After our little trip, Lissa and I went our separate ways. I had to admit, I felt a lot better than I did before I went with her. As soon as I was with my own thoughts again, however, my mood immediately took another downward spiral. It was not nearly as bad as the last time, and I managed it better than I did before.

Chrom arrived at the garrison a few hours later. I was fixing up my room; cleaning the bucket I threw up in and spread out the contents of my backpack along the room. Basically, just making it a bit more homely. It was nothing like my room back home, but it was a start. I entered the main corridor and saw Chrom enter.

We were not going to Regna Ferox. At least, not yet. I didn't catch most of the conversation, but I did hear Chrom complain about the 'council' essentially stonewalling him from going himself. Turns out, they were scared shitless what with the Risen and the bandit attacks going on and were trying to keep him in one place. It was understandable, but his frustration was palpable.

This essentially meant that I had an abundance of free time. An abundance of free time I was sure to lose if Frederick had anything to say about it. That's why, literally the day after we arrived, I sought a certain someone out.

"Intriguing. You wish for me to investigate if you are able to cast magical energies?" Miriel said, regarding me with what I assumed was an 'intrigued' expression, although it just looked blank to me with an added shine to her eyeglasses.

We were in an office of some sort, but I assumed it was just what she had turned her room into. Bookshelves predictably lined all of the walls, filled to bursting. I sat in front of a desk, with Miriel herself just in front of me. Her desk was filled with shiny scientific instruments; vials and bottles filled with colorful liquid, pages with incomprehensible equations and circles as well as several open books opened to a precise page. Despite the array of items on display in front of me, all of it seemed intentional, like all of it was put into a certain space for a purpose, and not just haphazardly strung about. Her entire office was like that.

Miriel herself looked exactly as I envisioned in my head. She was a pale woman with straight red hair, and sharp facial features. She wore that frankly ridiculous looking hat as well as a black robe. Her eyes, however, were the most notable feature. I felt like they stared right into my soul, analyzed what she could do with it, and was probably trying to figure out what it could be else it could be useful for. She was decently intimidating, reminding me of a schoolteacher I had back in elementary school. I was still determined to get it over with, though.

Still not giving up that dream of being a Magic Knight, are you?

I nodded, deliberately avoiding her gaze and playing with my hands. "Yeah. It's just something I'm curious about, honestly. Asked around and everyone pointed to you, so here I am," I answered awkwardly.

I always sucked at meeting new people.

Miriel just sat there and stared at me for several moments while I fidgeted in my seat uncomfortably. Finally, she spoke. "I have heard bizarre details about your homeland from Sir Frederick. I am to believe that this country that you hail from, the 'United States of America', does not have any institution in which the manipulation of magic is taught?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Not a one. Although you can just call it the U.S. Don't understand why everyone is obsessed with calling it by its full name."

"Fascinating… A human from a hitherto unknown country with no form of magical instruction wishes to know if he can cast magic. I assume with the evidence given that you have no idea how magic functions, correct?" She asked, not coming across as patronizing despite what she said.

"Well, that's kinda what I said when I first got here, right?"

"A variation of sorts. You queried whether I could discern your magical potential. I asked for confirmation that you have no grasp on how magic works." She began tinkering with a beaker, swirling around the contents while she still spoke to me. "Magic is an extremely complex form of study that takes years of practice and repetition to become adept at, and many years more to become a master. It is unusual for someone of your age to begin studying its many intricacies, but not completely unheard of. It could take years for you to cast a basic spell."

This didn't sound right to me. I leaned forward, eyes narrowing, "I saw Robin shoot lightning out of his fingers, and he has amnesia. That tome, what are the tomes used for, then?"

"Robin is an impossibly interesting individual, one whom I hope to study extensively in the future," Miriel replied, a finger trailing along the page of a book with what looked like text below a circle of some sort. "He is an anomaly. An outlier. It would be unwise to compare yourself to him on the basis of magic. As for tomes, they are, in essentiality, short cuts. A person can memorize how to hurl a ball of fire at someone else. However, the mechanics and equations used for such an effect requires an eidetic memory, and this problem becomes worse the more complex a spell becomes. That is where tomes come in. They help a mage recall how a spell works, thus not only making it easier to cast, it improves casting time by a significant margin. However, you would still need to study the spell and memorize its mechanics. You cannot grab a tome and start throwing fire and lightning like a god of destruction. Do you now understand why I am quizzing you? This is, as I have said before, a deep and complex area of study. You would need to dedicate yourself to it completely."

Her words felt like an icy wave washing over me. In the game you just equipped a tome and that character would just start shooting shit. I'd had no problem seeing the world as my new reality, and not a video game. Magic was one of the last areas where I still, unfortunately, saw it as one. That was completely annihilated by Miriel. I decided to push forward anyway; it would be nice to know whether I could even try or not.

