A thought occurred to me as I paced from corner to corner in my room in Castle Ylisse.

Remember how you used to do this at home? Back then, you just did it because you were bored. Now? You're doing it because you're too nervous. Too full of energy. It won't help, boy scout. It'll just amp you up even more.

I sighed as I conceded the point to my inner voice, stopping in my tracks.

The return trip to Ylisstol was just as brutal as the first time. However, unlike last time, it had a depressive atmosphere about it. The thought of war clouded many of the Shepherds' minds, except for the rowdiest of them. Even if I had known it was going to happen, that pressure got to me too. The thought of fighting in a war brought back unpleasant memories of my dad.

I felt a shiver up my spine as I recalled one particularly vivid memory before stamping it back down like so many before it.

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my heart rate down.

Once we'd finally made it back, Chrom made a decision that both surprised and made sense to me: we were to stay in Castle Ylisstol while our leaders prepared and sketched out a plan of attack. In other words, we were on constant standby, ready to be pulled at a moment's notice. It wasn't too bad; the castle staff were by all means very accommodating, and there were plenty of rooms for the entirety of the Shepherds. It's just that it made my already dangerously high anxiety levels go through the roof.

If we were all there, it would be a perfect explanation as to why the units were with Chrom and Robin for the attempted assassination of Emmeryn.

I cursed under my breath. Foreknowledge was a bitch.

As I saw the sun set through the curtained window, I attempted once more to calm myself down. First off, there was no guarantee the assassination would be carried out that night. Secondly, to support the first point, we could have been stationed at the castle for who knew how long. Thirdly-

Actually, that was it.

I groaned, slapping my forehead. "You're a fucking idiot, you know that Alex? An idiot."

Self-deprecation aside, I'd made my anxiety problem even worse.

"Calm down, moron," I murmured to myself. "You've made it this far, right? You'll get through this. I know it."

There was a knock at my door, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I was getting better at suppressing my reactions to surprises, but only when it came to vocalization; I still jumped when I was spooked.

Gritting my teeth and shaking my head for the umpteenth time, I called out: "Who is it?"

It took a few moments before a squeaky voice on the other side spoke. "Erm, it's, uh, it's Ricken. May I come in?"

The hell are you doing here?

I stepped up to my door and opened it, revealing the robed teen mage fidgeting just outside. He jumped slightly when I opened my door so suddenly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Need something, kid?" I asked exhaustively, rubbing my eyes. "Or did you just come here to see my pretty face?"

"N-not a kid," Ricken mumbled under his breath, before looking me in the eye. "May I come in, please?"

I leaned my head forward and looked both ways down the extravagant halls. No one was to be found. I looked at Ricken blankly for a few moments before grunting and moving away from the door, allowing him to walk in.

He took that as a yes and entered.

I had no idea what in the actual hell Ricken of all people was coming to me for. There had been no trace of him since I'd joined the Shepherds over three months before. It had been a blast coming up with all sorts of theories as to why. Was he studying for something? Was he dead? The theories didn't stop. And then he finally stood before me.

I was curious, to say the least.

"Alright, you're here," I pointed out, sitting on the side of a bed and resting my head in my hands. "What do you want?"

"A-ah, sorry!" He squeaked. Was I really that intimidating to him? "I just, uh, wanted to apologize."

I was silent, raising a brow.

"Er, that is, sorry for getting myself into a situation that made you and Sully have to come for me and Maribelle," He continued, "I-it was reckless of me. I know that. And like I said, I'm sorry. I just couldn't not do something!"

I held a hand up. "Okay, slow down. The hell brought this on? Did somebody get on your case or something?"

He stayed quiet for a second. "Robin s-said a lot about how I was reckless and foolhardy and that I should apologize to you and Sully for putting you at risk."

I groaned, hiding my face behind my hands. Truthfully, I understood why Ricken did what he did, and in that case, it ended in our favor. If Robin gave the lecture I thought he did, it was almost certainly to curb whatever reckless tendencies Ricken was developing. Making sure the next time he tried being a hero it wouldn't end in tragedy and all that. In short, just because it ended well that time, didn't mean it would end well next time.

A notion I wholeheartedly agreed with. Ricken was still basically a kid.

Ignore the fact that you're only nineteen yourself, boy scout. Technically eighteen when you joined up.

"Fucking hell, Robin," I murmured. "Alright, I can see some logic behind that. Did you at least go to Sully first?"

"W-what?" Ricken stuttered. "Yes? I don't understand why that is important."

"Because she did a whole helluva lot more than I did," I replied. "But whatever. I think I have something to say to you, Ricken."

"W-What is it? I didn't do something else wrong, did I?" Ricken asked worriedly.

I sat up straight and stretched my arms. "It's not so much anything you did wrong, just a little friendly advice, alright? Nothing serious. Please stop shivering; it's not winter yet."

"Ah, sorry."

"It's fine, just, yeah." I took a deep breath. "What you did was reckless. It ended well this time, but who's to say it will end well the next time you pull something? I'm not gonna lie to you, Ricken, because you seem like a good kid, but I really don't think you should be out there fighting."

