"This way, Lady Sage," Cloebulus says as he shows me the way through the ruins of Zanado.
As the two of us walk, I can't help but be captivated by our surrounding scenery. Even after twelve centuries after its destruction and the devastation the mongrel known as Nemesis wrought, some of the structures have managed to resist the passage of time. Truly, the Nabateans are monsters but they are monsters who knew what they were doing when they settled in the Red Canyon.
Of course, it is entirely possible that such a feat is not just Nabateans craftsmanship. Some of them yet wander Fódlan. It is entirely possible one of them took on the care of what was left of its old home.
Then again, if that were the case, it would not have allowed the Demonic Beasts that now inhabit here. Or even let us-
"We are here."
Hmmm? Oh yes, yes. The reason we came here was this ruined temple on the outskirts of Zanado. Not sightseeing. My bad.
"Well, well, well," I chuckle as I look over what little is left of it. Just four walls positioned next to each other, but with nothing to cover what's inside. There are a few pedestals lying around - some in good shape, others not so much - but little is left of the statues they once displayed. A shame, but then again, it suits the fate they makers met.
"This place sure is old," I lightly comment, before nudging behind me. "But so is everything else we walked past. Professor Periander is sure this is the one?"
Cloebulus turns his head up to me in order to nod. "We've checked the structural damage. Some of the exterior lines up with everything else, but the interior is older."
Oho? "How interesting. But still, did he have more to go on, or did he just go after the first older ruin he came across?"
Cloebulus remains impassive. "He also found an archway matching the one we were looking for."
Aha! Now that's what I wanted to hear.
"Then by all means, let us proceed."
The younger man nods again and walks through the temple's entrance, with me right behind him. We pass through a large corridor filled with rubbles on which moss has grown. And at the end of it, there's what we were looking for: a large fractured archway, with some symbols unlike any seen before covering it all and a circle of Crest stones forming a circle around it. Five people are standing around it, all covered by their dark cloaks and beaked masks. Four form a square around the archway. The fifth is in front of the two columns. And as he turns around to meet us, his emerald eyes widen.
"Lady Anacharsis," he greets me with a bow. His four acolytes soon turn back to me and quickly follow their teacher's example. "We are honored by your visit."
"Hello, Periander," I lightly greet back. "Getting your lungs filled with dust for so many years has finally borne fruit, I see." I can't help but giggle after saying that.
He frowns. "I said it before and I'll say it again. There is always truth in legends. It's only a matter of-"
"Yes, yes," I cut him off. His sense of humor is as poor as always, huh?
"Anyway," I turn serious as I look up to the archway. "Is this really the one? Are you sure?"
"We've cross-checked the symbols," Periander readily responds. "They match."
I give him a solemn nod. "Then we can proceed with the experiment. When will you be ready?"
Periander turns to one of his acolytes, who nods to him. The elderly man then turns back to me. "We are just about ready to begin, Lady Sage. You can stay and watch, if you will, but I would advise you and your attendant keep your distance. We are dealing with volatile magic."
"Understood," I tell him before turning to Cloebulus. "Well, you've heard him, my 'attendant'. It's time to get back and let the adults do their thing."
He rolls his eyes but says nothing besides, "Yes, my lady."
The two of us then step away from the archways and the mages operating on it. And as we do that, Periander starts chanting his incantations. His four pupils soon join his chanting as they spread out their arms.
Nothing apparently happens at first, just the five people in front of us chanting an ancient language I never had the chance to learn. But eventually, the Crest Stones at Periander's feet activate. The signs on the archway soon follow. And when some sort of bubbly veil forms between the columns, Periander stops his chanting, just watching as it all unfolds in front of his eyes.
That veil soon settles as it reveals an image. That of a young man, possibly in his early twenties, wearing a hoodie and pants different from what the surfacers normally wear. He's chubby and not particularly tall - I'd dare say even shorter than Cloebulus - and his short brown hair is in an unkept state.
He's walking across a road, not like the dirt ones above here, but more akin to those in Shambhala. And yet the obvious daylight and his more colourful complexion make it clear this is no place like the one we came from.
But most important of all, he's alone, with no one in his immediate vicinity.
"Perfect, the subject is human and apparently in good physical condition," Periander says before turning to me. "With your permission, Lady Sage, I would proceed."
I nod.
