Fire Emblem 1. Chapter 1

Damn it, my everything hurts now. I sit up and shake my head. Rough wool blankets fall off of me. Wait a second... Nope, no second bunk over my head. Definitely not back home. Deep breaths, don't panic. Just grab your phone and-

Pockets. There are none in these pants. I throw the blanket off of me. I'm wearing an unidentifiable fabric shirt, and the pants are definitely leather, and the belt looks nice. I reach up to my face... Alright, glasses are gone. I run my tongue across my teeth. Braces are gone as well.

What the hell? I collapse on my bed after getting home from a trip, close my eyes for, what, five minutes? Where the hell did I end up teleporting off to? I get up off of the bed and start walking around. The place has absolutely no modern conveniences. It's like I'm back in Horseshoe, only it's worse, yet better because I'm not sitting in a tent huddled around a propane flame and eating boiled hotdogs.

Bed, cot, closet. I pick up the picture sitting on the bedside table. It's a hand-painted picture of a man and woman. The woman doesn't look familiar at all, but, somehow, the man seems a bit familiar.

"Good, you're awake." A gruff voice sounds behind me. I turn on my heel and see... an older version of the man from the picture. Black hair from his head creeps along the sides of his face to join a beard. His neck seems impossibly thick, and he's wearing some leather armor. I'm honestly amazed that I can see any of this without my glasses, since usually I'm restricted to blurs at ten feet without them.

"Yeah, I'm awake." I say, still not sure how I got here. Mind starts racing, but I keep enough of a hold on it to realize I'm still clueless. "Now, could you tell me where I am, exactly? I got lost on my travels."

The man cracks a smile. "Kinda young to be off on your own, don't you think?"

I shrug. "Sixteen's not that young, in my opinion, but we're getting off topic." Unless I've suddenly regressed a year or two.

The man nods. "Well, when we picked your living carcass up, you were in the mountain pass. Right now, you're in a village on the east side of the Ide mountain range."

Ide... why the hell does that ring a bell in my head? "Thanks for helping me out, then." I say. "Did I still have my things on me?"

He nods. "Yeah. You had a pack with you, and some gear." He walks into the closet, and comes back out with a leather backpack, a waterskin, a hatchet, a sheathed knife, and a small sack that clinked when it hits the wood floor. I scoop up the items, going over them as though I was checking to make sure that it was all there. The sack has a few gold coins in it. I realized that I was probably asleep right now, and this was all a dream. Well, why not play it out? The waterskin was empty, and the pack didn't have anything in it except for a leather-bound book and a stick of graphite bound in coarse string. Note to self – writing can stave off insanity in a pinch.

"Looks like it's all there." I say, donning the gear. "Does my rescuer have a name?"

The man nods. "Yes, I'm-"

The door to the house blows open, and another person, this one looking to be a bit younger than myself, bursts in. He has black hair too, and is wearing a leather headband and what looks like light leather armor. "Dad!" He practically yells. "Bandits approaching!"

In stark contrast to his son's actions, the man keeps his calm, something I mentally commend him on. "Ross, I'm getting you out of here." He turns to me. "If you want to live, you should come with us."

I nod. "Will we need to fight our way out?" I ask.

He nods, and grabs an impressive looking axe from where it sat over the doorframe. I hand off the hatchet to the kid, and take the knife out of its sheath. I look to the man, and nod. Then, we start to run.

* * *

It's a quaint little village. In any other time, I don't think I'd really mind staying here. But right now, the screams of panicked townspeople make it a little hard to want to call the place home. I'm at the back of the group, following instead of leading because I have absolutely no idea where the hell I'm going. We're just bull-rushing right down the main road, trying to get the hell out of Dodge. Oddly enough, the hip injury that I got from middle school track doesn't seem to mind me running at a full sprint right now. Dream physics aren't that bad.

There's a pair of shirtless dudes blocking the gate of the village, and each of them's got an axe on them. Suddenly, the knife in my hand feels woefully inadequate.

The bandits notice us, and charge back. Three on two. I like these odds.

Go in, use that agility to get around behind the first one, then SHIT HE TURNED AROUND! Duck the axe, kick the leg out from under- Shit that's like a brick wall! Incoming axe! ROLL! ROLL! Get back up, where is he- OH GOD THAT HURT! Roll out of the way, try to get the air back in your lungs. Shit, that hurt.

That hurt... I can get hurt... I can die... This is real... Shit.

Look up, he's coming back! Alright, stay calm. Timing is everything. Wait for it... NOW! Jump, turn, his axe just planted itself into those timbers. Foot finds another building, plants, leaps off! Knife's out as he turns...

And with the blade between his collarbone and shoulderblade, angled into his windpipe, I can say without a doubt that if he's not dead yet, he will be soon. The blade comes out with a sucking sound that nearly makes me vomit, and good lord now there's blood everywhere. That's his blood. Oh, fuck, I just killed a guy. Calm down, Andrew. Deep breaths. Turn around, look for the the guy and his kid.

Oh, they're running. Well, I should probably follow them, shouldn't I?

* * *

Ah, shit, kid's bleeding. That's not another guy- alright, some of it is, but I think that most of it is his. He took a really nasty cut to his shoulder. Kid's trying to shrug it off, Dad's not buying it, and starts yelling for help.

Meanwhile, I start going through all of the changes. Eyes are practically 20/20 now, that's nice. Braces are gone. Hip's fine. The whole 'AS' thing is still up there in the head, but I don't see that as a problem to be fixed, anyways.

Looking back, all those 'fights' I had with Thomas seem to have paid off. I'm not totally useless out here, though I'd be more of a help if I could get my hands on a sword. Knives were always his thing- okay, anything that he could fit into a pocket is his thing, but- Brain! Think here! Not there!

Hey, flapping. I look towards the source and see... Alright, that's a pegasus. Those exist, apparently. It comes down into the run down fortress that we holed up in, and the rider seems to relax a bit.

"I'm here to help." She says. Garcia (we exchanged names while running) hands off Ross to the rider. I get a good look at her. More familiarity, still no solid answers.

She flies off, and another pair of bandits makes their debut. Two on two... slightly less favorable odds.

They charge. Fight or die, Andrew. Fight or- hey, that one's down. Garcia picks his big axe back up. I'm just as surprised as the surviving bandit. I recover quicker, though. Charge right in, bandit collects himself and charges back. I roll off to the side, bandit follows...

Another one bites the dust. Garcia takes his second hand axe out of the bandit's back, then retrieves the first one. "Just how many of those things do you have?" I ask, getting up.

He shakes his head. "Just the two."

* * *

Peg comes back, and I tell her to take the father. "Your son." I tell him. He nods, gets on, and they fly off. Then she comes back, picks me up, and we're off. We go over the cliff, and I get a good look at the area, and I see WHY THE FUCK IS IS SO FAMILIAR?

We set back down on the other side, near some villages that managed to close their gates in time. Looking ahead, I see an armored knight with a freaking tree trunk for a lance, a pair of cavaliers, a priest with a staff, and a blue haired-

Oh.

So that's how it is, huh? Well, could be worse. Could've been another one of those Awakening Self-Inserts. Haven't played vanilla Sacred Stones in a while, but I'm still pretty familiar with the storyline. Well, that explains a lot. Still not sure how the hell I got here, but no point in complaining, though I offhandedly wonder about my class, bases and growths. This is one of the easier Fire Emblem Games, so I'm not too worried. Just Arena Grind Seth at the Serafew arena, build up a huge bank account, and STOP! THIS IS REAL! NOT GAME MECHANICS! Permadeath is a thing, and there is no reset, no restart.

Push it to the back, there's a battle to fight. First, to get a better weapon. Head to the armory. Dude's got brown hair, green shirt, leather vest. "What's going on out there?" He asks.

"Bandits." Comes my (somehow not shaky) reply. "I need a sword, and I need it now." I toss my coin sack onto the counter, and lay my knife down as well. "Something light. I don't care if this is enough. I'll pay later."

The man nods, heads back into the armory, and comes back out with... oh, so that's what a Slim Sword looks like. Three-and-a-half feet long, with the hilt adding another three-fourths. Blade itself is barely more than a centimeter across. Picking it up, it doesn't feel very heavy. My backpack is heavier, and this actually has weight distribution.

He puts the scabbard for the sword on the counter as well. "Kick their asses," he says, "and the sword's on the house."

I nod, fasten scabbard to my belt, put the knife back on my thigh, grab the coins, and head back out the door. Out the door, sword's drawn and ready to SHIT THAT'S A BANDIT! Fight now!

Dodge the attack, go for the femoral! Yes! Got him!

Shit! He's still coming! Alright, backpedal. Watch the footwork, watch the eyes... there!

Dodge around his charge, go for the arm... YES! There goes his triceps. Follow up! Go for the neck, feel a thud as the sword embeds into his vertebrae. Pull the sword out of the corpse, turn to see...

Huh, guess that the battle's over. Everyone's migrating to that fort in the middle of the pass.

* * *

"You saved my son." Garcia says. "I owe you my thanks."

Eirika shakes her head. "It's not necessary."

Seth's eyes narrow, then go wide again in recognition. "You're the Great Garcia, aren't you? You fought for Renais."

Garcia sighs. "It's been a while since anyone's called me that." Garcia said.

"Seth," Eirika asks, "do you know this man?"

