The crowd roared to life as Anje peered down the tunnel. She had tied extra metal to her torso, legs, and arms over her red leathers and had tied her hair back into a tight ponytail. Anje grinned as the metal gate lurched to life, retracting upward into the large slot in the ceiling. Clutching the spear tightly in both her hands, she marched forward, ducking underneath the still moving iron gate, and entered the dirt arena.

Robin's words echoed in her head as she ran her hand down the shaft of the spear. Not her traditional choice of weaponry, but it would suit her style fine enough. Lon'qu seemed to carry himself like a well-seasoned swordsman, so Anje aimed to be unorthodox. To be a spectacle in the light of the Longfort arena and feed off the raw energy and adrenaline from the crowd. These events served as a reminder of why she longed for these brief moments; small moments that distracted from the mundane.

Anje walked briskly down the tunnel. Not wanting to seem too eager despite how the hair on her arms raised as she entered the light of the arena. She could hear Basilio talking loudly, something about rules, but his voice felt like a raindrop amidst the storm of clamoring voices. What mattered was winning today. Nothing else.

"With that finished, let's have ourselves a great preliminary match!" Basilio shouted from his stand. The crowd grew more frenzied as the gate opposite Anje opened up, and Lon'qu stepped out with his sword already drawn. The man hadn't chosen to adorn himself with any extra armor nor look at the crowd.

Doesn't he at least enjoy the attention? Anje stepped to the center circle of the arena and held her spear out; elbows and knees bent. Lon'qu walked slowly out to the center ring, but avoided eye contact with Anje, seeming to focus on her weapon. She scoffed as she dug in her heels, readying to pounce.

"Alright, remember what I said. Until surrender or stoppage by the Khan's signal," Basilio said as the crowd hushed down. Anje twitched; Adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Begin!"

Grinning, Anje lunged at Lon'qu with her spear to which he batted away quickly with his longsword. Lon'qu back peddled, his eyes focused downward as he kept his blade held high and perpendicular to his body. Using her superior reach of the spear, Anje made two more quick pokes at Lon'qu's defenses. He batted both strikes away quickly, moving backward on each strike before resetting his footing.

He's got good reaction and timing, Anje mused as she continued to circle the warrior. Just need to prod his defenses a little more to figure out how dangerous he is.

Anje engaged once again; a dull thud resounding out as blade met the haft of the spear. The poke feint into a sweep did little to phase Lon'qu as he quickly disengaged the blade lock. Two quick slashes from his sword lashed out at Anje as she reeled away, releasing one hand from the spear to evade the precise strikes. Anje grunted as she resumed her stance. He almost clipped her left wrist.

His eyes are still heavily focused on the spear, and he's accurate. Anje spun the spear overhead, readjusting into another stance, this time with her spear held high and with a less guarded torse. C'mon, take the bait.

Lon'qu lowered his blade slightly, eyes darting between the spear and Anje's feet. She grinned as she threw herself at the swordsman, unleashing a flurry of quick stabs. The crowd roared to life again, excited that at least one of the fighters had grown board and sought blood. Anje reveled in the noise, dancing along to the staggered rhythm of craving and fury that boiled inside her. Lon'qu moved fluidly along with his faster opponent, seeming to predict the quick jabs with well-timed deflections and maneuvering to improve his positioning. He tracked her weapon with a keen eye and a tense look upon his face.

Anje's arms began to ache, but the excitement inside urged her to continue forth. Stopping wouldn't mean losing the fight, but also the feeling and lightness that came with being in the spotlight. She pressed on, craving more.

Another strong overhead from Lon'qu from above and Anje held out her spear to block the strike. Anje's eyes went wide as she heard Lon'qu grunt along with the sound of splintering wood. He had struck exactly the same spot as last time, throwing his weight into the strike. The spear snapped in half and Anje's eyes widened. She quickly rolled to the side to avoid being vivisected, grabbing the spear half that still had the spearhead.

Lon'qu pivoted quickly, wary of his adversary's nimbleness. Anje crouched low, coiled like a viper, and smirked. The crowd roiled with 'oohs' and 'awws'. His eyes are still on my weapon. Time to stick the landing.

