A/N: Eyy thanks for continuing to read.
The more time Lyon spent with the Order of Heroes, the more he could almost forget the apparent destruction of his homeworld, adopting this one as his life. Everywhere he looked, noble spirits trained and laughed together. Mages exchanged knowledge and spells, which Lyon was always excited to take part of (though he tried to stay clear of the darker mages, afraid of dabbling in shadow magic more than he already had).
The ruler of this world was apparently far away in battle, but his children and head commander met everyone with kindness and gratitude. Alphonse seemed like a wise prince, and would surely become an even better king, unlike Lyon had proven to be. His sister Shareena was also gifted, although maybe a bit too trusting. She reminded him of Eirika.
Day after day, he caught up with the Renais twins. They went on patrols together, dined together, and spelt in the same wing of the castle, so they were never far apart. Lyon would do everything to make sure that never apart again. He slept with peaceful dreams and observed the castle and its inhabitants with a clear mind, something he had not experienced in years with the declining state of Grado. The dreadful visions of devastating earthquakes and his dying father had left him, and he felt young and free once more.
It was not until weeks later that it changed.
It was a soggy morning, with grey clouds threatening to spill rain looming overhead, and a slightly chill breeze sweeping the area. Lyon had been in the courtyard with Ephraim and Roy when trumpets sounded on the castle walls. Heroes from every corner looked to the sky and slipped out into the open, making their way to the main gates.
Ephraim and Roy stood to, and Lyon moved to follow them. "What is happening?"
"Oh, that's right. This is your first summoning, right Lyon?" Roy seemed excited, a bright smile across his face, easing Lyon a bit.
"You mean another hero is going to appear, like I did?" Ephraim nodded, and soon they were out the main gates and facing the giant stone that stood proudly outside. The summoner from before, still in their long concealing cloak, stood in front of it with their strange glowing weapon. Alphonse and Shareena were to either side of them, and Commander Anna kept watch behind them. Her hand hovered over her sword, and Lyon couldn't help but remember what Eirika had told him when he first arrived. Maybe a hero won't appear, but a villain.
Despite the graveness that had clung to Eirika's words that day, Lyon had a hard time believing anyone truly malicious could appear. Even the darker mages and warriors that lived in the castle kept to themselves, and everyone seemed to fight for the same cause in this realm. Truly, it seemed like a paradise, and nothing could break such a strong feeling.
Lyon's thoughts blanked for a moment as a near blinding light erupted from the stone. A few members of the surrounding crowd stepped back, bringing their hands to shield their eyes, but Lyon couldn't bring himself to look away.
A shape started to form in front of the stone, still enveloped in white light, but the outline was there. It looked like a person at first, but grew and morphed until even the summoner had to back away for some space. When the legendary weapon stopped its glow, the stone began to calm as well, and Lyon could begin to make out the figure that had appeared. Giant wings and a long body too big to be a horse made Lyon guess it was a wyvern, but it looked unlike the ones already in the castle.
The light faded fast, and Lyon's blinked a few times to readjust to the darkened lighting. Strangely enough, when the warrior was plain in sight, the first thing Lyon noticed was his lance, long and strangely colored in purple, with a deadly spiked blade on the end. It was unmistakably Duessel's cursed lance, the one he had warned Lyon as a child never to touch, and had told him the dreary tales of its origin and how it should be used.
'Only when the world is ruled by madness can it be wielded,' he would say as Lyon looked at it in its case with admiring eyes. Only now he saw it as a grown man, in the hands of this wyvern soldier that looked nothing like Duessel.
The summoner did not seem concerned, and instead smiled under that cloak as they observed the man they had summoned. "Welcome to Askr, and the Order of Heroes." While Lyon was not the closest onlooker, even he could see the how the soldier's eyes darted from the summoner to the people in the dwindling crowd, even looking beyond at those who, not acquainted with the newcomer, began leaving the scene. He looked like a predator, assessing them all as if they were defenseless worms.
