It rained on her fourth birthday. A storm unlike any Ylisse had seen in decades.

No one showed up to her party because of it. Not even her parents could go out into the rain to buy her presents. Her mother had even promised to buy her the prettiest pink dress that she had wanted for weeks.

None of that would happen now. Her party was ruined, all because of some stupid rain.

And then, who else would appear at the door but Gregor, holding the very same pink dress her mother had promised her.

Lucina had later asked why he had done that, what had inspired him to walk through the flooded streets for something as stupid as a pink dress.

"Is not every day girl turns four," he replied. "Lucina should not have nothing! She should have something to remember day by!"

Lucina did get presents from the rest of her friends after that, but that dress remained in her closet years after everything fell apart.

Gregor would come through for her. Always.


"Hey! Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Lucina's eyes snapped open to the sight of a cloudy blue sky. In the distance, she heard the faint sound of thunder.

Ironic, considering what she had just been dreaming about.

Groaning, Lucina pushed herself up into a sitting position and rubbed the back of her head, sore from leaning against a pile of hard-cover tomes while she slept.

How long has it been since I've had a proper birthday celebration? Two years? Three?

Lucina could clearly recall the last time her friends had gathered together to buy a cake for her. When that had happened, however... that was a little harder to place.

She still missed those little celebrations, pointless as they were. She missed how, even among the darkness, such small celebrations lifted their spirits and reminded her and her friends that, no matter what happened, they would always have each other. Those memories had always kept her hope burning bright in the face of the end.

Now, it only served as a painful reminder that she was all alone out here.

Shaking away her thoughts, Lucina finally glanced around to take in her surroundings. To her left, the forest still towered over her. To the right, was a giant wooden wall next to the dirt road they'd arrived on. Sometime when she had been asleep, they had reached the next town.

"Glad to see you're finally awake!" Anna said as Lucina hopped out of the wagon.

Glancing over to her right, Lucina noted with surprise to see her children fumbling around in the grass, nailing wooden stakes into the ground and dragging around merchandise tables. Outside of the town's walls was by far one of the more unconventional places to set up shop, but then again, Lucina remembered Anna had a tendency to set up shop in the strangest places.

Lucina sighed. "I guess waiting for the town to let you inside would have been too much to ask?"

"Yep!" Anna stretched her arms over her head with a satisfied grunt. "After days on the road, you just gotta get up and move a little, you know? Now, why don't you help set up shop? I'll head inside and see if I can nab us some food."

Anna nodded her head to a set of tent poles still on the wagon, and before Lucina could protest she turned heel and disappeared through the town's open gate. Lucina watched her go with a frown. What sort of parent would leave their child out in the wilderness alone?

Then again, she supposed that was what she was here for; to make sure nothing happened to Anna's daughters. Orders were orders, after all, and so Lucina turned back and gathered a set of tent poles that were still in the wagon up into her arms.

"Let Gregor take poles," said a voice behind her.

Lucina jumped and cast a look over her shoulder. Standing behind her, Gregor loomed over with a disapproving frown.

Normally, Lucina would have insisted that she could handle things, but... she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't going to let her say no. Gregor was stubborn. He always was.

"By all means," she said, and she stepped aside.

Gregor grabbed the tent poles and slung them over his shoulder, making his way over to where Anna's daughters had abandoned the wooden stakes half-buried into the ground. One of the poles slid out of his grasp and fell to the ground. He did not stop to pick it up.

Lucina moved over to pick it up for him. A foot came down in front of her to stop her.

"Leave," he said, firmly. Harshly. "Gregor will take care of everything."

Lucina's eyes narrowed. She did not protest it. She did not appreciate being sidelined, either, but it looked like Gregor was not giving up any time soon. She would have to look for something else to do.

A quick look around, and Lucina found her answer. Anna's daughters ran around the wooded area, laughing and playing. Lucina had never had children of her own, but she imagined Anna would be none too pleased having to round them up herself.

"Hey! Anna!" she called, raising a hand.

The Annas didn't listen, continuing their game. Lucina let out a frustrated groan, and she made her way over.

The road beside them was getting a little busier now. Travelers and farmers from the local area who were arriving for the town's market day. It would be much safer if she gathered them off the road before someone could take advantage of them.

"Anna!" she said again. This time, they stopped to listen. Lucina sighed. "Come on, children. Let's head back."

Boot Anna, who was hanging upside down on a tree branch, groaned. "Aw, but we don't want to. Momma's gonna make us work the stand when she gets back."

