The sun began to rise over the desert, its rays shining down on its golden sands. Creatures that slept under rocks began to stir and the ones sleeping in the tent slowly opened their eyes. Their throat felt dry and hoarse as they struggled to sit up. The young woman coughed a few times and groaned as she placed her hand on her forehead. Her head hurt...as well as her ribs. Her body was sore but once her vision adjusted, she blinked a few times. She looked around, puzzled, and then looked where she was laying at. An orange carpet with different patterns.
"Where...am I?" The young woman muttered and hissed as a ray of sunlight hit her eyes, instinctively putting her hand up to protect herself.
She carefully pushed herself up despite her body was sore, and moved the cloth that blocked her way. The sun blinded her for a moment and it took a while for her to adjust but once she did, her jaw dropped as a bead of sweat rolled down her cheek.
"Sweet tea and honeysuckle..." the woman gasped as she processed what she was seeing.
A beautiful clear blue pound with palm trees and shrubs as well as some orange trees she spotted. Bushes with berries and love birds and a macaw or two sitting in the tree branches. For animals, she spotted some cats and flamingos in the water. And a mule or two with three camels munching away at the bushes with berries. But the clear blue sky made her jaw drop.
"Where am I?" She muttered and looked around, the oasis surrounded by sands as far as the eye could see.
She didn't know what to say or do, stunned but she fell to her knees, clutching her head tightly.
"T-This isn't Florida...Where...where?!" She looked up to the sky, "WHERE AM I?!" The woman screamed out, "Breath...Breath..." she took deep breaths, "You can do this Nanami...Remember Miguel's and Perla's survival lessons." Nanami said to herself as she stood up.
The last memory she had was that the break on Miguel's truck broke and then it swerved off the bridge and into the lake. Nanami could still remember the terror she felt as she and her two siblings desperately tried to open the doors of the truck and kick the windows open. She subconsciously placed her hands over her heart, remembering the pain of the water entering her lungs. But most of all, her siblings grabbed her hands as they fell into darkness.
Nanami looked around and then went back to the tent. She wondered how she got there but most of all, her things were in the tent. She sighed and dragged her suitcase out onto the wooden deck. The damn thing had the zipper broken so that meant that when she fell in the water, there was a good chance her things did not survive. She popped it open and sure enough, all her things were wet.
"Oh, come on!" Nanami groaned and knelt, taking out her things one by one.
Her clothing, underwear, bras...all wet. Her laptop and 3ds? Gone. The water ruined them. They would not turn on at all. Her Nintendo switch and cell phone met the same fate, she wanted to burst into tears because that was where all her work was. But the strangest of things were her DS, 3DS, and switch games.
"What on earth?" Nanami muttered as she looked inside her game case, "All the labels...they're blank." She said as she looked at the cartridge that should have been the game for Fire Emblem Three Houses, the label was blank.
"Shadow Dragon...Engage...Fates...Echoes...Awakening...they are all blank!" She screeched and scrambled to her CD case.
She opened it, her music CD were all there, but the Wii CD for Path of Radiance was blank.
"What the hell?" The woman muttered, "Well," she took out more of her clothing till she held up a paintball gun, "I still have this." She looked back into her bag, "Sorry brother..had to sneak this into the case. I have a couple of bags left of paintballs." She said.
She then moved on to her purse, dumbing everything out. Her Ipad…dead. Her work phone somehow was still alive but there was no signal at all. Her wallet with her cards and ID was still there. But she was surprised to see her great-grandfather's journal was unscathed. It was completely dry. Lastly, she let out a sigh of relief to find her great-grandmother's necklace. Nanami then touched her ears and frowned feeling that the earring on her left ear was missing. They were a gift from her parents.
Nanami was at least grateful that she had someplace with shelter, wherever the hell she is. She saw some wooden poles set with string, most likely to hang the clothing to dry, which she did. Once all that was set to dry, she decided to scout the area. A normal person would have a mental breakdown, honestly, she wanted to, but she needed to locate her siblings. She loaded up the paint gun, swung it over her shoulder, along with her purse, and started scouting the place. She ended up in some sort of desert oasis, and she knew such a thing does not exist in Florida. Next up, there were camels, tropic birds, and others, so the thought that was going through her mind was that she was recused but human trafficked. The animals were docile, none attacked her.
If anything, the cats were walking beside her and purring a lot. Nanami smiled a bit as she continued to walk around the area. She hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary but nothing but sand! Dunes of sand as well as lizards that would crawl.
