Fire Emblem Hearts
Chapter 3
A little bit of training
The barracks weren't far from the throne room, across the courtyard in fact. Kazuki noticed not a lot of soldiers were walking around the palace. Everyone seemed to be relaxed, and there was a lack of an actual guard. He was lead to believe all Palaces had a decent enough guard, and would be crawling with soldiers. Robin seemed to be looking around herself. Most likely memorizing the areas of interest. He could almost see the gears turning in her head. She was already drafting a defense strategy in case someone decided to attack. Kazuki couldn't help but smile a bit.
"That girl is probably gonna become a workaholic. She is the tactician though...she's gonna have it rough." he thought to himself. He reached into his back pocket for his pack of gum, which he had slipped in there in the morning. He pulled out a piece, silently slipping it into his mouth.
"Say Lissa, where are the palace guards?" Robin asked, having finished her assessment of the courtyard.
"I noticed that myself. I didn't think the palace would be so lax with security."
"We barely have royal guards. Thing is, my sister Emmeryn doesn't like having that many guards around. After the previous war, our army was in bad shape. Everyone who had been conscripted had been given an honorable discharge. Only those loyal to the Royal Family decided to stick around. Frederick was a commander back then, now he's a Royal Knight, the only one of his platoon to still be here." the princess replied.
"Isn't it...you know dangerous? What if someone comes for Emmeryn?" Kazuki asked, lightly chewing on his gum.
"Well we do have guards. Commander Phila is in charge of the palace detainment. There are a few Pegasus Knights here, in case things get dicey. Not only that, the Shepherds are always on site, so we deal with anyone that might pose a threat. You shouldn't worry too much, no one would dare attack the palace." Lissa said confidently. Robin sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm with you there sister. You might not expect it, but it's best to be prepared, especially against the Heartless. Maybe I should talk to Chrom about tightening security a bit. Just in case." the kitsune thought, snapping his gum. Lissa paused, looking directly at him.
"What was that?" she asked.
"What was what?" he asked, confusion on his face.
"I think she means the snap. Actually, what are you eating? You've been chewing on something for a few minutes now." the white haired tactician asked. He sighed, withdrawing his pack of Peppermint Gum from his pocket.
"It's called gum. You just chew it, until it loses its flavor...it's supposed to help keep your breath fresh too. I just chew it for fun." he said, handing the two girls a stick of it. They looked it curiously. He blinked for a second, before taking Lissa's and pulling the foil off.
"Oh. So you just...chew it?" she asked, taking the white colored stick from him.
"Mhmm. You can blow bubbles with it too, but I don't have any bubblegum sadly." he said. Robin and Lissa shared a look, both putting the gum in their mouths. It didn't take long for Lissa to start blowing bubbles with it. She giggled happily.
"This is awesome! You have more right? I wanna give some to Maribelle, she'd definitely love it!"
"Uh yeah...I got more." he said, rubbing his neck. His ears twitched slightly.
"There goes my supply of gum. I wonder if there's duplication magic in this place...it would help keep my stash of candy looking like a stash." he thought.
"Fascinating...it's quite minty, despite that it has the consistency of tree sap. You are full of surprises aren't you Kazuki?" Robin asked, earning a chuckle from the boy.
The castle barracks were finally in view. It was a large building, connected to the main castle by a single hallway. It was a few stories tall, made entirely out of limestone, much like the rest of the castle. There was a large training area off to the side, several practice dummies had been laid out. Kazuki could also see barrels containing wooden practice swords, spears and axes. There was a large corral, most likely for those with mounts to get some practice in. Not far from the corral lied the stables. He could see a few horses nearby, some being given a bath by the farmhands.
Lissa wasted no time in pulling the two, taking them toward the building. Kazuki figured this was where the rest of the Shepherds spent their time. He could hear voices a lot clearer now, thanks to his increased hearing. He begun growing a bit nervous, despite being a bit outgoing, he didn't do well with new people. He just hoped he made a good impression.
"You nervous?" Robin asked quietly, earning a nod from Kazuki.
"A little bit. It's just...you know how Lissa reacted when we first met. Kitsune here are thieves and vagrants. I know I'm not like that, but you know...I don't want to make a bad impression." he admitted, biting his lower lip.
"You'll do fine. It should be me who should be worried, I'm an amnesiac after all. No one would believe me."
"Well, I can't exactly tell people the truth about where I'm from so, guess we're in the same boat, sister." he replied jokingly. Robin's brows furrowed a bit, but she shrugged it off.
"Sometimes it's just better to face the music, as they say. You can prepare all you want, but you can't avoid things."
"Sound advice Miss Tactician. I think I'll let you go first." he said jokingly.
