Fire Emblem 1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first Fire Emblem fan fiction, but not my first fiction overall. After I surprisingly won a 3DS XL by winning the Pile Up arcade game, I immediately bought FE:A ASAP. Gods, I just love everything in this game (except when the enemies' 30% hit chance actually hits my characters (Freaking Orton on hard mode, killing My Unit with a 29% chance!1)). In the end, I found the RNG a necessary evil in the game.**

**So, this MU will not exactly be the same MU. His lineage is the same, but his origins are slightly different. His name will NOT be Robin, because Robin is the father. He's not Morgan either.**

**My Unit's View**

Darkness. I can only see darkness. Just pure black. Nothing. I can't move, I can't smell, I can't feel anything. I can only hear my own voice inside my head, but since I can't move, I can't speak. Why am I here? How did I get here? I-I don't even remember what am I, or where I came from.

**"You, Child!"**

A voice? I wanted answers from this mysterious voice. The voice was masculine and commanding. I have a feeling this entity is someone serious. I can't speak...

**"You too have the heart of He, He who ends all."**

What? Don't speak to me in riddles, voice!

**"Why do you, of all people, decide to come back? Answer me!"**

I can't speak. Why is he telling me to speak? I can't even see, move, or do anything.

**"Speak, you silent cretin!"**

"W-w-wha-"

**"How long did it take you to speak? Why did you not speak earlier?"**

"Dude, I couldn't even feel anything, let alone speak!"

**"Well then, open your eyes!"**

"H-how-"

**"Do as I say!"**

With strong effort, my eyes slowly opened, revealing a blinding light. I tried closing my eyes, but my left eye closed fully, and my right eye started to feel burning pain, as if a laser pointer was shot into my eye. I covered my right eye with my hand, returning my surrender to the abyssal black.

**"Wake up, now. Wake up from this foolish dream, Son of the Ender."**

What do you mean Ender? Am I some some sort of doomsday device or something? Before I even asked the voice's name, I felt my back gently hit what felt like the ground. Grass blades tickled my arms and legs as I lay down. From a vegetable, to a sleeping man. My limbs felt numb, but I was still glad I'm able to move again. Better than being in the empty darkness.

The feeling of emptiness was gone, now replaced with exhaustion. I may feel my limbs right now, but I don't feel like moving. I find comfort in this makeshift bed. As minutes passed, I felt my breathing steady. Sleep. It's so peaceful. I just want to sleep right now and wake up in my home. Wait, where is home? What is my home? I don't remember. A few hours past; only dreamless sleep. I felt snug lying on this bed of grass. I thought I was in some sort of purgatory or heaven, but I thought wrong.

"Chrom, we have to do something," a female voice said. The girl's voice is kinda cute, but it's probably coming from a mid-teens girl.

"What do you propose we do?" an older male voice spoke out. Is he the female voice's brother?

"I-I don't know,"

I opened my eyes and saw a girl wearing some sort of yellow Victorian-styled dress. Her hair is styled in two pigtails and her eyes are a faint green. The man standing to her right was a much taller man. This man has a weird fashion sense. He wears some sort of blue royal soldier coat, complete with two white belts forming an "X" wrapped around his right side. A white cape leaned on his left arm, covering his sleeved arm. His right arm is fully bare, with his shoulder revealing a peculiar tattoo. This man has a head of blue hair and his eye color seems to match the blonde girl's eyes, possibly being her older brother.

When they saw my open eyes, both were surprised at my awakening. The girl arced her back, leaning forward to see my face. The blue haired man leaned slightly closer to me to see my face.

"I see your awake now," he said.

I looked at the blonde girl. As noted by her body, she's quite young.

"Hey there,"

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know," he said, "Give me your hand."

He outstretched his bare arm to me. A small detached sleeve rested on his wrists, connected to a gray glove.

I reached my hand to his and shortly witnessed an eerie mark on my hand. When did I get this tattoo? Before I could ponder more into its origins, I was pulled back up on my feet.

**A/N:**

**This concludes the prologue. As I mentioned, the protagonist is the son of Robin (Original MU), but he virtually plays the same role as MU would in the main story. He's NOT Morgan. This MU's origins will be different, but he will look similar to Robin. Ships will appear later, because I want you, the reader, to be absorbed in the story. The ships might be expected, but I won't reveal it right now. I appreciate comments of any kind.**


	2. Appearance and Identity

**A/N: The Avatar's looks will have a different attire from the usual tactician, but his color scheme will be the same. His build is 01, but he's about 5'6" and his hair is 5, with the color being 09. His face is 04.**

**Also, I'm actually glad to have a good honest review. I swear, my Magi fic had too much compliments. I want to become a better writer, ya know.**

"Are you alright?" The blue haired man said.

"Thank you... Chrom," I replied. Why was this man familiar? I just met him.

A surprised yet skeptical look was on Chrom's face.

"Ah, then you know who I am?" Chrom said.

I scratched the back of my head nervously. I don't remember anything, but I still remember my own antics. Whenever I'm nervous, I scratch the back of my head.

"I... I don't know. Your name just came to me," I said nervously.

"Hmm, how curious..." the blue haired man said as he entered a contemplative stance, "What's your name? What brings you here?"

"My name..." What is my name? Do I even have one? "I don't know... my mind hurts so much."

This place, it felt familiar, but at the same time, completely alien.

"Where am I?" I questioned.

The girl reeled back a bit with surprise.

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" she called out.

A taller man cleared his throat. He's clad in heavy blue armor and has brown hair that is slightly unkempt. He's possibly Chrom's guardian.

"It's called a load of pegasus dung!" he rudely said, "We're to believe you know milord's name, but not your own?"

"Ugh, but it IS the truth!" my mind hurts from this awakening.

"What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave him alone and confused," Chrom defended, "What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

Shepherds. I'm aware of its definition, but why the name Shepherds? Are they herding sheep?

"Just the same, milord," Frederick replied calmly, "I must emphasize caution."

"Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." Frederick finished.

"Right then," Chrom replied, "We'll take him back to town and sort this out there."

I raised my brow and reeled back a bit from their conclusion.

"Hey! Hey! Why don't I get a say in this?" I replied, "You're deciding what you're doing to me."

Chrom put his hand on my left shoulder; his sleeveless arm's hand.

"Peace, friend" the blue haired man said calmly, "I promise we'll hear all that you have to say back in town."

He turned his back on me and walked down a path. The girl and Frederick followed after him. I've no choice but to follow them. If I don't remember anything at all, I may as well find the closest aid as possible. Chrom and his Shepherds are the closest aid I have.

While I was walking, I decided to examine myself. Their clothing seemed old fashioned, but I don't get why. I'm wearing what looks like a zipped coat or something. It's colored in some sort of royal purple. A straight line dyed in a deeper purple traced along my sleeves. I seem to be wearing a beige sleeveless undershirt underneath my coat. While Chrom and Frederick seemed to be wearing pants made of softer material, my white pants were made of something a bit harder. Chrom and the others seemed to wear boots, but I'm wearing some sort of small shoe, but compared to them, it seemed more alien and colored a much vivid red. The most alien article of clothing is this weird white horseshoe shaped accessory resting on my neck. Two cylinder-like objects with what looked like pillowed ends wrapped around some weird circular object hidden behind a net-like wall. The left cylinder has a cord that connects to what looks like my left pocket.

We kept walking for a few minutes until I halted my steps. The other three noticed it and turned to me.

"So, are you guys vigilants or something? Am I your prisoner?" I questioned with an assertive voice.

"Ha. You'll be free to go, once you're proven to be no enemy of Ylisse," Chrom said with a friendly smile.

Ylisse. That name sounds familiar, but at the same time, it isn't.

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?"

"You've never heard of the halidom?" Frederick questioned.

With a stern face, he clapped sarcastically.

"Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Will Frederick continue to bash on my skepticism?

"That furrowed brow is especially convincing..."

"Frederick, please," Chrom pleaded in a gentle yet serious voice.

The blue knight cleared his throat and went back to his usual posture: standing straight, with his arms on his back.

"This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is the exalt,"

Exalt... Is he linked to the Exalt? Being called milord means he might be related to Emmeryn. Maybe that tattoo marks exalts.

"I suppose proper introductions are in order," Chrom said.

He put his left hand on his right chest.

"I'm Chrom, but you already knew that," he said.

He looked to his right, looking to the younger blonde girl. She's a bit shorter than me, probably around an inch.

"The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

"I'm not delicate!" Lissa shouted as she raised her fists into the air as she hopped up and down in anger.

"Hmph!" she put up an angry frown with puffed cheeks. I found myself giggling to her cute little outburst.

She looked at me with a reassuring smile, waving both hands, telling me not to worry. By the time her head turned to me, I quickly ended my giggle.

"Ignore my brother. He can be a bit thick sometimes," she said.

She put her hands on her back, but used her hand to hold her other hand as she leaned toward me. She closed her eyes and smiled warmly.

"But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening."

"Shepherds?" I crossed my arms and my face expressed skepticism, "Do you guys tend sheep with swords?"

"Heh, it's a dangerous job," Chrom said with a friendly smile, "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

Wary or Weary? Due to his high skepticism and alertness, I'm guessing it's a fitting nickname for the blue knight.

"A title I shall wear with pride," Frederick did a formal yet curt bow.

"Gods forbid one of us to keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

I'm glad to hear Frederick being less bashy for once.

"I understand, Freddy, I would do no less myself," I replied.

Lissa giggled from my nickname of Frederick. Chrom too stifled a small laugh, but Frederick retained a neutral face. I wonder if he doesn't mind my new nickname? Suddenly, my eyes widened as if something lodged into my brain.

"I remember my name. It's Alec!" That's my name!

I scratched the side of my head.

"I just remembered that. I guess that's one mystery solved."

"Alec. It sounds somewhat foreign, but according to Jugdral history, a green knight who helped Sigurd has the same name as you."

"Interesting... I want-"

"Chrom! The Town!" Lissa shouted in fear.

We all looked to where she was pointing. A small town spewed out black smoke. I could hear some of the villagers screaming in fear.

"Damn it! The town is ablaze!" Chrom said angrily, "Those blasted brigands!"

He gripped his sword handle with vigor.

"Lissa, Frederick! Quickly!" He commanded.

"Milord, what about Alec?" Frederick said.

"Unless he's on fire, it can wait!" Chrom replied.

"Aptly put, milord," Frederick said, complying to the blue haired man.

"Let's go already!" Lissa said anxiously.

"Wait, what about-" They've already ran for the village.

They never told me to stay put. With no time or wish to lie around the grass, I decided to run alongside them. What am I thinking? How am I going to help them unarmed? I need a weapon.

By luck or possibly coincidence, my foot kicked something metallic. In the distance, a bronze sword was set a few meters away. I must've kicked that accidentally. I hurry to it and pick it up. Looking at this sword, I felt a sort of weird affinity with the sword; as if I knew how to wield it.

"Oy, what are you doin' here?" a thuggish voice called out.

I turned to where the voice came from. A man with a savage aesthetic was the voice. He wore some sort of fur shawl with a skull on his head. He wore only baggy pants with what looks like a mug on the left side of his waste. A menacing iron axe is gripped by his right hand.

"That's some interestin' wares you got there. Mind if I take it?" he pointed at what was wrapped around my neck. For some reason, I found great value in this weird item wrapped around my neck.

I looked around to see if there were any other bandits. If there were, I'd have to run away from them and reach Chrom and the others. But there were no other bandits around. I hope Chrom can wait.

I looked at the barbarian and scanned his stance. It seemed savage and mostly focusing on using the might of his axe. Even if I have no memory of fighting, I seem to have a gift of analysing my opponents. Strength is his forte, yet that focus on pure power sacrifices skill and defence. Swords are lightweight, swift, yet sacrifices power. Axes are focused on pure might and due to their weight, can leave them quite open. I don't even remember if I learned to wield a sword in the past, but for some reason, I felt more in tune with the sword.

"Graaah!" he charged toward me with his axe raised.

As he threw down his axe, I simply took a sidestep to his right, immediately dodging his attack. The axe dug into the ground, giving me time to punish him. I swung my sword at his arm, forcing him to let go of his axe. He covered the wound on his arm with his other hand, but he still got up. He continued the battle by using his left hand to fight. This man is truly a savage animal.

"It's already over," I simply said.

He was mostly right handed, so his left hand swing would be much more weaker. He tried to swing as hard as he could with his left hand, but he stumbled a bit as I just took a step to his right. I didn't even need to strain my muscles hard to dodge that strike. Not wanting him to die humiliated, I just kicked his back. He fell to the ground and could barely get up. Before he could grab his axe, I already grabbed it and whacked his head with the flat part of the axe, knocking him out. Without wasting time gawking at his knocked out body, I quickly ran to the village.

"Uraah!"

A blast of electricity hit me. Though it hurt, I still manage to get up fine. That was small damage. As soon as I got up, a youth in a long robe appeared before me, standing from a distance.

"You think you can hit me before I fry you?" the mage said cockily.

As usual ranged fighters go, they have low vitality, defences, and physical strength. He can't move as fast as me, so speed is a key element in this fight.

"Hiya!" he fired a ball of lightning that started out slow, but accelerated fast. It seems to go in a straight line and aimed toward my head. I quickly tumbled on the ground and quickly got up on my two feet. The sound of electricity exploding was heard behind me, and his time to recharge his spell will prove his defeat. He attempted to channel again, but it was already too late.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed.

I took a few quick steps forward and threw a curved swing with the butt of the sword. His tome was knocked away, leaving the mage defenceless. I performed a quick spin and cut at his shins, forcing him to drop to his knees. I thrust my knee into his face, knocking out the young mage. I looked at my bloodied sword and swung it outward, splattering the sanguine liquid out of my already rusty blade. The green grass of the fields were now painted by the blood that was stained on my blade. I look at the yellow tome and took a quick skim.

I remembered I usually don't read books, but for some reason, I can feel the magic power of this tome connect with my body from merely touching my hands. I don't remember if I have touched magic before or not, but I remember that I had an interest in magic, though I don't know why. I thrust my sword into the ground and held the tome with my left hand. I started to read the book and silently chant to myself. As soon as I felt a surge of power inside me, I quickly extended my right hand forward, launching a ball of electricity at a nearby tree. When it hit the tree, the ball detonated an explosion of electricity, immediately burning the tree. I was not only surprised by its destructive capability, but the fact I can use magic too.

"It seems I also have an affinity with magic," I comment to myself.

The feeling of magic just feels absolutely new to me. Even when I instantly learned how to use a tome, it still feels new regardless.

I didn't want any time to waste. I grabbed both tome and sword and quickly headed toward the village. It's time I put this mysterious gift to greater use.

**A/N**

**So, considering what happened in the beginning, I decided to go a bit deeper on the origin of how the Avatar got his two weapons. This idea also lead me to write more on Alec's fighting ability.**

**The tactician comes from a different world, so the interactions with the other characters will be different.**

**Also, Alec is an actual character in the FE series, but he's the Stahl of his game. He has a green color scheme, has the same growths, and uses swords like him, though personality-wise, he's basically Inigo. But this Alec isn't the cavalier Alec. I'll try hard not to rephrase most of the story's dialogue and take my first review into serious consideration.**

**In all honesty, I never played Genealogy of the Holy War, but I was definitely surprised to find out that they had a unit with my name there (Alec).**

**I finished the game twice already in Normal difficulty/Classic mode, but I'm still progressing through the first chapters of Hard/Classic(I really want my Donny to be trained more easily T_T). The RNGs of Hard Mode are just as frustrating as dying during my first Souls game experience (compared to the Souls games, FE is more reliant on RNGs than the latter)**

**I might update fast due to my typing blood being reinvigorated, so you might expect a new chapter in the next 2-3 days.**

**Any comments are accepted (minus spam of course), and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.**


	3. Bandits and Bad Wits

"Chrom!" I shouted, as I managed to make it to the village.

I stood in front of him and brandished my sword.

"What are you doing, Alec? Do you know how to fight?" he asked.

I looked behind me and stared at the blue haired man's face with a stern look.

"Yeah, but don't let my position deceive you, I can help you fight," I said to Chrom.

Chrom nodded without hesitation.

"The more people, the better," Chrom simply commented.

I stared at Chrom's whole body and saw a graph that displayed his statistics. Strength, Magic, Defense, Speed, Resistance, Luck, Skill. Chrom, as most close ranged fighters would, has high strength and defense, but that close-ranged boon was also complimented with decent skill and speed. He has low magic and has low resistance. Being a leader, he seems to prefer attacking alongside comrades.

Frederick is a veteran warrior. He's much more stronger than Chrom, though the latter's potential is much stronger than the veteran.

Lissa seems to be the medic of the team. Her staff is used to heal wounds and as Chrom said, she's quite delicate. Her defences are low, but she has high luck and resistance. Her magic stat is quite high, giving her the potential to cast strong spells in the future. Despite this, Lissa's role as a healer is crucial to keep the team strong and healthy.

"Chrom, stay with me. Lissa, ride alongside Frederick."

Chrom nodded and stayed by my side. Lissa, with the help of Frederick, hopped on his horse. Frederick was awaiting orders.

"Frederick, when I give the signal, come to us," I said.

I quickly went to the brigand behind the food stall and fired a ball of lightning at him with the Lightning tome in my left hand. While he had 0 Resistance, his high vitality made up for it. He still stood up with a bit of effort and charged at me. Chrom managed to get in front of me in time and clash the brigand's axe with his sword. He swatted of the axe, leaving the brigand open to a powerful lunge by my sword. Chrom finished him by cutting his neck with his sword.

"Thanks, Chrom," I said with a smile, "I just wanted him knocked out, but it seems that villager's state was more important."

"Your welcome, now let's move," Chrom commanded.

A myrmidon was behind the other food stand and was planning to strike us. I attempted to strike him with my sword, but his blade was quick, striking my chest before my blade landed on him. I still managed to shrug off the damage, but I'm angry at what he did to my clothing. The wound was shallow, not enough for me to bleed out instantly. I still knelt down from that strike, using my left hand to cover my wound. Chrom managed to get in front of me and parry the myrmidon's next strike. He threw a lunge at Chrom, which only cut at his left arm as he attempted to dodge. He then ended the myrmidon's life with a powerful diagonal slash upward. The swordsman dropped down and lay on the ground, dead. Myrmidons may be quick and agile, but once they're open, their mediocre defence can't handle much punishment. Chrom went beside me and looked at my injury.

"Are you okay?" Chrom said.

I didn't reply. I looked to Chrom's left and saw a Brigand preparing to strike us. I grabbed Chrom and threw him to my left and followed him by rolling toward him. He got thrown a short distance and landed on his bum.

"Fred!" I shouted.

The sound of trotting was heard from a distance. Frederick the Wary entered the scene, jousting the axeman with his silver lance. The brigand's vitality couldn't save him from the sheer power of Frederick's lance. The barbarian died quickly whilst impaled and Frederick kicked the corpse away from his lance. Lissa unmounted and ran to me with her staff. She put her staff on my wound and it healed in seconds. Lissa giggled as she winked to me. I only stifled a small "heh" from her generosity in response. She extended her hand toward me and I grabbed it. She helped me stand back up and I grabbed my sword.

The sound of a charging flame was heard to my left. A mage! I grabbed my tome with my left hand and produced a lightning orb on my right hand. Instead of tossing it, I used it to swing at the flaming orb instead. Both forces immediately dissipated, leaving the enemy mage surprised. I got up and charged toward the mage with Chrom by my side. I reversed the grip of my sword, as if I held it like a dagger preparing to stab. Chrom reeled his sword to his left side, holding it one with his right hand. When we reached the mage, we both swung our swords in a wide arc, which basically sliced the panicking mage in three.

We looked at the bridge: Two myrmidons in the front and two brigands behind them. The leader of the bandits held a different axe than the other barbarians. He held a hand axe, an axe also used for throwing, while the other brigands wielded bronze axes, which can only be used in close quarters.

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse and kill that myrmidon on the left. Chrom, when I attack the myrmidon on the right side with my lightning bolt, deliver the finishing blow. "

"I'm guessing I should just stay here?" Lissa said.

"Duh, you're the delicate one here, right?" I teased.

She puffed her cheek in anger and clenched her fists. I chuckled from her cute reaction.

"Well, follow me. Stay behind and far away from the fighting area and heal whoever's injured after we finish them."

I held my position, waiting for Frederick to attack the myrmidon.

Chrom hitched on Frederick's horse and the great knight proceeded to charge at the myrmidon at full speed. Even a swift myrmidon couldn't outrun or parry Frederick's lance in time as the silver impaler lodged into his upper chest, instantly ending his life. As soon as he was impaled, I fired a ball of electricity at the myrmidon on the right side. The ball of electricity fazed and damaged him heavily, giving Chrom the chance to finish him. He leapt high from the horse and immediately did a plunging slash while doing a series of forward rolls. The myrmidon was immediately cut down.

The two brigands began to charge at the knight and swordsman. The brigand on the left attempted to swing at Fred with his axe, but he already used the handle of his lance to guard the axe swing. Frederick was strong enough to keep his arms stable from the mere strength focused swing of the barbarian. I quickly ran past Frederick and swung my blade at the brigand. While my swing wasn't strong enough to kill him, I held my Thunder tome on my left hand and immediately dropped my sword, giving space for my electric ball. Immediately, I thrust the orb into the savage's wound, immediately finishing him off. To my right, Chrom fell the axe man by himself, shown through the downed body of the brigand. He was wounded on right shoulder, but he could still hold his sword strong.

"Lissa, come here." I called out.

She immediately ran to Chrom and used her staff to heal his wounds. The wound closed in seconds as usual.

"Thanks, sis," Chrom said.

"No problem, bro," she replied.

All four of us heard the scream of the maiden as the leader's axe nearly contacted her throat.

"If any of ya get near 'er, she's a goner," he said.

"What if I do this!"

I fired a ball of electricity at the bandit's arm. The axe flew away a short distance, making him have to chase the flung axe.

"Frederick, defend the maiden, Lissa, retreat a short distance," I said.

"Roger," Frederick immediately trotted to the maiden.

"Alright," said Lissa.

The horseback warrior trotted to the maiden and put up a defensive stance. I'll assume the bandit knows who's a greater threat and won't try to approach Frederick, even if he has a lance. The bandit may be stronger than the others, but Frederick's lance and strength

"Chrom, let's finish this," I said.

"Alright," he replied.

We both ran to the bandit leader and pointed our swords at him.

"C'mon ya bunch of sheep. My boys back home are demandin' sheep meat for dinner. Mind if you volunteer?" he said as he was about to toss his axe at me.

This man may be better than the others overall, but he's still as savage and unskilled as the other axe wielders. The throw was strong, but it wasn't accurate. He managed to grab another axe from his waist and charged at us. He was charging at me at full speed, raising his axe over his head. When he got near me, his swing was quite fast and managed to hit me before I reacted. It was quite strong, but I can still stand up. Chrom sped in and swung his sword in a wide arc, damaging the bandit. With enough energy, I managed to find his weak point. With that in my sights, it was time to finish him brutally.

"Are you scared?!" I shouted.

I leapt high into the air and threw a mighty swing into his left shoulder. The swing was powerful enough to dismember his left arm. Due to the massive damage he sustained, his cut off arm cost him a lot of blood, immediately ending his life.

I panted from the battle. All of those swings and sprints really took a toll on my stamina. Due to my commands, my voice felt a bit hoarse.

"Well, that ends the bloodshed," I said.

"Luckily for the town, we were nearby," said Lissa.

Her eyes sparkled in awe as she held both hands with each other and looked at me.

"But who knew that you can wield a sword and a tome while doing tactics at the same time?" she said with astonishment.

"Well-"

"You've proven to not only be a helpless victim, but a capable fighter and tactician as well," Chrom commented.

"Well then, considering this amount of knowledge in the field, I believe you may have the knowledge of your reason here?" Frederick said with a stern and skeptical face.

"Fred, I know how inquisitive you are, but I swear to God, stop freaking bashing at me," I replied. I'd swear, but only if I'm really angry. I'm just annoyed with Frederick's constant skepticism.

With a sigh and a facepalm, I continued.

"Just trust me, Fred. I've shared all that I know,"

He sure is harsh on me, especially with someone having a foggy memory. Chrom crossed his arms and smiled at me.

"Your fighting spirit to protect Ylissean lives is enough to earn my trust," Chrom said.

My frown immediately shifted into a smile as the man beamed at me as if I was his friend. In fact, our synergy in combat makes it as if we're not only acquaintances, but close friends. Even though I don't have any memory of friends in the past, I still feel like I've made my first true friend ever.

"Milord, are you sure you can trust him?" Frederick said.

Chrom shook his head and pointed at me whilst staring at Frederick.

"Someone talented as Alec is needed in the team, Frederick," Chrom said to him, stern his face was, "Consider the situation in Ylisse. Brigands and bandits run around, splattering the blood of the innocents freely. But Alec's tactical talents have proven to not only save the village, but reduce the Shepherd's casualty count to 0. Do you really want to get rid of someone so useful, Frederick?"

Frederick was silent. Silent, but still standing with a stern look.

"Despite the ambiguous aura of his story, I still believe it," Chrom sheathed his sword and walked toward me.

"Hey, thanks for defending me Chrom, I really appreciate it," I said with a genuine voice.

"So, how about it, Alec. Wanna join the Shepherds as our tactician?"

All of a sudden, my stomach rumbled. Damn, I never minded my own stomach in the heat of battle. Did I even eat before I became all amnesiac? For some reason, I was craving something that felt somewhat alien to this place's cuisine.

"Do you guys have like, fries or fried chicken or something? I'm starving,"

"Fries?" Lissa said with a raised brow.

"What are these 'fries' you speak of?" Frederick asked.

"Even if the memory of my origins are shrouded in mystery, all I can say is that fries are I think crispy potato slices?"

I think I just made this whole proposal scene a bit weird. Damn my hunger and my possibly otherworldly cravings.

"Alec, as much as I want to learn about the food you desire, can you please not change the subject and answer my question?"

"I guess," I said with a smile, which immediately switched to an anxious frown, "But if there are no fries, can I at least have some cooked corn?"

"Ugh, fine, but you're going to have to eat it to go, Alec, we must march back to Ylisstol," Chrom said.

"YES!" I raised my sword in victory.

Suddenly, the maiden we saved and a series of villagers approached us.

"Shepherds, though we are simple folk with simple lifestyles, we would like to invite you to a feast as well as stay for the night," the female villager said.

"My, you look cute," I said to the maiden who was in distress.

She giggled playfully from my compliment. I looked at the other villagers with a smile.

"I hope you guys have cooked corn," I said with a watery mouth.

"Oh and can I have dark meat, medium well, and with no salt," Lissa said as she pointed to the sky.

Frederick smiled and shook his head.

"We appreciate your generous offer, but we must go back to Ylisstol," Frederick said.

"WHY?!" both Lissa and I shouted in unison.

"It's getting dark, and I really want a good place to sleep," Lissa moaned.

"Don't worry, we'll be using twigs as beds and eating whatever's out there," Frederick said with a fatherly smile, "As a Shepherd, you must get used to whatever comes your way."

"Oh c'mon, Frederick. You're making us more weary than wary," I commented.

Pigtails guffawed at my comment, which became contagious to the other villagers. Chrom even slightly laughed from my joke, though Frederick wasn't really laughing. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit from my joke. I think I saw Mr Weary Fred twitch his eye slightly.

* * *

**Forest north of Southtown**

All four of us started walking under the moonlit sky. Through Chrom's negotiating, I managed to grab a piece of corn before heading out, much to Lissa's envy (she didn't garner anything). Even if it was small, it was enough to keep me satiated for a few hours. Because of it being small and a snack, I got hungry again. Lissa suddenly halted and sat on her knees, having a look of exhaustion.

"Hey Chrom, can we set up camp here? My feet are getting tired," she whined.

"Frederick, what do you think?" Chrom said.

Frederick chuckled and held out a flint and a small blade.

After a few minutes, Frederick set up a camp fire. Chrom, Lissa, and I went out to get some firewood for the camp fire. For once, I see Frederick actually excited. Guess he loves to start fires. Chrom headed out to the forest and returned a few minutes later with sliced up bear meat.

While we were walking down the forest, I asked Chrom about his unique sword. It's called the Falchion, a legendary sword passed down to the next royal descendant. Only those deemed worthy by the spirits of the sword can wield it; mainly those of Ylissean royal descent. I was thinking of a sort of sword exchange technique with Chrom during the time we fought the bandits.

"Hey Chrom, did you just use your Falchion to slice up the meat?" I asked.

"Well of course," Chrom said with a proud smile, "I don't have a back up knife."

I hope he doesn't treat it as tool to cut the meat for culinary purposes more often. If I had a legendary sword, I'd only use it to cut the meat of evil.

"But won't your blade dull from needless struggle?"

"Didn't I tell you that it's immune to dulling and rusting while we were talking?" Chrom said with a raised brow.

"Oh yeah," I just remembered that. I really hope he doesn't reconsider me being his tactician if I were to be forgetful like this again. I also hope that he doesn't extend the usage of his sword to a common butter knife or flyswat.

After frying the bear meat, I took a small nibble. While Lissa was cautious of the meat, Frederick didn't eat anything and Chrom simply enjoyed the taste of bear meat. I took a small nibble and absorbed the flavour of the meat. Whoa, this bear meat is delicious! I quickly chowed down on the bear meat like a wild animal, much to the surprise of Lissa.

"How are you able to eat something that tastes worse than old boots?" Lissa said with a twitchy eye.

"At least you aren't eating bugs," I said with my hand in front of my mouth.

Chrom and Frederick chuckled from that moment Lissa had a bug in her mouth during her complaint about the bugs in the night. As soon as the laughing subsided, Lissa turned to Frederick and wondered why he didn't eat any beat meat.

"Hey Freddy, why aren't you eating any bear meat?"

"Well I...I... ate a big lunch before we embarked on this whole quest," Frederick said a bit nervously.

*cough* "Wimp,"

Lissa and Chrom chuckled from my sneaky cough snark at Frederick's unwillingness to eat bear meat. After a huge feast of eating what we had left, the rest of the party decided to sleep. Call me an owl because maybe I'm nocturnal. Either that or this amnesia also has insomnia. I just looked at the sky and marveled at the stars and the moon. The moon is an object of interest to me. I don't know why, but I just really love the moon.

* * *

**30 minutes later**

Stargazing is quite fun, but with no one to view the stars with, I started to feel alone and bored. I decided to examine this weird object around my neck. I looked at the weird cushions surrounding the netted object. It looks like you put these cushioned netted things on your ear and the curved part binds around your upper head. I decided to follow where this cord lead to. I grabbed what was inside the pocket. Some sort of small black square object. There was only one button on the bottom part of the object. I clicked it and revealed an image. For some reason, it was quite surprising, but not too surprising, considering that magic exists here.

"Swipe the screen," I whispered the text out loud.

I swiped my finger on the screen, revealing some sort of series of squares. For some reason, I'm slowly remembering what this is. Instead of looking at the other squares, I reached a sort of menu that showed a list of titles of something. A big circle with a rotated triangle was the most prominent of all the other circles. I pressed that button and all of a sudden, a surge of music blasted my ears. The volume was too loud and the button that made the music play shifted into two mirrored bars. For some reason, this song's rhythm was really catchy. I immediately took off this object and realized that a bit of that loud music was heard from these "objects".

Before they woke up to hear it, I immediately disconnected the cord from the square object, stopping the music.

"What was that? Is some sort of travelling band around?" Lissa asked.

"Nothing," I said, "Just your imagination."

With a yawn, I covered my head with my hood and lay on the grass. It feels pretty cold to sleep without a blanket, but the exhaustion of both battle and walking eventually overcame me, and I soon found myself falling asleep. I hope we can get Ylisstol ASAP. I don't want anymore blisters on my feet, but mostly I want to figure out the mystery behind this small square contraption.

**A/N**

**As mentioned, Alec came from a dimension where it has modern tech ruling over societies past times. Expect him to be a bit curious about the customs in the both the country and continent of Ylisse, with the other Shepherds being curious about his fragmented knowledge of his realm. His ability to see the stats of the opponents is an innate ability that all the Avatars in FE:A have.**

**For ships, I'm actually having a tough time to decide; I just love some of them too much T_T.**

**For the next chapter, I'm going to try making the scene different; have different people come at different times so I don't carbon copy the whole FE script. This means his support convos will be different.**

**I'm going to start something new with my fics. Right now, I have Chapter 3 nearly done, and I'll both finish it and work on the next chapter.**

**Edit 1: I will update at least once a week. I don't care what day. Just as long as I feel like it.**

**Comments are greatly appreciated, and I hope you have a good day/evening.**


	4. Rising Action

**Chapter 3**

Rising Action

**A/N: Here's another chapter. I don't own Fire Emblem and if I did, I would have redone Lissa's confession quote (Gawds, it's horrible)****.**

**A certain guest makes an early arrival and we learn a bit more about Alec's kinda capricious yet messed up personality.**

I wonder if that bear meat had some sort of sleeping drug. It took Frederick's fisticuffs to wake my sleeping body up. I opened my eyes and saw Frederick about to throw his fist. When he saw my eyes, he helped me up on my feet.

"Alec, finally, it took not only noise, but also slapping from Lissa, and my fists to wake your up,"

"What happened, where's blue boy and blondie?" I muttered.

"They're in the forest! A group of savage soldiers are attacking us. Grab your weapon and assist us in battle!"

I grabbed my bronze sword and Thunder tome and hopped on Frederick's horse; too tired to run. I thought there was a forest fire, but a crevice full of lava made it as if the forest was burning. If it was, all of us would have died in flames.

We managed to reach Chrom and Lissa, who were running away from a group of soldiers with an inhuman aura. These people seemed more savage and evil than those bandits we faced. Their faces expressed more of bloodthirst than thirst of gold and valuables. Their lack of audible speech makes it clear what these are. Even if I have the term in my head, and I didn't even know where I got it from, I just shouted it out.

"Zombies?!" I said with wide eyes.

"Alec, what are these 'zombies' you speak of,"

"Well, I don't remember where I learned of it, but all I know is that zombies are basically the living dead who prey on the living,"

Frederick scanned them. Their skin seemed old and decayed, and some of their skin is shown to be peeled off.

"They look like reanimated corpses, that's for sure..."

Yes. Zombie massacring is probably the best kind of massacring. Scratch that **IS **the best kind of massacring. They're just completely mindless and killing them isn't so remorseful. It's like euthanasia all over again, but you can be as bloody as you want.

"Let's bathe in their expired blood, Frederick," I said as I raised my sword.

I scanned the area and spotted an abandoned fort. That fort can provide some much needed defence.

"Frederick, transport me to that fort and take care of that Mercenaries to the east,"

Frederick nodded and trotted to it with haste. When we made it, I hopped off and approached the gate of the fort.

"I can take these Fighters to the south, Frederick, those mercenaries won't be much of a big deal with your lance,"

"Aye, sir," he continued his journey to the east, disappearing into the forest.

The fighter units may be slightly similar to the barbarians, but they are much more balanced than the more offensive focused barbarians.

I stood on top of the wall of the fort and saw Chrom fighting a zombie fighter. Lissa stayed close to Chrom as she can't fight.

"You fighters need to relax on a chair," I said as I charged a ball of electricity.

Due to having a sword advantage, Chrom managed to damage the fighter effectively, making my E-tiered tome kill the axe fighter in an instant.

"An electric chair."

What is an electric chair? Why did I even say that? Good thing I didn't shout that out, otherwise it would get really awkward, and what I remember from zombie invasions, you should never be idle.

"Chrom, Lissa, come to this fort and fight the incoming hordes," I called out, "I'll provide artillery support in case these guys get in your way (I hope)."

With that said, they both ran to the fort. As I predicted, zombies attempted to attack them. For some reason, I have knowledge of some advanced bombarding technique from a misty source in my brain; I just hope that I can control the path of the electric ball. I read the tome, but was saddened to realize it was meant to re-enact a horizontal thunderbolt, as you were suppose to launch it forward. If that's the case, then I'm going to have to gain high altitude. Only problem is, who the hell is going to boost me?!

"Is there anyone aside from Frederick who can toss me up high?!" I shouted to the skies.

"Teach knows a thing or two about TOSSING!"

Suddenly, a pair of muscular arms tossed me high up into the air. I looked down and saw a half naked muscle man with spiky blonde hair. He had some sort of cocky smile.

"What the hell?!"

Instead of complaining any further, I decided to act quick. I flipped backward, making my belly point toward the ground. I was pretty high up in the air, so I had enough air time to fire a few electric balls. There were a group of five risen; mostly composed of mercs and archs; short terms for Mercenaries and Archers. After I tossed four balls at them, a Merc carrying a Steel sword was left. I suddenly felt a huge surge of energy, an energy that's 3x more powerful than my usual attacks.

"Cry more, casual!" I shouted in a slightly insane tone.

I placed the tome underneath my left armpit and used both hands to launch the lightning orb. As I let out a mighty battle roar, the orb shot out of both palms. It accelerated faster than the normal lightning orbs I toss. It hit so hard that the merc was maimed horribly by the sheer power. The recoil of the spell was strong, knocking me backward and away from the fort. I think Chrom can take care of that.

I really didn't think how I could land safely. Holy shit, I'm going to die painfully. With that, I screamed loudly, thinking I'm about to die. I clenched my eyes, not wanting to see myself tumbling on the ground. Looks like that I inadvertently paid death a get out of jail card (whatever that is), because someone managed to grab my body and cushion my fall. I heard an "Oof" noise as my flight immediately halted.

"Whoa!" a more mature and tomboyish voice said, "Are you okay?"

I suddenly found myself in the arms of a red armored knight, sitting underneath a tree. I thought it was a male, but realized her feminine musculature.

"If you weren't screaming like a girl, I would have let you die," she said with a pained groan, "What's your name? What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm Alec, and yes, I am affiliated with Chrom. Who are you?"

"I'm Sully, I'm also a Shepherd like you. Good thing I made it in time to help a fellow ally," Sully smiled confidently. Even if she has the hair of a tomboy, she sure has the body of a woman. She has too much skin showing. She's quite charming in her own way.

When she realized me gawking at her body, she immediately dropped me on the ground, but not without being seen with a shade of pink on her face.

"Why are you starin' at me like that, perv?"

Due to me being saved by her, I got up first and offered my hand. Instead of swatting it off violently or grabbing my hand, she politely declined.