Seth shakes his head. "Not personally, but I know of him. Until about ten years ago, he was a troop commander in Renais' army. When I was a recruit, the soldiers told so many stories about him, but all of them portrayed him as a daring and fearless fighter." Seth looks back to Garcia. "Garcia, you must know about the peril that our homeland faces right now. Would you be able to find it in you to take up arms for her once again?"

Garcia sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm retired now. I decided long ago that the life of a soldier wasn't what I wanted. When I was a soldier, I lived my life as a soldier. My very existence served to fight for Renais' honor, fighting for faceless, uncaring nobles... and in doing so, I left no time for my family. Every now and then, I'd secure some time and come back home, but..."

Is he... crying? That's intense.

"When my wife fell ill and died, I met the child that she'd left behind, the child I'd neglected, and I realized what my duty to those faceless nobles had cost me. I stood at my wife's grave, and swore that I'd be a father to our son." He shakes his head. "I'm done with armies and the honor of nations. I'm done with fighting, unless it's to keep my son safe."

And mood ruined in three, two, one...

"You idiot!" Ross yells, shocking everyone. "What kind of idiotic bullshit are you spewing?" He shakes his head. "You-"

"Ross, what are you-"

"No, dad!" Ross says, interrupting his father's interruption. Is that interruption-ception? "I respect you more than anyone. You gave up your soldier's life for me, and I get that, but you're a _fighter_, dad! It's what you do! It's in your blood! You can't just give it up and go on with your life!"

"Have you seen me fight, dad?" Ross asks. "I'm your son, the son of the Great Garcia, and I'm a warrior just like you! You can worry about me all that you want, but the fact is that I can survive on my own!"

"Ross, I-"

"Do you want to challenge me, dad?" Ross asks, grabbing his hatchet. "I won't lose! I'm the best fighter in Ide! I won't lose to you, or to anyone!"

Garcia smiles. "You're right, Ross." Garcia looked back to Seth. "Seth, right? Well, Sir Seth, so long as there's breath in my lungs and blood in my veins, I'd like to serve." He pats Ross' shoulder. "It looks like my son grew up when I wasn't looking. He's tough, just like his father. I've raised him as best as I could, but he's right: Worrying won't get me anywhere."

Well, that's done. "And what about you?" Seth asks, looking at me. "What's your story?"

Shit. How do I explain my existence in non-videogame terms?

"I'm Andrew. I'm a wanderer." I explain, thinking fast. "A loner. Been that way most of my life."

"A mercenary?" Eirika asks.

That works. "Well, sorta. More of a jack-of-all-trades, a handyman. But yes, I've done a bit of mercenary work."

"Kinda young for a mercenary." Seth points out.

"You're really going to say that after the speech that Ross pulled?" I ask incredulously. "Anyways, I was in a border town collecting pay when Grado soldiers started marching in. I got in a bit of trouble when they tried to disarm me, and I've been on the run since."

Seth nods. He probably doubts my story, but Eirika seems to believe it readily. "At any rate, I've come to like Renais and her people, and I'm not about to let Grado's troops walk all over them." I look to Eirika, and give her my best 'determined' look. "Keep me or get rid of me. I'll keep fighting. Choice is entirely up to you."

Eirika smiles. "Andrew, it'd be an honor to have you fight with us. Money might be a bit of a problem, but-"

I hold up my hand. "I might be a mercenary, but I'm also a person. I won't stand by idly while Grado's troops do whatever they please." I look up. "No charge."

Eirika nods. "Then welcome aboard, Andrew!"


	2. Chapter 2

"The local villagers tell me that Bazba's Bandits keep their lair nearby, and a few of them saw a boy matching the description of our bracelet thief. It's a fair assumption that the boy is one of the bandits."

Eirika and I nod. Everyone else is in the village, restocking food, water, and other important supplies, while we waited on a forest path just outside of town.

Note to self: Ask Colm why he stole the bracelet. The game's writers probably just put that in as an excuse to give an archer and a thief to the player, but since this obviously isn't the game, I'm kinda curious.

"Bandits." Eirika whispers, hair hiding her face, her grip on her rapier tightening. "Here in Renais, our homeland... I had no idea." She looks up and DEAR GOD that woman is _pissed_. "Burning our villages, stealing from our people, all with no fear of retribution?"

I swear, she looks like she's ready to kill something. "It wasn't always like this." I say quickly. "I've been through here a few times on my travels. Typically, Renais' knights do a splendid job of working with the townspeople to keep the bandits in check. But with Renais' military in tatters..." I shake my head. "I had hoped that Grado would be more interested in keeping the peace. If they continue to neglect Renais' people, then this country is doomed."

Eirika goes deadly silent. I know what that means, and it terrifies me. Before coming here, I was one of the silent ones, a fly on the wall, a wallflower. Not a lot bothered me, and I'd overreact a lot to the little things. But when someone pressed one of my berserk buttons, like hurting someone I love, or making fun of mentally challenged people, I didn't overreact. I didn't react at all. I went dead silent. In that silence, I'd plan out exactly how I'd make them pay for what they did. I know that Eirika was doing he same, and I knew one other thing: I would really hate to be Bazba after she was through with him.

There was a soft rustle of leaves to the side, and I drew my weapon quickly. It was Neimi. She was short, with purple hair and matching eyes that currently looked like they'd done a good deal of crying recently. There was a quiver hanging at her hip, and a bow was strung across her chest. I put my weapon away and really Seth? You're on guard against that poor little thing?

"Excuse me, but... are you guys... mercenaries?" Seriously, the game should have made that font different. I can barely hear the girl talking, and she's literally ten feet away.

"I am." I say. "How can I- OOF!"

The grunt comes when a fourteen-year old girl takes the opportunity to ram into me at a full sprint. Damn, she's fast. Screw the Ranger class, she doesn't need a horse to keep up with the cavalry if she can go that fast from _standing_.

"Pleaseyouhavetohelpcolmitoldhimitwasdangerousbuthejustdidntlisten-" The vocal contrast this girl has is truly remarkable.

I wriggle my arms out of her bear hug and put them on her shoulders. "Whoa, slow down. Let me go, take a step back, breath in and out, then start again, slower this time." Seriously, I did high-school debate, and that meant talking fast enough to cut five minutes off of a twenty-minute speech. I only barely understood what she just said.

She nods, takes a step back, and starts over. "I'm Neimi. I'm from... I used to be from a village called Lark. Except the village isn't there anymore."

Eirika frowns. "Gone. You mean-"

Neimi nods. "Bazba's Bandits burned it down. Colm and I... we're the only ones left." She teared up. "The other villagers... Bazba's Bandits surrounded them and..."

Ladies and gentlemen, Neimi Fal- whoa, _what_? Surrounded? As in, herded like sheep and slaughtered? I look over to Eirika, and wonder if she'd mind if we coordinated our plans to torture the man. When we finally finished with that bastard, he'd be wishing I'd ended up in another Awakening self-insert.

Thankfully, Seth manages to keep a level head in all of this. "Neimi, what are you doing here?"

"Bazba's Bandits have a hideout here in these mountains. Colm went... Colm's my... we've known each other for... he's my best friend, the only one I have left. I had to leave something back in Lark, but when we looked for it, it wasn't there, so he's trying to steal it back."

That snaps Eirika out of her thoughts. "He went alone? That's incredibly stupid and dangerous!"

Neimi nods. "That's exactly what I told him, but he wouldn't listen. If I lose Colm too, I... I..." Tears started streaking down her face and she started sniffling. I wonder how she deals with a stuffy nose?

Eirika goes over to Neimi, and gives her a hug. "Don't worry." She tells her softly. "We'll find your friend and make sure he's not hurt. I promise."

I smile. "Well, she promised, so there's no backing out now."

Neimi looks up at me, then back to Eirika, and gives her a tight hug. "Thank you!" She releases Eirika, and looks up to her. "I don't have much money, but I'll do whatever I can to pay you."

Seth pulls Eirika to the side, and they start talking. I look at Neimi. "Do you know the way to their hideout?" I ask.

She nods. "Before they took it over, Colm and I would go there all the time. It was a place we could be alone together and just talk."

Eirika and Seth finish talking, and rejoin us. "Andrew," Seth says, "head into town and get the others. We're going to take out the bandit lair."

* * *

We enter into a courtyard in front of a small fortress. To the right, walking in, is a wall that looks like it has seen way better days. Looking at it, I'm not surprised it's possible for a bow and arrow are able to clear it away. It looks like a game of Jenga, played with bricks instead of blocks. There are some bricks which are sticking out, and others which have been pushed to the other side.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Neimi asks. "I feel like I haven't done enough."

Before anyone else can speak up, I act. "You any good with that bow?"

She nods. "When he was still alive, I would go hunting with my grandfather."

I nod, and turn to Seth, who is giving me a look that says "I'm not getting a child involved."

"She can stay behind our lines." I say. "Better than just leaving her out of this and having Eirika worry."

He considers this, then sighs and nods, and rides to inform Eirika of the situation. Then, he rides back.

"See the walls there?" I ask him. He looks over to them, and he processes what I mean very quickly.

"Garcia or Gilliam?" He asks me. I feel like he knows the answer already, like he's testing me, trying to figure out whether or not I'm as experienced as I claim to be.

