So I'm a day behind my self imposed deadline. Better than last time. It's certainly causing me to push towards having these chapters ready, so it's better than nothing
This Chapter may come as a surprise, but as the second generation joins the story, their chapters are going to be from their points of view, so if you've been waiting for content of your favourite Awakening kid, I'm pleased to announce that the content you're looking for is on the way within the next 10ish chapters! I hope you enjoy my take on expanding Kjelle's story, as well as the other kids when I get to them. I've also included some headcanons for how some things work in the time of Awakening, so that might interest some of you. As always, dialogue is taken from the game if you recognize it, and I'm open to constructive criticism and feedback. Let me know what you think please!
Kjelle
Kjelle hated Regna Ferox.
Of course, she had nothing against its people or culture. She could actually get behind their militaristic and warrior ways.
No, her problem was the temperature. Ferox was pretty much always cold, and even summertime was quite brisk. Being a Ylissean native where the climate was temperate except in winter, the extremes of Ferox were not Kjelle's idea of a good time.
So naturally, that's exactly where Naga's portal decided to deposit her.
As soon as she landed, she looked around for her companions. They were nowhere to be found. Maybe the magic from the Risen had done something to the portal's stability. Laurent or one of the twins would be able to tell her. That would have to wait though. The fact of the matter was, Kjelle was alone.
Unwilling to sit still and wait, Kjelle trudged through the snow drifts, her armour her biggest defense against the cold and her biggest weakness. Metal had terrible heat retention, so the armour itself was cold, and Kjelle had to be careful to minimize her contact with the metal itself, but it also provided a layer of insulation that kept the air in between it and herself fairly warm. Unfortunately the air outside it was colder than the heat Kjelle's body could produce.
Kjelle wandered aimlessly as the cold metal slowly began to work against her. She wondered idly if she was going to die. After everything she went through, all she survived, it wouldn't be the horde of Risen that she just escaped from that did her in. No. It would be the damn snow.
Kjelle refused to give up though. She was her mothers daughter, and that meant that in terms of sheer grit, none could match her. Unfortunately there was only so much the power of determination could do against cold like what Kjelle was experiencing, especially as the sun began to set.
Ironically, it was the sun setting that saved Kjelle's life. Because of the lower light, Kjelle was able to spot fire light through the trees, even with her blurred vision. Changing course, she stumbled towards the fire, not even caring if the ones responsible were friendly or hostile.
Dimly, as she emerged from the tree line, she heard shouts, and saw the blurry outlines of people and buildings. A village maybe? She hoped so. The edges of her vision began to creep in, and the last thing she saw was the blurred outline of a person running towards her.
When Kjelle came to, she was laying in a bed wearing clothes not her own. She tried to sit up, but pain shot up her limbs, forcing her to stop.
"Oh!" A surprised voice said.
Kjelle managed to turn her head, and saw an older woman in a rocking chair with a pair of knitting needles in her lap.
"Glad to see you awake, dearie," the woman said. "You gave us a right good scare when you stumbled out of the woods in that big suit of armour. How are you feeling?"
"…Sore," Kjelle decided. "Where am I?"
"Nowhere important," the woman answered. "Just a small hunting village in northern Ferox called Sableton, you know, like one of the old legends about the Hero King. Now if you don't mind my asking what on earth were you doing out there all alone?"
Still groggy, Kjelle struggled to form her thoughts. "I… was traveling…" she said. "With my friends. We were attacked and got separated…"
"Oh dear," the woman said sympathetically. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. We'll get you back on your feet in no time, and then you'll be able to find your friends. Although perhaps you should wait for the weather to start getting warmer, lest you end up with hypothermia again."
"Is that what happened to me?" Kjelle asked. "Gods, this is so embarrassing, I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry for, dearie," the woman insisted. "Frostbite and hypothermia are always a danger in Regna Ferox."
"Thank you for your kindness," Kjelle replied. "There must be something I can do to repay you?"
"We can talk about that once you're better. In any case, I'd like to know your name, if you don't mind?"
Kjelle's face felt hot, even though she knew she didn't really have a reason to be embarrassed. "I'm Kjelle," she said.
"Oh, what a pretty name," the woman cooed. "I am called Paula. Now please, rest and recover. I'll bring you some stew. You must be famished.
