other side of the table. "I feel like I could scarf down at least a dozen of these within a minute."
I give the green Great Knight a flat look. "Please don't, Stahl. Treats like these are meant to be savored. To eat it any other way would be an insult to the baker."
Sully rubs her chin. "Huh, this is unexpected. Never took ya for the fancy type around food, Jack."
"Hey, I can be a man of culture too, Sully. I simply choose which area to be cultured in, and food's as great an area as any."
The Paladin snorts. "You? A man of culture? Keep this up, and Ruffles might have someone to dawdle over tea with."
I roll my eyes. "Spare me. The day I indulge in tea to Virion's extent is the day I retire."
Even as we banter, I idly notice some curious movement in the corner of my vision. I take a closer look and spot a squirrel sitting on top of a house on the opposite side of the street. As if that wasn't weird enough, this squirrel wears that black coat of moss, as well as an eyepatch. Hmm… Itachi's report did mention this area, though I have no memory of this place being of any interest in the game. Well, might as well find out what the critter wants.
"Any time now, Deidara. I can't sit here forever." I call out to the squirrel.
The squirrel perks up, gives a few squeaks, and then jumps on a bird flying by. Said bird makes a turn before it lands in front of me. The eyepatch-wearing squirrel jumps off and waves the bird away before facing me.
"Do you have any idea how scarce nuts are around here, Jack? I haven't had a decent cashew for at least a week, and I need my fix! Hm!"
I give the squirrel a flat look. "So, what are you gonna do about it? Blow up the nearest fruit stall with some leafy concoction?"
Deidara gives me an offended look. "What? No! I'd just settle for the local peanuts instead! Only problem is that breaking the shell doesn't sound nearly as inspiring as the sound of cracking open a cashew shell. The moment a nutshell breaks open, the sound it gives reaches its absolute crescendo! That is true beauty contained in but a single, fleeting moment! That is ART! Hm!"
I sweatdrop as Deidara holds his little art rant. I suppose I should be relieved this furry incarnation of the blond bomber doesn't have an explosion fetish. On the other hand (or paw), this squirrel is just as much of a nutcase as the original, if not more so.
I shake my head. "Bah! Save your art speeches for someone who's interested. You didn't trudge all the way out here in the desert just to share your view on art with humans, did you?"
The eyepatch-wearing critter perks up. "Oh, that's right. I was assigned to wait for you here. Remember Itachi's report? Said that one of those humans you're looking for is in this very town. Hm!"
"And?" I press. "Where exactly do I find him?"
Deidara waves a paw dismissively. "Eh, you'll know when you see 'im. Just look for someone who keeps asking about some mirage village. Also, he supposedly won't shut up about somethin' about hearts and keys." Then he reaches out said paw to me. "Well, my job's done here. Pay up, and I'll be out of your fur. Hm!"
"Greedy little critter, aren't you?" I grumble as I rummage through my bag. After some searching, I pull out a pistachio nut. "Here."
The squirrel's face lights up in delight. "Sweet! Another day without these, and I'd go nuts!"
Deidara raises a loud squeak into the air. Moments later, an owl flies in.
Deidara jumps up on the owl. "I'm outta here. See you around, Jack. Hm!" The owl takes off.
My companions blink at the spot in confusion. Maribelle pulls out a tome and flips through the pages at a furious pace.
"How in the world is something like that possible?" the Valkyrie grumbles. "Last I checked, owls are not native to deserts. And even if they were, they're nocturnal. They shouldn't even be active during this time of the day!"
Ricken places a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "Let it go, Maribelle. I learned long ago to just go with the flow when it concerns squirrels." The young Dark Knight scratches his chin. "Though I've never seen one riding a bird before."
I shrug. "Deidara's apparently part of some secret organization within the clan. If it wasn't for my contact with Itachi, I never would've known about them."
Some twenty minutes later, we've all rested up and resupplied for our continued journey through the desert. Though, judging from the conversation Chrom's engaged in, our departure might be delayed for a while. I wonder what he's talking about.
The prince raises an eyebrow at the elder he's currently speaking to. "…A mirage village?"
The elder nods. "Or rumors of one, at any rate. People claim to have spied a desert village that sometimes appears during sandstorms. Tales speak of a legendary Goddess Staff that sleeps there, but who can really say?"
Chrom rubs his chin in deep thought. "That sounds like it could be helpful. It may be nothing more than idle talk, but it still bears further investigation.
"Just take care, sir. The sands are home to armed barbarians." the elder warns. "Every year sees a few villagers go chasing the myth and finding the grave instead. I'll not stop you, but be sure you're well armed and fully prepared."
After Chrom gives the elderly man a nod in thanks, the old man turns and vanishes into the crowd forming in the local marketplace, leaving just our merry band with curiosity perked among quite a few of us. Naturally, this leads to discussions among everyone whether we should give searching for this mythical village a shot, and, in such case, how.
I, for my part, scratch my head at the chain of events. I remember this very conversation taking place somewhere else entirely. Come to think of it, Itachi's report never listed a certain oasis that supposedly exists north of Donnel's home village, and pointed out this desert village instead.
"Pardon me, I could not help but overhear you discuss about a certain mirage village."
The discussions cease as we turn to the owner of the voice that spoke up; a black-haired Mage.
Laurent Lvl 34 Class: Mage
What the- What's Laurent doing here?! Come to think of it, everything that's happened since we arrived in this desert village pointed towards us finding him here. And yet, it's in a completely different location than the one I expected him to be at.
Miriel adjusts her glasses. "That we were. I surmise you hold interest in these rumors as well."
Though the young Mage remains calm on the outside, I could've sworn that his face momentarily lit up in joy as he spotted Miriel. "Eureka! It's you!"
Miriel raises an eyebrow. "…Curious. I have no recollection of making your acquaintance. Though few things are as unreliable as the human memory."
Laurent gives her a fond smile. "Ah, forgive me. I forgot that you have not met me before. My name is Laurent. And like I mentioned, I overheard you discussing about whether to search for the rumored mirage village. I had hoped that you would, as I myself am searching for clues about its existence."
Miriel turns to Chrom. "Captain?"