Anje thrust the spearpoint up toward Lon'qu's face. The swordsman took an awkward backstep and raised his longsword to parry the strike, sending the broken spear sailing across the arena. Lon'qu's eyes bulged as he watched the weapon sail, expecting more resistance behind the thrust. The acrobat had dropped the weapon mid-attack and slid past his guard. The crowd fell silent as a sickening crunch emanated from the arena.

She had kicked out his knee while he was distracted. He should know better to take his eyes off an opponent, Anje thought as she heard a sharp hiss escape Lon'qu's lisps. She quickly somersaulted over to the other broken piece of the spear and then performed a back handspring to catapult herself to her feet. Her skin tingled and her mind buzzed as more indiscernible noise boomed from the stands.

Give them more. Give them the spectacle and a win without a shadow of a doubt.

Using the moment of her handspring, Anje spun around to the kneeling swordsman and delivered a brutal baseball-style swing to his head. He crumpled to the ground.

Anje's breath felt heavy in her chest. The sounds of the arena sounding more jumbled and disjointed.

More.

She gleefully plunged the broken spear haft into the back of Lon'qu's uninjured kneecap. He twitched violently, but only for a moment. Anje closed her eyes and let go of the broken haft, leaving it buried in her opponent as if to serve as a monument and a warning to other fighters. She looked upward and breathed in deeply, taking in the experience. She'd relish this moment of triumph and the sound of the crowds...cries? Screams? That can't be right.

Her eyes opened quickly and surveyed the stands. People were...booing her? That can't be right, Anje thought as her brow furrowed. DIdn't these people like bloodsport? He didn't even surrender!?

Feeling uneasy from the various jeers and shouts of the crowd, Anje noticed Basilio had dropped down from the stands and was marching toward her and the downed Lon'qu. He did not look thrilled. Anje put her hands on her hips, waiting for the Khan to approach.

"So, how did you-"

Anje didn't finish her question as Basilio's clenched fist made contact with her face. It felt like she had just kissed a freight train as the jeers and booes of the crowd rang in her ears and her vision blurred. The last thing she felt was her head hitting the soft dirt of the arena and the cheers of the crowd whip up once more.

Pain flooded Anje's face as she began to stir. Her limbs felt heavy and the hard floor underneath chilled her body. She let out a groan as she gingerly brought her hand up to her nose.

"Still attached…" Anje grimaced as she pulled her hand away from her throbbing face. Basilio hadn't completely shattered her face with that monstrous strike. A concussion though was much more likely.

"Ah, so you're finally awake." Robin's energetic voice beamed from somewhere nearby. Anje still didn't have the strength to open her eyes. "Quite the mighty blow you took, but I think I did an adequate job in resetting your nose considering it was almost sideways. Didn't know noses could do that, to be honest."

"Robin," Anje choked out, her throat feeling dryer than a desert. "What happened?"

Robin snapped his fingers. "Ah, that's right. You were still unconscious. The match turned out horribly."

Anje's eyes shot open. Her back screamed at her as she propped herself up on her elbows. "You lost?!"

Robin sat across from her on the floor, legs folded neatly into his lap. "Lost?" Robin mimicked, tilting his head. "No, we won by a landslide. The match was terribly predictable. They didn't even reach my fourth strategic contingency. Terribly boring, really."

Anje couldn't help but frown and let out a small huff. "So you're annoyed you won because it was too easy?"

"I think so? Maybe not the way you state it. Perhaps because it was boring?" Robin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, it was boring. It can be easy and entertaining. Like if the enemies approached naked with no weapons. That would at least be a bit less derived. But I digress. Your match was much more interesting." Robin paused, whispering quickly under his breath something unintelligible, and then stared off into space toward an empty weapon rack in the staging room. Anje grimaced slightly as the tactician's weird tics always made her feel nervous on top of him being able to throw lightning around casually.

"You were saying?" Anje asked in a pleading manner.

"Right! Your match!" Robin blurted out, returning his attention to Anje. "I think Sully summarized it best as a 'dick move'. Unless of course, it was your goal to enrage the entirety of Regna Ferox. Then congratulations are in order, I guess. Still not sure what the tactical advantage of that would be, but I'm sure there is something there. Maybe."

"They're angry with me?" Anje sheepishly said. She wanted to cement herself as an undisputed victor, yet those feelings of rage and fervor felt so far from her now.