"I know this man," Lyon whispered to Ephraim, though he didn't know if the other heard him or not. "He's from Grado, that much I know but-" a strong hand on his shoulder made his gaze shoot to Ephraim, who began pulling from the crowd, Lyon in tow.
"We have to find Eirika."
Lyon was silent, knowing that determined look in Ephraim's eyes as memories of their fight flashed through him. Roy was unfamiliar though, and he reached out for his friend to keep him from retreating, "Ephraim wait, where are you going?"
His voice rang out a bit too loudly, and the newcomer's eyes snapped to their direction. Lyon's heart skipped a beat as he jumped from his dragon in one movement and stomped over to where they stood. The summoner and Askr's nobles stood still, as if this was all part of some elaborate scheme.
"Do my ears deceive me, or did I hear someone call out for the Lord of Renais?" His voice had a sinister ring to it, scratchy and intimidating. He dragged the tip of his blade in the dirt, making it slice through the soil with a grinding noise. Ephraim had stood still in his tracks, but did not face the stranger. Lyon stood still too, not wanting to attract attention as the purple armored man strained to look over people's heads.
Roy stepped in front of him, "Before we give out any of our names, why don't you give yours first?" He didn't sound mean, or kind for that matter, only stern to get the message across.
The familiar man smiled, showing his teeth and making him even more grandiose. "I am Valter, one of Grado's six generals." The missing pieces clicked together in Lyon's mind, and suddenly he remembered the soldier about his age in the imperial three, fired for reasons his father had not spoken of, and he never bothered to find out, as he was driven in his studies at the time. The flowing blue grey hair and piercing gaze made Lyon wonder how he had ever forgotten him, and why he hadn't left a larger impression.
"You're a fiery one I see," Valter sneered at Roy, but pushed him out of the way with the edge of his lance, "However you don't look like much fun. You're too young, and arrogant. Your friend behind you though," he lifted his head to look at Ephraim's back with an almost euphoric expression, "he looks like a blast."
Ephraim whipped his head around, letting go of Lyon's shoulder in favor of his own lance. Before Lyon could even figure out what he was doing, he was standing in a fighting position, his blade pointed at Valter's neck.
"That's enough!" Commander Anna stomped over with her blade drawn and her other hand on her hip in a superior look. "I don't know what's going on here, but don't tell me this is going to become the norm around here." She pushed herself in between them, looking to Ephraim, "Go back to the castle and go about your business, we don't have time to start conflicts with our own soldiers." Ephraim looked like he was going to explode, but Roy was quick to ease his lance away and lead his friend to the castle. Lyon was about to follow, knowing that if Eirika had not stepped forward by now, she was surely still in the castle, however he was stopped by Anna.
"You seem like a level-headed man, and you said you were from Grado, right?" a feeble nod made her point to Valter, who observed the whole exchange with an interested gleam in his eyes. "Why don't you show this guy around and make sure he doesn't get into any trouble. Meanwhile we'll find a squadron for you to join," she said the last bit at Valter, and with a confident stride, rejoined Alphonse and Shareena, who both were talking to the summoner with concerned looks.
"So, you're here too your highness?" Lyon met Valter's dark eyes and suppressed the urge to shrink back from his intense stare. He knew it was unlikely that anyone else he knew to be present in this world recognized Valter, and Ephraim and Eirika obviously were not comfortable around him. Commander Anna had been smart in choosing him to explain the situation, he had power in the world they were from, and he wouldn't have quarrels of the past.
Lyon straightened his back and nodded, "Yes that's right. I remember you to have been part of the Imperial Three at some point, though I am unsure of the conditions that changed on." He tried to sound formal, though he was sure Valter didn't care either way. His smile faded to a growl as he stepped closer to Lyon.
"Well then let me inform you, my lord, that the decision to demote me was a foolish choice on your father's part, and it doesn't concern you in any way," he spat Lyon's title in a mocking way, but Lyon saw no point in reprimanding him. Instead, he gestured to the servants leading Valter's wyvern away,
"We have special quarterings for animals here. Your wyvern will be kept with the others in the castle stables." He turned to the direction of the wooden doors, "Come, there is much to explain."
