Hello everyone, and welcome to this! Let's just go ahead and do the reviews, alright? Alright.
Some Guy In An Ambulance - Thank you. I, who has read a lot of FE fics of Awakening, wanted to do something different. And trust me... when we get to what I have in mind... Wait, what DO I have in mind? Uh, please ignore me! I'm just a baka!
Kasuyorai - Yes, readability IS a word. Readability is the ease with which a reader can understand a written text. To be perfectly honest, if Charles was truly me, he'd forget the promise two days later. Yes, I like to think of the fighting scenes I make as my forte. Though, that is definitely up for debate...
Ilat-2 - Perhaps. Maybe. Possibly. There is a possibility.
And now the reviews from the intermission I had...
Ilat-2 - Well, alright. I, personally, will be getting it because I've always wanted to play Gaiden. I say this as I hop out the window, in order to escape from the cops.
BluFalcon1 - True, but Marth is alright. I mean... Every time I face Marth in the arena, he is always five stars. Like, how does this happen? Freakin' people who use actual money in a mobile game are trash... how do I get shit draws, and you get, like, four five stars... five times in a row my ass... Sorry. Was having flashbacks to my past trauma in the Arena when battling BS. Still don't have Loli Tiki...
So, with that out of the way, let us just go and start this chapter that I've been so late to finish! Don't be mad at me! :(
P.S. This took longer than I thought to finish, simply because I was only able to work on it a few hours a day, since I had to go and help one of my Uncles, and... I also kind of went to sleep much earlier, so... Don't be mad? And it was my first time editing the entire chapter, so... Don't be maaaaaaaaaaaad?
Chapter 6 - Arena of the Ferox, Training of the Ferox
The two of us walked on in silence for the most part of a few days. We had found a village, and using most of the gold I had left, I bought us winter clothes, aka jackets! Though it ended up being just for me, because apparently Vedis doesn't mind the cold, so that saved us some money(gold). So, over my clothes and underneath my armor, I now wore a white jacket with a hood and cuffs ringed with black fur. And yes, it was a bit uncomfortable with the armor over the jacket. I also switched the white cotton shirt for a black cotton buttoned up shirt.
To be honest, the jacket kind of reminds me of that one jacket Accelerator wore, though it was a bit different in the design and the materials. So, in the end, It was as if a part of Accelerator was traveling with me... and as much as I love the badass Accelerator, It was still uncomfortable wearing the jacket underneath armor and over a shirt. It was too tight for comfort.
But, ignoring that train of thought, I continued to put left in front of right and right in front of left. I rubbed my gloved hands against one another, trying to warm them up, and breathed white over the hands. It was still pretty cold, even with the jacket and gloves. I glanced back at Vedis, who walked behind me and to the right. She didn't look like she was being affected by the cold...
W-well, we'll eventually reach the wall, and we'll be let in, because two people can't possibly be bandits, right? I hope we don't get killed... Actually, I have no idea where on the wall we'll end up at. I mean, there has to be multiple entrances, right? It's a big ass wall. It would be extremely inconvenient if we can only enter from that one area that Chrom and co. enter from, right? So I was hoping that we'd find one of those hopefully many entrances. The good news, out of all this, besides being alone with a cute girl, is the fact that we were on a road, so there has to be a gate or something in the wall up ahead! There has to be! Why else would you put a road leading towards a wall here? The only conclusion I can draw from this, is that there would be a gate up ahead. No gate, means no road, right?
Exhaling, and watching the white breath exit my mouth, I strained my eyes against the snow fall. I thought I saw a silhouette of a wall... Perhaps, were we there? Truly? That's amazing! And it only took two days! Though I was happy at finding the wall, I then had a strange thought, as if a being much greater than my own, was telling me something. It was probably just one of my straw thoughts, however.
'I wonder what happened to my family and friends when I disappeared and ended up here?'
The thought was truly one that I had never asked myself, and it was quite weird that I would ask it now. I probably never asked it due to the fact that I didn't want to die, having been summoned into a burning forest with Risen all around me, and then having to fight bandits to save a village, and then joining a gang of bandits... But still, I wonder how they would react to my disappearance? I know my brother wouldn't care one way or the other, but my grandmother would definitely be worried, while my mother would be in hysterics and try to take away my brother because apparently disappearing inside a game means that my grandmother can't take care of my brother?
To be honest, I have no idea what'd she do. I just know, that if I was there, I'd probably want to punch her. I have a complicated relationship with my family. Don't ask, imaginary voice inside my head.
Moving on.
My friends... well, they'll definitely be saddened by the news. I mean, we were friends! Kind of. We insulted each other a lot, because that was what friends do, right? But still, it would be nice to know what happened after my plunge into this game. Not that I'd really care that much now. I mean, if I can't go back there, then what would be the point of caring about it?
Nodding at my wise words, as if I was a sage, I continued walking forward, even as the temperature continued to go down, and I grew colder and colder.
A few minutes after Charles disappeared into Fire Emblem Awakening.
"Charles!" A feminine voice sounded. It was his Grandmother. She was calling him to come and move some stuff. As the flood had happened some months ago, they had lots of work to do! Or, rather, that's what Charles's uncles kept saying. After a minute of waiting, she tried again. "Charles!" This time, it was louder.
'He's probably playing a game and can't hear me, or something!' She reasoned. And so, she started on her way to his new room. Opening the nonexistent door, she stepped into the room. The light was on, as she saw from the hallway, but no one was in there. Just one of his gaming devices that was on his bed. The small one. What was it called again? A 3-something-or-other. Sighing, she moved over to the small device. She closed it without seeing what was on it.
"Charles!" She called out for the third time. This time, she moved into the computer room - his old room - which, once again, had no door. The door wasn't on, but that didn't mean that much. Charles could've just turned the light off. She entered the room and flicked on the light. Nobody was in the room. Frowning, she started to wonder at where Charles went. She checked the back bathroom, the living room, the backyard, and then the front, where he would go to feed the neighborhood cats.
