Author's Note: Sorry guys little late with this chapter I got caught up doing other stuff so I'm editing this crazy fast, I hope it doesn't affect the quality much. My parents have been renovating our house like crazy and I've been going out a lot to avoid all the workers coming in and out and when I go out I usually hang out with friends meaning I don't get the time to sit down and write. Anyways here's the fifth chapter.

Revenge is Best Served With Copious Amounts of Violence

After I recovered from my self-induced fever, I spent a few hours with Lissa telling her about Raimi and what kind of person she was. I had to admit, it felt nice. Like telling someone else about my unique perspective of her made her live on, at least in memory. That and it motivated me even more to finish my project and end Vaughan's life. The project had been finished the day before the Tournament of the Khans and now rested in the Armiger waiting for its moment.

"Huuurk!" My opponent thudded against the ground, groaning into unconsciousness. "Xander, winner!" I grinned and swung Bladeless up to my shoulder waving to the roaring crowd and catering to the fans.

The arena was packed. People from all over Regna Ferox and some from other nations had shown up in force over the last week. This made for great business for Tyrus and became a great turnout for the event itself. Harpax and Axia are somewhere in there. Most of the Shepherds were participating in the tournament and those who weren't, namely Lissa, Miriel, Virion, Sumia and Stahl were seated in a place of honor by the Khans.

Basilio 'Madeye' and Flavia 'Steelveins' are standing at their balcony clapping. I'd never seen the Khans in person before but now that I have it calls to mind why they had earned their titles. Basilio's 'Madeye' is a reference to his lightning fast reflexes despite the fact that he's half blind. 'Steelveins' comes from Flavia's talent with any weapon she picks up. It was a common sight to see her thrashing opponents in the arena with a different weapon each match.

The Khans are titans of Regna Ferox and represent the nation and all of its aspects.

I join the Shepherds on the sidelines where the fighters for Khan Flavia wait for their matches. "Well fought Xander." Chrom smiles excitedly at me. It's his match next. "I believe that's three opponents knocked unconscious in a row." Robin adds.

I smile back. "Don't lower your guard. Your true opponent is a magnitude stronger than those you have faced." Frederick says not looking at me. He's right of course. Vaughan, the one eared fuck, has been tearing through his matches. More of his opponents leave the matches as corpses than alive. He was a favored fighter unfortunately though. He may be a nasty piece of work but his constant victories in the past month have made him a bit of a fame.

"I understand, I won't underestimate him. I'm prepared for this." I reassure Frederick. The knight nods, looking towards Chrom's match. "Just keep your sword sharp and your wits sharper."

The other Shepherds win their matches with a small amount of effort, but nothing that matters in the grand scheme of things. They're clearly focused on the endgame six versus six match of the finals. My endgame will happen soon enough. My match with is only one victory away. One more match and Raimi can rest peacefully.

"Xander of Tyrus versus Ivan of Derbent! Match start!" The announcer called somehow over the din of the crowd. Derbent? Never heard of it. Must be up north somewhere. There's a lot of distant northern settlements that Ferox doesn't really keep track of.

I step forward towards my opponent keeping my eyes locked on his. Ivan readies his weapons, a pair of blood red short axes. "Bring it!" " I summon Bladeless, the crowd oohing at my flashy magic. Hey, I can show off a bit can't I?

"Gh!" I stumble back as something hits my newly formed weapon. Bladeless is knocked aside and I'm treated to the sight of Ivan jumping at me, his remaining short axe poised to cleave me.

Stupid, stupid! He must have been watching my previous matches. Ivan used the opening I gave him when I summoned Bladeless and the light the magic made blinded me for the same moment he used to throw his short axe.

Focus.

In another moment I have planted Bladeless and summoned a thick chain of blackened steel with a hook on end. My practice with the spatial magic has paid off and I can now store multiple items including my weapons and the new chain I forged. The hook and chain are simple reinforced steel but enchanted by Axia to give them the strength needed for me to use in practical battles. It just makes more sense for me to keep it separate from Bladeless instead of the chain wrapped on my arm limiting my mobility.

I stretch out the chain in both hands and it blocks the downward strike Ivan uses keeping the short axe away from my head by a few inches. I don't slow down and Spartan kick him in the chest sending him back a good distance. I connect Bladeless to my hook and just as Ivan is rearing back for another throw with his recovered second short axe whip the chain at him.

Bladeless follows coming down on my opponent like a flail. I rush in as he is recovering from the dodge and duck under a wild swing. His right comes in towards my left side and I catch his wrist making him drop the short axe in that hand. I uppercut him in the gut and push him over. I dismiss Bladeless from the ground where it lays and summon it in succession, this time keeping my eyes on my downed foe instead of getting distracted by the light.

The Heavy Sword swings down and rips his last short axe from his grip, the tip digging into the stone floor above his shoulder. Now weaponless and at my mercy, the man bows his head. "I yield."

"Xaaander wins!" I smile and help up my opponent. "Good fight Ivan. You gave me quite a good scare." Ivan surprisingly smiles back at me. "Was not good enough for big sword man." I blink. That's a Gregor accent, huh. "Drinks on me tonight, yes?" I perk up. "That sounds nice. Tell you what, if I don't have anything going on afterwards I'll take you up on that." Ivan nods. "Is good. I see you afterwards, bar is called Dark Rose. Be careful with crazy man, he is crazy." Despite the humorous way he worded that I nod seriously. "Trust me, He's the one who will have to be careful."

Before I knew it, I was standing in the center of the arena again. This time with my goal standing across from me. The match was announced a few moments ago and this bastard is standing with his back to me waving at the crowd like he isn't about to die.

I don't take the bait though and decide to wait till he turns towards me. I want to look at his face while he dies anyways. Vaughan finally turns to me a mad grin on his face. He flicks his hood back for the first time during the tournament baring his scarred face and missing ear to the world. He seems... oddly familiar.

He smiles disgustingly at me and unsheathes his Lancereaver, a short sword specifically forged to deal with lances and spears. Wielding a Lancereaver doesn't automatically guarantee a win against a lance user however, it's more of a sword style that is used in tandem with the weapon used to deflect jabs and get within the guard of a lance user with ease.