"Well, your mother might be even more upset if she finds you out here. She might make you work even harder. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

The Annas groaned again, but they could not deny that she was probably right. Lucina had known Anna for sixteen years. The oldest of her daughters had to be no older than ten. Lucina knew her bag of tricks more than her own daughter probably did. Slowly, Lucina herded them back, pushing them away from the road despite their whining.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucina saw Gregor set down a tent pole and move toward her. She tried to pay him no mind.

"Come, children. We must not keep her waiting," Lucina said.

Or maybe they did. Children could be stupid like that, she thought to herself. Really, it's me who doesn't want to keep Anna waiting. If I make myself useless, I may lose my job.

"Hey there, beautiful," said a voice over her shoulder.

Lucina glanced back at the road, and at the travelers heading into town. She shook her head. Someone must be traveling here with their lover. It was no concern of hers.

What is taking Anna so long, anyway? She said she went into town to get food. I don't remember Anna being particularly picky, so it shouldn't take her this long to find something to eat, should it?

Lucina frowned, stopping in her tracks as she watched the Annas hop back onto the wagon. Had something happened to Anna? Did she need to go into town to find her?

"Hey, Gregor," she said, "Do you think something happened to Anna?"

"Are you ignoring me? Listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

The voice was closer now. Perhaps it was delusional of her to think but... maybe they really were talking to her? Though, this sounded a little too close for that.

Lucina turned around to see a hand coming for her face. It was slow compared to any Risen she'd fought. Without so much as raising an eyebrow, Lucina stepped aside.

Gregor rushed in where she'd been moments ago and caught the hand of a burly, red-haired man who had been approaching her.

"Lady is not interested," he said gruffly. "Leave lady alone."

The man growled, and he yanked his hand away. "Fine. I wasn't interested anyway. Damn Feroxians."

Lucina watched as Gregor returned to the tent with narrowed eyes. What surprised Lucina most wasn't that someone had tried to attack her at all–she'd been ambushed by Risen way too many times to be caught off guard by that–but that Gregor had still tried to save her, even after how hostile he had been to her all this time.

Perhaps there was still hope for him yet.


"I'll sell it to you for ninety six gold, no, make that ninte five gold!"

"That's a little out of my range. Do you think you could sell it for a little lower? Perhaps seventy gold?"

"Seventy gold? Oh, no no no, that's much too cheap. You know how much good hardback tomes'll cost you out in Plegia? Ninety gold."

"I'm not quite sure these are worth ninety gold."

"Yeah, but no other shop in town will sell this sort of stuff. I can't wait forever. Come on, do you want it or not? Make it snappy, chop chop."

"Could you lower the price to eighty gold, then?"

"Eighty five. That's as low as I'll go, take it or leave it."

Stood by the tent's entrance, Lucina frowned as she watched the old man fish out a handful of coins from his purse, counting them one by one. The old man sighed, looking none too happy as he dropped the gold into Anna's waiting hands. Lucina felt she could relate.

Anna's whole business of fleecing her customers for as much as she could get had always felt dirty to Lucina, but seeing it happen in front of her made it feel even worse. This was little better than a flat-out robbery.

Anna's business was dishonest, just as dishonest as the woman herself. A merchant at heart, her promises could be swayed by the wind passing through, and her words were worth little more than the gold she loved so much.

But what did she know about business? As far as she knew, perhaps this was just normal, and there was no better way to do it. That's what her Anna had always told her, and Lucina had never had enough knowledge on her trade to come up with a convincing response.

Sighing, Lucina looked away, hoping for a distraction before she was tempted to step in to intervene.

This is why I always made sure to keep my tent on the other side of camp to hers, she thought bitterly.

To her left, she noticed a freckled boy, nose buried in a book. The sight brought a smile to her face. Stories had always been a favorite escape of many of her soldiers, something to distract them while their lives were being uprooted around them. She had even indulged a few times herself, and could recall becoming so invested, she missed an important meeting or two.

Lucina knew the allure of a good book too well, which was why, when she spotted a pair of Anna's daughters creep up behind the boy, she was hardly surprised that he didn't notice them.

"Whatcha doing?" Boot Anna said, leaning over his shoulder.

The boy yelped and jumped away, his face burning a bright shade of red. "N-nothing! I'm just reading."

"Reading, huh?" Scarf Anna said, suddenly appearing behind him to snatch the book out of his hands. "Is it a good book?"

"Yes, it's a very good book. Could you please give it back?"

Boot Anna hummed. "I don't know. Isn't this our book?"

"Yeah!" Scarf Anna replied. "And don't you know it's rude to steal?"