"Nice try, princey, but I'm a strong independent-"

"Woman who need no man?" I finished. Where did I get that quote from?

"Whatever," she got up and was about to head to her horse, but I halted her by standing in front of her.

"Wait, Sully, don't go yet," I commanded.

"Who are you to give me orders? Are you trying to hit on me or something?" she said sharply.

Look girl, you may have a sexy body toned by combat, but I'm in no way interested in falling for you. You're just not feminine enough to be around.

"He's our tactician, Sully; a talented one if I can add," Chrom called from the wall of the fort.

"Oh yeah?" Sully said as she turned her head to me.

"Why don't you prove it?" her smile basically invited a challenge.

I looked at a bunch of mercenaries about to attack the "Teach", who stood in front of the fort alone. He wielded an iron axe and the mercenaries wielded powerful iron swords. "Teach" might be my ally and he'll most likely die from those three mercs. While they're zombies, they seem to have the battle performance of soldiers. I looked at Chrom, who was on top of the wall and exhausted from all that running.

I noticed how Frederick attacks with his lance while horseback. He sometimes commanded it to leap forward while landing on its front legs, letting the rear go forward a bit. I wonder if Sully knew that technique.

"Okay, Sully, can you do a jumping attack with your horse?" I asked.

"Like what Fred did? Yeah," she replied.

"Okay then, do that same jumping attack with your lance on the mercenary in front. I'll use the raised rear of the horse to jump off and do a dropping strike on the other one behind the one in front," I said.

"Well, you've got a pretty sharp mind and a thirst for risk," Sully confidently smiled again," I'll do it."

I turned to Chrom.

"Hey Chrom, weaken the first mercenary to your left so that Sully can finish her off."

"I can do that," Chrom said with a confirming smile.

"Sully, wait for Chrom to attack the mercenary, then you deliver the finishing blow," I said to Sully.

"That I can do, hoods," Sully said.

I climbed on her horse and she charged toward the first mercenary. Chrom managed to do a plunging attack, weakening the mercenary. Mercenaries have high stats all around, meaning they have vitality strong enough to withstand at least two strikes from a bronze lance and at least two strikes from Chrom's falchion. When she reached a certain distance, her horse leapt high and she lunged her lance into the merc's head, instantly ending its life. Luckily for Chrom, he hopped back before he would get caught in Sully's warpath. I hopped off and performed a front flip before plunging my blade into his arm and shoulder, splitting the zombie's arm in two.

"Look's like Teach just got tenure!" he shouted.

He leapt up high, raising the axe above his head and dropped it down on the disarmed (literally) zombie

As the Red Knight kicked off the zombie's head off her lance, she cleaned her lance with a cloth from her pocket. The Risen was still alive, managing to stand up at a weak pace. I grabbed my sword and was about to attack, only for the zombie's head to be impaled again by an iron arrow, finally ending its life.

"Haha, a true legends finish," some sort of French (I don't even know what that is, but I just suddenly described it as is) accented man said.

"Hey, who are you, Frenchy?" I asked the man with the French accent. That man wore some sort of French styled archer attire with a head of blue hair.

"Frenchy? Are you from Chon'Sin, young man?" he said as he was about to point his arrow at me.

"What?! Just state your name and your purpose here, stranger, and maybe I'll start," I put a thumb on my chest, "I'm Alec, tactician of the Shepherds and also thanks for helping us finish those zombies."

"Pleased to meet you, Alec. I'm Virion, the Archest of Archers,"

A disapproving stare was my response, with a pinch of one eye twitching. Gosh, or in their case, Gods, this guy is unbearably annoying. Virion walked toward me and gently pushed me aside. I realized he was approaching the red haired Sully.

"My my, a radiant beauty graces my eyes in this flaming battlefield," he suddenly summoned a rose from his belt, intensifying my twitch.

"I believe your name is Sully, no?" Virion asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"My, such a wondrous name for an elegant lady," he knelt down to the ground and presented her the rose, "My dear Sully, will you marry me?"

I looked at Sully's armored boot preparing to kick the archer. I quickly ran toward them and I accidentally took the blow for Virion. The kick was strong enough to launch me slightly. After a second, I was on the ground.

"Hey pipsqueak, why'd ya protect this honkey?" Sully asked, visibly angry.

"I just wanted to scold Virion instead of having a violent conclusion," I said, "Also, he may be kind of a sleaze, but he's still my brother-in-arms."

In secret, I actually saw Virion's potential of being one of the strongest ranged fighters in the team. It would suck if I overlooked his potential. Also, this technique can be useful to keep my allies safe. I'll delve into this technique at a later time.

"Alec, such a noble act for a man I just met," though his accent usually mistakes him for being a romantic, this is probably the most genuine thing he would say. I guess underneath his attempts at romance, he might have potential for some honorable and noble actions in the future despite his dumb flirting.

"Bros before Hos, Frenchy," I wheezed, but not without doing a thumbs up.

"You callin' me a ho, Alec?" Sully said in a threatening voice.

She was about to throw her leg at my crotch, but Virion took the blow for me. The kick was strong enough to launch the Archest archer into a tree as if he was an arrow being launched by a bow.

"What the hell, you guys are already friends this quick?" Sully said.

"Instead of questioning about our friendship, how about we go back to battle, madame?" Virion said in a raspy voice.

Suddenly, heavy breathing was heard in the forest. A mighty axe was tossed from the darkness of the forest. Sully managed to get in front of us and sustain the blow. For a female, she was quite sturdy, but it still took a great toll on her health. I already saw Lissa running to us, aiding the damaged cavalier. When I looked back at where the axe came from, I suddenly heard a pained shriek.

Out the forest came Frederick the Wary, using his horse's helmeted head to shove what looked like the leader. He wore a savage mask and a muscular half naked body. His hair is wild and extends to his lower back. From the looks of it, Frederick has put a few deep lacerations on the zombie chief in exchange for some scratches on his armor. Sully used her remaining strength to skewer the feral leader with her lance. While her lance didn't cause enough damage, he was still stuck and attempted to struggle out.

"Lissa, heal us please?" I said.

With a cute wink, she stood on one leg and bent her other leg as she raised her staff. A green light shone over me, Virion, and Sully, healing us of our wounds. With regained strength, Virion and I stood up and prepared our ranged weapons. Sully's grip on her lance strengthened from her recovered health.

"Virion, with me," I said as I held out my tome.

"Hmm!"

We both stood back to back. His left hand extended outward, extending the string of his bow; an arrow chambered between bow and string. I pointed my right hand, summoning a series of magical text around me. Both of us pointed at the skewered zombie chief.

"Guess this finishing blow will be good for musicians?"

"I concur, friend," Virion said.

"In the count of three, we both say "Bingo!" right before we fire," I said with a smile, "You know, for the bards?"

Are they those travelling musicians?

"Very well," Virion confirmed.

I was already too impatient to count.

"Ah screw it. Three."

**"Bingo!"**

"Wait!" I think I heard Sully shout.

Both lightning orb and arrow flew at equal speeds and quickly ended the beast's life, shown through massive electrification and being shot straight into the head. After its defeat or I think his? Well after it got defeated, it just immediately evaporated into purple mist. Guess they're kinda like zombies, but minus the whole body bag work. I looked at Sully, hoping she was okay. I just remembered I used an electric spell while she was wearing metallic armor. Uh Oh.

"Sully, are you okay?" I asked.

Sully... thanks to the electricity, it caused her already spiky hair to spike out upward then all around. Both Virion and I had widened eyes. I tried hard not to laugh, but a certain teen beat me to it.

"Oh Gods this is golden," Lissa commented as she continued to lose her sides.

With her laughing, both the archer and I laughed extremely hard and let loose our sides. Both Virion and I dropped to the ground, but I added more emphasis on the hilarity by bashing the ground with my fist. This laughter was short-lived as we both were introduced to each of her fists.

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Both Virion and I had eye bandages from the punch we each received from the Crimson Knight, or what she prefers to be called: The Woman to End all Men. Lissa used her staff to heal whoever had injuries left. Much to my impatience, she still hasn't come to us. Good thing that Lissa knows how to sew; she managed to mend my jacket after it got cut by one of the axe men back at Southtown. If I were to be in a public place right now, then I would have immediately took off my coat, but it's just too cool to be thrown away.

"You think that was totally worth it, Frenchy?" I asked.

"Though I usually don't like laughing at maidens who accidentally look silly, it was quite worth the laugh," Virion replied.

We heard a low growling noise behind us. If it was Sully, then Virion and I had to run for the hills. Instead of fists, we were introduced with pats on our shoulder.

"Hey, I can handle some electricity, but I gotta admit, that was a stylish finish," Sully admitted.

"Heh, thanks," I said.

"Looks like we've cleared most of these "zombies" as Alec would say," Frederick commented, "But that youth with the mask has took care of the rest of the beasts."

A blue haired youth wearing a butterfly styled mask approached us. I looked closely and realized that he may or may not be a she. Either he's extremely skinny, yet toned, or IS a toned girl. That sword he er um she, I mean he carries something that looks similar to Chrom's sword. Despite my analysis, I decided to keep silent about this. His aura is scary.

Lissa approached him and smiled at his face.

"Thank you, you saved me from those "zombie" thingies," Lissa said gratefully.

"Zombies?" he questioned, "What in Naga's name is that? Who came up with that idea?"

I put up my hand awkwardly. The masked man looked at me, and I think I saw her- I mean him, grit his teeth with anger. The expression was set aside as she looked at Chrom. Does she, I mean he, bear any ill will toward me?

"Well, we're glad you helped us kill these zombies," Chrom said gratefully,"I am Chrom. What's your name?"

"Just call me Marth," he said a bit coldly.

"Marth? Are you really the hero-king of the olden days? Your swordsmanship nearly parallels that of the hero-king." Frederick asked.

"I'm not here to talk more about me, this event is but a prologue to what's to come,"

With no hesitation, Marth walked into the forest and disappeared into the night time's darkness. Chrom attempted to chase him, but I held his shoulder.

"Chrom, as much as I want to chase he- er, him, we still need to get back to Ylisstol," I said.

Chrom raised his brow from me calling Marth a her.

"Did you just call Marth a her?"

"I don't know, but that body seems too feminine to be a male," I should've stayed quiet.

"I guess it doesn't matter for now," Chrom said. The blue haired man stared at Vaike with a skeptical glare.

"Vaike, what are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be at the barracks?" Chrom said. He dug his ground into the earth and crossed his arms.

"Well, Teach volunteered to join in Sumia's test flight with her recently found pegasus, but I fell into the forest. Good thing I wasn't too high, otherwise I'd have been dead meat. I managed to survive by single handedly killing these zombies or whatever." he shrugged.

"What?!" Chrom said.

"Well, I saw Sumia actually fly away from the forest safely before these Risen suddenly came from nowhere," Vaike replied, "She couldn't help me because she had no weapon at the moment. Not like the Vaike needed help or anything."

"I'm surprised you actually didn't forget your weapon, Vaike," Sully commented.

"Oh this," he raised his axe, "The Vaike beat up a Risen with his fists to get this axe."

"Or you just found it in the fort?" Lissa said with crossed arms.

With a sigh, Chrom grabbed his sword and sheathed it into his scabbard.

"Either way, good work on managing to kill a few zombies, Vaike," he started walking, "You and Sumia are going to have a word with me when we get back to Ylisstol."

* * *

**Ylisstol, a few hours later.**

After a few hours of marching, it rewarded us with the introduction of a bustling city. Ylisstol, capital of the country of Ylisse, as well as most of the Shepherds' home. According to Virion himself, he came from Rosanne, which is probably the French country. With a childish "Ta-da!" Lissa introduced me to Ylisstol.

Ylisstol is bright and full of joy, shown through the villagers. On a hill, a castle rests, probably where the ruler resides in.

"Welcome to Ylisstol, Alec," Lissa said with her ever-present smile.

Thank goodness that the zombie outbreak didn't spread to this bustling city nor did that large quake affect the town in anyway. Every villager seemed quite happy and joyous. I don't know why, but I'm starting to regain my past memories as easy as carrying 10 tons of lead. I remembered being in a city similar to this, though people seemed to be a bit more distant. I don't know why exactly.

"Good thing those "zombies" didn't come to Ylisstol," Frederick commented.

"Yes, or it would've caused some big problems," Chrom said.

I was still intrigued with this mysterious device. I connected this cord again and put on the sound medium as I would call it for now. Even when I was surprised from the loud volume, I found myself loving loud music. I could barely hear anything around me. Perhaps that's the purpose of these cushions? To suppress noise from other noises to bring my music listening experience to the fullest?

I couldn't hear the crowd's chatter, nor the Shepherd's speaking, but I did see a man pointing to someone as if they were important. I can't read mouthing, but I think one of his speech said "Your Grace"?

It seems something important is happening. I took off my musical mediums and turned off the music.

"Hey, Chrom, what's going on?" I asked, "Something about, Your Grace or something?"

"Yes, my sister has visited the village," Chrom said, "She's the Exalt, but is known formally as Your Grace to the public."

"Lady Emmeryn rules over Ylisstol and the halidom of Ylisse," Frederick said.

"For a ruler, I find her to be quite charismatic with not only royalty, but to commoners as well," I noted.

"Em is a paragon of peace, earning her the much needed respect for all citizens in Ylisse," Chrom said.

She looked slightly mature than Chrom and also carried that same tattoo or brand that Chrom has, this time, on her forehead.

"Hey Chrom, I'm guessing you're royalty too, considering you have the same brand as her," I said to the blue blood, pointing at his right shoulder.

"Yes, the brand we carry is called the Brand of the Exalt. Those who have it have the Exalted blood flowing through their veins," he said, "Because of this, only those born in the Ylissean royal family can only wield the Falchion."

I turned to Lissa, who stood on my right side.

"Hey Lis, where's your brand?" I asked.

She sighed and looked away with a sad expression. I'd be so surprised if she actually said her brand was somewhere near her chest. Gods, her chest is flat. How old is she? Why am I thinking such perverse thoughts?

"Mine hasn't surfaced yet," she had a sad tone in her voice.

I didn't know what else to say. I hope not having her Mark surfaced won't affect her whole psyche. Most of all, I just hope that her silly and happy-go-lucky attitude isn't a mask of someone who's desperate for her mark to be surfaced; her mark being her identity.

"It will come in time, Lissa," Chrom said with a confident smile, "You don't need a mark to prove you're my sister."

"Thanks, big bro." She seemed a bit more happier from her brother's comment.

"I'm guessing the Exalts were renowned Heroes in the past?" I asked Frederick, who towered most of the army.

"Yes, in the past, one of Chrom's ancestors saved the world using the power of the Divine Dragon to foil the Fell Dragon's plan to destroy the world," he turned to look at Emmeryn, followed by royal knights while she waved at the public. I think all of the citizens smiled at her arrival.

"Her wisdom, endurance, and gentle yet peaceful persona is a representation of the peace the Exalted ancestors fought for."

"So, how is a peaceful ruler going to fare against Plegia?" I asked Chrom, "Oh and sorry for not addressing you formally earlier, especially when you told me about Falchion."

"It's okay, a friend like you doesn't need to to be too formal. Same for Lissa, too," Chrom scratched his head, "You know, for a tactician, you're quite forgetful, but we shouldn't digress your question."

While we were marching to Ylisstol, Frederick and the rest of the Shepherds educated me in not only the current situation, but also Plegia. These Plegians are kinda douchebags from what I heard. The king is sending bandits to invade our towns, just to instigate a war. Those guys at Southtown were no exception. Why does he even want a freaking war?

"Emmeryn will speak with the king; try to reason with him to stop his little invasions," Chrom commented.

Emmeryn then started to head toward the palace. Chrom started to follow her and soon, Lissa and Frederick did.

"Now that Em is heading back to the palace, wanna pay her a visit?" Chrom said with a smile.

"I guess, she seems like a nice person."

I would say she IS, but I've never personally met her, yet at the same time, she felt I've met her before. I guess it's time to expand my social barriers.

**A/N:**

**Oh no, the Shepherds have referred to the Risen as zombies, and it's all my fault.**

**So Vaike makes an early appearance. Also, he didn't fist fight a fighter to get the axe, he just found it in the fort.**

**A bit of Alec: He seems to always want to be flashy, especially with finishing moves.**

**Alec may suffer from insanity, or could just be severe ADHD (Uh Oh).**

******Alec's friendship with Virion made him develop the dual-guard technique.**

**Gameplay wise, I always try not to ignore Virion as much as possible; he's one of my favorite units in the game. Vaike too, but I always pick that floating armor with a spear over them. I never knew we had a poltergeist in my team.**


	5. Crush or Crash?

**Little Tip about Alec: He's easily attracted to girls, but has a hard time talking to them.**

"Welcome back, brother and sister," Emmeryn said as she greeted her two siblings.

Frederick and I stood by their side. I lazily put my hands in my pocket while Fred did his usual pose.

"I'm glad you're safe on your mission," Emmeryn said, "Also, thank you Frederick, for keeping both of them safe."

"Your welcome, Your Grace," Frederick proudly said.

"We wouldn't have done it without our new tactician friend, Alec," Chrom said.

Emmeryn stared at me with some sort of interest.

"So you're Alec," she said gently.

"Yes," I replied, "Is something wrong, Your Grace?"

She closed her eyes and giggled from my formalities.

"Any friend of Chrom or Liss is also a friend of mine," she replied, "I'm sure Ylisse is indebted to your actions."

"No need, Lady Em," I instantly closed my mouth for not calling her formally.

She shook her head with a smile, making that apologetic feeling unnecessary. I think she really is a paragon of peace.

"Hey hey, don't feel ashamed, Alec," she said calmly, "I'm your friend too, and I really don't mind if anyone called me Em."

Frederick cleared his throat.

"Your Grace, forgive me for interrupting, but Alec claims to have lost his memories."

I don't hate you Frederick. I know that you're concerned for Your Grace's well-being and you're doing your job as a knight, but your constant bashing has to end sometime. Just trust me, please? I kept a stern face as to not make a scene.

"It may be possible he's a Plegian spy or mole, using this amnesia as a ruse,"

I was about to shout back, but blue blood beat me to it.

"Frederick!" Chrom shouted. The blue knight nodded.

"Chrom, do you trust Alec? Enough to let him in the castle?" Emmeryn simply said.

With a confident smile, he replied: "Yes. His tactical mind and altruistic will is enough to gain my trust."

I widened my eyes and crossed them as I turned away.

"I- I'm not altruistic," I said.

Lissa laughed and patted my back.

"Oh, do you even know what that means?"

"Yes, it just means being selfless," I replied, "I have amnesia, Lissa, not permanent brain damage."

"How informal..." a knightess with white hair said coldly.

Emmeryn giggled lightly from my self-denial, much to the surprise of that knightess.

"Alec, you remind me of a very stubborn Chrom when he was a kid, she said, "It's as if you guys are two halves of a better whole."

It was Chrom's turn to be embarrassed. Lissa, that knightess, and I giggled from his embarrassed face.

"Sis!"

"Peace, my brother," she said, "I trust Alec if you too trust him."

"I also thank the guardian who sternly watches over my two siblings," she said to Frederick, "I hope they express gratitude to you through the days."

"They show me gratitude one way or another, Your Grace," Frederick said with a curt bow, "Commander Phila, you've spotted those grimly creatures, Alec deems as "zombies", around the borders, correct?"

Phila, the white haired knightess nodded.

"Yes, we've reports that these "zombies" are all around Ylisse," Phila commented.

Emmeryn looked to Chrom.

"Chrom, we're holding a council right now," she said, "Do you wish to join?"

"Yes, of course," Chrom said as he walked alongside his big sister. Frederick walked alongside with him and Phila followed after them.

The leftover people were me and Lissa. She had a strange smirk on her face.

"I guess this is my cue," she said in a suggestive tone.

"Er... um, I CAN'T DO IT WITH MINORS!" I shouted, attracting the attention of the guards.

Lissa was visibly flushed from my outburst. Immediately, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the exit. Even for a little lady, she sure was strong.

"Waaah! Where are you taking me?" I said in a panicked voice.

"There's a place I wanted to show you," she said, "But first..."

Still caught in her grasp, I just let her drag me to wherever she wants me to go to. I hope it's not the brothel or the alleyway. What in the hell am I thinking?!

* * *

**Shopping District**

Lissa dragged me to a clothing deparment market in Ylisstol. There were many people walking around, talking, laughing, or otherwise buying clothes.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

"Well, that accessory thing on your neck made me think you like fashion, so I decided to invite you to get a bit of a new wardrobe," Lissa said.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"I'm thanking you for helping us Shepherds twice, so just leave the expenses to me," she winked.

"Well, I am quite conscious of my fashion, so..." I did a fist pump," Let's do this!"

If there were travelling musicians, I want them to play some sort of fabulous musical theme right now. Wished I could use these musical outside noise filters, but it would be rude to the bystanders doing their business.

I found myself having a fascination with anything green and black. While we spent a few minutes browsing what I wanted, I finally decided. I remembered seeing a hint of Frederick's clothes underneath his armor. It seems to resemble some sort of butler or manservant? Well I don't care, that stuff looks pretty suave. I feel like Lissa is my mom, and I'm a whiny kid asking for a toy.

"Hey Lissa, can you buy me that suit?"

A mannequin about my size was clothed in a green dress shirt and a black vest, complete with a black tie with green intricate arrow designs. The black suit pants seemed cool too, and the belt was actually fitting; the buckle had some sort of golden skull.

Both of us walked to the curator of the clothing stand.

"Hey mister, I'd like to buy that whole suit for my friend," she pointed at the green suit that I wanted. He looked at it then looked at me.

"Hey, are you Alec, the tactician of the Shepherds?" the curator said.

"Is something up, sir?" I asked, "Because, yes, I am."

"Then you're the one who saved Lucia, my daughter in Southtown!" he said in a joyous voice, "You can have this suit half off as thanks."

"We'll take it!" Lissa said gleefully, presenting a pile of golden coins.

"This will do, thank you for visiting Lissa," he said, "Hey, Alec, maybe you want to have a drink at the alehouse sometime?"

"Maybe sometime," I detest drinking, but I don't want to say that out loud to hurt his feelings, "I have other places to attend to."

I waved back at him as we left the clothing store. I carried the suit in a bag.

"You know how you're royalty, right?"

She nodded with a curt "Uh huh."

"I'm guessing you're a bit of a Social Butterfly around town?"

"Well, I do like to hang around villagers. They're much better friends than the usual aristocrats," she said, "Nobles are usually boring and serious almost all the time."

She said the latter with a bored expression.

"I can't agree more."

I noticed the blonde pigtails stare at the bag I was carrying, holding the green suit.

"Hey Alec, is there any special occasion you're saving that suit up for?"

"I just really liked it," I replied.

"Oh really?" Lissa smirked, "Are you saving it up for Lucia's hand in marriage?"

I blushed and twitched from the latter.

"H-hey! I just met her, and this is crazy!" I said.

"But here's your debt to pay," Lissa said as she presented a paper with the price of the suit, "So pay back, maybe?"

I swear, I think we just slightly modified an annoying song from my past. It's still blurry, but I can tell it's quite annoying. All of this annoyance was shown through a single eye twitch. I think Lissa noticed it.

"Something wrong, Alec?"

I shook my head and put up a sincere and casual smile.

"Going back on topic. When I actually start getting paid for being the tactician, maybe I might pay you back" I replied. I widened my eyes, "Wait, where am I going to live?"

"Just leave your housing to us, but you still have to pay your own expenses," Lissa said.

"Does that mean I'm going to live with you guys in the palace or something?"

Lissa did that mischievous smirk once again.

"Maybe, but on one condition," she grabbed both of my hands. Is she being too direct?!

"You must marry into royalty~"

I was nervous from her directness. It's too early! Suddenly, I got my composure again and gently swatted off her hands.

"It's too early for us to actually be committed," I said with a cold tone.

"Aww, I wanted to be the one to tell you that!" she whined.

"Hey, what can I say?" I said, "I'm a master tactician."

A pinch of pride was added to that tone. Though I usually try to be humble almost all the time, I like enjoying the small things by having some pride in what you've done.

Coincidentally, we reached a shaded glasses department and I grabbed some and put it on.

"Deal with it."

"That will be 450 gold for the Wyvern Aviator Shaded Lenses," said the stand manager.

"Fine," I said, "Lissa, can you pay for this?"

* * *

**Shepherd's Garrison**

Geez, I think I remember the pains of shopping with a girl, as if it was a common problem men face in the past. Either way, I didn't buy too much as to stack up my debt. Lissa bought many girly things, but I don't want to get into detail with girly things. Luckily for me, I heard from Chrom (through a messenger) that I can stay in a room in the palace with no need of marrying royalty. In your face Liss!

Well, luckily for us, our shopping ended and we reached the Shepherd's barracks.

So our team roster consists of me, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Virion, Vaike, Sully, and possibly that Sumia person that Vaike mentioned during the Risen invasion.

"Welcome to the Shepherd's HQ!" said Lissa as she raised her arms, presenting the barracks.

There were a few members here and each of them were doing something to kill time. Virion attempted to court Sully again, and Vaike was talking with some sort of brown hair girl in armor. For armor, it's quite revealing. Her armor is small and if I looked a bit closely, I can see that she's wearing a sleeveless dress with a short skirt underneath the small armor. She wore elbow long gloves, also covered with armor. The most alluring part were the garterbelts spanning from her short skirt and into a pair of knee-high boots. This lady sure has a body.

"Lissa, my treasure, are you alright?" a high classed female voice spoke.

A blonde wearing a pink horse riding uniform ran to Lissa. The thing I find the most confusing about her is that she carries a dumb pink parasol around. What's the purpose behind that?

"I've been waiting for so long for you," she said.

"Maribelle, you don't have to worry," Lissa comforted her, "I can handle a battle with the other Shepherds by my side."

Her smile faded into a discomforted face.

"Though the bear meat and bugs at night are exceptions,"

Maribelle looked at me with a glare.

"Where did you get those bags?" she asked in a cold tone.

"I went shopping with Lissa? Got a problem?"

She was clearly miffed from my mere speech.

"You shouldn't talk in that tone to someone of high class!"

I shook my head.

"It's about the heart, not the exterior, madame," I patted my chest with a fist to emphasize it.

"Hmph,"

Lissa turned to me with her ever-present smile.

"Don't worry, Maribelle may be cold, but she'll warm up in time,"

I don't know about her, but I just don't see any charm from her at all.

"So, where's captain?" Sumia said Lissa.

"He's just in a council with big sis," she replied, "Why do you have such a deep concern for him?"

"Well um uh. Is there anything wrong with being concerned for your leader's safety?" she responded nervously.

"I'm just teasing, Sumia," Lissa said.

"So, who did you invite from shopping?" Sumia asked, noting the shopping bags we both carried.

"Allow me to introduce you to Alec," she said as she presented me like a museum ornament, "He's our newest addition to the Shepherds. Not only is he a great combatant, he's also an awesome tactician."

"Tactician?" Maribelle said, interest in her tone, "His aesthetics are rather unique and interesting. Where does he hail from?"

"He may be a great tactician, but he has no memory of his home."

"I see."

I turned to Sumia.

"Were you the pegasus rider that Vaike talked about?"

"Um, yeah, I found a new pegasus and wanted to practice how to use it with someone riding with me, but the pegasus didn't really like Vaike and knocked him off," she said.

"Where's the pegasus?" I asked.

"It wandered off after I landed it," she said with a sigh, "I tried chasing it, but I tripped before I could hitch on."

Her eyes started to water. She's quick to jump to conclusions. I just backed away slightly from her emotional moment.

"Oh, I'm so pathetic," she cried, "How was I even able to enter the ranks of the Shepherds?!"

"From what I heard, Fumbles," I said, "It's voluntary, meaning you choose to join."

"If that's the case, why did you join, Alec?" Sumia's tone was now curious than sad. Talk about bipolar.

"Well, I have two reasons. One, I kind of have a thing for slashing enemies with a sword, and two, I have no other great purpose that can use my mysterious yet powerful gift of strategies."

Sully entered the scene, shaking off some of Virion's saliva from her fist after punching him in the face.

"He's actually quite the tactician to be honest," Sully said.

"Teach doesn't need anyone to give him orders," Vaike said cockily.

"He's also quite the fighter too," a certain bold leader's voice called out.

Behind me, Chrom and Frederick entered the scene.

"Captain!" Sumia walked toward her, but she tripped and fell on her face.

"Oooh, do you need Lissa for that, Fumbles?" I said, concerned for her possibly damaged face.

Chrom knelt down and helped her up.

"Are you okay, Sumia?" Chrom asked.

Both man and woman stared at each other. Sumia's face was redder than Chrom's. Is Chrom oblivious of her obvious infatuation?

"Yes... I mean no. Err... *Sigh*,"

She got up and dusted off the dust on her armor.

He walked toward a map that showed what looked like the continent of Ylisse. He placed a pin on the middle part of the Southern part of the continent, possibly where Ylisstol is. He placed another pin on what looked like a wall that extended from the Eastern coast to the West coast of Ylisse.

"Tomorrow, we march to Regna Ferox and request the assistance of their forces," Chrom announced, "The Plegian Army is too large for us and the Ylissean forces to deal with, so we need the manpower of the Feroxi to aid us in case Plegia's forces attack us prior to Emmeryn's parley with the king."

He looked at me and nodded.

I went up to the board and stood by Chrom.

"As you know, this is our tactician, Alec. He will be in charge of giving us orders on the battle field," Chrom said, "He's proven to not only be good at tactics, but he's also a capable fighter fit to fight alongside us. Any questions?"

Sumia's hand was up.

"Does Alec's voice hurt most of the time after battle?"

"Yes, yes it does, Sumia," she's kind of annoying, yet she's so cute. I might have to use my tactics to keep Chrom and her close in battle.

"Anything else?"

"Where did you find him, Chrom?" a mysterious voice said.

"We found him laying down on a field of grass near Southtown," Chrom said, "His origins are unknown, but he still participated in helping us drive out Plegian brigands."

"Wait, who said that?" I asked Chrom.

"I'm not sure. Stahl?"

No response from the crowd.

"Excuse me, my fellow comrades," a mature female voice called out.

A red headed woman in mage clothing suddenly came in.

"I've a query to request from our new tactician," she said, "What is that object resting on your nape?"

I examined what she was looking at.

"I'm not so sure, but I'd explain it some other time," I said, "We should prepare for our march next day."

"Very well," she said, "I'm Miriel. Salutations, Alec."

"Good to be met, Miriel," I said.

* * *

**Ylisstol Palace**

For the rest of the day after the barracks meeting, I decided to hone my swordplay a bit. Frederick suggested me to repeat a simple technique over 100 times . I think it's to promote my muscle memory or something? Either way, mastering the basics unlocks the potential to infinite amount of moves I can experiment with. I much prefer the sword than the tome because I usually detest range abuse. But at the same time, I also want to use stronger tomes to use more magic. That way, maybe I can find cooler ways to attack from afar, or use it in conjunction with my swordplay.

It was already late, and I was very exhausted from swinging my sword 459 times and counting. How do I remember that? With that, I walked over to the bathtub of the Royal Ylissean palace. Only problem was, I don't know my way around here. I saw a soldier on guard by the window.

"Excuse me, sir," I asked, "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Yes, it's a few doors to your right," he said, "You won't miss it by its water drop sign."

I walked to where he directed, but not before thanking him. He nodded and I proceeded my journey. Realizing that something was missing, I quickly ran to my room and grabbed a few change of clothes and walked to the bathroom.

I opened the door to the bathroom to find a certain lady putting on what looked like a robe. Her blonde hair extended to her waist and she had a petite yet perfectly toned figure. I realized that I was too busy gawking at her features, I forgot about her gaze. I looked up slowly and saw her face.

"L-Lissa?!" I shouted.

Her cute eyes dilated from my accidental perversion and she was about to scream. I ran to her and slammed the door behind me. I managed to cover her mouth, but I slipped and we both fell into the ground. I hope no one heard that. Scratch that, a lot of people DID hear that.

I was immediately surprised when I saw my other hand touching her underdeveloped breast, causing her to scream through my mouth.

"Lissa, this is not what it looks like, okay?" I whispered loudly, "Calm the hell down!"

"MMMMPH!"

"I just want to take a bath," I whispered, "I'm freaking dirty from training!"

It took her a few minutes to calm down, but this time, I heard distant running steps. Calmed down, I look at Lissa.

"Here's the plan."

* * *

**A few minutes later**

The footsteps got closer and closer. The door flung open as a worried Chrom violently entered. A few guards followed him in case this was a baited ambush.

"Lissa, is something wrong?"

Lissa was blushing madly, hugging herself as to keep her bathrobe up. Good thing for Alec, he managed to hide himself in the soapy bathtub. He tried his hardest to hold his breath and close his eyes.

"N-No, I just slipped," she said, "It was embarrassing to be fully nude and laying down on the floor."

A "bloop" noise was heard from the bathtub.

"What was that?" Chrom said, shifting his head to the bathtub like a cat hearing a loud noise.

"The water's just draining, Chrom," Lissa said.

"Thank the Gods," Chrom said, relieved that she wasn't raped by an assailant, "Just be careful next time."

The blue haired prince exited the bathroom, leaving the blonde haired lady alone to dress up.

* * *

**Back to Alec's view**

When I heard the door close, I shot my head out of the water and breathed in as much air as I could. Thank goodness I got naked and managed to hide my clothes by the corner near the door.

A smirking Lissa was what I was greeted with. She still wore her bathrobe, but still had her hair freely flowing. She looks so beautiful without her pigtails, but her cute face gives her a mixture of cuteness. Her smirk just made her looks more like a mischievous succubus with A-cup breasts.

"You're gonna have to do something for me if you don't want me to tell everyone about your little scandal," she said mischievously.

"Alright, go for it," I said.

"You have to go on a date with me~"

"What?" I said, "Look, I'm in no way interested in-"

She breathed deep, calling for Chrom.

"Okay, okay," I shouted.

I really don't want to go on a date with her. She's just too bratty and mischievous. She pranked me with a frog being put on my back. I have an abnormal fear of frogs, causing me to faint from absolute fear by the mere contact of it.

"Hey, you took me back on that frog incident," Lissa said with a puffed cheek.

"I just wanted to take a bath, you loli!" What the hell is a Loli?

"And this was an accident," I said crossing my arms, "I never intended to peep you or do anything indecent."

With a sigh, she just nodded.

"Alright, alright!" she said, "I guess it's not fair if it's an accident."

"Also, get out of here!" I said covering my pectorals, "You're talking to me while naked, and I need a bath, so just get out!"

"Fine, geez!" she said, "But you have to look away, I'm changing."

"I know."

As I lay in the bathtub, I just realized how all of this couldn't have happened if I only shut the door and waited outside. So much for master tactician.

* * *

**Alec's Room**

After my shower, I decided to wear that t-shirt with Ylisse's crest on it. I wore a new pair of cotton pants and sandals. These would be my pyjamas for when I sleep. When I went back to sit on my desk. Huh? My latest book on strategies is missing. I wanted to look for it, but I was already tired out. I surrendered to my bed and veiled myself with the blanket. Tomorrow is a big day, and I hope my sleep won't be interrupted.

**Dream World**

While dreams are a place where unimaginable things happen, my dreams are no exception. I found myself in some sort of altar or something. I was wearing my hood and in front of me was Chrom and some other weird dude using dark magic to clash with Chrom's Falchion.

Chrom did an upward slash while the other mage did an overhead swing of dark magic. Light and darkness grinded at each other, and I wasn't in the scene. I pull out my palm and I saw the series of circles and text surround me. A beam of lightning fired out of my hand, piercing through the mad man.

"Urgh, my son, why would you join these simpletons?" he growled.

"You're no father," I replied.

"Wait, are you really my son?" he questioned.

"How should I know?" I replied.

I grabbed my sword: a sword with a zig-zag blade shaped like a lightning bolt. Despite this, it mirrors the straightness of a normal sword.

"You're not my son!" he said as if he discovered something, "You're my grandson! You've the same potential to sacrifice yourself to become a god, my grandson!"

"A god? Why be one when you're surrounded with great friends?" I grabbed my sword and impaled this man in the chest.

I pulled out my sword and backed off from the man. Chrom stood back with me too and smiled at me.

"We did it, Alec," he said.

I suddenly saw the sorcerer charge a large dark ball of energy and was about to toss it at me. I quickly grabbed Chrom and pushed him to the left, dodging the black orb.

All of a sudden, everything turned white.

The background changed, and this time, I was in the middle of that same burning forest where those zombies attacked. Suddenly, I saw a group of zombie cavaliers not riding on horses, but wolves.

"Holy Shit!" I shouted, "Zombies riding on wolves?!"

* * *

**Reality**

"Gwah!"

I woke up to the morning sun... and an unexpected guest.

"Lissa?" I said, wiping my cheek as if it was bitten, "Also, why does my cheek hurt?"

"Well, I did that rubbery thing on your face to wake you up..."

"What?"

"Also... aside from telling you to wake up, you know that new book on tactics you had?"

"Did you do something to it?" I was visibly angry, causing Lissa to tremble.

"Er um... Can you not be mad please?"

I realized that I was about to shout at Lissa angrily. I also realized I've been too hard on her ever since she put that frog in my coat. I guess I got to take it easy on her.

"Fine..." I softened the expression on my face.

"Well, I tried to doodle on it with pen, but the ink spilled and it kinda messed up the whole book."

She clenched her eyes, bracing for my angry shout.

"Idid'treallymeantodoit, I'msosorry!"

I was fuming inside, but I tried my hardest not to burst out. I reeled in my lips and twitched madly. I think Lissa was a bit creeped out by me restraining my anger.

"Deep breaths," I said as I inhaled and exhaled.

"It's just a book, maybe I'll improvise on the battlefield," I said, "All's forgiven, my friend."

"Oh, um, okay," she said, relieved that I didn't outburst, "Phew."