This man obviously knows how to use it though. He took down Raimi after all.

That's when it clicks in my head. The familiar perverse grin, the shortsword, his killing of Raimi.

"Vincent?!"

The madman freezes and his smile drops. "How do you- What's that darling? You're saying this is the Bitch's little brother? How wonderful! I get to murder another person who helped kill you and see how well the boy has grown!"

Rage flows through me like a rushing river and I growl. "Vincent you bastard!" I leap at him swinging Bladeless down in an overhand cleave. He parries and dances away. "Tut tut, That's no way to talk to your father." I swing rapidly several times in succession in my anger. "You fucking whore! You've ruined enough lives, I won't let you live past this day!" Vincent cackles as he swiftly turns aside my strikes not even attempting to meet the full weight of the blade. "How beautiful, you've matured into quite the young man darling. I have to say though, your material hasn't changed much."

"AAAH!" I scream swinging down at him. He nimbly spins away and Bladeless crashes into the ground not sinking into it but cratering the stone floor. Vincent giggles. "Let's give that face a little color shall we?" He stabs at my chest.

As his blade rushes towards me I reach up with my left and grab the blade stopping it as it digs into my torso. Blood drips down from my hand and the gash in my chest. I grin savagely at his bewilderment.

"Got you."

He realizes my ploy too late and Bladeless is swung upwards towards him with all my strength. His own arm comes forward to provide some semblance of a block and that is the only thing that saves him.

His arm is immediately smashed to a pulp and a layer of gore splatters him and flies up as he is sent hurtling backwards. Vincent lands with a thud that makes him release a small yell.

The crazed slaver gets up with a groan and looks at what's left of his left arm. There's not much to see. Vincent sheaths his sword and starts laughing. That's not creepy at all. Also, how the hell is he not feeling that?!

His laughter only gets louder as he ignites his hand in a fire spell and presses it to the wound cauterizing it. I wince both from my injuries and the smell of burnt flesh reaching me.

"OOH That was GOOD Xander, well played darling!" I grit my teeth getting into a stance with Bladeless ignoring the blood dripping from my hand and chest. Vincent picks up his Lancereaver spinning it.

"Let's have some more fun together shall we?!" Vincent disappears.

What the fuck?! How the hell did he move that-

"Gah!" I stumble forward from a slice across my back. I turn and swing at nothing. "Wha-?" A cut to my arm. "Grr!" I turn wildly. I get just a glimpse of Vincent as he disappears again and stabs my leg from behind. "Fuck!" I land on one knee.

Vincent patiently waits from me to get up as he whistles looking at his nails. Fucking bastard. "Darling, how do you like Pass? Isn't it just a wonderfully useful skill?" He giggles. Of fucking course he has Pass.

I grunt as I wave Bladeless off to the side sending it to my space pocket in a burst of magic. Vincent oohs as he looks on with interest. He pouts at my empty hands. "Giving up so soon darling? I had such hiiiiigh hopes."

"Not on your life bitch." I snarl. I flick my wrist and my newest weapon emerges. For a week's work, it really has blown all of my expectations out of the water. It helped that Harpax was working on it as well but the magic in enchanting it came so easily to me. Almost like because it was born with a purpose it made it stronger.

A dense two meter long silver pole forms with a layer of black leather wrapped around the middle. The end pointed towards the ground coalesces from particles of magic into a short slightly curved one sided blade of blackened steel. The other end grows into existence as a wickedly barbed and pointed end of a spear. The spear end is painted a bloody red that contrasts with the rest of the weapon. Beneath each business end are different protusions. There are two below the spear end that resemble feathered wings and one below the blade end on the opposite side of the razor edge that makes itself known as a short honeycomb perched on the body of the weapon.

I sigh in relief as the weapon's passive enchantment takes hold of me. My blood clots along my wounds stopping the slow loss of blood that was making me dizzy and replacing it with a surge of adrenaline. My eyes gleam appreciatively over the reborn weapon and I spin it rapidly in my hands reminiscing in the feeling of having a spear back in my hands. The spear was the first weapon I learned how to use. Not my favorite but it brings back good memories of my time with my sister. I flourish the gleaming weapon spinning it around my back, over my head and ending with the spear end pointed towards Vincent.

"You like it? I made it for you, you know. I call it The Judgement Spear, Raimi. I don't have half Raimi's skill with a spear, but her legacy will let me close the gap between my skill and hers and aid me in ending your worthless life." Vincent laughs. "It's so pretty! If I didn't know better I'd say you'd already soaked it in blood!"

I shake my head solemnly. "You don't get it. This fight's over. I named it Raimi for a reason Vincent. You're not just fighting me. Raimi fights alongside me. And you know what?" Vincent is oddly silent. "She's very angry."

Raimi lunges forward and Vincent growls as he parries it aside. "Feeling frustrated?!" I yell grinning. The momentum from the parry turns into a spin and slice with the blade end scoring a gash up his torso. Vincent yells and swings down at me before I can strike at him again. I pull my hands apart and block with the body of the spear. I kick out and he grunts in pain as he slides back on the stone floor. "Here, let me spell it out for you."

I spin the weapon hearing Raimi's voice in my head instructing me.

"You're."

Raimi carves an X into his chest and I remember her scolding me for doing the same with a regular spear.

"Going."

I duck under a haphazard swing feeling flashbacks of Raimi beating me in our spars.

"To."

I bash at his face with a fist breaking his nose reminiscing to when Raimi used to bandage me up when I hurt myself.

Vincent screams in frustration and rage activating Pass.

"Die!"

I spin the spear whipping the point backwards and feeling the barbs rip into his midsection. I rip the now bloodied weapon out of his body and feel a sense of contentment as he falls to the ground.

I'll never leave you.

I smile softly. "Goodbye, big sis."

"no, no no no no no… get up darling. That Bitch is still alive, I thought you killed her?! I'm sorry Victor love, please don't leave me. I'll kill her for you I promise." I groan as I turn to see Vincent somehow getting up with a hole through his gut and numerous wounds weeping all over his body.

