A Summoner's Journey
Sidestory: Genealogy's Game of Thrones
The summoning altar emitted smoke and mist as the floor beneath me pulsed with mystical blue light. My summon session has been fairly fruitful this day, as I pulled my first Reinhardt and even got lucky with a five star Eldigan. The orbs I got from Cecilia and Lilina's Bound Hero Battle must of been blessed with luck or something. Still, I've been pulling on the latest Hero Fest banner for Ninian and Genny, but no dice so far. The Shanna that appeared from the mist finished off the session for today.
"I've been hearing of Reinhardt's dominance in the latest voting gauntlet and I'll never complain about getting another five star…" I murmured to myself "A shame I couldn't pull Ninian. Oh well, let's get the two trained up and ready to fight"
It was always inconvenient that heroes were weakened when they arrived in Askr, but that's what hopping between worlds does to you I guess. When Anna first initially summoned me, I did feel my physical capabilities wane for a while. Not that I was an athletic guy back in my world, but I certainly had less energy when I first came here. Overtime, I regained it and then some.
"Ike and Olivia, take Reinhardt and Eldigan over to the training tower to get them up to speed with the rest of our army" I told the duo once we arrived back to the castle. Camus was our usual training instructor for new recruits, but he was away right now, so Ike had to do "By the way, where's Priscilla? I remember calling her over for healer duty"
"Oh, Priscilla's on break now" Eliwood told me as he passed by. He was covered in sweat and looked banged up. Either he was fighting bandits or just returned from the training yard "I think she's on a walk across the countryside with Raven and Lucius. She won't be back for a while"
"Ah. Thanks for telling me" I nodded and dismissed the sword cavalier "Well, that complicates things, having our two best healers out of commission. I guess we'll have to make do with Serra and Maria. Where are they anyways?"
"... I'll find them" I suddenly heard Saizo's voice behind me and whipped to see him, but the ninja was instantly out of sight. How did he do that? I didn't even see him when I entered the lobby.
"He reminds me of one of my comrades, Volke" Ike commented while we waited "Silent, stoic and almost always out of sight. Though Volke would always ask for gold before being told to do something"
"People like that scare me" Olivia added, her eyes wary and timid "The way they always seem to be in the shadows and materialize without warning… i-it chills me to the bone"
"At least we can be assured Saizo's loyalty lies with us, given that Ryoma is here" I shrugged "Anyways, he should be back with the tw-"
"Done. They'll be here any second now" Saizo's sharp voice made me flinch and stumble back "You aren't very good at detecting me. If I were a callous assassin, you'd be dead now"
"I mean, I doubt any assassins could sneak into the castle and-" I began to reply, but Saizo already shook his head and disappeared, back into the shadows like usual. Moments later, I heard Serra's voice hollar from across the room.
"Luciannnn! I heard you needed me, so here I am!" I already regretted calling over Serra to help, but Maria alone wasn't enough. I steeled myself and faced the twin-tailed cleric. Ike gritted his teeth and gave a strained, but polite smile while Olivia flinched at Serra's booming voice. Eldigan and Reinhardt simply watched in utter confusion.
"I need you to accompany Ike, Olivia, Eldigan and Reinhardt here to the training tower to help the latter two get on par with the rest of us" I explained "You and Maria will tend to their wounds, Ike will assess their fighting ability and Olivia will energize them with her dancing. That clear?"
"Of course! You know I'll do splendidly!" Serra replied, cheery "But because you subject me to all that time in the sun, I want a favor from you after. Alright?"
I smiled at her, amused "Sure. I'll buy you dinner tonight. Nothing too expensive though"
"Deal!"
"Alright, it seems all of you are in the clear. So get going" I waved the party off "Ike, I want a performance report right after you come back, lest you forget. No offense"
"None taken. By the look at the sword Eldigan's carrying, I'm sure he'll impress" Ike eyed Eldigan's Mystletainn, which pulsed with dormant power "But we'll see soon. Let's move everyone!"
