Once entering the grand gates of Ylisstol, Lunearc had gotten to see the city up close and personal for the first time. As it was sometime around noon, he did expect to see the population awake and about.
However, he had not been braced for just how overwhelming the sights, sounds, and smells of the city would be. The city was absolutely bustling, with the sheer amount of activity on the main road being almost difficult to keep up with.
People of all kinds were going about their days, interacting happily with each other. Children could be seen running around the streets, seemingly playing some sort of game.
Lunearc could not help but have a smile on his face as he curiously watched the chatter and bustle of the city, the allure to adventure through the city streets almost goading him into action. This area of the city seemed to skew largely commercial in nature, hosting a huge variety of different businesses.
Just off the first glance, he could see that there were bakeries selling bread, desserts, and other surely tasty delicacies. The smell emanating from these stores were particularly appealing, giving the surroundings a pleasant aroma of freshly cooked bread. Then there were the grocers lined up on the streets, selling all kinds of ripe and delicious fruits and vegetables. To match with the food based theme, there were even butcher shops selling fine cuts of juicy meat. And one certainly cannot forgo the cooper's shop immediately neighboring, selling a hallmark of any great meal: eggs.
Just looking at all of this opened up a new world of cuisine far beyond Lunearc's current knowledge, and he could not help but drool imagining the delectable dishes that these could be part of. After all, his entire memory of meals boiled down to the bear steak he had eaten last night.
Throughout the buildings, there were also establishments selling more differentiated goods as well. To start with, there were tailors furnished with fine wool cloth, the vibrancy and variety of colors far surpassing the poor excuse for rags that were beneath Lunearc's shoddy, clawed, charred, battle-wrecked armor. Lunearc would not be mildly surprised if the color of his rags were red, for perhaps that was where some of his spilled blood from the previous battle had decided to permanently reside.
Lunearc momentarily cringed at the memories of pain from the terrifying risen chief, quickly resolving himself to think of happier, more peaceful subjects.
Where was his train of thought…? Ah yes, the city.
For those looking for fine dining utensils, there was a nearby shop offering crystal clear glassware of all sizes for different uses, and ornately decorated metal forks, spoons, and kitchen knives. Would Lunearc even remember how to use them…?
There were all manner of different merchants peddling their wares throughout the area as well, hawkishly negotiating the price with any prospective buyer.
Of the merchants, one in particular stood out as exceptionally unique. She was a red-haired woman, who simply possessed the strangest arrangement of goods Lunearc could even imagine. She seemed to be especially good at her craft, chattering with all who would listen, and getting sales at a record pace.
Also… there seemed to be taverns of some kind? What were those again...? Ah right! They were places that served prepared food, and alcohol.
This city truly had it all. How couldn't Lunearc be entranced at such a sight?
Seeming to understand his expression of excitement and wishing to capitalize on it, Lissa wildly tapped Lunearc, awaking him from his lucid trance.
"Ta-da! Ylisstol in all its glory! Pretty impressive, huh?" Lissa hopped ahead, shimmying her hands out towards the city as if she were unveiling a huge surprise.
"You weren't kidding, this place is really delightful." Lunearc responded, turning his head in all directions to take in all of his surroundings once more, "There's so much to see and do… I don't even know where to start looking."
"I told you that you'd love it!" Lissa grinned, thrilled that Lunearc shared her opinion. "After all, nothing can beat Ylisstol!"
"Upon first glance, it seems the capital is completely normal. It must have been spared from the chaotic quakes we encountered in the forest, thank the gods." Frederick observed, clearly relieved by the city's unblemished tranquility.
"Well, that's a relief! I told you all that being worrywarts would only make things more difficult!" Lissa proclaimed, maintaining her high energy antics.
Of the group of Shepherds, Frederick had most certainly been the most visibly concerned for the safety of the capital after the event of the quakes due to his worrywart nature, but the other Shepherds in the group also looked to have been worried, as well. Needless to say, the journey to the town had been fraught with tension for many.
Lissa, however, had a radiant smile on her face the entire time. If she had been the least bit concerned, she certainly had not shown it. Her spirit certainly had the effect of helping to ease tension, as how could one focus on being worried when she was hopping all about?
"I'm very glad that it at least seems like something is normal today, as opposed to literally everything we've experienced in the past twenty four hours…" Chrom let out a deep breath, the events of the past day obviously still heavy on his mind, before turning to Sully and issuing a command, "Sully, return to the base and make sure what we've seen in the forest is known to the people who need to know. Use your best judgement in who you talk to about this, as if this gets out to the general populace, chaos will ensue. Understood?"