"How the fuck did I end up in a desert?" Nanami sighed, frustrated as she munched on an orange she snagged from the trees.
It would be suicide if she tried to leave the place, but at the same time, she needed to find civilizations. Nanami started to weigh the pros and cons of the choice. The pro: she would find civilization and the possibility of even finding a way home and locating her siblings. Gods, she may have a calm composure right now but she was just threading away from breaking down. She needed to find her siblings. The cons: she could get assaulted, lost, or die of starvation. Nanami let out a heavy sigh as she stomped back to the tent and then paused. She felt a strange weight on her right hand and raised it, only to see a strange-looking ring on her middle finger.
"Where did you come from?" Nanami muttered, "Sigh, I can sell it for money if the worst happens." She said and went back to the tent.
Because of the heat, her clothing and belongings all dried easily. The sad thing was she wouldn't be able to use any of her electronics. After putting everything back in her suite case as well as filling it with oranges and apples she picked from the trees, and a few water bottles she pulled her suitcase.
"Alright...I can do this." Nanami spoke to herself, "Remember everything Miguel and Perla taught you."
And out she went.
The spirit in the ring, watched silently as the girl left the oasis.
[—]
Miguel had been trying to process everything that had happened within the 24 hours he had woken up. He didn't know what to say or do, let alone, where to go. What happened to siblings? Where were they? Were they even in...this new...world? He was in. Veyle had been kind and patient in answering his questions. He would ask about the history of the land as well as if she had ever heard of The United States of America or anything like that. All his questions bore no fruit. Miguel let out a heavy sigh as opened his backpack, by some miracle it survived.
"Oh Um..." Veyle suddenly spoke up, "I...know this is sudden but, is that an Emblem?" She said and pointed to the ring on his left hand.
"Emblem?" Miguel looked at Veyle confused, "I've never heard of such a thing. Did you mean my graduation ring?" He said as the young woman blinked as he brought up his hand.
The ring had craved letters she had never seen before and a big emerald with the number, 2016 on it.
"Graduation ring?" Veyle said and Miguel began to explain.
"It's a ring that scholars are gifted when they graduate from their academics." He explained, "I received this ring as a gift from my sisters." He said and smiled sadly, "I wonder how they are..."
Veyle remained silent as she studied the young man. He was...handsome she admitted. The injuries he had she treated thankfully were not severe. He had a well-built body, with some scars on his back and chest. Chestnut-colored hair that was a bit spiky and amber eyes. As well as a linear scar over the right side of his lips.
While he slept, she was curious about who he was. She knew it was rude to go through a person's belongings but curiosity got the better of her. She looked into his bag and in it was a wallet made of leather. The contents in it were some sort of card made of strange material. It had a picture of him, unfortunately, the lettering on it she could not read. But the numbers...she could only guess they were his age and birthday.
Next, were...multiple knives? Should she call them knives? With a push of a button, it switched open and the girl had never been so fascinated with the small knife that could fit into her pockets. Next in the bag was a matchbox, a strange small container with a liquid that smelled like chemicals. She quickly closed it. The stench was wretched. As well as a strange wallet-size device made of glass and other strange materials.
Next was a bag of dried meat, pencils, pens, and a small wooden flute. A...strange case that was locked tightly with three locks and some sort of code. Lastly, clothing, a small pot, and dried vegetables, along with a pocket watch that had a strange star symbol. Along with a lamp and a weird black tube thing that blinded her when she touched the button on it. Thankfully she figured out quickly to turn it off.
"Now where is my flashlight?" Miguel muttered as he looked through his bag and pulled out the weird black tube thing and clicked the button, "Gha!" and he quickly shut it off after accidentally blinding himself, "Son of bitch..."
"Pfft!" Veyle laughed, "I see you have also become victim to that...what did you call it?" She said.
"A flashlight. It's a device used to light up an area or path in the dark." Miguel said and kept digging through his bag till he found what he was looking for, "Here it is."
He took it out and turned towards Veyle, and held out some sort of flat candy bar to her.
"It's not much but this is all I have." Miguel said as Veyle looked at the sliver thing, "What is it?" She asked.
"This is called a pulparindo. A spicy sweet candy." He said and Veyle was still confused so he opened it, "Try it."
Veyle was conflicted but took the sweet. She stared at it. It had a dark color and was coated in sugar. She can faintly smell spicy. She gulped then took a bite. Slowly she chewed till she started trembling.