The professor returns his attention to the gate before taking another Crest Stone out of his cloak. He lifts it up as he starts reciting more of the ancient tongue, although clearly not the same words his acolytes are still chanting.
It is not long before Periander shatters the Crest Stone in his hand. The shards of the fractured relic emanate a smoke that first rises high up in the air but then turns back and goes toward the image displayed by the gate.
Specifically, toward the person walking in that image.
As all of the smoke enters the veil formed by the archway, the boy seems at first unaffected. But after he's taken a few more steps, he has to stop in his tracks, head lowered to look at the ground in front of him. Then, he starts gasping for air more and more, to the point his legs fail him. The moment he starts coughing some blood out of his mouth, I also notice he's becoming less clear to see.
"It's working!" Periander eagerly announces.
Yes! If this works with one, more should be easy to gather. And when that is done we will-!
I realize we may have celebrated too early when the Crest Stones around the archway begin flashing instead of the constant glow they've had so far.
"What's happening?" Cloebulus asks before I can, the tone of his voice portraying his fear.
One of the acolytes stops his chanting. "Something's wrong with the Crest Stones! They're reacting somehow!" He turns to his mentor. "Teacher, permission to interrupt?!"
"No," Periander replies without even turning around. "He has not reached us yet."
While I can sympathize with the acolyte's worries, I have to agree with Periander. Our ultimate goal is too important to relent at the first trouble.
Slowly but steadily, the boy fades more and more. At the same time, though, the Crest Stones flash more and more.
"Teacher," another of the acolytes intervenes. "It's all about to-"
"Hold on," Periander retorts. "We've almost-"
He never gets to finish that. Just as the boy is about to disappear completely, the Crest Stones explode. I only manage to barely shield Cloebulus before the shockwave hits me in the back.
Even after what feels like an eternity spent coughing, I'm still not able to stop. Even when the tightness in my chest that had preceded this fit goes away, I'm still unable to stop coughing.
Just as I'm about to wonder if I'll ever stop at all, I do manage to. Although that's evened out by how heavy my head fills and how my vision has blurred.
And also how inviting closing my eyes seems all of a sudden.
"Al...ne, get...re!"
One thing I manage to notice even through my dulled senses is that what is right beneath me is not the usual gray of asphalt but something...green. And softer, according to my knees.
"...ess, what's…?"
Oh right, there's also the noises in the distance. Unfortunately, all I can see when I look in the direction I think I hear them from are three indistinguishable figures. Two are white, the third is...green? Blue? Dark blue? Green and blue?
Before I can decide whatever color the third figure is, I feel my eyelids fall down, soon followed by the rest of my body as its weight drags me down to the ground. The strangely soft ground.
That thought is the last one I have before losing consciousness entirely.
When I come to again, it is to the taste of some kind of bitter liquid going down my throat. As soon I notice it, my eyes shoot open and my body jerks up, only to hunch as I'm forced to cough again.
"I said small doses!"
Uh?
"But the first one didn't work!"
What…?
"Of course it didn't! This reaction was what I was trying to avoid!"
Who's talking? And why in English?
"Easy you two," a male voice intervenes, interrupting the bickering of the two women.
My head turns up at that and it's met by the sight of a man, probably in his forties judging by his lines, with water green eyes, brownish hair and a funny mustache of the same color.
One of the broadest smiles I've ever seen comes to his face as we make eye contact.
"Greetings, sir!"
Geez, man. I'm right in front of you. No need to shout.
"You okay there, buddy?" the voice of the second woman then asks on my left. As I turn in her direction, she turns out to be around my age - maybe slightly older - with blonde hair partially kept in a ponytail, blue eyes, and tanned skin.
"Uhm…" I reply dully. "Chi siete?"
The blond frowns. "What?"
Oh great, they can't speak Italian.
"I said 'who are you'?" I reply, trying my best to sound understandable enough.
"We are Knights of Seiros," the last unaccounted voice says from behind me.
They're what?
The woman I lay eyes on upon turning is standing upright, unlike her companions. She's covered mostly in black, save for a green jacket with a metallic pauldron.
What weirds me out, through, are the narrowed purple eyes she's looking down at me with and her dark blue hair. Blue hair that doesn't seem to be a wig. Are they dyed?