Ricken took a few steps back, looking like I'd smacked him upside the head. "W-what? But why? I know, I know! I was reckless! I did something I wasn't supposed to do. But I saved Maribelle! And you even saw me! I can hold my own in a fight! Why can't I fight!?"

I massaged my temples as his voice rose. "Ricken, how old even are you?"

"I'm fifteen!" He replied, puffing out his chest. "I know it doesn't look like it. But I'll be tall like you all! As soon as I hit my growth spurt."

"Back where I came from, you couldn't even enlist in the military until you were eighteen," I said. "You're a kid, Ricken. Enjoy it while you can, for fuck's sake. And if you really wanna help with the war and the fighting the Shepherds do, do it from the back, from the sidelines. That's just my two cents, anyway."

Ricken's expression grew bitter for a few seconds. "With all due respect, mister, you're far away from where you come from, aren't you?"

I had to suppress a grimace. "Why is it when someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?" I tried my best to not glare at Ricken. "Not hard to see I'm a foreigner, I guess. Still, that was uncalled for."

Ricken looked guilty. He didn't even look me in the eye. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I'll just be going now."

"Yeah," I grunted. "You do that. Remember what I said."

Ricken quickly shuffled out of my room, not even giving me a backwards glance. I heard his footsteps echo down the empty hallway from where I was sitting.

So much for getting along with all the Shepherds.

Despite what I'd said, I knew I was the asshole in that conversation. What right did I have to lecture Ricken? Maybe it was my nerves getting to me. Or maybe I was just always that way.

Both wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

"Great. You're an asshole, Alex," I mumbled angrily to myself. "What right did you have to say all that shit?"

I debated on what I could've done to pass the time. I didn't really feel like going outside or talking to anyone considering how my conversation with Ricken went. I groaned again, feeling a headache starting. Taking one more look outside, I saw the sun dip below the horizon.

In the end, I decided to sleep. The thought being that I might as well get as much rest as I could before we were attacked by assassins.

Of course, telling everyone about said assassination never crossed my mind.

I didn't wake up with a start, nor did I wake up crying or something stupid like that. It was slow, groggy, and the pounding in my head made me want to just press my face further into the nice pillow my head laid on. I couldn't even remember if I'd had a dream or not; all I had was a vague sense of anger and sadness, but I pretty much had that all the time, so it was nothing too out of the ordinary.

I opened my eyes so fast that my eyelids were in danger of tearing off my face once I realized what could've been happening at that moment.

I tried to not make any noise as I slowly lifted myself off of the bed. The nighttime lights of Ylisse and the Castle were the only things I could see outside my window. My headache refused to go away, and as I gathered the scattered pieces of armor that I'd spread around the room like an animal, it only intensified. Every time I bent down, it felt like my brain cells were having a party. Nonetheless, I gritted my teeth and dealt with it.

Once I had everything on, I grabbed my sword and took a peek outside.

The decorated hallway was completely void of light; all the lamps were out. It was so quiet I could even hear my own footsteps.

I tried to keep my breathing level as I looked from side to side, peering into the blackness. My heart-rate increased, feeling like my heart would burst out of my chest at any moment. The silence was the thing getting to me. It was an unnatural silence, the kind you only heard in soundproofed rooms or when something horrible was about to happen.

Then I heard it. It sounded like an explosion coming from outside, and then a scream.

"Fuck," I hissed, grimacing. I tiptoed out of my room, inwardly cursing everything in existence.

It was a dumb decision. Visibility was near-zero, and any assassin worth his or her salt could have easily slashed my throat from behind. Hell, I wasn't even sure me going forward on my tiptoes was quiet; it felt like every step I took was a bomb going off. I went through hallway after dark hallway, searching several rooms, completely and utterly lost in the labyrinth that was Castle Ylisse.

I didn't know the place very well. I could've been traveling in circles for all I knew.

My plan was simple: rendezvous with the rest of the Shepherds, or wake up any Shepherds that were still sleeping, and fend off the assassins. Hopefully, Lucina would do her thing, Chrom wouldn't be injured, and Emmeryn would continue to live until I let her die.

My lips curled back into a snarl as that thought crossed my mind again, and like so many other times before, I buried it.

I continued to walk those halls for several minutes, until I heard footsteps coming from around a corner.

"Damnit!" I murmured, getting behind a corner. I remarked in my head how often I took out enemies like that, except when I was on an open battlefield. Even then, though, I relied more on surprise tactics than anything else.

Some hero you are, huh?

I could have gotten behind a door. It would have been simple, and easily allowed me to get past the several people coming down the hallway. However, something in me just didn't want to cower behind a door waiting for assassins to kill my friends.

Like many other decisions that night, it was a stupid one.

To their credit, the people coming up the hallway were almost completely silent; if it wasn't for the quietness, I would've never heard them. The only sounds were the distant shouts and clashing of weapons I'd gotten so used to recently.