"Oh, I think angry is a tad bit of an understatement," Robin chuckled. "Flavia had to come down before Basilio split you over his knee like a piece of kindling." Robin shrugged and let out a dramatic sigh. "Still, much more entertaining than my fight."

Doesn't feel like a good job, Anje thought as she tried to fully sit up. Robin helped pull her forward, and the two were now facing each other.

"What of the rest of the Shepherds? Why are you the only one down here?"

Robin chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think that'd be a good idea right now. Your actions did not go over well with them either. Chrom is rather broken up about the ordeal. He said he feels like a fool."

Anje cringed as a pang of guilt hit her chest. "And the others? What about Virion?"

"Off celebrating our victory of Basilio's champion," Robin cast a pitiful glance toward Anje, "And trying to forget about yours. At least that's what Vaike said."

"Do you think what I did was w-wrong?" Anje asked. Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. "Tell me what to do to fix this."

"I have no idea."

Anje blinked. "How? You're weird, but you are also the smartest person I know."

Robin nodded. "While true, I still stand behind my statement." He smiled a bit too wide. "Even I know asking me for moral advice is a poor venture."

The sound of stone grinding resounding through the staging room, drawing Robin and Anje's attention to the entry door. Flavia stepped through with a drained expression on her face. Anje and Flavia's eyes met, and Anje wilted under the glance that said 'You fucked up'.

Robin sprang to his feet and gave the Khan a sloppy salute. Flavia rolled her eyes. "You don't need to do that, tactician," Flavia said as she stopped in front of the two. "You already earned your keep today."

"Just practicing is all," Robin replied. He waved at Anje and exchanged a nod with the Khan. "I'll see you around, Anje. The Khan here told me she wanted to have some words with you. Stay interesting!"

Anje desperately wanted Robin to stay, but the words refused to come out. The odd tactician in his slightly oversized robes darted out of the dimly lit room, leaving Anje along with Flavia and the subtle sounds of the forge in the corner of the room.

Flavia stood above Anje with her arms crossed. Did she speak first or would it be the Khan? She felt so small when beside this woman's aura of command and sheer presence that seemed to extend beyond her size.

"Get up kid. I ain't' gonna talk to you on the floor. I need to see your eyes."

Anje instinctively obeyed and clambered to her feet. Her muscles ached and face still hurt, but the command was more important than her pain at the moment. Their eyes met; Flavia's steely brown eyes met Anje's own glassy blue ones. Anje broke eye contact first.

"That was perhaps one of the worst displays of sport I've ever witnessed in my life," Flavia said. Anje held her breath. "You're lucky Basilio didn't kill you for what you did to Lon'qu."

"Is he-"

"He'll be fine after some rehab. Chrom's kid sister managed to patch him up. You're lucky. Common punishment would be equivalent here for a stunt like that, foreigner or not," Flavia explained as she began to circle Anje. "I'm damn near not sure what to make of you."

"Do they hate me?" Anje whispered. She let out a ragged breathe and grit her teeth. Her vision felt fuzzy and her head buzzed; knowing full well a dam of emotions would burst forth if she didn't suppress it. "Do you hate me?"

"Kid," Flavia circled back around and put her hand on Anje's shoulder, eyes solemn. "Vengeance always makes a poor consolation prize."

"But what do I do with all of this." Anje tapped her chest. She couldn't bear to look Flavia in the eyes, for she feared the shame would be more than nauseating. "When I'm out there it's like the only time I'm actually alive. The thrill-"

Flavia's grip tightened. "There will be time for that, but you must be tempered. Your potential is great, but this anger must be harnessed. It rules you, Anje, and if you don't let anyone in then it will continue to dominate you." Flavia lifted Anje's chin, bringing them face to face. The tanned Feroxi smiled. "A strong Feroxi knows that the only way to conquer adversity and failure is to embrace it. Be angry for the right reasons, kid. Once you do that, then you'll hear nothing but cheers."

Anje felt a wetness roll down her cheek. "Okay. Then what should I do?"

Flavia grinned. "No arguments? Perfect. Follow me."

Anje forced her sore legs to follow as Flavia turned on her heel toward the exit. "Where are we going?"

"Toward the first step in reforging you in the way of the Feroxi." Flavia looked over her shoulder at Anje with a hard gaze, nearly causing the acrobat to flinch. "First lesson; Regna Ferox doesn't tolerate cowards. In any measure of the definition. Now let's get moving, I reckon they will begin soon."