**A/N**

**My first few chapters may have mostly comical scenes, but by the time it progresses, Alec's story will start to get more serious.**

**Alec and me both have serious fear of frogs. I can take looking at an image of a frog or looking at it behind a glass, but when someone presents me one up close, I just run for the hills.**


	6. Walls

**Chapter 5**  


Walls

_We were doing so fine. My strategy was to go through the left side and clear the enemy with each one of our people. Stahl, a late Shepherd, went first, slashing the first brigand in the front lines. I sent Chrom to finish the brigand and sent Sully with Frederick to defend them._

_The axe man on the other side managed to reach Stahl, but he was able to take one more blow before exchanging with a strong sword strike. I managed to finish off the brigand as Stahl had to recover. He went to Lissa, who healed his wounds. I then ordered him to move forward alongside the others. The mercenary he faced was more than enough, brutally wounding him. He tried to counterattack, but his sword missed._

_"Shit, Stahl, get back!" I ordered._

_The horse also suffered from a wound; a wound on his leg. I tried to help, but soldier's iron lance was plunged deep into my chest. I couldn't send Lissa, otherwise she'd die from a swarm of Risen. Sully lunged at the Mercenary, but he still survived and threw a brutal stab to her horse. Chrom dealt the final blow, but then more came in. If only Stahl had damaged the barbarian, then I would have set up a defensive position. The lance users would have died to Vaike, but he forgot his axe._

_"Stahl, Sully!"_

_"Alec... I'm so sorry that I'm so weak..." Stahl said sadly._

_"No! Get up, Stahl!" I pleaded._

_The swarm was too much for us to handle. I should have thought more carefully._

* * *

"Stahl!"

I woke up in my own tent at night. Everything was dark. It must be nighttime right now, so maybe I should hush my voice. I still wore my pajamas from the time I slept in my own personal room in Ylisstol palace. I got up, feeling groggy, yet not enough to fall asleep in due time. I remembered that we just did that mission without any casualties. Damages were quite high, but no casualties. I smiled, relieved to know that it was real. The dream. No, the nightmare, felt so real.

I grabbed the iron sword I pilfered from a Risen and went outside. Ylisstol was known to be humid, even at night, but being near Regna Ferox meant that the climate would soon change. Drastically.

Chrom assigned Stahl as the early morning patrol much to his discomfort. I saw Stahl patrolling the area, sword in hand. He had a bronze sword like me, which made me worry about next mission. I walked to Stahl slowly and called him with a hushed voice.

"Stahl!"

The green knight turned to me and quickly identified me.

"Alec, why are you up so late?" Stahl said, "Did a nightmare wake you?"

With a sigh, I replied back.

"Actually, yes."

"Can you tell me about it?" he said, "If you need a friend, you can always come to me."

I went to him and handed him my iron sword. I was really worried that the same thing that happened in my dream might happen to him in the next mission. If I remembered clearly, I selfishly held the iron sword for myself.

"Stahl... I had a nightmare about you dying during the northern road to Regna Ferox," I confessed.

"Oh... I'm so sorry to hear that," he was a bit nervous, "How did I die?"

I told him about the events of my dream, leaving the green knight in surprise from the gory details. Even if we just met at that battle, I just couldn't stand actually watching a stalwart comrade die in my hands.

"Even if I want to hone my swordsmanship, I'm putting your improvement above mine," I said, "I want you to train your precision and reaction speed, Stahl."

"I'm guessing I died due to my sluggishness, huh?" he said with a sad tone.

"Yeah, you're a strong person, excelling most of us in pure power and defense, but you still need to be more evasive if you want to survive more," I patted him on the shoulder, even if he was a bit taller than me, "Can I count on you?"

Stahl seemed confused at first, but he smiled confidently.

"You can definitely count on me, Alec," said Stahl.

I smiled and wished him good luck on his patrolling. I walked around the tents and silently scanned them to check if any of them were alive. To my relief, everyone was fine. Everyone slept well and soundly, though I did hear Lissa sleep talk a bit.

I was still not sleepy, so I decided to experiment with my music mediums again. I chose a random song on my list of music.

"Happyville?"

I clicked the screen and played a soft theme. It felt nostalgic for some reason. The track's melody was soft and gentle, but at the same time, merry and jolly. It felt like I haven't listened to this for so long. This was enough to get me to shed a tear on my eye. Where did such good music come from?

* * *

**Tomorrow**

"Alec~" a voice told me to wake up.

It sounded cute and sweet. Lissa?

"Alec, Chrom told me to wake you up," I opened my eyes and saw Sumia, without her armor and in her one piece combat dress. She looks much more attractive without armor.

"Oh, Sumia?"

Hello, Co-Captain Alec," she saluted, "It's time we start marching right now."

"Co-Captain?" I replied, raising my brow.

"You know, you're basically the second leader of the group, considering you're a tactician," she said.

"I see."

I got up from my little portable bed and took off my pajama shirt. I thought Sumia would have left already to tend to the others' needs, but when I took off my shirt, I realized she was still there. I felt a warm feeling on my face and covered my chest. Sumia nervously exited my tent.

"Sorry."

* * *

**Hours later**

During our travel, we managed to encounter that lost pegasus that Sumia was looking for. The pegasus just sat in the middle of the field, grazing the grass around her. When Chrom attempted to touch it, he was knocked back. Sumia intervened (entered with a trip) and calmed down the pegasus. We left her to take care of it, saying she will catch up with us soon.

Right now, we're near the border of Regna Ferox, shown through the snowy weather. When Lissa and I went shopping, I bought a purple scarf. I've a serious fashion sense for various situations. Everyone still wore armor, but Lissa and I chose out scarves for each person. We had one vacant, though we forgot exactly who.

"Brrr... it's cold," Lissa said.

Stahl walked up beside her.

"Stand near my horse, you'll be warmer that way," Stahl said.

She giggled before pinning herself to the horse. Stahl smiled happily as she saw her get warmer. Do I have to worry about this? I feel like a dad for some reason. Foreshadowing?

"So Alec, how come you prefer using magic with close combat techniques?" Miriel asked.

During the last battle, I fought together with Miriel and I did a spinning slash into a lunge with a lightning ball.

"I'm kinda bitter with indirect combat," I commented.

"Aren't you our tactician? You must always consider the more effecient route to success, no?" Miriel commented.

"I guess," I replied, "Mirel, since you're more experienced in magic, can I learn a bit of magic from you?"

"What do you wish to incorporate into your brain, Alec?" Miriel said with a smile as she presented a book.

I got out my own Thunder tome from my winter jacket.

"Well, I've always wondered if you can control the path of the lightning ball summoned with this Thunder tome," I said as I stared at the book, "Is it possible to control its path?"

"Why yes, but it's quite difficult even for a magician like me to control the path of the elemental sphere," Miriel said, "Have you rolled a spherical object before, but the object slowly turns to another direction rather than going straight forward?"

"Uhhh... Yes?"

"Okay then..."

* * *

**Feroxi Wall**

Hours and hours of lecturing from the living dictionary, Miriel, and I actually managed to control the path of my lightning ball. I wanted to learn how to use it in close combat more properly and Miriel said it was possible to bend the shape of the orb and hold it like a dagger. I tried to do it, but it proved too difficult for me to accomplish. Miriel herself can do it, but she has no close combat prowess.

"We're here, the border between Regna Ferox and Ylisse," Chrom said.

He turned to us with a stern look.

"While we have a large force, we're only excluding one person from this battle," Chrom said, "Alec, you decide the team formation and give us a plan."

"Alright," I said.

"We fight just in case parley is ineffective," Chrom said, "We have to set up a battle formation and strategy just in case."

I scanned the wall. The people with ranged weapons prepared their weapons and aimed carefully at us.

"Halt! Who dares approach Regna Ferox?" a female knight in dark green armor said.

"I'm Chrom, crown prince of Ylisse and we request an audience with the Khan," the prince replied.

"Prove it, underling," she said, "Are you really a part of the Exalt's bloodline?"

"My mark on my right shoulder proves otherwise," Chrom replied.

"It can just be any tattoo," she said with snark, "Ooh, I'm the Queen of Valm, so maybe I should talk with the Khan."

Wow, she's sarcastic and snarky. There's a word for that: bitch.

"Let us in, please," Chrom said, "We need an audience with the-"

"Silence, die!"

A hail of javelins and arrows was about to drop on Chrom. A white flash grabbed the prince, leaving a feather. The feather is too large for a bird. A pegasus? Sumia!

"Are you okay, Captain?" Sumia said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sumia," Chrom said as he unsheathed Falchion, "We've got a battle to win. Let's go!"

There were two doors on the east and west parts of the wall. Both of them guarded by Feroxi soldiers. Two archers and two soldiers on the east, two soldiers, a mercenary, and a knight on the west. Also, I think I saw a man in orange and white armor, or it might be the snow messing with my eyes.

Sumia wields an iron lance and rides on a pegasus. She's quick, yet delicate. Arrows can quickly kill an aerial unit like a pegasus quickly.

"Alec, considering our numbers, we have to leave one out for now," Chrom said.

I looked at Virion and sighed a sad sigh.

"Sorry buddy, as much as your strong, a strong magic cannon is needed at the moment,"

"Alright, if my tactician says so," Virion replied with a smile.

"Hey, Chrom..."

_"Hitch on Sumia's horse and attack the first soldier,"_

_This voice sounded like me, but at the same time, I didn't even say that. I might be going insane._

"Let me ride on Sumia's pegasus," I said, "Go to that man in the orange armor near the archers and convince him to be on our side. He looks like an ally."

"If you say so, Alec."

I equipped my sword and pointed to the soldier in the distance.

"Guys, since this isn't an intended battle, we must not kill the Feroxi, just incapacitate them."

"What's your plan, hoods?" Sully said.

"Sully, just aim for their limbs," I said, "We won't have Feroxi support if we kill their guard."

"I'll try not to kill them," Sully said with a confident smile.

"Hey, how about me?" that same voice from the shadows said.

"Who said that?"

I looked in front of me and saw a tall orange and white knight clad in heavy armor.

"This is Kellam," Chrom said, "He was in the Shepherds, but we forgot."

"Either bad leadership, or he's just not assertive with his presence,"

"I think I just don't speak loud enough," Kellam commented.

Poor him. He's the loner of the Shepherds, and what's worse is that he's oft forgotten by the Shepherds. He needed to be put up with someone.

"Sully, stay by Kellam's side," I commanded, "He can provide you bulky defense."

"I don't need someone protecting me, Co-Cap, but I still need some extra subduin' power,"

"Trust me, friend, I'd rather see you alive," I said calmly, smiling warmly, "Now go into the front lines!"

Stahl, Vaike, Miriel, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick were left. I should put Stahl up with Lissa after seeing her interaction with him.

"Lissa, hitch on Stahl's horse," I said.

"Gotcha!"

"Vaike, go with Miriel, be the second lead attacker,"

"Teach likes the sound of that."

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse and take the front line," I said.

"Wise choice, Alec," the blue knight replied.

Frederick and Kellam took the front lines, absorbing the damage and allowing the other less armored ones like me to attack. Sumia and I subdued the weakened soldiers swiftly, while the others did their job well. Sully managed to accurately hit their arms and legs without killing them. Stahl was bloodied, but he still tried his hardest to dodge incoming attacks. Lissa was there to heal him whenever he gets even more bloody. Vaike and Miriel proved to be quite an effective team, fusing brute force and focused magical attacks.

We managed to subdue the first garrison; Frederick taking the door key from the soldiers. I told Frederick to go to the door and open it for us. An armored knight greeted the horseback knight with an iron lance. Frederick attempted to guard, but Chrom, who stood beside him, parried the strike with his Falchion and attempted to throw a swing with his sword. The armor barely dented, but the knight was slightly knocked back.

"Vaike! Subdue the knight fighting Frederick and Chrom," I said.

"Gotcha," he said as he ran to the knight.

He ran recklessly to the knight, causing his hip to be cut by the lance. Though Vaike felt the pain, he could still react with an attack of his own. He grabbed his axe and chopped down the wooden handle. Good thinking, Vaike.

With this, Miriel saw an opening for her magic. What knights lacked were magic resistance and speed, so he had no time to dodge the bolt of fire from Miriel's palm. The damage was powerful, but he was still up and running.

"Sumia, charge at the knight, I'll handle this," I said.

"Sure thing,"

I grabbed my tome and formed the lightning ball with my palm. Miriel said that you had to compress the lightning; make the rest of the mass of energy spread into one single point by squeezing it. Just like squeezing a bug: it's juices spread out once a single point is compressed. If I managed to squeeze it at the right amount of might, then I could hold it like a normal dagger. Sumia dove in to the knight and I impaled it with the lightning dagger. I managed to weaken the attack as to sustain the knight rather than kill it.

Beyond the knight, I saw a mercenary, holding a normal sword, and another one far away. The leader of the guard has sturdier defense than the other knight, so normal swords and axes won't promise much damage. I've to get Vaike to pilfer the hammer from the fighter far west. I sent in Stahl to fight the first mercenary.

I'm putting all my hope into Stahl.

Stahl still fought with the same iron sword I gave him. He got one hit on the fighter on the sword fighter, but after a lengthy battle of exchanging sword swings, Stahl received more than he dealt.

"Your swings are too average, knight," the mercenary said, "That sword may be strong, but can you even swing accurately?"

Whenever I talked to Stahl, he usually told himself he's average or he'd talk about food.

I thought I saw Stahl wince from that comment. He had a forlorn look on his face.

Lissa attempted to heal her friend, but she was punched off of Stahl's horse by the fighter.

"You don't fight to survive, knight," his opponent said, "You fight for her? No wonder why you improve slowly."

She was about to get executed by the fighter. She screamed in fear and attempted to guard herself with her staff.

"In Regna Ferox, the strong survive! The weak are but liabilities."

I tried to intervene, but an unlikely person guarded Lissa. His armor managed to soften most of the blow, but the axe still managed to cut his shoulder. Stahl was the defender.

"Stahl?!" Lissa screamed.

"So what?"

Stahl may not be a perfect knight, he may be slow, he may be inaccurate sometimes, but his core strength comes from his humility and selflessness. He's much more determined to make someone much more happier than he is. He expects no reward, though if food is involved, maybe he will. He clenched his sword with his right and grabbed the handle with his left despite his injury.

"I don't care if I grow stronger or as strong as the others,"

"Huh?"

I smiled at his selflessness and nodded. Sumia wondered why I didn't order her to help. I know when people need help and when people don't.

"Co-Captain!" she said, "Why aren't you helping Stahl?"

I smiled as I crossed my arms.

"Stahl doesn't need help right now," I pointed to Lissa, "She's enough help to him."

"What are you talking about, Alec?"

The only thing Stahl needed was to improve himself not only through self training, but to discover something worth fighting for.

"My strength is not based on me alone, Feroxi," Stahl shouted, "I fight so tomorrow, my friends and I will be there and laugh. I fight so I can see Lissa smile at me again, even if I'm clumsy or in denial of my own talents."

"Absurd!"

"My friends are my strength, and I am theirs!"

He grabbed his sword and slashed the mercenary's sword arm, forcing the fighter to drop his sword and to his knees.

"Stahl..." I said as I walked to him.

"Alec? Why didn't you help me?" he said weakly.

"You didn't need it. You're right, fighting for others is better than fighting for yourself," I said, I turned to the rest of the enemies, "Rest, the friends you fight for will now fight for you."

"Thanks," Stahl said.

The fighter with the hammer charged at us. Chrom took the offensive and debilitated him. Vaike, following orders, subdued the axe man by whacking him with the flat part of his axe. Vaike grabbed the hammer and lifted it with ease despite its weight. The blunt part is good against knights. Chrom's rapier is also a strong anti-armor, utilizing its thin and sharp point to pierce through the heavy armor. Vaike is a better option.

"Alright Teach, that hammer is useful against knights," I said, "Use it on the leader."

"Good way of addressing the Vaike, Alec," he said as he charged to the knight.

More fighters came in from the east. Going through what Miriel taught me, I tried to arc the direction of my Thunder orbs. I formed a ball of electricity on my right palm and slapped the ball to make it spin toward the right. I summoned a myriad of magical circles and text around me as I propelled the ball into the air. I think I shot it to far, seeing it zoom through the clouds in a matter of seconds.

The female knight proved herself to be sturdy. She managed to hold against one hammer strike from Vaike, though it left her badly damaged. Vaike took a spear blow from the female knight, but he still endured while smiling cockily. Chrom, riding on Frederick's horse, charged into the fray. Chrom grabbed his rapier, held in another holster, and threw a powerful lunge at the knight. The knightess knelt on the floor, pulling out the rapier slowly. Chrom and the others were surprised from her durability. She gritted her teeth into a somewhat creepy smile.

"Don't think your weapons will be enough to down me," she said, "I am Raimi, the green shield of the Feroxi border. No hammer or rapier will end me quick."

She quickly grabbed her lance and swatted Chrom with the blunt end, knocking him back. Chrom was fazed for a bit, giving Raimi time to finish him. She ran toward him with the average speed of a running man (man she's strong) and when she got close, she spun her lance before lunging it into Chrom. Before the tip could sever the blue blood's clothing, a lightning ball from the sky crashed into the green knightess.

"So that's where my electric ball was?"

"And it appears that you've controlled the path by spinning it." Miriel noted.

"Thanks for teaching me, Miriel," I said.

"Your claims are true, Prince Chrom..." she said weakly.

* * *

**Feroxi Palace**

Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and I went to the throne room to meet the Khan. To our surprise (mostly Chrom's), the Khan, Flavia, was not only a female, but one of the Khans. She isn't the ruling one at the moment, and she had to win a tournament held every year. Fortunately, the tournament is in a few days, and Flavia allowed the Shepherds to be her representatives, yet only six contestants are allowed on each team.

I had to choose wisely.

I can use Chrom and Frederick to team up with each other, making a sturdy and strong combination. I think Kellam and Stahl should work, fusing both physical defense and power. I guess I'll be put up with Sumia, using her agility and my magical range to clear out any knights or fighters quick.

As I wandered through the halls, I continued to ponder on a plan.

* * *

**Alec's Room**

I didn't read anything, even if a tactician would spend most of his time reading books based on strategy. I bought an empty book and decided to doodle a bit on it. I'm not the best artist, but I can still draw a decent humanoid shape. I decided to draw a deformed Lissa and Stahl, holding hands. I sighed with a smile, yet it shifted into a frown.

I feel so alone. Am I really desperate for love? Sumia has obvious feelings for Chrom, but I found myself intrigued by her. It felt wrong to take away Sumia from my friend. Sully may be hottie with a body, but I don't feel that way for her, and Kellam, who's alone and usually forgotten, needs a person to be by his side. I think that not all of my team in the future will be destined with someone. Miriel may have helped me, but I don't think our feelings would be mutual, and she would prioritize research over her spouse.

I really am. I am desperate for love.

I looked at my paper and saw that I've written down my thoughts unconsciously. I scratched the names out immediately to avoid any embarrassing moments.

*knock knock*

I nearly fell back, but I was glad I grabbed the edge of my desk in time.

"It's me, Sumia," the voice called.

"Come in."

Sumia wandered in, looking at my room. My room is a bit messy, but not enough to attract ants.

"Hey there," she said, "I just wanted to thank you for assisting me in battle."

Her eyes radiate with a dark brown, similar to her brownish hair. Dammit, she's not wearing her armor. Without armor, large amounts of her skin is shown.

"Your welcome, Fumbles," I chuckled from saying her nickname.

She puffed her cheek and stomped toward me.

"Why do you call me Fum-" she suddenly tripped on nothing, much to my horror.

"Dang, I think it should have been Tumbles," I said to myself.

I helped her up and she dusted off her dress.

"You know, Alec, I see that you're writing something," Sumia commented, looking at my book.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"What are you writing about?" she said with a glint of interest in her eyes.

"Well... uh," I looked away, scratched the back of my head, and mumbled a bit.

"Pardon?"

"I'm trying my hand in writing a romance?"

Sumia's face seemed to express jubilant interest. She walked to my desk and grabbed my paper. Immediately embarrassed, I snatched the paper from her hands.

"Alec, that was rude!" she said.

"It's my paper, I never said you could read it," I said, "At least ask."

"Fine. May I read it?"

"You may," I replied in a cooled tone.

She grabbed it and scanned through it.

"Whoa, this is actually pretty good," she said with a smile.

"Seriously?"

"Alec, I never knew you had some literary talent," she said.

She widened her eyes and turned away from me. She seemed to be in a contemplative pose. Seconds passed and she turned back to me.

"Do you want me to help you in finishing the story?" she asked, holding her hands together as if she's praying.

"Er..." This is kinda embarrassing, "Alright, fine."

"YES! We should start plotting tomorrow," she said with optimistic fire.

She walked out of my room and before closing the door, she looked out through the crack.

"Good night, Alec~," she closed the door.

I sighed, but I found myself smiling from Sumia's bubbly personality. The piece I wrote was accidentally written by me aimlessly writing my thoughts. I just wonder how this story will end.

**I have such a tendency to ship tease. Stahl and Lissa are pretty cute together, and it may end up with them together.**

**Will there be drama with love choices? I don't know.**

**If you see all of these teases, be aware that it won't end up in a harem.**

**On my first Hard Playthrough, I got hitched with Sumia because she's just adorable and her supports with MU are much more mutual than one-sided. ChromxSumia is cute, but their supports would've been written better. Too much of Sumia just giving pies out!**

**By this time, I got aware of the genetics technique with passing down certain skills to your children *cough* Galeforce. I married Olivia in my normal mode file and got her to become a Dark Flier to make Inigo and Morgan OP. I decided to go for Sumia because I've been putting her up with Chrom many times and I'm not too fond of Cordelia (Galeforce plus actual developing love). **

**Also, I find it stupid that Cordelia keeps her feelings for Chrom unrequited, and I really don't get why she would keep it unrequited. 3 (4 if you count F!MU) other ladies can be shipped with the prince for Pete's sake.**

**While I write, I always listen to music based on the mood of the current situation. I was really stressed the time I wrote Alec's dream of Stahl dying in the battle at the Northern road to Ferox, but I listened to the song "Happyville" to calm myself down. I nearly shed a tear as the song finished due to the nostalgia.**

**The memories of Stahl dying were based on the first times I attempted to finish the Shepherds Chapter.**

**Enough with the feels talk. I appreciate any legitimate (and rational) comments (No Spam!) and have a great day.**


	7. Are you a girl or a boy?

**Chapter 6**

Are you a girl or a boy?

******A/N: Note that sometimes I'll skip certain game chapters as to not make this a whole retelling of the story. Also, I don't own the game and it belongs to Intelligence Systems. If I did own it, I'd modify Chrom and Sumia's support dialogue *grumble*. PIES! GRAGH!**

**2nd Day until tournament day**

We spent the whole morning and early afternoon training rigorously. After scanning the opponents, my chosen people were Frederick, Chrom, Kellam, Stahl, Lissa, and myself.

Frederick provides both good mobility and power, fusing with Chrom's already potent sword power. Kellam and Stahl seem to have a potential bond, but also a strong synergy of durability and strength. Most of the opponents have axes and lances, so the first few opponents can be handled well by Stahl and Chrom. The armored knights are butter to me, as I can use magic and my mobility. Lissa will of course be our medic, as the fighters, though inaccurate, are still strong to heavily damage Chrom and Stahl.

My arms feel like complete butter. Frederick lives up to his knight code of diligence when he trained us for the upcoming battle. These training sessions could break a wyvern as noted by Lissa.

Frederick gave Chrom and I a lesson in swordplay. While I had the edge in analysing weak spots, Chrom's years of training equalled my accuracy. In the end, Chrom would win most of the spars. I also sparred with Stahl, which mostly ended with me the winner. Stahl has power and defence, making it up for a lack of speed. His strikes are strong, even catching me off balance when we clash blades, but I used my agility to overcome his strength.

Lissa had to go through athletic training to improve her reaction and recovery speed. She ran many laps around a building for her regimen.

In the end, we found deep bliss from resting in our beds at early nightfall. It took an hour to get my arms back in action. That meant I stared into the ceiling for literally an hour. As promised by Sumia, she came to visit me to help me with my story.

Today, I used some of my gold to buy a new set of "home clothes". I wore a black sleeveless shirt with slim pants. Though Sumia didn't train as hard, she still did to keep up her physique and she wore a purple short skirted dress with white stockings.

"So, wanna start working on that novel?" she said.

I smiled and grabbed her a seat beside the desk and pat it, showing that she's allowed to sit on it. She sat down beside me and both of us grabbed a quill resting on a bottle of ink.

"Let's brainstorm the plot, Alec," Sumia said, "That little piece you wrote is a good cornerstone to brainstorm a plot."

"Yeah, let's do it."

We took turns skimming the paper I wrote my thoughts into. Just looking at it gives me both the feeling of regret and embarrassment. I just can't believe that I actually wrote down my thoughts. After a few minutes, the klutzy pegasus knight spoke up.

"Well, I have characters planned out for the story. Though I have a proposal for the plot."

"I'm all ears," I replied.

"The main character is a leader of a little group of vigilantes and sell swords that fight for both money and to seek justice based on their leader's. The leader, though a brave and very cunning leader, finds himself indirectly pairing people up by assigning them to partners as part of his strategy to win. But once he starts to work together with his squad, he realizes that he has certain feelings for the girls in his troupe."

"Doesn't that kind of sound like our little struggle?" I replied with a raised brow.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a dense girl," she was on the verge of tears.

"I never said I didn't take your idea into consideration," I replied with a smile, "Besides, that idea is the closest thing we have from these notes."

"Really?"

"Don't beat yourself up too hard, Sumia," I said, "As a Shepherd, you can always come to me for help if that pleases you."

Sumia smiled softly and nodded.

"Awww, thanks."

"Now let's go to character names..."

"Wait, before we think up of them," Sumia said, "Are you by any chance a womanizer?"

Widened eyes and a twitching left eye was my response. Where did she think up of this?

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about," I said nervously.

"I heard from Lissa that you were checking out Sully when you first saw her," Sumia replied.

"Look, she has a body, but I'm in no way trying to court her, Tumbles," I said.

"Sorry about these questions, Alec, but I read some of the history books about the Jugdral history," Sumia said, "You have a liking to the color green, and you seem to like woman."

"I haven't got into that, but I have read the Elibe history," I replied, "I thought you would compare me more to the Green Lance, Sain."

"Well, you do use swords most of the time..." Sumia noted.

"Good point."

We then continued to ponder to the creation of characters. For some reason, I found this easy in my clouded memories, but right now, it was difficult. Sumia spoke up first again.

"Here, the main character should be smart, yet has an average build like you," she said.

"What will his name be?"

"I think it should be Mark."

"I like that name. For some reason, it feels so close to me," I commented, "It's like I had a friend named Mark in my shrouded past."

Sumia nodded with a smile. It was my turn to blurt out an idea.

"Hey, I have an idea for the 'heroine' of the story," I put out two fingers on each hand and curled them with each syllable said from 'heroine'.

"Really now? Let me hear it."

* * *

**Tournament Day**

We woke up early and did our usual training regimen, only slightly toned down as to not enter exhausted into battle. The battle started at noon, so we only had a few hours to train.

I took an earlier break than the others, as I had to think of my strategies. While most tacticians in Ylisse's history had large armies and usually had high death rates, I found myself preferring a small force, but not letting any of my single friends die. That dream of Stahl dying due to my incompetence is what drives me to make stronger and more cautious strategies. Even with this, I can forget even the smallest things sometimes, like how Chrom's Falchion is actually an eternal weapon meant to be wielded by those with Exalted blood. I had to be reminded twice about it.

If I forget my plan, I may as well improvise.

After reading a few books, I decided to look at my comrades-in-arms. Kellam, who has no weapon, is training his agility by having Frederick attempt to stab him with a training spear. He has to learn how to avoid magic bolts. Stahl too was training in agility training, but it's not for his evasiveness only, but his attack speed.

An hour of training past and it was time for the tournament. If I remember correctly, Flavia and the other Khan had to have their own host of champions from different areas. They can't fight themselves, nor anyone related to them, or it would lead to a blood feud. For a realm of fighters, they sure are sane. Much more sane than the King of Plegia.

I grabbed my trusty bronze sword and thunder tome and joined Chrom and the others into the stadium.

The room before the battlefield was dark, lit up by torches. Two muscly guards blocked the way to the door, signalling when it's time to come out. I turned to my fellow comrades and discussed the plan, with the help of a map I sketched.

"Okay, so Chrom and I will be at the front and four of you will be at the back..."I said, "I call this plan, Halftime.

"Halftime?" Stahl said.

"I'll show you why it's called Halftime..." I smiled with the confidence of a hawk diving into its prey, "in battle."

* * *

**Arena Ferox**

It's our time to shine. I grabbed my sword, put on my music mediums, and played one of the more energetic tones at a reasonable level. The crowd cheered as we entered, fighting against the other Khan's own champions. What I found really unfair was the fact that our opponent had more champions than us. We should have used the whole fighting Shepherd army for the Gods' sake, but rules are rules...

I looked at the end of the stadium and saw the man (or cross-dressing lady), Marth, leering at me behind that strange butterfly mask. I don't know why, but I just have an innate discomfort against him.

"You, Marth!" Chrom said.

"..." Silence.

"Where did you get that sword?" Chrom demanded.

"Why don't we let our blades talk?" Marth finally replied as he unsheathed his blade.

Chrom summoned his Falchion and entered his fighting stance. What I noticed was that Marth mirrored Chrom's fighting style.

"Marth, are you by any chance-"

He zoomed in toward Chrom, completely ignoring my question. Chrom managed to block his attack and counter with a swing of his own. The masked fighter managed to clash with the other Falchion, which lead him to attempt another swing. After a few exchanges of swings and parries, Chrom and Marth finally clashed their blades and tried hard to push each other away through their swords.

"Where did you learn how to fight like that?" Chrom said.

Marth managed to push away Chrom's sword and did a quick spin with an outward slash. The prince managed to duck from the strike, avoiding the counter attack completely. Marth then sprung high into the air and did the similar multi-front-flip jump slash that Chrom used. Chrom attempted to block, but I quickly sprung into action by guarding him with my sword. He was quite strong, causing me to slide back a bit. When he leapt off the ground, he attempted to attack me, but Chrom jumped in and clashed his Falchion with the other Falchion.

"My father!"

I took this opportunity to blast him with lightning, but the masked man did a back flip as soon as the projectile was a few millimeters close to her.

"I don't care if you're a man or a woman, 'Marth', you'll fall to the might of our bonds."

I think I saw her irk a bit, but my mind is focused on winning this battle. If we don't win, Ylisse is outnumbered by Plegia's high numbers.

"I'm a man."

Following my strategy, my team moved to the west part of the stadium. The fighter made a mistake for being positioned away from his other teammates. He found himself being ganked by the fused powers of Frederick, Chrom, Stahl, and Kellam. Frederick initiated with his bronze sword, with Stahl and Chrom delivering the finishing blow. The Feroxi was incapacitated, and so we moved on, but not without the eastern forces attempting to follow us.

The mage on the east approached us with his tome ready. Chrom, riding with Frederick, unsheathed his Falchion and swung as the Cold Lieutenant rushed past him. The mage was still alive albeit heavily injured, so Kellam had the chance to toss his javelin at the weakened mage.

"Fighter's coming close from the west," I called to Kellam.

"Gotcha," he responded with a smile from his blank face.

Stahl and Kellam took a few steps to the east and prepared defensive positions. The fighter took a huge leap and swung down on Stahl, finding him the less sturdier one. Stahl managed to hop back from the attack, but the fighter still wanted seconds. He charged a short distance toward Stahl, but he was blocked by the invisible wall known as Kellam.

"Back. Off." Kellam's voice is usually gentle, but Kellam sounds extremely stern when he defended Stahl.

The white and orange knight pummeled the axe man with his shield, giving time for Stahl to swing at him. The Viridian Knight charged in and threw a strong swing at his axe arm's shoulder, causing the fighter to immediately yield.

"Good job, partne-" Stahl's horse was suddenly stabbed by an iron lance. Despite this, the horse proved to be as sturdy as Stahl, managing to stand with rugged effort.

I grabbed my tome and sword and charged at the knight. Underneath the metal hood, I heard a cocky laugh, possibly from me using my bronze sword against his lance.

"You sure you want to face me?"

"Yes."

He walked slowly to me, attempting to lunge me with his lance. *cough* Phrasing.

"Taste my lance, scrawny!"

"Phrasing!"

He shot his lance to me, but I dodged it fluidly. The lance dodging training with Frederick paid off, especially when he used a real lance for it (I failed 10 times and counting and I can still feel some of the scars). I did a horizontal slash to his shield arm, but the sword bounced off as expected. I quickly grabbed my tome and dropped my sword. I clenched my fist as I felt magical power surge into it. I reeled in my arm and pointed my palm toward the armored man, shooting a ball of electricity at him. The man fritzed from the magical power of the spell, but still stood with rugged effort.

"It's time to use my Shooting Lance attack!" the knight shouted as he looked like he was about to tackle.

*ahem* "PHRASING!"

I was about to grab my tome and use it to fire a bolt of lightning at him before he charged, but he already came in like a bull. He was doing a flying headbutt that was horrifying yet somewhat comical. The weight of his armor and the speed of that headbutt agonized my whole body. By the time my body was on the ground, he was also laying on the ground and seemed to have a hard time getting up. I attempted to get up, but my whole skeletal system felt shattered. I can't stand up, and there isn't anyone nearby to help me but-

"Lissa?!"

I saw her standing in front of me, holding her staff in some sort of battle formation.

"This time, I'll protect you."

"Are you daft?" I shouted weakly, "You can barely even damage that knight. Just heal me now."

"No. It's time I returned the favor," she said with a stubborn tone.

I chuckled for a bit. I still have my tome in my left hand, so I decided to use whatever limited movement I had to use the tome.

"Hey, Liss, come here quick, I need to do something to your staff for a bit."

Thanks to some lessons with Miriel, I managed to learn how to enchant my weapons with lightning. If I used stronger tomes, than the electricity will most likely backfire on the wielder of the enchanted weapon. The thunder tome was perfect for enchanting. Lissa seems strong enough to handle a few volts of electricity.

"What is it?" she ducked down to my downed body.

"Your staff..." I grabbed it from her hands and put my tome on it.

A few bolts of electricity danced around her staff. If I succeeded, the full power of a thunder spell would be applied to the weapon.

"Go, before he gets up," I smiled weakly, "Swing it as hard as you can."

She looked at the electrified staff and nodded to me with a serious smile. The knight was struggling to get on his feet; enough time for Lissa to strike. She raised her staff above her head.

_Suddenly I saw an axe man slice the poor pigtail girl in half. Her guts spilled out like a water pipe, broken from a storm. I think my heart just stopped for 5 minutes. Please let this be a dream!_

"Lissa!" I shouted, but I think I heard another man shout the same thing I did.

Stahl's horse suddenly appeared, leaping above me. I looked at where he was jumping to and discovered he was about to strike the axe man pursuing Lissa. When he landed, Stahl rushed toward the ax man while doing a little twirl with his sword. When he got close, he pulled his arm close to his chest and finally swung it right when he hit him. The horse stood on its right legs, leaning toward the fighter.

With this, Lissa finished off the knight with her electrified staff. Shoot, I forgot to warn her about the frailty of-

*crack!*

The knight was knocked out, but at the cost of her staff. I think I heard her sniffle from the sight of her broken staff. She dropped her remnants to the ground and knelt to the ground. I feel so weak, I can't even move my whole body so I can come to her and comfort her. I heard another fighter charge in from the northwest. The vulnerable Lissa was approached by the green knight Stahl. On his left hand, another staff was there. The pigtailed girl grabbed it and hugged it like a teddy bear.

"Thanks Stahl," she said with a smile.

"Always here to help," he said with his usual smile.

"Stahl! Behind you!" I shouted.

The messy haired knight looked behind him, but the fighter was already high up into the air. Once he drops, he can't be stopped, unless-

"Surprise!"

A javelin from nowhere shot into the airborne fighter and pinned him down to the ground as soon as the arc ended. Kellam was the javelin thrower, and the would-be killer of Lissa and Stahl. That fighter won't be able to get up, as shown through those sword wounds.

"We'll never let them get you guys," Stahl said.

"Even though I'm always forgotten, I'll never forget about the importance of my friends," Kellam added as he bent down and gave me a hand.

With the strength of Kellam, I got up instantly, but still felt sore. I stumbled a bit, but Stahl caught my fall. With a giggle, Lissa shone her staff on me and restored the functionality of my bones and muscles. It felt so good to be healed back to full health. With these guys at my side, I think I may not be alone anymore.

"Alright! I can see victory in our grasp!"

With a flash of my sword, I pointed toward the girl, I mean man, on the edge of the stadium. Frederick and Chrom made good progress with the guards and is standing by for orders. Victory is close.

**Author's Note**

**My favorite lord will always be Hector. Lyn is second, because she's the first lord I played (+ I was always a sucker for flashy speedy slashes), but Hector IS the badass lord of FE7. Fuck starting with swords, Hector isn't one of your beltway pansy lords. He could rip Nergal in two with his bare hands, so don't fuck with this lord. As much as I like swords (a lot), I like lords that equip a different weapon from the start more. (Because of this dialogue, I can already imagine Validar showing his immunity to lethality with Dragonskin, son.)**

**After watching Kjelle do a bunch of Lunas and watching a bunch of Archer lately, I just found myself wanting to implement Alec's more silly attitude with the usage of the word "phrasing" .**

**I guess I may update once or twice a week depending on my progress with writing.**

**Any reviews are appreciated, and have a great day.**


	8. An Eye for Music

**Chapter 7**

Eye for music

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. Also Warning: Bad Pun incoming.**

With the bronze sword on my hand, and the thunder tome on my left, I'm ready to pretty much face anything in this stadium. A litter of incapacitated warriors lay on the tiles of the platform. Marth and a few of the other warriors were left, with all of us Shepherds standing firm.

I grabbed my touch tablet from my pocket and picked a fitting song for this.

"Sirius!"

I feel so fired up. The presence of my friends feels like a burning inferno that drives my blood to volcanic levels. This passion from this song ignites my soul and makes me invigorated and inspired.

"Alright, let's go, Sheps!"

Lissa followed me to help Chrom, while Kellam and Stahl took out the remaining soldiers approaching from the other side. Chrom and Frederick managed to weaken the knight and fighter ganking on them, but I intervened with a high leap (boosted by Stahl's horse). I shot a powerful ball of electricity at the knight, shooting me upward slightly. I did a front flip after launching myself with the electric ball and threw a strong downward slash to the axe fighter. I managed to slice his shield arm as I hypothesized. The damage was quite deep, but not enough to dismember it, causing the fighter to force himself to cover his wound. I then threw a thrusting stomp to his chest, dropping him to the ground.

"You sure know how to make an entrance, Alec," Chrom commented with a smile.