At the mention of food, Kjelle's stomach growled, causing both of them to laugh.
"Yes," Kjelle agreed. "I could definitely eat right about now."
Paula stood, leaving her knitting project behind, and walked out of the room. She returned a minute later with a bowl of steaming stew for Kjelle.
"Thank you for all your help," Kjelle said. "Once I've recovered, I'll get out of your hair and be on my way."
"That wouldn't be wise, kid," a new voice said.
Kjelle turned her attention to the doorway, where a large, gruff looking man with a long beard stood, nursing his own bowl of stew. ``Snow storms comin'. It's only going to get more dangerous out there for a lone traveler."
Kjelle looked at Paula, who nodded in agreement. "Kjelle dear, this is my husband, Clarke. And he's right. You shouldn't be traveling in Ferox at this time of year. It isn't safe."
"But I have nowhere to go here," Kjelle said, a little defiantly. "I've got to get back to my friends in Ylisse. We have a very important job to do!"
Clarke snorted. "You'll be no good to your friends if you freeze to death, lass, no matter what 'important job' you have waiting for you."
"Then what do you suggest I do?" Kjelle shot back, but Clarke just snorted in amusement again.
"You've got fire in you, I'll give you that," he chuckled, and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I saw your armour. You're definitely a warrior, so here's the deal. You're strong, that much is clear to me. Help me in my smithy until the weather gets warmer and the snow begins to recede in late spring. I can't pay you, but we can feed you and give you a bed to sleep in."
Kjelle looked at him suspiciously. "You would do that for a stranger like me?"
Clarke chuckled. "Aye. I suppose it must sound naive of me, but truth to be told I've got a lot of work this season. Got an order from the reigning Khan herself to help stock up on weapons and restore the army, now that the war is over. Need the extra labour to have it done in time, and my daughter is down south protecting the Longfort."
Kjelle thought about it for a moment, but seeing no other alternative, decided to relent. "So long as I can keep up my training regiment, I don't see why not. As you said, I'm not likely to make it far if I try to head south at this time of year."
A thought occurred to Kjelle at that moment.
"Actually, would you mind telling me what time of year it is? I apologize if the request is strange."
Paula and Clarke shared an odd look, but Paula shrugged. "The autumn equinox passed not long ago. It's September 30th, and you arrived here just yesterday."
Kjelle tried not to let her surprise show on her face. It was hard to be sure, because in the future, she and her friends had lost track of the date a long time ago, but she thought it might've been sometime around January or February when she had left the future. Since her Birthday was apparently yesterday, she idly wondered if that made her another year older. 'Another thing to ask Laurent or the twins when next we meet,' she thought.
"I see," she said after a moment. "Thank you for your hospitality."
After that day, Kjelle spent a lot of her time in Clarke's forge, pumping bellows, shoveling charcoal, and holding hot metal with tongs while Clarke shaped it.
She was surprised to find that it actually supplemented her own training regiment quite well, and she saw considerable gains over the next few months.
Clarke and Paula became something of a second family to Kjelle, though she wouldn't admit it to anyone. In a lot of ways, Clarke reminded her of her mother, ever the stern taskmaster, but he was also different. Sully valued strength, while Clarke valued practicality above all.
Kjelle found that her list of people she wanted to protect quickly grew to include the middle aged couple that had given her shelter from the cold Feroxi winter.
Despite this, Kjelle vowed not to grow too comfortable. She still had a job to do, and she needed to leave to do it.
One day, as Winter set in and Kjelle learned her way around Clarke's forge, she felt uneasy. With Kjelle's help, the order for the Khan had long since been filled, but her instincts were telling her that she had grown complacent. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. The last time she'd felt this way had been in the days leading up to the attack on Ylisstol, when the capital finally fell to the Risen. Eventually, after dinner that day, she could stand it no longer.
"I'm going out to train!" Kjelle called to her hosts as she strapped on her armour.
"Be safe, dearie," Paula replied absentmindedly as she worked on her knitting project.
Kjelle walked out into the streets of the small town, lance held at the ready. It was late, and it was cold, so all the villagers were inside, trying to keep warm. Or so she thought.
A scream echoed through the air, muffled slightly by the light dusting of snow, from the other side of the village, and Kjelle took off running.