She didn't find him there. Frowning again, she decided to see if he was with his brother. Though, long ago, the two would never be in the same room, after psychological therapy for his brother, the two were able to be in the other's presence without fighting. They were like friends at times. Though, there was also the times when they wouldn't even see the other in an entire day, as Charles's brother had a strange sleeping schedule. Where Charles was told to go to sleep at a specific time, either 9 or 10, sometimes 11, this did not apply to his brother. He could wake up at whatever time, go to sleep at whatever time, and frankly, do whatever he wants. Even as he does no work, and just stays on his computer the entire day.
Charles secretly wonders if it was because of his psychological problems that he is given free reign over his life, while he is told what to do.
But Charles was not there. After checking the room, she found that Damien, Charles's brother, was asleep. At around 5:00 PM. Shaking her head slightly, though not doing anything about it, she left the room. Damien had stapled a curtain over his door, so that you couldn't see inside the room, without moving it to the side. To enter or leave, you had to move the curtain to the side, which was just a hassle.
'Did he ask his uncle to take him over to his friend's house? No, he would've asked me first to get permission.' She thought to herself, but she couldn't come up with anything else. And then, a thought hit her like a sledgehammer to a door.
'Did he run away?'
With those words, she ran back into Charles's room to check his possessions. She quickly found his shoes, where he usually leaves them, then she checked his clothes, and they were all there. Shirts, pants, underwear, socks... All there. His backpack for school was there. His bed was a bit of a mess, but that was because he didn't feel the need to make it up; since he would have to go back to sleep later, it would be less work to have to pull the covers back so he could get in bed. His game was there, his phone, his tablet... It was weird. He was just... not here. Did he leave without any shoes, and just the clothes on his back?
No, he would've definitely took his tablet, phone, game, and shoes. Since it was a bit cold outside, he would probably have grabbed his jacket. Though she knew that Charles probably wouldn't see it as cold, it was still an option he could've done.
So, where was he? In the end, she couldn't come up with the answer. So she did the only thing that she felt was right.
She called the police.
They arrived and she explained the situation to them. She gave them a description of Charles, and showed them a picture of him on her phone. They checked the house, just in case. Nothing was found.
A few days later, and some of his friends came over, for one reason or another. There was three of them. She roughly remembered the black one, and she knew the Irish guy with the beard, but she forgot his name, but she did not know the tall one.
They introduced themselves after she asked for their names.
"Kealton." The black guy answered.
"Daniel." The one with a beard, though it was just on the upper lip and chin, answered.
"Hunter." The tall one answered.
With that, she asked why they were here, though she already vaguely knew why.
"We wanted to see if Charles was really missing..."
"(And to check his stuff...)" Another muttered, but she didn't hear that part. It was nothing personal - they weren't going to take anything of course, but they just wanted to see if there was any clues of his disappearance among his stuff... And they really wanted to play some of the games he had.
They were a bit selfish, but they were indeed sad over his disappearance.
She led the trio inside and to his room. She left them alone afterwards.
"Okay." Daniel said, sitting down on the bed. "Let's check his 3DS. I know he has a lot of games on there." He picked up the 3DS that was next to him on the bed. "Don't know why it was on the bed, but let's see, 'kay?"
"Alright." Kealton said, sitting down to Daniel's left.
"Gotcha." Hunter, sitting to his right. "Though I'm more of a fan of the Play Station."
"Well, he used to have one, but because of the flood, it got wet, so..." Daniel said vaguely as he prepared to open the game. He flipped open the 3DS, but he was confused as to what was on it. The other two leaned in to see, but they were also confused.
"What is this?" Daniel muttered. He didn't know what game this was. On the bottom screen was a black circle with unknown letters on them. It made up a couple of triangles, and was, frankly, pretty cool. The top screen had a ring, with the zodiacs on it. He knew that it was them, from the 69 which stood for cancer.
It was like a universal give-away for it being the zodiacs.
"So... what game is this?" Hunter asked, to break the ice.
"Don't know." Kealton replied, scratching the back of his head.
"It looks cool, but not really that interesting..." Daniel leaned forward. He felt... something. It was like he was being pulled forward. His mind spun around, like a cogwheel. He moved away from the 3DS, but he then found himself coming closer. He repeated this several more times.
"Guys, I found something out." Daniel said, closing the 3DS.
"What is it?" Hunter said.
"Charles was sucked into a game. Probably."
"What? How is that even possible?"
"Just think about it." Daniel said, pointing a finger up, as if he was a genius. "He left with nothing. He just disappeared. His games are here. His tablet is here. And his phone is here. And all his other junk." He quickly added at the end.
"So? How does that mean he was dragged into a game or something?" Kealton asked.
"Well, he was into writing and reading Fanfiction about being dragged into different worlds, either by reincarnation, or other methods."
"Fanfiction? Seriously?" Kealton deadpanned.
"Well, I do it too, just... a lot worse than him."
"Well, you don't have good grammar, Daniel." Hunter laughed.
"Shut up!" Daniel snapped, but he only laughed harder.
"So your saying that he is inside whatever game this is?" Kealton asked.
"Well, yes. However, we don't know which game this is, right?"
"Yeah..."
"So all we have to do, is to turn it off and back on, and the 3DS will open up to the last game he played, right?" Hunter said, sounding very confident.
"Exactly!" Daniel said, as he opened the 3DS once more. He quickly turned it off and then back on. When it came back on, the game it opened up to, was...
"Fire Emblem?" Hunter asked.
"Well, he really liked Fire Emblem... to the point where he forced me play it." Kealton said with a hand on his chin.
"Yeah, yeah. He definitely did love his Fire Emblem." Daniel confirmed.
Little did they know, the real game he played last, was Mario.
"So what do we do?" Kealton asked.
"We do nothing. I'm not going to a world where I can die at any time." Daniel said, and pretty much tossed the 3DS behind him without looking. Without closing it. Without turning it off. "H-hey guys... Am I being pulled back? I feel like I'm getting further and further away from the mirror..." In front of him, on Charles's dresser, was a large mirror. It showed the reflection of the three of them. Daniel stared at the mirror, and felt as if he was moving away from it.
"Uhmm... You kind of are." Kealton confirmed with a nod. Then pointed to the game he threw behind him. "It landed perfectly behind you, with the screens facing towards you."
"Shit!" Daniel jumped off the bed, turned around, reached for the 3DS, and turned it off. "Okay, if you want to go to the Fire Emblem world, say Aye!"