"I'm not stealing!" the boy protested. "I'm just looking."

"Then go to a library! They have a billion books for you to look at." Scarf Anna huffed. "If you're not going to buy it, then go home!"

As the boy walked away, dejected, Lucina scowled. With how innocent they looked and acted, it was easy to forget that they were Anna's daughters. Though they may be different sizes, they were all the same rotten woman beneath, and nothing could change that.

Shaking the thought from her head, Lucina glanced over to her right at the other side of the entrance. Gregor had been stationed there, guarding it with her, and as Lucina peered at him, she caught a glimpse over his shoulder at the journal he was writing. At the top, it read "March 30th". Three weeks before her birthday. Fancy that.

Though she was too far to make out what he was writing, Lucina decided it would be as good a place to start a conversation as any.

"What are you writing there?" she asked.

Gregor's journal snapped shut, and he glanced over at her with narrowed green eyes. "Why does Marth care?"

Lucina shrugged. "I was curious. That is all. If we are to be working together, we might as well get to know each other."

"Gregor's business is his business," Gregor huffed, and he stuffed the journal in his pocket.

"It's private business, I take it?"

"Marth takes correctly."

"Then..." Humming, Lucina glanced up at the road in front of them. What else could she bring up? Something Anna's daughter had asked a few nights ago popped into her head.

"Why did you become a mercenary? Is that something I may ask?"

"Marth can ask, yes."

Lucina waited. When it became clear Gregor would not respond, she frowned. "And?"

"Gregor did not say he would answer."

"Well, I would still like to know. You don't seem the type for mercenary work."

Gregor shot Lucina a suspicious look. "What is Marth saying? Does she think Gregor is too weak?"

"No, not at all!" Lucina said, raising her hands defensively. "You are more than strong enough to be a mercenary. You just... seem too kind for this line of work."

Gregor looked taken aback, not expecting that response at all. "Ah. Well... Marth go first! It is polite to let lady go first, no?"

Lucina frowned, but chose not to comment. It was fortunate for her that she had already had a lie prepared, and without missing a beat, she replied, "I became a mercenary to seek medicine for my ailing father."

"And where will she find medicine?"

"Rosanne, of course." Lucina smiled in a way that could have been mistaken for wistfulness, but in truth, it was a little laugh that she managed to stifle before it came out. "Speaking of destinations, where are you headed? Surely you did not join us for the sake of it?"

Gregor laughed. It was a loud sound, just like she remembered it, but–was that a hint of nervousness to it?

She shook her head. She must have imagined it.

"Gregor's destination? It is wherever road will take him!"

Lucina chuckled. "Quite a statement. It's like something out of a story book."

"Story book, yes!" Suddenly, Gregor's face brightened. He reached over to one of the shelves, and picked up a book; the same book she had seen the freckled boy reading minutes ago. "The Adventures of Ferdinand and Hubert", the title read.

"Is Feroxian tale, yes? Gregor's favorite when he was growing up." A smile spread on his face as he wiped a hand over the leather cover. "He read it all the time. Book, it inspired Gregor. We always dreamed to go see world. That is why he became sell sword."

Seeing him smile, Lucina couldn't help one of her own from breaking out. And it made sense, didn't it? The Gregor she knew, he had been all over the world. He had to have started from somewhere, and if he was inspired by a childhood story, who was she to judge?

"You know," she said, pulling his attention from the book, "I've seen much of the world myself. I would be more than happy to help you on your travels."

"Is Marth speaking truthfully?" He blinked, surprised, before his smile returned to his face. "Gregor still has much to see. He would welcome Marth's help."

Before Lucina could reply, Anna's voice cut into their conversation. "Alright, folks! Let's pack it on up! We've been here long enough, now let's skedaddle before the local merchant's guild catches wind of us here and tries to chase us out for sticking around, like they always do."

As the customers began to file out of the tent, one of Anna's daughters turned to her. "Momma! Can we go into town to buy candy?"

"Only if one of you stays behind to count the gold," she said, already walking over to pick up a bundle of axes left on the table.

Quickly, Anna's four daughters exchanged glances.

"I don't want to stay behind!" Boot Anna said. "If I don't go, you always pick caramel. I hate caramel."

Scarf Anna crossed her arms. "Well, I don't want to stay either. Counting money is boring. Besides, Anna always takes more candy for herself."

"No I don't!" Anna's oldest daughter whined.

"Yes, you do!" Boot Anna said. "I counted, and–Anna! Where are you going!"