Are you kidding me? What is this an anime?

"Don't worry Victor, I'll kill the bitch as many times as I need to." From his glazed over eyes, it's clear he's not seeing me right now.

Victor digs into his cloak pulling out a blue bottle of-holy hell is that elixir? Victor downs the bottle and coughs up blood as his wounds visibly heal at a rapid pace. What? Even his arm is growing back? This is bullshit.

Great, back to square one.

Vincent grins a bloody smile at me as he pulls out a tome along with his sword. Great, I'm guessing that's a fire tome judging from earlier. I growl and rush at him. "Just die already!"

The mad slaver lets loose a blast of Fire at me and I dive beneath it rolling and springing into a slash. Our weapons lock and he howls in glee as he sets off a close range burst of Fire. I'm sent back skidding until I plant my spear into the ground wincing in pain at the new burns on my bared torso. My sleeveless tunic is literally a set of rags at this point and I throw it to the side as it catches fire.

I spin my spear rapidly in my hands as the next spell reaches me. The fire is dispersed over the rotation of my weapon. Huh, I wasn't sure that would work. I think I saw it in Avatar once.

I block the next and roll under the second fireball launched at me. Okay, so there's no way I'm waiting till he runs out of magic. Vincent needs to die and Raimi needs to rest peacefully once and for all.

Let's kick it up a notch.

Lissa bites her lower lip as Xander blocks another fireball. "What is that idiot doing?" She mutters to herself. The fight had been, for all intents and purposes, finished. Really, it should have ended when the crazy guy's arm was blown off. Now, the maniac just drank an elixir in full view of everyone in the arena. He should have been disqualified!

"Why has the fight not been called off?" She asked to herself not really expecting an answer as her eyes dart over to the Khans who were transfixed on the best fight so far.

"That would be my doing." Lissa eeped as a giant of a man made himself known to her beside her. The white haired man smiled kindly at her. "My apologies. My name is Harpax, I'm Xander's blacksmith master. Do you know why Xander entered this competition?" Lissa nodded.

"I asked the Khan Flavia to let this fight reach its natural conclusion. Xander would settle for no less." Lissa squirmed in her seat, wanting nothing more than to rush down there and heal Xander's injuries.

"How can he fight this guy though? He lost the advantage when he started throwing out fire like a pyromaniac." Harpax turned serious keeping his eyes locked on the fight. "Just watch. Xander will show you. The Judgement Spear is the strongest enchanted weapon I've ever worked on and I did not even help that much. Xander has a fearsome genius when it comes to that art and he'll display that here."

Lissa nodded slowly and turned her eyes on the fight. Xander was still blocking fireballs oh no, he's not gonna make it in time for that one! The last Fire spell that hit Xander blew up at his feet sending a small plume of dust and smoke into the air. His opponent was cackling and Lissa was about to run down there, rules or not when the air cleared in Xander's position.

"Woah." Lissa gasped in amazement. She tugged on Miriel's sleeve from where she sat on the other side of her. "You see that too, right?" Miriel hid a smile behind a gesture that pushed up her glasses. "Yes. This is what Xander has working on for the past week." LIssa quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I thought that was the spear." Miriel nodded. "They are one and the same."

Lissa's eyes widened as she looked back to Xander. "That's an enchantment?" Miriel wasn't surprised by Lissa's shock. Compared to how Xander enchanted Bladeless this seemed too wildly different. "Indeed. Xander's project exceeded any kind of expectations I had about the art of enchanting and its results."

Xander had utilized the active enchantment for Raimi. He stood in the same place as before but was wreathed in a blaze of magic. The active enchantment took the form of a cloak of wind-like energy that flickered over Xander's body like an burning flame. There was a pure white layer of translucent magic hugging his skin illuminating him and partially blinding those who looked at him. A second layer of smoky gray magic was just as see-through but seemed more solid as it took the form of a knight in heavy armor.

The Judgement Spear had undergone its own changes when the active enchantment was triggered. The bladed end was longer than before, cloaked in fierce winds shaped in the apparition of a blade. The spear end seemed the same but its blood red appearance contrasted even more with the armor.

Lissa blinked looking in amazement at Xander's new appearance. "What is it?"

Harpax took this one gazing proudly at his student. "The Judgement Spear Raimi has three abilities given to it by a series of 10 enchanted inscriptions. The first ability is a passive skill. The passive ability, Endure, is exactly what it sounds like. From the moment Xander is in contact with the spear his previous wounds don't matter anymore. They don't heal but the ability allows him to push past his wounds easily. His blood clots along any open wounds and bruises, shattered and broken bones all turn numb to him." Lissa's thoughts race. "But... isn't that dangerous? Even if he doesn't lose blood, what about internal bleeding? He wouldn't even know he was injured until he finishes a fight."

Harpax stares at her. "It seems I misjudged you princess, my apologies. To answer your question, it is dangerous. Xander must be very cautious with this ability but it allows him to fight past his limits for as long as his magic lasts."

"That dummy." Lissa muttered. "What about the other two abilities?" Harpax grins. "The second ability is the first active ability that Raimi possesses. I must admit, Xander's ability to name his weapons leaves much to be desired. He simply coined the ability you see now, the Knight. It cloaks him in that magic you see now. It wasn't supposed to come out with so much dramatic effect but Xander was more worried about effectual results. The skill provides Xander with the defense of a knight in full armor without all the drawbacks of wearing such heavy metal pieces. If anything, Xander becomes a mage's worst nightmare when this ability is activated. The layers of magic boost his resistance to spells and his speed is not impeded as he is not weighed down by physical armor. The simplest way to put it is that he is constantly cloaked in wind magic that repels outside forces."

"That's unbelievable! You both were able to create such an awesome weapon. That's even more powerful than Falchion!" Harpax laughs boisterously. Lissa looks at him in confusion.

