Author's Note: It's that time of the week, everybody! As promised, here is Chapter 3 to Seven Stars! Enjoy...
Chapter 3: Allies and Axes
I see nothing but an endless expanse of darkness.
So is this what it feels to be dead, huh? I always thought I'd be going out in such a boring way, although maybe a couple or so decades later. At least it was fun while it laste-
"Niko!"
My thoughts are interrupted by a loud booming voice.
"Nikooooooooooo!"
An annoying one at that.
"He's not waking up."
Wait. That voice sounds like...
"Walt, dump the water."
"With pleasure."
Oh please, no!
I wake up nearly drowning, sputtering water out of my mouth. I look and notice Walt standing over me with a wooden bucket, of course. Tristan next to him, stupid smug look on his face. Slowly the rage starts to kick in.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?" Tristan asks.
I inhale deeply before I answer him.
"Hey Tristan. Let's see: I almost get cleaved in two by a hulking zombie on steroids, and you guys thought it be fun if you threw a bucket of water on me! How the Hell do you think it's going!?"
"I'm guessing it's going well then."
You could almost hear my sanity snap in half. As I'm about to reach over and strangle the idiot, I notice we're not outside anymore, but in a room with beds and medicine.
"Where am I and how long was I out?" I ask reassembling my composure.
As I said this, Zaine and Cole walked in.
"Well," Zaine started. "You were out for the greater part of the day since that night."
"We had to carry your unconscious self all the way here," Cole added in.
"As for where we are,"Zaine continued, "it's the capital of Ylisse, Ylisstol. More specifically, the infirmary in the barracks."
Well that explains pretty much everything, except...
"How did you find us so quickly back there, Tristan?"
"My forgetful friend, do you not remember that I played Awakening before you did?" He replied as expediently as possible.
"Oh yeah, that's right." I completely forgot about that. "So where is everybody else?"
"Well," Began Cole, "Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and Robin went to see the queen-."
"Exalt," Zaine interjected.
"-Exalt to see how to deal with the asshole country attacking them."
"They said for us to bring you here and wait for them to come back," added Zaine.
"But some of us got bored," Walt proceeded. "So we decided to wake you up with this bucket."
"And although I would like to have you viciously beat Walt and Tristan within inches of their lives, you need to get dressed and meet the rest of the Shepherds."
It is then I realized I wasn't wearing the same shirt I was before, unless it was fixed magically.
"Hey guys, probably not a big question, but who changed my shirts?"
Everyone snickers and leaves the room as Walt says with a wink, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Seriously!? I get no respect at all.
When I recloaked myself, I entered the barracks. The barracks was much more spacious than I imagined. Racks filled with weapons lined the walls, shelves replete with books, and as of a few seconds ago, a young woman on the ground.
"Really, Sumia, You must work out that peculiar falling habit soon," said a blonde haired woman with a very haughty expression.
"I'm sorry, Maribelle, but It's a lot more difficult than it looks," says Sumia.
"Well, maybe good ol' Teach can show ya how it's done," suggested a large man wearing next to no shirt who I assume is Vaike.
Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, I find the guys and rejoin them.
Zaine, Cole, even Tristan acknowledges me. Walt however, is staring across the room.
I should explain. See Walt, when he's not a zombicidal maniac or brainless idiot, he's a complete and total flirt. He will not refuse any opportunity to hit on any girl he comes across, no matter the circumstances.
So Walt strides right up to Sumia, and extends his hand to the fallen girl, which she graciously takes.
"With looks like those," he began," you must've fallen from the heavens."
Sumia face completely flushes red, but does not slap him. I guess she's too nice of a girl to do that. Luckily, I know Maribelle is not, as she walk right up to Walt and calls him out for being as she put it:"a slavering, troglodytic, animal," and walked away.
Now it was my turn to laugh with the guys as Walt saunters back over, rubbing the visible handprint left on his face.
"Absolutely worth it," he proclaims with a toothed smile.
Before any more insanity began, the doors opened, revealing Lissa pulling Robin by the coat sleeve into the barracks, Chrom following.
"...And this is the Shepherd's barracks, the entire base of operations," she explained to the tactician, who seemed a bit whiplashed and not really paying attention. His line of sight focuses on me and the guys.
"Gentleman, hello," he greeted with. "Glad to see you back on your feet, Niko."
"You can't keep a good man out too long," taking an actor's bow while speaking.
I look up and catch Lissa looking at me for a second, before quickly looking away.