Chrom scratches the top of his head. "Well… We're still debating on that one…"
"Oh, come on, Chrom." Lissa interjects pouting. "We've done nothing but trudge through the desert like Risen since the day started. Can't we at least do something fun before the day is over?"
Severa is quick to glomp the War Cleric. "I love you, Aunt Lissa!" Then the red-haired princess blinks in realization. "Wait… That means we're heading back out in the desert sun again, aren't we?"
Tharja nods. "Yes. As well as the occasional sandstorms." A dark smirk spreads across her lips. "Those can do quite a number on your skin unless you wear enough protective clothing."
"Oh, and don't forget the mirages!" Henry adds cheerfully. "Those can really mess up your sense of direction, so you could end up wandering the desert all the way 'til sunset if you're not careful."
"And then there's the occasional scorpion." Tharja continues.
"And rattlesnakes when you least expect them." Henry tacks on.
"And you might suffer a heat stroke if you don't hydrate properly."
"And the vultures will circle over your head all the while, waiting for you to collapse for any number of reasons, just so they can get something to eat." Henry finishes with his unflappable smile still in place. "Aside from all that? Sure, searching the desert for mystery stuff is fun and perfectly safe. Maybe…"
Severa pales upon hearing the two dark magic practitioners swap around warnings about desert travel. "I've changed my mind. I don't wanna go."
Yarne snickers behind her. "Wimp."
The redhead turns around and glares at the taguel with nearly enough intensity to set him on fire. "What was that, furball?!"
"Come on, we'll be fine, Severa." Yarne assures her. "Besides, we had to deal with all that stuff before we arrived in this village anyway, and we have to deal with it on our way out of the desert too. You should be used to this by now."
Severa's right eye twitches violently before she rounds on Robin. "You! You're the one who made us trudge through this stupid deathtrap of a giant sandbox! This is all your fault!"
Robin crosses her arms with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I'd like to see you come up with a better plan in how we reach Port Ferox without running the risk of ambushes along the way. Besides, had we not taken this route, we never would've found you or Yarne."
Severa is about to retort, when Chrom interjects. "Well…Laurent, was it? I take it you've taken some time to scout the surrounding area."
The Mage nods. "Yes, though my search thus far has yielded precious little progress. Still, an excess of evidence exists for the village to be baseless rumor alone…"
"An assumption on your part, that." Miriel notes.
Laurent nods. "I therefore propose as such; might I accompany you? Perhaps our combined efforts will uncover the truth?"
Miriel closes her eyes in contemplation. "Mmm. I worry your hypothesis lacks a certain scientific rigor…" Her glasses flash in the sunlight (somehow). "And yet, there exists the possibility that I am in error on this count…" Miriel turns to Chrom. "Well, Captain Chrom? The final decision is yours."
Chrom rubs his chin before he smiles. "Well, I think most of us have made our opinion clear on this matter. Very well, we'll give this search for the rumored mirage village a shot. And you're more than welcome to join us, Laurent."
Laurent smiles back (though, knowing him, that's probably the equivalent of maximum ecstasy). "Excelsior! I assure you, I'll not be a burden."
Quest alert
Side quest: Shadow in the sands
Local rumors tell about a village hidden among the sands and mirages of the desert. Many have tried to find the village, but few have ever returned, and none have ever succeeded. Still, that's nowhere near enough to dissuade you from trying. However, be warned. The desert is home to many dangers, armed bandits being your main concern in this case.
Objective: Defeat all bandits.
Rewards: 10 000 EXP, 10 000 gold
Bonus objective: ?
Bonus rewards: 10 000 EXP, 10 000 gold
Since we'll be searching through sandy terrain, it was decided that most of our mounted troops would stay in the village and guard the convoy and Emmeryn. That way, we'll be able to traverse the terrain with less stuff to lug around, while also making sure any nearby bandits will think twice about looting our supplies.
A gust of wind passes over our heads, bringing grains of sand with it that soon fall over us. Lucina dusts some of it off her cape while trying to find something – anything – through the sweltering heat.
"I'm not sure… Will we really find any clues regarding this mirage village like this? It's hard enough to keep my bearings even before I can think about trying to find anything."
Laurent flips through a few pages in his tome. "While my knowledge regarding any rumored villages in this region is limited, I did manage to dig up some interesting leads. As it turns out, villages around these parts rarely receive visitors due to them begin difficult to find in this harsh climate. Observations on the environment has led me to the conclusion that the combination of mirages and sandstorms is mainly to blame. These two factors combined make it difficult to find and keep track of any landmarks around here – not that this desert has many landmarks to begin with. The most prominent one would be the great oasis which all villages in the area are supposedly built around."
Chrom nods while shielding his eyes from the glaring desert sun. "Guess that's as good a starting point as any. Let's find this oasis and work our way through the desert from there."
Destination decided, we set out to find this central oasis. Though we soon find that we're not alone out here.
Nombry Lvl 45 Class: Warrior
"Ah, the golden oasis." the rough looking Warrior says with a bloodthirsty grin. "They say the villages around here are filled to burstin' with rare treasure! Let's get wild, boys! Snag anythin' valuable ya can find!"
The people following Nombry shout in glee at the prospect.
Lucina scowls. "Father…"
Chrom matches her scowl (I guess it's genetic). "Yeah. Looks like we found those barbarians the elder warned us about back in town."
Chrom draws Falchion and approaches the bandits. "Hey!"
Nombry looks our way. "Huh? Who're you lot? Ya think ya can just waltz around these parts without a care in the world?"
The bandit leader brandishes his Silver Axe. "Empty yer pockets and get outta here, our we'll take want we want from ya and leave what's left to the vultures!"
The bandits behind him follow suit and pull out their weapons. In response, we get ready for combat on our part.
"Oh, armed, are ya?" Nombry notes. "Well, this might be interestin'." The Warrior gives a sharp whistle that echoes across the desert. "Gather up, folks! We've got some tough ones this time!"
A glance at my mini map reveals red dots appearing all over the surrounding area. Huh. Looks like Nombry commands a sizable band of ruffians. No wonder so few people make it back alive, if this guy has an underling stationed practically everywhere around here.