Wait, she said 'Knights of Seiros'. The faction from a video game. With one of its members looking like she does now.
I hastily look at the other two again. Both are wearing pristine white plate armor, the design akin to something one would see in a museum. Both have some kind of branded badge on their collars. The man has an oversized shoulder pad and a cape dangling from it. The woman has some kind of skirt around her hips.
Just like two other characters from that game.
Oh, I see. This is some kind of event for cosplayers. But how did I get here?
I try to look around the area surrounding us. The four of us seem to be the only people in the immediate vicinity. And said area is a field of grass, beneath a spotless blue sky. There are some trees in the distance, but nothing else. For all intents and purposes, it would seem to be an undisturbed forest, with no sound of people coming from it.
"D-dove-?" I cut myself off, remembering these three can't understand that. "Where are we?"
'Catherine' and 'Alois' widen their eyes at me. 'Shamir' frowns. "You don't know?"
"Last thing I remember is leaving my house," I retort. "And that definitely isn't here."
"Let's…try to start over, alright?" the man cosplaying as Alois interrupts, before standing up and offering me his hand.
I prepare to pull myself up as I grab it, but - to my surprise - the man is able to easily lift me up on his own. The guy must hit the gym regularly.
"Thank you," I tell him after I've settled on my feet again.
"Don't mention it!" he shouts out in reply, to my ears' displeasure. "Now, first of all, names!" He places a hand on his chest and makes a small bow. "Knight-Lieutenant Alois Rangeld."
Knight-Lieutenant? Points for creativity.
"Name's Catherine," the blonde - if that is even her real hair color - chimes in, less enthusiastically than her fellow but trying to be welcoming all the same.
"Shamir Nevrand," the last one adds more stoically.
Really trying to stay in-character, eh? Guess I can play along with that for now.
"Eugenio Beccaria, pleased to meet you," I introduce myself. With the result of 'Alois' and 'Catherine' looking at me like I've grown a second hand and 'Shamir' quirking an eyebrow. "What?"
"That's… a strange name," 'Alois' ' replies before turning to 'Shamir' "Is it Dagdan in origin?"
"Definitely not."
Are you two serious? What did you think, that I am cosplaying Felix?
"Anyway," the blonde cosplayer chimes in, "what exactly happened? When we found you, you were coughing your lungs out."
I...was? Oh, right, right.
"I'm not sure myself," I reply, shrugging. "One moment, I was walking normally. Then I felt my chest tightening here," I point a hand where my heart is, "and then my lungs felt like they had no air inside. It got so bad, I couldn't stand up. And next thing I know," I gesture at our surroundings, "I'm here."
The three people look confusedly at each other after hearing that explanation.
"Did you see anything when you found me?" I ask, hoping to get some answers.
"That's the strange part," the lady with the blue dye replies. "One moment you weren't there, and then you seemingly appeared out of thin air, already coughing heavily."
So they didn't see anything. Crap.
"I'll say," the man of the trio intervenes. "That's quite a… breathless experience to have, isn't it? Ahahahah!"
I roll my eyes at that. Goddammit, cosplayer, did you really have to nail that aspect of him?
At his sides, I notice the two ladies had similar reactions to mine. And they seem to be genuine.
"That aside," I groan out, "where am I now?"
"The Oghma Mountains," the emo cosplayer replies. "A mountain range in the center of Fódlan."
I let out an internal sigh. You think you're funny, don't you? I already made it clear I'm not a cosplayer.
I start clapping my hands half-heartedly, "Yes, yes, congratulations on your performance." All three frown at me. "Now, let's stop playing Fódlan Knights. Where am I?"
"We are not playing anything!" the blonde protests. "We are Knights of Seiros!"
"Uh-uh," I respond, raising my hand to 'Alois'' chest. "Sure you a-"
When I knock on the man's chest plate, I am met by the clang of armor. Actual metallic armor.
"What the…?"
In my stupor, I take a couple of steps back. "I-it's real?" I look up at the three cos- people in front of me. Alois is looking at me confusedly. Shamir has tilted her head and crossed her arms. And Catherine is frowning at me, hand resting on the glowing pommel of a very real Thunderbrand.
"You…you're the real thing?" I ask. "This is Fódlan?"
"Well, duh!" the actual Thunder Catherine answers. "Why would you think…?"