Nobody said aye.
"Well, how about we play his other games?"
"Aye."
"Aye."
"Yeah, I figured."
And so, the three friends played through almost all of Charles's games, and they didn't touch a single Fire Emblem one. After finishing, they left and went home. They told nobody about their discovery, and merely wished Charles luck in the world he so dearly loved.
"He's probably dead." Daniel said over Skype.
"Yeah, that's true." Kealton nodded, but nobody could see that.
"If he isn't dead, I'd be genuinely surprised." Hunter agreed with the two.
And just like that, the three friends went on to believing that Charles was dead. Of course, they felt sad for him... but they were too busy playing Charles's games, which they took with them, to really care that much about it.
At least he died in a world he truly loved.
"Achoo!" I sneezed. I sniffed hard, and rubbed my nose with my jacket sleeve.
"Are you sick?" Vedis asked tentatively.
"Nah. Probably some cute girls talking about me." I replied, licking my lips. They were a little chapped, so it was long overdue.
It was probably around thirty minutes later, that the two of us arrived at a tall gate. Looking left and right, the wall extended until you couldn't see it through the snow. This was one of the gates to enter Regna Ferox. I did not think it was the same one Chrom and Robin entered through, but it was certainly magnificent! The wall was tall, and excellently built!
Then again, I don't know much about building walls, so I could only compliment its appearance and the hard work of whoever built it, so the compliment didn't mean that much.
Did I mention how cold it was? Because it was very. Cold.
Looking up, to the top of the wall, I saw the silhouette of guards staring down at us. They would be easier to see, if it wasn't snowing so much. After some time of awkward silence, I started to fidget in place. So, are they going to say something, or do I have to speak first? I don't really know... But I guess I'll try. I mean, what is the worse that could happen? They throw javelins at me?
Okay, bad joke.
"U-um... I-I would like to enter Regna Ferox pl-please!" It certainly was nerve wracking to yell up at the guards over the sound of the blowing snow. I was nervous and my heart was thumping within my rib cage, plus It was cold, so I ended up stuttering as my teeth chattered against each other. Vedis, like always, didn't say anything. She just stared up at the guards. It would really help me if she were to talk, but whatever.
I could vaguely hear them saying something, but it wasn't loud enough for me to hear. And then, a voice was shouted down from the top.
"Where do you 'travelers' hail from?" The voice was of a man. He must've been the commander of this gate or something. The way he said travelers, meant that they had fought some bandits here. So I should be extremely careful about this situation.
"Ylisse." I shouted back. I mean, I started in Ylisse, and Vedis was here too, so she had to be Ylissean, right? Then, I thought I heard something from Vedis, but the roaring snow blocked out her small voice. I was going to lean in and to ask her to repeat herself, but decided not to as that might look suspicious.
The guards talked amongst themselves about us for a few minutes. After some waiting, the guard from earlier yelled back so I could hear him.
"Very well. We will let you two in; but if you start any trouble, then you will have to deal with me, got it?" I could tell by his position of guarding the border that he was strong, but his voice made it sound like he was even stronger. It had such an intimidating ring to it... The first thought of his appearance was that of a bear. I wouldn't even be surprised if Regna Ferox hired talking bears to guard their borders. It would make perfect sense, really. Probably.
"Right, right..." I shouted back, though it was too low for them to hear as I wasn't trying very hard to be heard.
After a few minutes of waiting, and plenty of shivering, I heard a low rumbling. Then, the gate started to rise up. Through the use of chains, I think, the gate was raised for the two of us to go through. When the gate opened high enough for us to enter, I saw two soldiers, holding lances, standing on either side, with a knight in heavy armor between them. The two of us walked towards them. Though I was a bit nervous at the encounter.
The knight spoke up first with a gruff tone. "The commanding officer of this post has told us to find out why you came here. So tell me; is there a specific reason why you decided to enter Regna Ferox?" The man said this in a monotone, but I could feel the power in his words. He looked down at me, with a bald head. He kept his hands held behind him, and his feet spread apart. If he didn't wear armor, he would surely have rippling muscles that could twist off my head at a moments notice.
I eventually opened my mouth to answer him.
"W-we are simple travelers, Sir Knight." I responded with a crack. "My dream is to walk the lands through all countries and continents! So how could I just pass up Regna Ferox?" I dramatized the words by waving my arms as I talked, making it look really exaggerated. The knight stared at me for a heartbeat and a half, before looking at Vedis with a mean glare.
"And you? Do you share the same sentiments as... him?"
Vedis did not respond verbally. She only gave him a nod, which came after a few seconds of silence.
"I see." The knight nodded once and closed his eyes. When his eyes flickered opened, he glared at me. "Names!"
"Y-yes!" I responded immediately. Damn that was loud! He didn't have to yell it! "My name is Charles. This here is-"
"I'll have the girl say her own name, thank you very much." His eyes switched from me and to Vedis. He waited for her to speak her own name.
"...Vedis." She muttered, though loud enough for him to hear.
"Oh?" He exhaled. After a moment of silence, he addressed both of us. "And what is a Ylissean and a Plegian doing here?"
A Plegian? Vedis hails from Plegia? How did I not know? Then again, she's never really talked about herself all that much.
Well, I guess it kind of makes sense. I mean, she is a Dark Mage, and they generally come from Plegia... but that is not what I should be asking right now! Why did she keep it a secret from me? Well, I guess because it wasn't really that important...
"Traveling." Vedis responded without a care in the world.
"I see. Traveling." He looked from me to her. "Well either you are both dirty liars... or I need to clean my ears." He shook his head. "Listen here lad. Though you can lie, there is always a way to see past your lies, even if you are wearing a poker face. Do you know what it is?"
"Uh, no?" I answered hesitatingly.
"The eyes. You can hide your words behind a smile, but your eyes are like an open veil into your true thoughts. Your mouth and expressions can say one thing, but your eyes will always reveal your true intentions. But when I look into your eyes..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I can see that you're telling the truth, but not exactly. Giving a smidgen of the truth, mixed with lies is a good way to hide the truth, but keep in mind... that by doing so could lead to your death."