"Understood, Captain Chrom!" Sully responded in a dutiful manner, quickly turning towards the direction of the castle, to follow his orders.
"Wait, surely, you cannot have forgotten about me? I, Virion, have decided to join your most noblest of causes, after all." Virion interjected, seemingly not wanting to be left behind by the one who he had been yearning for.
"You're right, you have a point. Sully, bring him back to base, and get him introduced to everyone there." Chrom stated, adding an addendum to his previous order.
"...Do I really have to?" Sully sullenly replied, not pleased at the prospect of having to spend any more time with Virion, before relenting, "Fine, I'll do it. Just don't try anything stupid, got it Ruffles? I'll knock you off the horse hard enough to put you in the infirmary ten times over."
"You have nothing to worry about, my dear Sully, for I am the very picture of intelligence and honor." Virion expressed using his usual flowery language, taking a bow to make his entire act even more bizarrely extravagant.
With that, Sully rode her horse, Virion in tow, to their destination. It was not long before they were lost within the city's winding roads, no longer visible by the remaining Shepherds—and Lunearc.
Not wishing to be tardy themselves, the group began to walk in a set destination as well. Lunearc, for his part, was absolutely clueless as to where they were headed. He was just along for the ride, aimless on where to continue his path, as usual.
While walking with the Shepherds, Lunearc could not help but notice the fact that the four of them were being watched. It seemed as though the ordinary citizens of the city had taken to watching the group, gaping from afar.
It wasn't really that strange, Lunearc supposed. A group in full armor and weapons was certainly out of the ordinary in a town full of civilians, so some extra attention and wariness was a foregone conclusion.
However, there didn't actually seem to be any sort of wariness directed towards the other Shepherds at all. In fact, the general sentiment of the watching city folk was that of admiration. As they walked forwards, Lunearc could even see children point and gawk at the group, with the parents watching on and smiling as well. The attention seemed to shine brightest on Chrom and Lissa.
If Lunearc were to hazard a guess as to why that was… it'd be because Chrom was the "Captain", and for Lissa… well… it's tough not to smile when she is around.
He had to admit though, the reactions of the city folk were a bit over the top for a group of… erm… knights…? Mercenaries…?
Wait a minute… what exactly are the Shepherds, anyway? He knew the Shepherds' purpose clearly by now: to protect the innocent people of Ylisse, yada yada. But, he'd never actually asked what exactly the Shepherds are.
Whatever adoration the citizens had towards the others didn't quite seem to transfer over to Lunearc. While their outlook on him did not seem outright hostile, there most certainly seemed to be sharper gazes directed at him.
Perhaps their caution had been due to him not actually being a member of the Shepherds, a clear stranger traveling directly alongside the group that they adored. Maybe they thought he was a prisoner? He himself had jumped to that conclusion when he had first met the Shepherds.
It wasn't like his appearance was currently very dignified, with the ruined armor rounding out a look perfect for any spooky holiday. In all honesty, that was probably the issue here.
Yeah, there couldn't possibly be any other explanation for this disparity.
As the group of Shepherds and Lunearc traveled towards what seemed to be the main square of the city, a commotion in the center caused movement to slow to a crawl.
Something seemed to have garnered the full, undivided attention of all surrounding. For the first time since entering the city, Lunearc could not feel a single set of eyes pointed his way.
Curious about the hubbub, he too directed his sights towards the main square, hoping to decipher the cause. Lunearc couldn't see many details clearly from his vantage point, but from what he had gleamed the furor was centered around a blonde-haired woman.
She interacted with many of the citizens over the span of a few minutes, eventually turning away and traveling back to the road that looked as though it lead to the castle.
Around her, an entourage of armored figures walked, and once more Lunearc's position did not avail him a closer look.
With the mysterious woman gone from the main square, the noise surrounding finally reached a point where Lunearc could ask a question without being drowned out by a raging sea of sound.
"Hey, do you know why everyone was so fascinated with that woman? Is she someone important?" Lunearc asked aloud cluelessly, hoping for an answer from any who would provide it.
"That is the exalt herself, Lady Emmeryn." Frederick remarked in response, keeping a level tone of voice. It seemed he had gotten used to Lunearc's habit of asking seemingly simple questions that anyone who hadn't been living under a rock would know the answer to.