"They?"

Flavia chuckled but offered no reply. Anje didn't wipe away the tear on her cheek. If Flavia didn't want cowardice then she wouldn't wipe away how she felt. This was a part of who she was; the shame of nearly losing Flavia's trust and the majority of Ferox already cut deeper than any blade.

The pyre roared in front of Anje as small flakes of ash brushed against her face. Flavia's guiding arm held her by the shoulder; a reminder to not turn away and face the mess in front of her. Her forearms burned slightly from the heat, but that was a minor dredge when compared to the glares from nearby guards and soldiers that stood all around the ramparts.

Anje inhaled another puff of smoke from the icy air. It made her lungs burn, yet it kept her from shivering. Two more guards moved toward the large pyre, carrying another blanketed lump. The last casualty from the battle with the Shepherds from when they entered Longfort just a couple of days ago.

It's felt like a lifetime since then, Anje thought as she kept her eyes focused on the burning bodies in front of her. It was a funeral for those that had perished in the defense under captain Raimi. People that these Feroxi cherished as brothers in arms. Not all, but most of the bodies on the pile had found the tip of Anje's knife. Flavia said this wasn't punishment, but what was right. Anje had no will to disagree.

"I'd like to say a word on behalf of the fallen," A gruff female voice rang out, cutting through the smog like a knife. Raimi in her large plated armor drew the attention of the two dozen or so attendees. "While it is a shame that they have passed on, we are grateful for their dedication to their duties. Through honor and valor, they proved to be Feroxi till the end."

"Aye," The crowd of soldiers echoed as Raimi stepped down. Raimi began to leave the courtyard toward one of the side doors.

Flavia tugged on Anje's shoulder. "Let's go. It's mostly over and the troops are looking at you like fresh meat. We need to go talk to Raimi."

Anje quirked an eyebrow but followed Flavia's guiding tug. "What are you having me do now?"

Flavia chuckled, and Anje earned no other response as they trekked through the frosted courtyard. Must she keep everything a surprise? Anje grumbled. She could hardly feel her toes at the moment. Still, she dared not argue against the Khan. Her firm grip was a keen reminder of why she followed so diligently.

The nearly iced over courtyard door into the bowels of Longfort swung open, revealing a simple office where Raimi looked just about ready to sit down. The pale woman's eyes flickered upward and her body shot up straight as a flagpole and she delivered a salute to her superior.

"Khan Flavia!" Raimi gasped. "What brings you here? I thought you'd be handling more talks with the Ylissean royalty?"

"Basilio can handle that," Flavia smirked and laughed. "As the acting Khan of all of Regna Ferox, he's doing me a little leg work by working out the details with Prince Chrom. Nice ceremony by the way. I've always appreciated how you never minced words."

"You honor me, Khan." Raimi's eyes drifted toward Anje. She grits her teeth and forced herself not to shy behind Flavia. "What is your business here, if I may ask?"

"Just introducing you to your newest recruit," Flavia shoved Anje forward, nearly knocking over the lithe woman. "You've lost wall guards, so I'm helping you immediately fill one of those spots."

Anje's eyes widened. Oh, fuck me. She could feel the latent tension in the room rise as Flavia grinned and Raimi's posture became even stiffer.

Raimi glanced at Anje before looking back to Flavia. "Are you certain, my Khan? I won't want to be held for an accident."

"I'm going to try and do something like before," Anje mumbled.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Raimi replied, frowning. "Flavia, you know that this is risky."

"Sure I do, but if we make this little broken sword into something fine it'll speak wonders of Ferox. Not to mention I can rub it in Basilio's face." Flavia sighed. "Raimi, you're down on people to patrol the wall. Take her. And if she causes any issues," Flavia flashed a predatory grin toward Anje, "Then we let her go. Up North."

Raimi's stony expression softened a bit, and Anje shivered at the thought.

"My soldiers won't like this," Raimi protested.

"I doubt they will, but they will honor my command," Flavia said, crossing her arms. "Run her through the basics, and let her drill. Make a Feroxi out of her."

Raimi eyed Anje once again with a skeptical gaze and then sighed. "Fine. It shall be done, but-"

"Thank you, Raimi." Flavia smiled as she watched her captain shift awkwardly in her suit. Anje knew the woman had more to say but was biting her tongue. "Besides, I'm going to give her a buddy to keep tabs on her."