"What...what?"
Before either recruit could say anything, Lissa ran off, entering the garrison. It was a rather spacious room, loaded to the brim with supplies. Kazuki could see the racks of weapons, swords, shields, spears, lances, and axes, all neatly placed in their own sections. There were several crates stacked off to the corner of the room, acting as tables of sorts. Two large maps had been pinned to the wall, most likely to help plan routes for future use.
There were two people chatting amicably with each other. The first was a tall muscular man, wearing what looked like a metal collar. He was wearing leather armor over his left arm, as well as armored gloves. He was wearing a matching pair of pants and boots. He had fair colored skin, and spiky blond hair. Kazuki noticed he bore a scar on his cheek, though it was barely noticeable unless you were up close. He thanked his improved vision for allowing him to notice it.
The second was a young woman, who was wearing more armor than the former. Kazuki was quite surprised to see a woman as young as her being an armored knight. The armor was a soft shade of pink, with several designs on it. She was very pretty, having long soft brown hair that cascaded down her back. Rather than armored greaves, he noticed she was wearing long boots, along with a skirt. He didn't know exactly how a skirt qualified as armor, but then remembered a line from a series he had watched.
"It isn't a dress, it's a combat skirt. Never thought I'd see that in my lifetime." he thought.
"Well here we are! This is the Shepherd's HQ, so make yourselves right at home! You're part of us so you can hang out here from now on!" Lissa exclaimed, she eagerly beckoned the two over, chomping on her gum.
"Oh ho ho! What's this? We got new recruits?" the blond man asked, a grin on his face. Robin was about to reply, but was cut off by someone else.
"Lissa my treasure!"
The man was knocked away, but he caught himself before he fell down. The cause was another young lady, that Kazuki hadn't even noticed. She was a bit taller than Lissa, and like the other girl, dressed in pink. Her blonde hair was styled in various ringlets, all falling perfectly down her back. Her outfit was light, consisting of a long pink shirt, with frills, heart shaped buttons and other things Kazuki couldn't begin to describe. Her leg wear was nothing more than puffy parachute pants, stuffed into brown leather boots. He noticed a pouch strapped to her hip, and grew curious as to its contents. He felt someone jabbing him in the side, and turned his head slightly, meeting Robin's curious gaze.
"W-what?" he asked softly, his tongue playing with his gum. She wiggled her brows slightly.
"Someone catch your fancy?"
"Oh piss off you," he hissed, ears flattening on his head as he looked away.
"Gee, thanks for barreling into me. I thought you'd respect Ol' Teach, but guess you got a couple things to learn."
"When will you get over yourself Oaf? I will never address you as 'Teach' either. Besides it doesn't matter what you say, all I want is for my darling Lissa to be safe! Oh, I've been on pins and needles waiting for your return. I sprouted 14 gray hairs fretting for your well being!"
"Ehehe, I missed you too Maribelle," the princess said, returning her friend's hug. The blonde looked her over, examining her with a close eye.
"You didn't get hurt did you? Any wounds, scratches?"
"I'm okay! I did see some combat, but I was totally fine. I had Chrom and Frederick with me after all. The only complaint I have is my aching feet, the bugs and the bear meat," she replied, brushing off her concern.
"I see...apologies then. I heard about those odd creatures, I naturally grew nervous. They've been attacking travelers quite often over the last few days." she said. This made Kazuki frown, bowing his head a bit.
"Could she mean the zombie soldiers? Or the Heartless? Great...as if that wasn't bad enough. The heartless are the most dangerous ones. Now that I think about it, I only started seeing them after I fell into the Dark Realm. Could it be because of that hooded fellow? Is he behind the Heartless attacking Ylisse?"
"Anyway, we've got some new recruits! You should have seen them you guys, they're totally awesome. Robin here happens to be our new tactician, she helped us out of a sticky spot back in Southtown." Lissa said, pointing toward the white haired woman.
"It's nice to meet you all, please call me Robin. I look forward to working with you all in the future." she said politely.
"A tactician? Bah who needs one? The Vaike can handle a mob of baddies all by himself." the blond man, Vaike, said cockily.
"Oh? Does that mean you're willing to be the fodder? That would be nice. I won't be there to keep you alive and healed though. I'm sure your body will make an excellent shield."
"Maribelle don't say that!" Lissa said.
"My apologies dear, I couldn't help it." she said with a giggle.
"Har har har. I'll remember that the next time some guy with a lance tries to spear you." Vaike said, looking rather annoyed.
"Um...what about him?" the pink armored knight asked, pointing to the kitsune, who had been looking intently at the ground.