She reached the source of the noise as quickly as her armour would allow, and found two children cowering against the wall of a house, surrounded by a small platoon of Risen warriors.
Kjelle cursed, and charged. The good thing about fighting the Risen in the cold was that it made them sluggish. With no natural body heat to keep away the ice and snow, they tended to freeze up, only kept moving by the fell magic that resurrected them.
Throwing the considerable weight her armour provided her forward, Kjelle crashed into the undead warriors, bowling them over and stopping their advance.
"Miss Kjelle!" One of the children cried fearfully.
"Get inside, quickly!" She ordered, and the children scrambled away. She wasn't sure what they'd been doing outside, but that wasn't important anymore.
Somehow, the Risen had found her, even in the past, but based on everything she knew, that shouldn't be possible. It should've been years now before the Risen started to appear.
Kjelle shook her head. There would be time to examine the problem later. For now her concern was the fight.
"Taste steel, monsters!" Kjelle shouted, ensuring the Risen kept their attention on her instead of the fleeing children. Over half a dozen undead warriors stood before her, but Kjelle wasn't worried. They were small fry compared to the hordes she'd faced in the Ylisstol of the future.
Kjelle made the first move, not giving the Risen time to attack. It was a rare opportunity that she was the faster fighter, given her hefty armour, but thanks to the cold, this was one of those rare times. She sweptd her lance around in a wide arc, the blade biting into the chests of the three nearest zombies, before leaping forward, once again body slamming them before they could raise their weapons against her. She jabbed down as the monster fell over, impaling the spot its heart would beat if it was alive, and repeated the motion twice more, swiftly dispatching the three downed Risen.
A weapon made impact with her armour, and Kjelle grit her teeth. One Risen soldier had attempted to skewer her with its lance, but her large shoulder piece deflected the blow. Kjelle smashed the butt of her lance into the zombies abdomen, before turning and catching the blade of another on the end of her lance. It was a difficult maneuver. Lances weren't built for this type of weapon lock the way swords were, but Kjelle pulled it off flawlessly.
Smiling to herself, Kjelle swatted her opponent's blade aside, and put it out of its misery with a quick jab. An axe wielder and swordsman came at her at the same time, but she didn't panic. Focusing on the axe wielder, Kjelle dodged its first swing and punched it in the face with an armoured fist. Risen didn't feel pain, but brute force still made them stagger, and Kjelle took full advantage of that by thrusting her lance into the creature's chest, before spinning to dodge the incoming swordsman's attack. Smoke billowed from the undead sword wielder's mouth as it groaned at her, but Kjelle paid it no mind, and stayed out of its range. Taking advantage of her lance's superior reach and the Risens lack of preservation instincts, she jabbed twice in quick succession, wounding the monster, before once again retreating from its attacks.
Something impacted her back, and she glanced behind her to see a Risen archer, notching another arrow. She cursed. Arrows posed little threat to her, thanks to all the metal covering her vulnerable points, but there was always a chance a lucky shot could take her down if it found a chink in her armour.
Kjelle shouted a wordless battle cry, and rushed the swordsman. It tried to swing at her, but she ducked to the side, and its blade glanced off her shoulder pauldron, allowing her to slip past its guard and bury her lance in its guts. It groaned in her face, but Kjelle ignored the foul smell. Instead, she heaved, and spun the Risen around just in time for its body to intercept the archer's arrow as it dissolved into dark magic and ash.
The archer tried to reload again, but Kjelle didn't give it the time. She closed the distance in a few seconds, and with one final swing of her lance, she decapitated it.
She looked around for more threats, but saw none, and allowed herself to relax for a moment.
"Is that the best you've got?" She shouted, but nobody answered her challenge.
Kjelle sighed in frustration. "That was almost too easy," she muttered. "I've never seen a group this small before… Where are the rest of them?"
Distant shouts from the direction she'd originally come from answered her questions. The sound of metal on metal and fearful shouting caught her attention, and once more, Kjelle ran off to join the fight.
She arrived at the village square to find another dozen or so Risen fighting against four of the village men. For the most part, it was obvious they were struggling. The men wielded hammers and pitchforks in self defense, but they clearly didn't know what they were doing, and at this rate, it wouldn't be long before they got killed.