Maybe I lost my memory because a rock got chucked at my head…? That would certainly be a painful way to have lost it. Lunearc briefly pondered internally, before throwing the idea out due to the sheer stupidity of the theory.
"Okay, so definitely important. Got it." Lunearc stated to himself, recalling the explanation that the exalt was the leader of the nation. At least his recent memory still seemed to work just fine! "Is there a reason that she makes public appearances like what we've just seen? Is it something she does often?"
"The exalt makes it a priority to meet with her people as often as she can, and it is truly a great quality that she possesses. She is our nation's symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality." Frederick squarely articulated the exalt's virtues, seeming to genuinely smile as he did so.
"Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then." Frederick spoke, giving a small history lesson in the form of exposition.
"Wow… that's absolutely incredible. Both the story, and the exalt." Lunearc expressed, deeply impressed by the backstory of the nation but equally confused at the mention of dragons, that apparently are known for falling. Seriously, how does one just drop that in without context and expect it to make any logical sense?
"Emm truly is incredible. And with Plegia poking at our nation's borders, our people need her guiding hand more than ever. She's a calming presence, even when many groups in our nation are calling for war." Chrom added, giving reason as to why Emmeryn was so important.
"It sounds like the Ylissean people are truly blessed to have her, then. A peaceful rule is a concept I can get behind, one hundred percent." Lunearc spoke, acknowledging the praise of the exalt.
"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa exclaimed, dropping a potential absolute bombshell with all the subtlety of an erupting volcano over a fault line.
...What. Lissa couldn't possibly be insinuating that she's the younger sister of the leader of the nation… making her a princess… right? Yeah, this has gotta be a misunderstanding of some kind.
It took a few moments for Lunearc to figure out a possible explanation, but as soon as something popped into his head, he made to verbalize it, pronto.
"Ah, I think I understand now! The exalt is the "sister" of all people of Ylisse. It must be another religious custom I am completely unfamiliar with. Right? Right!" Lunearc attempted to clarify, desperately trying to understand the root of the misunderstanding.
"Nope, I mean it! She's actually my older, blood-related, sister!" Lissa denied the theory without faltering, not pulling back from her prior statement in the slightest.
"Okay, now I'm pretty sure you are just pulling a fast one on me." Lunearc replied as he began to grin, thinking that Lissa was pulling another one of her pranks.
"It's no trick. We are indeed Emm's siblings." Chrom interjected, backing up his sister on this "prank".
"Right right, I totally believe you. You're definitely prince and princess. And I'm a fire breathing rabbit!" Lunearc sarcastically retorted, cracking up as he laughed hard. "I know I'm an amnesiac and all, but I'm not going to believe just anything you tell me. I mean, royalty going out on patrol just randomly happening to find me on the ground? That's just improbable, even by this world's insane standards!"
"Actually, they are not being facetious in this matter. They are royalty." Frederick responded, bluntly refuting Lunearc. "And now you see exactly why I thought you being found on the ground was so suspicious in the first place. As you said yourself just now: it was highly improbable."
In an instant, Lunearc's laughing was swapped out for confusion and consternation. He had gotten to know Lissa and Chrom as the type of people to enjoy a good practical joke, or fib here and there. He had jotted this whole event down to them attempting to be humorous.
But Frederick certainly hadn't developed the sense of humor to joke about a topic so serious... Meaning that he was telling the truth. Ergo… Chom and Lissa were… Prince and Princess…?!
"But wait… you told me you were "shepherds"! Was that not the truth?!" Lunearc exclaimed, far too bewildered to contain himself in a calm tone of voice.
"And so we are...in a manner of speaking. We just have a LOT of sheep. And those sheep just happen to be the citizens of Ylisse." Chrom clarified, revealing that the language he had used had not unveiled the full details.
"… And you wanted me to be your tactician. I… don't know what to say." Lunearc slowly stated, widening his eyes in realization that all of the evidence pointed towards this being the truth.
Now it made all the sense as to why Chrom and Lissa had gotten such attention when walking in the streets with him. After all, who wouldn't gawk at literal royalty mere feet away? And who wouldn't be suspicious of a random stranger traveling with them? The special sword that Chrom held was an ornamental weapon, likely one with great significance to Ylisse. The fact that they had Frederick with them, a knightly man who had a habit of calling Chrom "Milord". How had he not figured it out from that alone?