"Thanks, buddy," I said with a goofy grin.

Both the prince and I looked at the masked man, holding his sword with strong resolve. I leered at the man and grabbed my own bronze sword.

"Hey, Alec," the green haired man said beside me.

"Yeah, Stahl?"

"If you need a sword to fight him, you can borrow the sword you gave," he said as he handed me the iron sword.

"Thanks, Stahl," I said with a smile.

"You'll be fine, I know it."

Both of us approached the masked man and we both entered our battle stance.

"So, who is your father? How did you get that sword?" Chrom asked Marth.

"..."

"Marth, may I ask you something?" I said in a serious yet inquisitive voice.

"What?"

"Are you a girl?"

"...No."

I think I saw his neck turn a bit red from embarrassment. A girl or just someone who's androgynous?

With nary a word, Chrom initiated with his plunging aerial attack, which was guarded by Marth's Falchion, though he had to struggle a bit to push away the sword. Chrom threw a massive horizontal swing, countered by an upward slash with Marth's sword. Considering that they seem to share the same sword style, Marth may have the upper hand due to being much more agile than Chrom. I had to intervene.

I charged an electric spell with my Thunder tome, but realized that the book was overflowing with electricity. This power felt massive before, but it also felt like its last.

_For when something is about to crumble to pieces, it shall exude its last flash of great of power_

I remember that from my misty memories. I don't know where or when it came from in my memories. But I think this quote shows that this tome is about to crumble. The circles and otherworldly text surrounded me. The lightning ball I formed was now 3x larger, but I couldn't let its life be so short. I grabbed it in my left hand, dropping my tome onto the ground. I held it as if I held a dagger, and through Miriel's teachings, I formed a lightning lance that was 3x bigger than the one I used at the knight. I could use this as a secondary sword.

Chrom and Marth still locked themselves in clashes of steel, but Marth managed to exploit him and threw a powerful fist to his chest. He was about to execute Chrom in cold blood, but I dashed in and clashed blades with him.

"You!" she shouted, "How dare you misjudge my appearance with my sex!"

Though I'm not much of a sword fighter as Chrom is, I still used agility and improvisation to equal her speed and technique. Plus, I also had the help of my lightning sword, which added to much more swings than the two-handed Marth. Even with this, Marth's swifter and cleaner technique overcame my cautious and analyzing swings.

Right when he was about to do his downward diagonal slash to her right, I spun my iron sword on my right hand until it was dagger grip and swung to my right with both swords, parrying the strike and slashing Marth with my lightning blade, electrifying him. I swung to my left, this time holding my sword at normal grip, managing to get in two strikes, tearing some of his clothes and gouging out blood from the wounds. I was about to throw my finishing strike, but Marth threw a lunge at my left arm. My bicep cringed from the Falchion's tip slicing my arm. The lightning blade dissipated and the shock of my arm getting injured caused me to stumble back a bit. My sword fell out of my hand, leaving me weaponless. I don't know if I'm crazy or not, but I think that Marth's tip is much stronger than the edges.

"Ah crap."

"It's over!"

I then saw Marth reel in his blade and spun around once. He was about to swing at me with a powerful horizontal swing. Seeing through his swing path, I stomped my right hand into the ground, halting my stumble. I ducked and dashed forward to Marth. I heard him utter a "Huh?" as I threw an uppercut to his face. The mask still stayed on him, but I still saw some blood and spit launch out of Marth's mouth from my fist. The masked man fell on his back. He held on to his sword and pinned it to the ground. He slowly pulled himself up, but she was visited by my iron sword, a few centimeters by his mask. With grit teeth, he unearthed his sword and threw a powerful swing at me with his sword. Ah crap, I need to recover my stamina after that heated clash.

"GRAAAGH!"

My right eye suddenly saw a surge of red before sinking into a horrifying black. Is Marth really this brutal? I saw him reel his sword back into a stabbing formation, with his left hand out. While I was knocked back from that agonizing slash, I managed to plant my right foot on the arena floor and charge back. I quickly ducked down as I dashed through the lunging blade and threw a brutal body blow. This fazed the masked man heavily, causing him to fall to his knees, but momentarily stunned, only using the Falchion to keep him up.

I panted hard from that heated battle and put my right hand on my right eye to prevent the bleeding. Holy shit it hurts so much. I have to run away from Marth in case he can get up.

"You... dastard!" Marth shouted as he got to his feet, using the Falchion as a boost.

As he got back on his two feet, he launched forward as if he was an arrow being shot out of a bow. The ground that he rooted his feet on were slightly cracked from propelling himself to me. Marth is no ordinary swordsman or man at all.

"Huwooooargh!"

Chrom ran to Marth and threw a powerful left-handed clothesline at Marth, pushing him away me. The mask sure is sturdy. I was in no condition to fight at the moment, exhausted from Marth's continuous swings.

"Lissa!" I called for the cleric.

I watched as Marth recovered from that clothesline and grabbed his sword. The mask had a bit of a crack on it, but what I noticed was Marth's 'toned-down' stance.

Chrom seemed to have the upper hand now that Marth has been hit in the head multiple times, brutally. His swings were much more 'dull' and 'exhausted', giving Chrom the upper hand. He finally threw a powerful swing that spanned from his shoulder to his waist, revealing a nasty tear in his coat. Marth fell with a spin and ended with him lying down face down.

"I'm... impressed... Chrom," he weakly said.

Before I could see more further, the amount of blood that surged out of my eye caused me to pale significantly. Due to this, I passed out from large blood loss. Both eyes are absorbed in darkness, I fell into a deep dark trance. The last thing I could see legibly was the pigtails cleric's staff shining with green light.

"...-lec! Ale-!"

* * *

**A few minutes after the battle**

Well it all ended well: we won the tournament, we beat Marth, we didn't kill a single person, and also, we got the help of the Feroxi soldiers!

I woke up with my wounds healed by Lissa. Because of that attack on my eye, my right eye lost its ability to see, so I wore an eyepatch to cover it.

Flavia, the new ruling Khan, showed a much more girlier side from our victory.

"I'd gladly support Ylisse with Feroxi troops. I'm going to prepare our celebration~" she giggled, much to my amusement, as she left with a girly skip.

Chrom and I looked at each other. I had a more silly looking grin, while Chrom had a bit of a disturbed look.

"You know, Flavia is kind of cute," I commented with a smirk.

"But she's so... ugh," I think Chrom is mentioning her musculature, "Also, why are you wearing that eyepatch?"

We suddenly heard footsteps to our right. A large dark skinned man towered Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, and I. He has one eye and seems to wear Warrior garbs.

"That was a pretty nice match there, Chrom!" he said in a jolly voice as he patted his back, "We should bring royalty to our tournaments more!"

"Hey Crews, who are you?" Why did I call him Crews?

"Crews? I'm Basilio, the West Khan you rudely removed from power."

"You sound so mellow about it," I commented, "Did you want it back?"

He laughed gleefully as he put his arm around my shoulders and pat me on my left shoulder.

"That fight showed who deserved more power. I couldn't have been more proud being taken out of power from such strong fighters!"

"So, Basilio, how did you encounter Marth?" Chrom asked.

Basilio scratched his bald head and looked upward, thinking of how he met the man.

"I think he was a sellsword of some sorts," he said, "When he heard about you entering the tournament, he immediately challenged my current champ and replaced him."

"So, where is Marth?" I asked.

"Oh, he just left, and he told you that he'd cut you down the next time you call him a girl," he pointed to me.

"You seriously think he's a girl?" Lissa said, "How could you not know the tales of Hero-King Marth?"

"I tried reading Akaneian stories, but I found more interest in the Elibean histories."

"Alright, kid, enough with the history lesson," Basilio said, "For beatin' my team of warriors, I'd like to give you my previous champ."

The sound of footsteps were heard from the left. What approached us was a tall man with black spiky hair. He wears some form of Eastern-styled garb and carries a katana. The looks on his face expresses emptiness yet something terrible hidden.

"I'd like you to have Lon'qu join in your journeys," Basilio said with a smile.

"..."

"He's quite the strong and silent type," Lissa commented as she walked toward him.

Lon'qu eyed the lady and his eyes widened. He leered at her with a glare that could pierce even a wyvern's skin.

"Away woman!"

Surprised, Lissa took a step back from the sudden action.

"Lon'qu, are you by any fac-"

"Oh, Lon'qu just cringes at the sight of a woman," Basilio said with a hearty laugh.

I put a fist on my hip and raised a brow.

"So he's gay?"

"Alec!" Chrom shouted to me.

"Sorry..."

Lon'qu only shook his head in disappointment. Fear of women don't usually mean they're gay... right? For some reason, my foggy memory has scratched records of my society having openly homosexual romances. Not that I have anything against them. I just like girls more than guys, but I still can judge the attractiveness of a man.

"So, do you have no objections to your recruitment, Lon'qu?" Chrom asked the swordsman.

"You give the orders, and I stab your opponent. I think our roles are clear, Chrom."

With a smile, Chrom welcomed him to the Shepherds with open arms.

"Welcome to the Shepherds, Lon'qu."

* * *

**Feroxi Palace**

Everyone in the Shepherds were laughing, talking, and basically celebrating to their victory in a jolly manner. The only thing I could do right now was give a small smile, but the pain of my damaged eye was too great. The adults were mostly drinking ale, mainly Vaike who attempted to be the spotlight by chugging a whole cask. I didn't mind his little play of attention, only eating the deliciously fresh cooked meat and corn the party offered. Compared to almost all the people, I was lonely in the crowd, even as a highly praised tactician. I just put my headphones (A little memory jog recognized it as is) on and listened to relaxing music, away from the party.

"Missing you..." I uttered the music's title.

I really wanted to learn how to play that mysterious instrument with the slightly high pitched noise. From what I heard from the bards in Chrom's castle, it sounded like a stringed instrument. I want to learn that instrument some day. As the piece ended, I paused the song and saw Sumia standing in front of me, not wearing her armor.

"Sumia?"

"Oh, hi Alec, I was wondering where you were, so I looked for you," she said with a smile.

"Thanks for the concern, Sumia," I replied, "We definitely need a kind-hearted girl like you in our team."

Sumia giggled from my compliment, replying with: "Thank you~."

She stood beside me and gawked at my headphones.

"Alec, I've been wondering about that device that you bind on your head," she said.

I took off my headphones and presented it to her.

"These are headphones, a relic I think I got from my clouded past. Once they're connected to this mysterious device and I press a certain button on this magical pad or something."

"Mind if I try them on?" she asked.

"I don't mind,"

With my help, she put it on and it snugly fit her head.

"What's happening? Every sound around me is reduced," Sumia said.

"That's to increase your musical experience," I said as I pulled one headphone out of her ear.

I put it back on her and decided to play "Above the Treetops", one of my personal favorites. I saw Sumia perk up a smile from the soft stringed solo at the start. I've been playing this song in repeat for the longest time. I felt so familiar with it. She turned to me, the headphone-less guy and showed a face of concern.

"Alec, did you want to listen too?"

As much as I don't want to always assure people about my feelings by politely declining offers, I had to show more feelings to Sumia. She may have the unusual ability to trip over nothing, have low self-esteem, and a huge book nerd. Yet I just put it aside and want to see more of her gentle, loving, and caring personality. I... I... I want to get closer to her.

"Yeah," I said.

I grabbed the headphones and put the left headphone on my left ear and the other on her right. A flute noise started to play, the beat of the song was now heard, and a gentle instrument accompanied the flute.

"I really like the piano on this piece," Sumia commented.

"Which one is the piano?" I asked.

"The prominent instrument right now."

The piano solo was amazing and synchronized well with the flute. I don't know why, but internally, I'm crying from nostalgia. Where did I get such music from? Who made such beautiful music?

The song came to an end with a slow fade out. I recovered my headphones and put them back on my neck.

"Hey, Alec?" Sumia said.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I listen to your music sometime?"

I chuckled from her request and nodded earnestly.

"Yeah."

She giggled as she got up and helped me get up too. As she pulled me up, she accidentally pulled herself back too far, causing her to fall to her back, only for me to grab hold of her. When I did, I realized we were in some sort of romantic dancing position. Me grabbing her hand with mine while I leaned forward and held her arched back up. We looked at each other for a few seconds, but to me, it felt like time slowed down, making it feel like minutes passed. Sumia really is beautiful.

Not wanting to make this moment awkward, I helped her stand straight up. We both chuckled nervously from that little fiasco of hers.

"We should be heading back to the party," Sumia said as she walked back to the party.

"Yeah, we should."

"One more thing, Alec," Sumia added, turning to me.

"...?"

"Why do you wear that eyepatch?"

I raised my left eyebrow from her question. Didn't she see me getting mutilated by Marth? Heck, even Lissa tried to heal my eye, but I had to wear an eyepatch.

"Wait are you serious? Marth cut my eye with his sword,"

"That never happened."

Sumia then left me in the hallway, returning to the party. I thought about what she just said. Is she delusional?

I grabbed my eyepatch and took it off. I realized what she meant when I opened my eyes.

* * *

**A/N**

**Now it's official that Alec will be going for Sumia. The relationship between Chrom and Sumia just feels somewhat forced to me(though Olivia and Chrom seems forced too in a sense, but they still had two years to get to know each other)**

**Because of this, I shall shift it to Adventure/Romance with Alec and Sumia shipped. Don't worry about blue blood, he's bound to be with someone.**

**Also, Alec's headphones are the Sony X Headphones.**

**If I could calculate the level of relationship with Alec and Sumia, he'd be at the bridge between C-B level. Okay, he's at the B level, at the first few paths to the A rank.**

**Also, I may or may not work on a cover image. I'm pretty sure my Magi cover pic is swattin' off my readers. I want to just get an image of Sumia being cute, but I'm so tempted to make sprite art for Alec (though I just edit an Earthbound sprite...).**


	9. Red then Orange

**Chapter 8**

Red then Orange

**ForlornFreund labs**

**"So, Commissioner Alec, what do you have plans on for the next chapter?"**

**The man who said this was Phil, the Philosophical Head of the ForlornFreund labs; an institution focused on writing stories. They're currently working on a Fire Emblem fiction known as Temporal Curse.**

**"To make this story unique, we have to make the appearances of the characters varying so..."**

**"The Sheps are heading to the Far Fort, sir. Donnel will surely be the next one right?"**

**"Yes, but we've gotta have newcomer that comes earlier than Tinhead."**

**Suddenly, an alarm sounded, surprising both Phil and Alec. The room and the hall were dimly lit, and Alec swore that he saw someone running through the hallways quickly.**

**"Sir, one of the characters in the waiting chamber has escaped!" Ferus, the female chamber guard shouted.**

**"Ugh, first it was Vaike, now who is it this time?"**

**"It's... it's"**

**"I don't care! Reseal the waiting chamber and give me the name later. That person who escaped just gave me an idea."**

**"Shouldn't we apprehend him?"**

**"Don't worry, the Sanity Squadron will find him and we'll store him back into the Waiting Chamber," he then smiled evilly from a newfound idea, "When he's apprehended, we'll get our idea."**

**Meanwhile in the real world.**

**Alec stood in front of the laptop, contemplating on who to add to the Shepherds early.**

**"Let's see, Henry?"**

**He pondered as to why he chose to consider his most disliked character to have an early appearance. As if he was knocked from behind with a pole, his eyes widened from realization.**

**"I know who I should add early."**

**With that, he began slamming his fingers into the keyboard and poured productive energy that could have been used for homework, into his next piece. A grin crept up on his face. Throughout the night, some of his neighbors have talked among themselves of a deranged ghost that haunted Alec's bedroom. To Alec, it was Tuesday.**

* * *

"So Chrom, where're we headed to this time?"

We were on a boat, carrying us to a remote island east of Southtown. Chrom told me of bandit attacks occurring in the farming district. The pillaging is currently happening in a village near the Farfort, ruins of a great fort that was used during a war of yore.

"I see."

I've been noticing that my mastery of both tome and sword are mediocre compared to the rest of the Shepherds. It's because I usually try to use both at the same time, which could lead to complications. Also, I have a tendency to let my knuckles talk. When I grabbed a wooden sword and prepared to train on the dummies, Frederick the Wary was there, organizing the dummies into proper position. I've been hitting the dummies with my training sword for most of the day, so maybe I need to see a master for it.

"Hey, Frederick," I greeted the knight.

"Greetings, Alec," he said in a welcoming tone, "Have you come here to train?"

I nodded and looked at him with a confident smile.

"I need to hone my swordplay after that humiliating defeat from Marth,"

"Defeat? He nearly slashed off your eye if it weren't for Chrom coming in to save you," he said.

"...Right," I replied, "Can we spar, Frederick? I need to learn from a master before I can handle swordplay on my own."

"A master? While I'm proficient in lances, I have used swords in the past," his friendly smile shifted back to Frederick the Wary mode: a stern frown, "Be warned, I'll show no mercy."

"Never asked," I passed him a training sword and we both entered our stances.

While he held his sword with two hands, I held my sword with one hand.

"Go!"

Frederick charged in fast and already threw a quick downward slash on me. I managed to guard in time, putting my other hand on the "blade" of the sword. When he reeled his blade back, I attempted to lunge him, but his veteran reflexes managed to dodge that lunge by simply leaning away from the blade. Damn, I wasn't fast enough to dodge his-

"GRGGH!"

He already hit me on my left hip with a brutal swing. I put a knee on the ground and dug the tip of my training sword on the floor.

"You were already open once you attempted to stab me," he said, "What I've noticed is that you're stronger in swinging, so I managed to get you into an attempt to lunge at me with your sword as to punish you painfully."

"Damn..."

"I told you I wouldn't show mercy."

He took a few steps back and awaited me to stand up. When I did, I gripped my sword firmly again.

"Once again, never asked."

This time, I threw the first move. I threw a quick arc slash, which managed to scratch Frederick's sword with the tip. I saw him attempt to swing at me inwardly, but I managed to hop whilst spinning and attempted a swing at him, only for him to dodge by ducking. When I landed on the ground, he swung at my head, but I managed to guard it using my blade. Both wooden swords were clashed together, giving Frederick enough time to talk.

"Greater effort this time..."

Frederick then pulled back his sword and quickly threw a powerful thrust with his sword into my chest. I once again knelt down to the ground, holding myself up with my sword.

"You've still got a lot of training ahead of you, Alec. You always try to improvise, which is both a good and bad asset to combat."

"...?"

"While it gives a level of unpredictability, it's still improvised and can be quite tarnished."

That made sense... kinda. Instead of complaining, I just to keep on sparring him.

* * *

For the rest of the day, I've been beaten up by Frederick's swordplay. In the later matches, I managed to capture most of his techniques and find some counterattacks. Frederick proved to be a smart opponent, managing to find counters to my counters. Despite that, they were mostly blocks and not real counters.

My whole body was sore, so I went to sleep on my portable bed. There weren't enough rooms due to the boat not being the best, so everyone had to sleep on their futons in the main hall inside the ship. I didn't feel like listening to music, so I just decided to sink into sleep. It wasn't as difficult as it usually was in the past. I usually just stayed up for an hour, waiting for something that never came, yet not know exactly what. I just closed my eyes and blocked out all noise, focusing only on the darkness of sleep.

* * *

**Dreamland (This isn't Kirby!)**

I woke up in a black area. I was sitting down on something... fleshy. Something that's gigantic and fleshy. I looked at where I was sitting on.

"Gods, this is morbid..."

My eyes trembled from the morbid sight before me. Is this an giant umbilical cord?

I felt sick to my stomach from the sight of this giant tube. I stood up and followed where the end of this umbilical cord. Why was I following it? Something horrifying awaits, yet if I stand here, won't that horror already run to me? Wherever this cord will lead to, it will lead to answers. What is this umbilical cord? Am I in a womb?

**"You're the perfect sacrifice, my son."**

An disembodied voice spoke. It was different from the voice I heard before I came to Ylisse.

"Sacrifice? Butt out, evil voice. I hate cults that require human sacrifices."

**"What you hate is what you're born into, my son!"**

"This umbilical cord... this means..."

I heard baby crying and all of a sudden, I was in what looked like some sort of otherworldly hallway. Everything was surprisingly... plain, but there was rust and blood on the walls. Several rooms were introduced and each one I came past had a baby. Some were skinned, mutilated, or otherwise disemboweled. The sight of developing organs spewing out from their chests made me sick. Their eyes were hollow, but only an eerie small red light took the job of the irises. Some of them cried blood. Even with their mutilated state, they still cried and cried. Their umbilical cords were used as nooses, hanging the babies brutally.

Then I saw a man at the end of the hallway. A man in a purple robe with hood up.

**"Be grateful for yourself, my son." **he said, attempting to comfort me eerily.

**"You're born worthy unlike these children."**

"They still have lives too! You can't just throw away everyone's chance at life like they're trash!"

**"You're right, that's why I gave you a chance."**

"Why?! Get me out of this place!"

**"If you do, then you have the honors to a room I prepared for you..."**

I realized that I too have an umbilical cord stuck on me. That cord I sat on was mine?!

**"Accept your fate, Son of the Ender!"**

* * *

**Reality**

I woke up with a scream and widened eyes. I was breathing hard and sweating greatly. I realized that during my little nightmare, I unconsciously took of my shirt and blanket to keep myself cool. It was still slightly dark; I think the sun is rising. Everyone was awake with bags on their eyes. I saw Frederick about to punch me and Chrom and the others holding pails of water.

"Alec, thank goodness you're okay," Chrom said with a relieved voice.

"Okay? Well right now, I am, but that dream wasn't okay."

The Shepherds, though tired, lent their ears to my story. To believe that I would have such a sanguine-strong dream. Some talked among themselves about my dream. The closest person to talk to right now was Chrom.

"Don't believe what that dream tells you, Alec," Chrom said with a fair smile, "Our bonds will overcome this fate."

"Friends..." I muttered silently.

"Yes, I'm your friend, Alec," Chrom said, "So is Sumia, Sully, Frederick, Lissa, and the other Shepherds."

"Thanks."

I got up and went to the lone bathroom in the ship. I knocked first, learning from my mistake from last time.

"Occupied, chump," Sully said.

"How long should I wait?"

"A few seconds."

I looked at both hands and started to count the seconds. I put up a finger every second past.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10?

She already got out in a sleeveless black tank top that accentuated her toned yet slim physique. She also wore tight black shorts with red knee-length boots. I can't help but be flustered from her body. I immediately looked away from her, hoping she won't hit me for perversion... again. I thought I would hear my bones break, but then I heard a chuckle.

"Relax, chump, I'm in no mood to hit pervs," she smiled at me with confidence, "I don't want to be late for training. See ya."

With my bones (and groin) spared, I continued into the washroom and locked the door. I took off all my clothing, refilled the tub with fresh hot water, and finally dipped my body into the hot water. I decided to scan my physique.

It had been at least a few months ever since I joined the Shepherds. Frederick always made me do daily exercises if we weren't in battle, and boy did it pay off. I remembered having a bit of a gut, but through constant sit-ups and fitness training, I have managed to gain a lean belly, slightly hardened. My pectorals were sturdy, yet not overly prominent like the Vaike's.

Though most people find him unbearable to deal with, I think he's a pretty fun guy to hang out with, especially when I screwed him over on his stalking trip on Sully. He got his vengeance by pushing me into the lady's bathing tent, where I got beaten up by the fused power of Sully, Lissa, and Sumia. Though I was really pissed off at him, in hindsight, it was fun. We didn't really do it for mutual hatred, but just for mischief. I can tell by Vaike's smile that time he just wanted to screw around with me.

My arms have slightly bulked, showing more muscle than my skinny arms from the start. Overall, I just look like a more fitter me.

I sighed and contemplated on that nightmare last night. Those fetuses must have some sort of symbolism. I looked at the back of my right hand. Does this mark have something to do with those nightmares?

The warm water, the silence, the cleansing soap. This is all perfect for getting me to relax and get clean. Good thing the door is locked. Only someone with a door key or a thief can enter here.

*click click*

"Who's there?"

The door suddenly opened, revealing an orange haired man in a brown cloak, scanning the area. My eye twitched and I immediately covered my pecs. Why do I do this? I'm not a girl.

"Who in Naga's name are you?!" I exclaimed to the orange haired man.

"Mother of Gods!" the thief shouted as he shielded his eyes, "I thought this was the gold storage!"

"Get out!"

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Now that I'm clothed, clean, and armed, Chrom, Frederick, and I cornered the thief to the wall, expecting answers from him. Surprisingly, he silently complied with our interrogation.

"So, who are you, and what's your business here?" Chrom pointed his Falchion to the thief's neck as he was sticking to the wall.

"Oh, I'm Gaius. I was once part of Plegia's thieves, but when I killed the leader of a bandit group, I ran away from town to find some other way of getting money."

"Did you kill the bandits because you wanted their money?" I added.

"No, Bedhead, they wanted me to kill a few people with them, so I just had to get rid of 'em before anyone innocent could get hurt."

I contemplated for a bit. This guy seems like a honorable thief. I think he can join us... only at the right price.

"So, how much will it be for you to join us?" I asked.

"Alec! Why are you allowing a thief to join us?" Frederick questioned.

"This guy seems to have good intentions, plus, thieves are good for gathering treasure in the battlefield and..."

I looked at his sword, which was sheathed beneath his cloak.

"He seems to be a strong fighter with that sword too," I said.

"He has a point, Frederick," Chrom agreed.

"For payment, it's going to be 10,000 gold."

"10,000!?" Chrom and I cringed from the amount of gold needed for his services.

"So much for good intentions," Frederick calmly said as he rolled his eyes.

We don't even have that much. What is he, a cheap magic mercenary? Next thing you know, he purposely makes himself weak as he reduces the price. Well, judging by the three lollipops on his chest, I guess he has a sweet tooth? If there is someone with candy, I hope they are willing to offer it.

I saw Lissa walking down innocently, holding a small bag. The noise was distracting me.

"Hey Liss, what's in that bag?" I asked.

"Oh, this? It's my candy bag."

I snatched it from her and put it on my other hand. Lissa tried to reach for it, but I put one hand on her head to bar her reach.

"How about some of this candy, Gai-"

"Deal," he said with a cocky smile, "But you can also add that 10,000 gol-"

Chrom pointed to the open window as he inched his Falchion closer to his neck.

"Alright, fine! No hiring fee! The candy is enough," Gaius immediately shouted, "But, I still have normal payment..."

"Alright, fine, but don't expect Ylisstol's treasury as your salary."

"I can take a decent fee," the thief said with a casual grin.

With that, he shook the prince's hand. From this day, Gaius is now an official Shepherd.

* * *

**Author's Notes.**

**Alec is sinking into some deep madness.**

**I gotta admit, to write his nightmares, I had to get myself listening to creepy things and torture myself with scary things to make the 1st person experience disturbing for me. So that meant I had to re-explore my Silent Hill 4: The Room memories.**

**I'm a man who loves symbolism and tries to implement it into almost anything. That dream has a bunch. Do you think you know what it is?**

**Gaius is probably one of my favorites. Personality-wise, I don't know, but I find his pairing with Maribelle to be the most fitting. Sure Ricken is the one that saved her, but Gaius was more involved in Maribelle's past. Gaius, though an actual thieving thief in the past, actually did it to protect her (I can't really sum it all up, but just read the support between them).**

**As for my dislike of Henry, let's wait till he actually appears, okay? Hope I didn't cause Henry fans to get butthurt.**

**Maybe I should make Alec's bath scenes normal instead of having bathroom break-ins. Gods, Alec maybe a pervert, but he's still unlucky.**


	10. Farms to Arms

**Chapter 9**

Farms to Arms

"Oh crap, Ylissean soldiers are here!" a bandit shouted, "Get to the Farfort!"

After killing a few bandits in the local farm village, the Chrom and I lead a charge to the Farfort to rid of these dastards and free these villagers from fear of pillaging. I'm even more surprised they are taking tactical measures. Nonetheless, we took offensive measures and trailed the bandits.

It was nightfall by the time we got there, but there was also a newcomer to our team. A purple-haired boy wearing a pot on his head and villager attire. He wielded a spear that was made of a stick and a used spearhead. For some reason, I had a dream before we went into the ship about forging a bronze lance for future purposes. I heard this from a female in a purple cloak, similar to that creep who haunted me in the ship. I held it, just in case Sumia's lance broke. Being forged to the zenith of its might, it had the power that equals a normal iron lance.

"Hey, dem bandits were pillagin' in mah town," the boy exclaimed, "Lemme join ya in yer fight."

"Stand back, we can't let villagers be involved with the Shepherd's work," Chrom said.

"But I've gotta avenge mah pa, yer princeliness!" he said with a stern glare.

"Give your anger to us, we'll take care of them," Chrom reminded the villager.

I looked at him and analyzed his build. He's weak, but he has powerful potential.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked him.

"The name's Donnie, but you can call me Donnel, though Donnel is mah real name," he said.

I looked at the bronze lance I was about to give to Sumia, and handed it to him.

"Ditch that lance and wield this one," I said, handing him the forged bronze lance.

"Does this mean Ah can fight wit' ya?"

"Yeah, but you're going to have to listen to me, got it?" I said as if I was a big brother.

"Who're you to tell me what to do?" he raised his brow in a rebellious manner.

"He's our tactician, Donnel. An astounding one if I can add," Chrom said.

With a nod, he adjusted his hat's position and grabbed my lance. I hitched on Sumia's pegasus and commanded her to fly up a bit to scan the area.

Many broken walls were spread around. There's mostly archers and axe wielders. There are a few thieves, so I guess swords are the best bet. Also, there are two treasure chests beneath high walls. There's no roof, but it's too high to climb, though there's a door guarding it. Donnel is going to have a hard time fighting the bandits around him, and what's worse, he can easily be killed by the bandits.

Okay, so this time, we're gonna use a force of 8.

"Frederick, Kellam, Lissa, Chrom, Sumia Stahl, Gaius, and I are in the field."

Chrom nodded to my team.

"Whatever formation you have, I believe in your tactics."

I armed myself with an iron sword I bought that was on sale, and an Elthunder tome that was also on sale. I put on my headphones and hitched on Sumia's pegasus.

"Alright, Kellam, defend Donnel, and Donnel, lead the way with Kellam on your tail."

"Roger."

The oft forgotten knight stayed by Donnel's side, shield and lance held strong.

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse," I commanded.

"Yes."

The Lieutenant picked up Chrom and put him on his horse

"Gaius, stay close to Frederick and Chrom; take the finishing blow if the latter doesn't finish them."

"Sure thing, Bedhead."

"Stahl, keep Lissa behind you."

"You can count on me."

I then shone my sword in the moonlight and pointed to the three ruffians to the north.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

**A good slaughter later.**

The Shepherds managed to mow through the forces quick. The barbarians

Donnel impaled a weakened bandit with his forged lance and pulled it out victoriously. We managed to mow through the bandits without too much effort. Gaius, though a thief, proved to be much stronger and have as much agility. At least my swordplay is growing strong; gaining some help from Sumia made the fights easier. For some reason, it's as if fighting together not only brings us closer, but strengthens us.

"Ah'm startin' to grow more powerful from fightin' these bandits, though I do still need help with mah wounds."

Lissa, with her ever-ready smile on her face, used her staff to heal Donnie's axe wounds. With a smile, the farm boy gripped his forged lance and charged forward.

Chrom, with Frederick's help, shows that his attacks are much more damaging. Me being with Sumia makes me much more peppy and fast. Kellam being with Donnel gives the farm boy some needed attack power and some defense.

If this is the case, then maybe...

"Aaaah!" Donnel screamed as an arrow hit his chest.

"Donnie!" Lissa shouted as she ran to the farm boy.

I saw a bandit about to come between her and Donnel. Holding my tome in my left, and my sword on my right, I hopped off of Sumia's pegasus and threw a strong downward slash, complete with a skinny bolt of lightning dropping into my sword and electrifying it.

"Heaven's Luna!"

The bandit was both sliced and zapped by the fusion of lightning and iron. Though he was at his peak health and condition, the fusion of lightning and iron already obliterated him. I raised my sword and put it on my shoulder. Urgh, hot. It was heated by the electricity, so maybe I shouldn't act all stylish yet.

"That was amazing!" Donnel commented, his eyes gleaming with awe.

"Donnel, I can see your potential, but your magic growth won't be as strong..."

"Ah guess... but I'm still gonna grow stronger, magic or not!" Donnel said with a fist on his chest.

I chuckled at his resolve and pointed to the remaining bandits. I dug the tip of my blade into the dirt and stared at Donnel with a strong willed smile.

"Come with me, we'll fight them together."

I looked up into the sky and saw Sumia. I signaled her to keep watch of us and provide support. She agreed and flew close to Donnel and I, lance ready. For the first bandit, I clashed blades with him. The might of his axe was stronger than mine, so instead of grinding our blades, I decided to use agility to overcome his brawn. I hopped back and prepared to charged forward. I was about to take one step forward, but a certain redhead did a front flip over me and threw a slash with the tip of his iron sword. The barbarian's muscles proved to withstand its might and he attempted to counter Gaius with an axe swing. He immediately did a back flip and landed on his hand before hopping backward.

"Forget about me, Bedhead?" Gaius said with a bit of a muffle, chewing on a lollipop.

"Did you get the treasure?" I asked.

He pointed to a bag behind that he left behind him.

"What did you get?"

"A Killer Lance and a Rescue staff..."

We really need to get some gold from the treasures. We need some gold fast. I can give Sumia that Killer Lance, and the Rescue staff for Lissa.

Sumia shot her lance to the barbarian's bicep. While it impaled through, the barbarian was close, so he threw his axe to the klutzy Sumia. Luckily for her, Donnel was already on the enemy's right side as he threw a powerful lunge at his chest, immediately halting his swing. The barbarian threw a back hand with his right hand at Donnel, knocking away the villager. He threw a headbutt to Sumia, knocking her away from the pegasus. With pure animal savagery, he pulled out the lance impaled on his bicep while gritting his monstrous teeth. Gaius charged forward and stabbed the barbarian's wound. Despite the added pain, the barbarian still punched the thief in the face, then threw him away without too much effort.

"Gaius!"

He managed to get up fine, but the damage he sustained from the archers and thieves were quite dire. I signaled him to retreat to Lissa, to which he responded with a two-fingered salute and point. He grabbed the bag and used all his remaining strength to run away.

The brigand dropped his axe and mounted on Sumia's downed body.

"Mmmm, you're quite the specimen," his voice had a sultry tone. That's it!

He pinned her arms and used his legs to pin hers. He was about to molest her! I stood over him and stabbed his head, exiting out of his mouth. I hope I didn't scare her too much. I pulled out the blade and kicked off the barbarian's corpse. I can't believe I just stood there while he was walking over to her. I grabbed Sumia's hand and helped her up. Chrom caught up with us and turned to me.

"What now, Alec?" he said, holding his sword in ready position.

"Okay, you and I will face the leader, but Frederick will initiate."

"Good plan. Let's go!"

Frederick charged forward with his silver lance and threw a powerful stab at the barbarian. The leader was much stronger and sturdier than the normal axe wielders, being able to withstand the power of Frederick's lance. He swung at Frederick, but he used his shield to block it. It dented slightly, but he still suffered minor damage. He nodded to the prince and exited the scene, leaving a much more vulnerable leader.

Chrom pushed the ground beneath him with his feet as he rocketed to the bandit and threw a strong slash. The bandit leader was pushed back slightly from the damage, but still stood strong. I jumped over Chrom and swung at the bandit, but he managed to block it with his axe. I landed on the ground and threw a horizontal swing, but he also clashed my blade.

Up. Up. Down. Down. Left. Right. Left . Right. For a bandit, he was quite seasoned in skill. Some of my attacks managed to hit, yet his vitality was high, shrugging off most of my sword blows. Even with this, he's still getting damaged. I threw a downward swing to his open head as he reeled his axe outward. Then, he did a clever trick. He used the lower curved end of his axe to hook my sword and disarm me by swinging downward. With no weapon left, an evil and confident grin crept up on his face. I remembered my tome that was hanging on my left thigh. I held it on my left hand and opened it, reading the text. When he was about to throw a leaping strike with his steel axe, I managed to dodge it with a slide back. With the text read, the series of circles and text surrounded me. I charged forward and used my right hand to throw a downward hook to his head. When my fist contacted with his head, a lightning bolt struck the bandit down, frying him horribly. I took a few steps back as I panted from that battle. I turned to Sumia, who was hovering behind me on her pegasus.

"Sumia, throw your lance at the dead corpse."

"Alec, watch out!" She said, pointing her lance to me. Dammit Sumia, throw your lance!

I looked behind me and saw him about to attack me with his axe. He was in the air and was about to do a horizontal swing with that axe.

"Face me!" Chrom threw a powerful overhead slash that tossed away the bandit as he finished his swing arc. The bandit got up shortly, but the damage sustained from his wounds would soon conquer him with one powerful strike.

"Now's mah time!"

Donnel twirled his lance around as he moved his arm to the preparatory stance of a lunge. He threw a powerful charge at the weakened bandit, killing the leader and ensuring the freedom of the villagers.

With that done, I lay down on the floor and looked up into the night sky. I'm tired. I should really train my swordplay more, but I find myself having a stronger edge in magic. But, I have a weird innate hatred of indirect combat, mostly using the magic in conjunction with sword strikes and punches. Chrom barred my view with his smiling face as he chuckled lightly.

"You don't want a cold, do ya?"

"If only Lis-"

"Hey there~" she hopped out of nowhere and completed the re-enactment of my awakening. A light laughter was my response to this.

Chrom presented his hand and I grabbed it as he raised me up. We were both looking at each other, eye to eye, and comfortable face distance.

"Let's get going."

* * *

As we were marching back to the village and to the harbor, the villager boy joined up with us.

"Hey there, aren't ya forgetin' 'bout me?" Donnel said as he panted after that pursuit.

"Sorry about that, Donnie, we forgot," Chrom said politely.

"There ya are, son!" a female voice said.

The voice came from a middle-aged lady, wearing the same villager attire as Donnel.

"Ma!?" Donnel exclaimed.

"Ma?"

"Donnie, thank the Gods yer safe!" she said as she hugged her son. When she let go, she glared at her as if she was lecturing him.

"Don't ya dare fight against those bandits," she also looked at us, mainly Chrom, "Also, why didn't you kneel to yer Highness?"

"P-please, there's no need at the mo-" Chrom said.

"I want ya to kneel to the prince! Show some manners, boy!" the woman interrupted.