Whatever she says next, I don't hear. My whole body freezes up in place. And I'm pretty sure my eyes widen even more at the horror of the realization.
Jesus frigging Christ! I've been taken to Fire Fucking Emblem Three Motherfucking Houses!
"Oi, you still in there?"
What the shit am I supposed to do now? I'm not a fighter! I don't know crap about combat!
"Hey?"
What am I even supposed to tell everyone? They'll laugh and call me crazy if I tell them the truth! What can I even come up with?
"Hey!"
And what about my family back on Earth? Are they going to think I've disappeared? Been kidnapped?
...or are they going to find my body dead from a heart attack? Is that what happened? Did I die and get sent-?
"HEY!"
I'm literally shaken out of my thoughts by two strong hands on my shoulders. I blink several times after that and soon notice my breathing has quickened.
"Steady breaths!" Catherine commands, her face matching her tone.
I follow that order, slowing down my breathing until it's at an acceptable pace. Right behind her, I notice the real Alois Rangeld's concerned face and the real Shamir Nevrand's perplexed one.
"Now," the blonde Knight takes her hands off of me, although they thankfully don't go back to her hips, "I'm gonna ask you some questions. You give me simple answers, alright?"
I nod.
"Where are you from?"
"Italy," I answer, hesitating only for a moment. "It's...a land far far away from Fódlan. A peninsula stretching into the Mediterranean Sea."
"Good, good," she replies, apparently unfazed by the name. "And do you know where exactly any of that is?"
"...no. Fódlan is only known through stories." A partial lie, but how could I explain what a videogame is? "As far as anyone from my country knows, it never really existed."
"Well, as you can see, we're plenty real,"
Unfortunately so, Catherine.
"Now," she turns back to her fellow Knights. "Did either of you ever hear of 'Italy' or this Mediterannean Sea before?"
A sad expression marrs Alois' face at that question. "I'm sorry to say it, but I've never heard of them before," he answers.
Before Shamir can give her own answer, she purses her lips and shakes her head. "They mean nothing to me either. There is no place with either of those names in Dagda. Or in any of our other neighbours."
Unsurprising. How could they ever know of it when it's all in a different world entirely?
Well, what now? It looks like I'm officially stranded here. God, that still feels so absurd to believe. My first instinct would be to look for a way back home, but I don't know if Three Houses has any interdimensional macguffins I can take advantage of. Besides, my first priority should be finding shelter, food and water. The problem is, with only the clothes on me, I won't be able to afford any of that in a medieval world. Now, how do I-?
"I don't suppose you have the means to look after yourself out there?"
I gulp at Shamir's question. "No."
"Idea!" Alois states, a light coming into his eyes. "Do you know of Garreg Mach Monastery?"
I blink in confusion at his question. "The monastery at the center of Fódlan?"
"Yup, that's the one," he confirms, his trademark smile returning to his face, "How about we take you there? The Monastery can offer you shelter."
"Are you sure that's wise, Alois?" Catherine interrupts him, her face hardening, "We have no way of confirming his story. Doesn't it all sound a bit outlandish to you?"
Oh no, don't tell me I'm about to be impaled by Thunderbrand!
"Outlandish or not, you saw how he got here. If he meant the Monastery harm, wouldn't he have gotten directly there?"
"That is true," Shamir chimes in. "We are already quite distant from the Monastery, where the chances to run into Knights are minimal. If he'd intended to infiltrate it, he would have tried this somewhere where it would have been more likely."
Catherine opens her mouth to reply, but then shuts it as her face relaxes. "Alright, you two have got a point."
"Of course we do!" Alois chuckles before turning to me. "So how does that sound?"
My first instinct is to decline. This offer would resolve my problems, that's true. But I have no way of knowing when the game's plot will begin. All I know is that I'd rather have no part in that craziness.
But if I do decline, that still leaves the matter on how I'm going to survive in the wilderness on my own. Is it really worth risking it more than with Garreg Mach?
"Would they really let me stay?" I hesitantly ask.
"Of course!" Alois eagerly replies. "Garreg Mach is open to all!"
All who don't piss your Archbishop off, you mean.
Well, despite all that is going to transpire there, the Monastery is still a place of shelter. At least, in theory. I suppose I'll make the most of it and get out before the Death Knight and Flame Emperor show up.
"Very well," I sigh.