I struck the instant they passed the corner's threshold.

I shouted, swinging my sword wildly as I finally got a good look at them.

There were two. They were dressed conservatively, with robes and bits of armor patched on in a few places. The moment I came upon them swinging and screaming, they recoiled in surprise.

Mercenaries.

I was just glad they weren't people I knew. That would've ended badly.

My sword slashed through one's gut, going just below the chest plate he was wearing. Blood splattered to the floor, as he shrieked like a howler monkey. The other was stunned for only a few more seconds before yelling and attempting to stab me in the chest. My new shield didn't allow that to happen as I pushed forward, prioritizing aggression over defense. He tried to get past my shield, but a quick stab to the leg stopped him from doing anything for a moment.

His friend, whose gut I had opened, was grabbing at the wound like he was trying to keep something in. I slashed my sword across his throat, and he fell to the ground a second later like a puppet with its strings cut.

I yelped as the other one tried to stab through my chest with his own blade. It hurt, but it didn't get through the armor there, thankfully. Shouting, I ran him through the stomach, it being a weak point in their armor and all.

I saw blood dribble out of his lips as I stabbed him again. And again. And again.

He fell to the ground like a sack of rotten potatoes.

I stood there for several seconds, taking deep breaths and making sure not to stare at the bodies of the two men.

…Nope. Still not used to it.

It did mean I was getting better, though. At fighting. I took down two people all on my lonesome. I hated to admit it, but I felt a small amount of pride at that. Three and a half months ago I could barely wield a spear properly, let alone a sword.

Then again, it could just as easily be luck that I'd survived, and they didn't. The other one did try to stab me through the heart. Even with the armor, it still hurt like a bitch. If I wasn't wearing armor, it could have either incapacitated me, or killed me outright.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a few seconds before opening them and going down the hallway the assassins came from. Even though they were more like the people we fought back at the first battle of the war.

I didn't get very far down that hallway before a robed man came around the corner with his head held high, like he belonged there. He noticed me instantly and regarded me with a sneer.

"Ah, another Ylissean dog that needs to be put down," He said, in a refined and gravelly voice. He raised his tome and his outstretched palm glowed with an unearthly fire. "Burn in the name of the God of Destruction!"

A mage. We really be doing this right now.

"Fuck that!" I blurted out without thinking. I hesitated for just a moment, my brain caught between fight-or-flight at the sight of the flames the mage commanded. It gave him just enough time to cast the fireball that then hurtled towards me.

I finally regained control of myself and I flattened myself against the floor. The fireball soared above me and kept going. It smashed into the wall just behind me, exploding loudly and engulfing the wall in flames.

I whimpered looking at it, as I felt a few embers burn into some of my exposed skin. Thankfully, neither me nor my armor and clothes caught on fire. I looked towards the mage to see him smiling as his hand glowed once more.

Okay, no more being indecisiveness or trying to play hero. Get the fuck outta there!

I quickly scrambled back to my feet and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction of the ungodly mage. My mind raced with images of me being charred to a crisp. I blinked beads of sweat away from my eyes as I ran, feeling the heat behind me.

Somewhere, deep down, I felt a small amount of envy. I wish I could do what the mage was doing.

It felt like I'd been running forever. I could feel the mage hot on my heels, so I kept going, hallway after hallway, running through a few rooms on my way, one of which had to have been the servant's quarters.

I tried to ignore the bodies I saw in there.

It wasn't much longer after that I ran into an issue. Three, large issues.

I rounded a corner and saw three mercenaries, standing around the corpses of several guards. I stopped, my mind blue screening at the sight of them. The instant they spotted me, they readied themselves, reaching for axes and swords and pointing them at me.

"…God… fucking… damnit!" I shouted, charging at them. Another of the many decisions that was made under rather poor circumstances.

I didn't get very far before fire exploded just next to me. The sudden heat and light startled me so bad I fell to the floor, and my sword skidded across the finely finished floor.

Together, the mage and mercenaries surrounded me.

"Wily, this one is," The mage said, regarding me like one might regard an insect. "I am unsure if Our Lord would even consider him a worthy sacrifice."

"Cripes, you guys and your 'Lord' talk," One of the mercenary's said with disgust. "Just lucky you're payin' us so much to go lootin' and killin' in this place."

"Mind your tongue, sellsword, lest I cut it out," The mage replied coolly, looking down to the mercenary. "You and your ilk should count themselves lucky that you stand on the precipice of history itself."

The mercenary waved his arm dismissively. "Uh huh. Whatever you say."

"Such insolence!" The mage growled.

My sword was too far away for me to try and grab without being cut down in an instant. I could've tried to fight with my fists, but I felt something keep me from doing that. There was a vibration in the floor. Barely there. Just beyond the sound of bickering enemies, I could hear what sounded like… paws? It was hard to tell considering the four morons who had me cornered were talking really loudly.

I called them morons, and yet I was the one on the floor at their mercy.

You've done that a lot, boy scout.