"Garcia, definitely." I answer. "From what I've seen, these bandits prefer axes. Putting Gilliam in there would put him at a disadvantage. Close quarters like that make a spear hard to wield anyways, and they're meant to keep an enemy at bay, not fight when he's right in front of you. Factor in that an axe, by design, is a fairly short weapon, and that it's pretty easy for an axe to bat a lance out of the way, and you've got a disaster waiting to happen." Hooray for having mental debates with myself over how it works while I write FE fanfiction!

Seth nods, and calls for Garcia, Ross, and Franz to approach the battered wall furthest from the entrance, while the rest of us head for the main entrance.

Steps start echoing through the room, and my eyes immediately find the staircase.

"I've got what I came here for." A voice says from the stairs. "Now I just need to find Bazba and put a knife between his ribs." A tuft of blue hair pops up, followed by a head. Then lean shoulders and a cloaked body. Colm turns around, presumably to pick the door, when he sees us. "Shit."

"Colm!" Neimi yelps, running forward. His eyes widen.

"N-Neimi? What are you-" He looks back up at us, and notices that we're armed. He grabs Neimi's arm and pulls her behind him, drawing his knife in a defiant gesture. "Who are you?"

"Colm!" Neimi yelps. "They're here to help!"

Colm looks from Neimi to our group, then back to Neimi. He slowly puts the knife away. "Why did you drag her into this?" Colm said. "I had her stay behind for a reason! This is dangerous!"

"So your solution is to go alone, and get yourself killed?" I ask pointedly. "You're a kid, these are bandits. I don't care if you've got a personal vendetta against these guys for massacring an entire village, trying to take on entire group alone like that is going to accomplish nothing more than an early death, and making Neimi the only sign that Lark even existed."

Colm stands there, angry, but also stunned. Guess he never thought about that. "D-don't talk to me like you know my life!" He retorts.

"I don't need to know your life." I counter. "All I need to know is there's a girl behind you who cares about you, and needs you now more than she ever has. And if you respond to that by rushing ahead on a suicidal mission like this, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

He doesn't retort this time. He stands there, considering what I've said.

"You want to get these people for what they've done." I say. "I get that. But this isn't something that you can do alone."

* * *

I've never seen someone actually pick a lock before. Colm makes it look surprisingly easy. He pulls out his knife and lockpick, sticks them both in, and fiddles around a bit until the lock clicks and he swings the door open. We all rush ahead into what looks like a treasure room. There's a bandit sta- COLM WHAT DID I JUST GET THROUGH SAYING? Colm pulls his knife, and cuts the bandit's arm. The bandit grunts, and cups his wound, then strikes out. Colm dodges NO HE DOESN'T! The axe hits him in the side as he jumps to the side, and sends him spinning. The bandit turns to face us and WHAT WAS THAT! I jump to the side as an arrow sticks into the bandit's right eye socket, and he falls backwards to the floor. I turn to see Neimi breathing heavily, eyes burning with a mix of fear and fury.

Note to self: Neimi will not hesitate to put an arrow in an eye if Colm is in danger.

After Colm finished picking the chests in the treasure room, we meet up with the other group, and we prepare to go through another wall. I know what's on the other side of this wall. Usually, I'd have Ross and Neimi exploit the fact that Fire Emblem physics allow arrows and axes to go through feet of solid stone and get a couple of kills here for the EXP, with Moulder healing, but that's not an option now.

"Hang on." I say. Everyone looks at me. "There's got to be a bunch of bandits in there. There's no way we've killed more than half of them so far. We'll have surprise for a bit, then they'll rally. I have a plan."

* * *

Five minutes later, the wall blows down from a well-placed spear hit. Gilliam moves aside, and Eirika, Colm and I charge forwards. Seth, Franz, and Vanessa throw some javelins, Garcia and Ross throw some hand axes, and they follow close behind. Neimi stays behind Gilliam, providing ranged support in the melee. I immediately find myself glad to have planned like that. The opening barrage only managed to take out about half of the bandits in here. I scan for- Shit! Block! I throw my sword up to block the incoming knife. Looks like I caught the thief. Easy enou- OW SHIT! My hand opens as my sword clangs to the floor, complements of a well-placed pommel strike to my wrist. I look up, and the thief is grinning widely, the offending knife in his right hand. Big mistake in not cutting with the knife.

He charges. Bigger mistake. Knife comes down. Side-step, hand on the knife-hand's wrist, other on his forearm. Keep its momentum going, bring it around, slide with the push. Windmill the arm back to the top, then push it inwards. He screams as the arm pops out of its joint, and I get the knife, which goes around to the front, and is shoved between his second and third ribs and into his heart and a lung. That's where it stays as I let him drop and scoop up my sword. I look around, and see a bandit with his bare back turned to me as he swings his axe at Garcia. Check the approach's flanks, see nothing, FOR NARNIA! Swing! Sword comes down at an angle onto his neck, and gets stuck in his cervical vertebrae. He falls, and I slide my sword ou- OH GOD THAT SOUND! Metal grates against bone and the grip of my sword vibrates as I pull and stomach, don't you dare. Now is not the time to puke... Thank you.

I look back up. The battle has moved on. I keep moving. More bodies as I go. Everyone's in the throne room. Neimi and Colm are at the front of the group, Eirika right behind. Bazba's standing near his throne, flanked by fallen bodies. One has a knife in his forehead, the other is still gurgling with an arrow in his throat. I look at Colm and N- Oh wow. Neimi's face is blank. That's actually really fucking scary.

She slowly raises her bow, an arrow already resting on the string. Bazba hisses. I see the hand axes in Gilliam's shield. Suddenly, Bazba bolts forwards.

The first arrow pierces his foot as he runs, anchoring him to the ground, and collapsing him. He slides forwards a bit, the arrow ripping flesh before snapping. The second arrow pins his bicep to the floor as he tries to throw his steel axe. He's screaming now, stuff like "You bitch!" and "I'm going to kill you!" His other arm goes to remove the arrow pinning him, only to have another arrow go through his hand and pin both uselessly. There's fear in his eyes now, mixed with the rage and pain.

"That was for Lark." Neimi says. Then Ross charges forwards, hatchet in hand, and slams its blade down onto Bazba's head, splitting his skull and ending his life. Ross wipes some of the spatter off of his face.

"That was for Ide." He says.

Then, Neimi drops to her knees, and starts bawling. Colm moves to comfort her. "Come on, you dummy." He says, hugging her tight. "Let's get out of here."

Colm picks her up, and they start walking out. "I'm sorry." He says.

* * *

"No more." Neimi says once we're back in the courtyard. "No more of this," She sniffs, "this dangerous stuff. Not by yourself."

Colm nods. "Alright, but you have to try to stop crying all the time."

She nods. "Okay."

He stops, and pulls the mirror out of his pocket. "I got it back, Neimi." He says. "I got your mother's mirror back."

Neimi takes the mirror carefully, like, if she touched it, it would simply disappear. She holds it gingerly, then throws her arms around Colm. "Oh, thank you Colm!" She says, tears cascading down her cheeks.

"I hate to break up such a touching moment," Seth says, "but you really should return Princess Eirika's bracelet to her now."

Colm looks at Seth in surprise. "_Princess_ Eirika?" He looks over to Eirika. "I... I'm sorry." He says, pulling the bracelet out. "I didn't realize that it was you, your highness. Your father did so much for our village... Is he..."

Eirika nods, and takes the bracelet. "Yes. He is."

We all fall silent for a moment before Colm breaks it. "Umm, so where do we go from here?" He asks. "Neimi and I... we don't have a home or family any more. We're all that's left. I-"

"You could come with us." I say. Oh, everyone's staring at me. "I saw both of you fight today, and do more besides. I personally believe that we could use someone with your skill sets."

Seth clears his throat. "While I do understand the appeal of an archer, are you sure that a thief-"

"Seth, this is a war now." I interrupt. "Grado has blatantly invaded Renais, and their not doing anything to protect her people. As we go closer and closer to Grado's borders, there will be more soldiers, and fewer people sympathetic to our cause. We'll need all of the weapons and supplies that we can get, and if we can't get them from sympathizers, the next best thing is to take them from our enemies."

Seth blinks, then nods and turns to Colm and Neimi. "If you two are up for the task, we'd be glad to have you two with us."

Colm nods. "Thank you. You won't regret your decision, I promise."


	3. Chapter 3

I know what's going to happen here. These are the Za'ha Woods. First Monster encounter in the game. Artur and Lute. Cameo by L'arachel, Dozla, and Rennac. But the place itself is giving me the creeps. A weird fog's hanging over the place.

Our group comes out of the thickest part of the forest, to a place where rivers cross and flow on.

"We're nearing Serafew." Seth says. "Once we cross, we'll be in Grado. Renvall shouldn't be too far afterward."

"Asuming that we can cross the border without running into trouble." I say. "I-"

Eirika points up. "Look!" She says. "Over there!" I know what's coming. I follow her finger to where it points at a gap in the fog.

Even with these things in the distance, I can already tell that the game sprites really don't do these things justice. Before I can get a good look, though, the fog closes back up.

"Were they... Human?" Eirika asks.

I shake my head. "If those were human, I'm a dragon."

Seth shakes his head. "I've never seen anything like them. What could they be?"

Suddenly, a robed figure started running up to us from the south. I'd never thought about it before, but now I feel like it's plainly obvious that Artur, who just sprinted past legions of the undead without breaking his stride, has balls of silver.

"Travelers, you must listen to me! The ancient forest of Za'ha is dangerous! Leave this place before these fiends surround you!"