"Oh right, this is Kazuki. He helped us out against those shadowy creatures, and even knows their name! He called them 'Heartless'! He came in swooping with a keyblade and destroyed them all. He even saved my life from one of them!" Lissa said happily.
"A kitsune? Is it wise to hire someone like him? The kitsune are known throughout Ylisse and Plegia as thieves and vagrants. He doesn't seem at all trustworthy."
"I can attest to his skills Miss Maribelle. He's quite adept with battle...though it seems his focus lies elsewhere at the moment." Robin said, tapping the boy's shoulder. When he didn't reply, she grabbed one of his ears, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Fucking son of a bitch. That hurts like shit Robin!" he cried, brushing her hand away from him.
"Sorry, it was the only way to get your attention." she replied.
"Well, I didn't think someone could be so uncouth! He must definitely be from Plegia." Maribelle said, looking disgusted with his abhorrent vocabulary. Kazuki cringed inwardly.
"There goes my first impression."
"Pfft...don't mind her man, she's just a priss. Sounds like you're well versed in cursing. But are you well versed in this?" Vaike said, uttering a belch, that made the young man cringe.
"Well, it seems like you've got quite a lot to teach me in the belching arts, eh Teach?" Robin said jokingly, a small smile on her face.
"I...I...that was awful. Look man, I know we're big burly men or whatever, but could you at least act like a gentleman? My mother raised me to be polite in the presense of ladies. Especially if one happens to be a princess." Kazuki said, glaring at the blond man.
"Well put, perhaps I misjudged you. I cannot believe you even foul my air supply. You most definitely were raised in a barn, and you Robin, I'd have hoped you were cut from a finer cloth." Maribelle said, looking away from the white haired tactician. Sumia sighed, shaking her head, directing her gaze at Vaike.
"This is why you don't have any luck with the ladies Vaike. If you keep acting like an idiot, no one will wanna date you."
"Wow Sumia, that was...that was pretty good." Lissa said, earning a small smile from the knight. Kazuki took a deep calming breath, shaking the nerves off himself.
"I uh...okay, I'm sorry about my language. I've had a lot on my mind for the last few minutes. If we could, I'd like to start fresh. Ahem, my name is Kazuki Morita, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintances." the kitsune said, bowing politely.
"Name's Vaike, it's nice to meet ya too bro." the blond man said, giving him a grin.
"I'm Sumia, it's nice to meet you." the armor clad girl said happily. Maribelle sighed, shaking her head before standing straight. She held her hand out to the boy.
"You may call me Maribelle, I look forward to working with you...both of you." she said. Kazuki shakily reached for her hand, giving it a firm shake. Robin did the same, choosing to stay silent.
"So, Lissa said you saved her from one of these...heartless was it? If that's so then you have my thanks. I don't know what I'd do without my darling."
"Oh uh...it's no problem miss. I was just doing my job...seeing as I'm the only one who can eliminate them for long periods of time." he admitted, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Hey Squirt, before I forget, where's Chrom? It's been awhile since he's gone up against Ol' Teach." Vaike said, earning an eyeroll from the princess.
"He's in a meeting right now, you know how long those take. You'll be able to get your butt handed to you by him later today."
"Oof...I've seen Chrom fight, sounds like you don't stand a chance."
"Pfft...it's the other way around my friend. Besides you haven't seen me fight either. Bet if you and I went at it, I'd totally school you." the axeslinger said confidently.
"No argument there, I've been swinging my keyblade around for a day, give or take. I'd probably be eating dirt 2 seconds in."
"I don't think so, you have quite a bit of mana flowing within you. Were you to face him with magic, I'm sure you'd defeat him with ease." Robin said, placing a hand on Kazuki's shoulder.
"If you say so." Kazuki said with a shrug.
"It's alright Kazuki, I'm not that good of a fighter either...so we're pretty much the same." Sumia admitted, trying to make the boy feel better.
"But...but you're a knight." he said, looking the girl over.
"Sumia is a lost cause, she's always tripping over her boots. She can hold a spear, but the moment she runs, it's game over." Vaike said, causing the girl to look away.
"Has anyone ever told you, you have terrible manners with women?" Maribelle snapped in annoyance.
"You don't need manners on the battlefield." he replied, brushing her off.
"And that my friend will get you stabbed in the eye." Kazuki said softly, earning a giggle from Robin. She choked for a second, pounding her chest roughly.
"Robin, what's wrong?" Lissa cried out with worry.
"I...swallowed my gum." she said.
"Pfft..."
"It's not funny Kazuki!"
"Heavens, what are you talking about?" Maribelle asked, clearly confused.
"Kazuki comes from another country! One that has really weird black fizzy water, and this thing called gum! Go on, give them a piece!"