Out of somewhat comical fear, Donnel, the farm hero, was forced to kneel to the prince by his mother's rage. I don't know why, but I'm so glad I don't have a forceful mother. Donnel stood up after a few seconds.

"Now let's get ya home, sweetheart," she said as she grabbed her son's hand.

"Ah'm not goin' home Ma," he said sternly, "Ah'm joinin' the Shepherds."

Her mother was taken aback from his rebuttal. She glared at her son again, believing that his words were merely derogatory.

"Donnie, yer'e a villager like us, we're weak and it's the army's job to protect us."

"Ma, not only do Ah want to protect this village, but I want to protect all of Ylisse. Fighting with the Shepherds made me realize that Ah belong with them not only as a soldier, but as a friend."

"Donnie?!" her mother said in surprise.

Kellam joined with Donnel and smiled at Donnel's mother, ensuring his friendship would keep him safe.

"I trust Donnel, miss, and I will be his companion," Kellam said with a bold tone.

Chrom stepped in and clenched his fist and pumped it.

"Donnel shows potential to be a powerful fighter in our battles, miss. He lead the charge, while we cleaned up the leftover bandits. Let him go. For one day, your son will grow up and eventually face the world."

I smiled from the determination of both Chrom and Kellam, good friends of mine. Donnie's mother showed a face of surprise, but she stood firm and smiled warmly. She patted the tin helmet of Donnel and looked at him gently.

"They're right, son, you're grown up, and maybe Ah should let you go."

She looked at me with a strong yet gentle smile.

"Yer the tactician, right?" she asked me.

"Yes, miss, I promise that Donnel will survive," I said proudly, "Why do you think I handle tactics without any of my friends dying?"

"Ah know, and Ah believe that Donnie is in good hands," she went to me and put something on my hand. A red raindrop?

"This is a rare stone that mah husband kept. He said whoever crushes this will gain strength. Even if he coulda used it, he died before he can use it."

"I'm sorry we couldn't save him," I was saddened to hear the death of her husband.

"But Ah think he knew that Donnie would soon leave us, and when he did, he needed this to help mah little boy grow strong."

"Thank you, miss," I said with a smile.

With that, Donnel has become a Shepherd. We gave him time to pack up a tent and a few belongings before heading out in two days. Another ship doesn't come in two days, so we had to stay somewhere. Fortunately, the local villagers offered us a stay on their houses as repayment for saving the village. Chrom assigned two people on each house. He trusted that most of the people are controlled enough to not give in to their primal desire for... you-know-what. Though he put up some girls with boys, he put me up with-

"Alec, have you seen the posters I put up by the beds of the other Shepherds? I drew milord's body myself, you know."

Frederick.

Outside of duty, Frederick goes on an on about doing duties and the joy of hardship. What's worse is that he's showing me his own rendition of morale-raising propaganda.

The dreaded Naked Chrom.

His Falchion is held in front of his nether regions, while he holds a scale with his other hand. A fan of blue and yellow beams of light shone from behind him. And the worst part: the words etched "Chrom wants you" on top of him. It's like Frederick is advertising Chrom selling his body.

Oh Sumia, why do you have to be assigned to Donnel?

Wait, what?

I widened my eyes from this though. What am I thinking? Why am I so concerned for her? It's not like I don't want to. This could just be what friends do.

"Yeah, but I don't really think it would raise my morale to see my friend wearing absolutely nothing," I replied.

_More like raise mortification (mostly on Chrom)_

"But it's to show-"

"I don't care, and I'm sorry for interrupting," I replied abruptly.

With a bit of hesitation, Mr Wary Man regained his composure and nodded.

"My apologies, Alec," he said politely.

"Nothing too serious, Freddy," I replied with a calm smile, "We should go to sleep, we need to get to the ship first thing in the morning."

He silently nodded and we both hid ourselves from each other, changing into our clothing. I came out with pajamas, while Frederick wore only his smallclothes. I ignored his physique, only focusing on the day ahead of me. I just hope those nightmares don't haunt me again. Maybe I shouldn't dwell more in nightmares and more into my friends. With the thought of Chrom, Lissa, Stahl, Kellam, and the others, I finally closed my eyes with a smile.

* * *

**And so, Donnel is part of the Sheps.**

**He always has been my MVP, always doing those exaggerated back flips on enemies with 10x more level than him. I'm not so sure who to put him up with now. He's a powerful dude, but his skill pool is much more limited than the others (Unless you bless him with DLC skills(Freaking eShop game cards are damn expensive)).**

**So, considering the huge fight scene skip, I'm trying to keep a bit of a variety here. Whenever Alec and Chrom are both leading the Sheps into battle, I don't always want to show a lot of fight scenes. For paralogues, I may have to skip the ones that are quite lengthy and require simple tactics to do. For most of the main chapters, I'll go full power on writing the fight scenes.**

**Some paralogues and chapters will be skipped (*Ahem* Suicidal Villagers).**


	11. Love, OCs, and other Delusions

**Chapter 10**

Love, OCs, and other Delusions

**Author's Notes**

**This chapter is the 2nd 'breather' (1st being Red then Orange). When Alec and Shepherds are not suffering from nightmares and battles, the Shepherds are in their tents or tent groups and talking among one another. "Breathers" are to show the growing friendships between Alec and the Shepherds.**

"Aww, I lost," I frowned as Virion put me in another checkmate.

"That bait you did with your knight was deceptive."

With a proud chuckle and smile, Virion tousled his hair stylishly. I think I might reconsider my friendship with Frenchy.

"I must admit that I'm superior to you in this game of wits, Alec," Virion said proudly.

"Yeah, maybe with your victory over me, maybe you should be the tactician, Virion," I said with a sarcastic tone.

He chuckled to himself again, but instead of sounding arrogant, it sounded more... friendly.

"With the tactics I used, my head would be on a pike sooner than you'd make the first move," Virion said. He pointed to my pieces and his.

"Look at the remaining people you have, and look at mine."

"You have lesser pieces, but you positioned your pieces to lock my Lord into place."

With a smile, the blue haired Frenchy nodded.

"Yes, that's why I can't handle tactics, my friend," he said with a smile.

I thought he would say Mon Ami or something like that. Guess Rosanne just has accents? I don't even know if there's multiple languages in Ylisse.

"The Shepherds need you."

I was taken aback from what he said. During a time where I talked to other Shepherds about Virion, they usually depicted him as a sleaze and a buffoon, possibly due to his accent. I confess that I find his accent annoying, but I don't let it prejudge his words... well sometimes.

"You loathe the sacrifice of a single man, making sure everyone can come back home safe."

He did a formal bow while sitting. I guess Virion is not so bad after all. We should fight together sometime, like that time we saved those villagers from bandits, lead by a berserker with an eerie fascination with his brother. I'm so glad Virion and I lunged our blades into him before he could touch the village.

"Virion, I have zero regrets of being your friend," I said with a grateful smile, "Sure, people will talk bad about your sleaziness and accent, but you're an honorable person as well as a gentleman at heart."

"Yes, yes, I know," he said, standing proudly.

I sighed and playfully bonked his head, causing him to cringe in pain.

"What was that for, Alec?" he shouted.

I smiled and tapped my head with a finger.

"As much as you're a gentleman, you're still quite arrogant sometimes," I said, "Have a little more humility, and maybe girls will fall for you."

With that, we shook hands on a game well played and we both parted ways. I've gotta say that Virion is a good man at heart, but misunderstood in the flesh.

I've been noticing a bit of connection with Gaius and Lissa. Should I keep them fighting together? I noticed that with Lissa continuing to heal wounds, her innate magical power grows stronger. I deem Gaius a paper tiger: A strong force, lightweight, and agile, but if one powerful or sluggish hit were to hit him, he'd be damaged horribly.

I have a lot of free time on my hands. Chrom, though happy about Ferox agreeing to assist Ylisse, still hasn't got word of any heavy Plegian activity. I wonder why? Ever since that time Ricken saved Maribelle from her kidnapping , everything was alright for now.

Until news of further battles was heard, I surrendered to my tent and pulled out my story from my satchel.

Sumia and I made good progress, and we're currently on the part where Mark goes over his breakup with Shiina, the young troubadour. My plan right now is to get Mark to put his sword wielding cavalier friend, Tony with Shiina. But, then during a battle near Kurama, located in the island of Neehon (It just came from my head), Mark begins to talk to Artemia, the swift, yet clumsy myrmidon. She's gonna be the main love interest.

Speaking of Sumia, she gave me a novel called Infernal Edge. This story starts out with a girl from the plains who meets with a tactician. Though it started out with her as a central character, two lords took a more central role after the time skip. But in the end, the tactician disappeared. His best friend, the woman from the plains, married to another plainsman. But even with the tactician having unrequited love, he said goodbye to her with a smile. While the world was at peace for a moment, the tactician soon met an oracle and prophesied a war for his tactical prowess. Hearing that, the tactician disappeared, and his name was never head of again.

"Hey Alec~" Sumia chimed as she entered, "Am I interrupting you?"

I turned to Sumia, wearing her usual armor-less clothing. I think I saw her tossing away a flower as she entered.

"No, not at all," I said, "I've got an idea for Mark's main love interest."

Her eyes flourished with astonishment as she optimistically clenched her fists.

"Oooh, this will be interesting!"

She crouched down beside me and we both discussed what we're going to write. Throughout most of the afternoon, we spent it writing our story. After a finishing sentence, Sumia got up and pointed at me with two fingers.

"I am Estella Hausenfurher, Lady of the Pink Flames!" she put up a cute yet battle-hungry smile, "I dispense justice on those of dark nature with grace and beauty!"

"Sumia?" Is she RPing? "Are you role playing?"

"Who is this Sumia you speak of, Verdant Nocturne?!"

Oh shoot, did she find my notes of my dream self?

During the time after we saved Donnel's village, I was scribbling and sketching a fantasy version of myself for another story. Donnel's little episode of gathering courage to face a group of bandits inspired me to write a backup story... though I scrapped it the second I found it completely embarrassing.

* * *

Verdant Nocturne, the enigmatic dark hero of Von Cooper Village, a village that is watched over Procyon Von Cooper, sometimes known as the Raccoon King. While the village is rich, most of his wealth is gained from treachery and shady deals. Because of this, Von Cooper Village is usually a hang-out for bandits and other sell swords.

Verdant Nocturne's real name as Miron Dorian, a villager of foreign descent. He's always dreamed of escaping Von Cooper's lawlessness and into the radiant kingdom of Iris. For the first few years of his childhood, he enjoyed tilling fields with his father and mother and playing games with his childhood friend, Roseus Ardeo. During his 8th birthday, his whole village was slaughtered and robbed by a group of bandits. When he discovered the slaughter, his cheery attitude would soon be replaced with a vengeful heart. When he went to his house, he realized that even though there was blood splattered everywhere, the bodies of his parents were missing, but Roseus's corpse showed her attempting to grab a picture hung on his wall. When he looked behind it, he saw a black and green tome with a green half moon on it. When he grabbed it, a surge of black and green lightning surged through his body, granting him a pact with the Noctis Tome.

Though he had great power, he never had great control of it from the start. The tome's magic itself was strong, but being a plebeian, he had no magic growth. He attempted to fight a huge amount of bandits arrogantly, but he was nearly killed, only to be saved by the Battle Mage, Luna. Though she wields a staff, she doesn't use it to heal, but to strike enemies with both blunt and magical might. Luna was the closest thing to a guardian that Miron had, so he requested for her guardianship, and she agreed.

As soon as he was 20, Miron had already grown up to be a strong and composed man. He became a seasoned magician and swordsman as well as acrobat. Even as a matured person, he grew more distant, leading him to become a vigilant on his own accord. He marked his name to the bandits in the event known as "Justiciar's Deception".

He gathered a group of the evilest bandits and pirates using a fake letter from Procyon Von Cooper II. It invited them for a deal for prostitutes in exchange for large amounts of gold.

When they met up in front of Von Cooper's palace, and they weren't visited by the King, but a lone man veiled in a black scarf and dark armor. He held a silver blade in his right hand and decimated the group of bandits with surges of black lightning from the skies. They all died quickly, but he realized that one of the people caught in the blast was Roseus, who actually faked her death. When he realized the consequences of vengeance, he now works as a sell sword or otherwise a selfless hero if the need is desperate. He made his identity a secret, donning his personal alias, Verdant Nocturne.

* * *

**Reality.**

"Where's my notes?!" I shouted crazily.

"Kehehehehe!" Sumia laughed, "If you want your notes, you must challenge me using your powers!"

I thought of something a bit sinister, but not too harmful to her or her feelings. With an evil grin unseen by Tumbles, I stared at her with a normal smile.

"If you're faster than Verdant Nocturne, than can you outrun me?"

I suddenly zipped out of my tent and quickly went to the end of the tent area. I saw Sumia running extremely fast and almost catching up to me, but she tripped on absolutely nothing... again.

"Alec~" she cried, "That was mean!"

"I'm sorry, Sumia," I helped her up and guided her to the eating area.

"Foods up, Shepherds!" Frederick called out.

When we both heard Mr. The Wary announce dinner, we both decided to eat dinner before it gets cold.

"Let's go eat dinner. The notes can wait."

"Yay~" she said weakly.

* * *

**After Dinner**

If I could choose the best chef right now, I'd say it'd probably be Frederick. 2nd being Virion, because he actually has skill in culinary arts. Frederick cooked his corn and chicken cuisine, which was my perfect meal. Even if I loved it, the others seemed to have loved it as well. With nothing really to do afterward, I went back to my tent, but was blocked by a certain tall muscly man. The Vaike.

"Vaike?"

"Hey, peewee, the Vaike needs to talk to you for a bit."

Even if Ricken is much smaller than me, I have a bit of a complex with my height.

"Wait, what? I thought Teach can handle almost everything himself."

With a sigh, he took off his arrogant persona and started to talk normally.

"Look, Alec, do you think that Maribelle might be into me?"

The inner machinations of my brain had a sudden malfunction. I think my mini-mes are trying to fix my sanity and grasp the situation calmly. But the only thing I need is something to say.

"Have you interacted with her lately?" was the only thing that sprout out of my mind.

"Well, she did ask if she was a snob," Vaike said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Could it be possible that she's just asking you that because you're of plebeian origin?"

Considering Vaike's bad manners and overall unrefined persona, maybe that's why she would ask the Vaike that.

"Well, yeah, and he also bashed on me about my birthplace," I think I see a vein on Vaike's head.

"What are you going to do?" I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrow.

"Should I keep talkin' with her?" Vaike said.

"Before I can answer that, answer this: Are YOU into her?"

"Er, I guess so? She's cute and all, but she's also a tigress with a sharp tongue that's as sharp as her claws and teeth."

With a light chuckle and a kind laughter, I patted his shoulder and walked away from him.

"Maybe you should," I said when I turned my head to him, "If you keep on working through hardship together, it probably will build intimacy."

I put my fist on my hip and held up my hand as if I was holding a plate.

"If you like Maribelle, maybe you should have her by your side in battle," I wiggled my finger as if I'm scolding him, "But it's your choice."

"Thanks for the help, Teach may be a powerful and even smart guy, but he still needs help from the peewee tactician."

"S-shut up! Don't look at me like I'm Ricken."

"Whatever, Alec, I'll see ya sometime."

Like Ricken, I too want to grow tall. But, from a distant and clouded memory, my height growth would lessen when I'm an adult. I'm already 18, and even I'm 5'6". That's freaking girl height. Well, Sumia is around 1 inch shorter, and Chrom is like 5'9.

With that, I retired to my tent and decided to listen to music. Suddenly, a soft theme started to play. The piano sounds both romantic and gentle. This mysterious instrument seems to somewhat fit me for some reason and blends well with the piano. I clicked on the button, but I saw some strange gauge on the upper right corner turn red. Is this the gadget's energy? Maybe I might have Miriel check on it.

* * *

**The next day. Inside Miriel's tent.**

"My, this otherworldly device is quite intriguing," Miriel commented as she scanned it, "You say that you utilize this device to exude music into those musical mediums?"

"Since you're the most intellectually gifted member in the Shepherds, I was wondering if you could figure out any way to 'charge' the battery."

"Battery?" she said, "Is this object in fact a hidden firing mechanism?"

I shook my head. Firing mechanism?

"I think the battery is some sort of energy storage for the device."

She fixed the position of her glasses and examined the device closely.

"I'll do what I can to fix this mechanism, as for now, leave me be, I need focus."

"Yes, and thank you for always being such a good and reliable friend."

* * *

**Miriel's tent. Her view**

"Friend?" I uttered to myself silently.

"This warm and alien feeling in my body is both seemingly dangerous, yet a boon?"

I looked at this object that Alec held on for most of his time as our tactician. The strangest thing from him is possibly his gift for tactics. An amnesiac, but still having a prodigious talent in strategy as if he was seasoned after years of war. These feelings and observations will be sorted out some other time. After all, this alien device that Alec has is intriguing at most, and not only is fixing it for his sake, but also a big step in my quest for knowledge.

* * *

**Next day. Noon**

"I yield!"

After the little skirmish on the Risen in the road to the Feroxi border, I teamed up with Lon'qu to hone my sword skills. He's accurate and swift, killing most of the axe wielding Risen quickly via his Killing Edge. When we were finished, a reluctant Lon'qu decided to teach me after I requested swordsman training.

"You're sluggish, Alec," he commented, "Even as a precise tactician, you should always have a technique ready to hit the certain weak point."

"Okay then."

"Strike me anywhere with your sword."

While most people are hesitant to hit their comrades, I seemed to trust Lon'qu's skill with the blade. I did as he was told, and he quickly clashed blades and pushed it aside. Such speed and strength with that counter.

"I may not be the greatest teacher, but you should experience failure first before you can achieve mastery," Lon'qu sternly said, "You're strikes are strong and sometimes precise. Your skill is quite impressive, but you're still not fast."

We both gave each other respectable distance and we held our blades firm. This time, Lon'qu was the first to strike. I managed to guard it in time, causing him to have to reel his blade back to prepare another strike. I managed to spot his preparatory stance: a two-handed lunge with his right hand by the guard of the sword. His left hip was exposed, so I threw a horizontal swing to it.

*Thwock!*

Lon'qu, with a stern, but blank face, clashed my sword with grace and speed. My eyes widened and my irises shrunk in surprise from this swift parry. He pushed me back and he quickly dashed to me and threw a quick overhead swing, but I managed to take a step to the side, dodging his sword. I quickly did a spin and threw my leg at him, but his left hand effectively stopped it.

"This is a sword fight, Alec," Lon'qu simply said.

He pushed my leg away and struck me down with a powerful thrust to the back. I fell down to my knees and Lon'qu put his training sword by my neck.

"I've faced people like that in Ferox," Lon'qu commented, "I'm surprised that you aspire to also learn Chon'sin martial arts."

I extended my hand to him, but Lon'qu simply shook his head. He stared at me with his usual reluctant, but cool glare.

"In Ferox, you muster your own strength to get up."

Hours passed, and most of them involved me being brutally struck by Lon'qu. Despite all my losses (and complaints), my skills in the sword were improved from every mistake I made. With Lon'qu's brutal honesty, I managed to fix my mistakes after a few losses. It was about to be dinner time, and this is our last training session for today.

We both readied our swords and prepared for combat. This time, I attacked first. I quickly lunged to Lon'qu, resulting in my sword missing my target. Lon'qu did a backflip and landed in a crouching position with his sword pointing to the ground. I attempted to attack him, but he disappeared.

"This move..."

I dubbed this technique, the Myrmidon Massacre; a powerful technique where the user is so swift that it feels like you're hit by invisible blades. But after being victim to it 12 times, I managed to predict the first strike: a heavy upward slice that could slice the legs if not careful. While that' technique amounts to 9% of my losses, Lon'qu said it was an extremely exhausting technique, and even if its brutal, it would teach me how to react faster, as well as endure strikes.

I went into a ducking guard position saw my wooden sword chip a bit from an invisible upward slash. The next was an overhead slash, so I had to be in standing guard position.

The next was an invisible lunge; the lunge that would usually break my sword. I had to dodge right on time. I had to time this side step right, or it's game over. I heard the wooden sword tear through the wind, so I took a step to the side. I felt a strong wind blow past me then back to where Lon'qu was. This time, Lon'qu was about to deliver the final blow. I managed to dodge the swift strikes, now I have to deal against the finisher.

_Attack 1: Lower upward slash_

_Attack 2: Overhead Diving slash_

_Attack 3: Guard breaking Lunge_

_Attack 4: The Finisher__  
_

I noticed that he'd usually do a spinning slash to finish it off. He could be anywhere. I looked behind me, and then I saw a shadow to my by my right arm. I attempted to strike him before he could swing at me, but challenging Lon'qu's speed was the biggest mistake.

"Guoogh!"

* * *

**After Dinner (again)**

This time, Sumia was on mess duty, and she cooked soup. Though I'm more of a meat eater, I loved the flavor of the soup. It was tender, warm, and had the right amount of salt. I thought about my swordplay and magic power while looking at a dim reflection of myself on the soup. Is there a sword with magic power? I'd like to use a sword like that if I come across it. Speaking of magic swords.

"Sumia!"

No response from her tent, even though she's clearly inside it. Do I have to call her her make-believe name? Was it Estelle? Estellise? With a groan, I called her fake name.

"Estella?"

A shrill scream was heard, causing her to immediately come out and cover my mouth.

"Okay, okay, I like my little alias, but can you not speak it out loud!"

With a silent nod, I politely took her hand off my face.

"Just give me back my notes," I said, "They're mine, and I don't think it's even polite to take people's stuff without their permission."

She looked away sadly, then looked at me.

"B-but your writing is so cool!"

"No, I don't think it is. Not just because it's embarrassing, but because no one accepts whatever I create."

This time, I was sad. It's like I had a memory of how I was like. I feel like I was a loner who didn't have any big talents. If I did, when and how did I aspire to become a great tactician? What's this melancholy doing in my life?

I wanted to cry from the impact of my own words, but Sumia held my shoulder and gazed at me with a smile on her face.

"I accept it, your such a great writer, tactician, and friend," she said in a comforting tone, "Because of that battle to the Feroxi border is what inspired me to fight. When I got on my pegasus, I felt the strength of the Shepherds become part of me, and through your guidance, I was able to survive and grow strong."

She then reeled her right hand and threw a fist to my face, knocking me down to the ground. The sound of Sumia gasping from her violent action was heard through my non-grounded ear.

"What was that for?" I said weakly.

"Alec! I'm sorry, I was suppose to slap you," she said in a panicky voice.

I got up and wiped my cheek. Damn, it stings.

"You slap with an open palm," I replied, "But, listening to you, I realized that I shouldn't doubt myself, otherwise I'd fail as a tactician."

With a genuine grin (despite the damage on my cheek) I waved goodbye as I went to my tent.

"Wait, Alec, can I keep your notes on Verdant Nocturne?"

I looked back at her with an embarrassed face. I breathed deep as to suppress my embarrassed anger. What is she going to do with it? Maybe I shouldn't be negative right now.

"...Fine," I said silently, "But don't write anything on it, okay?"

Sumia nodded fervently and returned to her tent. I walked through the grass, until Chrom spotted me. With a serious face, he beckoned me to come with him.

"We've War Council right now, Alec. You must attend."

"Yep."

Knowing about my role, I followed Chrom to the Barracks Tent. What will the Shepherds face next?

* * *

**Author's Notes (again)**

**After watching all of Love, Chuunibyou, and other Delusions to study a bit of romance, I made Alec be in touch with some of his inner-child, but, it's not like Sundowner's case of kids bein' cruel. After reading books with Sumia and going through adventures with the Shepherds, he starts to believe in extremely tall-tales.**

**Also, I hit over 2k views. Even if I have a small following, I'm still proud of this fic.**


	12. Assassins Bleed

**Chapter 11**

Assassins Bleed

After no news of big bandit or Risen activity, we all returned to Ylisstol to discuss our next move on Plegia. Back in the Border Pass, the negotiations have turned into a war declaration when Maribelle was kidnapped. Luckily, Ricken came in to the rescue, and we managed to kill off Gangrel's forces. What a fool Orton was when he had a force of wyverns. Ricken was ready with his Elwind spell; a natural anti-wyvern weapon. Chrom's Falchion, and Lon'qu's Wyrmslayer finished the mobile riders in an instant thanks to swords having advantages over axes.

I saw potential in Ricken that I can save for later. Despite his age, he can shrug off more physical damage than Miriel.

Chrom and I hung out in the outer gardens of the palace under the moonlight. Even as it was quite a peaceful night, I just kept my sword and tome with me.

"Heya Chrom," I greeted as I sat down on the rim of a fountain.

"Alec, good to see you," my friend greeted with a calm smile.

"Well, I'm here to talk about Gangrel," I said, "Was all that he said about your father true?"

Gangrel went on about the current Ylissean royalty being hypocrites. He said that Ylisse once invaded Plegia under the rule of the last Exalt: Chrom's father. Gangrel just wanted the Fire Emblem, a last resort weapon to save the world, to kill Ylisseans for the sake of vengeance... or justified slaughter. I'm even surprised that Emmeryn, a spawn of the last Exalt, has no hint of ambition or bloodlust.

"...Yes, my father waged war on Plegia for 15 years," Chrom said.

"Wait, why did he wage war on Plegia?" I asked ,"Is there something that they had that Ylisse didn't have?"

"Well, two reasons," Chrom said as he put up two fingers.

"One, Plegia actually has a cult dedicated to reviving the Fell Dragon, Grima," Chrom said.

"Grima?"

"He's a dragon that wishes to usher the end of the world."

I told that stranger in my dreams that I hate cults involving human sacrifices. For some reason, I think it's cliche for dark cults to require human sacrifices. Do Grima worshipers do that? Am I linked to the Grima worshippers?

"I see."

"Two, Plegia is wealthy, and when my father discovered it during his 'crusade', his little war eventually turned into a conquest to take over Plegia."

"I'm guessing ever since Emmeryn suddenly took over, Ylisse stopped sending men?"

"Yes. The state that father put on our land was horrific. A 15 year war which cost a lot of good men. Our army's numbers shrunk, and father started to conscript farmers not strong enough to even hold a pitchfork," just talking about seemed to make Chrom cringe. For some reason, I feel like a certain place nearly does the same thing.

"When my father died, Emmeryn was only 10," this was a surprising fact, "When she got introduced as the new Exalt, the citizens threw stones and insults at her. Because of the hatred of the exalt on both Plegia and Ylisse, she had to receive their hatred."

"Those Ylisseans that time... too absorbed in themselves to not understand the hardship of Emmeryn's sudden role."

"Yes, she never showed the citizens how she felt. Only Lissa and I understood."

"10 years old, and already detested by the public..."

Poor Emmeryn. I really hope that she's not absorbed in a deep hole of melancholy inside that peace seeking persona.

"To know peace and love, one must know hate and pain..."

Chrom seemed to smile at what I said. I don't know whether I was right, or because I was perceptive?

"You're a good listener and one with powerful vision," Chrom complimented.

"Perhaps through all that pain, she learned of the mistakes that her father made," Chrom said, "The villagers scorned and hated her, but she exchanged it for love and care. She commanded the soldiers to return home, and ended the war."

"Emmeryn really is a saint."

"She IS peace, and because of that, she's the one that's worth most in protecting."

We suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I looked behind me and saw the masked man/woman: Marth.

"Good evening to you," he said politely.

I put my hand on my sword, in case she'd attempt to cut me down. Basilio said that Marth promised to cut me down for mistaking her sex.

"Peace, Alec," she said, "I came here not to cut you down."

I put my hand away from the sword.

"How did you get in here?" Chrom asked.

With a smirk, she pointed to the maple grove.

"A small cleft at the maple grove."

Chrom seemed to have a weird history behind this cleft. Raising my brow, I look at Chrom.

"Something wrong, Chrom?" I asked.

"Well, while I was training with the Shepherds, I made hole in the wall," Chrom nervously replied, "It was only a small hole, and I thought it was concealed well..."

With crossed arms, Marth shook her head.

"Your secret is safe with me," Marth replied, "But I came here to warn you."

"Of what?" Chrom asked.

"The exalt. Her life is in danger."

Chrom squinted his eyes at Marth, inquisitive of his/her "warning".

"That's absurd! Emmeryn is guarded at all times," Chrom said.

"What if I told you that I've seen the future?" he/she said, "A future where Emmeryn is killed here. Tonight."

Both of us with furrowed brows, Chrom answered back.

"Seen the future? Are you a lunatic?"

Marth sighed from Chrom's replied and shook his/her head.

"I knew it would come to this. Allow me to prove it."

She unsheathed the Falchion from his/her hip and looked at the bush behind him/her. Chrom held his Falchion and looked at the bush.

"I'm about to save your life."

Suddenly, an assassin sprung out of the bush. Marth tossed the Falchion up high and did a graceful back flip. As Marth stood behind the assassin, he immediately cut him down, ending the assassin's life.

"I believe this is enough proof?"

Chrom, with a bead of sweat on his brow, and a stern look, nodded.

"Yes."

Suddenly, another sprout out of the bushes and attempted to attack Marth. He reacted fast and turned to the assassin, but the sword that he stepped on caused him to slip backward. The assassin attempted to cut him into two, but the blade only cut the mask. As if by magic, Marth's hair unfurled, revealing not only long hair, but a feminine face. I knew it!

Chrom shot through the assassin, gashing the assailant with a powerful swing from his Falchion. When Chrom turned to Marth, he was surprised by the sight of the mask-less Marth.

"Wait, what Alec assumed was true?"

"Yes, your tactician has quite the eye for detail," she replied with a smile.

"Seriously, was the actual Marth that slender?"

_"Gods, is Chrom this dense? No wonder why he can't realize Sumia's obvious feelings for her."_

"Did you say something, Alec?" Chrom responded to my whisper.

All of a sudden, an explosion was heard from behind me. All of us looked to where the sound came from and immediately made a run to the sound.

* * *

**Ylisstol Palace**

We got into position. 11 people, 6 on the west, and the other 5 on the east. Sully, Kellam, Stahl, and Lissa, and Maribelle are on the east, while Chrom, Sumia, Frederick, Gaius, Lon'qu, and I are on the west.

"Marth" was guarding the door to Emmeryn's room, where she lay refuge in. Despite being indoors, the ceiling was high enough for a pegasus to fly without feeling too cramped.

There were a few nearby fighters on our side. Sumia and I made quick work of the fighters, using my sword and her agile lance. Frederick and Chrom proved to be much more stronger together, and Lon'qu and Gaius being the sword wielders they are, also made quick work of the fighters.

Sully and Kellam prove to be a powerful duo. Nearly all of the attacks that Kellam is receiving don't flinch or push back the invisible knight. Sully is a great support. Stahl felt much more invigorated with Lissa cheering him on and healing his wounds. Maribelle's healing was powerful too, and the knight and cavaliers mowed down their opponents like a juggernaut charging through a wall.

While we had the numbers on our side, there were two openings that we had to deal with. Marth, though a strong fighter, had a hard time sustaining damage from the axe strikes and magic. Lon'qu and Gaius showed signs of exhaustion from the massive amounts of forces taking the second opening to the south. Maybe I should help him, but I have to take care of these pesky dark mages to the west.

"Huuuraagh!"

Suddenly, I heard a crash to the south. Lon'qu and Gaius were immediately surprised from the sudden crash in front of them. The smoke cleared, a giant bunny was there.

"Marth, is the large bunny an ally?" I asked the blue haired lady.

"Yes, Panne is an ally."

"That's a..."

The bunny suddenly shifted into a smaller human. Panne has the brown fur of her rabbit form on some parts of her body. She also has long bunny ears, wrapped around by her hairs. She wore simple light armor that showed most of her skin.

"If your in my way, I'll claw you down."

"Either away, you're welcome to join as long you help us," Chrom said.

"I'll take orders from you for now, man-spawn," she glared at me coldly.

I nodded and pointed to Lon'qu.

"Assist Lon'qu, Panne," I said, "Gaius, ask Emm if you can open that chest right by her desk."

"Um, okay," Gaius replied as he ran to Emmeryn's room.

As more forces were thrown at us. I've started to notice that the west side's advance halted momentarily. Kellam, even with a javelin, was still having a hard time avoiding the dark magic of the mages. Stahl had to retreat temporarily after sustaining damages from the fluxes, lances, and axes. Lissa and Maribelle provided good support, healing their meat shields with their all. Noticing that the west hall soldiers were doing fine, I decided that I should help them.

"Sumia, let's help the west side," I said.

"Got it!"

She rose high and glided toward the west. I unsheathed my sword and prepared for attack on the fighter wielding the hammer. Sumia threw a powerful curved lunge, followed up by my sword. When the pegasus was about to turn away, I extended my palm to the fighter and struck him down with a powerful Elthunder.

"Nice combo, Alec," Sumia complimented, "I wonder if you wrote about Verdant Nocturne having a pegasus riding sidekick."

Though embarrassed at first, I chuckled lightly in response.

"I was thinking of one..."

She giggled playfully and spun her lance into position.

"Let's finish this battle first, then we can start writing on Verdant Nocturne's tale."

"Can we save that for another time? We need to finish my first story," I replied.

"Speaking of story," she threw a lunge at a dark mage, piercing the latter's skin, "Thought of a title?"

I decapitated the dark mage swung off the blood off my sword.

"I don't know, I'll tell you my title ideas after this," I conjured a series of magic seals and summoned a powerful lightning bolt to kill the cavalier about to attack Maribelle.

Kellam, Stahl, and Sully started to advance, killing most of the remaining people left. The same explosion noise was heard on the east, so Sumia and I quickly moved to the scene. Chrom managed to dodge the Elfire cast by that strange sorcerer. Wait, is that the sorcerer in my dream? He looked to me with his eerie eyes and grinned.

"Oh, it's you," he simply said, "What a coincidence for you to meet me here."

"State your name, harlot!" I pointed my sword at him.

"I am Validar, don't you remember?"

"I've never met you in my life."

"Well then, the only thing you'll remember is THIS!"

A surge of fire suddenly erupted underneath Sumia and I. The pegasus knight managed to fly out of danger in time, but another Elfire circle appeared on the ground. I looked above and saw Validar, levitating with book in hand. The pegasus barely made it out, having half of its body engulfed in fire. While it had strong magic resistance, the pegasus was weakened, leaving Sumia and I earthbound.

"Hehehe, now I don't have to aim at you guys," he said as he lay down airborne.

"Don't get too cocky, Validumb!"

"Don't speak to your elders like that!"

He summoned another Elfire circle underneath Sumia. The klutzy girl tried to run away, but tripped. I managed to grab Sumia and toss her away from the fire circle before it detonated.

"Auugh!"

His magic power is strong. It was hard for me to stand after being damaged from these flames.

"Alec!" Sumia shouted.

"You'll... pay!"

A brown blur suddenly pounced on Validar. When I saw the blur touch the ground with Validar under it, I realized it was Panne.

"You're safe, Alec," Panne said.

"Thank you, Panne."

I got up right in time for Maribelle to catch up and heal me.

"You'll be okay, darling," she said softly.

Suddenly, Panne was engulfed in flame, causing her to flee in panic. Lissa used her newly found physic staff to heal the burning bunny. Despite her state, Panne decided to rest. Validar extended a palm to Lissa, but was protected by Maribelle, who managed to resist his powerful magic.

"No one hurts my dear Lissa!" Maribelle huffed.

Stahl attempted to strike the sorcerer, only for the latter to vanish. Stahl turned to his left, witnessing the sorcerer throw a flaming fist at his chest. Stahl got knocked off of his horse and winced in pain. Stahl was still alive, but his resistance to magic is low.

"Get lost, chump!"

Sully threw a javelin at Validar with vehement force. Validar got impaled by the javelin, but only smiled in response. He cringed a little from the sharp lance, but the pain he felt wasn't strong enough to make him falter. He formed two fire balls above him and shot to the ground underneath Sully's horse. The red haired cavalier was aware of the spell's procedure, managing to dodge the fire pillar prior to its detonation.

"Heh, am I that obvious?" Validar said with a grin.

"Looks like it, oldie," she spat back.

The pillar of flame shot out diagonally instead of upward, scorching Sully in a blaze of fire. I saw Lissa, cowering from Validar. When our eyes contacted, I pretended to hold a staff and raised it up high and pointed it to Sumia's damaged pegasus. She nodded and quickly scurried to her. Sumia, sat on her knees, feeling useless without her pegasus. Even if she's quite athletic and fit for battle, she still feared tripping accidentally.

"Sumia, let's go!"

"I... I can't, I'm going to trip again," Sumia said with a sad tone.

Sad as she is, she has to overcome that sadness. This is war, Sumia, you need to stand up and fight. But if she can't on her own...

"Sumia..."

I reached out my hand to her, causing Sumia to nervously cringe.

"Alec, I can't fight, I can only fight while on a pegasus."

"Sometimes, when your steed is damaged, you need to know how to survive while she's being healed," I smiled warmly and sighed greatly before continuing, "Verdant Nocturne, has traveled through the highs and lows on his steed, but when his steed was damaged by his rival, Hawkeye Lowe, he had to protect his horse with only his sword and magic. But even without his steed, the mysterious Estella helped her when he was outmatched by his skill in the bow."

"Estella helped Verdant Nocturne?" she had a cheerier look on her face.

"Yes, now come, it's time for Verdant Nocturne to return the favor!"

She bravely stood up and held her lance strong. I scanned Validar and witnessed his parameters. As usual for a Sorcerer, he has fearsome magic power and tough defense, but also lacked speed and resistance. What made up for his speed was his teleportation ability, but he seems to be quite slow. His only weakness right now is the limitations of his teleportation ability; it seems to drain considerable energy.

"All right!"

"But first, here's the plan..."

After I whispered to her the plan, she nodded and we both charged at the opponent. I charged in and swung at his legs, but Validar managed to dodge it. Sumia tried to stab him from his left, only for Validar to disappear again. This time, the sorcerer floated above us again. If my prediction is correct...

"Gaah!" A pegasus rammed Validar from behind with her head.

"Tana!" Sumia shouted, cheerfully relieved of her pegasus's recovered state.

Frederick entered the scene and raised his lance to skewer Validar, tossing him back into the air. Chrom stood up on the armored horse and delivered the finishing blow to the sorcerer with a great leap.

Chrom landed on the ground with Falchion dug on the palace floor. Validar dropped to the ground, dying from massive damage.

"H-how did you know of the plan?"