"Robin, we've got more bandits coming in from the north, east and west – at least a dozen each from every direction." I report.
Robin winces at the information. "This is bad. If they all strike at once, the nearby villages will get pillaged." Robin prepares what I've come to discover is basically a mana-powered signal flare in her hand. "Everyone, spread out across the desert and find the villages! We have to warn them of the incoming bandits and protect them first!"
BGM: The 13th reflection, Kingdom Hearts 2: Final mix music
Right after her orders, Robin fires the flares into the sky in the directions I tell her to. After some quick organizing, we split up in four groups to take care of one direction each.
My group consists of Laurent, Miriel, Kellam (I think), Lucina, Sumia, Cordelia and Chrom. We head for the north flare.
I'm fine traversing the sands on my own, but I notice a few in our group lagging behind.
"You guys okay back there?!" I shout behind me.
"Jack, some of us aren't equipped for desert travel!" Chrom shouts back.
At that moment, Cordelia flies low besides her husband. "Hop on, Chrom!"
Chrom nods and jumps onto the flying mount with practiced ease. I notice something similar happen with Sumia and Lucina, though with somewhat more awkward moves on the princess's part.
Lucina gives the Dark Flier a grateful smile. "Thank you, Lady Sumia."
Sumia returns the smile. "Think nothing of it, Lucina. I'm your godmother after all."
Lucina nods. "And the best one I could ask for at that."
Sumia raises an eyebrow. "How come?"
Lucina's smile turns somber. "After Mother and Father passed away, you stepped in to take care of both me and Severa. Even though we weren't related by blood, you always treated us like your own children – you and sir Frederick both. It's ironic. Severa and I lost our parents, but in that sorrow, we got to discover how much you care for us."
"Of course I care about you two!" Sumia exclaims. "You're the children of my best friend. There will always be room for you in mine and Frederick's home, no matter which timeline you come from."
A tear slips out of Lucina's eye as she hugs her godmother. "Thank you. Thank you so much…Mother…"
Sumia's eyes widen upon hearing that last word. Moments later, her eyes are practically set ablaze with determination as she directs her attention towards our incoming adversaries.
"All right! Come get some!"
Lucina yelps as Sumia kicks her pegasus into high gear and speeds off straight towards the frontline. Sigh. What in the world happened to that woman while I was away? Did Sully rub off on her?
"Sumia, wait!" Cordelia shouts after her best friend as she urges her own pegasus forward.
"Hold on, Cordelia! We won't get any- Whoa!"
Oh, nice reflexes, Chrom. Manages to hold on to Falchion with one hand and hold on to his wife with the other.
"We'd best hurry." Laurent says as he flips open his tome. "Our chances for victory are significantly smaller if we remain separated against such numbers."
I flip Harvest Moon into its scythe form in the blink of an eye. "Don't worry. I can catch up to them easily enough. Just focus on reuniting with us at your own pace." I glance around the area. "Hey, where did Kellam go?"
"He is still close by." Miriel assures me. Her glasses flash as she adjusts them. "How fascinating. It is as though he uses the environment to help him stay undetected. A battleground like this may well be his forte."
"In other words, he's there when we need him." I summarize. I crouch and grin. "Sounds good enough for me. Now, who wants to chase down our runaway comrades?"
"Aptly put." Laurent agrees. Winds begin to swirl around him, carrying some sand and…paper? It looks like it comes from the tome in his hand, yet the number of pages within the cover stays the same. Oh? Now that's an interesting tome. I definitely have some questions for this guy after we're done fighting.
I dash ahead with a burst of Gale Step, allowing me to catch up to the two fliers and their passengers just in time for the clash with the ruffians.
*Clang!*
My first target is a Berserker. He pushes back desperately against my assault, not that it helps. I let up on the pressure to let him push me away. The moment my feet land back in the ground, I zip behind him with another Gale Step.
"Too slow." *Shing!*
Harvest Moon slices deep from the top of his spine all the way down. The Berserker is dead before he even hits the ground. Moments later, I zip to the side and narrowly dodge an Elfire spell.
*Fwoom!*
"Whoa, there. Watch where you point those spells." I chide the Mage who attacked me. The Ruffian spellcaster growls before he charges up another spell in his hand.
I respond by spinning up a Rasengan in my free hand. "Fine, then. Have it your way."
With the rotation complete, I rear back my arm and throw my mana orb right at the Mage at the same time as he launches his spell. Our attacks collide and struggle between each other for a few seconds before my Rasengan tears through the fire magic and barrels right into his chest.
*Boom!*
The explosion sends my adversary flying back and skidding through the sand. Right as he comes to a stop, I'm already above him with Harvest Moon raised over my head.
*Shink!*
He coughs out some blood before he goes still. That's two down.
"You! You'll pay for that!"
I turn to the right and note more ruffians headed my way. I get in a ready stance to meet them, only to find myself beaten to the punch.
"How sloppy."
An Elthunder spell slams into the rightmost ruffian. Moments later, a torrent of fire washes over the other two.
"Glad you could make it." I tell Miriel and Laurent as they finally catch up.
"I would appreciate it if you tried a pace of travel that is easier to synchronize with." Laurent huffs as he approaches me. "Neither of us have the conditioning to keep up with movement at that speed."
The only reason why I didn't get lost in that wording is due to my own language skills. Seriously, Laurent. Not everyone speaks Academic.
Miriel adjusts her glasses with a frown. "I suggest you save such conversations for later. We have more adversaries coming in, and they show no signs of letting us converse in peace."
Another trio of ruffians are headed our way. Laurent steps up with his tome open.
"Laurent? What are you doing?" I ask the Mage.
"One of the many things I discovered during my time in this desert is the efficacy of wind magic in this environment." Wind builds up in his free palm. "Observe. Aerora!"
A small whirlwind launches from Laurent's hand. As it travels over the sand, grains of sand get sucked in from the bottom. The two ruffian Mages manage to dodge it, but their Fighter friend is too slow.
"Augh!"
My word… The sand in the wind spell grinds against his flesh like sand paper. He's being torn apart inside!
The two Mages grow pale in the faces as they see what happened to their comrade.