I gulped. The truth was that I was traveling, but the reason I gave for it is not exactly the reason why we're here. I basically told him that we came here "just because". However, the real reason would be to become stronger, and to meet the Shepherds, while also seeing this "story" advance. But this is turning out to be a slightly dangerous situation... What can I say? Oh yeah! There was something like a tournament to decide the leading Khan, right? Then let's just use that as an excuse!
"W-well, I guess we're also here for that 'grand fighting tournament,' right, Vedis?" I asked her with a plea to bail me out of this situation!
"..." She did not respond! She didn't even nod her head! Was she zoning out or something?
"Well, I can't really confirm this with the girl, with her being silent and all, but if you're here for that, then you came just in time!" Now he was suddenly excited, as he started to talk about the tournament and how great it was. "Ahaha!" He laughed heartily. "If you don't know the exact route to get there, how 'bout I send you two with a small escort so you don't get lost, eh?" His smile is really creeping me out... And besides, how much does he loves to fight and to see fighting to completely change his opinions about us? From being suspicious, to something like friends?
"So exactly when will the tournament be taking place?"
He cast some suspicious eyes onto me, but they quickly disappeared. "Oh? So you know of the tournament, but not the exact date?" he laughed.
"Well, I can't really help that." I scratched the back of my head, absentmindedly. "I mean, when you travel so much, you tend to forget what day it is. All I know, is that the grand fighting tournament is starting sometime soon."
"Ahaha! Well, then lad, I'll tell ya! It will be starting in a little after a week, so you have plenty of time to make it to Arena Ferox!" He then turned to the soldier to his right. "Let the commander know! These two have passed inspection, and to send a guard of... three with them to Arena Ferox!"
"Yes sir!" The guard saluted, and ran off.
"Then, you two... I'll have you wait here for now, so best make yourself comfortable!" With another laugh, the knight in heavy armor departed.
After that, it was awkwardly silent. I wanted to ask Vedis about her Plegian roots, but I didn't really know how to, or if it was necessary. Would I be crossing some kind of line, or something? I could only panic in my mind, until a voice spoke out. Looking up, I saw a myrmidon, an archer, and a soldier approaching us.
The myrmidon had black hair and beady black eyes, with leather armor. An iron sword hung at his waist. The archer had her bow slung across her back, long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. And lastly, the soldier wore light blue armor over his body, except for his legs and arms. Black hair spilled out from his helmet, and green eyes stared back at me.
"Please' ta meet ya." The myrmidon said with a friendly smile, offering me his hand. I smiled back, and accepted the handshake. After introductions, the five of us left the gates, and headed deeper into Feroxi territory.
I was told that it would take a day to travel to Arena Ferox, so I was relieved by its closeness... Or rather, the pace they're making us walk is a bit much! I'm nearly running to keep up after them!
On the other hand, Vedis somehow managed to "persuade" the myrmidon to carry her... I'd feel jealous if I wasn't overcome by fatigue from walking for hours. I need a break!
Alas, it would be for another three hours - when the sun was nearing the far off mountains - that we finally took a break.
After what felt like eternity of walking, or rather, jogging, we finally arrived at Arena Ferox. It was currently midday, and a soft wind was blowing the snow all over the place, making it look like a miniature snow storm. Did I mention how cold it was? I hope they have indoor heating... Oh, what am I talking about? It's a castle! They had that kind of stuff back in the days of the Romans! If they didn't have it in Fire Emblem, I don't think humans would settle up here in the cold wasteland of coldness!
"Achoo." I sneezed. I've been doing that a lot. There goes my streak of never getting sick...
"You 'kay?" The myrmidon - forgot his name - asked.
"Yeah. Just a bit... droopy." I answered him without looking, and instead, hugged myself tighter.
"Well, try ta get betta', 'kay? We'll be headin' on back to tha gate, so fare-thee-well!" The myrmidon, again, forgot his name, bid his farewells and left with the other two escorts.
I took a glance over to Vedis. She was hardly shivering! Is her coat Magically-enchanted to stay warm!? I'll have to ask her about this latter - in fact, I'm putting it at the top of the list of things to ask her!
Once the large doors opened, and a man wearing a butler attire, with white hair and eyes, appeared, I gave him a small, white envelope that was written by the commanding officer of the gate we passed through. The envelope was given to me by the myrmidon before we arrived here, and he told me to give it to whoever opens the door, so we could gain entrance into the castle.
But first, let me give you imaginary people within my head a rundown of what was around us. And no, I was not slowly going crazy. No matter how many times you think it, or say it, I am not going crazy! Ahem.
In front of us, was a pretty big castle. Gray. Ominous looking. It was also covered in snow. Ya got the image right? It's bloody perfect, right? I don't have to tell you about the gargoyle statues, or the gray clouds above, or even the multiple chimneys emitting dark-gray smoke, or even the fancy windows, and all that, right? Well, I'm sure you can imagine it if I tell you it was probably not exactly a generic castle as there was a giant freakin' dome coming out of the top of it. Probably in the middle of the castle, or something. That was probably where the "arena" is, and how this place gets its name. Now, to my left, right, and behind me, is a city. Arena Ferox is basically a city with an arena. Nothing too spectacular to note. The housing is the same as just about anywhere else. Stone. Brick. Some wood. Also snow.
I sure am being incredibly descriptive, aren't I?
I'm definitely not ignoring most of my surroundings so I can get the freak inside this - hopefully warm - castle. Nope. I'm doing my duty to keep you - imaginary people within my head - informed of the situation. In any case, it seems as if the butler finally finished reading the letter.
Staring into his white eyes, pleading for him to hurry up and let us inside, I waited for him to say "Come on in."
The butler looked between the two of us, and then slightly bowed down.
"My apologies for having the two of you wait out here in the cold for so long. Please, come inside." Well I was close, but the ending result is the same!
I hurried forward, and just as I was about to enter, an arm moved out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks.
"But before, I wish to challenge you to a fair duel."
Bloody Feroxi and their ridiculous need to challenge everyone to a fight! Your diplomacy is fighting? Well, you can just die! I want to be warm, and you dare stop me? If I get hypothermia and die, I'm taking you with me!
That being said, I think it was still lucky for the two of us to get this far without a single fight. So I should just accept this battle, and win fair and square, and-
"Not happening!" I ducked under his arm and ran inside, to where it was warm! Or, at least, tried to.