Bear Anna, who had been making her way to the entrance, stopped and shot the rest of her sisters a glare. "I want to go. I never get to go."

Before the arguing could escalate further, Lucina heard the weapons clatter as Anna dropped them onto the wagon. "You know what, girls?" she said. "We've had such a successful morning. How, about just for today, I'll stay back and count the gold? You can go if you take someone else with you."

Immediately, all four girls turned to stare at her. Scarf Anna scurried up to her, and before Lucina could protest, she grabbed her hand and started dragging her toward the entrance flap.

"Let's go before they run out of caramels!" she said, giving Lucina no room to argue as the rest of Anna's daughters cheered and fell in line around her.

Lucina didn't think she would have been able to reject them. Anna would be upset with her if she did, and, if only for the sake of this job, she decided it would be best to remain on her good side. Besides, she'd made progress with Gregor.

That was the first time Gregor had smiled at her. This trip to the past had been full of losses, so this small victory was more than enough to leave her satisfied.

Still, as the Annas led her outside, she cast one last glance at Gregor. His words replayed in her mind.

"We always dreamed to go see world."

She hadn't missed that, and she certainly hadn't imagined it. The question that remained in her mind was: what had that been about?

Gregor was never the best speaker. Perhaps that wasn't what he had meant at all, she thought.

Somehow, Lucina doubted it was that simple.


Vincent had not been having a good week. Not only had he failed to capture a slave for his brother and him to sell off, but he'd been humiliated by some random girl too. It was as if the world was out to take him down.

This, however, was a welcome change of pace.

A sneer crept up Vincent's face. He leaned over the pair of merchants trembling on the floor, and when they shrunk away in fear, he let the satisfied feeling that washed over him take control.

This was how things were supposed to be. The world cowering from him, afraid of him as he took whatever he wanted from them. And really, what could they do to stop him? He was stronger than them. He'd earned the right to take everything from them.

"Well, well, what have we here?" he said. "Two little men, crossing the forest all alone." With his boot, he nudged away the limp hand of one of their bodyguards, grinning as another bandit moved to drag the corpse and toss it into the growing pile of bodies at the side of the road. "Well, you're alone now."

They had happened upon this little party only a few minutes ago. Merchants could brag about how they were as rich as any noble, but Vincent knew that unlike nobles, merchants hated to spend. They bought cheap rooms, they bought cheap food, and they bought cheap protection. Vincent thought that was quite stupid, and after only a minute of struggle, Vincent could guess that these merchants thought that was stupid too.

Really, their bodyguards had only survived for a minute. A pity. Vincent would have been more satisfied to kill them had they put up a much better fight.

"I've always hated you lot," he spat in their faces. And what could they do but tremble and listen? "You merchants, you lazy lot. You've never spent a day in your life out in the fields, or in the harsh sun, and yet you bathe in gold almost as much as those fat noblemen do. What did you ever do to deserve such happiness? You know, I always said that a man isn't worth his salt unless he has blood on his hands, and you..."

He cast a contemptuous look at the two merchants beneath him. "I don't see men here. All I see is a pair of sniveling, gutless piggies. And I say–" He paused to run a finger over the axe hilt strapped to his belt. "This is what you deserve."

"P-please don't hurt us! You can take our money, our wares, just please spare us!" one of the merchants whimpered.

Vincent hummed. "Spare you? And just why would I do that?"

"If you kill us, Lord Redwind will put a bounty on your heads! Every guard in the area will do anything to hunt you down!"

Not that that had ever stopped Vincent. Still, he pretend to be concerned about that, turning away with a frown as he crossed his arm. "That is true. What a bother." He huffed, then turned back to the merchants. "You know what? It's your lucky day. I'm feeling rather merciful, so I'll just take your possessions and let you go."

Vincent nodded to the men behind him–a new group he had gathered from camp after the previous men he had taken with him had turned out to be complete disappointments. The men nodded, and they started steering the merchants' horses back toward their camp. Goods well earned, in his opinion. He was going to feast well tonight.

Before the merchants could look relieved, however, he raised a finger and added, "I'll let you go, but only if you lot tell me something in return."

The merchant on the left, a big, red-headed fellow, nodded frantically. "We'll tell you anything!"

"Ain't that right? Then..." Vincent leaned close, until his breath was over their faces. "You know anything about where the secret seller is?"

"The secret seller?" The red-head merchant exchanged a look with his partner. The two of them grinned. "We'd gladly tell you. That pest has been violating the terms of our guild for far too long."

"Really? Then where may she be?"

"In the town just up ahead!" the other merchant babbled. "We saw her just hours ago, you can't miss her!"