"I understand," I said slowly, "It's a bit hard to wrap my dumbass head around, but I think I get it. I still wanna know if I can."

"Very well. I will need a sample of your blood," Miriel replied simply, dropping what she was doing and placing all of her instruments where they were exactly as before.

…Oh God please no. Not needles.

"U-Uh," I stammered out, "Why?"

"Magical energies surround us." Miriel began, readying what looked like a small knife. "Your body is a vessel; it is filled with magical energy. A simple blood test should illuminate to us on how much potential you truly hold," She held her hand out to me. "Give me your hand."

I sat outside of Miriel's office awkwardly, like I was outside of the principal's office back in elementary school. Had to take the chair out with me, because there wasn't one outside beforehand. Luckily, most of the Shepherds were out and about training, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I sat there for well over an hour and I was beginning to get worried. Just what exactly was she doing with my blood? I felt the sting of the cut on my finger and glanced at the doorway nervously again. It was nerve-wracking just sitting there, waiting. It felt like I was waiting for the results of an STD test or some shit.

I was just about to go into the room myself and ask if anything was wrong when the door opened itself. I got up, eager to hear what the hell had taken her so long. When I saw the look Miriel gave me, however, my expression fell.

She stared at me for a few moments before I got the courage to ask. "So? What did you find out?"

Miriel regarded me less like a person and more like a lab specimen. It took her one more moment before she even said anything. "…None."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "Uh, none what? Are you okay?"

"You have absolutely zero magic potential," Miriel elaborated, taking on a pose that made it seem like she should've been wearing a lab coat. "I looked for every telltale sign of passive magical energy within your blood, but it was void of any of them. It is as if you were born and grew up in an area where there were no ambient magical energies present. I, nor any other scholar of arcane arts, has ever come across something so… fascinating."

…Oh.

I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. It felt like I'd just been punched in the gut, in all honesty. Zero potential in magic. I could never cast a single spell, nor use anything related to magic. I did not understand how staves functioned, but I would never use them either.

In other words, I was a complete muggle.

"Oh," I sighed audibly, "That's… well, that's great I guess."

"Indeed. Such a discovery is unprecedented. Truthfully, this 'U.S' you claim to hail from must be a completely mundane place; a place completely devoid of any and all magical energies. This would explain why there are no magical institutions…" Miriel began pacing around like a maniac. "Indeed, this could be the signal of many things. Ylissean, and by extension many different cultures known to us, have been nurtured and based around the use of magic in day-to-day life. To see a culture completely devoid of such a factor…"

"You probably won't see it for a long while," I interjected dejectedly, "I don't think I'm going back any time soon."

"Regardless, this is all so very fascinating…" Miriel continued. "It was to my understanding, and that of a great many arcane scholars, that magical energies surrounded us across the world. Ergo, they were wrong, or you are not of this world."

I seized up as she said that.

"However, the chance of the latter being the answer is slim at best," Miriel continued, much to my relief, "It is more likely that our understanding of the world is incomplete… I must rectify this at once!"

Without even a goodbye, Miriel practically sprinted back into her office, slamming the door behind her with a loud 'bang!'. She left me in the middle of the hallway, with only a single, lonely chair to keep me company.

In hindsight, it made sense. Why would I suddenly become a magical powerhouse once I was teleported here? Clearly, that would be too much to ask for. I felt like slamming my head into the wall for keeping my hopes up for so long. If what little I had learned about the magic of this world was true, then even if I had the potential in me, I would not be able to achieve it fast enough to use it to any great effect.

In the end, it was just me, as I am. Nothing had changed about me when I arrived in Ylisse. I had to make myself change with my own two hands. With my own will.

My face settled into a determined expression, while my hands clenched into fists. I walked down the hallway. It was time to talk to Frederick.

A lot of people made a big deal about Frederick's ridiculous training habits back home. Often, I would see characters avoid training with him or training using a regimen designed by him at every opportunity. I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to disregard any doubts I may have had, as well as the doubts of others. I couldn't use magic; I had to become the best in what skills and advantages I did have.

However, even a week into the training regimen Frederick designed for me, I was still not used to it.

Sweat cascaded down my face and dripped off my chin. My legs felt like they were on fire, like someone had poured molten iron directly into my veins. My chest felt like it was about to break open, like there was a chestburster from Alien inside of me.

Despite this, however, I forced myself into a sprint to reach the minimum distance Frederick allowed. Once I was past said line, I immediately collapsed.

"I am impressed with your endurance," Frederick remarked, his plate armor clanking as he walked up to my shivering form. "When we first started, you could not walk this far. And now you are running. It is still far from where you need to be, but it is a start."