And the Prince and Princess of this nation wanted him, an absolutely inexperienced amnesiac man, to be their tactician? Not just a tactician in some run of the mill mercenary group, but a group that served as the nation's very defenders.
The complete and utter shock had contributed to Lunearc's mental state becoming packed to the brim of conflicting emotions, so much so that he felt completely overwhelmed. He needed to get out of this situation immediately, and find some place to breath.
"...I'm sorry. I just need to… go." Lunearc dimly commented, before beginning to turn and walk away from the people who had revealed themselves to be the Prince and Princess.
Shortly after, that walk transitioned to a jog, and then into a run. He did not look back to see if the Shepherds had decided to follow him, for his mind simply urged him forward, away from the central square.
….….….….….….
Lunearc didn't know for how long he had been running.
It had most likely only been a few minutes, but to him it felt as though it had been timeless. His mind had been in a complete daze, not paying the slightest bit of attention to where he was going, taking turn after turn based only upon his whims.
How could I have been so foolish? And why did I screw things up so badly? I couldn't possibly have mishandled that entire situation worse than I did.
In a word, Lunearc was scared. Terrified, even. Not about the fact that he had just stood up the royalty of the realm in their own capital city—though that was something that certainly didn't bode well if they were the less merciful type... so perhaps he should have been more worried about that than he was.
But no, those thoughts were not the ones that were tormenting him. Lunearc was afraid of himself. The fact that he wasn't good enough, yet he was thrown into one difficult situation after another and was expected to do well. As a person who was a complete amnesiac, barely able to remember his own name! And even then, how could he even verify that Lunearc was his real name? For all "Lunearc" knew, he could have just made it up and been none the wiser! It wasn't like he could remember anyone that would be able to verify that fact. For some bizarre reason, Chrom had even thought him good enough to be offered a position of tactician, despite all that!
The evidence of his inexperience was evident in every single challenging situation he had experienced thus far. In all honestly, he had been extremely lucky to even survive all three of the most daunting events.
In the battle of Southtown, there had been multiple instances of his inexperience leading to close calls. In the first iteration against the brigand grunt, he had merely used his instincts to get by. And in the fight against Garrick? He had to pull out some secret special power from his sword, igniting it into flame hot enough to sear through weapons. That would be a great tool to have in the arsenal, if only he knew how to actually control it. So at this time, it'd be impossible to rely on that in a pinch.
The next harrowing experience Lunearc had faced was the battle against the bear. He had made multiple mistakes there, not only in his planning failing to account for the fact that they needed a signal to start the attack, but also in his imprecise strikes. If not for Chrom being there, that bear would have mauled him in that instant.
But the worst of the bunch would have to have been the battle in the forest. His first major mistake had been to corner himself, observing the lava like a dumbfounded fool. This allowed the first zombie-like foe to get a drop on him, putting him at a major disadvantage.
However, even worse was the fact that he had judged it okay to guard one of the forts alone. He should have planned for the possibility of the risen chief appearing, but he hadn't. And it cost him, being on the receiving end of a beat-down and all. Had the other Shepherds not arrived just in time, it would have been him five feet underground next. Even now, merely recalling that fearsome risen chief caused him to freeze in fear.
Before, even despite the terrifying close calls, he had been beginning to warm up to being the tactician of the Shepherds, if only slightly. It seemed to be a small, tight knit group, that didn't have too much pressure placed upon its immediate success. And he quite liked Lissa, Chrom, and heck, even Frederick was starting to grow on him. Due to this, perhaps he would have the time and lack of pressure needed to gradually improve himself up to standard, and figure out who he was in the process.
This was why the news of Chrom and Lissa being Prince and Princess rocked him to the core. Being a tactician of the nation's royalty simply carried a loftier, almost unreachable expectation of quality and success, in his mind. His decisions in this group would determine the quality of life for all in the country. If he failed, the people of Ylisse would suffer just as much as he.
Lunearc had seen how happy life seemed in this peaceful city of Ylisstol, and it was clearly a cause worth fighting to protect. Which was exactly why it deserved better than an amnesiac tactician.
Taking a timeout from mentally berating himself, Lunearc broke out of his stupor for a moment, to attempt to observe his surroundings.
Yup, he was utterly and completely lost. Seems like running around in a city he had never been in before was another terrible decision to add to the growing pile he had been collecting as of late.
He attempted to search around, to find any landmark that looked the slightest bit familiar. Besides the ornate castle which loomed over the entire town regardless of vantage point, not a single thing was recognizable to him.