And with that, the training party left, leaving me alone in the lobby. I considered talking with Catria to kill time, but she was out patrolling the skies with Minerva, Caeda and begrudgingly, Michalis. With the threat of Muspell known and Embla's sudden non-aggression against Askr, I wanted to keep land and sky clear of anything dangerous. I frowned in thought before deciding to just go train in sword fighting with Ryoma. In addition to learning bows, I want to learn how to use swords like Ryoma does. I've always been interested in Japanese samurai back in my home world, so training with Ryoma with an actual katana was a good way to explore that. Many objected to me stacking more weapon training on top of my duties of the summoner and main tactician, but I'm sure I could handle it.
"My practice katana should be in my room. I should go get a snack and a drink before I leave though" I muttered to myself before setting off to the second floor. I went up to my room and rested in my bed for a little bit before grabbing the simply iron katana Ryoma gifted me. He claimed it to be simple, but it was better crafted than anything I had from my own world. The blade was clean, sharp and gleamed in the twilight sunlight streaming from my window. I almost didn't want to use it in fear of sullying the pristine sword with blood, dents, wood shavings and dirt.
"A weapon is made to be used on the battlefield, not to be hung up like some decoration" I told myself "Especially with a potential war against Muspell coming up, I'll need all the strength I can get. Let's get to work"
I tucked the katana sheath down the side of my belt and went to the mess hall before going to the training yard. The mess hall had a variable buffet of food always waiting to cater to the enormous amount of heroes part of the Order of Heroes, so I had no trouble finding something to snack on. I eventually settled on a few brownies and cookies and snatched a canteen of water before heading out. The training yard was fairly deserted aside from a small couple of heroes either training alone or sparring one another. Ryoma was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey Fir. Do you happen to know where Ryoma is?" I asked the sword fighter, who was cutting away at straw dummies with her own Killing Edge "I was planning to train with him today, but he doesn't seem to be here"
"Oh, hey Lucian!" Fir sheathed her blade and turned to face me "Ryoma just left not too long ago. Said he wanted to find a place to meditate to clear his mind"
"Ah. I suppose he won't be back for a while then?"
"Probably. I bet he's trying to find a waterfall for his meditation. That's something he often muses about" Fir shrugged, then glanced at the katana sheathed by my belt "I'm happy to train with you if you'd like. I'm not as good as Ryoma, but I'm sure I can help you out"
"That'll be great. Thanks Fir"
"Enough talking then. Let's get started" Fir got an excited look in her eyes as she drew her Killing Edge. I threw my summoner robe off and drew my own katana, my hands gripping the handle firmly. Both of us lunged at each other and our swords clashed, our wills and strength trying to overpower the other. I've grown better since the last time me and Fir sparred, so hopefully it won't be a clean sweep like last time.
"Ryoma's been doing you well. You're holding out longer than last time" Fir said, impressed.
"You walked up to me and challenged me out of nowhere before. I wasn't prepared" I replied, teeth grit. Our clash of blades was going nowhere, so I began to slowly move my foot to kick Fir backwards. The myrmidon saw it coming and quickly slid her sword off mine, making an instantaneous swing towards my bicep. I darted back to dodge and then slid in with a shoulder bash, knocking Fir back.
"What has Ryoma been teaching you? I don't know any samurai who fights with kicks and his shoulders!" Fir shook her head and charged at me again, swinging like a whirlwind of slashes. I was forced on the defensive and only my longer and broader sword protected me.
"It's my own fighting style. I'll need every advantage I can get in a fight" I caught Fir's sword with mine and pushed it down towards her head "Fighting fully fair doesn't suit me"
I raised my boot and tried to stomp on Fir's foot to lower her guard, but the myrmidon again escaped our clash and dodged, smacking the flat end of her Killing Edge into my face. Before I knew it, I was on the ground with a hard bruise on my nose, along with the back of my head.
"Yield" Fir said, her sword tip inches away from my face. Her other hand was stretched out to me while a smirk marked her face "You put up a good fight though. Reminds me of the bandits I fought back in my world"
"Oh gee, thanks. I love being compared to a bandit" I accepted Fir's hand and got up, picking up my katana that skittered away.