"F-f-fuck-!" I gasped, before retching. Luckily, I decided not to eat anything before running. I made that mistake the first time. It was not pretty.

"Once you are at the point where you no longer have an adverse reaction to running for this long, we will have you wear armor as you run." Frederick instructed, lifting me to my feet. My legs felt like gelatin. "That is for later. For now, we will begin the next item on the agenda."

I fought the monumental urge to groan and just fall to the floor to die. I fought it with all my might.

"Fuck my life!" I shouted as I fell to the ground, the wooden sword in my hand clattering to the ground.

"Oh, get up you big baby!" Sully laughed, looking completely unaffected by my assault. "Barely even hit you!"

"That was a glancing blow at best, Alex," Frederick chided, "Get up and try again."

That is essentially what it boiled down to, wasn't it? Getting up and trying again. That is all that Frederick's training entailed. During Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour, there were no winners. You just did a little better each time. It was like Dark Souls, and the only boss was Ornstein and Smough.

I grit my teeth, my breath hissing between. I grabbed the handle of the practice sword and got to my feet again.

We were in a small training area, just outside the barracks. The floor was dirt, and several training dummies lined the far side of the place. It was devoid of everyone but the three of us.

"C'mon! Go all out! I'll heal you if it gets too rough!" Lissa shouted from the sidelines.

Four of us.

The armor I was wearing clanked like crazy as I got up. While it was covered in a small amount of dirt, it was still relatively new and shiny. The chest piece and shoulders were well made and sturdy. The armor itself was comfortable to wear and lightweight. Probably for the best considering I was still the equivalent of a wet noodle when it came to moving around in it.

In the end, it looked a lot like the mercenary armor from the game, with a hint of realism added in, such as more armor plating where necessary. It restricted my movement a bit, but I'd rather be that than dead. I could feel myself getting at least a little stronger with every passing day. It wasn't like I was getting nowhere, thankfully.

"Fuckin' alright then," I muttered, readying my wooden sword. "If I'm gonna go down, might as well go down with dignity."

"Heh, see!" Sully laughed again, readying her own sword. "That's the spirit!"

When I charged, it felt like I was in an anime.

Of course, that feeling was immediately dashed as I fell to the ground a couple seconds later with a bruise the size of a grapefruit in my side, and several others all over my body. There was a reason we were using practice wooden swords instead of the real deal, and why we had Lissa on standby.

It felt like I'd been there for a century. I almost couldn't remember what life was like before I was inexplicably transported to outside Southtown. It was a month of nothing but grueling combat and endurance training. Frederick made sure that I never grew used to anything for long. Just as he had said, once I was starting to get used to running the ludicrous distance he demanded of me, he plopped me in armor and off I was sent again. I swore, it felt like my knees were creaking after that. More than they already did, at least.

Then there was the combat training. It was clear to me I was basically becoming the equivalent of a mercenary. I was given a shield, decent armor, and a sword. A basic, if effective, set-up. It was better than becoming a cavalier, at least. I wasn't sure I'd be able to care and maintain a steed. It did mean that I'd have to march on foot wherever we went, but after the hell Frederick put me through, that failed to scare me all that much anymore.

In the end, I was still nowhere near competent, but at least I wouldn't be annihilated in the first second of a battle.

I began to notice the little things first. A small glance at myself in the mirror. Slightly more toned arms, a shrinking stomach. It wasn't impressive, hell, it'd probably take many more weeks for me to even begin to look fit, but, like Frederick said at the start of my training, it was a start.

"You do look better, by the way," Robin said, turning a page in the book he was reading. "And that armor suits you."

"Oh, Robin," I began, my voice becoming lighter, "Flattery will get you nowhere!" After a quick chuckle, I sat down next to him. "I guess you're right. I feel better too. I don't think my legs will ever really recover, though."

"Pain is a necessary part of the training process. If you get something wrong, you get back up and do it again. Do that until you get it right," He turned another page, before his red eyes met mine. "You have taken that virtue to heart, at least."

"I am one determined motherfucker when I want to be," I claimed, rubbing my shoulder. "Sometimes to my detriment, but that's whatever. Anyway, what have you been doing for the past month?"

Robin gestured to the book he was reading. "Reading, mostly. Strategy, history, all sorts of topics. Anything I can get my hands on. Heh, Chrom opened the entire royal library to me. Did you know that?"

"He did?" Robin nodded. "Goddamn. He's really putting a lotta trust in you, ain't he? I mean, that is a pretty big deal, right?"

"Not as much as I am sure you are thinking, but yes, it is a great show of trust. One I am unsure I deserve," Robin replied.