"My apologies, princess, I have not had a laugh like that in a long time." Lissa pouts. "I'm flattered that you think so much of Xander's enchanted weapon, but it is nowhere near the power of Falchion. It may not seem like it right now. After all, Falchion provides no benefit to Prince Chrom besides being an unbreakable blade. Falchion was created by Naga herself though. It is no meager blade. I believe that the more Chrom uses the blade and grows, the blade will grow alongside him. Maybe one day Xander will be able to create something to match Falchion. I have the utmost faith in his ability as a blacksmith and enchanter and he only continues to get better. But, that day is not today. The Judgement Spear is not an immortal blade. It will need to be maintained like any other weapon and it can still break albeit it would be under extreme stress."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Lissa looked over to where her brother stood side by side with Robin, engrossed with the fight. "What about the third ability?" She asked looking back to Harpax and growing excited again.

"It has to be something crazy awesome too!" Harpax smiles. "I'll let Xander do the reveal for this one my dear. He deserves some appropriate suspense for this fight." Lissa pouted and crossed her arms. "Hmmpf. Fine, keep your secrets." Harpax chuckled and gazed back towards Xander. "The fight is in your hands son. Don't keep us waiting too long."

I relish the feeling of magic blazing around me as I stand unharmed from Vincent's Fire spell. The barrage pauses as Vincent takes in my new appearance. He starts shaking in rage as he sees the form of a knight shaped by the magic.

"FUCK YOU BITCH, DIE DIE DIIIIEEEE!" I sigh as the magic approaches me. "Gods, does he know any other spells?" I rush at him not even breaking stride as the mass of fire splashes over my armor. Raimi is swung out blade first and Vincent deflects it up. He takes the opportunity to stab at me and I hold my ground.

His Lancereaver doesn't so much scrape against the armor as it is pushed aside and he pulls back growling at me. "Let's finish this Vincent. It's time you joined your brother in the grave." He screams as I bring Raimi downwards and he deflects once more this time towards the ground. I grin savagely.

"Boost."

A burst of a tightly controlled Wind spell is released from the small octagon under the one-sided blade. The Wind spell propels the weapon in a circle faster than I could ever do on my own and a wind jet powered blade cleaves down at Vincent. As fast as Vincent is, he has no choice but to try and block the strike. There's not even a second in between the moment when Raimi clashes with the Lancereaver and when the blade drives through the Lancereaver severing it in half before continuing towards Vincent.

"Gah!" The Judgement Spear cuts down Vincent's face and deeply carves through his chest. Vincent stumbles back clawing at his chest and shrieking. I crack my neck to one side and cock Raimi over my shoulder, spear point first.

"Say hi to Victor for me!" I yell, smiling menacingly. "Boost!" The winged protusions behind the barbed spear point seem to be fluttering in the air as their individual feathers flap out and wind spills out. My grip tightens on the spear as it tries to fly out of my hand. "Raaagh!" I take a singular heavy step forward and launch the spear turned missile.

The missile pierces through the air screaming as it approaches Vincent. The projectile speeds forward swiftly enough to splatter Vincent's head from where he was standing not even able to move a limb fast enough to oppose the final ability of Raimi. The corpse is still standing facing me when my spear collides with the wall behind him.

The impact sends a slight vibration through the arena and Vincent's corpse fall forward, headless.

There's a moment of silence.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" The crowd roars in exultation at my victory.

I smile softly as I finally let myself unwind. Ever since I knew that Raimi had been killed it was like I was carrying around a weight. One that I was able to let go of, now that she can rest peacefully.

I wave to the crowd as I walk over to retrieve my spear. The weapon is embedded into the wall above a cowering mage from Basilio's side who was unfortunate enough to be close to the impact area. I wrinkle my nose as the stench of urine reaches me. Great. He pissed himself.

"Oy." I call hoarsely. "You're in the way." The mage whimpers and crawls away as I scoff. I place a hand on the weapon and jerk it back grunting as the barbs refuse to release the stone. I dismiss it instead, not feeling up to a tug of war with a wall.

As soon as the spear is gone the cloak of magic around me dissipates and my wounds start to ache once more.

I limp back to my team's side of the arena wearing the world's largest smile.

Frederick is the first one to reach me and puts an arm around my torso to support me.

"I did it." I croak. Frederick nods stoically. "I had faith you would pull through. You're a fine warrior"

"Thanks." Robin comes and starts applying a vulnerary to my wounds. I sigh in relief at the soothing sensation of my wounds healing.

"That was incredible Xander, I had no idea your weapons could be so powerful."

Chrom smiles down at me. "Indeed, you took over that fight completely when that armor appeared."

Robin's grin turned slightly manic. "My strategies have expanded by a magnitude now, with those abilities in our arsenal."

i smile weakly at him. "That's good." Glad I wasn't being sidelined again but Robin definitely gets a little scary when his tactical plans are brought up.

"We only have a few matches left before we can finish this in the six versus six." Chrom added and Robin nodded in agreement. "Take it easy for your next fight. We don't particularly need the win and I would like you to let your magic recover for the final match. "

Fortunately, for Robin's plans I didn't use Raimi again or Bladeless' active ability. Mostly because I didn't get the chance to. my final opponent before the big match was Lon'qu. It didn't last long because holy hell, that guy is FAST. He was faster than even Vincent was by a good amount. He caused me to yield before I could even summon my spear.

Finally, the big match was beginning. Our team was ahead of the other by a few matches but like in past tournaments, the authority of head khan would be won in the final six versus six.

It ended up being Chrom, Robin, Frederick, Kellam, Sully, and me. Sully had just barely beaten one if the nameless mercenaries on our side in terms of wins and losses to take the spot. You could tell she was irked by her close call.

The other side was a bit underwhelming it was made up of two mercenaries, two mages and Lon'qu and Marth, cough Lucina cough.

"Alright everyone, let's wrap this up. Sully, and Kellam will take the mercenaries, Xander you'll take out those mages I doubt that'll be a problem."

I nod, my grin reminiscent of a predator. "They won't be."

"Frederick will hold off Lon'qu for long enough for you to move in and help after you finish and finally, I will support Chrom as he moves to engage Marth. Any questions?"

We all shake our heads.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer called. "Let the final battle for Khan Regency begin!"