With those words, Validar gave his last breath and died.

* * *

**After clean up.**

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, Twinkie," I said to one of the enemies' suffering horse.

It was breathing heavily from its wound, causing me to feel sorry for having cavalier opponents. I started to sniffle and I just wanted to cry. Some of the horses died on me, but this one seemed to be strong. I hope Lissa's staff can also heal horses. Some of the horses were spared, saved for training to serve Ylissean cavaliers in the future.

"Hello, darling," Maribelle said as she crouched beside me.

"Oh, hello milady," I said with some tears on my eyes.

"Oh, poor horse, he's a fighter," she said as she gently pet him.

"Do you think you can use your Mend staff to heal him?"

"I can feel your sorrow for this poor creature," with a smile she shone her staff on the horse.

The horse started to feel less weak and managed to stand up with my help. I hugged the horse lovingly and let the floodgate of tears rupture.

"Twinkie!" I wept, "Oh Twinkie, I don't want you to be in that kind of suffering again!"

I looked at Maribelle with a grateful grin.

"Thanks milady," I said with tears in my eyes.

"Tee hee, no need to call me milady, darling," she said as she smiled, "Just Maribelle is fine, Alec."

"Alec?" I heard Chrom and I immediately turned to him.

"What is it Chrom?" I asked.

"Do you know where Marth is?"

"From what I heard from her, I think she's at the outer gardens," I pointed to the outside with my thumb.

Chrom immediately ran toward said location, leaving me to deal with the Exalt and Panne.

With a smile, Emmeryn did a grateful curt bow to her.

"Thank you, brave taguel for your valor," she said gratefully, "Words can't express how grateful I am."

"I'm guessing Taguel are beast-human hybrids?"

The bunny girl nodded, smiling at my perception.

"Why yes, we taguel are shape-shifters. But I'm the last of my kind."

Humans can be so ambitious that the extinction of a race can mean nothing to them.

"You man-spawns call us "beasts" or "coneys" when they hunt for us," Panne said, "I only helped you because of the warren's debt to Ylisse."

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"Don't think of us as friends, tactician."

I shrugged, but she might be part of the Shepherds anyway. Besides, Maribelle started out as prissy and a "tigress" according to Vaike. Maybe someone is kind enough to warm her heart through our journey.

"I guess you're very unsure of being friends with humans, probably with what they did to your race."

"You man-spawns invaded our warren and slaughtered all of my people."

I sighed from hearing this. I think I can understand what it's like to have a family killed off by barbarians. These ruffians remind me of human beings themselves. We destroy the homes of others for the sake of settlement or superiority. Humanity may have blood permanently stained on their hands, but even then, humans have the will to overcome their primal desires and ascend as something much better.

"Goodness, Panne! Who could do such a thing?!"

"Heh, all of you humans are the same!" she still frowned, even with that "heh!".

"All of you have the same desire to ruin and destroy all you touch, even if it's your own kind."

I know there's some truth in those words, but not all humans are the same.

"...Your words ring some truth in them, taguel," Emmeryn replied, "From what I studied, the taguel society treats everyone as equals."

She put her hand on her heart and closed her eyes.

"Mankind would have learned much from your warren. Though it feels too late and has little meaning, I am deeply sorry."

Phila raised her brow, but was still surprised that she's apologizing as if she did something wrong.

"Your Grace, you had nothing to do with the taguel slaughter," Phila, the falcon knight said.

"Your words are but wind to me," Panne said as she shook her head. After her head shake, she smiled with her brows expressing zeal, "But you feel my pain as if it was yours."

With crossed arms, she smiled once more.

"I shall join you man-spawns for now."

* * *

**Road to Breakneck Pass (Cue Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!)**

The Sheps might call me a stalker if they found my Troops Notes Journal. I drew simple sketches of the heads of who's in the Shepherds. I drew most of the guys on the left side of the page, while the girls are on the right. I began to mumble silently to myself.

"Hmmm, Sully should go with Kellam..."

I drew a line between the blank faced knight and the hot-headed Sully. I've been noticing that Kellam has a tendency to protect Sully sometimes. Ever since the Feroxi wall "breach", he was willing to go in front of her to prevent a lethal arrow from coming to her.

"Let's see, Stahl seems to like Lissa..." I drew a line between the two.

"Frederick..." I noticed he's a good person to use in the early parts. I know that he's powerful, but soon, all of us will outgrow him. Even if I invest my time in him, I'm not sure he would be strong in the end.

"So, Frederick is forever alone? Maybe, he might get some girls after this war is over; we'll basically be heroes."

I put my pencil on top of Virion. There might be more chicks coming in later, and he's a best bud. I'll keep him on reserve.

"Hey, Alec!" the strong arm of Vaike strangled my neck. I quickly closed my journal.

"Doin' more tactician stuff?" he asked.

"Pretty much..." I replied.

Vaike then inched closer to my ear and whispered.

"So, Alec, wanna stalk Maribelle while she's bathing?"

My eyes widened and I slightly flinched.

"If you're so into her, why don't you go yourself?"

"I overhead a bit of her conversation with Sumia," Vaike said in a hushed voice, "Almost everyone in the camp knows that you're into her."

I stammered a bit and looked both ways quickly. With a twitch and a glare, I replied in a silent angry voice.

"Who started this whole gossip train?!"

"The Vaike can see the fates of the-"

I glared at him eerily as I pointed a knife to his neck.

"Okay, it was Gaius!"

Is the thief in the team the archetypal mischief? I've gotta think of a way to get back at him...

"Well, sorry, I can't," I said, "I've got business to attend to."

With a "gentle pat" he finally left me alone. I wiped the end of my back with my free hand and put away my journal. This whole pair up thing feels like a dirty voyeur's dream. Not like I am one... or was.

* * *

**Chapter 11, people.**

**Initially, I was about to make Alec hear voices of the other My units, telling them to put Frederick with someone. I'll probably not do that... yet.**

**Alec's age is 18, and while he's a powerful tactician, is still quite dumb and forgetful. I'm trying my hardest to not Gary Stu him like most MU's in-game. I really don't have much to say right now, so I guess I'll stop.**

**Next Chapter: Miss I-Am-Perfect-but-not-perfect-enough-to-get-him-to-fall-for-me-in-a-fortnight's debut.**


	13. Douchebags on Dragons

**Chapter 12**

Douchebags on Dragons

"How many more innocent people will you kill, Plegian?!" I shouted angrily as I gripped my blade.

"We were suppose to have a meeting," the general said, "No weak people are allowed."

This cliff side area is a good place for wyvern riders to ambush earthbound troops. There were a few archers too, and the trademark Plegian barbarians. I equipped myself with my Elthunder tome, as most of these people have low resistance, especially the wyvern riders. Ricken and Miriel are equipped with Wind tomes, powerful weapons against airborne opponents such as wyvern riders. I brought Virion, though he was alone, but arrows are always good anti-air. Chrom is naturally equipped with an anti-dragon weapon, which is also effective against wyverns: his Falchion. Though Frederick will be Chrom's companion in battle, his silver lance is strong enough to heavily wound a wyvern. Stahl has a Wyrmslayer, and Lissa by his side to heal him. Vaike will be another front-line fighter, with Maribelle behind her and providing much needed healing on the endangered fighter.

With all this set, Sumia helped me up on her pegasus and we got ready for war.

Due to the potential ambushes of the wyverns, I decided to take a more cautious and defensive approach to the general.

"Alright Shepherds, here's the plan..."

My plan I affectionately call the Bulwark, involves the bulkier fighters take the front lines and absorb most of the damage, while the ranged fighters clear out anyone who isn't finished by the front-line fighters. We were to take small steps to the end of the pathway and clear out the boss.

"Well planned," Frederick nodded as he clutched his lance.

"Shepherds, to arms!"

With Vaike, Stahl, and Frederick in the front, they are able to tank most of the damage while most of the ranged people can finish off those who were damaged by the shield. Maribelle and Lissa did their work by healing the front line people. Sumia and I took some of the wyvern riders head on. The progress was slow, until I accidentally exploited Virion to a wyvern rider to the south. Oh crap!

"You fiend!" Virion weakly said.

He ran away a good distance and weakly aimed at the wyvern. His arrow pierced the soft underside of the wyvern's neck, causing the rider to drop down to the ground. My side was fine, so I gave Sumia a signal to help Virion. The rider slowly got up and charged at the defenseless Virion. Virion attempted to dodge it, but a steel lance already impaled the wyvern rider. A red haired beauty riding on a pegasus was the lancer. I heard Sumia breathe in deep as if she was about to shout.

"Cordelia!" Sumia shouted happily.

"Sumia!" Cordelia said with a smile.

Sumia told me about one of her friends who joined the Pegasus Knight Troop of Ylisse. Cordelia is one of the youngest and most talented of all of them. But why is she helping us out if Ylisse is being protected by them? Unless...

"Guys, we've gotta end this battle quick!" I shouted. I have a bad feeling about this.

"Virion, go with Cordelia," I commanded, "This might be good practice for horseback archery."

"Horseback archery is quite a boon, especially with-"

I put one finger on my lips, telling him to shut up. Cordelia seems like the person to like order and austerity. I already knew what Virion was going to say.

"Let's just go."

Cordelia and Virion proved to be quite a deadly force against the wyverns. With Cordelia's mobility and strength with the javelin plus Virion's arrows and natural strength and skill, they were able to kill off most of the wyverns camping on top of the mountains. The ground forces were doing well. After I bought two reeking boxes using almost half of our treasury, I put them through actual combat to make my troops grow strong. Because of this, the ground combatants could easily mow through, but the more fragile yet powerful units like me can't take much damage.

Virion and Cordelia locked on to the leader. They both shot their projectiles, only this time, the arrow did some damage, while the javelin was simply blocked. He grabbed his axe and threw it at Cordelia with vehement strength. Cordelia is much more powerful attack-wise, but she can't dodge as much as Sumia. The axe heavily damaged her, forcing her to stay on the ground for now. The pegasus was too damaged to fly, but could survive as long as it isn't being focused by axes.

"Cordelia, stay with Maribelle and Lissa for now," she nodded to my command. I looked at Chrom and Frederick, "Us four will take care of the leader."

I turned to my left, only staring at the two magicians with my left eye. I did a small hand gesture, signaling them of emergency assistance. Since I told them of the plan before this whole fight started, both complied immediately, shown through their nods.

"Gah, where're my reinforcements?!" the general shouted to the skies. Then, he looked at me with his head leaning back, "I am Vasto, and my wyvern's been hungry for some horse and human meat."

This time, I initiated the attack. Sumia flew up high and I held my sword and Elthunder tome tightly. Vasto proved to have deadly precision that parallels his strength. Sumia managed to dodge it, nearly having the short axe shred Tana's pelt. The wyvern proved to be fast, closing in to us in mere seconds. Vasto already had another steel axe at his disposal, which he used to try and swing at us. I swung at his axe with my blade, causing his weapon to recoil. He still held that axe strong, allowing him to swing back. This time, Sumia's iron lance handle blocked the steel axe swing. As weak as she is in strength, she proved to be able to hold her lance strong from a steel axe's swing.

"Sumia, if you hold on longer then..."

My eyes widened in surprise, reliving the dream I had yesterday. Sumia, suddenly killed by many wyvern riders who came from all sides. But it all started with her lance breaking.

"I'll help!" I carefully stood up on her pegasus and hopped onto Vasto's wyvern with a lunging slash. The wyvern immediately panicked from the sudden alien presence.

"Alec, catch this!" Frederick tossed to me Stahl's wyrmslayer.

Chrom suddenly shot into the air and up to Vasto's height and threw a mighty swing at his wyvern with Falchion. The wyvern cried in pain and dropped a few meters before recovering. I still hung on to the wyvern, but Vasto grabbed my collar brutally and stared at me menacingly. Even with the turbulence, the wyvern rider still hung on.

"What do ya think you're gonna do, ride my wyvern?"

The wyvern's tail grappled my neck, causing me to struggle out. Vasto rubbed the edge of his axe playfully on my neck as he giggled cruelly.

"You've got guts, kid," he commented, "I want a better look."

I grabbed my wyrmslayer on my left hand and put it in dagger grip. Before the axe could sever my neck, the tail of the wyvern was severed first. The wyvern shrieked in pain, losing control of its flight and dropping down. I fell off the steed with Vasto, but the rider still held on to a rope that attached to the wyvern's gag.

"Whoa there, calm down, sucker!" he commanded the wyvern.

"Alec!" Ricken shouted, "Don't worry, I'll help you!"

He grabbed his Elwind tome and formed a steady tornado on the ground. When I landed in the tornado, I was gently carried by the winds of the spell.

"Thanks, Ricken," I said with a gentle smile, "Do you think you can control the tornado to launch me back?"

"Um, I'll try," he strengthened the tornado's size, causing me to elevate higher into the sky.

"Hey, mage, thanks for the target," Vasto shouted.

He was about to charge at me, but then he redirected the wyvern to Ricken. Wait, crap! I'm falling!

"Uwwaah!"

"Alec!"

Sumia grabbed my hand with both of her hands. She was about to fall, but I grabbed her arm and I told her to pull me up through an upward head tilt. She pulled me up and soon, I found myself straddling on her. I immediately pushed myself away and went behind her on the pegasus saddle.

"Gotcha!" Ricken extended his palm at the wyvern, launching a blade of wind at him, yet the wyvern rider dodged.

"Such agility and reflexes that scaled winged beast contains," Miriel said as she cleaned her glasses, "Oh, if I must."

She used her Rexcalibur to create a powerful pillar of wind to launch the wyvern (and Vasto).

"Hey Miriel, when did you get that Rexcalibur tome?" Ricken said with a raised brow.

"I think that was the time when I used that reeking box in Border Pass," I said weakly.

"Ugghh, Maribelle, Lissa, I need some help..." I groaned painfully, "I hope staves can cure nausea."

A sudden crashing noise was heard. Vasto's body lay down on the ground, dead.

We looked eastward and saw a band of wyvern riders, axes ready. Chrom and the others prepared their swords and charged at them. They're seasoned enough to fight those riders, so I decided I should stay with Sumia.

As I expected, the battle was over within a matter of minutes. Chrom and Stahl's anti-wyvern weapons were the game breakers. With a smile, I fainted, nausea and dizziness taking over.

* * *

**Camp Site**

"Oh, Alec, you're awake," she said with a relieved smile.

"How long has it been ever since I fainted?" I groaned weakly.

"It has only been a few hours, don't worry,"

"Anything I missed out?" I asked.

She scratched her head nervously.

"Well, you see, do you remember Cordelia?"

The red haired girl on the pegasus? I guess so.

"I'm guessing her little escape has something to do with what you're about to say?"

"Yeah, Gangrel and his forces invaded Ylisstol while we fought against Vasto's forces. Cordelia was the only one from the Pegasus Knight Squad to go away."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sumia," I hesitated for a moment, "I mean Estella."

"Well, the Estella persona just seems awkwardly childish now..."

The klutzy pegasus rider looked away nervously.

"I... I just made that little persona just because Verdant Nocturne was so cool, so I just wanted to imagine a less klutzier yet cooler me."

As much as I'd outburst from embarrassment, I didn't want to. Aside from Lissa, I think Sumia is the closest girl to me. Realizing she still had my notes on Verdant Nocturne, I decided to even the odds.

"Sumia, I like both you and Estella, heck I want to know more about this Estella character," I said smiling, "If you were to ditch your own persona, I'd really miss the kind and caring person you are."

Sumia blushed from the latter. She put her hands on her chest as if she got some sort of palpitation. Her eyes showed deep surprise.

"Am I kind? I usually just do things because I have to," Sumia is showing low self-esteem again.

"I'm so sorry I can't really relate, Sumia," I said apologetically, "My clouded past can't be used as justification, and these random memories I have can seem biased."

I sat up from the futon and stared at her eyes. She was looking away, so I can't really see her irises. She seems to have a melancholic expression. Is she sad because of something bad in her past? She even admits that sometimes she reads to get away from reality. But this will only add to her low self-esteem. As if I was about to cry, I decided I should resort to the most reasonable affection.

"Sumia..."

She looked at me with an inquisitive look. I dove into her and wrapped her with my arms. I can tell from her body language she showed immediate surprise. Initial surprise shifted into tender affection as she hugged me back.

"Please don't change who you are," I muffled on her shoulder, "I'll always miss you, Estella or not."

She patted me on the back and gently pushed me away so I could see her face.

"Say, Alec um," she was blushing madly, putting her hands on her cheek to cover it, "Do you want to go on a date to town when we're free?"

With a refreshing chuckle, I sat cross-legged and nodded.

"Of course, we've been hanging out for a long time, you know,"

"Thank you~," she said with a giggle as she cuddled next to my shoulder. An extremely warm feeling on my face suddenly took over. Despite the warmth of her cuddle, I pulled her in closer.

"This experience is good for our novel," I said softly.

"Our novel?!"

She immediately got up and was about to run for her tent, but she halted herself and turned to me.

"Oh, sorry if I ruined it."

"Continue, sweetie, working together on our novel will bring us close, no?"

She nodded with a fervent smile and whisked away to her tent. A surge of positive energy is flowing inside me like a river system of purely fresh water. It seems I'm still in my usual combat garbs: the beige sleeveless shirt under a dark purple hooded coat and white slim pants with boots. My red shoes were unsuitable for movement, so I only wore them on casual occasions. To prevent any perverted moments, I looked outside the tent if Sumia was near. Fortunately, she wasn't, so I decided to my wardrobe and switch into pajamas.

Sumia came back in her own pink nightgown as if she's going to some sort of slumber party. Before we could start, I ran to the mess tent to grab some spare drinks and snacks (much to my surprise, the snacks weren't stolen by Sticky Fingers Gaius). We continued to spew our imaginative juices into this story, splattering ink into fine text and sentences. When we were hungry, we started to feed ourselves and sometimes each other for fun. We're nearing the end of the story, but we both agreed to stop for now.

"Whew, I'm exhausted," I yawned, causing Sumia to follow suit.

"Well, I guess we should go to bed?" I said.

I slowly crawled to my futon and absorbed myself in my blanket. I looked at Sumia and raised my tired eyebrow. She was still sitting down.

"Something wrong, Sumia?" I asked.

"Well... um," she had a blush on her face and was tapping her fingers together.

"Bye~"

She left my tent and left me alone to sleep. It usually takes me a bit of time to sleep. For some reason, it was harder for me to sleep. She's been on my mind lately. Sumia...

* * *

**Notes**

**Well, you can say that Alec's at A level support with Sumia.**

**So for the Ships at the moment, here they are:**

**AlecxSumia**

**SullyxKellam**

**StahlxLissa**

**VaikexMaribelle**

**VirionxCordelia**

**Also, thank you readers for having the time to read my story. Thanks to you guys, I hit over 3k views in only a few chapters. This is a new record for me, and your views give me the inspiration to write much more.**


	14. Cults and Dragonstones

**Chapter 13**

Cults and Dragonstones

Exhausted from the heat of the Plegian desert, I took off my purple jacket, leaving me with my beige tank top. I usually kept a bunch of items hidden their, like knives, tomes, and vulneraries. Without my coat, I feel exposed. I noticed that some people with body covering clothing such as Miriel still kept their usual outfits on. Maribelle opened her parasol, probably using it to prevent her skin from tanning. I wonder if there's anything that can block tanning. Sumia stood by her pegasus, using the flapping wings as a fan. Ricken made a clever move with his wind tome by using it to cool him down. Virion was now hitting on Cordelia, with the latter rejecting his trite flattery.

"Something wrong, Alec?" Chrom asked, still wearing his usual attire.

"Well, aside from the heat, I've been thinking to myself," I said, looking into the skies.

"Tell me, I'd like to know," Chrom said in a slightly happy tone.

Chrom and I are basically bros. He trusts me fully as if I've grown up with him in his entire childhood. He's a good friend to confide in when he's not absorbed in princely duties.

"Well, say there's a girl you have eyes for," I began.

"Yes, I'm listening," Chrom said.

"How do you know you love them and are not infatuated with them?"

Chrom seemed to hesitate with my question. His face showed deep contemplation.

"I really don't know at the moment, Alec," Chrom commented, "But I'm going to have to change the subject."

I nodded to his changing. If my friend can't handle the question right now, I'm not going to pry further. After all, we're in Plegia, basically enemy territory.

"Do you think that Gangrel has set up a trap for us? We've barely seen any sign of Plegian Guard activity."

Before I could think any further, Frederick the Wary entered. A curt and formal bow was his first action before bringing the news.

"Milord, our scouts have spotted activity close by," Frederick said, "Due to the sands, mages and fliers are suitable units to bring in battle."

"Well, there's action, I guess we should rally up the troops and discuss strategy."

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Well, a force of 10 people is all I need. Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, Stahl, Virion, Cordelia, Miriel, Ricken, Sumia, and I are the chosen. Through the map knowledge from the scouts, I managed to prepare ourselves and think up of a strategy to destroy the opposition. As soon as we were about to fight, Sumia and I, floating in the air by the pegasus, noticed a young girl and a mercenary running away from one of the enemies. I looked at the Shepherds, prepared to give new orders.

"Guys, we should to rendezvous with the child and her guardian in the distance. Wipe out anyone who tries to attack us in our path."

Still wearing only my beige tank top, I grabbed my tome from a holster I bought in Ylisstol and commanded Sumia to go. Her adventurous smile already gave me her answer, showing it through the pegasus immediately zooming. I saw my troops follow suit, fanning out to clear out the rest of the opponents. Sumia charged into a cavalier, lunging the lance into the rider. Though immediately knocked back, it didn't finish him.

"Gotcha!"

The straps on my holster held some knives. I brandished one and lunged it into the wound and sliced upward, killing the cavalier. The horse ran around crazily before fleeing. Numbers of troops swarmed the little girl and mercenary. While the merc was powerful, he couldn't sustain any further damage.

"You guys, come northward!" I shouted.

While they weren't my troops, both of them agreed, finding solace in our warriors the only suitable choice for survival. When they managed to catch up, Sumia landed on the sands, allowing me a steady spot to aim my magic. A series of magical circles surrounded me as I channeled my magical energy into the tome. The dark mage came closer and was about to summon dark magic.

"Go!"

A magic circle appeared above my opponent, summoning a concentrated lightning bolt into the mage, instantly frying it. The mage still stood weak. I was about to cast another one until a blue ball of crystals smothered the mage before exploding into shards. The little girl beside the man disappeared, replacing her with a large golden dragon. What the hell?

"A dragon?"

"Alec, the little girl transformed into a dragon!" Sumia said.

"A manakete..." I've studied a bit on dragons on my free time. Manaketes are a tribe of human-dragon hybrids who can transform into dragons through a dragonstone.

"Gregor would like to thank you for keeping Gregor and little girl safe," the merc said with a refreshing smile.

"So Gregor, are you and that little girl by any chance related to our enemy?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Gregor is sellsword who was hired by creepy men to find little girl, Gregor thought they wanted to look for parent's daughter, but Gregor find out they want little girl for sacrifice."

"Oh, I see, so the opponents we face are those part of the Grima cult?"

"Correct, friend. I save little girl, who was defenseless and is trying to find safer place."

I crossed my arms before pointing at myself with my thumb; a heroic grin on my face.

"Well, just stay with us for now, maybe we might need your services after this," I reached out my hand to him, offering him a handshake, "I'm Alec, and she's Sumia."

"Good to be met, Alec," Gregor said with a swell smile.

The dragon transformed back into her human form. When I saw her from a distance, I only saw her cape and head, but what in Naga's name is she wearing? She's wearing some sort of really short shorts with knee-high boots and a small tank top made of scales that mostly cover her breasts. A lot of skin was showing. I feel both confused and attracted, but mostly confused. Why is a little girl wearing such revealing clothing?

"Hey there, cutie, I'm Nowi," she said with a wink.

"Er um, hey," I said nervously, looking away from her attire, "Just stay with Gregor for now, even the most powerful people need help."

"Who are you to give me orders, old man!"

"O-old man?! Look at you, you're probably like thousands of years old or something," I retorted, "Just follow with what I have to say unless you want to die."

"Ugh fine, dad!" she said with puffed cheeks.

We slowly but effectively mowed down through the forces. Thanks to the three villages, they gifted us with items useful for the war, especially the seals. The Second Seal is good to change into a different class; something Donnel needs. He's been growing strong lately through the Risen that have spawned around Ylisse. But this Master's Seal is good for Chrom, who has exceedingly grown powerful ever since. Most of us have already surrounded the boss of the group. He carried a strange dark tome.

"Chrom, before we fight the commander and his remaining troops, use this."

I tossed him the Master Seal and he grabbed it.

"This is a Master Seal, but why?"

"A great leader has to never rest, never surrender, and most of all, never stop improving."

With a smile, the blue blood channeled the power of the seal into him. The seal started to whir, emitting a powerful red light as it started to hover. Chrom let it levitate on his hand and when he raised his hand high, the seal rose into the air. A brilliant white lightning took over Chrom, causing Sumia and I to shield our eyes.

When we both opened our eyes, Chrom's attire had changed. From his one sleeved costume, he now dons a fully sleeved outfit with silver armor covering his chest, shins, and forearms. His silver spaulder on his left shoulder is retained as well as his white and blue cape.

"How do you feel now, Chrom?" I asked.

"I feel my previous potent power awaken, now belying greater potent power," Chrom said.

He unsheathed Falchion and with Frederick, made quick work of the front line defenders of the commander. The rest continued to clear out anyone in the way. Cordelia and Virion challenged the leader, by my command, but with a little warning.

"Don't be caught flat-footed, the Nosferatu tome can drain your health."

"I will be careful," Cordelia proclaimed.

"You're much more safer with me," Virion said with a grin.

If they were endangered, then I'll send someone to help. Cordelia took the front-lines, spearing the dark mage with her steel lance. The opponent wasn't as mobile as Validar, but he proved to be sturdy and quick on his feet. Virion kept on peppering arrows at the dark mage, but he proved his sturdiness and agility by both enduring and dodging the arrows. He finally used his spell on Cordelia. A magical circle hovered above her and emitted a black light, which managed to hit Cordelia dead-on, draining some of the knight's life force.

"Hnng!" Cordelia winced.

The dark mage cackled from his recovered state and attempted to cast it on her again. Virion attempted to halt the channel, only with the mage cleverly dodging the arrow. Cordelia was clearly more exhausted, having her essence being drained from the mage. I wonder if Virion and Cordelia aren't enough to fight him. I was considering going, but then I saw it.

The same magic halo hovered over Cordelia. Virion seemed to have seen what I saw. He noticed it and through vehement bravery, he pushed Cordelia out of the "blast zone" making him the victim of the spell. The red haired knight commanded her pegasus to skid on the sands and launch back into the air. She suddenly felt a surge of health, thanks to Lissa's Physic staff. She threw a powerful lunge that fully pierced the tough skin of the dark mage.

I noticed that he isn't dead yet. With a grisly smile, he attempted to cast Nosferatu again, this time, his eyes on me. I looked above me and saw the black light about to emit.

"Sumia, dodge the spell!"

"Okay!"

Her pegasus immediately flapped her wings to spring herself backward, fully avoiding the light.

"Grr!"

Cordelia sprung out the lance from the mage and was about to finish him off, but an arrow to his head ended his life.

"Miss me?" Virion said confidently.

I clapped from Virion's usual display of marksmanship. The heat of battle had made me forget about the desert heat. As soon as I cooled down from my "battle trance", I felt the heat of the Plegian sun again, increasing the amount of sweat by my brow. I started to pant and want water, but the wing beats of Tana refreshed my body. Sumia giggled from my relieved state and beckoned me to come with her under the shade of her pegasus.

"Thanks, Sumia," I said with a genuine smile.

"I gotta make myself useful somehow," she replied.

* * *

**Desert Campsite. Sundown.**

Gregor was immediately hired after a small conversation about watching over Nowi. Nowi, the eternally youthful manakete was relieved that she gets to join us and not return to an auction block that enslaved her for entertainment purposes. I just really hope her attire didn't entertain other... entertainment purposes.

Nonetheless, both are safe as Shepherds. We got them their own personal tents to rest in, much to the two's relief.

Where was I? I'm at the border of the camp site, after a little outing to one of the local villages in the desert, buying some weapons to replace the old ones about to break. Luckily for me, Frederick escorted me, and he finished the job by bringing the weapons to the storage right when we reach the campsite.

I've been thinking about Sumia for a while, in fact, she's been on my mind for almost all the time. When I bring up tactics, I think of her positioning first. When I'm scanning the battlefield, I think of a good position to keep Sumia safe from death. I felt like I should have bought something for her.

I grabbed my pouch of gold and counted the gold coins I had. Being the tactician, I was paid a good amount. Why was I looking through my coins? Am I going to spend it on something? I suddenly felt something bumping into me. The tall man known as Kellam was the person I bumped into. He's not wearing his armor, revealing his bulky physique. He wore a brown tunic that accentuates his musculature with black pantaloons and dark green boots.

"Oh, Kellam, my apologies," I said.

"Oh, it's alright, you just didn't see me," he grinned with closed eyes.

While his eyes were mostly closed, he looked around, scanning the area.

"Hey Alec, you know, you're one of my only friends that actually notice me," he said.

"Yeah, anyone else?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Donnel and Stahl are my closest ones, but that's not the point," Kellam replied.

He showed me his left hand, revealing an intricate golden ring. The radiance of the ring and Kellam's tenacity paying off enticed me, shown through a wide smile.

"Is that an engagement ring? Who's the lucky bride?" I smirked.

"The Woman to end all Men: Sully."

With a calm and empty face, I told him to wait a moment as I scurried behind a tree. I opened my note book and put a check mark beside the heads of Sully and Kellam. With a silent fist pump, I quietly shouted "Yes!" and did a little dance. I quickly hurried back to Kellam and shook his hand with a congratulating smile.

"Congratulations, Kellam. I never knew you'd have it in you."

"Well, you putting me up with Sully in the past few battles made me realize how much I cared for her," Kellam started, "This concern about Sully made me realize how much I'm willing to protect her and help her when she truly needed it."

He started to sniffle a bit.

"And also realize how much I... I love her," Kellam was about to be on the verge of tears, but I pat his shoulder.

"So this is love, huh?" I said with a soft voice.

"Yes, to endure the highs and lows together, to solve problems with your love and not giving up," Kellam said, "I may not be a super romantic man, but I think that's what our love is."

I backed away for a bit and extended my fist to him. He knew what this meant and he bumped my fist with his own.

"You gave me inspiration, Kellam, I know you'll be happy, overlooked or not," I said.

"If you need me, I'll always be somewhere."

Since it was late, I went to my tent. When I lay down on my bed, my eyes resisted the need to sleep. I held the bag of gold in above me, wondering why I always eyed it so frequently. You know, I wonder if the jewelry store is open. Probably not. What am I doing? What should I do? Should I wait some other time, or should I get her the ring now?

_"... that's what our love is."_

The words of Kellam rung through my ears. I started to think I'm forcing my love for Sumia by rushing this marriage. Oh Gods, I think I just realized it now. I think... no. I'm in love... wait, that's not it. Is this love real? Do I really love Sumia?

* * *

**A/N**

**I've read some FE fics before starting this. Sometimes, they don't mention the seal, and prefer making an iteration where someone proclaims them worthy to wear certain garbs, or they just simply change clothes. Well, considering the FE universe is a universe where freaking Magic exists, why shouldn't I exclude Seals? Heck, Noire and Laurent even talk about the seals after they change class.**

**Speaking of other FE fics, my chapter title pays homage to one of my favorite FE:A fics, Love and Dragonstones. You should read it sometime, it's pretty good.**

**So, do you really think our hero is crazy enough to buy a ring late in the night? Probably not, considering jewelry stores at this timezone close at night.**

**You know, since Alec is different from the normal Male avatars, I decided to give him his own quotes and little bios if he were in the game.**

**Touch screen Alec's name -****A mysterious traveler with alien origins. Gifted in tactics, but can be scatterbrained.**

**Roster Info**

**A young man with no recollections of his past. His mysterious devices and alien clothing are a reminder to his past, yet its origins still remain unclear. Due to his talents in tactics, Chrom has enlisted him as the tactician of the Shepherds. While easy-going and kind, he's emotionally capricious. **

**Dual Support**

**"You're alright."  
"Here to help."  
"Don't get too cocky."  
"No pressure."  
"They're screwed."  
"Two against one, baby."  
"The enemy is in my sights."  
"Don't be scared."  
"Need help?"  
"You'll survive."  
"Focus on the enemy."  
"Friendship is Power."**

**Dual Strike**

**"I want a turn!"  
"Wahoo!"  
"Excuse me, pal."  
"Look at me, fool!"  
"Double team!"  
"Fall down, already!"  
"You'll not enjoy this."  
"You face two."**

**Dual Guard**

**"Screw off, casual."  
"Because I care."  
"Don't die, please?"**

**Critical**

**"Cry more, casual!"  
"Do I scare you?"  
"Time for the part where you scream."  
"This game is over!"**

**Defeated Enemy**

**"Couldn't have been this way."  
"I must not lose."  
"Survival is scarce in war."  
"Anyone feel suicidal?"  
"Still the best, heheh."**

**Partner defeats enemy**

**"Great work."  
"Thank you for your help."  
"We're quite compatible, no?"  
"That entrance was cool."  
"Flawless."  
**

**Defeated.**

**"I... don't... want to die..."**

**Death quote**

**"I'm... so sorry, everyone... I was such a goof..."**


	15. Exalt's Evanesce

**Chapter 14**

Exalt's Evanesce

**A/N: Sorry, I'm late, I moved houses, so I won't be typing as frequently, because my internet provider will work next week. I might not make Friday's due, unless I finish Chapter 15 before Friday. Anyway, enough dillydallying, read this chapter dammit!**

The Plegian Castle courtyard is where Emmeryn will be publicly executed. Gangrel came prepared with a force of wyvern riders and mages, mobile forces suitable for desert combat. The Shepherds managed to slowly mow through the competition. When we reached the southern-most part, I was suddenly saved by a powerful axe chop on an invading wyvern rider.

"Are you fine, sir?" the woman said. Wait, that could be a man. He seems to be part of the clergy; a priest. He/she may have feminine features, but his face was masculine, if not too feminine.

"Are you a War Monk?"

His eyes widened from my question as if it was a first. With a smile, he nodded calmly.

"You're probably the only one who was able to distinguish me as a man, sir," he said.

"Well, after my reading of the St. Elimine history book, I was curious about the Ylissian clergy," I said, "Too bad you guys don't practice Light Magic."

There was a sketch of St. Elimine in her bio. By the gods, she's so beautiful, that I'd probably share a euphoric dance with her, if someone knows what I mean.

"I need no magic, for I only need the heavens above, and the ground beneath my feet."

His eyes shrunk, sensing danger. I raised my brow and was about to look behind me, unsheathing my sword.

"Watch out!"

The androgynous man grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down.

*shwing!*

The sound of steel culling flesh was heard from behind me. I looked behind and saw Chrom slaying a soldier. He swung off the blood on Falchion and sheathed it. This area is safe for now.

"You're safe, Alec," Chrom said.

He walked toward the monk and eyed him.

"It's good to see a War Cleric assisting us in saving Emmeryn," Chrom smiled.

"..."

"I'm a man."

"He's a man," I said in unison with Libra's confirmation.

"Oh, um..." Chrom was nervous.

"But... err, well, we appreciate your assistance, War Monk," Chrom said.

"You may call me Libra, milord," he said.

"I'm Alec, just in case you're curious," I replied to Libra.

"Ah, Alec, I've heard of your achievements in the battlefield from the citizens," Libra said with a smile, "You're a strong tactician."

"Well, I'm not the greatest tactician..." I laughed nervously.

"You're quite the humble one too," he closed his eyes and grinned cutely, but he immediately shifted into a serious look, "Well, enough talk, we must take action, Alec."

He walked westward and halted after a few steps.

"I'm yours to command, Alec."

We continued pushing forward, killing the last few resistances on the southern wall. One of the last people standing was a female dark mage, clad scantily like most dark mages. Chrom seemed to see something through her eyes, causing him to move in close and talk with her.

"Hey, you seem reluctant to fight, Plegian," Chrom said.

"Hmph, why do I really have to fight in a cause I don't believe in," she spat coldly.

"So, why do you continue to fight?" Chrom retorted.

"Well, you see, I respect the king and all, but I'm a bit rebellious," she said as she eyed me lustily. I feel a cold chill through my blood from seeing her.

"So, if you're so reluctant to fight, why don't you rebel against the king and join us?"

"Well alright then," she said in a gloomy yet sweet voice as she gawked at me.

"Why do you always look at me like that, harlot?" I asked.

"Oh, you can call me anything you'd like, Alec," she immediately got close in a flash, surprising me. I can feel a creepy dark aura around her.

"What's your name?"

"Tharja~, I can use Dark tomes unlike normal mages,"

"...Right, we shouldn't waste time, Tharja, we must save Emmeryn,"

"If you say so~"

"Libra, heal some of the damaged troops," I commanded the monk. With a smile, he grabbed his physic staff and emitted a thin beam into the sky.

I saw some of my friends march through the desert sands, holding their weapons high and healthy. I hopped on Sumia's pegasus again, grabbing my Arcthunder tome pilfered from Risen skirmishes. Sumia hovered over most of the soldiers, giving me a great view of the battlefield. I looked to my left and saw Maribelle marching ahead from Vaike. Though Vaike was easily unhappy with him being left behind a few paces, I was using Maribelle's positioning in preparation for an awesome attack.

Chrom and Frederick were the first people to attack the armored general. Frederick's silver lance broke in one of the previous fights, so he had to use a cheap iron lance. While Chrom's rapier was effective against armor, the general proved his great vitality and defense by not even wincing at the blade piercing through his armor. Having a spear, he naturally had an advantage over Chrom's sword. Frederick's iron lance barely dented the armor. Despite his bulkiness, he was mostly focusing his lunges and swings on Chrom. The general spun his lance and threw the lance at Chrom with great force. Frederick the Wary soon intervened, taking the blow for Chrom, but not without sustaining a stab from the lance.

"Frederick!" Chrom shouted.

"Maribelle, now!"

She looked at Vaike, who was at a medium distance away from her. With a nod, she shone her Rescue staff and moved toward the general. The armored man was too focused on the fight against Lord and Servant to see the troubadour in time. A magic circle appeared above the general, manifesting the Vaike above it. Vaike, equipped with a hammer, threw a dropping smash with his hammer upon the helmet of the knight, severely crushing through the helmet. The man fell to his knees, defeated.