Miriel adjusts her glasses again, only this time, there's a slight tremble in her hand. "How fascinating. By absorbing ambient sand, the wind spell's power increased."
AN: This is an interesting game mechanic in some games. One such example is in the Megaman: Battle Network series. If Megaman uses a Tornado chip on an enemy standing on a sand tile, the damage is doubled. This also works on other kinds of tiles, depending on which game in the series you play.
"Hey, Laurent. That can be used in bigger spells as well, can't it?" I ask the black-haired Mage.
Laurent nods. "I have yet to find an upper limit on when this phenomenon can be applied."
I grin savagely at the remaining ruffians. "Excellent. Let's test that, shall we?"
"What do you mean?" Laurent asks apprehensively.
"Take a good look, Laurent. Sure, your little sand trick worked great with a medium-level wind spell. But now you're about to witness what happens if a bona-fide wind master tries the same!"
I cross my index and middle fingers diagonally in front of my chest and stretch my arms towards the Mages who dodged Laurent's spell. Winds whip up around my feet.
Emerald gales.
Align thine claws in a single spiral
and grind all that stands in your way to dust.
Howling storm,
shake the mountains to their foundations!
Emera Baram!
A glowing emerald rune circle appears before my hands. A massive, horizontal tornado bursts from the center and races straight towards the ruffians. On the way, sand gets sucked in by the bucket load.
*FWOOSH!*
Any scream that the two ruffians may have let out is drowned out in the howling wind. Not only is that spell lined with tiny blades of compressed air on the inside to tear the target apart, the damage output is further increased by all the sand swirling along with the winds, turning my normally devastating spell into an industrial sized, mana-powered meat grinder.
As the wind dies down, the only things remaining of those two Mages are tatters – both their clothes and their bodies.
Laurent swallows with a cold sweat. "My word… I have never seen wind magic cause that much devastation."
I smile at him. "True, this may only apply when there's sand around, but I think this should demonstrate how far you can go with enough training."
Laurent stiffens upon hearing that. "You mean…you know."
My smile takes a knowing tone. "The first hint should've been Lucina's presence. Also, you're not exactly subtle when addressing others, Laurent. With the pattern we've been through these past few battles, I think more have caught on, not to mention that a few in our ranks recognize you anyway."
Deciding to leave the Mage at that, I turn and run ahead in search for more ruffians to find. As per Laurent's request, I stick to actual running this time, instead of tearing up the ground with Gale Step.
We soon find the remaining ruffians in the north locked in battle with our wayward fliers and their passengers.
Sumia and Cordelia fly around on their pegasi, neither of them capable of making any good attack runs with the two Archers on the ground making it their mission to shoot the ladies out of the sky. Chrom tries to put a stop to that, but he has his hands busy fighting off the two Warriors double teaming him. A little off to the side, I spot Lucina engaging a Mage. Any time she tries to make a dash to help anyone in her family, the Mage blocks her path with a well-timed Arcthunder spell. Judging by her grit teeth, the pressure's getting to her.
*Poof*
"We'd better take out those Archers for Chrom. That should break the deadlock." I tell the clone that I just summoned to my side.
At that moment, one of the Archers scores a direct hit on the right wing on Cordelia's pegasus. The winged horse crashes to the ground.
"Cordelia!"
"Mother!"
Chrom barely has time to take it in before he's forced back on the defensive by his relentless opponents. Lucina, on the other hand, goes still with emotionless eyes.
The Mage takes it as his cue to end the princess and charges up an extra-powerful spell-
*Ching!*
-only for Lucina to parry it without looking. As her eyes regain their focus, the train in on the Mage with fury burning in them. The Eye of the exalt lights up in Lucina's left eye as she stalks towards her target.
"Hey, Boss. I don't think I've ever seen Lucina that pissed before:" my clone comments.
I nod. "No kidding. I'd react the same if anyone in my family got hurt the same way."
"Just look at her go. Her opponent tries pretty much every spell in his book to try to stop her advance, and she just parries everything."
"Huh. Looks like all that training payed off. At this rate, it won't surprise me if she-"
*Shing!* "Aaaugh!"
"Whoa! Yo, did she just walk up – slowly – and slice his ankles off?!" my clone asks shocked.
"Yeah… She did…"
"You know what, Boss? I'm just obsolete at this point. Peace out." *Poof*
Even as the Mage lies on the ground with his feet no longer connected to his legs, Lucina wavedashes across the sand. The Archers don't even see her coming.
"Forget about me?" *Shink!*
The first Archer only has time to look at the blade of Parallel Falchion sticking out of his chest for a second before Lucina pulls out the divine sword and slashes him across the back. The other Archer takes note of her, as well as his fallen comrade. He notches an arrow and prepares to fire, though he forgets one important detail – he took his eyes off of Sumia.
"I'll end this now!" *Ka-Bram!*
The Dark Flier's Arcthunder spell strikes the ruffian right on top of his head and goes straight through his body. The ruffian twitches a few times before he collapses on the ground with smoke leaking from his open mouth.
With the coast clear, Lucina runs to Cordelia.
"Mother!"
Cordelia pushes herself up from the ground. "Oh, ouch. I'm fine, dear. It's a good thing the sand cushioned the fall."
Sumia lands beside the redhead. "Well, that's good. But what about your pegasus?"
Sumia calms the wounded animal down with some affectionate petting while Lucina and Cordelia inspect her wing.
"Hryah!" *Boom!*
We look to the side and see Chrom finish up with his two opponents. The slash marks all over their torsos and the fact that they both got sent flying tells us exactly what Chrom did. He soon joins his wife and oldest daughter.
BGM ends.
"Are you hurt, Cordelia?" he asks concerned.
Cordelia shakes her head. "I'm fine, Chrom, but my pegasus got hit pretty badly. She won't fly for some time. Any strain on her wing now will only aggravate the wound."
"Does that mean you cannot fight, Mother?" Lucina asks.
Cordelia gives her a smirk. "Oh, I'm perfectly capable of fighting on foot, Lucina. I'm just more comfortable doing it while riding my pegasus." She nuzzles her mount with a gentle smile. "As for you, I'll make sure to take good care of your wing until you can fly again."
