"Ow, ow! Damn it that hurts!"
Roy was in the medical tent, being treated by Lucina, who was their only competent healer. And even then, she didn't use staves and was only mediocre.
"Hold still, you're making this difficult for the both of us.. It doesn't look too bad.."
Lucina was treating his leg wounds and had already, for the most part, healed his shoulders.
Roy was being 'supervised' by Wolt, who was quick to make witty quips about his suffering best friend.
"Well, maybe if you didn't suck with swords, you could actually win." Wolt said with his signature grin.
Lucina, not able to understand jokes, took this seriously.
"It isn't his fault, you should stop berating him and have confidence in his abilities! He is your leader and you are expected to treat him as such. Do you think you can win against me? I would be happy to spar with you next." Lucina said with a stern voice and a cold glare.
"N-no ma'am! I was simply joking see? I wouldn't actually say such things to him. Please don't hurt me, I am so sorry!" Wolt was terrified and his words were spoken the quickest Roy has ever heard him speak. Which was saying something.
Roy was stifling a laugh and Lucina, satisfied by his answer, turned back to Roy.
Lucina was confused at his behavior.
"Roy? I thought you would be upset with him."
"Lucina, we need to work on your humor. He was joking, I know he didn't truly mean it... But the part about me sucking with a blade was true. I have no talent with magic, lances, or axes. Swords were my best bet starting out. I do not plan to change my weapons though I am terrible with a sword." Roy said with a crestfallen expression.
"Roy...If that is truly how you feel, I will help you. No, we don't have to spar, but I can train you and maybe show some of my techniques."
"You mean it?! Thank you so much, I promise not to slack off!" Roy said, determined.
"Of course. It is the least I can do for you helping me."
"U-um Roy, do I have permission to help Lucina with her sense of humor?"
"It isn't my permission to give." Roy gestured a hand to Lucina.
"O-oh, so sorry milady, can I help you with your humor?" Wolt said, intimidated.
"You may. It could help me in the future I suppose. But not now please... I would like some time."
"Of course milady."
Lucina frowned at that.
"Just call me Lucina, I was never fond of formalities."
"Of course, sorry mil- I-I mean Lucina. Roy, I think I will be taking my leave. Farewell Roy, L-Lucina."
Wolt left the tent and Roy was smiling. He never knew Wolt could get so intimidated by someone.
Roy's smile turned into a frown as his mind drifted back to the sparring match.
30 minutes ago
Roy was patiently waiting for Lucina at the training grounds. He only arrived 5 minutes ago. He had already taken care of his work before their chat. It was boring for him. He was listening to reports from Alan and Lance, their scouts, (the only ones they could find) daily workouts with Marcus, (which he dreaded) and lastly, planning the army's next move. He wondered what exactly Lucina was doing that could take her longer.
He spotted Wolt and just like he promised, he was going to "cheer for him" on the sidelines.
"What? You should be happy! You need practice with a blade!"
"Practice Wolt, not sparring!"
"Regardless, you will at least learn something."
"I swear to the dragons of the scouring, you will be the death of me."
"Speak of the devil and she shall appear! Hello Lucina." Wolt said excitedly.
Choosing to ignore that statement, she turned to Roy. "I believe it is time for our sparring match. Are you prepared?"
"U-uh yes, I am prepared. Ready when you are" Roy gave an inaudible gulp as his nervous expression returned.
"Don't worry Roy, I will go easy on you. This doesn't have to be serious, I just wanted to test your abilities. We will fight until one of us yields." Lucina said as she handed him a practice sword.
"That is reassuring. And I agree to the rules."
"Very well. Don't hold back. Begin!"
Roy approached with a stab which was parried easily by Lucina. Roy decided that it was best if he baited her out so she could have the first move.
Roy regretted that decision as he found she was fast and relentless. She struck with an intense determination rarely seen in people. It was as if she were carrying a burden no one else could handle. He was hit a few times in the shoulder and arms, and he was bleeding. Roy was struggling to hold up his blade.
Lucina tried her very best to hold back as she went on the offensive. He wasn't amazing, 'He isn't too bad for a beginner.' She thought as she kept attacking. Deciding he had enough, she halted her assault and waited for him to attack. Roy thought of his options.
'I could attack first, but she would parry and then counterattack. I could advance but she would cut me down. Hm, what to do...'
Roy decided to rush in and strike hard. 'Maybe I could disarm her if she blocked?'