We all shoot off towards our assignments and I laugh in dark humor at the mages already beginning to panic as I bring out Raimi.

I activate the Knight as soon as I grab it and the magic pulses around me appreciatively.

The first mage desperately fires off a wind spell that is torn apart by my armor not even making me flinch.

"That tickled." I deadpan as I bring around the Judgement Spear. The shaft bashes against his head and the mage drops like a bag of stones.

"Elthunder!" A thick chain of lightning strikes me but breaks a moment later against the resistance of my armor.

So they did have a bit of a plan. One would distract me while the other would charge up a more powerful spell. Not bad. Obviously wouldn't work though. My resistance wasn't low to begin with and this armor only reinforces that.

"I almost felt that!" I call as I cock back the spear.

The mage immediately drops to the ground upon seeing me get in a throwing position. "I yield!"

Oh. okay. I grunt in dissatisfaction as I look around for Frederick and Lon'qu. There they are!

Hehe, time for some payback.

I rocket towards the pair and I can see Lon'qu speed up in desperation to at least wound Frederick before I catch up with them.

Frederick wasn't one of the greatest Ylissian knights for nothing though.

The Wary flourishes his silver lance so fast I can barely see it and in a moment the battle stops with his weapon against Lon'qu's neck.

Lon'qu audibly grits his teeth. "I yield."

I stop next to Frederick. "That was incredible Frederick how did you do that?"

Frederick dutifully finds his lord before answering. "Lon'qu is fast, swifter than even I but he loses sight of others when he fights. When he saw you, he panicked and this was the result."

I nod. "Oh, okay. He didn't get you right?"

"I am uninjured." He replies absently as he gazes at Chrom's fight.

Sully and Kellam are paired up, easily cleaning up the mercenaries. Their battle is brought to an end by Sully drawing their attention with a battle cry and a large overhand swing.

The mercenaries both jumped back.

And then collided with Kellam who they had both missed seeing. Kellam then, with all the grace of a bear grabbed them both by their necks and tossed them together knocking them out against each other.

I don't blame them. I didn't even see Kellam until I saw them collide with him.

Chrom and Marth are dueling fiercely. Despite the fact that Lucina at this point in time is a better fighter than Chrom is at this point they are oddly in sync. It is stranger still to see Lucina beginning to struggle rather than Chrom. I know that she lets Chrom win this fight but this is different than what I had imagined.

Lucina blocks a blow from Chrom with a resounding clang before her grip shakes and she staggers back.

Oh. She must be struggling to reconcile this Chrom with the man that was her father. I can't even imagine what's going through her head. The Chrom of the future must be a magnitude stronger than this one.

Marth is forced back as Chrom strikes harder at her beating at her defenses. Chrom is frustrated by her silence as he questions her and it shows. A few well placed blows fueled by anger and Marth is forced to the ground with Chrom's Falchion to her neck.

And that's how we won the East Khan regency.

The walk back to our temporary barracks is full of the good mood that can only come after an overwhelming victory. Chrom, Robin, Lissa and Frederick are meeting the Khans and likely negotiating a deal to get use of Ferox's soldiers.

I snort. "Did you see that guy's face when I just brushed off his magic? I thought he was gonna pass out!" Sully laughs with me. "I bet the two mercs who got in Kellam's way don't even know what happened! One moment they were trying to get away from me and the next, BAM Kellam brains both of them together like a pair of dolls!"

Vaike is frowning as he walks beside Stahl. Huh, why wasn't he in tournament? I swear he would've been the first to line up for a duel in front of a screaming crowd.

"Hey Vaike, where were you? I haven't seen you all day." Stahl stifles a laugh looking away from Vaike as he looks down and kicks at a rock muttering something. "What was that?"

He bites the inside of his cheek and looks the other way. "I forgot that the tournament was today." We all burst out laughing. Vaike is obviously upset about it but we wouldn't be good friends if we didn't make fun of him when he pulls stupid shit like this.

"We've been-Oh gods- waiting for this event all week!" Sully gasps out. Even Virion lets out a chuckle. "And pray, why didn't anyone go to find you?" Stahl sheepishly smiles. "I thought he was just running late, then the tournament started and by that time he had shown up and figured out what happened." Vaike grumbles. "It's not funny." I grin at him. "You're right, it's hilarious." We laugh even harder as we arrive at our barracks. We all decide to set up in the common room to wait for the rest of the Shepherds.

"That was a good one."

"Sweet merciful Buddha what the fuck?!" I jump back at the stealthy knight making himself known. Kellam seems disappointed. "You guys know I was with you the entire time right? I even made a joke." Sully laughs nervously. "Who is Buddha?" I promptly ignore Miriel, there's no way I'm going to be caught dead explaining different religions from another universe to Miriel of all people. She would give me an aneurysm with all of her subsequent questions. "Kellam, bro, warn a guy before you scare him to death. I mean I could care less if it was Vaike but the important people," "Hey!" "Might be needed later and death by sudden heart attack is not what I need on my gravestone." Stahl snorts. "Early on I thought we were gonna have to put death by fire on there." I shake my head. "Nah, it would've been death by insane homosexual incestual slaver."

Sully stares at me open-eyed. "Really?" I nod. "Yeah, I've had a bit of history with that nutjob." I didn't bother explaining more. There wasn't any point in dwelling on it any longer.

Sully nods and hums. "That makes sense. On another note," I look over to see an eager grin on her face. "When do I get a badass spear that I can use to vaporize people's heads with?"

A lot of Shepherds look at me with eager smiles. Stahl looks like he's on the verge of blackmail using his knowledge of how many times I snuck into the supply caravan for snacks without permission. Vaike also looks way too excited for someone who didn't even get to fight today.

Even the ever quiet Sumia and the polite Virion look somewhat interested.

"Well-"

"Unfortunately, Xander and I have an agreement about his weapon crafting skills. I'd actually like to have a talk with him before he starts working on anything for the Shepherds."

Thank the gods. Robin, I have never loved your pale ass more. The other Shepherds groan as their dreams of throwing rocket spears of their own go up in smoke.