"I meant by the way you fight. It's unpredictable" The myrmidon explained "Against normal samurai like Ryoma or noble swordsmen like Eliwood, all I have to do is watch their sword and react accordingly. With you though, I have to watch for attacks from multiple angles"
"You make it sound like you struggled, but you still won" I commented "Did you…"
"Oh, I held back absolutely. I come from a world where it's easy to find a fight. You didn't" Fir smiled "And besides, I didn't want to put you out of commission for too long. You have your other duties after all"
"Yeah, that's true. Thanks for your sentiment" I took a swig from my canteen "I should probably get this bruise fixed up. Thanks for sparring with me Fir"
"No problem! If you ever want to do it again, you know where to find me" Fir grinned and then returned to hacking away at a dummy while I made my way to the infirmary, picking up my white and gold robe along the way.
"Oh right. All my healers are out now. I really need to summon more" I groaned to myself as I walked down the fairly empty hallway "Guess I'll find some ice to bring down this bruise for the time being"
When I arrived at the infirmary near the lobby of the castle, I only found Lachesis present, who was organizing the various medicines and supplies. Her staff and sword were resting by the entrance. That reminded me that Lachesis has been training in swords too. She mentioned knowing how to use them back in her world, but ever since coming to Askr, she suddenly lost the innate skill.
"Hey Lachesis. Mind fixing me up? Fir gave me a bad bruise on my nose today during training" I said, pointing to the purple bump. Lachesis turned and picked up her staff, healing my wounds instantly "Thanks. Hey, what's with the long face?"
"Oh nothing. I'm just pondering over what I should say to Eldie once he comes back to the castle" Lachesis bit her lip, clearing in conflicted thought.
"Eldie? You mean Eldigan, right?"
"Yes. He's my brother and an absolute paragon of a knight, as well as a man in general" Lachesis got a wistful look in her eyes "I swore that I will never marry as long as a man like Eldigan is in my life"
"That's… a little extreme"
"I'm only starting to know that now. In my world, Eldie was already executed by that dastard "King" Chagall" Lachesis's expression grew pained, her bad memories returning "He had the tenacity to send Eldigan's head back in a package. Only after I tried commiting suicide with the Earth Sword did I realize that Eldie isn't perfect"
"Nobody is" I replied "And hold on, you tried commiting suicide with what sword?"
"The Earth Sword. Eldie gave it to me before departing back to negotiate with Chagall" The princess pointed to the Armorslayer-like sword lying on the wall. Upon closer inspection, I noticed glowing red runes written on the blade "It would be the last time I'd ever see him in person. Ironically, it's the sword that kept me from killing myself with it"
"That makes no sense"
"The Earth Sword is special. Like Eldie's Mystletainn, it drains the life of the enemies I face and restores my own energy" Lachesis had an amused smile "So when I stabbed myself with it, it drained my life energy and then used it to heal me again"
"I don't think that's something to find funny" I said, talking to Lachesis's amused expression.
"I suppose not. Anyway, I noticed after that incident that Eldie isn't perfect. He holds up to his ideals and vows of knighthood too far and it's what got him killed. Now that I can see him again, I don't know what to say" Lachesis buried her head in her hands "Should I yell at him for being so stupid to not notice Chagall's jealously for him? That'll hurt my relationship with him, but if I jump into his arms and be glad he's back, he won't change for the better. What can I do…?"