"Damn... if only I lived... I'd build poor Nestor's... house," the general's last words made me question about killing my enemies.

Wait, what did he say? Oh, I already feel ashamed to fight the enemy. I saw the armored man, still breathing heavily.

"Sumia, fly me to him, and don't attack."

"Gotcha," she winked and commanded to Tana to land by him.

Sumia flew in to the knight's dying body and I hopped off of the pegasus. I crouched down beside the knight, who was heavily breathing. I think I heard some weeping too underneath that heavy helmet. Not just because he's dying, but because he seems to hold someone of value back home, mainly the mentioned Nestor. Vaike's head smash must have broke the neck part of his spine, giving him a hard time to breath. I feel sorry for him. Perhaps Gangrel might be to blame for sending Plegians to fight. Even some might have been charitable until Gangrel possibly threatened them to fight.

"I'm so sorry it had to end like this," I said sadly, "May I ask for your name? I want to remember a person who died in such an unnecessary war. So I can use your name to justify my fury against the Mad King."

"I'm... *wheeze* Campari. Please, after this war is over *cough* find Nestor and give him to my friend... Henry," he could barely talk because of his broken throat, "Ask one of the soldiers... where my... house is... he *cough* will be inside."

Maybe Plegians aren't all bad. I usually thought of Plegians as bandits with only hedonistic wants. I guess I've been to caught up in fighting for my army that I view my enemies as lesser human beings. He's going through incredible pain, so I had to end it and let him free.

I grabbed my sword and flipped him over to his back. I took off his helmet, revealing his seasoned and aged face. Bloodied and suffering, he was trying hard to keep his breath. He looked at me. I had a sad face, showing pity and compassion for his state. When he looked at my sword, he mustered up all his strength to smile and nodded slowly. I clenched my eyes, feeling the need to shed a tear as I was about to mercy kill him. I lunged the sword into his neck, immediately ending his life. He died quickly, his body going limp as his last breath was drawn.

"Rest in peace, Campari," I said in a somber voice .

I got up and looked at Chrom with my swollen eyes. I was crying to kill someone that had a family back home.

"Now that the wyvern riders are killed, it's time to give out the signal," I said.

I grabbed a Fire tome I borrowed from Miriel and shot a fireball into the sky. Phila and her pegasus knight squadron stationed the courtyard by the giant Grima skull; the place where Emmeryn would be executed.

"Your Grace, don't worry, we're here to save you."

As Phila lead the flight to Emmeryn, her pegasus suddenly dropped by an arrow. Where the hell did that arrow come from? I looked to the ground and saw a dozen of Risen archers aiming at the whole pegasus squadron. The arrows were already too much for the pegasus knights to handle, causing all of them to fall. We were exhausted from the battle. If I were to try and slay them all with Chrom and the others, we would strain our muscles. The pegasus and the knights fell down as if fish were raining from the sky. The sight of Ylissean blood made the Shepherds stare in fear. I dropped down to my knees and punched the ground.

"... I failed..."

"DAMN YOU GANGREL!" Chrom cried.

The mad cackle was heard from his castle. Gangrel smiled evilly as he pointed to Chrom with his sword.

"So, what will it be, dog prince? The Fire Emblem, or your precious sister?"

"This is such a huge dilemma, Chrom..." I said to him, "Your sister, or possibly the entire world."

"Emm..."

Chrom grabbed his Falchion, but the sound of the bow strings being stretched interrupted the prince. The archers were all aimed at Emmeryn.

"Hahaha! If one limb were to twitch, then you can kiss your sister goodbye," Gangrel cackled.

"I'll end you, cretin!" Chrom was clearly enraged.

"Go ahead and kill me, but you'll just end up like your father, and you'll be responsible for your dumb Exalt's death. Who else wants to kill the Exalt huh? Any of you goat herders want too?"

No one replied.

"What a bunch of pathetic creatures."

"You're the only pathetic creature here, Gangrel," I spat back.

"Ooh, we have someone with an attitude~"

"Well we have someone who's a complete pussy, hiding behind a bunch of archers and threatening us with the Exalt's life," I spat back.

"Heheheh! If you were smarter, you could have stayed in Ylisse and defended it," Gangrel spat back, "So much for 'Master Tactician'."

"You bastard! It still doesn't change the fact you're just a coward. And not only that. You lack even sentience and ability to listen to reason. You're not just insane or mad, you're **FUCKING **retarded!"

I think I saw Gangrel cringe a bit. He spat back, angrier than ever.

"Nag nag nag nag! If you're not going to submit my birthday present, then I'll have to get my backup present: Emmeryn's head."

All the archers aimed at Emmeryn. I couldn't see Emmeryn's face clearly, but I'm sure Emmeryn is afraid to die.

"Wait!" Emmeryn shouted.

"What do you want, harlot!"

"Is there any other way for you to listen to reason?"

"Let's see. How about no!" Gangrel said.

"..." Emmeryn was silent, preparing to speak.

"Plegians, I ask you hear me out!"

What's Emm doing now? Is she willing to be executed? What can I do to save her? There's no way we can get out of here without an important treasure.

"War will win nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourself from this cycle of hatred! This cycle of pain and hatred!"

"Emm..."

"You don't have to do what I do to free yourself from this cycle, but..." she closed her eyes and started crying, "Please, try whatever you can

She took a few steps forward, closer to the ledge. My eyes widened from her attempted suicide.

"Emmeryn!" I shouted.

Her body dropped dead into the pavement of the courtyard. The blood the dead exalt splattered across my coat, causing me to shiver in dread.

"NOOOOO!" Lissa screamed with tears on her eyes.

"Hahahaha, what grand delusions your sister suffers! And might I add, a graceful fall."

With a sigh of relief, Gangrel smugly smirked.

"Oh, how will we remember her glorious sacrifice, oh, how about I have fun with that little corpse!" he licked his lips maliciously.

"You bastard! I'll kill you! I'll FUCKING kill you!" the chains of sanity have broken. I unsheathed my sword and brutally cut through one of the archers.

"Oh, is someone mad? Cry more for me! I need to fill my oasis with your tears!"

While I found myself surrounded by the archers, Chrom cut down one of them and seemed to share the same deranged emotion I had. Despite his berserk state, he knew who his enemy was, and the enemy were the victims of his deranged slaughter.

"You're going to die here now, Gangrel!" Chrom shouted.

A speeding arrow was about to pierce Chrom, but I managed to slice it in half. I tossed my iron sword into the Risen archer's head, killing it instantly. Being unarmed was no problem. I felt an arrow pierce my back. It stung so hard, but I still stood up. I ran up to the archer who shot that arrow and threw a brutal punch to his face. I started to tear off that ugly zombie face with my own hands until it finally submitted to agony. I saw another beside him and slammed him down to the ground. I grabbed both legs and spun him around before tossing him to a small group of archers, attempting to get up after sustaining Chrom's attack. The last archer was about to be struck down by Chrom, only to be hit by a silver arrow. I looked behind me. Basilio was the one who killed him, using his silver bow. Flavia was beside him, holding her silver sword ready.

"Basilio?"

He made a beckoning gesture to me with a serious face.

"Don't be so reckless, Alec, we have to run! We've secured an escape route for you guys!"

"Not until I have Gangrel's head! He let so much good men and women die!" I spat back.

Flavia closed in quickly and punched me in the gut, then threw a dropping kick that sent me downward.

"We can't face him in his own city," Flavia argued, "I thought you would consider the situation of the battlefield."

Her blows really hurt. I try to stand up, but it stung every time I moved my hips. I looked to where Chrom was. Basilio carried an incapacitated Chrom and nodded to Flavia.

"I... I'm so sorry... Emmeryn..."

"Get up, Alec, the Shepherds still need their tactician."

Flavia helped me up. Though I was a bit taller, she was strong enough to carry me on her shoulders. I realized that she was trying to keep us safe. Ever since she helped us in this war, she was more or less like the big sister to Chrom and I. Even if siblings have some violent disputes, they ultimately care for each other.

"...Thank you, Flavia," I said weakly.

She looked at me with a grin that emanated an aura of a big sister.

"You're an ally, Alec," she said in a soft big sister voice, "Of course Basilio and I care for you."

I looked behind me and saw the Plegian castle start to shrink as we ran away. Gangrel's cackle started to lose volume due to the distance between us expanding. Through the events I've seen, I conclude that both Ylisse and Plegia need saving.

* * *

**Midmire**

Basilio lead the Shepherds to a bone yard. Heavy rain scattered through the battle field, adding to the melancholic aura of the situation. Clearly, all of us were tired from running all the way from Plegia Castle. After a few minutes of running, I've regained my ability to stand up properly and ran with the others. Chrom and I have considerably calmed down, but we were still distraught from the sight we've seen hours ago. We stayed a while, catching our breath from the escape.

"The carriages should be here," Basilio said as he huffed.

"..." Chrom was silent, probably retaining the trauma of seeing his sister die.

"Chrom, are you okay?" I asked, concerned for his state.

"N-no,"

"I can understand how your sister's suicide has impacted you," I said in a somber voice.

"..."

"Damn, we have company!" Basilio said as he brandished his axe.

Plegian bandits and soldiers barred our path. Why do they still fight? I still wonder.

"Plegians..." I said silently.

"Why are you still fighting?! You'll only bring sorrow and pain to not only others, but yourselves and your family!"

I looked at their faces. Some tried to suppress their sorrow with an angry face. Some people were looking down in shame, as if they were forced to fight. I think I saw one of the bulky bandits cry, but it was hard to tell from the rain.

"...Why must we fight right now?"

"..." was their response.

I brandished my sword and looked at the Shepherds. All of them were armed, ready for orders. These Plegians don't seem to want to fight anymore. Heck, war makes me feel like I'm a monster. I don't want to kill anymore. Plegian soldiers serve the king, and maybe Gangrel forced them to fight. What kind of monstrous threat did he put on these soldiers? Either way, I just don't feel the need to kill them in cold blood.

War is cruel. People fight against other people, and both people may have a family they're protecting. This is what makes compassion for your enemies a weakness. While the man holds the blade and hesitates, contemplating on who's cheering for the person he's about to kill. War really is cruel, and the strength gained from surviving through battles may seem like a boon, but it sometimes make people question if killing the person was worth it. To kill a father, a brother, or even the latter if they were your own. I really want these people to come back home to their moms, wives, brothers, or sisters.

The rain continues to fall. Today, it won't wash away sorrows or sins. Just blood and tears.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**So, I'll just leave it off here. As much as I don't like Henry (well I like him the least), his supports with Ricken reveal that some of the Plegian generals aren't so vicious and evil as you see them. A big example is probably Mustafa, but Campari is also an example.**

**The Renewal chapter, like the others, has made me feel sad. Usually, I'm pumped up to kill a bunch of Risen or repel Valmese with my Sheps, but fighting Mustafa and his men with Don't Speak Her Name playing, made me realize that Plegians themselves aren't always bad guys. I could have wrote something to kinda spare Vasto, but I think he was too much into the moment. I toned down Campari's character a bit to show more of Alec's compassionate side, which will later be a crucial quality in meeting a certain person.**

**In all honesty, I never put up Libra with anyone, and I may or may not put him up with anyone. I like Libra personality-wise. He's kind, courteous, and always willing to help, but I have a little tradition of not focusing on pre-promoted units, so don't expect Frederick to be with someone. I might make Libra more of the "****Councillor" of the group.**

**Sorry if I offend anyone with this rant, but I just feel like I want to vent it out.**

**Inb4 Second Seal bitch. I'm aware of its powers, but I don't find any time to invest in Frederick or the others once my chihuahuas have turned into r****ottweilers (*cough* Chrom, Alec etc.). This DOESN'T count Henry, aka my least favorite character. I can go on through the chapters saying he's my least favorite, but his debut will show why I don't like him as much. So whoever favorite'd or followed me and expects Henry love, feel free to unfollow or un-favorite. Like the story for how I write it, not how I treat Henry, I mean if you expected love for him, read another fiction goddammit. But even as the least favorite, I have some plans for him. Some of the fan fiction writers express dislike of Virion, Vaike, Ricken, or other people, so I may as well just express dislike of Henry, right? Honestly, I think I'm the only who deems Henry as my least favorite character. The only thing I'll say is that Henry is overrated.**


	16. Quagmire of Emotion

**Chapter 15**

Quagmire of Emotion

"Halt, Shepherds, I am General Mustafa," the general said in a soft and slightly woeful tone, "Lay down your weapons, and we won't hurt you."

Chrom's little emo phase suddenly shifted into an outburst as he glared at the general.

"What do you mean?!" Chrom cried.

"You Plegians expect us to trust you after all you've done?" Frederick joined in his glaring.

"Shepherds, your rage is justified, but I too have heard Emmeryn's last words," he said with a sad look, "Surrender, and we'll protect you however we can."

"Damn you, Plegian! Don't speak her name!" Chrom shouted, "Why would we just trust you right here, right now, especially with what your mad king has done."

"Very well, Prince Chrom, it has to be this way," Mustafa surrendered to the far side of the battlefield, replacing his position with multiple soldiers.

I looked at Chrom, thirsty for Plegian blood. I looked at Frederick, who also shared the same fervor as the prince. I looked at everyone. Everyone showed angered looks. Why are they putting the blame of the Mad King's actions on them? I just... I don't feel like fighting.

"Chrom..."

"What?!" Chrom outbursted at me.

"I... can't fight them like this..." I dug my sword into the mud and sighed.

"They're our enemy, Alec," Chrom angrily argued, "They're the ones that ransacked and pillaged Ylisstol."

"Chrom, listen to yourself," I shouted.

"Why don't you listen to yourself?!" Chrom dug his Falchion into the earth and threw a punch at my face.

"Ow!"

I fell to the mud and Chrom mounted on me, pulling me up by collar.

"You're being a coward, Alec," Chrom said, "Look at what Plegians have done. You've seen it in Ylisse too! We have every right to be angry at them!"

He threw another fist, making my mouth ooze out sanguine fluids. Chrom was about to throw another punch, but I grabbed his fist with my left hand and threw a powerful headbutt at him. Frederick pointed his lance at me and shot daggers into my eyes. I shot my own daggers to his eyes with my own glare.

"What are you insisting, Alec?! Do you really think it can just end happily ever after? Are you implying we surrender" Frederick supported Chrom.

"No... I know this battle is inevitable, but look at these men,"

I presented to them the men who stood in defensive fighting positions. Even the most burliest and savage barbarian was frowning. Some shook their arms in fear.

"This fight may have been inevitable, but it seems Gangrel just forced them to their deaths," I said.

"So what?!" Chrom spat.

"Even if they're our opposing force, Plegians are still humans, and even some of them are forced to fight just because the king said so or threatened them," I said, "Doesn't this remind you of what your father did?"

Chrom was taken aback from what I said. His usual angry expression now changed to a fearful realization look. After he recovered from that realization, he took a deep breath and looked at the enemies.

"Chrom, we're going to fight them," I said, "I just can't bring myself to kill them."

I looked at the Shepherds who were ready to fight.

"Shepherds, it's your choice whether to kill them or not. To be or not to be, that's the question. To be a killer, to destroy the hearts of the families of the soldiers, maybe to honor their sacrifice to their country. To spare them... I'm not so sure, really, but either way, we have to win this and demolish the tyranny of Gangrel."

With the soldiers increased morale and strengthened sanity, I hopped on Sumia's pegasus and she flew toward the wyvern riders.

"Aim for the wings, Sumia," I grabbed a lance holstered by the saddle of her pegasus and passed it to her.

"Is this the Killer Lance Gaius stole back where Donnel was?" Sumia said as she examined it.

"Yes, now weaken that wyvern rider's wing."

She twirled it and threw a precise slash on the wyvern's wing, damaging it and causing the rider to fall. I looked to my left frantically and managed to deflect a hand axe with my own iron sword.

I crouched on top of the saddle and hopped off. Thanks to the lessons I learned from Ricken with wind spells, I learned how to propel myself with a burst of wind at my feet, as if I jumped a second time, doing a front flip.

I kept the three basic elemental tomes in my leather holster, now modified to house three tomes. Tana holds my more advanced tomes, and Sumia, thanks to her javelin tossing training, is able to pass me my tomes from a considerable distance.

I grabbed a hold of my fire tome while inverted and at the right time, my leg was infused with flames.

"Hell Hammer!"

I threw a hammering kick on the wyvern's back, forcing it to drop down from my attack. And now, my leg hurts from kicking a wyvern. Should have thought twice about this.

"Ow, my freaking leg!"

I fell down toward the ground, but Sumia saved me... again. I lay on her saddle and slowly yet painfully positioned myself properly.

"Alec, that was such an idiotic move!" Sumia said angrily.

"Sorry, maybe I should have blasted him with my Wind tome?"

"You know, you're starting to become a bigger idiot, Alec," Sumia said.

"I always was an idiot, wasn't I?"

She groaned and flew toward the fort on top of that large bone.

"We need to rest a bit," Sumia said as she helped me get down, "Tana received an injury from a wyvern, and you have a sprained leg."

I sat down by a wall and checked if I had any vulneraries. My jacket was empty, aside from a few knives. Sumia passed me some bagged object. I raised my eyebrow, wondering what's inside.

"What's this?"

"It's a packed dinner. We barely ate after we ran away from the castle," Sumia said.

"Are you giving it to me, or are we sharing it?"

I grabbed it and opened it, revealing a wooden box. I opened it and discovered cooked beef with some vegetables and what looked like fried potatoes.

"Wait, what are these brownish sticks?" I asked.

"Well, Frederick said he got the name from you. 'Fries' or something like that," she said, "I was curious about these fries and wondered if I cooked them right."

I grabbed one 'fry' and chewed on it. The fry was crispy and delicious. I grabbed two more and chewed fervently. I looked at Sumia and smiled warmly.

"I think these are the perfect fries, Sumia," I said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you~" she smiled with a blush on her face.

I beckoned her to sit beside me, to which she gladly complied. I offered her some of her cooked meal and she happily partook in her work. As time past, the number of fries diminished. As it was running low, I decided to do something fun yet cute. I grabbed a fry and looked at Sumia.

"Hey, Sumia, can you open your mouth?" I said.

"Um... okay."

She opened her mouth with an "Aaah" sound. I put a fry to her mouth and she chewed on it. I chuckled to her receiving the fry, causing her to blush. She grabbed one fry and told me to open my mouth. I opened my mouth and she put the fry in my mouth. I chewed on the fry gladly, causing the cute Sumia to giggle.

We finished our food in due time and just sat down by the wall. The rain kept on pouring on this bone yard, but we were under the cover of the fortress. I looked at the pegasus knight. She was shivering from the cold weather. Seeing her suffer made me feel like my heart melted slowly. If I weren't going to do anything, I would lose my breathing due to my melted heart. I took off my coat and blanketed her in my coat. I looked at her face, showing surprise at first, then... awe.

"Alec?"

I was holding Sumia close to keep her warm, so the distance between our faces were nothing but near. I took one hand and stroked the side of her head. Sumia put her hand on my chest, causing my heart to race from her touch. I used my other hand to hold the hand on my heart, holding it firmly yet tenderly.

"Sumia..."

"Alec..."

I kept staring into her eyes. I've suddenly gained a stronger and more focused perception on Sumia's details. Her face was beautiful, showing both innocence and strength. Her hair is intricately styled, her sideburns formed into beautiful spirals and the rest of hair in elegant puffiness. Her face reddened madly from my closeness, and I felt my face feel the same way.

"Please...?" she whimpered softly.

I was nervous, yet at the same time, willing. Why willing? It's simple: because I love her, and I think her wanting this and the time spent together could mean that she too loves me back. She slowly closed her eyes, as I did too. We slowly moved our faces forward, mouths open and ready to kiss.

*schwick!*

A hand axe chopped by the wall beside me. I saw a wyvern rider holding his axe high. We both ran to Tana, but poor Sumia tripped at the wrong time.

"Sumia!"

The sound of a twirling axe was heard in the distance. It was aimed toward Sumia. As it got close, I hopped in front of Sumia's downed body and used my body to guard her.

*gash!*

"Alec!" she shrieked.

The axe stuck on my left shoulder, bringing grievous pain to my left arm. I grunted in pain and grabbed the Levin Sword I found in the barracks one day. I raised the sword up high, gathering a surge of the storm's lightning. I reeled in my sword to my left and swung outward as if I did a quickdraw similar to what Lon'qu practiced.

I tried to assimilate it and Lon'qu, who heard my grunts of effort, deemed my assimilation as rugged and tarnished.

A crescent wave of lightning shot toward the wyvern, and when it hit the latter, lightning exploded around the wyvern, frying it and causing it and the rider to fall.

"Alec... I... think I," Sumia nervously stood up and quickly ran toward Tana and flew away.

"Sumia, wait!"

"Hello, my friend," that french accent!

"Virion!" I said as I saw him in the sky with Cordelia.

Cordelia commanded the pegasus to land in the fort. The blue haired archer walked up to me and handed me a blue potion. It's an elixir. This can heal all of my wounds.

"Thanks to your tactics, I still have the full dosages for this elixir," the archest archer smiled as he put it on my hands.

Cordelia pulled off my axe lodged in my shoulder, causing me to scream in pain. I drank the elixir and suddenly, my wounds closed in a few seconds. I gave the potion back to Virion.

"So, how do I get out? My people still need me," I said.

"The forces are dwindling down," Cordelia said, "Chrom and the others left all of them unable to battle."

"Well, that's good," I said, "Tell them to spare Mustafa if any of them were to engage in combat."

"Okay, then," Cordelia said, "I'll help you up."

Cordelia put me on her pegasus and flew me to the good old earth. I looked around me, searching for Sumia.

"Hey Cordelia, where's Sumia?" I asked.

"Sumia fled to the north, fighting the few forces left."

"Is she with anyone?" I asked in a worried tone.

"No, everyone's gathering to the northwest area," Cordelia replied.

I ran to the north to save Sumia. I kept on running and running, ignoring Cordelia's request for my patience. I kept running and running until I saw a group of three barbarians. I sighed, not wanting to fight them as much as they want to.

"I'm sorry we had to be enemies..." I said as I readied my Levin Sword.

All of them charged at me simultaneously. I grabbed my wind tome and used the wind powers to jump high into the air. I landed behind them and turned to them with my sword ready. An overhead swing was the first move, so I parried it and outstretched my palm to him with chain lightning. I electrocuted him until he couldn't fight anymore albeit alive. I heard a growl behind me, so I immediately rolled past the bandit in front of me, dodging the swing. I spun my sword into reverse grip and turned my upper body to the right. I swung inward, cutting the lower back of the barbarian with my Levin sword. More suddenly came in, and they all surrounded me.

"Shit," I said with gritted teeth.

I used my wind jump again to save myself. I thought I got away, but a wyvern rider had to be there. He held a silver axe and he used the hook of the ax to hold me as if I was a coat on a coat hanger. I grabbed my tome in my holster and attempted to blast him with wind magic, yet the wyvern replied with biting my tome out of my hand. With a snicker from the rider, he held his weapon with both weapons and tossed me up high. I saw him preparing his ax in an upward slicing technique. What I've been through took quite a toll on my stamina, and trying to flip myself into a countering position would ache my limbs. Suddenly, flapping feathers were heard. Behind the rider was Sumia, charging at the rider and slashing through him with her killer lance. The rider fell down to the ground, but it wouldn't have happened if the wyvern descended to the ground to save his master. The absorbed impact weakened the wyvern greatly, making it unable to move fluidly for a moment.

"Sumia?!" I shouted as I dropped down.

"Alec, catch!" she tossed me another wind tome from Tana's saddle.

"Thank you."

The rings of runic texts surrounded me as if I'm a planet with multiple moons. A burst of wind propelled me a bit higher, effectively slowing down my fall. Sumia managed to come in on time, which resulted in my successful landing on Tana.

"Sumia, what were you doing there?"

"I wanted to show you I'm strong, Alec," she said, "I don't want you to always protect me or treat me as a stereotypical woman."

I saw tears streaming from her eyes A bunch of voices started to demand me to do the best action to calm her down.

_Kiss her! Do something affectionate! Tell her you love her!_

"Sumia, listen to me," I said as I held her shoulders.

"Huh?!"

"Sumia..." I blushed madly, "We can protect each other, it doesn't always have to be me. But when you do protect me, always remember I believe in you no matter what."

Her face showed deep surprise, which eventually shifted into a confident smiling nod.

"Alright, we should finish this battle! I want Gangrel dead as much as everyone here does."

With a nod, she flew up high and spun her lance fervently. She burst toward Mustafa's fortress with extreme speed, catching up with Chrom and the other Shepherds surrounding the fort. When Sumia landed her pegasus, I got off and looked at everyone around the fort.

"Guys, I'll take it from here," I said, "Protect me from intruders however you can."

"Are you sure you can face him yourself?" Chrom asked, concerned for me.

"If I'm able to survive Frederick's months of near-death experience training, then I think I'm up for the challenge."

"Very well, Alec," Chrom said, "But call us if you need help. We're always by your side."

I smiled at Chrom's words and confidently grabbed my iron sword. Sumia then grabbed my hand and looked at me with a concerned look. I'm sure she wants me to come out alive.

"Alec, promise me that you won't die on me. I can already see the ending," she said.

"Don't worry, Sumia, we'll carve our ending later."

* * *

Inside the fortress, Mustafa awaited me with his ax in hand. He equipped the strongest throwing axe mass produced for Berserkers, Warriors, and axe-wielders alike: a tomahawk. Mustafa looked at me seriously, unlike most of the barbaric leaders who showed arrogance. He didn't say any words and just charged toward me. I couldn't turn back now.

I grabbed my sword and clashed with his axe. Mustafa was stronger than me, effortlessly pushing me back. He tossed the axe high, spinning in place then threw a powerful dropping swing with his axe. It was easy to dodge before he brought down his axe, but the swing was so fast and massive, it could easily slaughter a man in an instant. While his weapon was stuck in the dirt, I threw a knife at his arm. It hit, but he shrugged off the damage like it was light rain hitting on him. I looked at his face. It wasn't a face of a true berserker, it didn't express bloodshed or sadism. It was stern and focused.

I grabbed my tome and shot a ball of lightning at him. He fluidly dodged it and he threw his tomahawk with vehement strength. I dodged the axe in time and charged at him. I swung my sword to his head, only to be blocked by two smaller iron axes. I didn't take note of those axes on his pauldrons.

"Were you a pirate?" I asked.

I backed away and got into a position. Mustafa silently nodded.

"I was a pirate, but when I came to Plegia..." he swung both axes in an overhead swing, only for me to avoid the attack with a sidestep, "I met my wife, and we soon had children."

"I don't even want to fight right now..." I said somberly, "But I can't let you get in my way."

"So be it, Alec," Mustafa said as he reeled his arms to his right and did a powerful swing. My blade was cut down by the force of the axes, widening my eyes in fear.

He used his left axe to throw a diagonal slice down my chest, cutting my chest with a grievous wound. I knelt to the ground, using my sword to help me stand up.

"Alec!" I heard Sumia cry out.

She flew right in front of me and blocked Mustafa's following attack with her lance. The lance soon broke and Sumia was about to be beheaded by Mustafa's hugging slash. I still held the broken blade and lunged it at Mustafa's abdomen, halting his actions. He backed away slightly and huffed heavily from sustaining damage.

"Sumia, don't expect me to outburst on you," I said, "Assist me if you wish."

"I'm not going to fight him with you, I already know that you'll win," she said, "I believe my love can overcome even the strongest berserker in this continent."

"Your love?"

"I lo-"

"We can say it as much as we want later, just leave or help me, you lovable klutz," I replied, interrupting her love confession (though in my own opinion, I found it unnecessary).

She passed me a steel sword, possibly Stahl's or Gregor's.

"This is from Chrom. He told me to give it to you when your iron sword broke," she said, "Chrom believes you can beat him."

"Oh Sumia, I love you so much."

She giggled with a blush and smiled warmly.

"Yeah, and I love you too, now win!" she said as she ascended into the skies, "I believe in you, my love."

When I saw Mustafa, his wound was fully healed. He held a concoction on his belt which he drank and tossed away. The healing light of Lissa's Physic staff rejuvenated me, healing me back to full health.

"Fair healing phases, friend," Mustafa said as he flourished both axes.

"We could be friends..."

"Now, let's end this, Ylissean," Mustafa said.

"I'm not an Ylissean..."

I leapt up high into the air and threw a powerful dropping slash on him. His twin axes clamped my blades like a crab holding an octopus tentacle. I hopped back and threw a slash to his left side from above, only for his other axe to parry it. I was staggered for a bit, but I saw him reeling his axes to the left. preparing to gash my stomach with both axes. With a hop back, I managed to avoid it. I attempted to lung him with my steel blade, only for him to clamp it with both axes. Mustafa used his free leg to kick me off and into the fortress wall. My back and stomach felt sore from their respective impacts. To my left, I saw a weapon tray nearly empty, save for an iron sword. I grabbed the iron sword with my left hand and got up.

Mustafa slowly walked backward, giving me space to go a bit forward. The rain kept falling, but none of the drops held us back. I reversed the grip of my left handed blade and charged forward. I threw a quick double blade swing with both swords at Mustafa, who guarded the strike successfully. I reversed the grips on each hand, using my right hand in dagger grip and swung to my left, then switched to a vertical crossing slash with each hand slashing up or down. This managed to break Mustafa's cross armed guard.

"Damn!" he shouted.

I spun around and threw a horizontal double slash with each sword fanning to the opposite direction, slashing his chest. Mustafa backed away slightly and regained his posture shortly.

Mustafa is quite skilled for a berserker, but I'm faster than him. He makes up with strength, but speed will eventually overcome strength when their defenses are low. Berserkers are powerful and seasoned barbarians who continue to master the axe, which strikes fear into the enemy.

We kept on clashing our blades together, the sparks lit up the dark and gloomy area for brief seconds. Mustafa's strength was horrifying, nearly fazing my own slashes with his own.

What I didn't realize is that Mustafa managed to position himself to be close to the tomahawk he threw at me. He sheathed both axes on his waist and picked up the tomahawk. Mustafa crouched down and leapt up high, preparing to chop me down with his axe. I gripped both swords tightly. It looks like in this clash, one will survive. I suddenly started getting absorbed in blue flames. These flames didn't burn me, but they invigorated me instead. I felt magical power empower my muscles and sword. If I was deluded, I'd be seeing a blue image of Sumia holding my sword and infusing it with pink flames.

"This game is over!"

I shot toward Mustafa and as soon as we got close, we swung our weapons at each other. Both of us felt a gash of blood on our stomachs, experiencing excruciating damage from the exchange. It felt to painful to move my whole body, making me unable to move. I felt like I was dying; in rigor mortis. Suddenly, I was caught by Sumia, who safely transported me back to the Shepherds.

She lay me down on the ground, but my eyes started to feel heavy. I saw Lissa holding what looked like a staff with a crescent and a gem in the middle of it. She shone it on me as I started to sink into a deep sleep.

* * *

I woke up in my tent, as if I woke up from a dream. I removed my blanket to reveal my chest wrapped in bandages. Seeing how I sat up, I think it's alright for me to walk. But then again, I feel pretty groggy, so I just sat down and pondered on the last battle. Did Mustafa die, knowing that his death would mean the safety of his family, or did he survive and he faked his death so he could reunite once Gangrel was defeated? I really hope Mustafa lived. My tent entrance opened, revealing a beautiful brunette.

"Hello, Alec," she said softly.

She sat on both knees, looking at me with her radiant eyes. She smiled with a sad look on her eyes, and I think I saw tears welling up. She pulled me into a deep embrace as she wept her eyes out.

"Sumia?"

"Oh Alec, I'm so happy that you're alive!" she cried, "I thought you would've died after Lissa used her recover staff."

"I've been wondering, who set up my tent?" I asked.

"I did," she said, "Ever since you've started to get knocked out after battle sometimes, I always want to put you in your tent so you could wake up comfy."

"Can't you just put me in your tent?" I asked, "Not that I don't like you setting up my tent."

"Oh," she said with a sigh of relief.

"In fact, I find it sweet," I smiled to her, my face feeling warm.

Sumia seemed flustered and nervous, as if she's hiding some sort of secret stash.

"You can tell me anything, Sumia," I said, "We're lovers now, aren't we?"

"Don't say that out loud, it's embarrassing," Sumia grabbed her own cheeks, attempting to cover her reddened face much to my amusement, "Well, I guess you're right, but I guess we should ask Chrom if we can share tents."

"Um, uh..." I scratched my head, "I don't know, we should ask Chrom about it. Can I ask where we're heading next?"

"Oh, Chrom said we're going back to Ylisstol," she said, "You need to have a meeting with Chrom in the War Council when you get there."

"Right, but do we have a bit of free time in the town?" I asked Sumia.

"Yes," she said with a smile as she cuddled next to me, giggling cutely, "Thinking of taking me out on a date?"

With a chuckle, I kissed her forehead, causing her to relish the affection with a shaky reaction.

"Yeah, of course," I said.

She embraced me and cuddled up to my chest.

"Oh, Alec," she said softly, "I'm sorry I'm a bit of a klutz, sometimes, I just don't know if I deserve your love."

"You already do," I said, "You always try your hardest, your quite an imaginative mind, and you're very trusting and reliable on the battlefield."

She closed her eyes and smiled widely as she dug her head into my chest.

"I'm so glad to hear about my performance," she sighed in pleasure from hearing me compliment her.

"I'm so glad I got to know you a bit more," I said nostalgically, "From the name of your pegasus, your favorite food, your talent in playing piano, your pet cat, Rascal, and many things that got me so enticed to know you more."

"Even if you don't have a clear history, I'm so glad that I got curious of your alien origins," she giggled, "Who knew we would have been this close."

"Sumia, as a tactician able to scan boons and cons, your speed, your skill, your loyalty, and your willpower exceed mine," I said with a smile, "Trust me, sometimes I'm a bit aloof when it comes to Chrom's orders. I can't even wield two swords properly, I'm not as quick, and I hate trying my hardest at some points."

"Wait does this mean you'll-" Sumia had an angered look on her face.

"But of course, I'd try anything my hardest for you," I said as I absorbed her in a loving embrace, "Look sweetheart, I may not be Chrom, prince of Ylisse, Frederick, chief of knights, or Cordelia, knight paragon of the pegasus knights. My point is being with you makes me feel like I can freely be myself, and I know that myself wants to continue loving and knowing more about you."

"Aww, I love you so much," she suddenly shifted into character, doing a weird pose.

"It seems my plan to make you fall in love has worked, Verdant Nocturne," she said in a different tone.

I chuckled to myself and decided to join her role play. I clenched my fist and pumped it diagonally.

"Is it, or did I already fall in love with you from the start, Estella?"

The klutzy pegasus knight held me by the shoulders and kissed me on the forehead. This was certainly a breathtaking experience. As if time slowed down, it felt like an eternity had just passed.

"Let's make a contract to be together forever, my love," she said in a soft acting voice.

"I've already accepted. Bethesda, my gypsy friend has already foretold of this event," I replied softly.

Her grip shifted into an embrace, and I too shared her action. I grabbed my square device and played the song "Serenity".

We were absorbed in our gazes, smiling warmly, warm as the blushes on our faces. Though I had some visible bags due to my insomnia, Sumia still basked in the brilliance of my feelings for her. As if we both had control of both of our bodies, we both mimicked each other by closing our eyes and closing the distance between us. This is it. I'm about to kiss her. Is this my first time? It totally feels like it is.

**"SUMIA! WE HAVE PEGASUS DUTY! GET OVER HERE NOW!"**

With a sigh, we sadly separated as if I surgically removed a wart. It felt painful, even though it was in a sense, irritating. Sumia seemed sad too as she waved goodbye.

"We'll meet again in Ylisstol," she said.

Before she left, she turned to me and showed me a box-shaped present.

"Here, this is for you, Alec," she said with a smile before running away.

"Thank-" she already left.

Instead of wallowing sadness from being separated by my love, I decided I should listen to this Serenity track with my headphones.

I loved the piano, and especially the new mysterious instrument prominent in most of the song. They all have a mellow rhythm and tone, fit for both melancholic and romantic moments. Wait, I forgot calming. Either way, this song made me think of Sumia even more. Thoughts of her being happy, helping me out when I need it and vice-versa, spending time with her.

With a smile, I grabbed the nearest book and decided to do some more research on classes. Now that I've grown stronger through these battles, I feel like I'm ready to change. Gangrel might bring his strongest forces in battle, so I have to know their garbs and their weapon proficiency. I looked at the box Sumia gave me and unwrapped it. The gift inside brought my usual casual yet confident smile back up.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**I haven't been writing a while, mostly because:**

**-There was no internet for one week.**

**-I still had to put shit in my new house.**

**Since I'm reaching the end of the Plegia Arc, I guess it's alright to talk about the children.**

**I've reached the point where I got all my children characters in-game (but not finished), and I have a pretty big issue to deal with****. I don't know who to ship them with. I haven't chosen Morgan's or Cynthia's yet. So, feel free to pepper the reviews with pairing requests, and I may put it to consideration.**

**As for next chapter, it will be another breather, considering that Chrom is letting the Shepherds prepare/rest for the upcoming attack on Gangrel.**

**I might update this Friday depending on my progress of the next chapter, so stay tuned.**

**Also, over 4.5k views achieved X3. Thank you so much for reading this fic. Your views, your reviews, and your acknowledgement is my inspiration and purpose to continue this.**


	17. Dunces and Dark Mages

**Chapter 16**

**Dunces and Dark Mages**

Well, after the whole emotional episode of Chrom wondering if he's worthy of Emmeryn's ideals, the army and I decided to cheer him up. I told him that he doesn't have to do what Emmeryn did to be a good Exalt, but he has to do what he believes is right. He's his own ruler. With that cleared up, the Feroxi army began to regroup, so the Shepherds decided to return back to Ylisstol to prepare.

The War Council was not to brief nor long. We just needed to command the other Feroxi and Ylissean forces to divert the rest of the forces away from Gangrel's vanguard. And then, the Shepherds can take the Plegian Vanguard easily. The number of supporters to Gangrel's cause has diminished ever since Emmeryn's sacrifice. He was about to attack Ylisstol, but he realized that his forces were dwindling down. Our spies have revealed where Gangrel was making his last stand, but before we began our attack, Chrom realized that he won't be attacking with a small number of followers. But even then, he commanded the Ylissean Army with some volunteered Shepherds to guard Ylisse.