"Alright alright, hold your horses." the boy mumbled, reaching for his pack of gum. He withdrew three pieces, handing them to his new friends. He handed another one to Robin, who gratefully accepted it.
"Um...what am I supposed to do with it?" Sumia asked curiously.
"You take the wrapper off and chew it." the kitsune explained. Vaike chuckled as he took off the wrapper, tossing it into his mouth.
"This tastes like paper."
"No...Vaike you don't chew the silver bit, just the stick." Lissa said, to no avail. Thankfully, Sumia and Maribelle had watched Robin and had gotten the desired result.
"It tastes minty!"
"What a weird type of candy...where are you from exactly?" the blonde girl asked. Kazuki cringed inwardly at her gaze.
"Here I go again, lying about where I'm from. Might as well get it over with."
"I'm from a place called Japan. Sadly I can't exactly say where it's located. It's uh...very hard to get too, hardly anyone has come to the outside world. It's not on any maps either, I don't think." he replied.
"Did you say Japan? I think I've heard of that place!" Sumia said.
"Pfft...what? You have?" Kazuki asked incredulously, earning a nod from the girl.
"Yeah, I remember my father talking about it once. I think he traveled there at one point." she said.
"Ah...well that's surprising, I guess. Traveling there is very hard, rough seas and the like. Hehe."
"Hmm...there's something about you that doesn't sit right with me." Maribelle said, giving the boy a scrutinizing gaze.
"Eh, he's not a bad kid! He gave us candy after all, that means he's a good guy in my book. Plus he saved the squirt right? That means he's not bad." Vaike added, clapping the boy's shoulder. He cringed a bit, but decided to say nothing.
"Ah, good you're all still here."
"C-captain!" Sumia cried out, as Chrom entered the room. The blue haired man greeted everyone, a warm smile on his face.
"Hey Chrom, how was the meeting?" Robin asked curiously. He sighed, brushing some hair from his eyes.
"We've decided to take a bit of a break. However we did get somewhere, Emmeryn has ordered the Shepherd's to travel north. Due to all of the instigating Plegia has been doing, as well as the many attacks, she's decided to seek aid from Ragna Ferox. We leave in 5 days time."
"Ragna Ferox, the country north of us correct?" Kazuki asked.
"That's right. They've been attacked by Plegians as well, Emm hopes we could strike a deal with the Khan. They hold more troops than we do. Hopefully this will deter further attacks on Ylissian soil."
"What about the dead? And the Heartless?" the tactician asked curiously.
"We're still discussing that, however we have decided to give the dead a name. Henceforth they shall be called Risen. They've appeared in other areas around Ylisse, but the Pegasus Knights have been dealing with them adequately. However there are some rather concerning reports." Chrom said, reaching into his pocket for some folded papers.
"Reports of what exactly, milord?" Maribelle asked, watching the man unfold the papers.
"It seems the Heartless have been attacking some small settlements near Ylisstol. Witnesses say people with negative emotions seem to be attracting them a lot. Not only that, people have also reported seeing an odd sight. Those attacked by heartless seem to expel a pink glittering object before bursting into light."
"I'm sorry? What was that?" Sumia asked, confused by what the captain had said. Kazuki took a shaky breath, gritting his teeth as a voice flashed in his mind.
"What are the heartless exactly?"
"We're not exactly sure. However we do know something, they are creatures created from the darkness in people's hearts. Those that are consumed by that darkness turn into heartless. If their hearts are purged from the body, then they will be lost to the darkness." a female voice replied.
"So wait...those things that come out of them when we destroy them with the keyblade..."
"Captive hearts. The keyblade has the power to release those hearts from the heartless. They're foul little beasts, devouring strong hearts all over the world. Those hearts that are freed, will return to Kingdom Hearts. But there is a way to get those people back...so long as their Heartless and their ****** is destroyed." the voice replied.
"Kazuki, yoohoo...anyone home?"
"Hmm...something wrong?" he asked, shaking his head slightly. Lissa gave him a concerned look, glancing back at her brother.
"Are you well friend? You looked to be in pain." he said.
"No...I just...remembered something. It's about the heartless." the kitsune said. Chrom's face lit up, sounding a bit relieved.
"Well what is it? Every small bit of information will be leaps and bounds better than what we have now."
"Umm...it's like this. Heartless are creatures born out of the darkness in people's hearts. When they're consumed by that darkness, their hearts are lost. Those pink things that you mentioned are hearts, leaving the body. Heartless go after strong hearts filled with light, the keyblade can set those hearts free." Kazuki said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I'm so confused right now."
"Are you telling me that the human heart, an organ within a person, can be taken over by...darkness?" Maribelle asked, earning a nod from the boy.