He certainly was no longer in the commercial part of the city. If he were to describe the main focus of the area here, it would be industrial. The goods here were certainly important, but not ones that the average citizen would buy on a daily basis.
Among them, he saw multiple buildings for blacksmiths. The blacksmiths were hammering away at gear they were forging, with an efficiency that Lunearc could not help but be impressed by.
Then, there were carpenters creating intricate works out of lumber. Cobblers sewing together shoes. Tinkerers building other miscellaneous item, piece by piece. And many others.
This area of the city was truly the heart of the nation's industrial might, or so Lunearc theorized. Of course, his limited scope of knowledge could easily prove him incorrect. But he had a good feeling about his intuition here.
Only slightly down the street, something even more peculiar could be seen. Even from afar, it looked massive. It was a larger than life statue of a man, made of metal.
Lunearc's curiosity spurred him closer to it, wanting to know the history of a man so important to be granted such an exquisite statue.
When taking a closer look at the statue, multiple details stood out. The statuesque man stood proud and tall, clutching a sword in front of him. Even in statue form, Lunearc could tell that his appearance in life gave off one of a great hero.
Another oddity of this man's appearance could be seen on his right hand. On the hand, a brand could be easily seen. Not just any brand, either. The same one that Chrom possessed on his shoulder.
Who could this possibly be? Lunearc simply had to know. Spotting an engraving below the statue, he averted his eyes to that location.
When Lunearc read the engraving below the metallic man, the text noted the following: "Osric Ylisse, the first exalt".
So this was a statue for the first exalt? That's someone whose exploits he was familiar with, thanks to Frederick's impromptu history lesson.
This man, Osric Ylisse, was the founder of this land's new age, and by definition, most certainly a legendary hero. Apparently he had been strong enough to take down the "fell dragon", whatever that was. Lunearc still doubted the validity of such a dragon's existence, but he'd humor the fact that Osric had been able to fell one. He visage certainly exuded the strength and will to perform incredible feats.
And with Chrom sporting the self-same brand as Osric, Lunearc understood that he could no longer deny the legitimacy of Chrom's claim of being royalty.
Still, Lunearc took an inordinate amount of interest in the statue, and felt compelled to take another look. Or ten.
On about the sixth run-through of the statue's details, Lunearc's peace and quiet was broken by a young lady's clamorous voice behind him.
"Hey, there you are, Lunearc! I—err—we've been looking all over for you!" Lissa announced, smiling when she saw Lunearc turn to acknowledge her.
"Huh, Liss—I mean, Princess?" Lunearc exclaimed, surprised from the sudden arrival who had knocked him out of his focused state.
"Don't worry about the honorifics, just call me Lissa!" the princess instructed.
"Ah, very well then, Princess Lissa." Lunearc responded, to which Lissa seemed to give an annoyed frown.
"Lissa." Lunearc mouthed, in reaction to her annoyance.
"That's better!" Lissa exclaimed, happy to be referred to by name, then energetically levied a question for the ages, "So, are you going to try to run away again, or will you stop doing that?"
"Ahh… right. I'm sorry for running. I promise I won't try to escape this time." Lunearc enounced, with a slightly guilty twinge present in his tone.
"Good! I don't want you getting lost in the big city, after all!"
"How did you find me, anyway?" Lunearc inquired, rather flabbergasted that he had been found in so short a time in such a big city.
"Wellll, I just asked around. You are pretttty hard to miss, after all." Lissa stated, enunciating every word in the last sentence strongly for dramatic effect.
"Hah! I'm sure that must have been a funny scene. You all seem to be well recognized by the populace here. It felt like I was the only person in the city who didn't know who you were." Lunearc spoke, feeling dim for not recognizing something that now seemed to obvious in hindsight.
"Soooo, why'd you run away in the first place?" Lissa inquired, tilting her head as she leaned towards him.
"I…" Lunearc began to speak, before hesitating on the follow through.
"Is the whole tactician thing still weighing on your mind?" Lissa chimed in during Lunearc's pause.
"...Yes, it is. I'm surprised you realized." Lunearc responded, confiding the source of worry.
"Of course I would! You've been doing your best to clam up whenever that is mentioned!" Lissa exclaimed, before putting her own opinion into the ring, "Seriously though, I think you'd do a great job!"
"I disagree! I'm just an amnesiac with a cool looking sword, barely surviving by the skin of my teeth. There's no way I should be put in the tactician role." Lunearc argued, rejecting the notion put forward. "Ylisse deserves better. The happy people of Ylisstol deserve better. You, Chrom, and Emmeryn deserve better."