The pegasus neighs happily.
Laurent frowns as he reaches us. "This has gone on long enough. We must end the battle – now."
Lucina nods. "I agree. Has anyone spotted any nearby village while we were fighting?"
"I think I saw one further west." Sumia replies. "Should we warn them? We did just finish off the rest of those bandits."
Chrom shakes his head. "Better safe than sorry. Who knows if there's more of them just waiting beyond the dunes?"
Laurent directs his gaze northeastwards. "I take it you can accomplish that on your own." He starts walking in that direction.
"Where are you going?" Miriel asks him.
"I will end this brutal attempt of pillaging right this instant by defeating their leader. Rest assured, I am more than capable of doing so on my own."
Miriel frowns. "Absolutely not! I will not have a fellow scholar march into battle against a dangerous adversary without sufficient support. I shall accompany you."
"Count me in." I add as I fall into step with Miriel. "If that guy has more underlings by his side, I'll take care of them for you. Aside from that, I think you may well have a good chance at winning."
Laurent smiles. "My thanks. Well then, shall we?"
"Laurent!" Lucina calls out. The Mage turns to her. "Be careful." the princess tells him.
Laurent nods. "Of course. Until we meet again."
Some walking later, we find who we were looking for.
Warning! Warning! Boss-level enemy detected!
Huh. Looks like Nombry's all on his own now.
"Where's that magic mirage village at?" the bandit leader snarls upon spotting us approach. "Talk, or I'll make you vanish too!"
"Enough!" Laurent shouts back. "I set out to journey this desert in the hope of uncovering the truth of a mystery. You, on the other hand, only seek to pillage and destroy. And for what reason? None other than to satisfy your own selfish desires, even if it means leaving everything in your wake in ruins!"
"Shaddap! I don't care about all this mystery mumbo-jumbo. So long as I'm fed and rich, I don't need anything else!"
Laurent shakes his head. "Pathetic. You are no better than an animal – a beast merely driven by his base instincts to feed and destroy. Man ill needs such barbaric behavior. So long as people like you exist, mankind will never move forward."
"I don't need yer preachin', wimp!" Nombry shouts as he brandishes his axe. "If you won't get outta my way, I'll tear you down like the rest and get on my merry way in search for treasure. Blame whatever fool of a ma who didn't raise ya any better than to back off when someone stronger stands in front o' ya."
Laurent goes still. His entire body trembles. "Take that back…" he whispers.
"Nuh? Whazzat?"
Laurent glares at the Warrior with blazing hot fury. "I said; Take that back! You have no right to insult my mother! No one does!"
Nombry sneers at the Mage. "And what're ya gonna do about it, eh?"
Laurent's fury goes from blazing hot to bone chilling at the drop of a hat. "I will show you the dangers of mocking a spellcaster."
Laurent's tome leaves his hand and floats in front of him. With a swipe of his hand, the tome flips open and the pages riffle in a seemingly endless sequence. "Struggle all you want. By the time I'm through with you, no one will ever be able to reassemble your remains."
BGM: Flying Light, Naruto Shippuden: Movie 3 OST
Laurent lifts up his hand, then swipes it down. "Thundara!"
*Brz! Bram!*
Nombry yelps and leaps to the side, dodging the lightning spell by a hair. The Warrior charges at Laurent right after he regains his footing and swings down his axe at the Mage. Laurent jumps backwards and summons three red glowing orbs around him before he sends them at Nombry with a swipe of his hand. "Fira!"
Nombry dodges left, then right, and then cleaves the third fire orb in half with his axe. Seeing as he can't reach Laurent on foot, he switches to a Silver Bow and has an arrow notched within seconds.
Laurent bends to the right and dodges the arrow. Right as he gets ready for another spell, however, his eyes widen as he spots another arrow flying at him. He quickly bends backwards. The arrow pierces the brim of his hat, but the Mage himself is unharmed. By the time he's back upright, Nombry has already cleared the distance between them and has his axe out. Only one pace until striking distance.
Laurent aims his hand down. "Aero!" *Fwoom!*
The sudden wind spell kicks up enough sand to obscure Nombry's line of sight, while launching Laurent a bit backwards and out the range of the axe. Laurent lands lightly on his feet and sends another Fira spell at his opponent.
Nombry gets blindsided by the fire spell due to the momentary sand wall. He grunts as the spell makes contact, but shrugs it off and gets ready for another round with Laurent. Curiously enough, notes are stuck on where Laurent's spell hit his body.
Nombry switches out to his bow again and fires arrow after arrow at Laurent. However, this time Laurent uses wind magic to propel himself across the sand to move faster. All the while, he launches small but quick spells that tag Nombry at a fast rate. The spells only do minor damage, but every single one of them leaves a note stuck on the Warrior's body.
Nombry growls as his opponent proves to be hard to hit. A flash of inspiration hits him then. He pulls out his axe with a grin and throws it right where Laurent is about to move. The Mage stops startled as the Silver Axe crashes into the ground a split-second before he would reach that spot. That moment is all Nombry needs to hit him in the leg with an arrow. Laurent goes down on a knee from the shot. With his mobility hampered and focus broken by pain, Nombry clears the distance once more, rips out his axe, and swings down on Laurent.
To everyone's surprise, Laurent's shocked form turns into tome pages. The paper bursts in a small storm that swirls around Nombry.
"Hey! What's goin' on?!" Nombry shouts as he swings around wildly in an attempt to make it stop. However, no matter how much the Warrior swings, the paper storm doesn't let up, and the pages stick to his body instead.
"You fell right into my trap." Laurent's voice echoes out as he seemingly shimmers back into existence behind Nombry. "You have lost."
"Like h-ll I have!" Nombry shouts as he turns around and charges Laurent again. "Your tricks won't stop me!"
"I grow weary of you!" Laurent declares and brings his floating tome before him again. The pages release a bright light at Nombry.
The Warrior stops in his track as his body gets completely covered in paper. "W-what? No! Aaah!"
Tome pages obscure his entire form. By the time they disperse, a human-sized open book has taken Nombry's place. The book slams shut, showing Nombry's terrified face on the front cover.