"Fools. I suppose I'll dispose of this tiny morsel and we shall be on our way," The mage stated, gathering fire in his hand. "If you step out of line, I will sacrifice your souls to Our Lord as well. Now," He looked at me, and smiled sinisterly. "Burn to ashes, pathetic whelp!"

I was frozen. It would be just like me to die not doing anything to prevent my own death.

Either way, I didn't die.

The sound of paws on the floor only grew in intensity as time went on. Eventually, just before the mage sent his fireball directly at me, I saw two red lights peer at us from the darkness.

It moved fast. Faster than anything I'd ever seen. The mage didn't have any time to react before a huge creature leaped out of the shadows and sent him to the ground. He screamed, screamed in such primal fear that I cringed. The mercenaries gasped and did nothing for several moments as the mage was quickly torn apart by tooth and claw.

What I saw in the dying light was a monster. It had the basic shape of a skinny rabbit, but it was massive. Larger than any I'd seen. Two glowing red eyes that felt like they could see into my very soul peered from each side of its skull. Brown fur covered a majority of its body, with a lighter tan color covering its underbelly. Blood was splattered across most of it. Bristling muscle stretched taut over its bones, and I could see them move underneath the furry skin as its front legs tore into the mage, separating muscle from bone and turning the poor man into a bloody mess. He was still gurgling when the creature dug its snout into his throat and killed him.

…Panne.

The mercenaries, perhaps a bit stupidly, attempted to kill her. Out of shock, or maybe pride, they charged all at once. Panne looked up and stood on her hind legs, making her appear bigger than them all, before she charged right back at them. The first mercenary attempted to cut her across the face, but Panne was too quick. She ducked under the blade, as if her body was made of water, before her front legs quickly mauled him. It was a quick death, unlike the mage.

The second mercenary attempted to get her from behind. This ended with him getting kicked with Panne's powerful hind legs, sending him hurtling into a wall. I heard his bones crack and blood splatter across the wall.

The last mercenary, with tears in his eyes, attempted to fight off the monster rabbit. He swung wildly, almost feebly, as Panne gently got closer, like a predator stalking its prey. Those red eyes of hers did not leave those of the surviving mercenary as she took step after step.

Having enough of it, the mercenary ran at her. A gored throat was his response as he guzzled on his own blood on the floor. I barely even saw her swipe her front paw forward.

The entire scene played out in front of me. It felt like I wasn't even there. Panne finally regarded me, and quietly, slowly approached me. Her taguel form was almost too much; it felt like I was about to pass out. It just looked so wrong, so unnatural. The eyes were the worst. They were the eyes of a monster.

She didn't stop until she was right in front of me, those goddamn eyes of hers felt like they pierced straight through to my skull. She sniffed me a few times, and I moved my head away as the smell of blood nearly made me vomit.

"Hmph," The taguel sniffed. "You smell different from these other manspawn. Are you part of the Exalt's warren?"

"W-warren?" I stuttered, almost too terrified to speak. "S-shit, I mean, I kinda work for the Exalt's brother, which means I technically serve the Exalt, I guess."

In the distance, I swore that I heard a sound similar to a sledgehammer smashing against a wall. Only amplified.

Panne didn't move for several seconds. "Manspawn have such roundabout ways of speaking," Panne remarked in that flanging voice of hers. I tried not to notice that her mouth wasn't even moving. She moved away from me as her form shifted. "I am here to repay my warren's debt to the Exalt. If you are so terrified that you cannot walk, you can stay here. You will merely slow me down otherwise."

Her voice went from flanged to normal-sounding in the span of a second, as Panne took on her less bestial form. Lines traced her green face, with long brown hair tied into braids falling across her chest. Rabbit-like ears drooped down the side of her head. She wore simple leather clothing, although I wasn't sure how they got there. Probably just transformed with her.

I don't even wanna know how that works.

I blinked, before climbing to my feet, using my arm to support myself. My legs shook not from exertion, but from fear. My left arm was lightly burned from the fireball the mage launched at me, but otherwise I was completely fine.

"N-no," I answered, causing her to tilt her head. "I mean, you're here to help us?"

I had to play the unknowing soldier somehow. Asking obvious questions was the beginning of that.

"Did I not say so?" Panne questioned back pointedly, folding her arms. "My warren owes the Exalt's family greatly. As its last surviving member, I intend to fulfill our promise. The honor of the taguel will not be stained by unpaid debts."

"Right," I replied slowly, taking a deep breath. "Just wanted to confirm. I've been trying to find the Exalt and shit but I feel like I'm going in circles in this place. Might as well go through this labyrinth with someone else, right?"

Let's just forget that this woman can transform into the fucking Rabbit of Caerbannog.

"If you must," Panne said, after staring at me with those blood red eyes of hers. "Be warned, manspawn. I will leave you behind if you are too slow."

I sighed, walking over to my sword and picking it up. I tried to ignore the four maimed bodies that were scattered. "Yeah, yeah. I'd honestly prefer it that way." A thought occurred. "Wait, can you, I dunno, smell the Exalt or something? It'd be a bit easier to find her that way."