The only exception was Clarke, Kjelle's host himself, who wielded an actual lance with skill and grace Kjelle hadn't seen in a long time. Unencumbered by armour, Clarke danced between the monsters, thrusting and piercing with a determined look on his face while his three allies stood together and brandished their makeshift weapons, doing their best to protect his back.
There was no time to be amazed at the man's skill. Kjelle dove back into combat, lance twirling to and fro, cutting down several Risen before they even knew she was there.
The Risen Chief was among this group, and it glared at her, eyes burning with its above average intelligence among the monsters.
"Kill… future child…" it mumbled. "Kill…"
"Save it, you fly bitten, rot-brained sack of decay!" She spat. The Risen, of course, did not respond. It probably didn't understand her, but Kjelle took pleasure in calling out the flaws in her opponents, especially when they made her mad.
The chieftain wielded a sword, which was lucky. It would've been harder to deal with if it carried an axe, or Naga forbid, a warhammer, but Kjelle charged in all the same. The monster tried to swing at her, but she used the same strategy as she had with the previous swordsman. It was more difficult to stay out of range since Chieftains were on average larger than their grunt counterparts, but Kjelle managed to dodge the attack anyway.
Kjelle jabbed experimentally, and the chief took the attack head on. Its sheer bulk meant that it probably barely hurt it, but it did make the Risen angry.
"Kill!" It growled again, and slashed at her. Kjelle ducked under the swing, and stabbed it once, twice, three times in quick succession. It roared again, and swung at her with its fist, knocking her back.
Kjelle bit her lip, and spat out a glob of blood. The Risen swung its blade again, but Kjelle angled her large shield and focused like her father had taught her when she was a child.
With a cry of "Pavise!" she shook off the blow like it was nothing and swung her lance once more as the Risen stumbled back, finally putting an end to its terror.
She looked towards Clarke as her foe crumbled to purple ashes, and saw that he and the villagers had just finished incapacitating the last of the regular Risen, and Kjelle allowed herself to relax a little. She listened for more sounds of violence and alarm, but none reached her ears, and she finally dropped her guard.
The villager with the pitchfork approached her with a weary expression, but his eyes conveyed his emotions well. "Miss Kjelle," the man said, "that was some mighty fine lance work. Consider us impressed!"
Kjelle shrugged. "I'm skilled, yes, but I have a ways to go. Clarke, you were incredible! You've got to teach me how to swing a lance like that!"
Clarke regarded her with an inquisitive expression. "By the look of things, you hardly need a teacher, kid. You're already mighty skilled."
"It's not enough!" Kjelle insisted. "I'm going to be the strongest knight on the continent! I want the power to protect people, but I'm not there yet! Please, teach me!"
Clarke looked her up and down, and sighed. "Fine. I can see you won't budge on this. I'll show you what I know. But there's something I want to ask you about as well."
"Anything!" Kjelle promised. "So long as you can help me get stronger, I'll answer whatever question you have!"
"That thing called you 'Future Child,'" Clarke demanded as soon as they were in private. "What in Naga's name does that mean? How are you tied in with those monsters? What even are they?"
Kjelle wanted to curse. Clarke was a sharp man. Of course he would've caught that. She sighed, and decided to just be blunt with him. Kjelle was never one for subtlety.
She told him everything. Exactly who she was, where she came from, what she was fighting for, and all about the Risen. The disbelief was clear on Clarke's face, but he allowed her to finish regardless.
"If not for the fact that those Risen exist at all," Clarke said when she stopped talking, "and that it'd be right impossible to come up with a story so utterly ridiculous off the top of your head, then I would call you a madwoman and throw you out of my home."
Kjelle grimaced. Privately, she thought that Owain would be able to top that story with some make-believe nonsense easily, but she kept the thought to herself. It would only serve to confuse her host more, and it wasn't related to the matter at hand.
"I know it's hard to believe, but it is the truth," Kjelle insisted. I carry my mothers wedding ring as proof, but without her here with her copy, I obviously can't prove it to you, and I'd prefer to keep my identity from her anyway, at least until the version of me from this timeline is born."
"Slow down, kid," Clarke said. "You're giving this old man a headache. I'm choosing to believe you, outlandish as the idea is, so you can just hold your horses."
He sighed, and stroked his moustache. "You kept your end of the bargain. I suppose I'll keep mine. Consider yourself my apprentice, I suppose."