"A logical result." Laurent declares as he snaps his own tome shut. That sets Nombry's entire book form ablaze. The bandit leader's cry echoes as the book gets burned to ashes that are scattered among the sands by the desert wind. By the time the winds grow silent, so does Nombry's cry – forever.
Nombry has been killed!
Laurent has leveled up!
BGM ends
Laurent releases a sigh and straightens out a few creases in his robe.
"How perplexing." Miriel comments as she approaches the Mage. "We clearly saw you get hit in that battle, and yet you show no signs of any injury."
Laurent smiles at her. "That's because he never hit me at all. What you thought was me getting hit was merely a copy of me made of paper infused with magic. As for how I switched places with it – let's just say I know a few spells to get under other people's noses."
Miriel adjusts her glasses. "I see. That reminds me of my husband, Kellam. Even though I have grown so used to his presence to the point that I can sense him nearby on an instinctual level, I now find it challenging to spot him in this environment."
"Miriel." Chroms calls as he approaches.
"Captain?"
"The battle is won, and the sun is fading. Let's go back and notify the others."
As we get ready to resume our journey through the desert, Chrom's disappointment is palpable. "It seems the mirage remains just that… Best we returned our focus to the real world. Let's press on."
"Captain?" a voice whispers among our ranks.
Cordelia places a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Well, we at least got to explore the area a bit. That should count for something, right?"
"Captain Chrom?" the voice speaks out a bit louder.
Chrom shakes his head. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, Cordelia, but… I don't know. A part of me wishes those rumors were true."
"A desire to experience some measure of juvenile achievement, I assume." Miriel comments.
Chrom chuckles. "Yeah, probably something like that."
"Captain Chrom!" Kellam shouts out, thus catching us all off-guard. Oh, that was his voice?
BGM: To know the unknown, Innosense
"Gah! Kellam?! When did you get here?!" Chrom asks shocked.
"A few minutes ago." the Thief replies. "You guys were in such a hurry to leave that you didn't even wait for me." He looks pretty upset. Not that I blame him.
Chrom looks sheepish. "Oh, uh… Sorry about that. It's just- No one had any idea where you ran off to, and fighting all those bandits kept us busy. Speaking of which, where were you during that battle?"
"Good news, Captain Chrom." Kellam answers smiling. "I found the mirage village." As proof, Kellam pulls out a beautifully decorated staff with the golden figure of a goddess hugging the crystal on top.
Chrom looks at him wide-eyed. "Is that the rumored Goddess Staff? But how? None of the towns around the oasis had any good clues regarding it."
Kellam shrugs. "Well, I did some sneaking around north of the oasis, and noticed some signs that pointed towards a nearby town. After looking for a while, I found it, hidden in plain sight." His smile turns the teensiest smug. "I can relate."
Chrom looks at the staff in awe as Kellam places it in his hands. "Just what kind of place was that mirage village, in the end? Something beyond our ken, I suppose… Maybe a small proof of faith, even in the intangible, can still be rewarded? Like faith in a better future, perhaps." A smile grows on the prince's face. "…Heh. That's treasure enough for me."
While Chrom places the legendary staff in the convoy, I notice Laurent approach Miriel.
"Might I have a word?" the Mage asks her.
Miriel adjusts her glasses. "I don't see why not."
Laurent swallows nervously. "Tell me honestly; how would you assess my performance?"
Miriel closes her eyes in contemplation. Three seconds later, they open back up. "You have certain natural deficiencies, but you compensate for them well. I surmise this is the product of considerable time and effort."
A smile grows on Laurent's lips. "Hah! The best response yet! You're as perspicacious as you are blunt, Mother."
Miriel blinks once. "Mother?"
Laurent nods. "Indeed. I am your future progeny."
The Sage frowns as she adjusts her glasses. "Do you have concrete evidence to substantiate this proposition?"
Laurent rummages around in his robes before he pulls out a small satchel. The satchel, in turn, contains a small, golden ring. "I have a ring which is the same as yours. Quite literally."
Miriel takes the ring and inspects it from every angle. Then she holds it close to her own "…Fascinating. It does appear identical."
"Do two instances of a unique object coexisting constitute sufficient proof?" Laurent asks.
"To be sure, time travel is one viable hypothesis to explain the rings." Miriel replies while examining the rings with a neutral expression. "But the possibility also exists that you pilfered the ring from said time traveler." Miriel ends her examination and looks Laurent right in the eyes. "As a means of identification, I fear it inconclusive."
Laurent gives a resigned sigh. "…An astute criticism. I'm uncertain that any truly conclusive case can be mounted to prove my claim." But just as fast as his resigned expression came, it's equally quickly replaced by determination. "But I intend to spend the rest of my life investigating the matter, if necessary. A single-minded pursuit of the truth may be the best proof of my heredity."
Miriel nods. "This is a reasonable assumption. But I'm afraid a unilateral investigation is hardly credible."
Laurent frowns. "Then how should-"
"However, I have no material evidence to suggest you are not, as you claim, my son." Miriel interrupts. "I shall conduct an inquiry on my own. We'll investigate the matter until a clear conclusion emerges – together." A small, yet affectionate smile blooms on the Sage's lips. "Until then, I will grant the fundamental assumption that you are, in fact, my child."
Laurent replies with a smile of his own – a notably wider one. "Thank you, Mother."
BGM ends
Quest alert
Side quest: Shadow in the sands
Regardless of the existence of the rumored mirage village, the bandits roaming the desert were real enough to pose a threat to anyone traveling them. Your actions today have made the oasis a safer place to travel, be it for merchants, travelers or adventurers. That, in and of its own, could be considered a reward in the form of a good deed done.
Objective: Defeat all bandits.
Objective cleared!
Rewards: You gain 10 000 EXP! You gain 10 000 gold!
Bonus objective: Find the mirage village and obtain the Goddess Staff.
Bonus objective cleared!
Bonus rewards: You gain 10 000 EXP! You gain 10 000 gold!