"It sounds weird but...yeah. I've seen those pink hearts myself...whenever I destroyed the Heartless with my keyblade. Apparently, they go to something called Kingdom Hearts. I'm sorry...I wish I had more information but...I seem to be getting it in chunks. Chunks I didn't know I had forgotten." he said, resting a hand on his temple.
"This is crazy...this sounds like a fantasy novel." Sumia said.
"Tch...whatever, they can attack all they want! But Ol Teach will teach them a lesson or two!" Vaike said, a cocky grin on his face.
"Hmm...regardless of our strength, we mustn't play the hero card. Not with these things. I wouldn't want any of you to lose your hearts because you were overly confident. Kazuki, I believe I have a mission for you."
"Huh...already? And here I thought I'd get to swab the floors first," he said jokingly, earning a chuckle from Chrom.
"Only if you misbehave. There is a town not far from Ylisstol, named Alryne. It's a small town dealing in Smithed goods, weapons and the like. It seems Heartless have been plaguing them since they started appearing. Think you could take care of them?" he asked.
"Hmm...sure but...just clearing them out wouldn't work. If what I said is true then, they must be in that town for a reason. Perhaps someone with strong light or darkness, if that's the case they may even have a commander heartless. I think taking it out will clear them out of the area entirely," Kazuki replied.
"Makes as much sense as anything else. Especially if they behave like an army. If that's the case then you are on the job, but you'll need someone to watch your back. Miriel is out right now, Kellam is nowhere to be found and Stahl will be busy."
"Milord, if it's something as simple as a clearing mission, I believe I will be more than enough. I shall keep the new recruit in line." Maribelle said, a confident look on her face.
"You are a skilled healer, it would be good if you'd support him. Yes I believe you will do. Sumia, would you accompany them? I trust Kazuki can handle himself, but Maribelle needs someone to watch her back." the prince said. While the blonde seemed annoyed, she said nothing only crossing her arms.
"Of course milord! I'd be happy to lend a hand!" Sumia cried happily. She took a step forward, heading toward the lances, only to slip on some papers. Kazuki cringed as she slammed face first into the floor.
"Oh my gods, is she alright?" Robin asked. Kazuki knelt before her, holding his hand out.
"Ow...these boots always make me trip," she mumbled, taking the kitsune's hand.
"Don't you two worry. Sumia is quite well acquainted with the floor, you could say she and her are the best of friends." Vaike said jokingly, earning a glare from Lissa and Chrom.
"Anyway...I believe you should remain here tonight and set out in the morning. We only just got back, Lissa have you shown Robin and Kazuki to their quarters?"
"Nope, I was about too when you walked in. Come on you guys, I promise your rooms will be nice and comfy." the blonde cleric said happily.
"I'm sure...think you could show me to the library? I wanna see if I can learn more about my keyblade. Lady Emmeryn said there might be some books in there." Kazuki said.
"Sure, if you wanna spend your day with your nose buried in stuffy books. Let me guess Robin, you were gonna ask the same thing?"
"Yes." she replied softly. The three left the room, chatting quietly among themselves.
"Thanks for volunteering Maribelle, I'm glad you are being friendly with the new recruits." Chrom said.
"It's my pleasure Prince Chrom. Better me to watch his back than the Oaf. Arguably, I am a bit curious about this "Keyblade" he spoke of. Not to mention I have yet to see these Heartless myself. However, I'm not comfortable with Sumia watching our backs." she said, whispering the last part.
"She's learning, I think this is a perfect chance for her." he said.
"Yes, I understand...however I don't think her tripping over her feet on the field is what we need. I wouldn't want to lose her in battle, she's a close friend after all." she said firmly. Chrom sighed, glancing away from the blonde noble.
"I'm well aware, but at the moment we don't have any options. I'd send Virion with them, but I'm still not exactly trustworthy of him. Sully's horse was injured by one of the Risen on her way back to Ylisstol and she won't be able to go out for a few days. She's the only one we got."
"Very well...I shall do my utmost best to keep her healed. I best take stock of my healing items. I also need to make sure Vera is ready for battle." she said. She bowed before the prince, quickly excusing herself.
"So, think you can go a round or two against Ol Teach?" Vaike asked.
"Maybe next time, I'm due back any moment. Make sure Sumia's ready to go, and for gods sake, make sure she ties her boot straps." he said softly, earning a nod from the man, who was grinning like an idiot.
"Hack...I swallowed my gum!" the voice of Sumia cried, as she was patting her chest.
xxx
Kazuki didn't spend much time in his room. It was mostly due to him wanting to research more things about the keyblade. As promised, Lissa had given him and Robin some pretty sweet accommodations. His room was the size of his bedroom back home, except it lacked electronics. It had a comfy bed, a desk, a bookshelf, which was empty, a window and a place to put his clothes. All of the necessities he would need in this new world. As soon as he had dumped his backpack there, pausing briefly to explain what a zipper was to Lissa and Robin, the princess took the two of them to the Castle Library.