Surprisingly, Valter let Lyon lead him towards the castle and throughout its many halls, explaining the use of every wing and room. Throughout the whole tour, he said nothing, only glancing at the places Lyon pointed out to him with little interest. "Everyone here is from another world," Lyon explained when they climbed the stairs to the castle's lodgings. "Kiran is the summoner, and possesses the power to bring anyone here from any time or place. It truly is a miracle."
"There has to be a catch though," he scoffed. "Why are we all here?"
"The nobles from this world, Alphonse and Shareena, will explain in time. It's not my place to recount their story." It was silent for a while, and Lyon almost felt bad for not being able to give more answers. After all, he had been quite confused o his first day. "I'm sure they'll explain soon though."
"As long as there's a chance to sate my bloodlust, it doesn't matter to me." Nevermind, his sympathy flew from his mind and he was back to his robotic manner of showing Valter around the castle.
"Each area upstairs is for a certain realm. The hall we are in now is for people from our world."
"So everyone lives here too? This sounds more like a confinement zone than a base, with everyone from far away places squished together under one stone roof." His statement was dreary but the malicious smile only grew, "Do they even have a prison here? There has to be prisoners if everyone is training for what looks like battle."
"I'm not sure the Askrians have a prison. They are very kind to their adversaries," Lyon tried to push the word 'kind.' Valter laughed, and his hearty boom echoed around the stone walls. For some reason, it made Lyon stop in his tracks and look over his shoulder at Valter for the first time since they left the summoning area.
When laughing, he didn't look as sinister for whatever reason. His unruly hair bounced around his shaking shoulders, the dark locks contrasting against his ghostly pale skin. "No wonder they need so many people to fight for them! They'll never win a war by playing nice."
"The first day I was here, I was so confused. All I saw were people being happy, and going about studying their trade and training with long lost friends. I felt happiness here, but right from the beginning you assume this world is locked in warfare."
"It's really obvious. I mean, decently wealthy looking people reviving people like me, and others from worlds that are apparently long since gone from time itself? There has to be a grave reason, or else why go through all the trouble? Look around- so many soldiers to feed and supply must be a handful, and it doesn't look like they'll stop recruiting anytime soon."
Lyon was surprised. With how bored Valter had seemed, he didn't think he had actually been paying attention to the people and surroundings, but it seemed like he had managed to pick up a lot. As needlessly cruel as he looked, he must be intelligent.
"Yes, well, as I said before, they will explain it in time."
When they made it to the hall of rooms, Lyon thought it wise to avoid the end of the hall where Eirika and Ephraim's room was. Instead, he moved against the wall so Valter could get a look around, keeping it vague. "This is where your room will be, though I'm not sure which one it is yet."
"What happens when they run out of space?" Valter looked at him with a seductive look, and even though Lyon knew he was only trying to intimidate him, he still felt a nervous tickle shoot up his spine.
"I-I'm not sure. I know some heroes already share lodgings…"
"What about the twin brats?"
"Who?"
"The blue-headed twins from Renais, do they share?" He smirked, already knowing the answer, and Lyon blushed from the suggestion. Valter laughed again at Lyon's reaction, that same loud giggle bouncing off the walls as he slapped Lyon's shoulder with a gloved hand, "From the look on your face, I already know the answer."
"It's not like that. They've been through so much, they only want to make sure they stay together no matter what." Lyon's eyes trailed away to the floor, knowing that their apprehension was due to his recklessness. Ephraim had mentioned that all the generals save for Duessel had died, so that included Valter. He could only imagine what someone like him could have done.
That gloved hand waved in front of his eyes, snapping Lyon back to the present. "What, did I offend your highness?" his snickering made Lyon quick to protest.
"You obviously wouldn't understand. It's not like that." Valter didn't seem to care much though, as he turned around and started down the stairs. "Where are you going?"
"Finding someone who can tell me who I was called to kill. Don't worry though, I'll see you around, 'Demon King.'"
Lyon hated Valter.