"Are you alright?" He said and the woman turned to him, her eyes sparkling, and cheeks puffing up as she continued to chew the sweet.
"It's so good!" Veyle squealed, "I have never tried anything like this before!" She said, "As a thank you, I'll accompany you to the nearby town! You said you're looking for your siblings, correct?" Miguel nodded.
"Then, I'll introduce myself again." Veyle smiled, "I'm Veyle, I'm a wanderer and like you, I too am looking for my siblings. It's nice to meet you, Miguel!" She grinned.
"It's nice to meet you Veyle. And thank you for saving me." Miguel said, "I apologize if I scared you earlier. It's just..." he didn't know how to explain it.
He became silent...trying to figure out what to say when a certain memory popped up in his mind.
"Hey, Miguel!" Nanami, age 10, ran up to him with a manga, "Look! Look!" She said and he raised an eyebrow, "What do you think about stories of people traveling to other worlds?"
"Kid, traveling to another world...it is cool. But I'm fine where I am." He said and Nanami pouted.
"It's called-"
"Inter-dimensional travel." Miguel suddenly said and Veyle looked at him confused, "I can't believe I'm about to say this..." He wanted to dig a hole and die, "is it possible for people from other worlds to come to this one?" He said and Veyle's eyes went wide.
Veyle opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of the water before she suddenly came close, a bit too close to his face, and sniffed him. This caused the man to reel back.
"What the?!" Miguel took a step back and was suddenly backed against the wall as Veyle got closer.
"Sniff! Sniff!" Veyle sniffed and her eyes snapped open, she grinned, and suddenly Miguel noticed she how sharp her canine teeth were, "I thought your scent smelled familiar! The ancient scent of stars and the primordial sea! And your scent of lavender! You're an Outworlder!" She said, "But," she leaned away, "that...should be impossible."
"Um...please don't do that ever again..." Miguel said and Veyle chuckled nervously.
"Sorry. It's just...you have the scent of someone that used to take care of me. She was my mother's friend." Veyle said sadly, "But back to the subject, it should be impossible for someone from another realm to come to Elyos."
"Why is that?" Miguel asked and Veyle pursed her lips, trying to remember.
"I do not remember much but I was told it was because the gates that led to other worlds were destroyed to prevent...evil from going to those other worlds." Veyle said and Miguel looked like he was losing hope, "B-But!" She shook her hands frantically, "If you did come from another world, then that means that there is a chance there is an Outrealm Gate out there!"
"Outrealm...Gate?" Miguel said and thought for a moment, "Where have I heard of these words before?" He thought and thought for a while till... it clicked.
"Hey, do you mind explaining this?" Miguel said as Perla peaked her head from the kitchen and Nanami looked up from her phone, "What's on Outrealm gate?"
"What the hell are you doing reading my mangas?" Nanami said as she looked at her brother as if he was crazy.
"I'm trying to improve my Japanese because I'm going to be stationed in Japan soon." Perla now fully looked interested in the subject, "I managed to read, Outrealm gate in this book."
"Fine." Nanami rolled her eyes.
"It's a portal that allows people to travel to different worlds. Think..." Nanami was struggling but then blinked, "Ah! Think Star Trek!"
Her two older siblings stared at her before Perla broke into a howling laughter and went back to the kitchen to cook. Miguel shrugged and patted Nanami's head.
"Thanks."
"Can I hit Perla to shut her up?"
"No. But steal an orange for me."
"I understand now." Miguel sighed, "It's a portal that allows people to travel to different worlds." Veyle nodded, "Sigh, thank you Veyle. Hearing this means there is a chance I can return to my world. I have...no idea how I arrived here. But I have a feeling my sisters are in this world as well."
"I think I know a place that can help you." Veyle said, "If you head to Lythos, you may meet someone there. There is a ship heading there in three days, if we leave now to head to the town, you can make it on time." She said and Miguel nodded.
"I understand and thank you again," Miguel said as Veyle smiled softly.
"No trouble at all! Since you are new to this world, I'll go with you so you don't get lost. In the meantime...can you tell me about your world?" Veyle said and Miguel nodded.
"Sure. And..." he smiled, "Thank you again. I look forward to talking to you."
Veyle didn't know why but the smile the man had, felt warm.