To say it was huge was an understatement. This would put the Library of Congress to shame. It was filled to the brim with books, floor to ceiling shelves stuffed with thick tomes. Each section was split off by genre, with the more aloof stories being in the front, while the serious books were to the back. There were some tables dotted about, occupied by some scholars. The Castle Library was apparently used by the local schools, so townspeople were given access to it whenever they needed. It didn't take long for Robin to lose herself in a new world, having been whisked away by the librarian toward the Tactics section of the library. That left Kazuki on his own with Lissa, searching the History books and anything related to the keyblade.
"So what exactly do you hope to find?" the princess asked curiously, tracing the spine of a golden tome. The boy shrugged.
"Anything will do, just as long as it's useful. I don't want to run into battle blind. I feel like I can do a lot more with my keyblade, I just don't know what." he admitted, frowning a bit. His eyes traced some of the letters on the books, frowning a bit.
"I can't read this stuff. Even if I did find a book, how the hell would I read it?" he asked. Lissa opened her mouth to speak, only to notice the boy was squinting at the books. She put two and two together, a small smile on her face.
"You can't read can you?"
"Huh? What no...I can definitely read!" he cried, taking a step back. The princess pulled a random tome from the shelf and opened to a random page. She pointed her finger to a paragraph, holding the book to him.
"What does this say?"
"That says...Lissa is beautiful and she isn't going to make fun of me." he said, a hopeful look on his face. She snapped the book closed, shaking her head.
"Buttering me up isn't going to change the facts Kazuki. You can't read, so even if we find a book on the Keyblade, what good would that do?"
"Maybe you could read it for me?" the kitsune asked, a hopeful look on his face. The princess giggled, shaking her head.
"Nah, I got a better solution for you. I'll just find you a teacher! That way they'll teach you how to read."
"I suppose that's better than cheesing it. Thanks Lissa, I guess I assumed our languages would be the same." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You know I just realized, I've been speaking Japanese this entire time. Our language is the same yet the writing is different. I guess that will make things a little easier." he thought to himself.
"It is a bit weird, that you speak Ylissian but have different writing. It doesn't matter, soon enough you'll be able to read. Then you'll be so sick of it you'll want to do something else."
"Yeah, I guess." he replied with disappointment. He was looking forward to discovering more about the keyblade. Now that he was hindered, he wouldn't be able to find answers to some of his bigger questions.
"Come on you, let's distract you with something else. You'll be leaving for Alryne tomorrow. That means you'll need to be combat ready, a bit of practice will do you good."
"You just want to see my keyblade don't you? You're still miffed that you can't hold it."
"Am not! I just want to make sure you aren't going to get Maribelle killed. She's my best friend you know." she replied, causing the boy to chuckle.
"Yeah yeah, I'm not that bad. I'm more worried about Sumia though...I'd actually like to see her fighting prowess." Kazuki said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
It didn't take long to reach the training grounds. Kazuki spotted a few of the Shepherd's practicing with their weapons. He spotted a young man dressed in green armor, swinging an iron sword at a practice dummy. The kitsune had to admit, he looked like an agile person, despite the heavy armor he seemed to be wearing. He was a bit taller than Kazuki, with a mop of brown hair, and fair colored skin. He looked a bit tired, but he pressed on, jabbing his sword at the dummy behind him.
"That's Stahl, he's one of our cavaliers. He's also the best cook in the Shepherds, wait until you try his stew." Lissa said, earning a nod from the boy. Stahl paused for a moment, having heard their voices. He sheathed his sword, turning to face the two.
"Good day Lady Lissa, it's nice to see you."
"Same to you Stahl. How goes the practice?"
"Pretty well, I'm certain I'll be prepared for our march to the north. Ah, who's this? New recruit?" the cavalier asked.
"That's right, I'm Kazuki, nice to meet ya!" the kitsune said, holding his hand out. The cavalier shook it, giving him a nod.
"Just call me Stahl. Heard from Sumia earlier that you've been given a mission. Lucky you, the rest of us have to prepare for the march to Ragna Ferox. The captain is still talking to those nobles, politics and the like."
"Sounds like a fun time," Kazuki said sarcastically.
"Stahl, since you use swords, do you think you could give Kazuki here a few pointers? His fighting stance is a bit sloppy." Lissa said, earning a sigh from the kitsune. The cavalier nodded, giving him a smile.
"Of course, I wouldn't mind. Do you wanna use a practice sword or the real deal?"