"Now, don't say that," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Where the hell'd that come from, anyway? You're our tactician for God's sake. One with amnesia, in a place completely unfamiliar to him. And if there's anything I know about Chrom, it's that he is literally incapable of not helping someone he thinks as a friend. You earned that friendship back at Southtown and that old fort. So cut the self-deprecating shit, alright? Doesn't suit you."

"Uh… Thanks, Alex," Robin said sincerely, smiling. "I… did not expect to hear that, but it was appreciated nonetheless."

I snorted, "Always had friends and family back home coming to me with their problems. Trust me, this is nothing new."

What went unsaid, was while I was good at comforting others, I was horrible at comforting myself. If that was not already obvious.

"You have not spoken much of your family or friends, now that I think about it," Robin thought aloud, but after seeing the grimace on my face, he immediately backpedaled. "I did not mean to pull up any bad memories-"

"You're not, man."

In some ways, that was the problem. There were bad memories, sure, but there were also good ones.

"I mean, I don't have a problem talking about them, if you want?" After a moment, Robin nodded. "Well, there really isn't much to tell. I've got a mom, a dad, and a little sister. Mom was a manager for a… well, let's call it a shop, and my dad was in the army. He'd be gone for years at a time, but he always came back, so that was good." I swallowed the lump rapidly growing in my throat. There was something left unsaid about my dad, but I left it where it lied. "My sister was a little shit, though. Always screeching or screaming about something or other… I miss them."

I should have been a better son and brother when I had the chance.

"…That sounds nice." Robin whispered.

It didn't occur to me until later that Robin wanted to know what it was like to have a family. He didn't ask any follow-up questions or anything like that. I would wonder later if he just wanted to know what it was like to have a family. If that was the case, I was sorry to disappoint him.

We sat in comfortable silence for a while after that.

"Ya know, I think most of my body is just one big bruise. Sully, you have officially turned me into a blood bag."

"If you want, I could stop holdin' back and just go all out, then you'd really wish you'd stopped complaining so gods damned much," Sully replied smarmily, twirling her sword around.

I grumbled something incoherent as the light of Lissa's healing staff washed over me, healing my severed veins. Unfortunately, healing staves couldn't replace blood. So, while it wouldn't hurt, I'd still look like an overripe tomato underneath my clothes or armor.

Life is torment.

"There, all patched up and ready to go!" Lissa chirped. "Unless you feel like you wanna go again? I'll still be here!"

"Well, I mean, Stahl would be a pretty good training partner, right?" I suggested hopefully, "Or Robin, too! Either one'd be fine, really!"

"Hey, are you saying I'm not good enough?" Sully growled as she stopped swinging her sword.

"No. Alex just believes that the other Shepherds might go easier on him, or that they will be easier to defeat than you," Frederick guessed correctly, making me want to just fall on my face and die, "Unfortunately for him, that is not the case. I would make sure of it."

"Not sure if that's worse or better, but I really wanna go again, now," Sully said, readying her sword. "Get up, Alex."

I sighed. I knew it was what I had to do. I knew it. Yet, I still found myself mouthing off when exhausted and openly complaining when not. I knew that training was really the only way, and yet my dumbass 21st century brain kept trying to get out of doing anything physical. I didn't want that. I was sick of it. I got up. My muscles, while fully healed, were exhausted and screamed for me to stop. I didn't.

"Huh," Sully stared me down. "I expected ya to cry some more."

"I could," I replied, readying myself. "Or I could suck it up and keep going.'

"See, when you get like that, I actually think I respect you," Sully replied, "Hopefully you won't make me think twice when I beat ya again."

I breathed out shakily, before turning to Lissa with what I assumed to be the most resigned facial expression I could muster. "Lissa, please get the healing staff ready. I might die if you don't."

"I seriously don't think it's that serious," Lissa said, "But be careful, okay?"

I nodded, before turning back to Sully. I was ready and willing to be emasculated for the umpteenth time in just over a month.

"Ah, there you all are," Chrom said from one of the many entrances into the barracks, "Thought I might find all of you here."

"Hey, Captain," Sully waved. "Just breaking in the new recruit still."

"If Sully isn't kicking my shit in, I'm running, and she's usually still back here. It'd be pretty hard to find us anywhere else." I snarked, earning a glare from Frederick.

How about you learn to shut your damn mouth, asshole.

Chrom chuckled as Frederick snapped back to attention. "We are here, milord. What do you require of us?"

After a quick cough, Chrom continued. "The council and Emmeryn have finally allowed me to mobilize the Shepherds. We're going to Regna Ferox tomorrow to request aid and soldiers to help protect our borders and our people."