"Are you a member of the clergy?" I ask. "You're wearing a monk's robes..."

He nods. "My name is Artur. The temple has given me the task of clearing the forest of these... things." He shakes his head. "There are so many of the fiends, though. I wonder if I can complete the task alone..." He looks back up at us. "So I ask you all to flee now, while you have the chance."

"Fiends?" Eirika asks. "You don't really think that these are the same monsters as the ones who helped the Demon King, do you? That can't be right. They're nothing but myths and fairy tales."

Artur nods. "I didn't believe it at first, either. But here they are. And surely they're not just here in Renais alone. But I wonder how far they've spread."

"But why are they here?" I ask. "How?"

Artur shakes his head. "I don't know, but that's not important now! You must flee the way you came!

I take one look behind us, and go white. "Not an option!" I say, pointing. More of the figures are closing in on our rear. "We're trapped!" I turn back to Artur. "It looks like you're going to have some help clearing these fiends out."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "Shit!" I say. "One of them's coming at us!"

Artur turns around, producing a tome from a pocket in his robes. "Evil being, the blessed light shall drive you from this land!" He holds out his hand, palm facing the oh man that thing's gross. He's fighting a Mogall, a floating eyeball that's at least as big as a man and comes equipped with dark magic. Miscellaneous viscera are hanging out the back of it, making it look like it was ripped from a giant's eye socket. The thing is bloodshot too, with red lines crisscrossing the sclera, cutting in and out of the blood-red iris.

Two pulses of light shoot out of Artur's outstretched hand and slam into the eye. The first pulse cuts along the thing's side, injuring it. The second, though, goes right through the pupil and out the other side. The eye falls to the ground, and dark-red blood, almost black, pools around it.

"Seth." I say. "You should fall back and protect the caravan, guide it to that village over there."

Seth looks at me incredulously, and looks like he's ready to object. I preempt him. "Eirika is a capable fighter who can take care of herself, Seth. But that caravan is holding all of our food and water, as well as our spare weapons and most of our money. If we lose it, we'll have to turn back to Frelia and waste valuable time getting restocked."

Seth nods. "I understand, but know this: If Eirika dies before I return, it will be on your head."

I nod. "Go! Those things are closing on it!"

He nods, and turns his horse around, riding to protect the caravan. I think for a moment, then yell "Take Colm with you!"

Seth doesn't respond. He just picks the thief up bodily and brings him along, setting him down beside him on his horse. My hope is that the thief will display enough talent to warrant being less discriminated against by the paladin.

I go up to Artur. "Do you know of anyone who might be able to help us?"

He nods. "The village to the south. I have a traveling companion there."

I nod, and point him to Vanessa, who's saddled up on her pegasus. "Have her take you there." Artur nods, and starts heading over to her. Meanwhile, I look at the remainder of the combat force available, and survey what I can of the battlefield. I'm no real tactician, but I know enough to get by in a pinch like this one. "Everyone, listen up! We need to form a defensive line! Stronger and faster soldiers up front! Neimi, you, Moulder, and Ross stay in the back to provide support!"

Everyone arranges as I asked, and OH SHIT DODGE!

The revenant's claws swipe through the air right where I was a moment before. Shit, how'd he get here so fast? I mean, I get that the things are the spawn of dark magic, but this thing is rotting muscles! I swing my sword at the thing's arm in an attempt to... Puns in my head. My sword cuts deep and oh shit that stinks worse than... more puns in my head. I really should OH GOD DODGE AGAIN! SHIT THAT HURTS!

I take two steps back. These things are way tougher than their pathetic stats should allow, even if this is hard mode. My left arm hurts, and if I don't get it healed, there'll probably be an infection. But first I have to survive the battle. I look back up and BRIGHT!

"Thanks, Artur." I mutter, heading back into the fight.

Alright, who can I help? Gilliam's just tanking everything, Eirika's not getting hit. Franz might want some OH SHIT SWORD! Block, return to neutral, face opponent. It's a bonewalker. The thing's wearing really ragged clothing, torn and shredded, or just rotted, I don't care. All I care about is the sword that it's holdi-SWINGING AT ME! Block again, counter attack hits it in the spine, between the rib cage and pelvis and this thing is a female. Small coccyx, large pelvic opening. That's creepy AND THAT'S A SWORD! Dodge, rip sword out, hit again, this time going for the head, swinging as hard as I can. The sword cleaves about half-way into the skull, where it stops. Now I'm holding the sword at a weird angle, and SHIT STILL IN DANGER! Hold on to the sword! Don't lose the sword!

I pull hard on the weapon, and somehow yank it free and _dizzy_. I start spinning, and hold my sword out. I jerk to a stop as my sword stops my rotation, hitting the bonewalker in about the same place on its spine, this time from the other side. The entire assemblage snaps in two and falls to the ground.

Absently, I realize that, if I'd come here as I was on Earth, I'd already be dead. I can fight, not survive in a war. Then my mind drifts to other self-inserts I've read. Didn't one of them operate on the premise of "you come here, fix everything bad about you, get a mirror image with power level XY, where X is your strength and Y is an arbitrary value assigned to the magnitude of how you changed?" Aw shit. If I have to deal with that... No. No, this isn't another Awakening self-insert. This is Sacred Stones. Unless that kind of shit applies everywhere and every time, I should be fine.

STOP! BATTLEFIELD! FOCUS! I look around frantically, wondering how I haven't been attacked yet. Then I realize that the battle's wound down. Moulder is tending to everyone's wounds. Shapeless forms meander on the opposite bank. Seth and Colm are back, with a myriad of cuts across Seth's horse's armor, and that's a lot of blood on his lance. Colm jumps off, and rejoins Neimi. I look to the south, where a large, dead tree catches my eye. Oh yeah, this map had a snag. I find Garcia, and explain what I want him to do.

"You want me to play lumberjack?" He asks.

I can't help but chuckle. "I suppose that's one way to say it."

He nods. "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

We arrive at the village with only minimal trouble. Lute's waiting at the gate, book in hand. "Lute!" Artur says. "Help has arrived!"

Lute remains silent.

"Did you hear me, Lute?" Artur asks. "I said th-"

"None of their flesh shows signs of putrefaction." Lute says in a matter-of-fact tone. "None of them are revenants, it seems."

Artur shakes his head. "I know that, Lute. These people are here to help. All I ask is that you stay-"

"No, I insist that I join you in combat." Lute says, tapping the book in her hand. I realize that she's not holding a fire tome, or even another spell book for that matter. "I've been reading up on these creatures. Quite simply, the are no match for me." She pulls a satchel out from under her mage robes, and pulls out a fire tome, replacing it with the other book she had. Then, walking with a purpose, she heads to the river bank. On the other side, there are a few revenants shuffling about. She holds the book in one hand, with the other held in front of her. A fireball forms in front of her hand, then shoots off with a flick of her wrist. Almost as soon as the fireball launches, there's another in her hand. She machine-guns like this for about a minute. After that minute, the few revenants on the other side have been reduced to piles of smoldering ash. There's one lone figure left in the fog.

"That's a big revenant." I say. That's basically what it looks like. At first glance, at least. As we approach, the fog around it clears, and I get a full picture of what an Entombed looks like. The thing stands at seven feet tall, at least, and it's not rotting nearly as badly as the revenants were. My eyes wander down its frighteningly muscular arms to the dear god that's a claw? Each hand looks like it's tipped with steak knives.

"We are _not_ fighting that thing hand-to-hand." I declare. "And if revenants are any consideration, I don't think anyone would be able to pull hit and run safely, except maybe someone on a horse. _Maybe._" I look to Vanessa. "Don't get close to that thing. Stay as far up as you can hit it from. We don't know if these things can jump."

Vanessa nods grimly, then takes off. It takes her a solid few minutes of pelting the thing with javelins, but eventually the pincushion falls to the ground.

"That was the last one." I say.

Seth nods. "It would be a good idea to burn all of the bodies."

I nod. Honestly, I'm not sure it would help, but better safe than sorry.

Everyone splits up into different groups. I wind up with Franz, Ross, and Garcia.

"Can't believe we just fought these things." I say, dragging the rancid corpse of a Mogall by its viscera. It's surprisingly light for how big it is."

Garcia nods, and throws a revenant on top of it, forming the pile we'll be burning. "Figured these things weren't anything more than legends my dad told me to keep me in line."

Franz shudders as he piles another revenant next to the heap. "I was taught lore as part of becoming a knight. Being well-rounded and all of that. These things are supposedly the grunts."

I shake my head, kicking some bones towards the pile. "Grunts that can rip any normal man limb from limb. That's not right."

Ross pipes up as he and his dad throw another pair of Mogalls onto the pile. "Think that any of the other monsters are running around?"

"Probably." I answer. "Which means that we're in for a world of hurt."

* * *

_**A/N:**_ So, though I originally set the line in chapter one as a joke, I've been interested in actually designing a character in the style of Fire Emblem for myself. So...

Andrew

A self-proclaimed handyman. Eccentric, but kind and knowledgeable.

Traveler

A warrior who can go anywhere to find a fight. Equip: Swords

(Can traverse Peak, Ocean)

Level: 2

HP – 20 (50%)

Strength – 6 (50%)

Skill – 7 (55%)

Speed – 8 (60%)

Luck – 5 (35%)

Defense – 3 (25%)

Resistance – 4 (25%)

Movement – 5

Constitution – 8

Affinity – Light

Current Inventory: Slim Sword, Vulnerary


	4. Chapter 4

"So, you're a mercenary?" The question Ross asks breaks me out of my thoughts more than his running jump onto the convoy wagon I'm sitting on.