Chrom chuckles. "Alright, settle down everyone. Those of you who fought today, well done. You all won with exceptional strength befitting those of Ylisse. We have succeeded in our goal of obtaining Regna Ferox's aid in our Risen problem. Khan Flavia has agreed to ally with us wholeheartedly. In addition, she has invited all of us to join her and Khan Basilio in the merriment of her victory."

The Shepherds cheer. Chrom grins along with them. "You all have the rest of the evening off. Enjoy yourselves while you can."

Everyone smiles and some even immediately leave not even bothering to remove armor or leave behind sheathed weapons and I chuckle as Vaike forgets his axe.

"Xander." Oh boy. "What's up Chrom?" I stiffen. He smiles gently at me. "You can relax, you've given me no reason to be mad at you nor have you made any mistake that requires discipline. I simply wished to ask if you were officially returning from you leave of absence." I nod. "Yeah. I've accomplished what I came to do. I apologize if my actions put you in a bad spot."

Chrom shook his head. "There's no need to apologize. I don't know the full story but Lissa let me know enough that I understand that you considered Raimi a sister in all but blood. I would act the same were a family member of mine were killed."

I gulp.

Chrom loses his serious atmosphere and grins somewhat mischievously at me. "Will you be joining us? I know for a fact that a drunk Vaike is an entertaining one."

I smile at him. "I definitely want to be around for that. I think I'll actually show up a bit late though. I agreed to meet someone for a drink after the competition." That was partially it. I honestly didn't care either way if Ivan actually showed up to buy me a drink. I just wanted to have some time to myself so I could finally mourn Raimi properly. I hadn't had the chance before and wasn't in the right state of mind to honor her memory.

Chrom nodded in understanding. "I'll see you later at the feast then. As I understand it, the celebrations will last deep into the night. You'll have plenty of time to enjoy a wasted Vaike at the height of his stupidity."

After leaving the barracks, I found the tavern that Ivan had referenced. The Dark Rose was a quiet bar with not many patrons surprisingly. I guess that most civilians celebrated at other rowdier bars. Gods know that Tyrus had an abundance of bars.

Ivan was in fact, there and greeted me by grasping my forearm and inviting me to sit by him.

The bartender came by and asked for my order.

"Do you have any dragon's whiskey?" The bartender whistled. "Not one for half measures are you sir?" I shake my head. "I might be a prolific drinker but this happens to be a special occasion. Don't worry, I'm good for it."

The bartender chuckles. "No worries for payment sir, champions drink for free at the Dark Rose." He eyes Ivan and I.

I turn to Ivan a half-grin on my face. "You knew he would cover us didn't you?"

Ivan smiles back revealing a few gold teeth. "Is good thing no?" I laugh quietly. "You're a sly bastard Ivan. But skilled enough with those axes of yours for sure." Ivan nods. "Ivan is very good warrior. He fights in arena many times now."

I nod. "Sure seems like it. Where are you from?"

"Ivan hails from Derbent. Is province far north from here." Huh, it's never been mentioned in the game so I have absolutely no reference for it but then again Regna Ferox isn't really explored all that much despite how large it really is.

"Tell me about it."

Ivan takes a drink of his own ale. "Is not much too look at. Much colder. Lots of snow, more ice. Derbent is different from rest of Ferox. Used to be sovereign. Then barbarians came, took over."

I wince. It wasn't exactly a secret that the Feroxians of the past had been a number of barbarian tribes. They had been particularly vicious in taking territory before they 'civilized'.

Ivan grins. "Is okay. Ancient history to Derbentians." He sighs. "Now, not so good though. Derbent largely ignored by Ferox. Was never well off. Worse now because of taxes. Cities often ration supplies to survive. Beasts often attack and many Derbentians turn to outlaws or mercenaries to make the ends meet. Most leave. Is sad. Derbent culture different but still Ferox. If only Ferox see this as well."

Wow. That was really bad. I guess even if Ferox doesn't have scheming nobles like other countries we still have our own fair amount of problems. As the silence stretches I wonder how many other places there are like Derbent. Like I said before, Ferox is a big place. How many other people had to struggle to live just because of where they settled? I have no ill will towards either of the Khans but I couldn't help but feel some sympathetic anger towards them for not providing for their countrymen. We're not Plegia or Ylisse. We don't have mountains of gold or plentiful harvests. What we do have is people. An innumerable amount of people that will do whatever they have to do to survive. There had to be something that could be done for those people for them to do more than just survive.

I'm interrupted from my thoughts by the bartender bringing me my whiskey. I thank him and palm the wooden cask staring down into the hard liquor.

"Hey Ivan, thanks for inviting me here. I'm usually a lot more lively but to be honest I'm here to honor the memory of my sister. I haven't had time to mourn her yet."

Ivan frowns solemnly. "Is killed?"

I nod. "Crazy man?" I look at him slightly amazed. "How-" Ivan points to eyes. "Is in your eyes during fight. Anger makes man into monster."

"Oh." Ivan winks at me. "Friend Xander screams loudly as well." I give a nervous smile. I kinda did plan to use a public match for my own agenda. It's not like they intruded on something private.

"Tell me about her." This being the second time this week someone's asked me that I'm a bit skeptical that someone I barely knew would care enough to ask something like that. Then again, I listened about his country.

"Are you sure?" Ivan nods. "'Ivan and Xander friends yes? Then Ivan cares."

I smile at his simple sincerity. "Alright..."

So I tell him about Raimi. It's different from how I talked about her with Lissa. With Lissa it felt like I was coming to terms with her death, sharing memories of her realizing how much I missed her but being happy to share my memory of her with someone else.

With Ivan I celebrate her life. I share every time I got in deep shit and Raimi dug me out. Every time I got in a fight and Raimi beat me blue afterwards in her violent way of showing concern.

And Ivan laughed and smiled with me. In between drinks he would share similar tales of him and his older sister from home. That time he got caught stealing food and she chased him with a broom. When he played a joke on her by leaving a rabbit's corpse in her bed after she went to sleep. He had a surprisingly devious mind for such a good guy.

At the end of our time together we toasted one last drink agreeing to somehow meet again in the future despite our different paths.