"A buddy?" Anje asked.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll like them. I'm not dumb enough to let you roam around alone," Flavia said. "Besides," Flavia lowered her voice, "Hopefully some of that confidence may bleed into them."

"Excellent. Shall I take her now?" Raimi asked, seemingly more anxious. "I can have her meet up with Olivia. She should be near Basilio's barrack."

"That'd be for the best."

Anje felt like a child in a room full of adults. She fought the urge to raise her hand to ask her questions. "Will I get to say goodbye to anyone?"

Flavia offered her a solemn look and patted her on the back. "It'd be best I do that on your behalf. Keep things civil."

Oh.

Raimi and Flavia exchanged a salute and Flavia left back out the courtyard door, with a brief gust of cold wind flooding into the room. The chill remained as Raimi stared at Anje, who tried her best not to fidget under the imposing warrior's presence. It was one thing to fight her as an enemy a few days ago, but now that Raimi was her superior the dread now seemed gargantuan in comparison to the skirmish.

Raimi sighed and sat down at her desk. "You are going to be a royal pain in my ass, I can already tell. Honorless little whelp."

Anje flinched. "I'm...just trying to-" What was she trying to do? Get people to like her again? Make amends? She shook her head. "I'm...just trying to fit in."

"You have a suicidal way of going about it," Raimi remarked as she began to fill out paperwork, dipping a quill into a nearby inkwell. "I don't like you, but the Khan thinks you deserve a chance. But only a chance."

Anje narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?"

"It means you should enjoy a warm bed and somewhat edible food while you can, kid. You'll break eventually since I'm giving you the worst job on the fort," Raimi put down the quill and blew lightly on the ink laden paper. "I don't give you a week."

"I'm quite determined when I want to be," Anje protested. A dull craving and anger stirred in her stomach. "I can handle it."

Raimi harrumphed. "Sure, kid. Anyways, you're on latrine duty. We dump our waste over the East side of the wall. It's your job to wheelbarrow it out to the ravine. Rain or shine, it needs to happen."

"That's it?" Anje asked.

"The ravine is about an hour hike from the wall when trying to go through the snow," Raimi added. A slight smile crept across her face. "Usually we just let the snow bury all that junk and then burn it away with magic, but I figured it would be nice for someone to take all the shit away from the fort."

"Then why are you having me do this?" Anje asked. It didn't make sense for her to do a job that already seemed to be covered and solved.

"Because I just created your new position," Raimi said confidently. "And don't think about complaining to the Khan. She left me in charge of you, and this is your job. It'd be a waste of your breath, but you're more than welcome to try."

She wants me to give up. She's trying to rattle me with a terrible job. Anje clenched her fists. It wasn't the first time she'd been hazed; no stranger to that kind of behavior from her time in the circus. Do they want to test me? I'll run circles around them shoveling their shit. I refuse to break. I'll show them.

Anje stood up from the table and took a deep breath. She felt calm and in control as she didn't waver under Raimi's intense glare. "Fine. When do I start?"

Anje thought the new world she found herself in after her supposed death would be hell. She was almost right. She had thrown away any chance of smooth transition and now found her own special hell, and it was called Longfort. She ventured into the cold evening within the hour of her new assignment with a shovel and wheelbarrow in front of her.

A/N: Not the longest chapter, but I hope the impact was good here for Anje starting to enter the transformative phase. There will still be bumps, but she's nothing if not stubborn and wants people to admire her.

Review Response:

Cavik: Not really, but she's tough as nails because of it.

CottonElybit: Thanks! Anje's still got lots of work to do! :D

TheBobcat18: I'm glad you like the characterization! It's been a fun arc, but it ain't over yet!

Cyan-Sung Sun: Thank you!

InterestedUser: Oh yeah. How could I resist the Morrowind entrance? Haha.

That's it for this chapter, and I'm working on the next. Looking to continue the train of getting Anje to realize she is capable of being a better person that's less selfish. For the next chapter, we've got Olivia on the docket. Fun stuff awaits.

If you want to find more fics or talk and chill, come visit the Fanfiction Treehouse on discord . gg / 9XG3U7a . It's a great place for other writers to collaborate, readers, to find other awesome fics.

Thanks for reading and see ya next time.