"You say that, but my opinion hasn't changed. And it won't change no matter how much you mope! What must I do to convince you?" Lissa pouted, as her blue eyes stared directly into Lunearc's.
At this, Lunearc was unsure what to say or do, before a thought from earlier rose from the fray.
"I… have some questions. About the Shepherds." Lunearc stated, keeping his topic of interest vague for the moment.
"Oh, about the Shepherds? Sure, I can provide them, but someone like Chrom or Frederick would know the finer details and inner workings of the group." Lissa stated, tapping her cheek absentmindedly as she did.
"No, not that." Lunearc stated, thinking of something else, "It's more of a personal question. For you."
"A p-personal question? For m-me? What about?" Lissa asked curiously, fidgeting with her hands due to the question which had caught her off guard.
"I want to know why you decided to join the Shepherds. I was curious about it for a while, since you seemed to be a new member, but I'd never found an opportunity to ask you. I'm doubly more so intrigued now, with the fact of you being a... princess and all. It doesn't really seem like this should be a princess' job, and I still find it strange that royalty was out on patrol."
"Oh, so you want to know why I joined the Shepherds… okay." Lissa nodded, making sure to wrap her head around the question before continuing, "What I'm about to say, please don't repeat to anyone else. Got it? I won't talk until you promise."
"I promise." Lunearc responded, nodding his head, "You've been good to me, and I'm not going to betray your trust."
"My reason for joining the Shepherds… It's for Emm. The pressure on Emm is simply insane… I want to do something, anything, to help ease the burden she faces every day. She never outwardly lets known how much everything is bothering her, and she is just… so strong. She's a stronger person now than I'll ever be… but that doesn't mean I can't be there to do my best for my favorite sister in the whole wide world." Lissa told her reasoning for joining the Shepherds, becoming reservedly emotional as she reached its climax, a far cry from her usual energetic flare.
"You would do all that for your sister…? That's a truly kindhearted reason." Lunearc spoke softly, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "Between you and Chrom, I can already tell that Emmeryn is an incredible person as well. Your family is something that is truly beautiful, I see that now."
Lissa listened to Lunearc's words, but still seemed to be bothered by something. For a few moments the conversation completely died down, but Lissa was the one who broke the silence.
"Apparently some people think the idea of me being a Princess is funny. Is it truly that unbelievable?" Lissa spoke, a somber tone clearly setting on her face, "Am I truly so un-princess-like?"
Lunearc processed that statement while staring at Lissa's cloudy face, and understood that what he had said in the main plaza had hurt her more than she had let on. Yet even still, she had followed him here, worried about him. Leaving such a selfless person in a bad mood was simply deplorable, and Lunearc resolved to cheer her up.
"Ah… you are talking about before. About how I didn't believe you being a princess." Lunearc first addressed, before getting to his point, "I don't really know much about what it takes to be a good princess, but I know without a doubt that you are a wonderful, special girl. When I was unconscious on the ground, you were the one who found me. Instead of leaving me to fend for myself, you were the one who insisted on helping me. You've been nothing but friendly to me this entire time, even when I've been absolutely scatterbrained through most of it. And when I was injured, you'd always go the extra mile to tend to me. Even if sometimes you would go a little overboard. But that's besides the point. What I'm trying to say is… thank you. For being amazing."
Looking back to Lissa to gauge her reaction to his encouragement, he was pleased to see that her moroseness had been felled, but he had not been expecting what it had been replaced with. He could see a low-key smile forming from the corners of her mouth, and the faintest of what could only be described as a blush on her cheeks.
...Cute.
When sensing Lunearc's eyes directed at her cheeks, she became self-conscious and reflexively turned her head to the side, out of sight while she covered her face.
The two stood still for a few awkward seconds, until Lunearc decided it was his turn to break the silence.
"So, Lissa. Is your last name Ylisse?"
"Yeah, how did you know? Is your memory getting better?" Lissa perked up, curious to see if Lunearc had been able to recall more about himself and the world around him.
"Ah, I wish I could say it's returned, but that wouldn't be the truth." Lunearc denied, before gesturing to the statue behind him, "This statue was the reason I ask. The engraving below says that Osric was the first exalt, and his last name is Ylisse, so I'm guessing that would mean you are his descendant?"