Vaike and Maribelle guarded Themis with an army by their side. Nowi and Donnel protected the latter's village. Chrom, Frederick, Sully, and Kellam guarded Ylisstol with an army under the prince's command. As for me, Chrom promised a break for me after winning all those battles.

I looked at my new Grandmaster robes. The jacket was purple like my last coat, but it was longer and there were golden trims on the tail, the my sleeve cuffs, and collar. My beige tank top is now a small short sleeved shirt, covered by a golden breast plate. My pants remained, but my boots turned into golden greaves. Due to the length of the jacket, A golden thread held together the upper parts of my coats, but I untied it and wore the jacket without putting my sleeves in it, making it seem like a cape. Usually when the wind gets too strong, it would usually get blown along with the wind, but I placed some clips in the coat that connect it to the sleeves of my undershirt. I suddenly gained a new set of gloves that reach up to the middle of my forearms.

"...But enough about me, what about you, reader?" I said as I wrote down on a piece of paper.

"Who are you talking to, Alec?"

I was in my room in the Ylissean Palace, so Chrom is a frequent visitor. I should stop speaking out loud when I'm writing novels.

"I'm just writing stuff down, Chrom," I said sheepishly.

"Uh-huh," the prince said with a raised brow, "Well, are you sure you're spending your whole break in your room?"

"Nope, because I have a date," I said, crossing my arms proudly.

"That's good. Sumia?" he said.

I nodded proudly.

"You guys have fun, I've gotta go back on guard duty."

With Chrom's departure, I decided to put my paper away and put on some good clothing for Sumia's date. We were just going to explore the village together and buy anything that catches our eyes.

After a clothes changing montage, I came out wearing a normal t-shirt with the symbol of the old Falchion on the middle. I wore pants that reached up to my lower shins with my red shoes. I slung a small bag on my back and headed out.

The village was vibrant with happiness as usual. People talking to each other with chummy smiles, businesses being happily advertised (legitimate ones of course); basically, Ylisstol was happy despite its threatened state from Emm's death. There was a good amount of repairs done while we were away after Gangrel's invasion.

The first thing on my checklist is to buy a gift for Sumia. I went to the bookstore to buy a good book. Sumia loves fantasy and romance novels, so I decided to buy something she's gonna love.

The book, Sanctioned Crystals, is one of the recent best sellers according to the vendor. It's about twin royals: a boy and a girl, who lead a band of misfits and warriors to fight and prevent a war declared by their allied nation. After the purchases were made, I kept it in my bag and headed out to the next store.

The next store was a jewelry store. The merchant looked like that trickster I helped on the east side of Regna Ferox, but this time, she wore a black bra with green pants and had a large bag right beside her.

"Oh, come on in!" she greeted with a smile and her index finger on her chin.

The rings were marvelous, the cheapest one being able to impress Sumia. I've seen some of these merchants before, so I'm prone to find something good on sale.

"Miss, do you have any engagement rings on sale?" I asked.

"Of course, mister," she pointed to a select few. Most of them were simple designed, only having rings with a square gem in the middle. There was one that caught my eye: a silver ring with a floral aesthetic. A bright diamond hexagon with triangles sprouting on each side was the most eye catching design.

"How much is this?" I asked.

"It was initially 30,000 gold..."

"Holy crap! That's even more than my freaking army funds," I shouted in surprise.

"I said initially, and you DID ask for ones on sale," she had a disapproving pout on her face.

"...Right," I replied hoarsely, "So how much?"

"7,500 gold,"

Well there goes 65% of my savings. I decided to just pay it. I'm sure Sumia would love a ring with an intricate flower on it, considering her love of flower fortunes. I'd do anything to be worthy of becoming her husband.

With the black box containing the ring, I happily put it into my bag and headed out. I took a deep breath. This could be my biggest moment, or my biggest date.

* * *

**Sumia's House**

Her house was common. Even as a pegasus knight, she wasn't officially part of the squadron like Cordelia was, as she volunteered to be part of the Shepherds. Despite this, she got a decent pay from her war efforts.

Today, Sumia wore a purple sweater that tightly wrapped around her with a pink short skirt and her usual garterbelts and knee-high boots, but the coloration is dark grey rather than purple. She carried a purple purse on her left side. The sight of her in those clothes made me blush madly.

"Hi, Alec," she said with a jubilant smile, "How do I look?"

"W-w-whoa," I said in a surprised voice, "You're breathtaking."

She blushed and grinned a silly grin.

"Thanks," she replied to my compliment.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Well... uhhh," I looked away from her nervously, showing her I have no concrete plan.

"Oh, has my uselessness infected you," she was about to break down into tears, "I'm so sorry, maybe-"

"Look, let's just stroll around the village and browse or buy things on the market that catch your eye," I said, "Well, at least to a minimum..."

"Okay~" she smiled again, brightening my day.

* * *

**Village**

The streets were bustling, like what I said a few paragraphs ago. Why did I say that as if someone was reading my life story? Whatever, moving on.

We admired the businesses that thrived on smiles and friendship rather than pure money. Sumia seemed happy as well, but my smile was the kind of smile from discovering something miraculous. I feel like I came from a dystopia. But despite that possibility, I still smile genuinely and warmly from the vibrant community.

"Oh, Sumia," I said as I saw her walking beside me, "We should... you know."

I made a gesture of me holding hands with my own. She seemed to understand it... until she repeated my action. With a sigh, I gently grabbed her hand with my left hand, causing both of us to flare up.

"R-right," she said.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" I asked with a friendly grin.

"No... I'm just not really used to it at the moment," she shyly admitted.

"If you want-"

She then clung on to my arm like a sloth on a tree. She embraced it warmly and smiled as if she was hugging a teddy bear. I chuckled from her affectionate gesture of love and accepted it with a kiss on her forehead, causing her to giggle.

We enjoyed the village foods. My favorite food was the cooked corn while Sumia's was the fruit/veggie salad. Sumia's a vegetarian due to her affinity with animals. I'd love to eat some beef or chicken, but I don't want this date to be a mess.

We talked about our daily training sessions, what we do when we were away from each other, and other things pertaining to the Shepherds little journey through Ylisse.

"Salutations, Alec," a voice called out.

I turned to where I heard the voice to discover Miriel, wearing a pink strapped tank top with a beige medium-length skirt. She wore high heels with long black socks. Ricken was by her side, wearing commoner clothing: a blue shirt with white pants reaching up to his lower shins with boots. Both magicians weren't wearing their hats. I've got to admit that Miriel looks charming without her hat.

"Hello, Miriel, are you on a date with Ricken?" I asked.

"Date? How's that humanly possible to be on a measurement of time?"

"Yes, we are on a date," the kid replied, "Or in her case, a 'research trip'."

"We're scanning the area to bequeath our needed materials for our next experiment," she lifted her glasses and smiled at me, "We're planning to replicate that device you had, and according to my concept of your device, I'll be needing an abundance of materials."

You know, I really wish Miriel won't commercialize the device once she managed to mass produce it. I don't know why exactly.

"Miriel, can you promise that you won't commercialize my replicated device once you finish it?"

"Why not, Alec?" Ricken asked raising his brow.

"Well... if only I can see my memories clearly, I'd say it can cause people to be... somewhat distant,"

"Pray tell."

"It's a sort of contacting device, and overusing it may cause other people to become distant."

"You know, as one of the people that helped Miriel, I guess you have a point, but if we were to complete it, I guess we'll keep it a secret from the rest of Ylisse," Ricken said.

"Though, I feel like we could use its potent contacting powers for the war, ensuring clean and powerful far ranged communication," Miriel intervened, lifting her glasses.

"Well, whatever, go have fun you lovebirds," I said.

"L-lovebirds?" Ricken said nervously with a blush on her face.

"Why do you address us as a fictional bird, Alec?" Miriel raised her brow, unfazed by my comment.

"It's just a given name to two people who seem to be in love," I said.

"R-right, we'll see you later, Alec," Ricken and Miriel walked away, leaving both of us together.

Sumia looked at my headphones and slung it around her neck. She lifted them up and put them on her ears.

"Can you pass me your device?" she asked.

"Sure."

She wasn't much of a stranger to my mysterious device. I showed her how to use it to browse through music, so she didn't mind. I tried to see what song she chose, but she hid the screen away from me.

"Fine..." I said, respecting her privacy.

As she let the music play, she tapped her foot and bobbed to the rhythm. Her body language was soft, meaning she must have chosen a soft song. I wonder what she chose?

"Alec~" I heard the pigtailed cleric's voice.

"Lissa?"

I turned to where her voice came from.

She now wore a shoulder-less blouse with a black frilly skirt that reaches up to her lower thighs. She wore black stockings with mid-shin high boots. She didn't wear her pigtails, letting her hair flow freely. If I didn't notice her voice, I would have thought that she was a completely different person.

"Hey, Alec, can you help me find Stahl?" she said, "I lost him at the food market."

I looked at Sumia, who smiled with a nod. I guess focusing on my date seems selfish. I went on to help Lissa. We searched through the food department, but I wonder why I never thought to consider?

"Wait a minute, Lissa, are you sure that you're with Stahl?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm sure, we were just eating here minutes ago," she spread out her arms, showing me the whole area.

I looked around and saw a variety of food vendors and restaurants.

"What did Stahl eat to get him to wander off?" I asked.

The image of Stahl eating some sort of drugged meat appeared in my head. The image of Lissa in a combat skirt and blouse appeared, wielding a gigantic sword, about to attack Stahl with it. I have a feeling someone else thought it would have been different.

"Well... um, I cooked him lunch just to show how much I care for him..."

"Mushrooms?! Where the hell did you get them from, Tharja?!"

"H-hey, it's not like I'm a plant biologist, Alec," she pouted.

"Mushrooms are fungi, silly," I crossed my arms and had a disapproving glare.

* * *

**Meanwhile in Tharja's house**

The scantily clad dark mage suddenly sneezed, even though she didn't suffer from any allergies or colds. She looked around, suspicious of who would make her sneeze. Tharja is alone, and her grim attitude basically ensured it (though Gaius kept on making advances on her). Her room was stacked with creepy and unusual ingredients for hexes, as if she's striving to become the worst chef in the world.

"Now, it's time to add the Rohipstools to the concoction."

According to her hexbook, the Rohipstools were a core ingredient for the love potion. She smiled wickedly and lustfully as she imagined Alec without his tank top and pants, but with his grandmaster jacket covering his whole body. She drooled from the image of the alien tactician. She grabbed the bag of mushrooms and took one out. Her eyes widened in surprise to realize that the mushrooms she got were normal mushrooms.

"What? I swore I had it with me before all of us left for home," she knew only one person to blame, "Gaius!"

* * *

**Back to Alec's view**

I think I heard a sneeze in the alleyway. I shrugged, finding the noise trivial.

It had been a few minutes, and we still have no clue to where Stahl wandered off to. We decided to ask one of the local villagers.

"Have you seen a man with messy green hair?" I asked a maiden.

"Oh, I think I saw a man wandering into the Dark Mage Dancers' Club," she said, "I think it looked like one of the Shepherds."

"Dark Mage Dancer?" I raised my brow, "We don't have dark mages in Yllistol."

I looked at Lissa, who nodded confidently.

"I know this place more than you, but the 'dark mages' here imitate their clothing, but not their magic."

I swore I heard the sound of glass break. I looked to my side and saw a thief running away from a store, being chased by an enraged Sully on horseback.

"Get back here, you thief!"

We decided to ignore Sully's pursuit and I let Lissa lead me to the Dancer's club. I have a bad feeling about this.

* * *

**Dark Mage Dancers' Club**

The 'dancer' club was full of sultry women (and some men) dancing on poles, entertaining men and women alike. I was horrified from some of the male dancers, but I'm obviously attracted to the female dancers. Some wore capes, but some didn't to reveal more of their nylon tightly wrapping around their body.

Well, we found Stahl the first second we entered. His delusions implied that he's in some sort of free brothel of some sorts, and both male and female dancers alike were terrified of his lecherous advances. I'm pretty sure this mushroom that Lissa accidentally cooked with is involved with Tharja's attempts to get me to fall for her. I think she's making not only a love potion... but hormone modification. Oh shit, Tharja just attempted to force me into lustful intercourse.

"Lissa, we must chase Stahl away before he can make any dangerous advances on the women," and men, "Wait, damn."

"Huh?"

"Do you by any chance brought a Sleep staff?"

"Well..."

* * *

**Back alley of Dancer club.**

"Keep this a secret from Chrom," she whispered angrily.

"I'm guessing this is where you keep a hidden stash of pranking material?"

She closed the hidden door to her supply of pranking materials. It consisted of jarred frogs (I nearly got a heart attack), jarred snakes, and other knick knacks. She spun her Sleep staff.

"Don't tell anyone, or I'll rob you using this staff."

I made a zipping gesture on my mouth to secure her promise.

"Let's get back before Stahl breaks out."

* * *

**Back in the club**

"Alright, I'm going to chase Stahl," I said, "Tag-along, Lissa."

"Okay."

I saw Stahl attempting to grope a dancer, causing her to cringe in fear. I grabbed a wind tome from my bag and used the wind to propel me toward the Viridian Knight. I threw a flying clothesline at Stahl. We both crashed into a table, destroying it completely. When we both stood up, he snarled at me like a wild animal and pounced. I tried to counterattack, but he was already latched on to me, scratching my head with his nails.

"Get off me!"

I leaned forward, standing on one leg while pushing my whole body to the floor. The deluded knight's back shook the floor, then I quickly did a front flip and threw a powerful heel kick to his stomach.

"Gragh!"

He grabbed my leg and pulled me in, grabbing both of my legs. He violently spun around before tossing me to a pole, injuring my back. I slowly got up from that grapple, though Lissa's mend staff healed my spine, causing me to stand up well again.

"Okay, I'll play your game!"

I ran toward him and threw a violent dropkick to his chest. The force of two kicks blasted him a considerable distance, but his feet tore the floor as he used it to brake his impact. The green knight raised his arms like a bear and attempted to grab me with a rampaging run. I grabbed a chair and swung it at his face. The man grabbed the chair and pulled it off my hands. He threw a spinning chair swing at me, fazing me and knocking me backwards.

"Ah, screw this,"

The crazed Stahl attempted to grapple me with a hug. I saw his exposed chest and threw an elbow to his stomach. The elbow stunned him briefly, giving me time to grab his head. I wrapped my arm around his neck, with me facing his opposite direction. I hopped up and dropped backward. Stahl's face slammed into the floor, probably dizzy from the pavement damaging his face. I got up slowly, mainly because that move hurt my back.

"Urgh, why did I have to do grapples?" I asked myself, "Couldn't I have just beat the crap out of him?"

"Alec!" Lissa shouted, "You wouldn't hospitalize your friend, would ya?"

"Right..." I stood up on his back with my back facing his.

"Okay Lissa, prepare your staff, I'll put him in a hold."

I kicked Stahl so his back could be on the ground. I grabbed both of his legs and turned his body so his chest would touch the ground. I still wonder why and how I know this move. As soon as he was lying on his side, I pulled his legs toward me and sat down on his back, causing the poisoned Stahl to scream in pain.

"Dammit Lissa, do it now!"

Her staff shone with a blue light, representing the nighttime sky. The blue light shone on Stahl and I, but I realized that I was radiated by this blue light. I suddenly started to feel the weight of my eyelids increase from feeling the light. I think I saw Stahl's leg droop down as I let go of the latter.

"Whoopsie, I forgot that you're in the sleeping light too," her voice was normal, but as I fell into the deep sleep, her voice got deeper and faded out quickly.

* * *

**I don't even know how much time passed**

"Urgh... damn," I opened my eyes and I think I saw a familiar figure. I

"Alec!" she shouted.

"That voice... Sumia?"

She threw a slap at me, causing me to wake up from this trance. I sat up and looked around me. It looked like it was late afternoon, and I was outside what looked like a partially wrecked gentlemen's club, considering the fluorescent lighting.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" she said in a disappointed voice, "Are you trying to cheat on me?!"

"N-no, I had to-"

"I heard what those women said about you," she said, "They said you were 'amazing'!"

"What?!"

She started tearing up and then she covered her face to sob in misery.

"I'm leaving, you lech!" she turned away with anger.

"Wait, Sumia, this is all a misunderstanding!"

She ignored me as she ran away. I looked at myself and realized that some of my clothes were torn. I think it was during that fight with Stahl that I've been this damaged. Speaking of Stahl, where is he? Where's Lissa?

"..."

I got up and went to the closest drinks vendor. There's too much happening right now, so maybe I need to chill out before I chase Sumia.

"One ice cold orange soft drink please."

* * *

**This chapter was both fun and hard to write.**

**Warning: Some Bragging Below. I'm usually a humble person, keeping most of my achievements to myself, but I guess I'll brag a bit.**

**Every relationship has to have its turmoils; I can't always have Sumia and Alec always be lovey-dovey and happy permanently, otherwise this story would be way stupider than it is now, right?**

**Well, after finishing classes and the whole Beelzebub manga, I decided to just finish this chapter with whatever knowledge I have... and that was why I decided to incorporate some wrestling moves. I myself have some knowledge of pro-wrestling moves, though I'm too weak to do them, and I forgot their names easily. I was initially going to make Lissa confess to Alec with Sumia bumping in accidentally, but I didn't know how to transition into that. So, I decided to do something that involved her closeness to the green knight... and Tharja's hexing nonsense.**

**I really hope you guys enjoy. I'll probably only update on Mondays only, now that my weekly quota is too hard to reach.**

**Also, I updated the cover picture, now depicting my waifu in such a cute form. Isn't she lovely? 3**

**Also, I tried the new Smash in Smash-fest for both days. I have to say, it's quite fine, but it's a bit brawl-esque. I've won almost all of my matches, and most of them were me playing Marth., and I won against three strangers who had some past experience. On the second day, I had a game where we're all Little Macs, and I won because I managed to kill a good amount of people both as Little and Giga. Also, I'm a bit of a tier-queer, and I already deem Mac to be E-C tier because he lacks overall versatility. He's devastating on the ground, but his aerial combat is one of his greatest cons, and that con can be abused greatly by other characters. The only other characters I tried were Zero Suit, and I think she's been buffed well. Her new final smash is cool, kinda like Radec's ult from PSABR. Smash-Fest was fun, especially when talking to a bunch of other strangers who have similar interests.**

**But yeah, enough about me or Smash, let's continue.**

**Once again, review if you wish. I'll take any solid reviews into consideration, and thank you for reading.**

**Edit: Quick edit of the ending scene.**


	18. God of Dreams

**Chapter 17**

**God of Dreams**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Fire Emblem belongs to Intelligent Systems. Also, why Chrom for Smash? What will his Final Smash be? Why not Robin? We already have enough sword wielding Lords (Inb4 Ike is not a lord). Either way, it's my opinion, and you don't have to care or respond.

* * *

So, what exactly just happened? How did Sumia find out I was there? How did I get out of here? Taking a sip from the soda, I decided to calm down and think of a plan. I needed some tunes. Wait, how come my headphones and music device are missing?

"Dammit, Sumia!" I shouted to myself.

I started to feel frustrated. Sadness and regret started to sink in. I thought of where to find her, and the first thought that came out was her house. I quickly ran to her household. I screamed out her name.

"Sumia!" I yelled, "Are you there?"

No response. My last thought was the Ylissean Palace. It was pretty obvious she had a crush on Chrom, especially when she kept on talking about Chrom for the first few times we spent together. Chrom is still single though, so Sumia might consider him a backup choice. Thinking about this made me feel a bit anxious. I started to worry more about her. She can wield a weapon, but can she fight with only her fists?

Wait, speaking of fists, where's my bag? Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. I have my gold, my ring, and my gift to Sumia in it. I looked at my holster. It still held my Wind tome that I got the armorer to forge for a cheap price.

"Hey Alec," a certain gentle voiced man said.

Listening to the voice, I looked to where it came from. A green haired man in green armor, riding on a brown horse was that voice.

"Stahl, but I thought you were still in a date with Lissa?" I said.

"Well, after my little incident, I had to do guard duty with Lissa."

"Hello."

Lissa walked to me, wearing her Sage robes. When we saved a village up in Ferox from Risen/Zombies, Lissa's magical power grew from healing the wounds of Shepherds and citizens alike. Eventually, her magic power grew to the point where she can take on our current level threat. Her healing prowess also equaled her magical might, even with a simple Thunder tome.

"Even royalty has to do duty," she rolled her eyes, "But right now, it's Sully and Kellam's shift to lead the village security, so we'd like to help you this time."

"Gee, thanks," I said with a smile, "Will you help me find Sumia?... and my bag?"

"Yeah, we can," Lissa said gleefully, "We need to mend your little date, like how you did with ours."

With that heard, I grabbed my wind tome from my holster and pointed to the sky.

"Let's go, we've got a girl to save."

Stahl kept a copy of a map that Sully gave to him during her shift. If only I had a certain pegasus to ride on to scout the whole village.

"Let me help," a gruff voice was heard as well as flapping wings.

A cloaked man riding a silver wyvern suddenly appeared. His identity was hard to figure out due to the cloak wrapping around most of his body. Two Killing Edges rests on his left waist, while one katana is held on his right hip. He wore simple armor with normal clothing underneath. The cloak covered most of his face. If I looked closely, he wore what looked like a mask with bandages covering the lower parts of his face.

"Who are you?" I asked the mysterious man.

"My name isn't the issue, friend," he calmly said, "Just call me Morpheus. Allow me to help you."

"Are you sure you can be trusted?"

Morpheus sounds like some sort of mysterious hero name.

"... Just ride on my wyvern!"

"Fine."

Orpheus landed on the ground and I hopped on his wyvern. He rose up quickly, surprising me as well as triggering my fear of heights. The reason why I'm able to go over my fear of heights while with Sumia was because being with her made me feel fearless and powerful. A stranger with a wyvern coming to help me felt weird, so I didn't feel that fearlessness that I gained from fighting with Sumia.

"By Naga's flame!" I shrieked.

"Hold on tight," he said calmly.

He glided around the village skies, scanning the area. I looked at him. He's a man completely covered in mystery. Does he have the same origins as "Marth"?

"So, now that I know your name, I guess I'll tell you mine," I said.

"...What is it?"

"My name is Alec, and it might be possible that Morpheus is your alias."

"... Correct, but my real name isn't the issue," he replied, "I have heard of your name, and I witnessed the assailant who took your bag."

"What do you want with my bag?" I said, suspecting his creepy knowledge, "Are you in any way connected to Tharja?"

"Tharja? Like hell I'd associate with that creep," he replied coldly, "But I've gotta admit that she does have a nice body."

"Hey, I agree too."

We stayed silent for a while. That silence faded with a friendly chuckle. I don't know why, but it's as if we're related or brothers.

"Cugar, did you spot who we're looking for?"

It shrieked lowly in response and dove toward a dark part of the village. I hung on to my life as Cugar tore through the air as it dropped down. The wyvern flapped its wings a few times and landed on the floor on both feet. A group of bandits were meeting up, with the leader holding my bag.

"Hey, that's mine!" I shouted as I pointed to the gruff leader.

He was overweight, and wore the garbs of a Berserker. Due to his size, two large tusked skulls acted as his shoulder pads. He held two giant silver axes in each hand. He lead a group of axe wielding bandits.

"Bastard!" he shouted, "Why do you wish to take the contents of my bag?"

"Shut up, fatso," I shouted, "I'm going to maim you and present you nude to all of Ylisse."

He stuck out his tongue cockily and spun both axes. Morpheus grabbed both swords from each hip and unsheathed them.

"Get ready, Alec," he said in his usual calm tone.

He unsheathed the third one into the air and I grabbed it. A large group of axe wielding barbarians hungrily prepared their axes and leapt up high. The veiled man engulfed himself in a blue and purple flame similar to what happened to me. He rose into the air and spun around, releasing purple flame cutters at the barbarians, burning them as well as showering them in pink petals.

"Where did you learn that skill?" I asked him.

"... It's not of concern, Alec," he replied, "The only concern is your stolen bag. Now go!"

I nodded and hopped off of Cugar. Some bandits blocked my way, so I entered a sword drawing stance.

_Remember, breathe deep, visualize your targets, and completely focus on them. Let your blade tear through the air, as if it were a paintbrush. Don't focus on the weight of the blade, only focus on the masterpiece you'll achieve. That way, nothing will hold you back._

I took a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes. The image of the bandits disappeared, leaving only their axes floating in the air. I quickly opened my eyes and flourished through the ranks with a weightless blade. Nothing held me back, as I gracefully passed through the group of bandits. The iron axe handles were cleanly cut through by my sword, and some were unfortunate enough to get their arm gashed. I started to breath heavily, realizing the tax of the technique. Lon'qu said that the technique can be quite exhausting, and using it a second time can not only tire out the whole body, but potentially damage it permanently. I could still fight in good condition though.

"Give me my bag back, creep."

"Heh, I'm the greatest bandit, you know," he cockily boasted, "I came here all the way from Chon'sin, so don't think you're the only one agile."

He joined the bottom of his axes together and split them up, revealing a chain link. Is he using two silver axes as a kusarigama?

"Heheh, with my skills, I'm sure gonna get paid handsomely by King Gangrel."

He disappeared with a smoke explosion. My whole body started to get dark, as if a something was above me. I quickly dove to my right to avoid the fat boy's body slam. He ran toward me with surprising agility and threw a brutal groundbreaking axe swing. I managed to dodge it and punished him by slicing his arm. Blood gashed from the arm he recently swung with, but the functionality of his arm was intact, shown through his counter swing. I hopped over it and painted his chest red with my blade. He grunted in pain, but still continued to fight. He spun his left axe using his chain and he swept the floor with it. The chain hit me, causing me to trip. I saw him jumping high into the sky with his upper body reeling back. He was about to prepare a heavy final swing until an unexpected creature came to my aid.

"Gragh!"

Cugar bit both of the axes with powerful effort, despite being a heavy downward swing. Cugar was strong enough to lift the fat bandit with only his neck as he picked him up over his body and slammed him to the other side.

"Cugar, behind you!" I shouted.

A group of bandits attempted to attack him, but Cugar turned quickly and spewed a torrent of green flames. The bandits were engulfed in the inferno and soon dropped down.

"I'll barter that rare silver wyvern wing, if you don't mind," the leader said as he was about to throw his axe.

"Not today."

The chains broke from a blue slash. Morpheus stood over the bandit with both swords sheathed. The bandit attempted to throw a karate chop at him, but the silver wyvern chomped on his arm.

"Give me the bag," I said as I contacted the tip of my blade on his neck, "I promise you'll live if you mercifully return it to me."

"It ain't over yet, stud."

He transformed into lumber, disappearing with a small cloud of smoke. I heard Cugar scream as he charged his flame breath again. This time, he shot a ball of fire into the sky. I felt something rend my back. A true kusarigama was the culprit, coming from the fat ninja. The wound was light, and even if I bled from it, I could still fight fine.

"Dammit, that stings!" I complained.

I turned to him, but I saw multiple doppelgangers copying his image. They both disappeared with extreme speed and surrounded me.

"Alec, catch!"

He tossed me an Arcwind tome. I've managed to practice using hybrid techniques while we're not in battle in camp. I've recently learned a new technique using the Arcwind tome and a sword. I held my tome with my left hand and spun around with my sword on my right. The green wind surrounded me as I rose up into the air by the spiraling wind. While the Arcwind tome was a moving tornado, I could only levitate for a temporary time, as the tornado has to move forward. I supercharged the tornado to suck in my opponents so I can cut them with my blade and blow them away as it launches forward. I would be the only one left as I've already reached the top of the tornado. Only drawback was one of my most hated cons about myself: nausea.

I landed gracefully, no ninja doppelgangers to surround me. I started to feel dizzy and nauseous from that attack that I used. Still, how was Morpheus aware of my technique?

"I'll kill you myself!" he shouted angrily.

He swung down on me heavily with a silver axe. I swung my blade with vehement force at his swing, causing both of our edges to rebound. I dropped the Arcwind tome and unsheathed my wind tome from my holster. I hopped into the air with a wind boost and attempted to finish him off. But then I realized something. I was belly flopping. I wasn't in proper position to do a proper jumping strike. Guess my nausea weakened my rationality greatly. I fell down belly first into the ground... painfully. I couldn't get up due to pain and nausea.

"...Damn, so reckless," I weakly groaned.

"Fool!"

Suddenly, the sound of a blood gash was heard. I weakly looked up and saw a two killing edges exiting from his belly. He fell down on his side, revealing the killer. Morpheus swung both blades to their respective sides, swatting off the blood on his blade. He slowly sheathed both of them and walked toward me. He knelt down and offered me a hand. Why wouldn't I accept? I got up with his help and he patted me on the back.

"Well, it was good to be of assistance, friend," he said.

"Thank you, Morpheus," I showed my gratitude with a formal bow.

He passed me my bag and to my relief, everything remained untouched. Now that that's dealt with, he said he was going to help me find Sumia, so I asked him.

"Well, are you gonna help me find Sumia?"

I think I heard him grunt through those bandages, as if he was smiling. He simply got on his wyvern and pulled Cugar's reins.

"Just find her music," he replied.

With that, he rose into the sunset sky and flew to wherever he's going. Find her music... Does he want me to find someone who's playing music?

"Oh, hey Alec," I heard Lissa's voice to my left.

"Oh, hello Lissa," I waved at her.

"That little fireball in the air caught my attention, so I went to it."

"Really now?" Smart move, Cugar. Smart move.

"Well, I heard some Plegian voices nearby here, so I grabbed my Recover staff in case you need help.

"Thanks, I guess I do need your services."

She held out her Recover staff and engulfed me in green brilliance. My wounds closed in an instant and I felt my nausea disappear.

"Hey, Lissa, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Yes. What is it?" she had her usual cute smile on her face.

"This is pretty weird but... Um... Did you have a crush on me?"

Her face flared up madly. Lissa shyly twiddled her fingers around. I don't know why I asked this, but I feel like this might make her reach closure.

"Well... um... uh,..." she started to mumble to herself.

"Do you?"

"Y..."

"Do you?!"

"I DID!"

With a sigh, I crossed my arms and looked at her. She was trembling with some tears in her eyes.

"Ever since the time I saw you in the grass, I grew interested in you. Those pranks were to gain your attention, and it actually worked... a bit. What do you think I did with your new tactician book?"

"What did you do? What did you do on my book?"

"I drew a picture of me and you holding hands..." she sniffled, "Alec, I-I loved you!"

I sighed and looked down on her sadly. I shook my head and flat out told her the truth. For some reason, this little chat felt like many minutes has past.

"I nearly fell in love with you too, but when I saw Stahl wanting to get close to you, I... I don't know what I got myself into... but it's already too late."

"Oh, Alec... I really wanted to be with you, but I'm already about to be married to Stahl, and I love him dearly," she said sadly, "But, why did you want to know so bad?"

"... Closure."

"...huh?"

"I didn't want to live my life with Sumia holding these emotions. If I told you right away, it's like I'm letting go of some weight with unneeded purpose."

"... I see, well, I have to go," she said, "Oh, and one thing."

Before she left, she ran to me and kissed me on the cheek, causing me to blush. She blushed too as she smiled with her hands behind her back.

"It was fun being in love with you, friend," she said with a smile, "Now go make Sumia the happiest lady in the world."

"And you go make Stahl the happiest man in the world."

She ran out the alleyway, waving goodbye. With a smile on my face, I continued to walk back to the shopping district. I smiled happily from her kiss, and how she friendzoned me. It would feel much more devastating if she was the one I tried to go for, but I feel like a huge weight was let go.

"What did Morpheus say?" Something about music.

A certain piano piece was heard. If I remember correctly, it came from one of my calm romantic songs in my... Wait, is that why Sumia grabbed my headphones?

Dum dum, Dum dum dum, dum dum dum, dum dum dum, dum dum...

"What would I do without your smart mouth..."

"Drawing me in, and kicking me out."

I heard a feminine voice sing that song. It sounded familiar. It came from...

"Sumia?"

I ran to where the noise was coming from. The music took me back to her house. I peeked through her front window and saw her playing on her piano. She was singing whilst playing her piano. I saw some tears form in her eyes.

The door was slightly open, so I quietly opened it and snuck in. How much times has she been listening to this song to play the exact notes?

"Because all of me..." she sung, "Loves all of you."

_Love your curves and your edges_

"All your perfect imperfections," she breathed before singing the next line, "Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you."

_Your my end and my beginning, even when I lose, I'm winnin'_

"'Cause I give you all of me."

I breathed in deep and walked beside her.

"And you give me all of you," I sat down beside her, much to her surprise. Despite that, she still continued.

We continued to sing the whole song. In the end of the song, she burst out all her tears into my damaged shirt. I embraced her, patting her back gently.

"It's okay, Sumia, I won't ever leave you."

"I'm so sorry. I'm such a big idiot. Those bullies were totally right!"

A surge of my own memories started to burst out in my head. They were only images of my past, but I swore I saw myself in a fetal position or having blurry vision from tears.

"But they were wrong. Look at what you've become. You're now a Shepherd, the battles have hardened your body and mind. What those bullies have said won't linger forever."

Her silly crying face was replaced with a smiling face.

"Oh, gee thanks, Alec," she said with a smile.

"You're the idiot I fell in love with right?"

"And you're the idiot that I fell in love with too."

I chuckled at her little jape. Sumia sometimes accepts she's a klutz, but she's my klutz, and I love her for trying her best in everything she does.

"My lover's contract says to protect not only you, but your emotions as well."

"...Can we stop doing these delusions?" she somberly said.

"What's going on?"

"We're adults aren't we? We should act our age frequently."

I remembered her trying to get into book characters by replicating their personalities and emulating it herself. But seeing Sumia like this makes me feel like a part of her was immediately erased.

"Being deluded makes me stray away from reality, and trying to act like fictional people will only make me hopeless."

"But you're not hopeless, Sumia. And your little attempts to link with the fictional world is what I love about you. In fact, I love everything about you, and I'm going to prove it. "

I stood up and went to my bag. I took out the small black box I've held for this whole day. I walked up to her and knelt to the ground. I closed my eyes, feeling the emotions build up from opening this. I took some practice from Virion when I asked him how to do a proposal fit for a gentlemen. Though he scolded me for my initial incompetence, he realized that a true gentleman must propose with all that he is instead of trying to act super fancy.

"A-Alec?"

"You're right, we are adults, and I'm proposing to you, adult-to-adult. Sumia, Madame Shambles, Estella, I, Verdant Nocturne, or Alec love you with all my heart. I can't bear the thought of losing you. I may not be Prince Roy of Elibian lore, having multiple girls swoon over her, or any other princes with large amounts of gold. But I promise to keep loving you more each day we're together."

I opened my eyes with a confident stare. I had a gentle smile on my face as I saw Sumia with a silly smile.

"Sumia, will you marry me?"

"Alec..."

She threw me in a suffocating embrace. At this point, I didn't care where she was. As long as she's with me every day, I'm complete.

"Alec! Alec! Alec! Alec! I accept, I accept!"

"Hey! Sumi-chan!"

"Sumi-chan?"

"I've read a bit of Chon'sin honorifics. When you call a girl with the chan suffix, it means that you treat them as cute, endearing, or your mutual lover."

Sumia giggled in response.

"You know, you're pretty cute too, hee hee~."

She loosened her embrace, giving me space to take out the ring and gently place it on her ring finger. She giggled from the sight of the delicate and intricate floral ring. After the whole ring wearing episode, we looked at each other gently. A gentle smile each on our faces with red blushes.

"You know, it reminds me of those romantic story books that you usually read," I chuckled to myself, "What next? Some sort of aerial attraction in the night sky?"

An explosion was heard in the sky, emitting a vivid green glow that lasted as long as a flea can survive in absolute zero. We went outside and saw the night sky. A brilliant array of curved lines lit up the sky. A purple ball of flame rose up into the sky and emitted a purple explosion of curved lines. I don't know exactly what this is, but the sight of it is brilliant.

"Whoa," we both said simultaneously.

Sumia looked at me with an excited smile.

"Did you plan all this, Alec?" he said with a smile.

"Er... um,"

I looked away and suddenly saw Morpheus's hooded head peeking out of an alley. He gave a thumbs up to me before surrendering into the shadows.

"Yeah... I have a friend who planned this light show."

"Oh, Alec, guess you really are a Master Tactician."

I kissed her forehead lovingly, stifling a cute giggle from the brunette. She beckoned me to put my head closer to her level. She kissed my forehead in return. This time, it's the big moment. Nothing to ruin it. No one nearby to interrupt. We slowly inched closer and closer. I can taste her breath from this distance. We both closed our eyes and we felt our lips touch. This feels like my first time, though for some reason, a primal urge wants me to dig deeper. I didn't want to force this upon Sumia, so through a few seconds of resisting the urge, we separated from each others lips and stared lovingly at each other.

"I love you, Alec, I always will."

"It's so easy to love someone who gives so much for herself for the sake of others," I smiled, "You're beautiful in both body and soul. I love you."

We watched the night sky. Those "fireworks" radiated the night sky with brilliance and beauty. Thank you, Morpheus.

As the fireworks persisted, so did Sumia's embrace on my arm. Tomorrow is when Gangrel will die. Sumia allowed me to sleep in her bed. We were too tired to mingle further, and I'm sure both of us don't want to immediately get to the "fun" right when we're engaged.

* * *

**Ah, another OC.**

**Who do you think Morpheus is?**

**Is he linked to "Marth"?**

**Tune in for the next few chapters.**

**So, even with classes done, I still managed to get some inspiration to write. Hell, this chapter was kinda hard to get over with because I felt like I had no purpose any more. I'm planning to get a Summer job, so this may or may not hinder my writing progress. Also... I have really expensive tastes, which can be compared to Severa's squandering, and is one of the reasons I want a job.**

**So yeah, after my exam is done (only one provincial :D. Yay!), I'm going to look for a job so I can get my lazy spoiled ass in shape. I'm not in a family of rich people, so yeah. In the words of some random guy: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."**

**In short, I'm starting to become a bit more independent, considering I'm a young adult. The only thing I wish for right now is a college dorm.**

**Okay, enough blabbering.**

**Review if you wish, and I'll probably be updating next Monday... or sometime later than that.**


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Fire Emblem, Adventure, Romance