"Yeah, kinda." I reply as he sits down next to me. Kid, you really shouldn't be wasting your supports on me.

"How far have you traveled?" He asks. "Got any stories to tell?" He grabs a canteen from behind me, and takes a swig.

I smile. "I haven't traveled far, actually." I admit. "Most of my work kept me on this side of Magvel. As for the stories, I made more money delivering packages and letters than I did hunting bandits."

Ross looks a little disappointed at this revelation. "Oh. Well, see ya-"

"I said I made more money doing it!" I exclaim, not having the heart to see the kid lose faith in me. "That doesn't mean that I was never attacked on the road! You try transporting a Wyvern egg from Grado to Carcino without people trying to take it from you!"  
"You ran Wyvern eggs?" Ross asks, now interested.

I shake my head, partly to keep up the charade, and partly to chide myself for going so far. "Egg. Singular. One time, and not alone. But yeah."

"Did anything happen while you were transporting it?" Ross asks, taking another swig.

I nod, fully committing to the lie now. "Ran into a little trouble with bandits near Adlas. They thought we were just another convoy running along the mountain. Just imagine the looks on their faces when two sages start making tornadoes run up the side of the mountain!"

Ross sprays water out of his mouth as he laughs. "That's amazing!" He keeps laughing. "Tornadoes?"

I start laughing. "Yeah. I told them it was overkill later, but they just smiled and asked, 'Would you charge a convoy with two sages guarding it?'"

Ross stops laughing, takes one last drink from the canteen, puts it back, and jumps off. "See ya later." He says.

I go back to my thoughts. It was weird. L'arachel didn't show up at all yesterday. Surely just being here wouldn't cause the timeline to screw up _that_ badly?

I don't get far in my contemplations before Eirika walks up. I give her a hand to come up onto the wagon.

"How's the march treating you?" I ask.

She sighs. "It's monotony."

I nod. "The waiting has always been what I hated about travel in general. Too much time to think about what'll happen at the destination. You make plans, then break them, then arrive and nothing's like you thought it would be."

She nods. "I keep running this whole thing through in my head. Why would Grado invade?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I mean, we've been friends with Grado for years. A sudden invasion like this just wipes all of that away." I look at her. "There is one thing I know for fact, though."

Eirika looks at me. "What's that?" She asks.

"When all of this is over, Renais will need to rebuild, and she needs someone like you to help rebuild it."

Wow, I didn't know a face could change colors that quickly. "I-I'm nothing special." She says quickly. "Besides, if we keep looking forward to the future, we'll miss the opportunities to make that future happen here in the present."

I shrug. "Not having a plan for the future means not knowing what actions to take here in the present."

She nods. "We're about to enter Serafew." She says, changing the topic. "Ephraim and I used to pass through here on our way to Grado. Back when walls didn't divide our people, and soldiers didn't patrol them. Serafew was a symbol of the trust between two countries."

"And now it rests firmly under Grado's rule." I say this as our convoy enters the city itself. "It doesn't seem like Grado is very interested in patrolling the city, though. We just got waved through. They didn't even check the whole convoy."

Eirika nods. "With Castle Renais under their control, they must think that everyone has lost heart in Renais."

I nod. "If we keep our heads low, we might be able to pass through here without any harassment."

"Excuse me?" A voice calls out. "Could I ask you a question?"

I look out behind the wagon to see who's asking and there's a Saleh walking behind our caravan.

"Ask away." I respond.

"I overheard you talking." He says. "You said you're coming from Renais?"

Before Eirika can overreact, I answer. "Yes. We're part of the security detail for this medicine convoy. War's not going to stop trade, and it's not right for people to suffer just because their leaders fight."

Saleh nods. "I see. Well, have you seen a young girl with indigo hair on your travels?"

I shake my head. "No, not that I'm aware of."

He sighs. "I see. Thank you."

"Daughter?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "No, but I am her guardian."

I nod. "I'll keep an eye out for her. What did you say your name was?"

He smiles. "Saleh. And your name?"

"Andrew." I reply.

He nods. "Well, Andrew, I appreciate it. Sorry for intruding."

I shake my head. "Not at all."

He walks away, and I turn to Eirika, who's smiling.

"What?" I ask.

"Did you mean that?" She asks.

"Well, of course." I say. "The guy's obviously panicking about losing the kid. Why wouldn't I keep an eye out?"

Eirika shakes her head. "Not that. The other part, about-"

"Catch her!" A voice cries out. "Don't let her escape!"

Suddenly, a woman in religious garb rushes past our wagon's rear, blonde hair trailing behind her. She trips and falls, dropping her staff.

I catapult myself into the trio of soldiers that follow close after, knocking them to the ground.

"OOF!"

"ACK!"

"SHIT!"

"Damn it!"

I recover quickly, and get back up on my feet. "Ah, shit." I say, helping the soldiers to their feet. "Sorry 'bout that. Got kicked off my ride."

The soldiers ignore me, and go back to cornering Natasha, who has her staff again and looks like she's about to try her luck with running again.

"Traitor Natasha!" The lead soldier in the group says. "Surrender peacefully. If you come quietly, then you will have a chance to explain yourself before His Majesty."

"Please!" Natasha cries. "You have to listen to me!"

The soldier motions for the other two soldiers to move forward. "Take her." He says.

"NO!" She cries. "The Emperor is not himself! You _must_ be able to see that!"  
"Decry Vigarde at your own peril! We have orders to execute you if you offer any resistance, but your words condemn you!" He pulls a whistle out of his pocket, and blows a sharp, shrill note, probably as a summons for the rest of the guards. I move forwards, a plan already forming in my head. I check my surroundings, confirm that no reinforcements are within range, and execute.

I tap the soldier on his shoulder. I give him a powerful right hook as he turns to face me, hopefully hitting his temple hard enough to knock him out. "First off, I prefer the concept of innocent until proven guilty."

Good, next guard's charging, axe out. Slide to the right and clothesline the guy, wince as his head hits cobblestone. "Second, I'm pretty sure that sentencing a member of the clergy to death seriously ruins your chances of a nice afterlife."

I look up to the last guard, who's CHARGING ME OH SHIT DODGE! Roll away, up, pivot, sword out, spin lance down, stomp down on it, breaking the shaft, turn and look menacing. "Third? If you wanted a girl so badly, go to a pub and find one." Punch his face with off hand and I think I broke his nose. Yep, he's holding it and moaning. Hit his head with my sword's pommel and knock him out. Wow, didn't realize I was a combat snarker. Or that I was that good. How many levels have I gained since starting this thing?

By now, the rest of the group is rallying with Seth, but Eirika is still with me, looking surprised. I try to ignore her as I help Natasha to her feet. "Are you alright?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes, thanks to you. Thank you..."

"Andrew." I supply. "I'm from Renais."

"Then I have something that I need to tell you!" She exclaims. "It's important!"

I nod. "It'll need to wait. We're not out of danger yet. You're a cleric, right? Can you use that staff?"

She nods. "Yes, I'm trained to heal allies."

I nod. "Good. It'll help to have another healer." I'm already running through how the hell I'm going to recruit Joshua. It's going to be tricky, since I can't exactly tell Seth not to kill the guy if the guy's trying to kill Seth.

I close my eyes and consider what I know about this map. Bandits will be a problem. Joshua might be, it depends on how I handle it. When I open them again, everyone's looking at me and Seth. I guess that settles it. I'm officially on the planning team.

"What are the troop concentrations that we know of?" I ask.

Vanessa points to the square where the arena is. "Mixed forces, all infantry. Archers, axes, spears, and one swordsman. There's a side street with a lighter troop composition, and an alleyway around that, but I couldn't get a look into the alley. Buildings were in the way."

I nod. "Seth, take Lute, Artur, and Moulder through the alley. Try to flank them. Garcia, you and Gilliam take the side street. Eirika, take Neimi and Ross and move in through this entrance to the square. Franz, Natasha, Colm and I can handle the other side."

"What about me?" Vanessa asks.

I turn to her. "These villagers are about to get caught in a crossfire. I don't want that to happen. You're the only one who would be able to warn them fast enough. Just make sure you watch out for their archers."

She nods. Everyone moves out. I go with Franz, Colm, and Natasha to where I know bandits will start appearing pretty soon. I look ahead. There's a stand of trees in front of a large stairway up into the square. I can already hear the sounds of combat drifting in from elsewhere.

I look back ahead and there's the stupid bandits that are going to try to pillage their way through this town, and Grado's not going to give two shits.

"Great." I hear Colm mutter. "More problems."

I nod. "They get the same treatment."

Up ahead, it's just two bandits, but now there are also a spearman, an axe fighter, and a shaman coming down from the square. The lancer hangs back, takes a javelin, cocks his arm, and throws right at ME OH SHIT DODGE! Duck away, watch as the javelin impales a bandit straight through the chest. The other bandit here takes a flux sphere from the shaman, straight to the gut, and the flesh there begins boiling. While he's clutching that wound, the axe fighter slams his weapon into the bandit's chest, caving in his chest.

What the fuck?

"Not that I'm not grateful, but what the fuck?"