Just as I ducked to get underneath his arm, his leg came up and his knee smashed into my jaw. I fell back onto my arse with a cry. I looked up at the old man, with already completely white hair, and glared. I was also rubbing my behind. Just... putting that out there.
"You have two choices before you, young man. Battle me, or stay out. In the letter, it says that you 'agreed' to this, did you not?" I agreed to nothing, you old fart! ...Man, I always wanted to say that! Wait, I didn't actually say it... Should I dare speak it out loud? Alright!
"I ain't-"
"He will fight." Vedis agreed for me, quickly speaking over my words. "I'm cold, after all."
I have no words. Vedis, this entire time, you were cold? And really, why are you agreeing with this? It was not agreed upon! I call bull shit! The butler unsheathed the sword I did not notice he carried, and pointed it at me.
"C-can we at least do this inside?" I asked tentatively, with a hand raised.
"Very well. Now, pick up your sword and let us do battle!" He did not move. He stood where he was, as a fire raged within his eyes. Battle maniac?
"Inside?" I asked, once again. However, it was met with naught.
"Let us go!"
The old man, tired of waiting, took a step forward and slashed his blade down at me. I rolled out of the way, but I didn't hear a clang as it hit the stone. He managed to stop the blade at just the right moment before hitting the stone, then, spinning around on his left heel, he slashed down at me again. I rolled forward, and used my hands to flip myself up, and onto my feet. Though I slid a bit on the snow and ice, it was a pretty impressive display.
I probably would've broken my neck if I did this in my own world. I was not the most physically fit. However...
A fire raged in my eyes. If I want to get out of this cold weather, and become warm once more, I must fight! I slid my sword out of its sheathe, and faced this butler!
Vedis, off to the side, walked into the castle while muttering: "What a stupid fight."
And so, after the so declared "stupid fight" the two of us were led to our rooms. The fight was basically just a short spar, to see if we were strong enough to enter the castle and to stay there for some time, so I wasn't that injured; just a few scratches here and there, nothing of import. I was tired beyond belief, however, there was still something I had to do, so I couldn't just fall asleep in bed. After memorizing where my room was, I then started to walk through the castle randomly. Going from one corridor to another. Of course, doing so resulted in me getting lost.
I had also completely forgot where my room was.
My memory isn't really that good. Maybe I should keep a journal...
Ah, no, I'm not good at writing with a quill either. Well, I've only written once with them, and it was in the fifth grade, but I was horrible... It was a field trip, you see.
Wait, why am I telling you imaginary people in my head my life story? In fact, if you're all residing within my head, then where is my rent?
Moving on from that...
I'm bored. Being lost is being bored. If only something interesting happens, I'd be able to keep on.
Sighing, I walked on. I turned left. I turned right. Left. Left. Right.
Walking was starting to hurt. My feet were slowly starting to burn. Yawning, I turned a corner.
However, immediately after, I bumped into something, or rather, someone. I fell back, but I managed to keep my self from falling. However, the person I bumped into, had no such luck. Pink hair, trailing in the air, and a form I could easily recognize, hit the ground with a thump.
"Ow!" A shriek, though small, passed through the pink lips of the woman now on the ground. Her pink eyes were halfway closed, and her clothes were a bit... well, revealing. Sure, I liked Olivia's design in Awakening. Sure, she was a bit revealing, even though she was the shy type. But none of that could prevent the actual sight of her being like this. I'm sure every male out there would have a similar reaction that I am having right now. And if you don't know what I am talking about, then just ask an adult.
"U-uhmm..." I reached down towards her with my right hand. "Are you okay?" I asked Olivia, who finally looked up at me. And then, as if following some kind of script, she started to blush and stumble her way through her words.
"A-a, I-I mean... Uhm... I-I'm oka-okay..." However, she did not take my hand, and stood up by herself. Shrugging my shoulders, I let it be, and dropped my hand. Olivia pressed her arms against her chest, with her hands positioned just beside her chin. Her shoulders were trembling.
I knew she was a shy girl... But this... Well, I don't blame her; when a stranger suddenly pops out of nowhere, you can get a bit freaked out. Oh! Right! I should ask her. She'd probably know, right?
"Um, say... Ol... What's your name?"
"...O-Olivia..." She said quietly, with a bit of a squeak, like a mouse.
Smiling slightly, I asked her my question. "Do you know where some kind of training room would be, Olivia?" Using her name purposefully, I waited for her answer. Her shoulders jumped when I said her name, and to be honest, it was a bit funny to see that. Also cute.
"U-um... There are several... the nearest... is..." She pointed back towards where she just came from. "Is down there, to the left, then... right, through an... arched doorway. But it's already-" Though she tried to say something at the end - I can probably guess what it was - I raised my hand to silence her.
"Thanks for the information, Olivia! I'll see ya around maybe?" And with that, I lightly ran past her. However, after a couple of steps, I stopped and turned my head to the left. This was all done on purpose. "By the way, my name is Charles. Nice to meet you, Olivia." With that, I turned back and ran the way she told me to. I didn't hear a reply from her, but if she did say something, then it would've been too quiet for me to hear.
Even when we were speaking with only a couple of feet separating us, it was difficult to hear her, so I had to strain my ears. Though I remember reading that she was the best singer in the Shepherds...
Shaking my head, I arrived at the arched doorway she spoke of. I could also hear some kind of grunting coming from inside. But, along with it, I could faintly hear the whistle of a sword slicing through air, so the dirty thoughts within my mind disappeared. Plus, it kind of sounded like Lon'qu (through the use of imagination, I made it so), so that situation would've been impossible in the first place.
I entered the room.
The room could best be described as a square, with a walkway around it, letting people watch the fight, or training, happening in the sanded center. Torches aligned the walls, giving light to the room. Columns rose out of the ground, further separating the walkway from the arena. It was not the arena from the game; it was much too small for that, and there weren't stands for an audience. In the center of the sanded arena, stood a shirtless man, drenched in sweat. Black hair, black eyes, an intimidating glare. Scars resting upon his skin and muscles. An iron sword held in his hands. His right foot was before his left, and the sword was raised. Then, with a movement that has been repeated thousands upon thousands of times, the left foot moved forward to even with the right, and the sword came down and separated the air in the front. A whistle was heard, and a grunt was made. The muscles rippled from the swing of the blade- and what the Hell am I thinking?