"Excellent!" Alois glances at Catherine and Shamir after saying that. "You two think you can keep looking for Monica while I accompany him?"
Monica? That Monica? The one that disappears the year before the game's plot? They were looking for her?
That means…
"Do you really have to ask?" Shamir asks sardonically.
"Don't you worry, old friend," Catherine reassures him. "You just make sure to get him to the Monastery, alright?"
"Of course!"
After that exchange, Catherine and Shamir turn to the woods and rush into them. Leaving me with their loud-mouthed fellow.
"Alright!" Alois bombastically declares after that. "Follow me, Mister Eugenio! We've got quite some ground to cover!"
Without waiting to hear my reply, Alois turns to some random direction and starts walking. I have to make a quick rush to catch up to him, as the two of us set on our march.
When I come to again, it is to the sensation of something heavy pressing down on me. And as I blink in an attempt to regain consciousness, I find my nose buried in a bush of purple hair.
The purple hair that belongs to Lady Anacharsis, who is lying right on top of me, arms stretched out around me.
It takes less than a moment for my head to recognize the embarrassing position we're in.
"Uhm…" I hesitantly say. "Lady Sage?"
Thankfully, my prod seems to be enough to stir her, as she lets out a discomforted groan. One of her hands reaches out to massage her temple, while she blinks her eyes open.
However, when she notices where I am, she surprises me by smiling at me.
"Well, well," she says lightly. "Is this how you usually woo ladies, Cloebulus?"
"L-Lady Sage!" I protest, but that only gets her to laugh at me.
"Just trying to make this situation lighter, don't worry."
With that said, she lets out a hiss as he gets herself up and off of me. I follow suit pretty quickly.
And after that, the two of us stare at the result of the ritual.
The two columns that made the archway have crumbled into a pile of bricks and scorch marks now adorn the floor surrounding that pile.
Professor Periander's students are now lying motionlessly on the floor where they stood shortly before, their teacher buried under the bricks.
I turn to look at Lady Anacharsis. Her lips thin as she glances at the dead bodies.
After that, she steps toward the edge of the pile, where Professor Periander's arm is sticking out of.
With the strength I've grown used to seeing her have, she's able to dig up the elderly mage. She then kneels to his side as she watches over his body, face turned into a saddened grimace.
I opt to just let her mourn his departure for now.
After a bit of that, Lady Anacharsis gets up and turns from the deceased professor to me, face set into a scowl.
"Let's go," she says. "We have work to do."
"Lady Sage?" I question her. What work is she talking about?
"You have seen what happened," she replies. "The Outworlder was being summoned. Now that we may no longer repeat this procedure, it is imperative we recover this one."
I stare at her wide-eyed after hearing that declaration. "What makes you so sure he made it? He's not here, is he?"
"I know some of Periander's research," she replies. "The Outworlder was already coming to our world. It's only a question of where he arrived."
…very well, then.
"Summon the others," she continues. "We will start our search in these mountains."
I nod to her, "As you wish, my lady."
"You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me."
Jokes aside, this past couple of months I've been reflecting on what worked and what didn't with the original draft of Entrapped, and most importantly what killed my interest in writing it. With also some help from the people on the Discord server, I think I've finally realized what it was and - since I was as unhappy with how things were left as I imagine most of you were - I decided to take another crack at it.
And thus, here we are. Welcome to this rewrite of Entrapped, folks. Here's to hoping it will fare better than the original.
As you may have guessed some things are gonna be different this time around. The Night Cats are gone, but the idea of an Agarthan faction dragging Eugenio to Fódlan remains. Hopefully these guys won't get as intrusive as their predecessors did.
Also, several people in the past complained that Eugenio's accent was annoying. After rereading the various previous chapters, I agree with them, so now that has been toned down (it won't be as evident as before, but he still talks with an Italian accent, don't you worry).
Now, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this. I'm no longer content with the older chapters, so they're gonna need a rather heavy new coat of paint (the newer one possibly less so, but we'll see about that). And I've already got a couple of other fics in the works. Juggling three at the same time is not as easy as it may seem. I'll try to have at least a chapter out every month, but no promises.
Thank you to Softandhappy for betareading. You can find his fics on the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord server, where I also hang out. If you're interested in joining, here's the link: 9XG3U7a
See you (hopefully) next month fellas!