However, she simply sidestepped and struck him in the legs which caused him to lose his footing as she lifted the blade to his neck.
"GAH! I YIELD, I YIELD! I thought you said you were gonna go easy on me!" Roy said, legs bleeding from the contact.
"Sorry about that, I guess I got a little carried away." Lucina said with an apologetic expression.
"Hah... my shoulders and legs are killing me..." Roy said with a grimace.
"Wh-what!? Don't worry Roy! You'll be fine, I will make sure you won't die! Oh gods what have I done!?" Lucina said with a terrified expression.
"Huh?! N-no don't worry, that was just an expression. I'm not dying because of these wounds. It simply means that it hurts a lot." Roy said, trying to calm her.
"Oh... Sorry I'm not used to people speaking that way." Lucina said, gradually calming down.
"It's alright. Oh, but we don't have any healers! Crap!" Roy said, not wanting to waste vulneraries.
"Do we have medical supplies Wolt?" Lucina asked the bowman.
"Uh, I believe we do? It isn't very practical though since staves exist..I suppose you have experience with that sort of thing?"
"Yes, although very limited. Come Roy, I will look for them." Lucina said.
"Heh, I should supervise you two. Who knows what would happen if an assassin shows up and it was too late?"
"I assure you, I am strong enough to protect us from mere assassins." Lucina said with confidence.
Wolt gave a sigh. "That was... you know what? Nevermind."
"My body hurts, can we please go as soon as possible?" Roy asks as he slung his arm around Lucina's shoulder, slightly annoyed by Wolt's antics.
"Yes, let's go." Lucina said, leading him to the medical tent.
o - o - o - o
"Alright.. I think that should do it.. I am truly sorry about those injuries Roy. I did not mean to hurt you as bad as I did. Please forgive me." Lucina said, guilt clawing at her mind.
Roy gave a small smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. It feels better already, I should be fine while marching today. Don't worry about me."
"Still though, I feel I should help you with something in return.."
"Well... Can you tell me more about yourself? You are quite the interesting individual."
Lucina was hesitant to tell him of anything about herself. 'I suppose I can trust him, he is very kind. He is the legendary hero... but now I see how he is from my eyes.'
"What do you wish to know?" She finally asked.
"Well, what is that blade you're carrying? It looks very elegant." Roy said, not digging too deep so that he did not catch her off guard.
"Well.. this blade is called Falchion. It can slay dragons and can never break or dull. It is a legendary blade wielded by my ancestors."
"I see. That is quite the legacy." Roy said thoughtfully. 'But.. then, wait.'
"Lucina... If that is true, how have I not heard of these people? You said you were royalty but I have never heard of Ylisse, if your ancestors used this blade to slay dragons, why is it not mentioned in legends of the scouring?" Roy said, coming to a realization.
Lucina knew she had to explain sometime, she decided now was the time to tell him everything.
"Roy... I come from another world."
"What!?" Roy said, unable to form any other words.
"It is true. The country I am from, as you know, is Ylisse. And why I am here.. is a long story."
"Forgive me, we may have to delay this story, but you can tell me when during the march."
"...I understand. But this is something I trust only you with as of right now."
"Don't worry, I will make sure we have adequate privacy." Roy said with a warm smile.
"Farewell Roy, I will get my belongings ready." Lucina said to as she turned and started walking to her tent.
"Farewell... And Lucina!" Roy called out to her. She looked back at him for a response. "...Thank you. For healing my wounds." Roy said with a shy smile.
"You're welcome Roy... And I thank you for the sparring match." Lucina then continued walking to her tent.
o - o - o - o
Meanwhile.. at the castle east of the village on the border of Pherae and Bern..
"What I'm asking is where the princess is!" A red headed woman shouted at a man.
"Y-yes Captain Miledy, I am certain she was in her room this morning." The man replied.
Miledy shook her head out of frustration.
"I've already heard that! What I want to know is where the princess is at this moment, not moments ago, you idiot!"
"W-well..um...she's.. er.." The man started, but was cut off by her.
"We're almost going into head on war with Lycia. What if something happens to the princess? Can you take responsibility?"
"..." The man was silent.
Miledy continued. "I never should have let her highness go down to the border in the first place. I will return to Bern and inform the King about this matter. I'll try not to make it into a panic, so you must find the princess as soon as possible."
"Yes Ma'am!" The man finally replied.