"Yeah! I think that the first exalt is my ancestor. And ever since him, we've all shared that same last name." Lissa confirmed, before bringing up an interesting point, "Ylisse ended up being the common namesake for many locations as well… so things can get a bit confusing at times when it comes to keeping track."
At this, Lunearc took the opportunity to glance at the statue once more, to increase his count of statue observations to seven. Even now, the aura of Osric's visage exuded a sense of great strength, an almost unimaginable height for any normal human to reach.
"Just by looking at him, I can tell he was a great hero… I don't think I could ever match up to that, let alone be comparable to him, even if I tried." Lunearc lamented, comparing the stark differences between himself and the hero.
"That's not true!" Lissa blurted out, dismissing Lunearc's statement of self doubt.
"Huh?" Lunearc reacted, surprised by Lissa's outburst.
Turning over to Lissa, Lunearc could see a determined glint in her eyes as she put her hands into fists.
"How could I not disagree? Sure, you may not be some super duper powerful hero capable of saving the world right now, but you've already saved my life multiple times!" Lissa determinedly spoke, forcefully getting her point across with an increased volume of voice, "That's plenty heroic to me!"
What did it mean to be a hero? That was the question currently swarming inside Lunearc's head, confuddling him to the greatest degree.
Turning back once more to the statue of the first exalt that had been so interesting to him, Lunearc thought more deeply on that subject.
The great hero's likeness towered over Lunearc, ever unchanging throughout the eons since it had been erected. But, that was not a trait it shared with Lunearc.
To live is to grow, to improve yourself day by day, and never give up. Though your days may be filled with difficulty, as long as you get back up after, you've won. The statue may never change, but that certainly didn't mean Lunearc couldn't.
…I may not be a hero… but I won't let that stop me from doing what I know is right. Lissa, Chrom, Frederick. They are all that I know in this world, and they have been exceedingly kind to me. It's time I return the favor, and stop running away from my own fears. If I'm weak, so be it. I'll simply have to fight even harder. Bad tactics? I'll learn all I can. This statue is here to show what one can achieve when man is at their full potential, and inspire future generations of heroes. I'll do everything I can to make myself a worthy successor, and if I fail, I'll at least die knowing my life shined magnificently.
Taking one last look at the first exalt's great statue, Lunearc's mind was resolute in his new path for the first time, and it felt great. He felt as though a monumental weight had been lifted from his mind, allowing him to think clearly for the first time that he could remember. Lunearc had a goal. A purpose, and reasons to live. To improve, to strive.
And one of those reasons stood right in front of him. The girl who had first awoken him from his slumber, who now believed in him more than anyone. How could he call himself a man if he let himself disappoint her?
"I've made up my mind." Lunearc said, pleasantly smiling at Lissa with a resolute gleam, "I'll join the Shepherds, as the tactician."
At this, Lissa's face glowed with a radiant smile, her energetic self rolling into overdrive.
"Yesss, finally! I have no idea what convinced you, but I'll accept the result regardless!" Lissa exclaimed, performing an overemphasized fist pump in the air, "Oh, I know you are going to just love everyone in the Shepherds, I can't wait to introduce you to all of them!"
As she joyously hopped around, it was clear to see that her high energy had fully returned to her, the serious conversation prior already out of her focus.
Lunearc could not deny that her energy was infectious, and couldn't hold back his excitement over the future, either. What did the future hold for him? He couldn't wait to find out.
Peeking around Lissa for a moment, Lunearc saw movement from out behind an alleyway. He tensed up out of reflex for a moment, wary of the source, but his worry was short lived, for the interlopers had merely been Chrom and Frederick.
"Chrom, Frederick? How long have you two been there? Why were you hiding in the alleyway?" Lunearc questioned, confused as to their behavior, allowing himself to relax the prior tension.
"We were there for quite a while, thanks to the pleading of a certain someone." Chrom explained, vaguely leaving out the subject of his statement, "In any case, I think I heard you say something about tacticians? And that you'd decided about it?"
"Oh, you heard that? I guess that'll make it easier, then. I'll join you guys… the Shepherds. That is, if you'll still have me, even after I laughed in your faces about the whole royalty thing." Lunearc stated, hoping he had not offended Chrom.
At this, Chrom grew a wide smile, and openly gestured towards Lunearc.
"Consider it forgiven and forgotten. Welcome to the team!"
"Thanks… I'll do everything I can to insure that your faith in me was not misplaced." Lunearc thanked, giving a promise to his new employer. "Anyway… should I be calling you Prince or Captain now? Or should we continue on as we've been up to now?"