Mister Javelin comes down, and retrieves his weapon. "It's not right for people to suffer just because their leaders fight." He says, looking right at me.

I blink, then smile. "No. No it isn't."

"Not everyone in Grado believes in Vigarde's war." He says, looking at Natasha. "I-"

I tackle the guy to the ground as a hand axe whizzes past, cutting through the space he previously occupied. I look up to see two axemen and Joshua the Myrmidon approaching.

"You guys handle the axemen." I say to Franz and Colm. "I'll handle the swordsman."

"Wait." Natasha says. "I recognize the swordsman."

"You mean you've met him before?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes, earlier, while I was running. He seemed... genuine."

"You think he'll listen to reason?" I ask.

She nods. I nod back. "Alright. Let's do this."

We move forward, physicals flanking us, mage in the rear. Franz and Colm both branch off to handle the axemen, leaving me with Joshua. He draws a very deadly-looking sword and twirls it around a bit. The item portrait for a Killing Edge really doesn't do it justice. The thing's a good three feet long, with a smooth, gentle curve from tip to hilt, reminding me of a katana.

We don't charge. I draw my own weapon and start circling him, looking for an opening.

"Has the week been as interesting for you as it has for me?" I ask him.

"Eh. Depends on how interesting your week's been." He replies.

We close the distance, and DEAR GOD HE'S FAST! Keep up, keep up! Block, parry, dodge, strike, thrust, back!

"Well, so far, I've beaten up bandits, Grado soldiers, and fucking monsters." I say.

"Really?" He asks. "Monsters?" Shit he's FAST! Dodge, parry, cut, thrust!

"Yeah." I say. "Just north of Serafew, actually. Skeletons, animated corpses, and giant floating eyeballs."

"Well, that _does_ sound like an interesting week. I think you have me beat. I've just been hopping around from town to town, and got stuck with guard duty here. Then, the one time I head into the arena here, I lose all of my hard-earned gold!"

Another clash of metal, rings out from our swords. Shit, my Slim's going to break at this rate.

I nod. "So, you're a mercenary too?"

"That's right. Been hopping around Grado for a while now, trying to make a living."

"And you're a gambler?"

"Mhm."

"Care to make a deal?"

Our two swords freeze right as they're about to collide again. "Go on."

"Neither of us fight for the rest of the battle. We just watch the results. If my side wins, you come with us. If your side wins, I'll go with you."

The battle is still raging around us. The Grado turncoats seem to be holding their ground against their former compatriots. Eirika, Ross, and Neimi have joined up with the group, and are helping as best they can.

"Deal." He says. "But we're going to have to sham this battle for a bit longer."

He smacks my sword with his. The metal rings, and I smile. "Well then, let us dance!"

* * *

We flynned for about five more minutes before the battle finally started going our way. At that point, Joshua stopped.

"What?" I asked.

"It's obvious now that I'm going to lose this bet, so let's just get back into the fight, shall we?"

I smile, and nod. "Let's go!"

The battle moves quickly now. Our side pushes hard for the victory, charging forwards towards their commander. We brush past the few remaining enemy troops, bolstered by the arrival of Seth and Gilliam and their groups. Finally, all that's left is their commander, but he ends up as no match for the force that our numbers provide. We finish him off with ease, and silence hangs over the battlefield.

"That was a tight spot." I say.

Natasha nods. "Yes. Thank you for helping me. I doubt I'd be alive had you not intervened. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you for your kindness."

"You're from Grado, right?" I ask.

She nods. "Yes. My name is Natasha. I served at the Imperial Temple, at the capital."

"Then why the trouble with their soldiers?" Eirika asks.

"A few days ago, my mentor was arrested without warning. They accused him of betraying the crown, and he was executed."

"I can't believe that a man of the cloth would simply betray his country." I say.

"He didn't." Natasha replies adamantly. "They killed him to keep him silent."

"Silent?" I ask.

Natasha nods. "My mentor said that Grado seeks to destroy the Sacred Stones, one by one. This is why he has invaded your homeland, Renais, and he will not stop until each and every one has been crushed."

"But legend says that the Sacred Stones are the only things that keep evil at bay!" Seth exclaims.

Natasha sighs. "I can't begin to guess his motives for doing this. He used to be a kind, gentle man. Now he's changed."

"Grado's stone is already gone, then." I say. "We just fought monsters in the Za'ha woods north of here. It's starting."

Seth nods. "We should go now, before reinforcements arrive."

I nod. "Let's go!"

* * *

_**A/N:**_

Andrew's Support List

Eirika – C

Ross – C


	5. Chapter 5

I look away from the soldiers that we picked up in Serafew, and start poking at the fire. We're camped south of Serafew, not quite to the Adlas Plains, but we'll be there tomorrow, according to Seth. The whole experience is finally sinking in. All of the fighting, the stress... Holy shit, I could've died, like, twenty times through the course of this journey. And it's only going to get worse. Holy shit, it's all downhill. I'm probably screwed, aren't I?

"You alright?" One of the soldiers asks me.

I look up past the fire, and at the three soldiers. Well, technically, only one of them is a soldier. The guy on the right, Mister Javelin, who told me that his name was Allister, is currently taking a sip from his canteen. He and the axe-fighter, Alexi, are twins: Jet-black hair over fierce brown eyes, muscular frames, each about as tall as me, if not a bit taller. Alexi is sharpening his steel axe, so I look to the shaman, Charsi, who has her hood down to reveal twinkling blue eyes and cropped red hair with black streaks running through it.

I shake my head. "The situation that I'm in just came crashing down on me."

She frowns. "You're a mercenary, aren't you? Surely you've been in combat before?"

My head rocks back and forth. "Combat, yes, but never in fights for my life on a day-to-day basis. Mercenary work was more travel than anything, and this was before bandits were lurking in every copse of trees, every dry riverbed, and every patch of tall grass."

"You mean that you weren't part of a combat mercenary force, like Gerik's Mercenaries?" She asks.

I shake my head. "I left the soldiering to the soldiers. I sold my services to supply caravans and the like."

"Then why join up with Princess Eirika?" She asks.

"Because Renais is my home. I'm not going to let it fall into ruin." I say.

She nods, and I stand. "Where are you going?" She asks.

"Just taking a walk." I say, walking away.

We camped in the evening, and the sun is slipping under the horizon. I had volunteered for first watch with Artur, Lute, and Moulder. I scan the fading surroundings for... monsters? Grado troops? Both, I guess, but neither makes an appearance.

Something shuffles behind me and to the left. I look to see Moulder a few yards away, and quickly realize that "Moulder the Boulder" is a very accurate way to describe him. He appears to be forty years old or so, but the dude's built like an athlete. His robes hide it fairly well, but his shoulders are broad, and there's obviously a bit of muscle on his arms and legs if he's keeping up with an army at his age.

"Hello, Father." I say.

His right hand is holding his staff, so he waves at me with his left hand, then winces, and drops his arm.

"Are you alright?" I ask. "Did you get hurt in Serafew?"

He shakes his head. "No, I'm fine. It is an old injury."

I raise an eyebrow. "Old injury? How old?"

"Oh, thirty years or so." He replies.

I blink. Dude's seriously _really_ old. Kudos for sticking with us this whole time.

"Does it ever get in the way of your work?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "I was originally left handed, but when I was injured, I started working out more to compensate for the injury."

Well, that explains him having 9 Con in the game.

"I see. How did it happen?" I ask

He shakes his head. "It's not a subject I enjoy revisiting. Another time, perhaps."

I nod. "I understand. We all have thing we'd rather not talk about."

He smiles, and takes his leave. I go back to watching the darkness. It's dark, but that's really it. I start walking around the camp's perimeter, scanning the inky nothingness for something interesting.

Idly, I softly start singing the lyrics to Credens Justitiam, Mami's theme from Puella Magi.

"Solti ola I. Amaliche cantia masa estia."

"That's a beautiful song." Someone says. I look around to see Artur standing there.

I smile, and nod. "I really don't do it justice. It sounds much better with other voice parts, and it really shines with a piano or harp."

Artur smiles, and nods. "I don't believe that I've ever heard anything like it. It sounds like a mix of a hymn and a lullaby, and that's barring the language. What is it called?"

"It's called Credens Justitiam." I say. "It means 'believing in justice.' The song's lyrics are nonsense, chosen by the composer because they are pleasing to the ear."

Artur nods. "It helps that your voice is as good as it is. Where did you learn to sing that well?"

"Back home, when I was a kid, I would sing in the church's choir during mass." I explain. "It's nice to be able to carry your instrument with you wherever you go."

"So you're religious?" Artur asks, brightening.

I nod. "It's not a religion that's found very widespread through Magvel, mind you, but I do believe that there's someone watching over all of us, and my morals tend to fall in line with the Golden Rule."

Artur smiles, and nods. "Continue to follow your path. We will see where it takes you."

I smile. "Take care, brother."

He nods, and we part. I'm getting tired, and my watch is almost up, so I head back to the tents, where Lute is using the light of the fire to read. I sit opposite her, and pull the leather-bound book from my pack, along with the pen and inkwell. Then, I begin to write. Slowly at first, as I grow used to writing with the quill and well, but gradually moving faster. I write about what's happened so far. Fighting for my life for the first time in Ide. The battle at Borgo Ridge. The monsters in the Za'ha woods. Combat in Serafew. Suddenly, there's nothing left to write. With a sigh, I put the writing materials down, and reach up to rub my neck.