Okay, stop thinking about this and just approach the very dangerous man with a sword, with an attitude that could kill (Yeah, not happening)! Shaking my head, once more, I approached the black haired myrmidon.
Sensing my presence somehow, even though he was facing the opposite direction as me, he spun around and slashed his sword at me. Though, with my newfound skill since entering this world, I could somewhat dodge the blade, but I am sure he won't actually try to kill me, so, by standing still, and not dodging at all, I'll be shown as a badass(probably) and- yeah, screw this!
Jumping to the side and into a roll, I avoided the blade - that just so happened to keep swinging. If I had stayed still, I might have died.
Just letting you know, that I didn't actually see the blade that well. It was a blur and I just reacted. I was not under control of my rolling actions.
Next time I hear the "Do a barrel roll" I'll definitely remember this moment... You've trained me well, rabbit. Or was it the toad?
Either way, I climbed back up to my feet, to meet the still glaring eyes of Lon'qu. He had his sword pointed at me. "Who are you?" He asked me in a gruff tone. His words were layered with ice, so I felt like I was stabbed slightly. They say words can't hurt you, but...
"The name's Charles. You must be that strong Champion of the West Khan, right? Lon'qu?" Acting as if I had heard about him from an outside factor, and not from the game he is in, I extended a hand. Lon'qu did not move. The sword remained pointed at my throat. However, after a couple of seconds of awkwardly smiling while my sweat ran down my face, Lon'qu let down his sword.
"Correct." He replied. "What are you doing here?" He turned to the side, and continued practicing his swings as he said this. His eyes never left me.
"Well, I was a bit lost, and I ran into a girl named Olivia, and I ended up here?" I titled my head slightly at the question that I asked myself. "Well, since there are two of us... Could I ask for a spar? Ah, I'm not that good with a sword, so i'd rather not get chopped into half at the beginning." Rubbing the back of my head with a slight laugh, I waited for his answer.
"You are not carrying a sword."
"This is a training room, correct? I'll just borrow one from here."
"Hmph. Very well." He stopped swinging his sword, mid-swing even, and waited for me to go grab a sword. I quickly entered into a side room, and looked for an iron sword. Finding one, I picked it up. It was a katana. It wasn't like the iron sword I had, which was more European. It was more like the sword from Fates in the Hoshido path. Though it actually looked better. It was like the Killing Edge in Awakening, only not as killer, or as edgy.
Resisting the urge to punch myself for that horrible joke, I left the small, dark room, and went back to where Lon'qu was patiently waiting for me.
We took up stances a good distance from each other, on the sandy arena in the center.
Lon'qu took the stance he always does in the game, with the sword pointing at his foe, above him. About equal to his head, I guess? His arms were a bit raised and pulled back, with his legs being spaced out and bent. I, on the other hand, just spread my legs and grasped the handle of the blade with both hands, and pointed it forward at a slant towards Lon'qu. My right foot was leaning forward. A smile was on my face.
From this match in which I will horribly lose, I will ask Lon'qu to train me in the arts of the sword. Of course, he'll say no... but I will not give up, and will instead pester him until he gives in! It's a brilliant strategy- and hey, is that the ceiling?
My back hit the sand, and I let out a gasp. My head hurt from hitting the ground, though it was just sand so it didn't hurt too much. "Hey! Don't attack me when I'm zoning out!" I argued, though a glare shut me up. Lon'qu moved back to where he started, and I got up. Taking our stances once again, the second match began. This time, I was ready.
When Lon'qu moved forward, as if he was a bullet shot from a gun, I reacted and lightly hopped backwards from him slashing horizontally at me. He followed by stepping forward with his left leg, and slashing diagonally, from top right to bottom left. I raised my sword high, and followed the trajectory of Lon'qu's sword, as it cut through the air, as I spun on my left heel past the blade. With my blade behind his, he couldn't suddenly attack to his right, at where I was, as he'll more likely than not, hit my sword. I then changed the position of my sword, so that the blade was pointing away from Lon'qu, and the pommel was pointing at him, and stabbed it sideways at him. Of course, as we were, more at less, at a ninety degree angle of each other, forming a right triangle, the attack was short.
But Lon'qu dodged it magnificently! He sidestepped to his left, and brought his blade back in an instant, and, before I could blink, he had raised it skyward to slash downwards at me! I quickly pulled my blade around and blocked it horizontally, and the sounds of two blades colliding were heard, as well as the sparks resulting from the crash. I pushed against the blade, but due to Lon'qu's greater weight and strength, plus using gravity against me, I was in a state of losing. My body was being pushed down, and I was nearly hitting the sand with my left knee. But, it was in that moment, that I pulled a trick from an anime that I knew of, that any master swordsman would probably know about!
I tilted my blade, so that Lon'qu's would slide right off!
Due to the sudden loss of resistance, as well as the weight of the sword, Lon'qu, gravity, and the force he was using, caused him, even the mighty Lon'qu, to trip forward! Though his sword didn't hit the sand, due to him pulling it back up quickly, he did lose his balance for a moment! And it was in that moment that I saw, that I went on the offensive!
Yelling unintelligibly, I slashed the katana similar to that of an arch, aimed at Lon'qu's chest. He sidestepped back, out of the way of the blade, but by doing so, he let himself open up to my real offensive, as he had only lost his balance more due to the sudden movement he made! Leaping forward, I slammed my knee into his gut, and spittle flew from his mouth. He took a step back, and his left hand came to rest on his stomach. His sword pointed downward. A confident smile was plastered onto my face, as I lightly swung my katana up and down.
"Well, how was that?" I asked him.
"...That all?" Lon'qu asked, and my smile fell.
It was as if time had stopped. I could clearly see his movements, however, recalling back to that moment later in time, it was all a blur. I saw, but my brain did not comprehend.
From that still figure of him standing, not in stance, he moved forward. He closed the short distance between us, and slashed his katana at my gut. At the last moment, just before collision, he turned the blade so that the blunted side would hit me.