Kjelle leapt up from her seat, pumping her fist celebratorily. "Thank you, Clarke- er, Master? Master Clarke? No matter. With your tutelage, I'll get strong enough to protect everyone's future, I swear it!"
Over the past six months since Clarke agreed to train her, Kjelle had actually been happy with her lot in life. Aside from the cold and having no idea where her friends were, she had enjoyed living with Clarke and Paula in Ferox, so much so that she ended up staying well into spring and summer.
So of course, the universe decided it was time to make her suffer.
Kjelle felt her lance technique and martial skill had grown leaps and bounds since Clarke accepted her into his tutelage, but it wasn't enough to prevent tragedy from striking.
Cassius and his men struck out of nowhere.
They arrived posing as simple travelers seeking trade with the villagers of Sableton. Once everyone's guard was down, a greasy looking man barked an order, and they made their move.
One of the men grabbed a young girl, and threatened her life if the villagers didn't comply. Kjelle had tried to charge in to help, but Clarke stopped her, citing the need to deal with the situation with tact. Kjelle disliked not being able to deal with a problem with force.
In exchange for the child's safe return, the greasy man, who had named himself Cassius, and his followers demanded a tribute of supplies ranging from grains to building materials to food.
It was clear none of the villagers liked it, those supplies were necessary for survival, though they had no choice but to comply.
Cassius and his men took the child to an abandoned fortress they had repurposed for their own needs deep in the woods. Acting quickly, the villagers assembled the items the con artists had demanded, and following their instructions, sent an unarmed envoy to meet them at the fort.
Hours later, well after dark, the envoy returned, but without the child.
"Now, we act," Clarke told Kjelle solemnly. Not long after, the important members of the town gathered in Paula and Clarke's home to decide what to do.
"We've got to run them out of here!" The butcher insisted. "They don't have leverage anymore, we can take them!"
"I agree!" Kjelle said. "Let's go show those honourless louts not to take advantage of people!"
"Slow down," Clarke said. His voice wasn't loud, but he spoke with authority, and the others listened. "We must think rationally. Those men were clearly trained. If we try to fight them, only Kjelle and myself would stand a chance in an honest duel. I have a plan, and it involves the least amount of risk to the village."
The gruff man took a deep breath, and placed his hands on the table, as if bracing himself.
"I will face Cassius in single combat," Clarke said. "Winner takes all."
Things went wrong so quickly, there was hardly time to react.
Paula and Kjelle accompanied Clarke into the forest and watched as he issued his challenge, which Cassius accepted with insufferable smarm.
"Men!" Cassius called. "Looks like we'll be having dinner and a show tonight!"
Several armed fighters emerged from the fort, and from her place behind Clarke, Kjelle swallowed nervously. Further back, she could hear Paula quietly praying to Naga. Clarke had named Kjelle his second, though it was only a formality, since there was no way violence could be avoided at this point.
Clarke leveled his lance at his foul opponent, while Cassius lazily drew a magic tome from his robes.
"Oh, one more thing," Cassius said. He snapped his fingers, and one of his men dragged the child into the open. "Make one move, and the child burns."
Remembering what Clarke had taught her about controlling her temper, Kjelle grimaced, but did not lash out. It was all she could do to watch as Cassius raised an arm, cried, "Waste!" And shot a wave of dark magic at Clarke. Moments later, Paula screamed, and a smoking husk lay on the ground where Clarke had stood.
"Dishonourable cur!" Kjelle snapped. "You killed my master, and now you will face me!"
Cassius looked at her as if noticing her for the first time, and grinned sleazily. "If that pile of pudding was your master, I'd advise you to just keep walking," he taunted.
He signaled to his lackey, and the man let go of the village child, who ran towards Kjelle and Paula, hiding behind them. Kjelle scowled.
"Craven dog…," she insulted. "You claimed a hostage! He'd never have lost in a fair fight!"
Paula blinked tears from her eyes. "Nor would he have wanted this, Kjelle. If I lose you as well, I…" she trailed off, threatening to break down.
"You won't lose me. I swear it." Kjelle promised. "And I swear your husband will be avenged! Now take the child and run!"
Cassius laughed. "If you want to run headlong into the grave, girl, I won't stop you. We can duel in the ruins ahead."