"I'll use my own." the boy said with a shrug. He held his hand out, summoning his keyblade. Stahl took a step back in surprise, not having expected a weapon to flash into his grasp.
"Wha...what?"
"It's magic, so teach...think you could show me how it's done?" he asked. Stahl nodded, regaining his composure. He drew his blade, holding it tightly in his hand.
"Alright, one of the things we learn first is stance. I may be a cavalier but I am trained to fight on foot. You wanna be a bit low to the ground, that way you won't be knocked down easily." the viridian knight said, adopting his stance. Kazuki adopted the same stance, holding his keyblade firmly in his hand.
"Next, you have to watch your opponent's movements. They'll be coming at you with all of their strength. You have to predict what they'll do. Will they go for a jab? Or maybe a slash? You have to be ready to avoid the attack or guard against it."
"Alright." he said softly, angling his keyblade a bit. Stahl walked in front of the boy, adopting a similar stance, blade raised and ready to attack.
"I'll be coming at you like I mean it, do your best to guard my attacks. Lady Lissa would you mind keeping an eye on us in case we get hurt?"
"Sure thing, I've been meaning to practice my healing magic." she said, reaching for her staff.
Kazuki swallowed hard, preparing himself mentally for what was about to happen. Without warning Stahl sprung forward, he had been expecting to be slowed down by his armor. The kitsune angled his keyblade in time to parry the attack, a loud clang echoing through the training ground. The cavalier stepped back, throwing a jab at the boy who barely dodged it, the edge of the sword slicing into his side. Thankfully it hadn't dug into his skin.
"Very good, but you were a bit late on that dodge. I could have stabbed you clean through."
"Yeah...I'm still getting used to this. I didn't exercise much before all of this." he admitted.
"I was expecting you to transform on me, if I'm being honest."
"Transform?" Kazuki asked, confusion on his face.
"Kitsune like you have the ability to transform. If you have a beaststone that is. Don't you have one?" the cavalier asked. Kazuki shrugged it off, adopting his stance.
"I don't...I uh, lost it." he said.
"Well, I can understand why you need sword training then. Let's continue. Kitsune also have good eyesight and good hearing...use those to your advantage. You should be able to hear quite a lot of things, maybe even muscle movements. That should help you out a lot." Stahl said, causing the boy to nod.
Kazuki prepared for another round of guarding. This time, the kitsune was trying to use his hearing. Stahl took an upward swing at him, which he barely dodged. He used a handspring to again some distance, before running at him. He swung his blade at the cavalier, who easily blocked his attack. His sword didn't even buckle, while Kazuki felt the vibrations of the attack through his arms. Stahl pushed him back, throwing another wide slash at him, this time a downward slash. Kazuki tried to block the hit, only for the edge of the sword to slice his arm open. He cried in pain, a stream of blood hitting the ground.
"Oh no, I'm sorry Kazuki!"
"Nah...it's fine man, don't worry about it. If I'm learning to fight, then I gotta get used to this." he said, sweeping some hair from his face. Lissa walked up to the boy, looking his wound over before holding her staff up.
"You're stance is still sloppy, but that swing was pretty good." she said. Kazuki focused on the glowing light, seeing it slowly sealing up his wound.
"That's cool...think you could teach me some healing magic?"
"Sure, if you can use a staff." she said with a giggle.
"I think you let what I told you cloud your focus. I noticed the look on your face, you were trying to listen to my movements right?" Stahl asked, earning a sigh from the boy, who's ears flattened against his head.
"Yeah."
"Maybe you shouldn't do that, I assume it takes time to do that. When you're on the field, you should follow your instincts. Sword fighting will eventually become automatic for you. If you lose focus, you could end up with a wound worse than that." he said.
"I'll keep that in mind, last thing I need is to get run through by a sword." he said jokingly.
"We can move onto attacking if you want. That strike you threw was pretty good. You don't need to worry about hitting any vital areas, I'm wearing armor after all,"
"Okay...I think we can do that!" Kazuki said excitedly.
xxx
Kazuki held back a smirk as he came at Stahl again. He had been practicing and sparring with the cavalier for a few hours now. All of his tips had been committed to memory, and he had improved greatly. They had been trading blows back and forth, having switched to practice swords to avoid more cuts. He took a downward swing at Stahl who easily parried it, pushing him back. He spun the blade around preparing to go in for a jab, which the cavalier once again blocked.
"Nice, don't get cocky with your strikes though. You never know what your opponent will do next!" he said, throwing a punch at the kitsune who ducked under it. He felt a jab to his stomach, making him lost the air in his lungs. He was knocked back, his sword having been knocked out of his hand.