Panne's eyes narrowed. "Is it in the nature of all manspawn to be so annoyingly inquisitive, or is this trait solely your own? I was making my way through your Castle-warren when I found you. The Exalt and those like her have a distinct scent, as my ancestors said. Now, do you intend to ask more questions, or shall we be on our way?"

I grimaced, subconsciously taking a step back at her agitated tone before shaking my head. "No, I don't. Let's go."

"Hmph."

What followed was a dead sprint through Castle Ylisse's halls. Panne stayed in her humanoid form, but even then, she was faster than me by a wide margin. I had to work to keep up with her at the best of times. It was also a little difficult when my eyes kept getting drawn to her little bunny tail. Bit of a conundrum to me on how the hell that was still there even after she transformed back.

Occasionally, I heard that same sound from before. Like a rockfall. I tried my best to ignore it.

We went past several rooms, all filled with bodies of guards and servants alike. Only a few corpses belonging to the mercenaries and mages that assaulted us peppered the rooms. The mess hall was the worst of it, though. Panne didn't even give it a second glance, but the smell almost made me throw up.

Castle Ylisse had turned into hell.

It felt like I was finally making progress, at the very least. We were probably almost to a holdout location if the growing sounds of battle I heard were anything to go by. However, there was one last speed bump to get over.

"Sir, I found him! That brigand who threw down his weapon and tried to run!" Someone said.

"You did? Excellent! Bring him here. I want to look this scum in the eye," A stern voice replied.

Panne slowed down. "These manspawn smell as you do. Except one."

I panted, trying to catch my breath for a few moments before responding. "Y-eah, probably a few guards. Shit, lemme talk to 'em. We can use all the help we can get when we find the Exalt."

"As loathe as I am to admit it, you speak the truth." Panne responded. "I shall leave the talk to you; speaking with manspawn exhausts me."

We walked closer, the light of torches finally illuminating the ominous-looking walls. It wasn't long that we got close enough to see everyone.

A group of soldiers, all wearing the armor marking their station. One in particular stood above them, wearing heavier armor. He had blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

Knight.

The guy they surrounded wore a cloak over a regular-looking tunic. A headband kept his orange hair from getting into his eyes. I could see a small stick protruding from his mouth. With all of those traits, it was a no brainer who the person the soldiers were aiming their pointy sticks at was.

Motherfucking Gaius.

I immediately walked forward, catching the attention of the Knight.

"Hold! Stay where you are!" He ordered, brandishing a spear. "Do not take a single step forward lest I cut you down before you may draw your arms!"

"That was a bit of mouthful for you to say," I mumbled under my breath, before looking up. "Relax. I'm part of the Shepherds. Alexander, or just Alex, if you don't wanna say it completely. Tall, dark, and bloody over here is P- I-I mean, what is your name, ma'am?"

Smooth.

"My name is Panne, manspawn." The taguel replied succinctly.

"Yeah, her name's Panne. She helped me. So, uh, stop pointing weapons at us?" I held my arms out, a nervous smile spread across my face.

The Knight stared at me for a good few moments, studying me. He lowered his spear, making me sigh in relief. "Yes, I remember you, now. You were in the mess hall earlier this evening. You had issues with table manners."

I cringed as that memory came screeching to the front of my mind. "Christ, and what an impression I've made, huh?"

"Indeed," The blonde-haired knight replied, with a small twitch at the edge of his lips. "I am Knight-Captain Edward Claive. I am in charge of the guard here at Castle Ylisse, or what's left of it, that is." He finished, frowning.

I thought I'd heard the last name Claive before, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I walked forward. "That's, uh, rough. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

"These dastards appeared out of nowhere, that's what happened!" Edward snarled, before regaining his composure. "Half my men were dead before we knew we were under attack. These mercenaries aren't the most skilled, but it's these thieves and dark mages that are the real killers. I can't even get word outside for aid; something always cuts down those who I send out, and I need every man I can get to reach the Exalt." He sighed, running a gauntleted hand down his face. "I just pray that the Exalt's guards yet live. Flight-Commander Phila was always more skilled and paranoid than I."

I attempted to speak, but a certain orange-haired thief cut me off.

"I'm still here, by the way," Gaius drawled. "I know it's really hard to miss me and all, considering how you fellas caught me."

I had to suppress a smirk. "Who's your friend?"

"A thief, sent to either raid the royal coffers or to assassinate the Exalt herself. I intend to put a stop to his crime spree here," Edward replied, raising his spear.

"Okay, look, friend," Gaius began. "Raid the coffers? Sure, I'd do that. Came in here thinking I was, and then Mr. Gangles comes in saying we're here to kill the Exalt. That's just not my style, right? The Exalt is a nice lady and all. Would never dream of harming a hair on her head."

Edward laughed humorously. "Indeed? And I should take your word for it, after you've thrown your lot in with these assassins? I think not. In fact, I think you should not speak another word, lest I lose what little patience I have left."