When it collided with my stomach, it was as if someone had taken a hammer, and smashed it into my gut. I was left breathless, and spit flew out of my mouth. My eyes opened wide, and felt as if they would fly out as well. My feet left the sandy ground, and I flew a few feet from the impact. I smashed into the ground, and slid to a stop. My head was swimming. I could see stars flying over my head. I couldn't focus on anything around me.
I tried to stand up, but I fell back down. I couldn't say a word; only cough in pain.
It was only after a couple of minutes, that I was able to stand up. I rubbed my stomach in pain and faced Lon'qu, who stood patiently, waiting for me to get up. It was as if I had passed some sort of test, as the glare he had on lessened at seeing me standing back up.
"Damn...it... How the hell, did you...?" I understand that Lon'qu is an amazing swordsman. But I had genuinely thought I had him on the ropes! But to think that he was playing around with me! He hid his true strength, so that he could get a grasp of my fighting style, and then he used his true skills to destroy me easily! It wasn't even a match.
He shook his head lightly. "No. You were much better than I expected, so I merely let my guard down slightly."
Clicking my tongue, I looked down. Since coming here, I've experienced many an emotion. I've gained strength. I've gotten stronger, much stronger than humanely possible; at least for me. I was pretty lazy, but to be able to do everything that I've done since coming here... It wasn't possible. I feel like my strength was raised just so I would survive in this world. But now, easy mode was off. I was surely now facing the real world. No more bandits. No more under-trained weaklings. Or weak Risen. From here on, I'm sure that I will have to go through many life-or-death situations, whether or not I join the Shepherds. I could settle down, and not travel. That would be the safest option. However, knowing what would happen in the future... I just can't take that option. I have to do something!
Plus, this is a fantasy world! There are many sights to see and many things to do! First, I have to get a good look at the girls, then I have to do something fantasy-like, like use Magic! Afterwards, I have to see the elements that only exist in anime, manga, light novels, or games! A harem! I have to see a harem! And by "see" I mean, I have to get myself a freakin' harem! I'm sure... it will not be an easy task. Especially in Fire Emblem where your favorite girl dies at the drop of a hat, and you have to reset. Seriously, that pissed me off so much. I blame the crits. Even when they didn't get a crit...
But, this is not a game. This is reality. Doesn't mean that it can't seem like a game. Though I might say that this is a game, but it's not! It's real life! Reality! I can die, they can die! So, maybe getting just one girl would be the best option? No, having multiple choices is also good...
Wait, why am I considering this? The first thing I have to do, is to gain strength and to survive! And to do this, I must seek out strong opponents in order to become stronger! And by strong opponents, I mean Lon'qu.
"Lon'qu. Please, I graciously and humbly ask this of you: Please train me in the art of the sword!"
"I refuse."
"Please hear me out!"
"No."
"Come on!"
"Never."
"Please?"
"Hmph."
"Please, Lon'qu! You're my only hope!"
"I'll pass."
This conversation lasted almost twenty minutes before he finally agreed. And even when he agreed, he did things at his own pace! Which, is good and all, but it hurt!
"Come on Lon'qu! Please!"
"Hmph. Fine. We start... now!" And like that, he suddenly rushed at me, swinging that iron katana of his, and nearly taking my head from my shoulders. It was a fight to the death, one where I would one-hundred percent of the time, die.
Our blades rang out against the other, and as they were pressed against each other, and sparks shot out from the force of iron rubbing against iron, Lon'qu spoke. "Your legs aren't properly spaced apart. Again!" Applying more strength that I thought he had, he forced me back. I stumbled backwards, but I caught myself before I could fall. I spaced apart my legs, but Lon'qu yelled out as he swung diagonally at me - "Now they're too spaced out!" I managed to block the slash he made against me, but because of it, I lost my balance and ended up hitting the sand beneath me.
First, my legs were too close together, which made it possible to knock me back. Then, my legs were too far away, thus making it possible to make me fall. I have to get a grasp of the right distance!
Standing back up, I spread my legs, and held up my sword, and exhaled and inhaled quickly. My lungs were starting to burn. The two of us continued to spar, and Lon'qu gave me advice. Whether it was about the spacing of my legs, or how I held my sword, and everything in between, I felt like it was the correct choice to make him my "master".
This spar, or rather, training from hell, continued without a break, until Olivia appeared and told us supper was ready, and then shrieking at the blood that I was drenched in. The blood was not Lon'qu's, if you were wondering. The blood came from the several hundred of times Lon'qu got through my defenses, and cut my body. Of course, I was provided several vulneraires just so I wouldn't bleed out, as they were used to stop the bleeding, but they didn't really fix the loss of blood problem.
With my outfit in tatters, and armor cracked, I was forced to change clothes, before heading out to eat. Luckily enough for me, I had packed one other outfit. Though I had no other armor to wear, I was okay with this. I also returned that cracked katana, and when I was led back to my room, I grabbed my own sword, and strapped it around my waist, on my belt, once I was finished changing my tattered clothes. A maid had collected my tattered clothes and armor afterwards. Lon'qu, like the good master swordsman who will nearly kill you in training, waited for me outside my room with Olivia, and when I exited the room, he led me to the dining room, where I would see Vedis once again. Unlike me, who was bruised and covered in cuts and bandages, she was neat, prim and proper. Sipping on a cup of tea, she sat there, not caring that I had nearly died hundreds of times. Then again, I don't think she knew about my latest exploits... The West Khan was also there, so I finally met him.
I learned from Basilio during the meal, that a warrior named Marth will be battling Lon'qu to become the new West Khan's champion in the tournament. The match was scheduled for tomorrow. He offered for me to watch it with him, but I already knew what the result would be, so before I agreed...
"Is it allowed to bet on who will win?" I asked him this fairly simple question. Of course, I received a favorable reply. It seems as if I will be coming into contact with lots of money sometime soon... How... deplorable of me to take advantage of something like this, you say? Well, screw morals! I want money!
After ranting about how money makes the world go round, of course only in my mind, I then started to become worried for Lon'qu. I mean, he's going to lose, right? If he loses... will I also lose a teacher? And if he finds out that I didn't bet on him to win... wouldn't he get a bit pissed? I mean, Lucina only wins against Lon'qu because he has gynophobia - fear of women - due to an event in his childhood... I don't remember the specifics. I'm pretty sure it was a girl he loved dying? Something along does lines.