With that, he turned, and stalked back towards the old fort, his men trailing him. Kjelle followed not far behind, tightly gripping the haft of her lance.
The lackeys all filed off into the various corners of the abandoned keep, but Kjelle followed Cassius to the back through a wide set of double doors. As soon as she stepped through into the large common room, the doors rolled shut behind her, and locked with a click. Immediately, Kjelle was on guard. The room was filled with several other warriors, several of whom had bows drawn.
"Coward!" Kjelle shouted. "You promised me a duel, you soulless blackheart!"
"Indeed I did," Cassius sneered. "Consider all these men my seconds, heh. Still, I'm not a monster. I'll spare your life if you get on your knees and beg."
Kjelle spat at his feet. "I'd sooner die!"
The vile man shrugged. "Well, we can arrange that, too. Have at her, boys!" And then he sauntered off to the far side of the room to watch while the archers closed in.
Kjelle dodged the first shot. The second bounced harmlessly off her armour, and she cut the third out of the air in a move she would've never been able to pull off without Clarke's tutelage. By then, she had closed the distance with the first archer, and struck him in the ribs with the butt of her weapon. The man doubled over, and Kjelle struck again with the sharp end, slicing his neck.
An arrow struck the back of her leg. Her armour protected her from serious harm, but it still hurt. Another hit her shoulder, and nearly knocked her lance from her grip. Kjelle bit off a curse, and swiveled, once blocking the next arrow with her shield.
Elsewhere in the fortress, shouting and loud noises rang out, but Kjelle paid them no mind, only focused on reaching the next opponent.
Step by step, and dent by dent, she made her way closer to the villain who had killed her mentor. A blast of dark magic flew past, so close that Kjelle could feel it burn at her skin. She knew instantly that if she was caught unawares by an attack like that, she would die.
A bang broke her concentration, and an arrow dinged off her armour. Another bruise. Before anybody could truly react to the noise, the door exploded, and several warriors appeared where it had been.
A woman rode in first astride a large warhorse, and her striking image gave Kjelle such a sense of familiarity that she nearly missed the archer taking aim at her again, and she drew up her shield just in time. The mounted woman rode past and cut down the archer, leaving them alone in the room with Cassius as the woman's allies fanned out to deal with the remaining ruffians.
"You got a second?" The woman asked, keeping an eye on the enemy while she spoke, and Kjelle finally got a good look at her. She let out a startled shout at the sight.
"What?" The woman asked, almost jokingly. "I got something on my face?"
"N-no," Kjelle stammered. "You just...remind me of someone. Forgive me. I have no time to talk." She could deal with the sudden appearance of her mother later. She had a fight to finish."
Sully just shrugged, and continued talking anyway. "Don't worry. It won't take long. So listen. These lowlifes have no honour. You know that, right? If you meet 'em head-on, you'll just end up with a sword in your back."
Kjelle smiled. Assuming this version of her mother was anything like the one she had known, there was only one way to respond. "Head on is how I live."
Sully grinned back at her. "Ooh, I like you. And that's all the more reason I can't let you charge off on your own."
"You can't stop me," Kjelle warned. Caught up in the moment, she would fight even her mother if it meant avenging Clarke.
But Sully just laughed. "I'm not stopping you. I'm coming with you. You just focus on finishing your duel, and I'll kill any idiot who gets in the way."
Kjelle was floored. When she was a little girl and had just been told her parents were killed in action, she had often dreamed of just such a scenario, where her mother rode in to save the day. Now that dream was a reality.
"R-right" she stammered, and turned her attention back to the fight.
Cassius yawned and clapped his hands, and more enemy archers stepped out of hiding, but Sully cut them down almost as fast as they could appear, giving Kjelle a clear path forward.
She charged, and for once, the vile conman's unflappable aloofness wavered, before he quickly schooled his face back to a neutral expression.
"If you believe in gods, you'd better pray to them now!" Kjelle warned, and slashed with her lance.
Cassius dodged. "My, my, aren't we confident?" He taunted, and fired off a spell.
"Aegis!" Kjelle cried, focussing her energy to dispel the worst of the magic. Instead, she only felt a mild ache and a feeling of wrongness as the dark energy washed over her.
"I don't fear you, coward!" Kjelle cried, once again on the attack.