Obviously not a good situation for Gaius to be in. I had to think quick, or else he'd find Edward's pointy stick going straight through his face. Unfortunately, the only thing that came to mind was something that would need to be explained away later. It'd also make me seem a lot cleverer than I was, but that was neither here nor there. What mattered was getting Gaius out of there.

I looked down at Gaius, faking a confused expression before I lit up in recognition. "Wait… Holy shit, you're Gaius, aren't you?"

He stared up at me, eyes narrowed. "Yeah? Why? Not gonna lie, you knowing my name makes me think I haven't been as careful as I should be lately."

"You know this man, Alexander?" Edward asked me, surprised.

I nodded, smiling. "Hell yeah, I do. Seen his face on some of those posters in downtown Ylisstol. He's, uh, a really good thief. You probably heard a few things about him a couple years ago."

"Uh huh. Say, did they at least get my nose good this time? I swear, they never get that part right."

"Well, I was able to recognize you." I replied.

"Oh! I recall a certain incident a couple years ago, back when I was a subordinate of the previous Knight-Captain," Edward said. "Damned thief broke into the treasury and was given immunity in exchange for ratting out his bosses. That was you!"

Gaius shrugged. "Hey, you guys should've guarded it better. And put better locks on those vaults. Hell, there's a lot of things you guys could've done. Taking candy from a baby wasn't as easy as getting into the treasury."

"The mouth on this thief," Edward remarked. "Is there a reason you revealed his identity?"

"Well, yeah," I said after a brief moment of thought. "What I'm saying is that, just look at him. He's unarmed, claims to not want to attack the Exalt. At this point, killing him would be rather brutal, right? Also a wanted man. We should take him to the Exalt. And hell, who knows, we might be able to convince him to join our side."

That last sentence was a bit on the nose, boy scout.

"I fail to see how that correlates very much with his identity," Edward said, frowning. "Nonetheless, you would have me fight with a brigand at my side? I'd sooner accept a Grimleal mage as my brother-in-law. How would you even convince him?"

Gaius attempted to stand but looked up and slowly sat back down at the rapid approach of spears. "Heh, it's not too hard to get me on your side. Like I said, Emmeryn's a good person. If you were to say, sweeten the deal, I wouldn't mind fighting for her."

"Why waste time on this brigand? He could just steal money whenever he needs it," Edward said angrily. "However, I do see some merit in your words. It would not do to murder a man who has not raised a weapon to me. We shall take him to the Exalt, unarmed."

…Well, your convincing skills need some work.

"Oh. This is great. As sweet as black licorice," Gaius said as he got up.

"You should thank your lucky stars that Alexander has convinced me not to slay you where you stand, brigand," Edward growled. "Pray that the Exalt is more merciful than I would have been."

"Uh huh. He's not wrong," Gaius looked to me. "From the bottom of my black thieving little heart, thank you, Sailor."

"Uh, no problem?" I said awkwardly, making it sound more like a question. "I mean, I guess?"

Gaius chuckled. "Heh, anyway, any of you got a lollipop or something sugary? Could use a pick-me-up."

"Be quiet." Was Edward's response.

"Manspawn are such strange creatures," Panne commented, stepping out of the shadows. "Your words are like the wind between leaves: nice, but utterly meaningless."

I nodded numbly as we ran once more, this time with a full squadron of guards and Gaius with us.

I was exhausted.

Somewhere, off in the distance yet closer than before, was another crash.

It felt like it took centuries, but we'd finally made it to the Shepherds, and by extension Emmeryn's, location. The light from oil lamps and torches was hard to miss.

"Wait, wait, wait! It's me! Alex! And well, I guess you don't know who this is," I began, pointing at Panne. "But it's me! And this other guy- Edward, right!"

"Brilliantly put, Alexander." Edward said dryly.

"I'm tired, leave me alone."

Vaike, Miriel, and Virion were guarding an entrance, and the minute they saw us approaching from the darkness, they took aim; Vaike readied his axe, Virion nocked an arrow, and fire gathered in Miriel's hands and glinted off her glasses. Once we got closer and they saw us, however, they put them down.

"Gods, Alex? Eddy? We all thought you were goners!" Vaike said in disbelief.

"I am glad to see you are well, my friends! Quickly, come inside. It is only a matter of time before these savages regroup and stage another push!"

"Interesting," Miriel murmured softly, staring at Panne. "No, it can't be! And yet- Tell me, are you a taguel?"

"I am," Panne replied sternly. "Is it normal for humans to study someone so closely? I feel as if I am being examined by a hunter."

"Simply fascinating," Miriel finished, continuing to stare at Panne for the duration of our conversation.

"Alright, alright, she's a friend, saved me, yadda yadda," I said lazily. "Can we just keep moving? I'd rather be on that side of the line when we get attacked again."

"You have a funny way of speaking, don't you Sailor?" Gaius grinned.

I ignored Gaius.

We were let in. Shepherds blocked every entrance point into where we were – I assumed we were in Emmeryn's Quarters, and the several hallways that surrounded it. I didn't know where Lucina and Emmeryn were, though. After a few minutes of wandering, I opened a door that led into a random room.