Yeah, Ylisse only had a small contingent of soldiers, mostly used for guarding towns and cities. Very few of them had seen any real combat, apparently. I heard this from Robin, who was a little displeased after finding it out. Considering the Risen, who were still skulking around the countryside and the near-constant bandit attacks, Ylissean forces were spread incredibly thin. In the end, it would probably make us look weak, but it would be better than being dead.

It was more explanation than the game ever gave.

"Oh… Oh, we're going to Regna Ferox!?" Lissa squeaked, pulling the sleeves of her dress closer. "But it's always so cold up there, even in summer! Can't we send, like, a messenger, or something?"

I like cold weather, actually.

"We could," Chrom agreed, "But since we have so few soldiers, they'd have to go alone, or with minimal protection. Besides, if a member of Ylissean royalty were to give the request personally, it could be seen as a sign of sincerity." Chrom glanced at Lissa. "Hey, remember what I said? Hardship builds character! This'll be a good experience for you."

Lissa huffed, folding her arms in front of her chest. "You say that now, but when we're freezing our toes off, you'll be all like 'Wow, Lissa, I should have listened to your infinite wisdom!'."

"Don't worry, we'll buy warmer clothes in Auraegis." Chrom smiled. "Or we could go as fast as possible. We'd probably make it in half the time if we just skipped Auraegis and went straight to Bellator."

"Don't you dare," Lissa hissed, "If we don't stop and get warmer clothes, I'll put frogs in your boots."

I was smiling a little watching the siblings interact, but I frowned when Auraegis and Bellator were mentioned. They sounded like places or cities, but if they were in the game, I didn't remember them being mentioned. It was disconcerting, but not unforeseen. It was only a matter of time before my memory was challenged like that.

Only one way to find out what it is, boy scout.

"Alright, I'm a bit lost," I said, "Bellator? Auraegis? What're those?"

"Auraegis is the northernmost city in Ylisse," Frederick helpfully informed me, "It was built to protect the heartlands from the northern barbarians several centuries after the Schism. Bellator is the eastern capitol of Regna Ferox." Frederick turned to Chrom. "When do we intend to depart, milord?"

Okay, those were definitely not in the game.

"Early tomorrow morning." Chrom replied. "We still need to gather supplies and wagons for the trip."

"I will see to it that is attended to at once, milord." Frederick bowed. "Who else shall be accompanying you?"

"I'll be sure to pick them out tomorrow, Frederick. For now, we should focus on this."

That was that. After just over a month of downtime, and the story was getting back on track. Unless my memory was wrong, and I was not discounting that fact, we would head off north to the eastern capitol of Regna Ferox, encountering a roving band of Risen and fighting a small skirmish with overcautious border guards. I still wasn't even half-decent with a weapon, and Frederick had said I was clunky and prone to being surprised easily. I still hadn't even learned how to read yet. It would all have to be attended to later, of course. I did remember something else about the trip to Regna Ferox, though: there were the paralogues that took place there.

Wait… the Paralogues!

It was never really given when exactly they took place, because you could do them at any time. I idly wondered when they would happen, if at all.

I tried not to think about what would happen if none of them did.

"Vaike."

"Yeah?"

"Where the hell's your axe?"

Vaike gave me a look like I was the dumbest entity on the planet. "What're you talkin' about, Alex? Teach never forgets his axe! He just… misplaces it sometimes."

"Vaike, fuck's sake, it's not around your belt, you're not holding it. Where is it, then?" I said, holding my arms out to my sides as if the verdant countryside around us would give the answer. A moment later, my expression morphed into one of disgust. "And forget and misplace might as well be the same thing! Oh, please, God, don't tell me you shoved it up your-"

"Vaike. You left this crude blunt instrument within your quarters," Miriel said, coming up from behind us. I nearly jumped while Vaike only turned around, chuckling at me.

"Heh, thanks Miriel. Woulda been a real crapshow if ol' Teach went into battle without his trusty axe!" Vaike gave her a thumbs up.

Miriel appeared unimpressed. "See to it that you do not neglect to take it with you in the future, lest I graft it to your hands permanently." She turned back and entered one of the carts we were bringing with us up north.

Vaike's face visibly paled at Miriel's words, which made it hard for me to contain outright laughter. He shoved me, forcing me to step back a few steps, but that only made it funnier.

Vaike was a funny guy, in all honesty. I thought so, at least. Despite the fact that he did have incredible muscles that could easily turn me into an armored pretzel, I just couldn't find it in me to take him seriously.

Almost every single currently active Shepherd except Maribelle, who was on some important business back in Ylisstol, and Ricken, who I hadn't even seen yet, were there. We were all getting ready for our trip to the north. We were traveling light, with only a few horse-drawn carts. Auraegis was only around a week or two away, and that was where we would be getting the bulk of our supplies, as well as most of our warm clothes.