I hold up my latest mug of ale, something a bit easier to get down than the brutal drink I first ordered. "To Raimi." I eyed his similarly swaying form. "And to new brothers." Ivan grinned widely knocking his drink against mine. "To Raimi and the new brothers!" We kicked back our alcohol in unison.

I sigh putting down the empty cup as Ivan burps loudly. "I'll look you up next time I'm in town."

Ivan hiccuped. "You won't have to do the looking farther than the arena brother."

I smile at him and get up slightly stumbling. "Till next time brother." I take my leave and prepare to brave the cold night.

"What do you mean you're joining the border guard!?" Xander yelled at Raimi in fear and anger.

Raimi sighed. This had been coming for a while now ever since she received that offer from the town guard's captain. She was now of age and an adult at 16. Her dream had become that much more closer to reality and she wanted to chase it with everything she had. That dream was all she had left of her family and her father. Unfortunately, this would mean leaving her current family for the time being.

"Xander, I'm not going to be gone forever. It's just a couple months. Once I finish the expedition with the captain, I'll be able to more easily secure a position with the border guard. As soon as I have enough money, I promise I'll come back to adopt you." She tried.

"You're leaving me." Xander's voice broke. "You promised." Xander was now twelve. One of those ages where a kid doesn't understand the whys or the hows, only the whats.

"Xander, please understand. I'm not leaving you. I just have to do something. Then I can come back and adopt you and we can be a real family."

Xander sniffled. "I thought we were a real family."

Raimi winced. Bad word choice. "We are, we are. We'll just be making it official."

"Don't lie to me! You're leaving because I did something! Just like everyone else!"

Raimi flinched. "Xander, you're wrong. You didn't do anything wrong. I lo-"

"Don't lie to me!" Xander cried before he ran off, obviously at his breaking point as far as emotions go.

Raimi sighed in frustration. "Dammit Xander."

Xander's vision was a blur as he ran through the streets of Tyrus. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to get away from Raimi. She was going to leave him. Just like whoever his parents were. He didn't understand! She promised. They were going to be together forever. Why couldn't he go with her? He was getting better with the spear too. What did he do wrong?

Xander's monologue was cut short by him running into what felt like a brick wall. "Oof." He fell back. A large hand reached out and grabbed his arm keeping him upright. "Ouch." He muttered rubbing his head. "Where are you running in such a hurry boy?." A low deep voice asked. Xander pulled his hand away and looked up. "Woah." The man was HUGE. He'd never seen someone so big before! He had dark skin like his own but possessed white hair that fell around his neck. He was also completely stacked in a way that Xander had always dreamed of being. "So big..." He muttered absently not bothering to wipe away his tears. The man smiled kindly. "What has you so worked up child?" The boy felt oddly nervous and self-conscious and immediately wiped away his tears. "None of your business old man." He said. Of course, nervousness had always translated into defensive anger from Xander.

Although, instead of getting worked up like Xander expected, the old man simply laughed in mirth. "You are certainly a curious thing boy. Tell you what, how does it sound if I tell you one of my problems and you tell me one of yours?" Xander shrugged. What a weird guy. He literally ran into him and he's trying to talk to me. "I don't talk to strangers." Again defying Xander's expectations the old man simply said, "My name is Harpax. There, now we are no longer strangers. May I have your name?" The boy raised an eyebrow at his weird friendly behavior. "You're not a creepy gay slaver right?" Harpax choked. "A-A what?"

"A creepy gay slaver. One that has a twin in the same profession but is also your lover." No one had ever assumed Xander's innocence as a child after he opened his mouth. Harpax looked distinctly disturbed before answering, "No, I am not a creepy gay slaver. Nor do I have a twin."

"Alright." Xander shrugged. Harpax chuckled at the boy's nonchalance at the outlandish question. "Then, may I have your name?" He asked hesitantly as if wary of any more curveballs that the boy had hidden away. "... Xander." He muttered.

Harpax smiled. "Xander. A strong name. Does it have a derivative?" Xander was slightly confused by the word but he got the gist. He fidgeted in place. "I don't know. My parents either got themselves killed or abandoned me." Harpax's face turned into that expression that Xander absolutely hated. The same look that people had when they looked at the kids from the orphanage. The always wore that same look when they saw them but never was there anyone that did shit about it.

"What's your problem old man? Having trouble getting up in the morning?" He asked irritably. Harpax snorted. "On the contrary child, I am strong as an ox still in my old age!" He flexed one massive arm.

"Maybe a crippled one." Xander deadpanned. Harpax wilted a bit at that before getting back on topic. "My problem is this." The old man pulled out a pair of glasses. "I do a lot of craftsmanship but this is a personal project. My vision gets worse steadily but I have no way of correcting it besides experimental items such as these pair of spectacles from Valm. I purchased these for an exorbitant price yet, they are not effective. To that end I have a way of using magic to make objects work better. Yet even with my best efforts, I have still to correct the problem." He sighed. "I have used magic to make them anything I look at clear to my eyes. But I still have problems with using them worse, the incorrect focusing makes my vision deteriorate even more."

Woah. This guy was different. Xander might not have understood a lot of that but he did get the part where this old man knew how to use magic. That was pretty crazy and really interesting. He always wanted to learn some magic. Knights were cool and all but there was just something a bit more appealing to the 12 year old about throwing around fireballs than wearing all that armor and having a spear.

Still, he supposed he could try and help the guy out at least. Harpax was obviously smarter than him by a lot but hey, he was asking for some kind of opinion from him.

Xander tried to remember everything he knew about vision problems. Didn't Raimi say something about old spear throwing techniques that used to fuck up people's eyesight? Something about how since they always kept one eye closed when they practiced throwing they ended up having worse eyesight in the overused eye later on. She had lectured him about it the other day when he was practicing the same way. It was worth a try at least.

"Hey old man." Harpax looked at him in curiosity. "What is it?" Xander eyed the speck things or whatever they were called. "You said you used magic or whatever to make them clear to your eyes. People's eyes aren't always the same though. You can have worse vision in one eye compared to the other one. That might be your problem. Hell if I know though."