Miledy then left on her wyvern and the man called a soldier outside the castle.
"Is Princess Guinevere still with us?"
The soldier quickly replied. "Yes sir, she is under constant monitoring in the basement room."
The man wore a satisfied expression. "Good, don't let her escape."
The soldier was a bit uneasy. "..Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Don't worry! Bern has a lot of enemies, the younger sister of King Zephiel, we'll be sure to get a hefty amount by turning her into one of their foes."
"..." The soldier was silent.
The man in armor continued. "We're not going to make it anywhere by serving our country anyway, so we're better off thinking of ways to make money fast, no?"
"Yes.. of course sir. But.. there is one problem with that plan."
The man was confused. "Hm? what do you mean by that?"
The soldier was slightly nervous. "I have just received a report... It seems that Princess Guinevere's servant has escaped."
The man had a furious expression. "What!? You fool! Why didn't you say so earlier!? Go search for her immediately! Don't let her get away!"
The soldier rushed off and the man in the armor rallied his troops.
o - o - o - o
Roy's forces were marching towards Araphen. They made good time, and were only a half a day's march. However, they stopped at the village on the border of Pherae and Bern to meet up with the mercenary band that Roy's father, Eliwood, had hired for him. East of the village is a small castle occupied by Bern's forces, which was in a chaotic state.
Roy was having his talk with Lucina about the apocalyptic world she came from during the march. He was quite shocked to learn that she had to grow up so fast to lead only a handful of soldiers as a form of resistance against reanimated monsters.
"..Your world sounds awful.. I am glad you came here." Roy spoke to her softly.
"Every day, we fought for our survival and had to press on even when we received news about our parents' deaths. We could not lose hope, and when lady Tiki, the voice of the Divine Dragon, Naga, told us of a way we could travel back in time, we were overjoyed. But... we could not leave in time. The Risen had already destroyed Mount Prism and our last hope was instantly crushed." Lucina told Roy, almost struggling but managing to put on a stoic face.
"I'm.. so sorry. I cannot possibly imagine such a fate on anybody, let alone a group of people. But I have a few questions. My first is who is Naga?"
Lucina realized she might be heading into a slightly dangerous topic. "She is.. a Divine Dragon that we worship."
"Divine Dragon!? B-but isn't that dangerous? I heard awful things about the dragons of this world, but in your world too?" Roy said, quite alarmed.
"No! Naga is different, she in fact loves humanity!" Lucina quickly stated.
"Really? But.. I always heard terrible things about them because of the scouring." Roy said, a bit confused.
"I apologize Roy, I do not understand why, but know that there is good in everything. My Father always used to to say that to me. He had said that those words came from his sister, Emmeryn, my Aunt." Lucina said, eyes focused on the young Lord.
"I see... But, I have another question, why were there Risen in the first place? Where did they come from?" Roy asked, a bit unnerved by the question but he didn't know why.
That was the question Lucina hoped to avoid but knew it was inevitable. She did not want to talk about that monster that took everything from her.
"They come from...Grima. The Fell Dragon. He is the living embodiment of despair and terror. He is an evil dragon deity who took our families and our childhood from us." Lucina said, eyes full of determination, and contempt for the Fell dragon.
"I see, I should have known. It sounds awful Lucina. I promise I will keep you away from such a life. Don't worry, you have a home here in Elibe."
Lucina shook her head, if only it were that simple. "Roy, I cannot. I cannot stay here and do nothing while the Fell dragon massacres possible survivors! He will not get the satisfaction of defeating us and surviving!"
"I would like to help you, but how can we defeat such a thing? It sounds like an insurmountable task!"
"There is a way. We can-" She started but was cut off by Merlinus telling Roy that they arrived.
"Pardon me milady, milord, but we have arrived." Merlinus calmly told them.
"Ah, apologies Lucina, but we will have to continue this another time. I am sorry. Farewell for now."
"It isn't a problem, you have my gratitude for the talk. I will be seeing you." Lucina said somewhat curtly, walking towards the others.
Roy gave Lucina one last concerned glance then turned to Merlinus. "So, Merlinus, this is where we were to meet up with the mercenary band? Looks awfully secluded."
"Indeed it is. They should be here any second now."
"I see. Wait, who is that?!" Roy exclaimed.
A young girl no older than 17 had ran towards the direction of the small army and appeared to be a Nun. She accidentally bumped into Roy.