To be continued
Laurent's character sheet
Laurent Lvl 35 Class: Mage (+ 5 % max MP and INT)
Miriel's son from the future. His inquisitive mind and insatiable thirst for knowledge has made him a respectable scholar, despite his young age – by academic standards. While many chalk it up to natural talent, these abilities are actually born out of a desire to walk in his mother's footsteps. Under Jack's tutelage, his abilities as a spellcaster have been further augmented with a skillset similar to that of Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer. The fiercest debater for sea-salt.
Born on April 25th.
Titles: Cloaked Schemer (+ 5% INT and WIS)
HP: 4 500 / 4 500
MP: 3 3 08 / 3 308 (3 150* 1.05)
STR: 14
VIT: 20
DEX: 13
INT: 78.5 (63 * 1.05 * 1.05 * 1.13)
WIS: 40 (38* 1.05)
CHAR: 13
LUCK: 13
ITEMS:
Book of Retribution (equipped)
Concoction
Skills:
Tome mastery, Lvl 42 [61.0 %], Passive
While using tomes as mediums to channel mana for spells has been practiced for generations, very few have ever attempted to weaponize the arcane literature itself – for obvious reasons. Paper is nowhere near as durable as bronze or steel, nor were books originally intended to be used to clobber someone. However, a slight tweak in the way mana is channeled through the tome can turn the thick bundle of pages into an instrument of battle in its own right, so long as the wielder knows what they are doing. While unconventional, this also means there are few counters to this way of fighting – if any.
Passively increases INT by 13 %. Increases attack speed and attack power by 215 % when attacking with a tome. Damage is determined by the wielder's INT stat.
Fire mastery, Lvl 30 [12 %], Passive
Fire is the element of power. With great power comes great responsibility, and never is this more apparent than when one wields the element that embodies heat. If carefully contained, fire provides warmth and light when the night grows cold and dark. However, if left unsupervised, even the smallest flame can raze an entire city to the ground with no hope of stopping it.
Increases damage dealt with fire element magic by 150 %. The cost of all fire-related skills is reduced by 11 %.
Mastered spells:
Fire
Fira
Firaga
Meteor
Wind mastery, Lvl 23 [23.6 %], Passive
Air bending, wind-style jutsus, aeromancy, call it whatever the heck you want. Air is the element of freedom. It surrounds all living beings (above sea level) and travels where nothing else reaches. Many take it for granted because of its constant presence, never realizing the implications. Those who master the element of wind become legends in their own right, performing feats with just skill and the very air they breathe. A wind master is never out of their element, making them dangerous to fight just about anywhere.
Increases damage dealt with wind-element magic by 115 %. The cost of all wind-element skills is reduced by 9 %.
Mastered spells:
Aero
Aera
Aeroga
Lightning mastery, Lvl 20 [56 %], Passive
The power of lightning has been an object of awe and fear in the eyes of humanity for millennia. The physics behind small static discharges are the very same that govern the nigh unstoppable and unpredictable thunderbolts that tear the very sky asunder. Harnessing the power of this ethereal element has therefore been a dream only the boldest of humans could even dream of; a dream come true only after generations of research, pioneering and literally putting one's life on the line. Those who succeed in taming this blindingly fast and destructive element can pierce through virtually any defense – provided they can maintain control. Remember: the same power that can strike your enemies without mercy can strike back at you in the same way.
Increases damage dealt with lightning-element magic by 100 %. The cost of all wind-element skills is reduced by 9 %.
Mastered spells:
Thunder
Thundara
Thundaga
Illusion mastery, Lvl 15, [26 %], Passive
The art of fooling the senses is a tricky and rarely practiced craft, mainly due to the extremely delicate channeling of mana required to even pull it off, combined with the psychological knowhow needed to make such deceit believable. However, every seasoned warrior knows that gaining the psychological advantage in battle can shift the favor irrevocably to one side. How well you manage to pull it off depends on how easily you can get in your opponent's head.
The higher the level of this skill, the higher the chance of tricking your opponent with an illusory spell.
Bookmark, Lvl MAX, Passive
They say that a good read leaves a lasting impression. In this case, this is taken quite literally. While most attacks would leave wounds, yours leave behind a trace of mana in the shape of enchanted paper. These mana-charged pages stick to their target like glue. While they seem annoying at first, they are, in truth, a terrifying warning sign.
Puts a Paper tag on a character every time they are hit by an attack from a holder of the "Tome mastery" skill. The magic damage dealt to anyone who has Paper tags stuck on them increases by 1 % for every tag.
Prison Book, Lvl 10 [12 %], Active, Cost: 285 MP
Those who claim that books are harmless know not the terror of an enraged master magician. Your skill with your precious tome has reached such a height that it can manipulate the very fabric of reality, given the right circumstances. Those shrouded in arcane paper will soon find themselves bundled up in a neat row and encased in a hard cover, turning them into the very object they had the audacity to mock. From that point on, their fate rests solely in the hands of the caster. This punishment should only be meted out on the worst offenders against literature, lest the caster be known as a demon in human form.
Transforms a character into a book. A character in book form has all defenses negated and is rendered completely immobile. This skill can only be activated if the number of Paper tags on the target at least matches their level. Duration: (Number of Paper tags * 1.01) seconds.
Preview of the next chapter:
*Camera shows a decrepit fortress*
Noire: Oh, dear… Did I get lost again?
Slaver: Careful there, miss. Little lambs walking on their own make for easy prey when the wolves draw near.
Noire: Stray wolves? Y-you mean…like you?
Slaver: That's right, sweet cheeks. You're coming with us, be it the easy way or the hard way!
Jack: Hey! No illegal kidnapping allowed!
Slaver: And who's gonna stop us? You lot? I don't have time for your meddling, so just be on your way while we take care of this lass-
*Noire launches an arrow that lands among some slavers and explodes upon impact*
Noire: BLOOD AND THUNDER! Just try and take me if you can, you curs!
Slaver and Jack: What the h-ll?!
Next time on Gamer Emblem Awakening:
Damsel in distress – or not? I am the bone of my split personality.
Tharja: Hmm… I think I like her.
Omake: Desert duality
The desert is known to be a treacherous area to travel. By daytime, the blistering sun can dry out even the strongest of men and reduce them to husks. At night, however, the temperature plummets so far that water can almost freeze unless proper care is taken.