There wasn't as much light as there was in the hallways just outside, casting an eerie glow across the entire room. A single table with a map of what I assumed was the castle laid upon it. Chrom and Robin were standing on opposite sides of the table, and Frederick stood at Chrom's side.

"-just popped in out of nowhere, then? I apologize, Frederick, but they had to come in from somewhere." Robin argued. "Unless, well, teleportation magic is possible, correct?"

"I am unfamiliar in such areas, but I believe so, yes." Frederick answered. "Although teleportation directly into the Castle should be incredibly difficult, if not impossible; I was under the assumption that wards had been placed centuries ago. And even then, teleporting more than one individual is supposed to be near-impossible, from what I understand."

"Centuries ago," Robin repeated. "Perhaps wards can deteriorate with age, but I do not have enough information to give a definitive answer. When I look at the layout of the Castle, I cannot see a way they could have all entered without us noticing."

"Where they entered doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Chrom supplied, leaning forward on the planning table. "We need to either clear them out from the areas of the castle they occupy, or we slay their leader. I feel like we're sitting ducks staying here."

"Be that as it may, at this rate, their leader may come to us," Robin rebutted. "We have decimated a good portion of their forces when they tried to attack us that first time. Truthfully, without Marth's warning, we'd be even worse off. The way I see it, however, we should stay put. We have all entrances here covered and we have easily taken care of any that have attacked us."

Chrom grimaced, hanging his head for a second before looking back up. "I see your point, Robin. I just- This reminds me of that time we spent in that fort."

Robin nodded. "Indeed. We do not face the dead this time, though. We can beat them, Chrom."

"We have visitors," Frederick said, looking at us. Edward and his soldiers plus Gaius had joined the Shepherds in fortifying the area, but we were still a bit conspicuous; me and the taguel stood out like sore thumbs. it sounded like the start of a bad joke.

Chrom and Robin looked up, eyes widening at us.

"Alex! Thank the gods! I thought you were killed or otherwise misplaced, but- Wait, who's this?" Robin said, staring at Panne.

"I grow tired of repeating my name to these manspawn," Panne sniffed. "My name is Panne, and I have come to repay our warren's debt to the Exalt. Does this suffice?"

Robin stared blankly and turned to me. I shrugged. He then turned to Chrom.

"I thought the taguel were extinct?" Chrom said, perhaps a bit insensitively.

"Your kind certainly tried. And nearly succeeded. I am the last taguel I have seen in many a moon," Panne said. "Once I am free of this debt, I intend to be on my way. We are not friends, manspawn."

"You will fight for us?" Chrom asked.

"I have been doing so since I have arrived. There were many of these foul-smelling manspawn to the east. They have been hunted down."

"You've already helped us defend this castle even before we knew it. That's good enough for me," Chrom smiled. "We would be honored to accept your aid."

"For as long as you have it," Panne replied, her red eyes unblinking.

"Fuck, that happened," I breathed out. "I mean, that's nice and all, but what do we do now?"

"That was what we were trying to figure out," Robin responded, messaging the bridge of his nose. "We have withstood several waves of mercenaries and mages. They cannot have many more troops lest they alert the guards and soldiers within the city. Thankfully, Emm is secure."

Validar is coming.

Another crash. It was even closer that time, and made the walls shake.

Chrom steadied himself. "What in the Gods' name is that?"

"Hell if I know," I replied, panicking a bit. "I've been hearing that shit the entire way here. It's making me a bit fucking- God!" I nearly fell, my face scrunching into a snarl. I slammed the bottom of my fist into the nearby wall. "Fuck!"

"Alex, steady!" Robin said, grabbing me by the shoulders and bringing me back up. "We need to get out there. I think their leader may make a final approach soon."

"I was about to say the same thing," Chrom agreed. "Frederick, let's go. We need to drive these dastards from our home!"

"At once, milord."

Whatever possessed me to nearly collapse faded as Chrom said that. I just hoped I lasted long enough to see the end of this battle.

The battle had resumed outside, although the enemy was quickly falling to the combined might of the Shepherds and the remnants of the guards. The grand hall was only just outside the hallways where the Shepherds set-up, becoming a near perfect indoor battlefield.

I went to help, separating from Robin to fight and forget my growing panic and anxiety.

The mercenary screamed as my sword found its way through his chest. He rolled around on the ground as blood pooled from his wound. The way the light from came in from the windows cast a shadow over the wall. It was an elongated thing and made me shiver in disgust as I gave him a final stab through the chest once more. He stopped screaming.

And you thought the other battlefield was hell. Look at this!

The carpeted floor of the grand hall was covered in blood, soaking into every last inch of the place. The little available light only made it seem more hellish. The Shepherds fought against the mercenaries, utterly tearing them apart. Even the remainder of the guards were getting in on it, though there was very few of them running around.

The battle was going in our favor. At least until a guard near the entrance was blasted back. He hurtled through the air until he crashed against the wall in a pile of meat and gore.