— Near Brodia's borders -
It's been at least three days since everything went down. Perla had a mental breakdown. She had her full day of crying, mopping, and laying down, all while Sophia never interrupted her. All the spirit? did bring her food and would wait patiently. Now that three days had passed, Perla was now somewhat in a stable mind. She was currently looking through her medical bag to make sure everything was still there. Her surgical tool was, and she was glad. As well as her wallet, phone, and a few other things. Her anatomy book was there as well along with a book about medicinal herbs from different countries.
"Sophia, right?" Perla said and Sophia nodded, "Listen...thank you for...enduring me. I apologize for the trouble I caused you." She said and bowed to the woman.
"Raise your head." Sophia said, surpassing the woman, "What you experience is nothing to be ashamed of. You have every right to be terrified of suddenly being thrown into a new world. I understand completely what you went through." She said and Perla bit her lip.
"Is...there any civilization nearby?" Perla asked and Sophia nodded, "How long will it take to reach there?"
"Well, if we walk, it will take a week to reach the nearest village. But we're going to have to be careful. Right now, there is a conflict between this nation and its neighbor, called Elusia." She said and Perla was shocked hearing this.
"Let me tell you exactly where you are."
So Sophia told her that she was in a world called Lythos. And the nation she currently was residing in was one of four nations. The Kingdom of Might, Brodia she was in. It is northwest of Elyos. It is a rich and powerful militant country that is ruled by the ambitious King Morion, who values pride and strength. It has been at war several times with the neighboring Elusia, the ones who worship the Fell Dragon, to expand its territory. Perla wanted to comment that it was fucked out that a nation was trying to conquest others to expand its territory. Then, she heard the word Fell Dragon, and she asked if it was any chance of a different version of Loptous. Sophia did say they are similar, considering they are fallen gods who want the destruction of the world.
"Question, there isn't any...anti-people thing going on, is there? Considering the two nations are at war." Perla asked and Sophia went to the drawer she found the Brodia dress and made it float in front of the woman.
"Unfortunately the nurse clothing you are wearing under your coat is similar to that of an Elusian mage. Thankfully the Brodian dress left behind can help you. I used some of my magic to make it your size." Sophia said and Perla muttered a thank you.
The woman changed and looked at herself in the broken mirror that was in the room. Based on the fur collar and long burgundy dress with comfortable cloth and wool, Brodia must be a cold country. She despised the cold but considering her body was used to it because of the long night hours shifts, she'll live. She put on her Doctor's coat and looked at Sophia.
"Do I look good?" She asked and Sophia nodded, "I have to ask, are the medical herbs in this world the same as ours?"
"They are. However, if there are any plants you are unsure about, just ask me. I can identify them. I'm guessing you are well-versed in medicinal plants as well." Perla nodded.
"I am. I studied Chinese and other medical methods as well. My higher-ups, unfortunately, did not like it and I had just recently quit my job." Perla sighed and Sophia looked at her shocked.
"What has happened in our world?" Sophia said and Perla sighed as they left the old house and looked up to the sky.
Gray. Just gray clouds and the feeling of cold and wind and snowflakes falling. The woman sighed as she looked at Sophia with a tired expression.
"It's a long story. Since we're going to be together for a while, are you okay with hearing it?" Perla said and Sophia nodded.
"We have all the time in the world."
[—-]
In the end, Nanami chose to leave the oasis. She packed up as much fruit as she could, had her paint gun ready to defend herself, and was thankful she had the tactical hunting fixed blade her brother gifted her years ago. She only prayed she never had to use it to kill anyone considering she was in the world of Fire Emblem.
"Oh, Sothis, Naga, Lumera, whatever god that sent me to this place, please grant me a peaceful way to civilization!" Nanami said as she walked through the desert path.
It had been three days and by some miracle, she was still alive. Honestly, she was surprised she was still alive after walking for a while. But even more so, she was questioning why she wasn't feeling a heat stroke. Despite being born of Mexican and Spanish origin, born in the United States, and experienced all her life California's worst damn summer weather, she wasn't dying of heat. She would usually be chugging down a water bottle by now, but at the moment, it felt as if she was walking in a park.
"I don't feel thirsty either..." Nanami nodded as she munched on an orange.
It's been about three days since she left the oasis and nothing but dunes as far as the eyes could see. And the occasional lizard as well. She would be lucky to find a place to sleep but most of all, she had just been sleeping under some rocks she had found.
She kept walking and walking for what felt like hours till she spotted what looked like smoke far in the distance. She ran as fast as her feet could take her till she got closer and spotted people around a fire.