My hand bumps into something. Quickly, I turn around to see Lute standing there, apparently annoyed that I'd interrupted her reading of my journal. Sighing, I pick up the quill and well from where I'd set them on the ground, and put them back into my pack. "Can I help you, Lute?" I ask.

"Why are you chronicling your exploits in that volume?" She asks. "Do you mean to have a bard sing tales of you when this is finished?"

I laugh, and shake my head. "No, I'm not that full of myself. It's just to keep my head straight and on my shoulders."

She frowns. "So by recording your actions of the day, you mean to keep your sanity and your life?"

I nod. "In a manner of speaking, yes. However, it's not just my actions. It's more about the emotions. How I felt about what happened. That's what's going to keep my sanity, and if I'm not insane on the battlefield, I'll probably make it through this in one piece."

"How do you figure that simply writing in this book will prevent an untimely demise?" She asks.

I shrug. "It's complicated. I couldn't give you an answer off the top of my head."

She nods. "This idea intrigues me. I shall ask you later about it."

Then, she turns on her heel, and walks away, leaving me alone. I put the book back into my pack, and head to my tent. Then, I close my eyes, and go to sleep.

* * *

We're traveling again quickly after sunrise. I'm sitting in the supply wagon again, reflecting on everything that's happened thus far. My mind wanders back to home for the first time in a while. How is everyone doing without me? Is time even moving forwards? What if it is? Will I come back older? What if-

Natasha joins me on the wagon. I give her a hand up, and she sits next to me. "How is the march treating you, sister?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "I've never been one for travel. Most of the church's activities kept us pretty close to home."

My eyes go wide in surprise. "You mean that your church has never sent its members on mission trips?"

She looks at me in confusion. "What's a mission trip?"

I look at her in shock a little bit longer, then recover and begin to talk. "The world's not a perfect place. We all know that, but as a mercenary, you see a lot of proof. Some people are born into hardships that other people will never see in their entire lives. People living in remote, frontier areas, struggling with bandits, sickness, famine, and disasters of all kinds, sometimes on a day-to-day basis. These people lose their faith."

"A mission trip," I explain, "is a way for the church to reach out and help these people. It sends a few of its members to help those who need it. People who care genuinely for the well-being of others." I look at Natasha, and smile. "People like you."

She smiles, her eyes shining brightly. "You've given me something to think about, Andrew." She says. "Thank you."

I nod. "You're quite welcome, Natasha." She gets off of the wagon and starts walking. I hope that she doesn't push herself too hard.

Franz is the next to arrive. I toss him a canteen. He accepts it gladly. "How's the march treating you, Franz?" I ask.

He smiles, and takes a sip from the canteen before answering. "It's about what I've come to expect from training, albeit with more urgency and combat."

I shake my head. "I keep forgetting that you're a knight of Renais."

Franz blushes. "Technically, no." He mumbles bashfully.

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"Well, technically, I've never been knighted. I'm only sixteen. We aren't knighted until seventeen in Renais. Right now, the better word to describe my position would be-"

"Squire." I supply. "A sort of apprenticeship for knights."

Franz nods. "That's one way to think of it, I guess, but it's more than that. Yes, you learn how to be a knight from the knight you serve as a squire to, but it's more than that. The relationship formed between knight and squire is a strong one, almost familial."

I smile. "So, is Seth a father figure for you, or a big brother?"

Franz smiles sadly. Did I say something wrong? "The similarities between him and my father are closer than I'd like at times. Let's leave it at that."

I nod. "I'm sixteen, Franz. Ever need someone your own age to talk to, you've always got me." Even though I'm shipping you and Amelia the first chance I get. That pairing is just so cu- CUT IT OUT ANDREW! No shipping! That is the one thing you swore that you would never do!

Franz smiles, and nods. "Thanks, Andrew."

I sigh, and look past him. Nobody else seems to be coming up to talk to me, so I get up and head to do a quick inventory on our supplies. Only way I get to ride on the wagon is by being assistant quartermaster. That means keeping up with supplies on the march, and keeping track of the wear we're putting on our weapons and armor on the battlefield. I see anything we're in short supply of, I'm supposed to pass it along to the Quartermaster himself, a rough man of about thirty with a green bandanna and fairly jolly disposition, so long as nobody touches his horse. He's very particular about his horse, says that it was the first thing he ever bought with money he made himself. I can respect that. Sentimentality is a powerful thing. It kept my bookshelf stocked with novels I never even touched for the longest time.

I finish taking inventory, note that we're starting to run a little short on vulneraries, and turn back to my own thoughts. How long have I been here? Feels like I've been here a year, but it can't have been more than a week at the most. My mind turns yet again to the family I'm missing at home. Mom and dad. Christopher. Micheal. Katherine. My small, concentrated group of friends. School. I'm supposed to be starting the second semester of my junior year this year, and I've got two AP tests that I'm missing. Could be an Awakening Self-Insert that I'm dealing with, though. I'd hate to have to deal with that.

I sigh, and put my mind back to the present, looking forwards.

A dense fog stretches over the Adlas Plains. With a sigh, I rise from my place on the wagon, and get off, moving to find Eirika and Seth. Time to go to work.


	6. Chapter 6

Knowing it's going to happen doesn't help me in the slightest when the creep flashes in out of nowhere. One second, I'm walking along with Eirika and Seth. The next, he's right in our faces, chuckling darkly.

"Princess Eirika of Renais." He says. "You are surrounded by my soldiers."

"Who are you?" Eirika demands. "Where did you come from?"

Novala ignores her question. "You're quite a pretty young thing. You're even wearing your bracelet!" He smiles. "Let's start there. Please hand over that little trinket of yours."

Seth maneuvers around to Eirika's side, and I move up as well, covering her other flank.

"I will do no such thing." Eirika says.

"Really?" Novala asks, feigning surprise, then he smiles. "Your brother is being held in Renvall, you know." He gloats. "Grado's might brought him down. Even now, he wastes away, awaiting his execution.

"You lie!" Eirika cries. "My brother would never lose to Grado!"

"Shame. I suppose there's little I can do to-"

SHIT THAT'S BRIGHT! As my eyes recover, I realize that the creep's holding a little girl of no more than five years by the wrist. "Look familiar?" He asks. "This little girl is a citizen of your precious country." He yanks her back suddenly, and shit that's a knife. The blade is up against the kid's throat.

"The bracelet, if you please." Novala says with a sneer.

"No!" Seth cries. "Never!"

My eyes widen as a small bit of blood flows from the kid's throat.

"STOP!" Eirika cries. "You win!"

Novala smiles. "Then give me the bracelet."

"Eirika, you mustn't!" Seth cries.

Eirika shakes her head. "It's not worth this child's life, Seth." She removes the bracelet, and gives it to Novala.

"Good." He says. "Now your weapons."

"Fuck off." I say. "I'm not handing over my sword."

Novala looks over to me. His eyes, I notice, are an eery steel. "Ah, so you've taken to hiring mercenaries? Interesting. I did not realize that you were so desperate. But I suppose that I'll not get more out of you, will I? Very well. I suppose that means my hostage has no more use, does it?"

My blood runs cold, and I freeze. He wouldn't.

A wide grin breaks out on his face. "Ah, I've just had the most delicious idea. Have you heard of the giant spiders prowling this region. I think they'd appreciate a nice, hot meal. Don't you?"

Bastard. I'll kill you. My sword strikes out before I know what I'm doing, but he raises a hand to block, dark magic warped around it, and wow, that's all of the hair on the back of my neck standing up. My sword hits his hand, and the blade warps beyond recognition. I'm now screwed beyond all comprehension, aren't I?

Another flash, and the child is gone. Novala laughs. "These fools will curse the day that they were ever born to your pathetic nation!"

"How..." Eirika says softly. "How could you do something like this?"

"This is _war_, little girl. There are no rules! It is kill or be killed. Anything goes! You curs of Renais have lost! Your idiotic ravings about honor and compassion mean nothing!"

"You will be silent." Eirika commands him. "We of Renais have long honored the friendship that we share with the people of Grado. You and your men payed us back by invading our nation, ravaging our land, destroying our families, and killing _my father_. And I told myself that I would not hate Grado or her people. I told myself that there would always be room in my heart to forgive. I warned myself that giving into that hate would condemn that bond that we held sacred."

"So I turned my cheek when I saw how families had been torn to pieces. I swallowed my pride when I saw the discrimination in Serafew. I rationalized when I saw how rampant brigands roamed, unchecked by Grado's own soldiers. In the name of preserving the bond between our nations, I held my tongue."

"But if this is Grado's true nature... If you could so calmly hold a child hostage, so casually dismiss her life to such a cruel fate... If this is Grado's heart, then there is no room in my own for forgiveness." Eirika's voice turns to steel. "I swear by the name of my father, my brother, and my country, I will see Grado's blackened heart torn out."

Holy shit. I don't remember this speech being that epic. Eirika, I'll follow you to the end of this campa- WHOA!

Novala grunts and takes a step back. Eirika lowers her rapier, the tip bloody. "And I will start with you."

"You impudent little wretch! Do you think your words will save the lives of your countrymen? That your speech will restore your kingdom? This world is ruled by our actions! And I will take great pleasure in making you understand that!"

