(hey yall, sorry for forgetting about the story, been a bit busy with classes and also existing. im sure all 5 of you reading are excited that theres a new chapter. idk how often i'll be updating but i def will keep updating. slowly. enjoy!)

Time marched on at its normal speed once again.

"Edelgard!" Dimitri yelled as he ran over to her.

I exhaled, not realizing that I had been inadvertently holding my breath. I stood where I was for a moment in an attempt to finally observe my surroundings outside the din of battle.

'So that blue haired woman has to be the hero right? She controls the flow of time to some capacity. I wonder how much control she has over it.'

"So. You must have an interesting story to tell dont you?", said the booming voice from earlier.

I nearly jumped.

"Oh me? Well I wish I had an interesting story. I honestly don't know where I am or how I got here. I can at the very least offer my name. Link. And you are?"

"Link? Interesting name, well my name is Jeralt. Come, we're gonna all find out what happened here. There's more than one question I have about this whole situation."

I nodded in agreement and followed Jeralt next to his horse until we made it to the teenagers who were crowded around the blue haired swordswoman. As we approached I could overhear each of the students making a sort of recruiting pitch to her.

"Byleth, good job on defending Edelgard there. However you," Jeralt pointed to Edelgard, "young lady, you should try to avoid running head first into danger like that again. I doubt that we are going to be with you in the future unless you pay for our services."

Edelgard pouted slightly at the light admonishment but quickly recovered.

"Well I am unsure if my single allowance would be sufficient in covering your fee but rest assured I would be able to procure said funds from my father if you would be interested in joining me alongside the Adrestian Empire."

"Hey, weren't you the one yelling at me during my recruitment speech? Seems a little unfair to poach them away from me and the Leicester Alliance. Byleth, we make a great team, I'm sure you can see how effective we were during the battle we just fought in."

"I would be remiss if I did not ask for your services as well Byleth, you and your father are incredible warriors and the Holy Kingdom of Fargeus would be more than elated to accept your price."

I couldn't help but smirk at this scene.

'Poor Byleth, despite their clear combative expertise they are clearly put off by this unofficial auction between these kids for her skills and time.'

She seemed ready to speak but before Byleth could say anything a loud voice came from the treeline west of us.

"STUDENTS! Thank the Goddess you're all unharmed!"

A man in silver colored armor with a white cape exited the treeline and started heading over to us.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Captain! Captain Jeralt it's your former right hand man! Alois!"

I heard Jeralt sigh and mumble something about a loud donkey before he headed towards the man named Alois. The students joined him leaving Byleth and I standing alone.

"So, I'm Link, nice to meet you Byleth."

Byleth appeared to ignore my greeting and stared at me as if she was seeing through to my very soul. It took everything within me to not shiver from her piercing eyes.

"Are you a threat?"

"What?"

"I asked, are you a threat? Because you may have assisted us unprompted but that doesn't mean you necessarily did that out of the goodness of your heart."

'Alright. She's a bit intense, I can respect that.', I thought.

"I can imagine you're a bit hesitant to believe that a stranger would fall out of the sky and help you in battle. I'm kinda lost and all I ask is if I can join you guys for the time being until I can make my way back home."

"And where would that be?"

"It's far, a land called-"

"Byleth! Link! Come on over here, we need to discuss a few things with the knights!"Jeralt called over to us.

Byleth glared at me and headed towards the rest of the group.

'Alright, she's very cautious. Maybe I should try to avoid talking about being from a different world.'

"That would probably be your best bet." said a disembodied voice.

I turned and looked around.

"Who said that?"

"I did! In your head duh. Don't make it so obvious that you're talking to voices in your head, that doesn't end well for the most part these days."

'Oh right, Sothis.

I snapped back forward and thought my response back to her.

'So, that's Byleth. She's a bit intense.'

"Oh that's just her being careful. People don't just fall out of the sky all the time. I'm sure she's just on edge from the fight and using that divine pulse that I gave to her."

'Divine pulse?'

"An ability that can turn back the hands of time by a few seconds up to a few minutes. A powerful ability that takes a lot out of me so I only allow her to use it a few times."

'So that's what that was! I figured it was an ability Byleth had.'

"Wait, you detected that? I should have figured there was something special about you. Only me and Byleth are supposed to feel the effects of a divine pulse. I'm curious, what did it feel like to you?"

I threw around the moment in my head.

'How do I describe it? It's like running through molasses while a million different scenarios happen all at the same time around you. Its overwhelming almost.'

"Interesting. It's very different on my end. I'll have to ask Byleth for their view on it."

"Link! Come on over here!"

I snapped out of it and jogged over to the group.

"Oh and don't forget, don't tell anyone that you can hear me or they will throw you in the loony bin. That or they will start treating you like a prophet, and the world sure doesn't need another one of those right now."

I nodded as I reached the group, both as an answer to Sothis' request and a recognition that I was with the group now. After I arrived, Jeralt started his little speech.

"Alright, at the request of the Knights of Serios we are going to be assisting in the escort of these students. Byleth, gather the men and get them ready double time. Link, I want you to join us on this escort job. I assume you don't have any other responsibilities considering you fell from the sky earlier?"

That made the man named Alois snicker a little.

"I'd love to join you, Jeralt. I don't have a horse, money, or any kind of supplies so I feel that it'd be best if I joined."

"That settles it then. Within the hour we make our way to Garreg Mach Monastery!"