Thus, the situation in the Shepherds' camp on the night after Laurent joined.
Severa sits in front of a camp fire and rubs her arms while her teeth chatter. Her breath comes out in white puffs.
"Brrr! What is WRONG with this stupid desert?! My clothes were drenched in sweat while the sun was up, and now I'm freezing!"
Laurent adjusts his glasses. "This is common for deserts like these. Hot during the day, cold during the night."
Yarne huffs as he sits down beside Severa. "Man, now I understand why your mother said that desert animals have fur. I never thought my fur coat would come in handy like this."
Severa looks at the half-taguel with a glimmer in her eyes. "Don't mind if I do!"
"Wha- Hey! Let go off me!"
"Give me some of that warmth, you cheapskate!"
"My fur doesn't work like that, Severa!"
On the other side, Jack sighs at his two students tumbling around in the sand.
"Looks like those two need more disciplinary lessons."
Laurent raises an eyebrow. "I'm impressed, Master Jack. I have spent a lot of time in this desert, yet even I have some difficulty handling the cold at night. You, on the other hand, seem perfectly fine."
Jack shrugs. "You could consult you mother on that topic. If she asks, just tell her that is has something to do with an air bubble. She should be able to explain from there."
Robin happily hugs the Outrealmer's side. "And this only makes it better to have you around. Think you can hold this air bubble up for the night, Jack?"
Jack scratches his chin. "Well, a Shadow clone could always do that…"
Lissa quickly sits down on the other side of him. "Hey, Jack? Have I ever told you how handsome you look lately?"
Jack gives the blonde princess a smirk. "Nice try, Lissa. This space is for me and Robin only."
Lissa pouts. "Fine! Be that way! Is it really too much for a girl to ask for some warmth?"
Flames erupt from where Severa and Yarne have their tussle.
"Ah! Severa, stop the flames! You're gonna singe off all my fur!"
"That's what you get for not sharing with a cute girl asking nicely, Yarne!"
"Help! She's gone crazy!"
"Get back here!"
New skills:
Emera Baram Lvl 21 [47.3 %], Active, Cost: 225 MP
A wind-element spell originating from the kingdom of Fiore. Large amounts of air is concentrated in a rune circle in front of the caster and funneled into a fierce vortex. The inside of the vortex is lined with sharp blades made of compressed air, shredding the target while they get blown away by the violent winds. With enough practice, the vortex can be made slimmer to concentrate the spell's power, which is beneficial in narrow areas where collateral damage should be avoided, like towns.
Base damage: 2 420 % of the caster's INT.
Element: Wind.
Jack's encyclopedic corner:
Book of Retribution, Tome, Unique
A thick, mysterious book originally owned by Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer and ranked number VI in the elusive Organization XIII. While the thickness of this tome would suggest it to be a lexicon, the true contents within the pages are known only to the wielder. Even stranger is that this tome grants its wielder the ability to use the pages within the cover as projectiles, yet the number of pages always stays the same, no matter how often this happens. Strange properties aside, the enchantments placed on this book makes it an excellent medium for channeling mana and casting spells, no matter which branch of magic the wielder has chosen to pursue.
Increases damage dealt from magic of any element, even non-elemental, by 6 %.
Goddess Staff, Staff, Legendary
An artifact said to have been blessed by a benevolent goddess upon completion. The crystal fitted on the tip is made of a rare mineral with the unique ability to resonate with the wielder's intentions. In the hands of a kind healer, this staff can amplify healing magic to the point that it can heal virtually any wound within the healer's reach, making it seem like a miracle given by the very same deity who was said to have blessed this staff.
Healing magic cast while wielding this staff restores all HP to any ally within range. Range: (Wiedler's WIS stat / 4) meters.
Note: If this staff is used to cast healing magic, it automatically enters a state of cooldown where it cannot be used. The cooldown lasts for 12 hours.
Warrior, Class
Veteran axe wielders who possess immense strength and sufficient skill to wield it effectively. Warriors generally prefer light armor for better mobility, but always make it a point to protect their heads and arms with armor made of bronze or iron. This, in combination with their bulky frames, tends to make them quite slow in battle despite their otherwise light choice in protection. To compensate, these muscular combatants rely on their natural resilience and overwhelming strength to overpower their enemies. This is not to say that Warriors fight with a one-track mind. Not only are they skilled at wielding the axe, they are accomplished marksmen as well, capable of wielding bows with immense draw weight to deal death from a distance just as easily as up-close and personal.
Passively increases maximum HP and STR by 5 %. Attack power and attack speed increases by 10 % when attacking with an axe or a blunt weapon. Accuracy and attack speed increases by 10 % when attacking with a bow. Movement speed is reduced by 8 %. Damage taken from magic of any element increases by 7 %.
Oasis bun, Consumable, Uncommon
A pastry normally only baked in desert villages where merchants frequent often. A mix of honey, pistachio, sesame and cinnamon is placed in a shell of puff pastry and baked in an oven under close watch. Baked correctly, and the flaky, tender outside provides an alluring contrast to the sweet filling on the inside. Best enjoyed when served with slightly bitter tea.
Restores 60 HP.
The take-away from this chapter is; Never piss a geek off. An angry Laurent is a dangerous Laurent.
Yes, I know Zexion's original name is "Ienzo". I don't care.
Attentive Awakening players will quickly notice that the place where the Shepherds ran into Laurent doesn't match the place on the world map where his chapter takes place in-game. Long story short, I just couldn't think of any reasonable excuse for everyone to travel to such an out-of-the-way location, so I just moved the whole place somewhere else that would be in line with the traveling route. As a result, the location for Laurent's chapter in this fic will be the biggest geographical deviation from canon.
Some of you may also be of the opinion that Laurent is too powerful by the standards of his fellow 2nd-gen Shepherds. There's a simple explanation for that; he arrived in the present timeline 5 years ahead of the others, as he himself explains in his B-support with his father. Thus, that gives him 5 extra years to hone his skills. It's also for this very reason that I put him on a higher starting level.
That will be all. Until next time.
VipeR out.