I put my hand on Lachesis's shoulder "I don't know the relationship between you and Eldigan very well, but I think he'll accept your berating as advice to do better and change. Plus, it's a sign that you're growing up"
"It all depends on what time this Eldigan came from" Lachesis replied "If this Eldigan was from when he battled Sir Sigurd, he'll brush off my scowling as rumors against Chagall. But if it's moments before his execution…"
"I think he'll listen to your words regardless. You won't hurt your relationship by scolding him out. It's brother and sisterly love" I said "When he comes back, you should tell him what happens in your world and that he needs to change. Upholding your knightly vows and virtues is good and all, but it makes you vulnerable to tricks from more nasty foes. We can't have Eldigan falling for traps like that here"
"You're right. Thank you Lucian" Lachesis smiled and nodded "By the way, I'd hate to ask a favor after you helped me, but is there any chance you can summon my friend Finn here? He comforted me after Eldigan was executed and well… I'd love to talk to him again. He's so gentle and kind, yet has a strong and determined aura. Kinda like Eldie…"
"So much for not marrying as long as Eldigan's alive" I replied with a smirk and Lachesis blushed "I'm sorry Lachesis, but summoning is entirely random. The pool of heroes I can summon seems to get new additions every month, so it's up to the gods of this world to decide whether or not I can summon Finn. I can't guarantee anything"
"I thought so. Thanks anyways though" The princess nodded "Well, I'm just about done organizing here. I'm going to catch some tea time with Celica and Cordelia. I'll see you around Lucian"
Lachesis took her staff and sword and left the infirmary, leaving me with nothing else to do to kill time. I decided to just organize the Order's mail and update the notice board. I was in the middle of that when Ike's training party returned, with Eldigan and Reinhardt looking much stronger than before.
"Eldigan's one strong cavalier. His sword swings strike hard and true and they always seem to hit the foe's vital organs" Ike told me in his battle report "He also has a remarkable resistance to magic and Eldigan tells that it's all due to the Mystletainn. He's a bit slow, but all in all, a fine warrior"
"Lachesis told me that the Mystletainn can steal the life of foes and restore Eldigan's own health. Did you see that?" I asked Ike and the mercenary frowned, puzzled.
"No, I didn't see that. Otherwise, Serra and Maria would be healing him a lot less" Ike shook his head.
"Oh. I guess the Mystletainn weakened when it passed into Askr. That happened with your Ragnell too, did it?" I pointed to the golden sword Ike was holding and he nodded.
"It used to give me a minor shield against physical attacks. Not anymore now" The mercenary gripped Ragnell's handle, as if squeezing it will bring the shield back to life "Anyways, Reinhardt has a lot of untapped potential. He's a strong mage for sure, but he's very, very slow with casting. He mentioned having a personal thunder tome that strikes twice in a row every cast, so that can help him a lot"
"Makes sense. He's only four star now" I swiped my hand sideways and brought up Reinhardt's stat page. Looking at his skill list, I found a five star weapon called Dire Thunder "Here it is. A powerful thunder tome that strikes consecutively, but lowers the user's overall speed due to it's weight"
"I'm already a slow caster as it is, so the speed penalty won't bother me much" Reinhardt said as he approached me "Back in my world, I'm used to using only my Dire Thunder and Master Sword, both of which attack twice instantly. As such, I focus only on pure power as opposed to speed. I apologize for my lack of flexibility"
"That's fine. We have tons of fighters who can cover your weaknesses" I closed Reinhardt's stat page "Ike, Olivia, Serra, Maria and Eldigan, you're dismissed. You are free to rest. Reinhardt, follow me"
"You're still buying me dinner tonight, right?" Serra asked "I took more than a few scratches from that training session, so I want extra to compensate!"
"Of course. Nothing too expensive, like I said though. So don't go ordering lion or buffalo steaks" I told the cleric "I'll get your dessert to pay for your scrapes though"
"Ah well, fine by me. Much appreciated Lucian!" Serra grinned and then skipped off back into the barracks, followed by Ike, Maria, Eldigan and Olivia. I saw Lachesis dash in not too long later.
"Now then, what did you want me following you for?" Reinhardt asked as he followed me down to the storage room, his hands behind his back.
"I'm getting you your Dire Thunder back"
"And how would you do that? When I arrived here, I only had a Thoron tome on hand. As far as I know, it's been lost in between the space of my world and yours or…" I stopped Reinhardt before he could continue talking.
"Don't worry about it. I have my ways" I opened the storage room door and hauled twenty thousand Hero Feathers, 20 Great Azure Badges and tons of Universal Crystals before setting off to the summoning altar. I did this process a couple times before, particularly with Alfonse, Legion and Clarisse recently, but it was always a pain taking a huge sack of feathers and badges all the way to the altar. It made me wish Anna could construct one right here in the castle.