"Hhheeeeyyyy!" She called out and saw the people look up, confused till they looked in her direction, "Heeeeeyyyy!" She called out and finally got to their destination, panting and gasping for air.
"Gasp! Gasp! Finally! Huff! People!" She tried to catch her breath as she closed her eyes tightly, "S-Sorry about that! I-I'm just happy to see people!" She said and looked up but her eyes went wide.
"Where the hell did you come from kid?" One of the people, a gruff man dressed in thick pants and a loose rugged shirt, with an axe strapped onto their back, glared down at her.
"Apologies!" Nanami said, "I have been wandering the desert for a few days with no sign of civilization!" She said, "So, I was relieved to see people at a camp! I thought I was a goner!" She laughed nervously but dread was filling her body.
"A carriage filled with crates...stolen goods. A set of weapons...danger. Number... a group of ten. Four women and six men. Animals tied to carriage...horses." Nanami thought as she looked at the group.
"What's that you got there?" A woman pointed to her paint gun, "I've never seen anything like it."
Nanami was doing her best to keep a smile but she can already feel her nerves breaking. She was quick to see how the group shared looks and started to make a move from left to right. The weapons they had. Two of the women had books strapped onto their waists. One had daggers and another a sword. Three of the men had axes, two had some type of lance and the last one had gauntlets.
[—-]
The spirit in the ring narrowed her eyes as she watched the situation happening. At the moment, she couldn't do anything, and she hated that. But the sec—
"Blast." The spirit cursed as now the group lunged at the young woman, but what surprised her was how fast Nanami was quick on her feet.
The bandits were cursing that she was moving quickly and she watched her quickly take out her paint gun and start shooting at them. The bandits were cursing up a storm because of the pain they were getting hit by paintballs. But the minute one of the females raised her hand and conquered a flame, all the color drained from Nanami's face. The mage smirked and sent the fireball at her but Nanami quickly rolled to the left and started shooting. Another mage created a shield as the rest charged at her.
That was when the overwhelming feeling of survival poured into the ring and the spirit smiled as her body began to glow.
"Time for my debut."
[—-]
"I'm about to die...I'm about to die...I'm about to die..." kept repeating in Nanami's head as she kept shooting but the bandits smirked.
"So that thing shoots paintballs Huh?! You're going to regret not listening to us, kid! I wonder how much you sell for?" One ruffian said and Nanami gritted her teeth.
She was going to run about off— a shadow was suddenly above her, two with axes raised. Time felt like it showed down as the blades came closer and closer, and she screamed. But the scream triggered something no one would ever dream of. The ring on her right hand burst with light, sending the two bandits and the others flying off, screaming. Light began to swirl before them and began to form. The form of a woman raised her hands and sent the bandits flying away. She controlled the winds and raised them to the air and then slammed them on the ground. All Nanami could be watched as the bandits that had all attacked her, wither and twitch before they all become still.
The woman trembled as the dust settled and a woman who...looked familiar floated before her. Far too familiar but her clothing was different. Fear filled her body as the woman came closer, her body surrounded by some sort of blue aura, her power terrifying but her hands...and smile, gentle. Those eyes should have no emotion, that face, and the teal color of hair should have no shades of brown. But most of all, the glowing bone like a sword on her waist, Nanami recognized it all.
"Finally, I was able to come out. Don't worry. I didn't kill them. I knocked them all out." The woman said, no...no...
"B-Byleth?" Nanami croaked and the woman chuckled softly.
"Yes, and no. But any questions you have can wait for now." Byleth said as she turned to look back at the knocked-out bandits, "we have at least six hours till they all wake up. You need to start pickpocketing them. Take all their weapons, money, and anything of value. Hurry." She said as Nanami was stunned but...she needed to live.
The woman scrambled and did as she was told. She started to remove the potions, and books that she now knew were tomes, weapons, food, and even money. She ran to the carriage that she now realized was a wooden cart with two horses. She threw everything she collected into the cart along with her belongings then scrambled onto the seat of the couch man. Ah...she doesn't know how to command horses. Looks like Byleth read her mind.
"I'll take care of this." Byleth said as she floated to sit on the spot, and made the reins opens of the horses glow, "Get in the back! I'm going to go fast!" Nanami nodded frantically and jumped to the back, "HYA!" Byelth yelled and snapped the reins, the horses neighed loudly and rode
away.