It was interesting that we would apparently need several layers of clothing for when we traveled to Regna Ferox's eastern capitol, considering that it was roughly the middle of summer, as far as I could tell.

"Alright!" Chrom said, standing majestically in front of us all. "Is everyone here?"

"W-wait! I'm coming!"

Christ on a cracker!

Chrom looked quizzically at the green cavalier running towards us. "Stahl?"

I gave Vaike a look. "You forgot about Stahl, didn't you?"

"What? The Vaike forgets nothing!" Vaike claimed.

"He forgot," Lissa agreed, "He forgot to tell Stahl where we were going. I can't believe it!"

"Hey! I told ya the Vaike never forgets! I… just don't always remember, is all."

"Are you serious? You'd forget your own name if you didn't say it constantly!" Lissa said, "At least you didn't forget your axe like last time."

"But I- Yeah! The Vaike would never lose his trusty axe!" Vaike lied, "And what was that about 'last time'? I only didn't bring it that one time! …Okay, maybe two times! But those were during training sessions, and those don't count. Anyway, glad ya could make, Stahl, ol' buddy!"

"I almost didn't make it!" Stahl said. It looked like he was about to start openly weeping. "I didn't even get to eat breakfast before I left! There was bacon, and sausage, and muffins… Oh Gods, I can feel my stomach rumbling."

If you don't stop talking about it, my stomach might start rumbling too. So please stop. Thanks.

"I forget how interesting the people you gather are, Chrom," Robin remarked.

"Heh. Yes. I wouldn't have it any other way," Chrom replied.

The game always made it seem like the first few chapters happened within a few days. In fact, I distinctly remembered Chrom and the gang arriving in Ylisstol and leaving for Regna Ferox on the same day in-game. When I was there? Just over a month. It did make sense that things would be moving slower, but that in no way made me feel better. Not that many things made me feel better.

You're complaining again, boy scout.

I grumbled as I sent those irritating thoughts to the back of my mind. I was out marching alongside one of the carts we'd brought with us. There was a rotation to it, and I just so happened to be one of the unlucky ones to be marching on foot. In armor. With a shield in my left hand and a sword sheathed on my hip.

Learning how to put all that crap on was a story all its own.

"Gah! Motherfuck- Fuck!" I shouted in pain as my face met cold, unforgiving steel. I stumbled back, nearly being run over by a horse-drawn cart before regaining my balance and glaring in front of me.

Kellam again.

"Ah, sorry. I've been in front of you this entire time, just in case you wanted to know," The dark-haired armored man said quietly. That voice did not suit him.

"How the hell did I even run into you, Kellam?" I asked, beginning to march again. "We're walking for fuck's sake. Unless you did it on purpose."

"I'm trying to pace myself," Kellam responded passively, "If I don't, I'll get exhausted before we rotate again."

"So, it was me who was going too fast, then. Fantastic," I sighed, before a thought occurred. "Kellam, how long have you been marching?"

"Since we've started, I think."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. "Kellam, dude, we've been marching for three days! And you've been marching in plate armor for that long!?"

Kellam shrugged. "I've tried getting the captain's attention, but he either doesn't hear me or thinks the trees are trying to talk to him. Besides, we make camp before I collapse."

"Christ, man. That's rough. I'm sorry for running into you."

"That's nice of you to say. Thanks," Kellam said. I couldn't get a good look at his face, but I could've sworn he was smiling slightly.

"Yeah, no probl-" I stopped, staring into the distance. "What the hell…?"

Smoke rose into the sky eerily, just down the road.

It was a bloodbath.

Several covered wagons were burning right on the road, about ten or eleven in total. They were never in the same place; each was directly in front of the other. Each one had a small amount of damage that couldn't have been caused by the flames that engulfed them. Arrows peppered one, while another looked as if someone with incredible strength just started punching out the wheels.

The bodies were the worst part. I was not exaggerating when I said it was a bloodbath. Men, women, children, all of them laid out on the ground with varying degrees of injuries. It wasn't like last time, where all the bodies were gathered to the side of the road, but that just made it more disturbing. One man still held an axe in his stone-cold grip, chest cut open. A woman was slashed across the back looking like she was trying to get away.

Once more, it was the stuff of nightmares. The bodies were all fresh. The people, or things, that did it were not far away.

Chrom ordered us to look for survivors. Frederick did not protest, and a good portion of us were sifting through broken and burning wreckage, looking for anyone who might've survived.

I nearly vomited again for the hundredth time since I'd arrived in Ylisse. I was able to keep my lunch down successfully, but just barely.

"Oh God…!" I choked out, flipping over a piece of wood to reveal another body. That one's leg had been cut open, and the blood on the ground was still wet.

The body jerked, its eyes opening so far and so fast I thought its eyelids would peel off.

He's still alive.