"Formalities just get in the way, so Chrom is fine." Chrom indicated, waving his hand in a shooing motion as he explained his distaste for useless formalities.
"So, where do we go now? I'm completely lost. These streets are so windy, I feel as though I'd taken one hundred turns on the way here." Lunearc pondered, clueless on navigation of the big city, "You know, if there were signs that gave the directions to major destinations that'd be useful."
"You sure moved in a roundabout way to get here, that's for certain. But in reality, this area is rather navigable. We are due west of the main square, almost precisely. Just follow the road in this direction, and you'll be right back at the square." Chrom instructed as he pointed his arm to the right of Lunearc.
"So you mean to tell me that I could have reached this exact location by taking no turns at all?" Lunearc sighed, putting his hand over his face in confusion over his actions while in a stupor. "I suppose it makes sense, it'd be rather strange to put such an impressive statue in an obscure location. Did you know the man on the statue has the same mark as you? Is that something that some members of the Ylissean line are born with, or is it imprinted forcefully and painfully?"
"I'm glad to say that it was not something that took pain to gain. It's a birth mark, as you'd first said." Chrom answered while prominently displaying the mark, "It actually has a name given to it. It's called the Brand of the Exalt."
"The Brand of the Exalt… the Brand of the Exalt… hmm…" Lunearc thought deeply, attempting to see if he had any memories of such a thing, "Nope, no knowledge of that in my mind."
"Now that this business is settled, I do believe it is time to return and report our findings, milord." Frederick impatiently declared, eager to get on with the actual mission he had been assigned.
"As always, you are correct, Frederick. Well Lunearc, ready to take your first steps as a Shepherd?" Chrom asked, patting Lunearc firmly on the back.
"I'm ready!" Lunearc decisively exclaimed, nodding his head steadfastly. "Well, as long as being a Shepherd doesn't involve any actual sheep, at least."
"It's always you with the sheep, isn't it?" Lissa analyzed, gently laughing as she did.
"Whoever coined the name "Shepherds" is at fault for this, naming the group after literal caretakers of the woolly mammals!" Lunearc bantered, having fun with the conversation.
"I actually know exactly who came up with that title. In fact, it would be me. Do you happen to have an issue with it?" Chrom replied, suddenly looking serious, and ready to defend his naming schemes.
"You know full well I'm being facetious!" Lunearc argued, matching the vibe Chrom exuded, before relenting in realization, "Wait… judging by that grin on your face… you were too! Jeez, you seriously gave me a spook there for a moment."
At this, Chrom gave a hearty belly laugh, then turned to follow Frederick's suggestion of moving to their next destination.
Finding no more reason to dilly-dally, Lunearc followed Chrom's example, tailing behind. As he took a glance to his right, he could see Lissa walking side by side with him. Lissa quickly returned his eye contact, as she smiled widely and began to hum pleasantly to herself.
Lunearc didn't know what his future would have in store for him. The people he'd meet, the places he'd go, the opponents that would stand in his way.
But what he didn't know was of little consequence to Lunearc right now.
The only thing that he truly count on was that he'd put all of his might into overcoming any challenges that dared come his way alongside his new friends, and that knowledge was enough for him.
For his new purpose was to be a hero.
….….….….….….
(1/3/2023) Holy crap, what a chapter. I personally loved it so much that I couldn't resist releasing it as early as I possibly could, even at the expense of future chapters.
Do you know about how some authors have a form of a "teacher's pet"? That was me, but for this entire chapter.
This idea came about because in the stories I've read, the reasoning for the MU joining the Shepherds isn't usually fully explored (Or at least not in a way to my liking), and I wanted to give a strong, emotional reason as to why an amnesiac rookie would ultimately choose to get involved in such a business.
I was originally going to include this as a part of Chapter 5's ending scene, but... I chose to separate the two in the end, so I could give this decision the weight and dignity it deserved.
Also, believe it or not, this was the first chapter to not have a single fight scene! Yes, I'm surprised about that fact too. Sorry action fans, you'll need to wait a bit for the next duel!
As the First Exalt was never given a proper name in Awakening, I decided to name him Osric, which is of English origin and has the meaning of "Divine Ruler". Fits quite well with his backstory, wouldn't you say?
As I released this chapter (and the last one, for that matter) so early, don't expect the next to come out as quickly.
With that, hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Odin Dark out!