"Alright, we're here. Now how did I do it again…" I rummaged through the bag and set the twenty blue insignias in a circle on the altar's floor, before scattering the Hero Feathers like a wreath around them. Despite the wind blowing through, none of the Hero Feathers even moved an inch. Convenient.
"Okay Reinhardt, stand in the middle of the circle and don't worry. I've done this plenty of times before" I took out the Breidablik from a pocket in my robe "Just shut up and don't question it"
Reinhardt blinked and then obeyed, stepping into the circle of badges and feathers. I aimed the Breidablik at him and the badges and feathers resonated with my shot, glowing with white light. They began rising and spiraling around Reinhardt, veiling him in a shroud of glowing light. Just as suddenly, the badges and feathers faded, as well as the veil of light. Reinhardt emerged, looking stronger and the Dire Thunder tome in his hand.
"Incredible… I didn't think I'd have the tome back in my hands so soon" Reinhardt flipped through its pages, impressed "But I feel weaker than before that… process. Why so?"
"I can fix that" I dug out the final item in my bag: all the Universal Crystals "Eat these and you'll feel stronger than before. Trust me, it's nothing bad and it tastes like hard candy almost"
"I suppose I have no reason to distrust you" Reinhardt took the crystal and ate it gingerly "You're right. It tastes like… lemon actually. Hard lemon candy"
"Lemon?" I stared at the crystal in my hand "Jaffar said it was like chewing metal. Let me give it a try…"
I chipped off a piece of the crystal and gave it a taste. Reinhardt was right. It DID taste like lemon. Maybe Jaffar's sense of taste was dull due to his assassin training or something.
"Anyways, thank you for giving me back my tome. I feel stronger already thanks to it" Reinhardt bowed "With this, allow me to wreck havoc among the enemy with my new thunder magic"
"I appreciate that. Let's head back to the castle now" I picked up my bag and we headed back to base. When we got back, an Askrian border guard was waiting, looking grim and scarred.
"Summoner Lucian, we have a problem" The guard's grip on his lance was unsteady "The Sacred World is being attacked by Embla again and they brought high numbers with them. We need reinforcements from the Order to rout them out"
"Understood. I'll have a party sortied quickly" I replied and the soldier nodded, heading to the infirmary to get healed. I decided to take Nino, Jaffar, Reinhardt and Eldigan, so I sent Reinhardt to the barracks to find them. Meanwhile, I had to get skill pins for our two new cavaliers.
"I thought Embla and Askr were at a ceasefire thanks to Bruno" I thought aloud as I walked down the hallway towards the storage room "Why is Embla attacking now…? By the looks of it, they have more than enough numbers"
Trying to work out Embla's motivations was an unconquerable enigma at the moment, so I decided to put it aside and do what I do best: leading heroes to liberate worlds from Embla's hands.
"I hope Veronica stops this behavior soon. We have to unite to combat Muspell and this isn't helping matters at all…"
Painful Reunion: Lachesis and Eldigan's C Support
"Eldie! Eldigan, where are you?!" Lachesis called, her voice echoing across the barracks hallway. Several heroes groaned and some called at Lachesis to stop yelling, but the princess was determined to find her brother. It's just that there were so many rooms in the barracks that it was a maze trying to find one specific room.
"Lachesis, what are you doing? People are trying to sleep you know" Eldigan opened the door and stepped out, his long hair disheveled from slumber "What do you need me for?"
"Eldie I…" Lachesis couldn't stop herself and crushed Eldigan in a hug. The paladin hugged her back, always surprised by her strength. The blood of Hezul did a lot of good for her "I didn't think I'd see you again. After you were executed by Chagall I… I wept for days"
"I thought you would. I was moments before my execution when I was summoned. My last thoughts were worrying for you" Eldigan whispered affectionately "I'm sorry Lachesis. I should of seen King Chagall's wickedness sooner but I-"
"It's your knightly vows and loyalty that got you killed" Lachesis let go of her brother "And that's what I want you to change. Not everyone's a golden warrior that fights honorably like you. There are wicked people out in the world worse than Chagall. You could be tricked and killed again if your behavior stands!"