"Hah...hah...you got me...again." the boy said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"You've got good reflexes Kazuki, probably from your kitsune blood. Rely on them more, there were times where I had you and you got out of the corner. With more practice, you'll be a great fighter!" the viridian knight said encouragingly.
"You sure? I don't feel like I learned anything new."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
"Oh, hello Captain...I didn't know you were watching." Stahl said, turning to face Chrom, who had stepped into the training ground.
Kazuki shook his head a bit, brushing some of his sweaty locks back. He noticed, alongside Chrom, Frederick, Sumia, Maribelle and even Emmeryn had been there. He felt a bit embarrassed now, not having noticed so many people watching him. Chrom stood before the young man, a confident look on his face.
"I've been watching you for the last couple bouts. At first you were a bit nervous, but you loosened up a bit. It wasn't long before you started to fight with all your heart. You took what Stahl said and put it into practice. I'm quite impressed with your stamina."
"As am I...you show a lot of promise, if you'd like I could give you some pointers." Frederick added, standing next to the blue haired prince.
"That would be awesome, thanks Frederick." Kazuki said gratefully, earning a nod from the knight.
"Excellent, we'll start bright and early tomorrow. I expect to see you here at exactly 5am. You should have enough time for a quick lesson before heading off to Alryne with Lady Maribelle and Lady Sumia."
"5 am? But that's-" the boy paused when the knight glared at him. "That's a perfect time, yeah...I like watching the sunrise...haha."
"Worry not friend, Frederick may seem stern but you'll get used to his regimen. I'll be there as well, I won't let him kill you just yet." Chrom said jokingly. Kazuki didn't feel like laughing, already dreading the next day.
"Good news Kazuki! I found you a teacher!"
"Oh? And that would be?" he asked.
"That would be me darling. Lissa explained your situation to me, I'd be glad to help you learn how to read." Maribelle said, quite loudly. Vaike who was nearby, started chuckling.
"You can't read?"
"I'm not from this country, so no I can't read Ylissian. What's funny about that?" he asked firmly, a look of annoyance on his face.
"Nothing man, nothing. Maybe Maribelle could start you off with The Little Duck that Could." the blond axeslinger said, breaking into laughter a moment later. Kazuki smirked as he crossed his arms.
"Well, I'm sure I'd be able to comprehend something like that with ease. Sadly I'm looking to learn things that are beyond your comprehension level. I don't believe I should elucidate my situation further but I am an immigrant upon your fair country."
"Elu...what?" the man asked, brows knitted in confusion.
"My apologies, did I obfuscate you with my vocabulary? Do you require some lesser known words?"
"What? You know what, never mind. Have fun reading with Maribelle." he said, not bothered at all by Kazuki as he walked toward the rack that held some axes.
"I am 100% sure I butchered those words." Kazuki said as he turned to face the others.
"Well...I wouldn't use obfuscate the way you did, but your use of the word elucidate was proper. Well done, if you'd like an introductory lesson, I'll be waiting in the library after dinner." Maribelle replied. With that, she turned to leave, heading off with Lissa.
"Seems to me like you made a good impression on Maribelle. She usually takes awhile to warm up to people. I'm impressed." Chrom said, earning a shrug from Kazuki.
"I'm used to dealing with women like her. My friend Sabishii is a real diva when she wants to be."
"What's a diva?" Sumia asked in confusion.
"Oh...uh...Primadonna?" he corrected, earning small ah's from everyone.
"Anyway, Kazuki you did well during our training. I think you should take a break before dinner. The last thing you need is to pass out at the table." Stahl said.
"Good idea, guess I'll take off. Oh hey, has anyone seen Robin? I lost track of her awhile ago." the auburn haired boy said, looking around for the tactician.
"I'll go look for her, I need to talk to her about our march to Ferox anyway. See you later Kazuki, glad you decided to join us."
"I'm glad too, thanks for having me Chief." the boy said saluting happily.
"Kazuki, might I speak with you for a moment? I'd like to ask something of you."
"S-sure Lady Emmeryn...anything." he said nervously. She gestured for him to follow along, he swallowed hard, having no choice but to follow the Exalt.
A/N: Well guys this was chapter 3. Worry not, the action will pick up soon, I'm working on incorporating the Kingdom Hearts aspects into Fire Emblem, doing research on Heartless types and some other things. I want to make more Heartless types for this world, so we don't just have the Risen, but the Risen will also be a dangerous threat.
Next Time...Kazuki talks to Emmeryn, what will she say to him, I wonder?
Still trying to figure out what his new name will be lol. Haven't found a good one. Oh well...
Edit: As of 3/19/19, Takumi's name has been changed to Kazuki, thanks Banru for your suggestion!