Cassius continued to dodge, and as if rubbing salt in the wound, began to monologue; "Aye, I suppose not. Most fools assume that liars and sneaks like me are weak. They want us to be weak, see? They need it. It lets them hold on to the fantasy that right prevails in the end. Heh... They can think what they want. A cocky fool is an easy target. Truth is, in the end, it's the clever ones who always survive."
Kjelle scowled. She would have none of his drivel. "A man who takes hostages in order to win a duel has no claim to cleverness. Even an animal would not stoop so low! But enough. I've no more words to waste on the likes of you. My master will have vengeance!"
"Wrong, girl," Cassius chastised. "Your master will have COMPANY!"
He leapt back, purple malice dancing on his fingers, ready to fire, but he slammed into the wall behind him and cried out, ending the spell before it could begin. Kjelle smirked. All this time, she had been using her lance to back the man into a corner while he dodged. It was unlike her to plan an assault so thoroughly, but Clarke had truly left an impression on her.
She swung the haft of her lance and knocked the dark magic tome from her enemies hand. He tried to form a spell manually, but in his panic and without the tome as a conduit for his power, it was impossible given how little time he had to do it.
"Th-this...can't…"
With a final thrust, it was over. Cassius was silenced, Clarke had been avenged, and the people of Sableton would be safe.
Kjelle spun around, ready to keep fighting, but it seemed Sully had defeated the last of the archers. She strained her ears, but there were no discernable sounds of fighting from elsewhere in the fort either.
"Looks like you took care of this joker," Sully said as she cantered over on her horse. She leaned over and prodded the man with her own lance, before nodding, satisfied that he wouldn't get back up. She smiled gruffly at Kjelle. "What do you say we get out of here?"
As they exited the ruins,Sully explained their presence at Kjelle's request. Apparently, the Shepherds had been there as a favour to Khan Basilio. Sully had volunteered to lead a contingent, and along with Kellam, Virion, Cherche, Maribelle and Ricken. They had arrived in Sableton just in time following reports of the con men for Paula to encounter them and point them in the direction of the fight.
"I would like to speak with you a little more, if you don't mind," Kjelle asked Sully after they left. "I need to go and talk to my friend first though."
"For a warrior as strong as you? Yeah, we can spare a bit of time," Sully reasoned.
"Thank you," Kjelle replied, and jogged towards the village. Thankfully, Paula met her halfway.
"Kjelle! Thank the gods you're safe!" She cried as soon as she saw her.
Kjelle allowed Paula to embrace her. It was awkward because of her armour, but she did her best to return it. "I kept my promise," she said. "Your husband can rest in peace now."
Paula pursed her lips. "You're planning on leaving, aren't you dearie?" She asked.
Kjelle sighed. "Yes. The warriors I fought with are allies of the friends I spoke of when we met. I plan to travel with them."
"The mounted woman is your mother, isn't she?" Paula commented.
"How did you-"
"Clarke told me," Paula interrupted. "He was my husband dear. Married couples try not to keep things from each other. I don't know what your mission is or why you've come to the past, but you should go and be with your mother."
Paula sighed, and reached into a pouch she was carrying. "I want to thank you. This belonged to Clarke, and I'm sure he would have wanted you to have it."
Paula handed Kjelle a craftsman's ring. The type of thing a tradesperson would forge for their apprentice when they finished their studies and left to open their own facility. Kjelle was floored for the second time that day. "This is a precious keepsake," she protested. "Its rightful place is with you."
Paula smiled at her sadly. "I'll not forget my husband for lack of a memento, dear. Now please, take it."
"You're certain?"
"Absolutely."
"Then...thank you."
Paula hugged her again. "Just swear to take care of yourself, Kjelle. Swear you'll stay safe."
Kjelle discreetly wiped a tear from her eye. "I swear it," she promised.
Eventually, Paula let go and returned to the village. Kjelle took the ring she had been given and slipped it onto the cord she wore around her neck that housed her mothers ring.
She took a deep breath, allowed herself one last look towards Sableton, and turned to rejoin the Shepherds contingent.
"There she is!" Sully called when Kjelle walked into the view. Looks like the good guys won after all. Ain't that a kick in the teeth?"
"Thank you for your help, but I fear other tasks yet lie ahead of me," Kjelle said. "Forgive me if this request is strange, but have you by chance encountered a warrior going by the name of Marth?"