Man, it's scorching hot in here. Even her faced is flushed red.
Now that Robin was now properly introduced to everyone present, Vaike's boastful belch, and Maribelle's posthaste departure in disgust, Chrom had finally called the meeting of the Shepherds to order.
"Firstly, I am impressed by the number of new recruits we have assembled in so little of time." We all take looks at each other, acknowledging all the assortment of warriors assembled under a common banner. I could have sworn I saw someone else there, but could have just been my imagination.
"Secondly, and the fact of the matter, is this: Plegians under the guise of brigands are making their way past the border patrols and pillaging towns in Ylisse."
"Which is why the exalt approved a venture to the northern region of Regna Ferox to ask for support," Robin cut in.
"We leave tomorrow morning, so make sure everyone is prepared before we leave. Thank you."
Chrom motion to Lissa to follow him, leaving through the door they came in.
The next day came way too early.
This makes no sense! The friggin' sun isn't even up yet.
Almost everyone else seemed to feel the same way, marching sluggishly along this winding road heading north. With nothing really to talk to the guys about, and since I remember this part vaguely, travel behind Vaike to make sure he doesn't drop his axe.
Come on, make this walk somewhat interesting.
Nothing...
...Still nothing...
...Abso-freaking-lutely nothing!
I feel like screaming at him to do something when a shout comes from the front of the caravan
"Risen about a half mile up the road!"yelled Stahl, a cavalier among the Shepherds along with Sully. He's seems dependable, yet somewhat lazy. He seems like someone I can get along with pretty well.
But back to the brainless zombie hordes cluttering the road.
Same story, different day. Unsheathe swords, sharpen axes, aim spears, bring out staves, and open tomes; ready to rock. Chrom lead the charge right into the fray, and lopped off the head of one of the resurrected beasts.
Blades clash. Metal rings. Arrows fly. Fire burns. Risen fall.
And yet, there are still dozens of these things.
No matter how much we kill, more find their way here.
And there is yet another chieftain, this one behind about twenty zombies. Fantastic.
My thoughts were then interrupted by a woman with red hair unorthodoxly carrying a huge, double-bladed axe.
"Pardon me, fellow practitioner in the arcane arts," She begins. "My name is Miriel. Would you by chance happen to know the original owner of this weapon I found back down the road?"
There we go.
I look across the battle field and shout, "Hey, Vaike! Did you happen to loose your axe?"
"Sorry buddy, but I still got mine," he yelled back.
"We'll get over here and-"
Wait, what?
My utter confusion is then added upon by hearing a vicious roar pierce the air like a dagger. I find the source as I look up and see a terrifying sight. From the sky drops down a massive, steel gray, winged lizard, spewing fire. The Shepherds fall back to escape the blaze, but realize that the Risen are the only things getting caught up in it. I look closer, and see someone riding on top of the beast, short brown hair armored and wearing glasses. Rather familiar to me
The inferno resulted in the almost complete destruction of the enemy force. The only ones left were the chieftain and a couple foot soldiers.
Taking advantage of the situation, Chrom, Robin, and I make our way to finish the leader off, with Zaine, Walt, and Tristan picking off the stragglers.
Both the commander and the tactician dealt brutal blows to the boss zombie in unison. As it reeled back in reaction to the hit, I finally dealt some payback to these freaks in the form of a burning fireball to the face.
"Arrivederci!"
And with that, the battle was over, but not before the dragon-thing landed right next to us, and let out another cacophonic howl.
"Shut up, Clank! I was trying to sleep ya stupid wyvern!"
We hear the rider of the monster speak, in a tone I recognize all too well.
I somehow knew we'd find him eventually.
But I did not, repeat did not, expect to find him saving our lives while sleeping, strapped to a vicious fire-breathing monster.
The man looks at me and my friends. "Hey guys. I was worried I was the only guy here.
Nonchalant as usual
"Nice to see you too, Karl," We all say stunned.
"Wait, you know this guy too?" Robin asks more stunned than us.
A/N: And just like that another friend is found, and the Risen defeated. But what is this Karl like? How did he learn to ride a terrifying lizard while sleeping? And more importantly, who dropped the axe on the road if it wasn't Vaike. Find out the answers to most of these next time on Fire Emblem: Seven Stars.
P.S.: Feel free to comment, review, favorite, or follow this story as it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all the great reviews I've gotten already. As always I will release the next chapter as soon as I can. Keep cooking!