Harpax's eyes widened. "Amblyopia, of course." With that said, right in front of Xander, the old man held a glowing golden hand to the glasses tapping it. A ring of incomprehensible symbols appeared in the air above the spectacles. Xander stared, transfixed as Harpax waved and prodded at the magical glyphs. After a few short moments Harpax laughed to himself as the glow disappeared and put the glasses on. "Amazing." He muttered as he looked around at their surroundings. "I never would have-" He stopped as he looked at Xander.

Under the intense scrutiny of the older man Xander crossed his arms and frowned. "What? Were you so blind you forgot what other people looked like?" Harpax's face turned oddly serious. "Where did you get that necklace?" Xander cussed under his breath as he tucked in the pendant. It must have come out from beneath his shirt when he was running or ran into this weird guy.

"None of your business." Xander clammed up. No way was he going to get this strange old man interested in his necklace. It was his only possession that he had always worn as far back as he could remember. It was the only reason he was sure his name was Xander as well. The name was inscribed on the gold, beneath the small ruby. It was a miracle that the old hag at the orphanage hadn't taken it for herself and sold it somewhere. In fact, it was probably best he get away now before this guy tries to take it or something.

As if realizing his worried thoughts, Harpax's countenance softened and he smiled lightly at the boy. "My apologies, I was merely curious. I have no intention of taking it from you. Would you tell me how you came about the jewelry?"

Xander didn't really believe him so easily but there was something in his tone that made him want to trust Harpax. "I've always had it." Xander looked away from Harpax hoping that he wouldn't pry more.

Harpax nodded slowly and looked over Xander as if seeing him in a new light. "I see." Xander nodded hoping that he would change the subject. "Now, I believe that I have shared my problem. Would you care to tell me yours?" He smiled at him.

Except for that. Having never really had real friends to rely on, Xander was not an easily trusting person or one who talked about their personal problems with people who were basically strangers.

So why was he so at ease with the idea of telling this strange old man?

Xander sighed. "It's my big sis. She's leaving me to become a border guard knight." Harpax nodded. "That's an admirable goal." Xander shook his head in frustration. "But she promised we would stay together! She said that she would come back but why would she do that if she's leaving me? I really don't know what I did wrong..." Xander started tearing up to his shame and anger. "She-She's leaving j-just like my parents." He choked out suddenly heavy with emotion.

Harpax put a hand on Xander's head softly leaning down to get closer to him. "Listen well boy. You haven't done anything wrong. She may be leaving but not without keeping you close in her heart. If you consider her your sibling I'm confident she sees you as her precious little brother. She would never do anything to hurt you." Xander wiped at his eyes. "She wouldn't be leaving you without a good reason Xander. Even if it might be something she wants to do herself, she would still consider you. Border knights are paid well Xander. Paid well enough that she would be able to take care of herself and a little brother easily. And... as for your parents. I have faith that they had a good reason to leave you."

The boy thought to himself about what Harpax said. Is she really thinking of him like that? He thought back to when Raimi saved him. Would she really leave him just like that if they had become close like that?

He knew the answer. Xander sniffled and gave a shaky smile. "I understand. Even if she stayed she wouldn't be able to take care of us both by working in town." He had seen that firsthand. Orphans who became too old to stay and were kicked out on the street without some way of taking care of themselves, let alone another person.

Harpax tousled his hair and smiled. "I'm glad you understand child. Now, don't you have someone to talk to?" He asked standing once more. Xander nodded swiftly remembering how he left Raimi. He turned to leave but stopped looking over his shoulder. "Thanks old man!" Harpax chuckled to himself as the boy ran off.

"It looks like there's an older sister I have to talk to."

AN: Alright people, some crazy content in this one I hoped you liked it. So first things first, our new character Ivan of Derbent. Ivan is an OC, he's not related to Gregor at all they just share a homeland. Ivan is going to be in a future arc, I hope you guys like his character I'm gonna do my best to make him unique. Derbent is a region of Ferox that previously was a sovereign nation. They're are similar regions in Ferox and they all tie in to that future arc. It just seemed to me that Ferox is the largest single country of Fire Emblem yet we only see limited parts of it and it doesn't seem like there is much there besides snow and barbarians that like to fight. I wanted to expand on that in this fic and we'll get to see Xander's adventure in that perspective at some point. I hope the Vaughan/Vincent fight was good. Please tell me if I went overboard with the insane crazy still hearing his twin's voice in his head thing. I've been trying to make them talk in a weird drawn out way but everytime I write a word that is drawn out it looks terrible. Raimi is an amazing addition to Xander's arsenal. This chapter made it seem very OP and that was because it was the debut. There are downsides. One of which is that it doesn't matter if he has it if he can't pull it out in time AKA Lon'qu's godspeed. The armor and the spear are powered by Wind magic, I could say that his wounds clot because the blood is stirred by small amounts of the same but I'd be bullshitting trying to fit that ability under Wind magic so let's just say that it does that because I said it does. I was going for a whole phantom apparition thing for the armor, not sure if I pulled it off but I hope you guys like it. Once again I forget characters pretty easily I misplaced Sumia for a bit and Vaike was there and not there mid-edit so I had to go back and fix that. Yes, the sweet merciful Buddha line is a reference, if you get it I love you. The flashback at the end was kind of my tie in on how he met Harpax. No flashbacks for a while now I'm thinking. Next chapter has a sizeable reveal, I honestly don't doubt that most of you have seen it coming I wasn't super subtle with it and I know there are a lot of smart readers out there. It's gonna be another week for that chapter, I might have to be a little edit heavy on that one though so it might come a bit later. We're coming to the point where I'm gonna have to start writing chapters ahead of time soon and I don't have as much time as I had with work giving me crazy hours and classes up around the corner. Alrighty then, thank you so much for reading I appreciate every one of you, I'll appreciate you even more though if you leave a review. Seriously, I live and breath on those things and it's such an encouragement to read them. I'd love criticism too specifically on my writing style or if I could somehow make it smoother. It's a work in progress and I need feedback guys.

Thank you,

-Insaneauthor050701