"Ah! Excuse me! I was in a hurry.." She said guiltily.
"No worries, I'm fine. What about you?" Roy asked, since she was quite out of breath.
"I'm fine, my name is Ellen... you are from Lycia are you not?" She asked slightly hopeful.
"Uh.. yeah, but why? I am the son of Eliwood." He asked confused.
"Oh thank you gods for your guidance!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"Uh...What?"
"Please, could you help me rescue my mistress?" She asked.
"Y-your what!? Ah, um.. Ma'am that is.. What happened?" Roy stuttered turning a light shade of pink.
The young sister gave a sigh at that response. "No, you are mistaken. She is a Princess you brute! I would expect someone like you to have have better manners!" She said with a stern face.
"R-right, yes Ma'am, my apologies. N-now what happened?" 'I must be hanging around Wolt too much.' Roy thought with an internal groan.
"Anyway, we were travelling to meet someone from the Lycia Alliance, but when we were passing through here, we fell into a trap set by Rude, the lord in the castle. We were captured..." She said with a tear in her eye.
"Master Roy! We must not get into unnecessary entanglements with Bern now!" Merlinus stated, no empathy showing.
"Maybe it would be unwise. But we cannot neglect a person who came to meet up someone from the Alliance." Roy told him, surprised by Merlinus's thought process.
"There! Its them!! Get the servant girl, it doesn't matter whether she is dead or alive!" An enemy soldier said, retreating to his allies.
"No! Merlinus, Ellen, we must retreat to the others, quickly!" Roy told Merlinus to give the signal for the others to prepare for battle.
"Yes Master Roy! Right away!"
Roy lead the young sister to the others.
When they arrived, Roy gave the signal to fall in around him.
"Where is the enemy?" Lucina asked Roy.
"Just east of here, we will charge their castle. Their numbers greatly outrank ours but..."
"That leaves us open if they charge us. Though we could bait them into a trap, it would be suicide without ally assistance." Marcus said.
"I could try to pick them off, but I need backup. Our enemies have plenty of opportunities to gang up on us." Wolt said.
Roy gave a sigh. This was his second battle as leader and he wasn't doing very well in his eyes.
Lucina thought hard. She knew there was something that helped her father in the wars he fought. A tactic used by his closest friend.
She finally remembered said tactic. "..May I suggest pairing up?"
Everyone looked at her thoughtfully. "So, you are suggesting that we fight side-by side instead of individually? Hmm..." Roy responded, thinking of possible scenarios.
"That might just work!" Marcus said after thinking of outcomes and enemy responses.
"Indeed. Our partner can cover our flanks and give protection when fighting multiple foes. It seems that Lucina is not only strong, but smart too!" Roy said with admiration.
Lucina looked at the ground in response to the praise. "Its nothing special... It isn't even my own tactic."
"Regardless, this will definitely help us in the battles to come!" Roy insisted.
"So.. who is pairing with who?" Wolt asked.
"Well, I was thinking of pairing you with Marcus, Lucina with Bors to protect Ellen, And Alan with Lance, and... me by myself." Roy responded, a bit crestfallen at the end.
"Roy? Why would you not want to pair up with anyone?" Lucina asked, a bit confused.
"Honestly, its because I'm worthless. I am the weakest person here. I would only get in the way." Roy said looking at the ground with a sorrowful expression.
"Roy...I would like to be paired up with you. You are better than you think, you have much to learn and in due time you might surpass even me." Lucina told him, hoping to lift his spirits.
"I suppose. But my decision is final. You will be paired with Bors."
"No Roy, Bors is a strong man, he can take care of himself and Ellen. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not. Besides, I promised to help you with your swordsmanship did I not?" Lucina insisted.
"Watch your tongue young woman! He is the leader of this army and you will do as he says!" Merlinus said indignantly.
"Calm down Merlinus, she is a Princess. Besides, I choose to accept her request. Not that it really mattered if I didn't, she would make me anyway." Roy said the last part with a smile.
"You have my gratitude Roy. Do not worry, I will protect you." Lucina said with confidence.
Roy smiled. "I never worried for a second Lucina."
"Thank you." Lucina saw the enemy soldiers advancing.
"The battle is upon us Roy! Give the signal!"
"Right! To arms my friends!"
o - o - o - o
A/n: Whew. Long chapter. I got kinda carried away. hopefully the later chapters can top this.
UNTIL NEXT TIME.