Sully blinked, before beginning to laugh. "Oh we've encountered her alright. You're one of Lucina's friends, aren't you kid?"
"Lucin- you know her true identity?" Kjelle asked.
"That's right," Sully confirmed. "She, her sister and Miriel's boy joined up with us just over a week ago. So, kid, who're your parents?"
Kjelle was so confused, she found it difficult to speak. She opened her mouth, but there were so many thoughts and questions swirling in her mind that no words came out at all. Instead, she reached up to her neck and pulled the cord back out, and showed Sully the ring she had carried for years now.
"Well I'll be damned!" Sully said. "That's my ring! That means you must be-"
"Your daughter," Kjelle confirmed, finally finding her voice.
Sully laughed, and looked to her companions. "I've got a daughter! C'mere kid, and let me get a look at you! You've got your fathers dark hair, but it looks like you got my strength! Kellam! Get over here and meet our kid! A chip off the old block if I've ever seen one! Haha!"
Kjelle bowed her head, embarrassed, but smiled as her father approached.
"The name's Kjelle, right?" Sully asked. "A good name!"
"That's right," Kjelle confirmed. "A name as strong as the woman who raised me. The one who taught me to be strong myself. To survive."
"We're glad you're here now, Kjelle," Kellam said. "When Lucina told us that most of the Shepherds had children, I wondered if we might meet ours. I've been looking forward to this day."
"So have I," Kjelle admitted.
"Well come on then," Sully said. We've got to be getting back to the main army. You can tell us everything on the way, that sound good to you?"
"I'd like that," Kjelle agreed. "You bet!"
Sully raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you address your mother?" She joked with a wry grin.
"I mean, yes ma'am!" Kjelle corrected. "Heh. You always were tough on me."
"Good," Sully replied. "Any child of mine is gonna have to learn to respect their elders!"
Kjelle laughed. "It's really good to see you both again."
Outtakes From The Outrealms 4: Lucina's mom
"You know," Inigo said to his companions one night. "Lucina's mom has really got it goin on, if you know what I mean."
Brady and Gerome looked at him strangely from across the fire.
"My friends, before you judge me, think about it! Lady Robin is quite the attractive woman, isn't she?"
"Ya can't seriously be pining after Lady Robin," Brady said in disbelief.
Gerome nodded. "Especially since it's clear that half the reason you flirt with so many women is to distract yourself from your embarrassing crush on Lucina."
Inigo laughed. "My friends, can't you see? Lucina's just not the girl for me. It might be wrong, but I'm in love with Lucina's mom."
"…yer somethin else, Inigo," Brady said.
So, I was playing around with Summoner Duel team compositions in the Fire Emblem Heroes Mobile game, and as a joke, I made a team with Legendary Lucina as captain, and all four Morgan alts as her teammates. This put an image in my mind of Lucina looking very tired, holding a coffee in one hand and four of those stupid child safety leashes/harnesses in the other while the four Morgan's are arrayed around her causing chaos. Maybe one of them is digging a pitfall while the other is climbing a tree, and maybe Fallen Morgan is smacking one of the other Morgan's with his tome, or perhaps the two fallen Morgan's are conspiring together to do evil things like putting bugs in their sisters bed, or peel all of Chrom's oranges. Kind of like that one meme Lol. That had nothing to do with this fic of course, but I thought it was funny. In the end, I ended up slapping an edit of the idea together and I posted it on the Fire Emblem Heroes Reddit.
In other news, I impulse bought Fire Emblem GBA/Blazing Sword at a retro game store, so I'll be experiencing that for the first time. Should be fun, but it'll be my first FE experience with no casual mode as a safety net while I am learning the game for the first time, so I'm a bit nervous. Oh well. Bring on the permadeath, I'm gonna win this game deathless!
Next time we're going to see what Noire has been up to. It won't be nearly as much as Kjelle, but it should be entertaining, at the very least. I had to look up the rules of dueling while writing this so that got slipped in there as well. Oh the things you learn while writing fanfic. I also managed to include an Outtakes from the Outrealms this time. This is a joke I've had in mind for a while. Hopefully I executed this spin on Stacy's mom well, even if it's a bit short, lol.
As always, I'm looking for constructive criticism to improve my writing, so please tell me what you think!