"Heee… Heeelp…" He breathed out, arm shaking as he reached out to me. "Please…"

"Oh shit!" I shouted, "Chrom! Lissa! I found one! He's alive!"

They were there within moments. Lissa gasped seeing the man but was only frozen for a moment before she put her staff into action. The man moaned and groaned, but his wound was healed. He was still suffering from a lack of blood, though. Chrom knelt, putting a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Be still, friend," He said softly, "You're safe now."

The man had a tenuous grasp on consciousness at best, but without the pain of his leg wound, he looked more terrified than ever. "No… No, not safe! They'll be back! I need to get out of here! Now!"

Chrom kept a comforting grip on the man. "Be calm. It is going to be alright. Who will be back? What happened here?"

"M-monsters! From the forest!" The man screamed, "T-they're still there! They'll be upon us within moments and tear us apart like they did with Susannah and Aunt Talidia and-!"

A scream came from the forest that surrounded us, bringing back to mind that horrible night within the fort. I stood up, fumbling a little but eventually unsheathing my sword. The forest seemed a little more sinister somehow.

This isn't right.

I didn't remember Chapter 2 being like that. Hell, they didn't encounter Risen again until that battle on the bridge. Something had gone horribly wrong.

Another scream, that one louder than the other one, echoed throughout the forest. Chrom looked around, his eyes narrowed. He unsheathed Falchion, pointing the tip of the blade towards the border of the forest. Lissa looked around wildly, before instinctively backing behind Chrom. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and her face was pale.

And once more, the forest is filled with stars.

At first, all I could see were their eyes. They still glowed with animosity towards all things, just as before. They weren't even trying to hide anymore; they just walked through the forest towards us. Purple corpses, moaning and groaning like the zombies back home. Small rays of sunshine beamed over them as they walked towards us, revealing more and more. All they wore were tattered and rotting clothes and rusted and dented armor. Some of them didn't even hold weapons. Fresh blood still stained the hands of some of them.

A single memory of a Risen nearly killing me back at the fort over a month ago came to the forefront of my mind. My breathing quickened audibly.

"Lissa," Chrom whispered, "Stay behind us."

Can I get behind you too?

The first Risen entered the open, followed by another and another. The one in the front twitched slightly, before it reared its head back.

Oh God please no not again not again not AGAIN.

It roared. An ungodly sound, it felt like it was rending the very air itself with its decaying vocal cords and lungs. If I looked closely enough, I could see small flecks of black blood forcing their way out of its mouth.

They were upon us within moments. It seemed like they were done playing games and charged with little organization or strategy. They had numbers, and they knew it. In the distance, I could hear more unearthly screams and the clashing of swords and axes, as well as the sound of fireballs being lobbed around.

The others were already fighting.

Chrom cut down the first one with Falchion with little effort, nearly bisecting the Risen that charged him. Two more came from each side, but at different speeds. It made it all the easier for him to cut them down. Their bodies and blood evaporated into the air.

I was not nearly so impressive.

The first Risen to charge me made me panic. It held an old axe up high, ready to cleave my head in two. Gritting my teeth, my expression the pure distillation of fear, I held up my shield. The axe hit my shield with an almost deafening 'clang!', and I felt the force nearly break my arm in the process.

I shouted or screamed. I couldn't tell which. I swung my sword into the Risen's side, feeling the resistance as it cut through rotted muscle and flesh. Black fluid oozed out of the wound. I didn't wait. I shouted again, this time aiming a lot higher. I knew that was stupid; I wasn't thinking of much. Luckily, the blade connected. My sword hit the Risen right in the side of the head. It wasn't strong enough to completely cut through the skull, but it was enough to kill as the red embers it had in place of eyes faded. I didn't need to get my sword loose, as the Risen evaporated into black smoke.

It wasn't bad. Unfortunately for me, I was so focused on the fact that I killed one that I almost failed to notice that there was another coming at me from the side. I noticed it just in time to get my shield up once more.

The Risen – this one didn't even have much of a face left, I noted oddly – didn't even bother using a weapon. It tried to full body tackle me. It launched its decaying body straight at me, slamming headfirst into my shield. I saw the shield bend and crack.

I didn't feel it, but I heard the sound of my forearm breaking. I fell to the ground with a yelp. The Risen, on the other hand, was completely undeterred. It tried to crawl onto me.

Memories of the last time that happened flooded my mind. I did not hesitate to stab it directly through the hole it had for a face with my good arm.

I got up as best as I could, but even then, I knew something was wrong with my left arm. If the snapping sound didn't clue me in, my falling back to the ground when I put pressure on it surely did.

I looked to Chrom to see him cut down another Risen with complete and utter ease.

The saddest thing is, is that you'll probably never be like that.