Dear God, tonight will give me only the strongest of nightmares.

"I must admit, you have surprised me. To have the mercenaries I so generously paid slaughtered so easily by your hands," A rich, slimy voice cackled. "No matter. Even now their souls will speed along our judgment."

All the fighting stopped, what little of it there still was, as a tall, robed man walked into the hall like he owned the place. His limbs were gangly, resembling a spider's in the poor light. His wild black hair stood on end, and his eyes, those were the worst part. When they went over me, I felt my blood run cold.

Validar.

Once his eyes found Chrom nearby, he laughed. A dry sound, like the wind through a desert. "And the prince yet lives."

"I don't die so easily. Not when a dastard like you thinks he can invade our home and try to kill my family!" Chrom replied defiantly.

"Even so, you only delay inevitability," Validar casually waved off. "I will go through as many of you worthless whelps as I need to, reclaim what is mine, and leave this castle a smoldering ruin."

Validar hefted a massive tome in only one skinny arm, as his hand burst to life with purple light. His eyes felt like they grew in intensity, like if they were to look at you, you would burst into flames. I took a step back as a wave of pure malice nearly overwhelmed me.

CHRIST on a BICYCLE.

Chrom readied Falchion, ready to burst into a dead sprint at any moment. I saw them from the side, the definition of good versus evil. It was a scene one could find in a video game, or maybe as a CG in a visual novel.

Despite all of my numb feelings at that point, I still felt goosebumps looking at it.

It became even more badass once I saw Robin stand beside Chrom, tome in hand, lightning crackling around his fingers, glaring at the man he didn't know was his father.

Fuck, that's so cool.

If it was possible, Validar's magic only became brighter. "Oh? Could it be? Fate piles the gifts-!"

Everything stopped again once a scream was heard.

Face twisting in confusing, I looked around. The wall on the other side of the grand hall shook as… something slammed into it. Dust and small chunks of it fell to the gournd. Even Validar, the gangly evil bastard that he was, looked slightly off-put by the sound.

"What the…?" I whispered.

What happened next changed whatever thoughts I had on the world I'd ended up in. The definitive moment where I took a good look at myself and said: 'Where the fuck am I really?'.

The wall burst open, sending stone fragments flying at incredible speed and smashing against the floor and opposite wall. One in particular hit one of the few remaining mercenaries in the head, and he fell to the floor limp.

What stood in the hole in the wall could only be described as a nightmare. A tall, armored figure wielding a sword of pure moonlight in its left hand, while the other looked to be cramped and unmoving. The armor it wore was made of plate, covering every part of it in purplish-black metal. Even its head was covered by a helmet. The only clue I got to its appearance underneath was the red glow that covered the tiny slit used for seeing.

It was the most terrifying thing I'd ever seen.

Everything had stopped, with all those present staring in disbelief at the armored figure.

Validar sneered. "And who are you to interrupt-!"

That only lasted a moment.

It happened in just a second. The head of it instantly snapped to Validar, and it ran. It ran so fast and with such force I could feel the displaced air wash over me like a wave. The monster launched itself into the air with a single jump, it's silver sword shining so brightly I wanted to shield my eyes. It slammed down so hard a dust cloud formed where it landed.

When the dust cleared, whoever, or whatever it was, had stabbed Validar straight through the chest.

Safe to say, I was gobsmacked.

Validar weakly struggled, gurgling for a few moments before the thing raised its sword and stabbed him again, brutally.

Slowly, ever so slowly, it looked up. At us. That red light from its eyes, so much like Panne's or a Risen's, felt like it saw everything; it was all-encompassing. Unlike Validar's gaze, it wasn't filled with outright malice. Instead, all I felt was hate and rage.

Its armor clanked, sounding like a metal girder being bent, and it screamed. An awful sound, not because of its inhumanity, but because it sounded so human. I covered my ears and fell to my knees. I shut my eyes so tightly tears welled up at the corners.

When I opened them again, all I saw was the armored thing running away, with Validar's body hoisted on its shoulder.

I wasn't conscious for much longer after that.

So, uh, yeah. That happened. The first major change. Even though it ended the same, the method was very different. The closest thing I can equate the Armored Risen Knight thingy towards the end would be the picture I used to have as the cover. Inspired by Artorias of the Abyss and Berserker Lancelot when writing him.

Not gonna lie, this is the bloodiest, goriest chapter I think I've ever written. And you wanna know what the fun part is? It'll only get better from here. And it'll happen more often. I'd say we'll meet the end of Act 1 before we reach chapter 20. Hopefully I'll get past chapter 20 with this fic, because almost every multi-chaptered fic I've ever written has never made it past 20 chapters except like one. Here's to hoping, right?

Before I go, here's a theme:

Alexander's Theme - Clockwork Contrivance

Thanks to DestructionDragon360 for the recommendation!

Here's a link to our Discord server: /9XG3U7a

Not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter!

Edited on 2/12/21. Not much editing to this one. Still pretty solid in my opinion.