Byleth made sure they got away. The cart and other things must be stolen goods, so with some luck, if there was a town nearby, she could tell the girl to lie that she is a mercenary so she could get paid. Still, once the horses were running, she glanced behind to see Nanami hugging her knees, shaken by the events that had transpired.
"I know how you feel..." Byleth whispered and snapped the reins once more.
[—-]
The morning had come like a blur. They were far, far, away from the bandits. The speed the horses ran would take at least three days for the bandits to catch up. Thankfully another oasis was nearby and had the cart go there for them to rest up and eat. With the horse's reins loose for them to drink at the springs, Byleth carefully went to the cart and looked in. Nanami was still hugging her knees, so she approached carefully.
"Hey." Byleth said and the woman flinched, snapped out of her trance, and looked at her scared, "It's alright. You're safe, I promise." She said.
Nanami gulped but nodded, carefully getting up and jumping out of the cart. Now that they were in the sun, Byleth could see her now. Nanami was a tan-skinned woman with black mid-waist curly hair that was tied in a ponytail. She wore a gray open sweater with a pink shirt and black jeans with some rips and sneakers. Lastly, in the cart was a suite case Byleth spotted and Nanami had yet to take off her purse.
No, she realized Nanami was holding it tightly as if it was her lifeline. Arisa waited for a moment but she didn't have to wait because Nanami turned to her with a frustrated yet terrified look and pointed at her.
"W-Who are you?! Y-You're not Byleth! A-And, which Emblem are you?!" Nanami yelled and Byleth looked at her with a half-lidded gaze.
"I am..."
[—-]
Nanami was in denial. The moment the light showed and before she stood a woman that looked like a female Byleth but floated and glowed blue, and the ring on her right hand (where the hell did it come from) glowed, she was quick to figure out where she was. Or more specifically, a complete nightmare, that she was in another world. The Byleth before her was a beauty, there was no doubt about that. But the Byleth she knew from the game was still a beautiful woman but had a blank, emotionless face till she starts to show her emotions as time passes. And wore dark clothing.
The Byleth before her was bubbling with emotions and looked like a warlock queen of a magic guild. Pulse the long hair that was light brown and faded to teal, this was a different Byleth altogether.
"My name is Arisa." Byleth, now known as Arisa said, "Emblem Arisa to be more precise. And I know you are an Outworlder, just like I am." She said and Nanami's fear suddenly melted away.
"Wait...Outworlder? You..." Nanami said, confusion written all over her face as Arisa sighed.
"I know that is a paint gun on your back." Arisa pointed, "Second, which part of the United States are you from? If not from there, which country? Lastly, yes, that on your right hand is my Emblem Ring." Arisa said as she crossed her arms.
Nanami was too stunned to speak as she processed everything that was just said and looked at her right hand. Arisa was right. There was a ring on her right hand, on her middle finger. But...how did she...Nanami suddenly had a flashback of when she was drowning and then there was some sort of light that blinded her. She saw something in front of her and snatched it before everything went black and had suddenly fallen into a pond.
"Emblem..." Nanami whispered, "Emblem...Engage...Fire...Fire Emblem Engage!" The woman suddenly yelled, startling Arisa.
"This is the world of Fire Emblem Engage," Nanami whispered and Arisa looked at her confused.
"I know this is a world in of the many worlds of Fire Emblem but I had no idea it was called Engage. I'm assuming a new Fire Emblem game came out after Three Houses?" Arisa asked and Nanami gulped but nodded.
"Two. Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes...and...Fire Emblem Engage. The warriors came out in 2022. Engage in 2023." Nanami said and Arisa looked at her surprised.
"It's been that long? It was 2019 when I died back on Earth."
"You...come from Earth? Don't you?" The young girl froze, terror and confusion forming on her face, "No need to be alarmed. My true self also came from Earth." She said as she placed her hands on her hips, "Deep breaths." She said.
The young woman nodded and did as she was told. Slowly she did it, taking deep breaths and slowly letting them out.
"Three, two, one. One, two, three." Arisa said, "A little better?"
"Yes..." Nanami said, "I-I am so sorry. This is...so much for me to take in." She looked down to the ground, ashamed of her behavior.
"Listen, no need to be embarrassed. I had the exact reaction when I first woke up in Fodlan as Byleth." Arisa said as Nanami still looked unsure.
"I...thought you looked familiar. You're female Byleth..."
"Yes and no."
"Huh?" Now the girl was really confused.