"Is that so?" Vincent turned away. This day just kept getting better and better. "The town is a few hours away, is it? I bet the market will still be wide open by the time we get there. What do you say we do some shopping, boys?"

"H-hey," one of the merchants piped up, snapping his attention away from his thoughts and back to them. A mistake, on their part. "Y-you'll still let us go, won't you?"

"Yeah, yeah!" the other merchant said, nodding furiously. "We won't tell anyone if you make sure to take care of Anna."

Now, Vincent could have let them go. He could have shown them mercy. But this week, the world had not shown him any, so why should he do the same?

"I don't think I will," he sneered.

"But you already have our money! What else do you want?" the red-head merchant whimpered. "Whatever you want, we'll give it to you!"

Vincent turned to his men, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, boys! Did you hear anything?" When no one responded, his grin widened. "No? I don't either. All I hear is the squealing of piggies, rolling in the mud. A pair of gold stealing piggies, who take scraps from the tables of real men. And what do we do with piggies?"

"We string them up and roast them dry," one of his men replied.

"That's right! Boys, cut off their hands and feet and leave them for the sun to roast dry," Vincent said, clapping loudly. "We dine on bacon."

"You can't do this!" the red-head merchant's partner said. "If Lord Redwind finds our corpses, he'll hunt you down like the dogs you are!"

"Really?" Vincent looked taken aback. The merchants grinned, before he burst into laughter. "That's just rich, ain't it? Oi, Bennett, a few days ago?"

One of the bandits to his right tilted his head. "An eagle?"

"Not that one, you nimwit. The other one!"

"The Royal Guards leaving?"

"That's right, that's right. And who was it they were leaving with, Bennett?"

"I thinks it was Lord Redwind."

"Lord Redwind!" Vincent smacked a palm to his head. "Now, ain't that the strangest thing? You think your precious Lord Redwind will save you? Word's been out that he tried to usurp the Exalt herself. He won't help you, not when he'll be rotting in a dungeon while you two are bleeding out on the road."

Slowly, the other bandits began to close in. With wide, panicked eyes, the merchant blurted out, "But we swore we'd never tell anyone!"

"You did," Vincent sneered, "and we all know how much the word of a merchant is worth. Nothing more than one gold coin."

He turned away, grinning as the sound of screaming echoed out behind him. A man wasn't worth his salt unless he could kill the animals beneath them with his bare hands. He wasn't worth a cent unless he could listen to their desperate pleas for help, and smile like it was the most beautiful tune he had ever heard.

Vincent hated merchants. Just the thought of them made him sick, but what the merchants had told him had been very helpful indeed. He knew that wherever that Anna woman went, that blue-haired girl would follow. She had protected her whelp, so she was obviously a sword for hire.

No one humiliated Vincent and got away with it. No one. The only other person who had done so, a red-head man, had paid for it with his life. The blue-haired girl would be the same.

A man wasn't worth his salt without blood on his hands, and soon, her blood would be what stained his hands.

As the cries of the merchants bled into silence, one of the bandits behind him piped up, "Uh, boss?"

"What is it, dear?" he said, keeping his gaze ahead.

"I don't mean to speak against you, but a whole village? You really think we gots enough men to take them? What's to keep us from calling in your brother, eh?"

"What indeed." Chuckling, Vincent finally turned to face the man. "Didn't you hear what Bennett over there said? An arrest's been made for Lord Redwind. Within a week, I wouldn't be surprised if we hear an execution in the news. This new Exalt is making waves, waves that'll send the Halidom into chaos. Victor is going to ride that wave, bringing us riches and glory unlike you've ever seen before. Besides," Vincent said, stopping to sigh, "if he ever heard I got bested by some blue-haired whelp, I'll never hear the end of it."

"Is that all you want, boss? Revenge?"

Vincent grinned, It was an ugly thing, his lips peeling back to reveal teeth festering and yellow. "Oh, most certainly. Sweet, bloody revenge."


Took an extra week off to finish the chapter, and I'm glad I did. This is less a case of me getting carried away with a chapter, and more of me getting carried away with planning. The point where I'd stopped last week just didn't feel like a satisfying cut-off point for me, especially considering what I was going to write next, so I decided to stick with it and flesh it out.

Also, bad time management was why I wasn't able to finish writing all that I'd planned to do. Hopefully, I'd have a little better luck getting everything down before the weekly upload time. Which is supposed to be Tuesday, but has consistently been getting further from that with each passing week.

Until then, take care of yourselves out there, and stay safe!