"But, ah... that meal was delish." I patted my stomach as I walked through the long hallways known as corridors. The corridors, also hallways, looked the same, so it was easy to get lost if you don't know where you were. Turning at a corner, I spotted a head of short blue hair.
My eyes widened. Is that Lucina? No, no, she's wearing a mask, so it's "Marth" right now. Then again, when we met in that forest, we didn't exchange names, so it would be weird to know the fake name she's going as... Well, let's just make a small greeting first, right?
"Hey!" I cheerfully greeted, throwing up a hand in greeting. Lucina turned her head and stared at me, but there was no change in her expression. I don't even think she recognized me... Well, it wasn't like we had a nice chat, I mean, we met in a freakin' forest on fire for Naga's sake!
Shaking my head slightly, I approached the girl from the future.
"Greetings." Lucina replied, speaking in a kind of gruff male voice. "And may I ask who you are?" A follow-up question! And easily answerable as well.
"The name is Charles, my rather masked friend. And, masked friend, what is yours?" Of course, I knew her fake and real name. But I can't let her know that, right? So, playing it safe, I asked for her name. However, at the slight downward curl of her lips, I feel as if something was wrong.
"...You." I could hardly hear her whisper those words, and she didn't even try to disguise her voice.
"Excuse me?" I faked being unable to hear her. In anime, it would be a cliche to not hear what they said, so, using that to my advantage, I asked a question to advance the conversation. The conversation can take two paths from here: One, it will go back to before she said "you" and she'll tell me something along the lines of "never mind" and "my name is", but the second one, is that she'll continue on that train of thought with "you".
What? I'm pretty smart, ya know? I'm not one of those really dumb people. Still gotta work on my memory though...
"Nothing." Predictable. "My name is Marth... Charles." I blinked, and smiled.
"Then, Marth, it was nice to meet you."
"..."
"I-I'll just be on my way now." I turned around and walked away. I could feel Lucina's glare against my back, even as I turned the corner.
This conversation I just had... It told me a few things that were unexpected. One, Lucina somehow knew me, or heard of me. Which means, that the future she came from, is one in which I was there. Should be obvious, as I was brought into this game, or rather world, so the future would definitely change. So, adding me in, of course, there is the bad ending and the good ending. Lucina came from the bad ending. But, to hear a response such as the one I was given - it means that she didn't know me personally, and just heard of my name and some other kinds of information. By the tone of her voice, and the glaring, it meant that it was not good.
If I replaced Robin, which I doubt I did, it meant that I would be possessed by Grima or something... Possibly. Probably. Maybe.
Well, ignoring that, I apparently do something bad. So all I have to do, is to avoid doing anything stupid. Staying away from possibly cursed artifacts, especially masks, check. But what else is there? I'm not quite sure I know what else I have to look out for. I mean, it wasn't like whatever bad thing that is going to happen, is already happening.
Well, no use in thinking about it. I'll just have to take it at my own pace.
Once tomorrow starts, it will be six days to the tournament, and the day that Lon'qu fights Lucina and loses because he realizes that "Marth" is a girl. Or at least gets affected by his gynophobia because of the close contact. Either way, he will be losing, and I'll become rich beyond belief. Heheheh.
I was definitely not consumed by greed. I was not. I... just wanted the Shinies.
On another note, I also learned something amazing. Do you want to know what it is? Trust me when I say this, but it will definitely blow your mind. I have two things to say: One. I have not gone crazy. Two. I forgot where my room was.
So, if you can please excuse me, I am going to go and search for it. Hopefully I'll either find it, or someone else, before I go crazy being lost in this labyrinth of a castle. Sighing, I doubled my walking speed and continued walking. 'Eventually...' I thought to myself. 'I'll eventually make it to my room and remember where it is! I promise you voices within my head!' Making a promise with an entity within my head, which is not there, because I am not crazy, I walked on. Down this corridor, down that corridor. And eventually, four hours later, I arrived at my goal. Yes, this door... is my room! I grabbed the door knob, turned it, and pushed open the door!
What was in front of me, was not my room.
It was Lon'qu's room!
"What?" He turned and spoke to me. He was currently polishing his blade, a Killer Edge, if my eyes do not deceive me. "Did you want to get some last minute training in for today?" He stood up. Moving closer to me, my mind finally returned, and I tried to close the door. But, he caught it as it was closing.
"N-no, I was just looking for my own room." I spoke hurriedly.
"Then, I'll show you after a short spar."
Please, Naga, noooo!
After that, we sparred well into the night, and when I woke up the next morning, I was in my room, covered in new bandages, and new wounds. Lon'qu... I... really hate you right now!
And finally finished *phew*.
Well, there we have it! Charles has entered Arena Ferox, met Olivia, Lon'qu, and Basilio, and gained Lon'qu as a Master-sort-of-figure! He also came into contact with Lucina again. Please tell me if I messed up any of these characters, and I will quickly fix it!
Also, I hate editing my own work. If you would like to edit it for me, please let me know, so I can stop worrying about reading my own work! Hahaha! Trust me, you aren't going to like editing this!
Also, I have been thinking about writing my own novel or book... If you want to know about it, please send me $1000. In any case, next chapter... Charles gets rich! Whahaha! My ultimate dream is coming into fruition! Heheh.
Oh, uh...
Fire Emblem Heroes! I haven't gotten Loli Tiki yet, so let me ask you a question... WHY AREN'T YOU PRAYING FOR ME? I should've gotten her :( but I didn't. Why must I go through this torture? I also replaced Eliwood, cause he kinda sucks, with Clarine. She already has the same speed, almost same HP, Def, and Res, as him, so... In about, seven levels, she'll probably surpass him in everything but attack.
I have also gotten nothing but bad units in the lat couple of summoning tries. But now... I also want to get Eirika. I mean, have you seen her gorgeous armor!?
Okay, I'm done.
Thanks for reading.
Please favorite if you love this beyond belief.
Please follow if you want to stay up-to-date about whether I will be getting the next chapter up this month, or next year.
And please, leave a review if you wish to say something about this story. I will certainly read it. Probably.
Have a good day...