There weren't many left. Chrom had made sure of that. While I had two Risen down, I could tell quite a few fell to him. It was hard to tell just how many, but it could have been well over a dozen. The last Risen charged at him with reckless abandon, uncaring of the many that fell before it. Chrom dispatched it just as easily as he did the others. Its black blood coated the ground for just a moment before turning into smoke.

"I think that's the last of them!"

"Please…!" I coughed. "Please don't say that. You'll jinx us."

Chrom looked at me. "Jinx? What's- Gods! Are you okay, Alex!?"

"I think I broke my arm," I replied shakily, wobbling a bit on my feet. "Once the adrenaline wears off, I'm gonna be in a world of hurt, aren't I?"

"Not if I can help it!" Lissa said, standing up. "As long as I'm here, none of you guys are gonna be hurt for long!"

"Well, I appreciate that, Lissa, but I think we need to check up on the others," I said, walking towards them to the best of my abilities. "And what about that guy?"

We all looked down at the man on the ground. His eyes were closed but he was still breathing.

"I've got him," Chrom said, picking him up and hauling him over his shoulders like he weighed nothing. "Lissa, help Alex. We'll go check up on the others."

We weaved through a few broken wagons. Lissa helped me walk, but it wasn't long before I was biting my lip in an attempt not to scream. The adrenaline was wearing off.

We found the others just outside the row of destroyed wagons. They looked like they had taken a beating, a few of them were bleeding, but otherwise they seemed fine.

A lot better off than me, surely.

If you listen closely, I think you can hear the sound of my broken bones crunching together.

"Robin! Frederick! Everyone! Are you all alright?" Chrom said loudly, getting everyone's attention. There were a few grunts of acknowledgement, before Robin and Frederick stepped forward. He gently put the man down.

Robin looked none the worse for wear, although it looked like something had tried to pry through Frederick's armor. Just from looking at it I could tell that it would be a bitch to repair. Then my arm was jostled slightly, and my mind nearly went white with agony. It was a surprise I didn't start screaming.

"We are all alive, milord," Frederick reported.

"Barely," Robin muttered, "They didn't get to the carts, thankfully, but healing some of these injuries will take time. Especially considering we only have one cleric."

"Yeah, don't I fucking know that!" I nearly shouted.

"Okay, okay! I'll get started! Just calm down, okay Alex! Stay calm." Lissa shushed me.

"Y-yes, ma'am" I murmured, as the glow of Lissa's healing staff covered my arm.

"I do not understand," Robin said, "These Risen… From the reports you received, Frederick, they have always been disorganized, correct?"

"Indeed," Frederick confirmed, "As far as our scouts have reported, the Risen travel in roving bands, destroying anything they come across."

"Robin." Chrom looked at Robin with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell me you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

"This has all of the hallmarks of a trap," Robin said grimly, "Not the most cunning, or effective, but that is my belief. They left all this wreckage on the road, hoping someone would investigate, and when we were all spread out, they attacked."

Chrom groaned and held a hand to his forehead.

Frederick stepped forward. "Milord, we need to make for Bellator as soon as possible. We now have only more reason to do so."

Chrom took a deep breath. "Yes, Frederick, you're right. Once everybody is travel ready, we'll move."

The next few hours were a complete blur to me. It was much harder to heal broken bones than bruises, apparently. However, two thoughts refused to go away. They were disturbing ones.

The first was still the shock at having my knowledge of the game blown back into my face. Frustration mixed with alarm filled me with that thought. I had tried my absolute best making sure I'd changed nothing. That change had no explanation, no rhyme or reason. I couldn't think of a single thing that I could have done that could have led to it.

The second thought was connected to the first, and both of them made me want to hide somewhere and never show my face again. Like Robin said, it did feel like a trap. But somehow, some part of me felt like it was a trap deliberately laid out for us alone.

And Alex has graduated from effectively useless to just above useless. Pray for him. It won't help but it will be appreciated nonetheless.

When imagining the Risen screaming, just think of that one CoD Zombies shout. It will either ruin this for you or make it infinitely better.

There is one thing I've always found to be strange when it comes to Awakening and a good majority of fanfics within it: Where are all the cities? The settlements? A few get mentioned, like Themis, but you never see them. At best they may be mentioned once or twice but quickly forgotten about afterwards. Hell, I don't think the capitol of Plegia or Regna Ferox has a canon name. Parts of this chapter were an attempt to flesh out the world a bit more. Kudos to those who realize what 'Auraegis' is named after.

Next week (hopefully), you'll get another chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to hold this weekly upload schedule!

Hope you enjoyed!

Edited on 2/7/21. It's funny how removing unnecessary curse words goes such a long way to making Alex a lot more likable in these early chapter.