"I'll keep it simple." Arisa said he crossed her arms, "I died and Byleth found my soul. She had me take her place because she was killed. She gave me her body. Thus...I made a promise to her that I would protect her family. That's the basic." She said as the girl was processing what she just said, "I got isekai." Arisa looked at her with a deadpan expression.
"Oh.." Nanami said, "But...I don't understand. It should be impossible for anyone in our world to get transported to another. Magic doesn't exist in ours." She said and Arisa smiled sadly.
"I honestly thought the same but the world is full of surprises." Arisa said and looked over to the cart, "By the way, we should be about two days away from a city nearby. If my memory is correct, we should be heading toward Solm's capital, Lokum. It's also where Solm Castle is located." Arisa explained and looked at the woman.
"I know you have many questions and I will try to answer them as best as I can. The horses have taken a long break now so we should start leaving. The bandits, I did not kill them. I only knocked them out but knowing people like them, they are going to try to catch up." Arisa said and Nanami nodded.
Arisa went to get get the horses and put them back in the cart. A pity she can't hold things but thanks to her magic, she adapted to move things easily. She had Nanami sit next to her, and told her to watch her movements so she could do them too when they arrived in the city. Nanami asked why as the horses started to move and pull the cart and Arisa answered.
"All these things here are stolen goods. They will ask you questions when we get to the gates. You seem to know this world better than I do. My memories of the past are hazy but I remember this world is called Elyos and five nations. It used to be six." Arisa said and Nanami nodded.
"That's right..." Nanami said, "The nation we are currently in is called Solm, a Queendom. Despite it being free, the people here are cautious." She said as a bead of sweat ran down her face.
"Catch on quick." Arisa said, "Your only option right now is to pretend to be a mercenary and say you saw a commission to retrieve the stolen goods. The crates are filled with silks and fabrics. So, you'll be paid a good amount for retrieving them." She explained and Nanami nodded.
"So, I have some questions?" Nanami began, "Are you the real Arisa or not?"
"I'm not the real Arisa." Arisa said, "As I said before, I am Emblem Arisa. Assuming you played Awakening, think of me as an Einherjar. I have the same, voice, knowledge, and experience as the real Arisa but unlike the Einherjar, I know I am not the real one." She said, "I'm just a version of her that was created from different interpretations of the books the people here have written." She smiled.
"Okay...that...makes better sense." Nanami gulped, "Because Female Byleth does not dress like a cosplay queen. And she definitely does not have brown hair with teal ends." Arisa didn't know if she should be offended or praised.
"Well, with that out of the way, what will you do now?" Arisa said as she crossed her arms, "I believe you mentioned you wish to search for your siblings." Nanami raised an eyebrow, "I heard from the ring that you said you have siblings."
"But...what if they are not here?"
"I know they are here!" Nanami said, "Call it a gut feeling! Miguel and Perla are definitely here! I don't know where but I have to find them. And, I'll avoid Alear like the plague!" Arisa had to keep herself from saying, "You wish."
"I don't want to get caught up in war. I just want to find my siblings and go home. And if collect enough gold to pay Anna," Nanami put her hands on her hips and looked at Arisa seriously, "to get us out of here through the Outrealm Gates, I will!"
"Sigh. Returning to Earth will be very difficult. But, I do think it's possible." Arisa said, "Okay! Then that settles it! From now on, I am your teacher! I'll teach you magic and self-defense to protect yourself!" Nanami looked at her stunned
"I...Is it even possible for me to learn magic? Since, you know...I came from a world without magic." Nanami said and Arisa shrugged.
"You never know." Arisa said, "Now that I have a better look at you, you look similar to a friend of mine." A small smile graced her lips.
"Um...do you mind keeping watch? I want to get some sleep." Nanami said and Arisa nodded, "Thank you."
Nanami went to the back of the cart and closed the curtains. She found a lamp in one of the crates and used her lighter to turn it on. She also found a blanket and set it up so she could lie down. She did, and just laid there in silence but her lip began quivering as she pulled her knees closer to her chest. The first sob left her lips and she cried to herself. From outside, Arisa had a distant gaze as she heard the sobs of the woman. She understood very well what Nanami was going through. She understood the dread and fear that had fallen on her. She went through it too.
Arisa muttered a spell under their breath and had the girl go to sleep. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked up to the sky. Early morning it was but it felt so far away.
"No nightmares will plague your dreams tonight. So rest..."