"Lachesis, you don't understand. It's written in the legacy of Hezul that those who wield Mystletainn swear undying fealty to Agustria's crown" Eldigan argued "I knew of Chagall's brashness and animosity towards me, but I can't do a lot to combat that"
"Oh posh, it's just an unnecessary rule written in history. Nobody says you can't break it" Lachesis shot back "And Eldie, did you not know what the masses thought about you? They want YOU as king of Agustria, not Chagall. Yet by allowing him to take the throne and use you as a pawn, they've lost faith in you. Is it not a paladin's duty to serve the people of a country?"
"Yes, but please understand Lachesis, I don't want the throne. I have no experience in politics or ruling a country. The best I could do was advise Chagall and try to steer him away from a path of tyranny" Eldigan replied "That way, Agustria would have a king who knew what he was doing and then-"
"Enough Eldie. That's in the past and we've steered off the main point" Lachesis closed her eyes and sighed "Regardless, your insatiable loyalty, honor and commitment to your knightly code cannot stay here in Askr. They will be more dirty and tricky foes and I cannot have you dying again. Got it?!"
Eldigan smiled "Your sharp tongue still stays Lachesis. Alright, I'll do what you say. With no Agustria here, I can remain loyal to the right person and that's Lucian. I'll be wary of tricks and deceptions on the road as well"
"Good. Don't go helping every poor schmuck you see" Lachesis warned "People get desperate when they're poor and homeless you know"
"Yes mother" Eldigan replied sarcastically "Now is that all you have to tell me? I WAS in the middle of a good nap"
"That's all. Sleep well Eldie" Lachesis gave her brother one last hug "And brush your hair when you awaken. When it's unkempt like this, you lose a lot of your regal aura"
"Ha ha. Of course. I'll see you around sister"
"Bye Eldie!" And Lachesis headed back to her room. Eldigan was about to re-enter his when Reinhardt approached him, a new tome tucked under his arms.
"Lord Eldigan of Nordion, Lucian wants you in the lobby. There's been a crisis in the Sacred World and we need to go settle it" The mage knight said "Get your weapon and hurry. I'm going to find Nino and Jaffar"
"Understood. Thank you for telling me" Eldigan nodded and Reinhardt rushed off. The paladin quickly brushed his hair before picking up his Mystletainn "I've escaped the political spider web of Agustria and found someone I know I can assure my loyalty to and feel safe about it. It hurt the first time to abandon Lachesis, but I swear on Hezul's demon blade, I won't do it a second time here"
With that, Eldigan strode out of his room and headed down to the lobby to meet with Lucian. To the first campaign in Askr, the paladin of Nordion shall ride a new man.
So this was originally supposed to be Paralogue 10: Sacred World, but the pre-battle world building and banter eventually overtook most of the story, so I decided to convert it into a sidestory. Sort of like a Castle Story in Dragalia Lost, where multiple characters engage in a short story to build the world around them as well as character. For this one, it's a short story between Lachesis and Eldigan, who I did pull prior to the Sacred World banner on Hero Fest 2. King Chagall sending Eldigan's head back as a "present" didn't happen in FE4. It's just a detail I took from Naryfiel Lilith's FE4 novelization. Lachesis trying to commit suicide via the Earth Sword happened in the FE4 manga (or one of the them idk) and the Mystletainn doesn't actually have a Nosferatu effect. It's again, taken from Naryfiel Lilith's FE4 novelization as well as the fact Mystletainn's called the "Demon Sword" so it has to have a reason for that name beyond being the darkest looking sword among the FE4 legendaries. Lachesis having a thing for Finn comes from the fact Lachesis x Finn is heavily implied in FE5. Coming up next is Paralogue 10: Sacred World (I promise) If you want to be notified of when a new chapter comes out, favorite and follow. If you want to leave constructive criticism or praise, leave a review. Until next time fellow summoners!