SHITBRIGHT! Oh, he's gone. Good. That means that this fight can start in earnest. On the up hand, I know, generally, how this fight goes. Bad news is that I can't see shit. I mean, I pride myself on my eyesight, but this isn't your ordinary everyday fog. This is... Advanced Fog. How the hell does Colm see through this shit?

* * *

I get a replacement for the sword that Novala busted, then Seth and I quickly come up with our battle plan. Vanessa will take Colm and head to the mountains to search out the civilians. Charsi, who has said she an see through the fog without issue, will aid us in moving forwards. Gilliam, Garcia, Ross, and Moulder will remain to the rear with the caravan, protecting it and our rear from Grado attack. Everyone else will take part in the main attack.

We begin advancing rapidly eastward. I advance with Allister and Alexi, who are quickly proving themselves to be an invaluable addition to our team. We move quickly and efficiently, covering each other against a trio of our opposite number. The orderly advance quickly turns into a melee in the woods.

I draw my sword and ensure that the Dragon Shield that we got back in Serafew is firmly attached to my arm. That was something that amused me when we first got it. The thing was a legitimate shield. So was the Secret Book from the other house, but I hadn't gotten a chance to look at it yet.

The thud of a sword on my shield brings my attention fully into the fight. Joke's on him, though. I always liked sword-and-shield styles, and I was never impartial to using my shield as a weapon. Strike out with my sword to keep him off balance, and keep moving forwards. Keep him off of his game. Swing at his feet, break his focus. THERE! Punch with off hand, jabbing with the edge of the shield. That's got him distracted, so I'll follow up with a strike to his hip. YES! Glad to see that I haven't turned into Captain America. I think that happened in an Awakening Self-Inser- Shit! That hurts! Turn to the right so see the bastard that cut my sword arm. Get behind my shield as he swings again. Fool me once, shame on you.

Block with shield, step, step, stab. Block again, step, step, slash, slash, stab, block. HYA! Retract, strike again. Breath. Two enemies down. Look around. Nod to Alexi and Allister. "Forwards?"

Alexi nods. "On you."

* * *

So, we move forwards. Mountains rise up on either side of us. Slowly, I realize where we are. Shit, there's a-

The javelin thuds an inch from my foot. Yep, there's an Armor Knight here. Javelin/Horseslayer. "Shit." I say.

Alexi laughs. "Oh, this isn't that bad. Three on one. I like these odds."

The hairs on the back the back of my neck stand on end. Aw, SHIT! "DOWN!" I yell.

Nice to see that they trust me and wow, that's a Luna tome. That was close. Scramble to feet, turn to see a pair of Shaman. Great. Just great. Turn back to the knight and there are three of them. Wow.

"We're seriously screwed here, aren't we?" Allister asks, brandishing his lance.

"Yep." I say simply, moving my shield in front of me. "We're screwed."

Hoofbeats? Do they really need the cavalry? I turn to see oh hey L'Arachel! So _this_ is where you went!

She raises a hand, pointing. A mountain of a man, carrying just as large an axe, charges forwards towards the knights, swinging the axe wildly. I turn to the Shaman and wow, Rennac works fast. Both of the Shaman are already on the ground, and Rennac is wiping his knife off on their robes. I turn back to Dozla, and watch as he swings around that monster of an axe. He swings it into a knight, cleaving into the knight's armor. Then, he wrenches the axe free, and lets it swing into the armor of the second knight, letting the spike on the rear side of his axe pierce the knight's armor. He delivers a solid kick, wrenching it free again, before turning on the final knight, delivering a holy shit he just cut that man in half.

I turn to look at L'Arachel. "Many thanks, Milady. I do believe that you've just saved our lives."

She turns to our group, looks at me, and smiles. "Of course, my friend. I'm glad to have been of service to you. To be quite honest, we were just heading north to the Za'ha woods. I've heard that there are quite a few ancient horrors in the forest there in need of purging."

I smile. "Well, milady, we were recently in those selfsame woods, and I can tell you that they are indeed crawling with unspeakable things. I wish you luck on your travels."

L'Arachel nods. "And you on yours." She turns around, and smiles. I follow her gaze and oh my God she saved the people too. They're riding horses that I assume are Dozla and Rennac's travel mounts.

Something moves out of the corner of my eye and I catch it and this looks like an Orion's Bolt.

"They gave it to me as payment for my deed, but I've no need for it. Perhaps you can make use of it?"

I nod. "May I ask the name of these people's saviors?"

She smiles. "You may call me L'Arachel."

I bow slightly. "My name is Andrew."

"Well, Andrew, I do hope we meet again." She says, spurring her mount onwards.

I slide the Orion's Bolt into my pack, and turn to Allister and Alexi. "Let's go. We've got a battle to finish."

* * *

We move north, staying on our guards until we meet back up with the rest of the force, rallying for the last push forwards. I relay the news of the civilians' safety to Eirika, and the name of their savior. She smiles. "I hope we will see her again." She says.

I smile. "I doubt we've seen the last of her."

Forward we march, brushing aside the last bits of resistance and facing off against Novala. He spreads his feet as we approach, and takes up a stance. In the crook of his left arm is his tome, his right hand extended towards us. He's murmuring something as we approach, and I don't like it.

The air around Eirika ripples, and my blood runs cold. My tackle brings her to the ground mere instants before the space where her torso had been is annihilated by the void. We get up as Seth charges forwards to finish Novala off.

Seth dismounts, and goes through the man's robes. He pulls out Eirika's bracelet, and returns it to her. "Your late father, King Fado… He ordered to keep me silent until the proper time arrived." Seth explains. "However, with all that has happened, with Emperor Vigarde's actions… I feel it imperative that I tell you everything, Princess Eirika."  
I make to leave, but Eirika puts a hand on my shoulder. "You've just as much right to hear this as I do, Andrew."  
Seth looks like he objects, but sighs, and continues. "Are you ready to hear the secret of the bracelet you wear?"

Eirika nods. "I am."

"As you know, Renais houses one of the legendary Sacred Stones."

Eirika nods. "Of course. It's in the temple. It's supposed to be a ward against evil."

Seth nods. "Yes, the true stone is a ward, but the stone in the temple is nothing but a forgery. The real Sacred Stone of Renais lies beneath the royal castle. Guarding it is a powerful seal, an infinitely complex lock of sorts."

Eirika gasps. "What? Is this true?"  
"Yes." Seth says simply. "King Fado confided in me himself. The Sacred Stoned banished evil long ago and possess power beyond our understanding. The ancient kings of Renais felt it prudent to seal ours away. They feared its power could be misused. They thought to remove the temptation. The keys to break the seal were hidden, too… Forged into bracelets... The very ones that you and your brother, Prince Ephraim, wear."

Eirika frowned."Our bracelets? How could Father keep this a secret from me for so long?"  
"'They must know nothing of the bracelets. Tell them only if some great peril strikes.' Those were King Fado's exact orders. Prince Ephraim knows nothing of the bracelets' secret, either. The king told me this out of fear that something might happen to him. So that, when the time came, the two of you would learn the truth."

Eirika nodded somberly. "The bracelets have such meaning… No wonder you were so willing to risk so much for them."

"And we are the only living souls who know the secret of the Stone of Renais." Seth said. "At least, that's what I was given to believe. And yet…"  
"Yet the Grado army has made it clear that they want me only for my bracelet." Eirika said.

Seth nodded. "I don't know how, but Emperor Vigarde must have learned the secret somehow. And now, his troops pursue the bracelet, and we are no closer to knowing his motives."

Eirika's eyes widened. "He would use the bracelets to unlock the Sacred Stone and destroy it in secret… Which means that my brother… and his bracelet…"

Seth nodded. "If he's been captured, they may have the bracelet already, and he may be–"

Seth stopped, and changed gears quickly. "Princess, we must take Novala's words to be true. We must hurry to Prince Ephraim. The enemy soldiers who fled the battle will have reported our location by now. If the prince is being held prisoner at Renvall… I fear they might execute him once they learn of our approach."

Eirika nodded. "You're right. We've no time to waste. We must hurry to Renvall! Let's go rescue my brother!"


	7. Chapter 7

"My brother is somewhere inside of that castle."

I shake my head. Below us, the so-called castle seems more like a prison. Sitting on an island in the middle of a large lake, Castle Renvall's only entrance was a well-defended set of bridges, and the path to those bridges was a winding one, traveling through a pair of valleys, one of them heavily wooded. I suppress a shiver. Bottlenecks and chokepoints galore. Seth's earlier briefing to us rang in my ears. "A natural stronghold," he'd called it, "easy to defend and difficult to assault."

He rides up to us, and I turn to face him. "The terrain here is a damned effective force multiplier." I say. "We'll need some careful planning if we're to get through this unscathed."

Seth nods. "I took the liberty of talking with the locals. Grado has deployed a pair of ballistae in defense of Renvall, and reports are confirmed that a band of Renais soldiers has been taken captive."

"What aren't you telling us, Seth?" Eirika asks. Wait, what? Seth's withholding info?

He sighs. "The locals say that _five_ fighters were taken captive."

I count on my fingers. Traitor Orson, Ephraim, Forde, Kyle... shit that's four. "Who's the fifth?" I ask, confused.

Seth shrugs. "All that I've heard from the locals is that she's proficient with knives and magic."

I frown. Knives and magic? Thief mage? What, like an Awakening Trickster? "Odd."

Seth nods, and turns to address me. "Andrew, your thoughts on the battle ahead?"

"A blitz." I say. "Fast attacks, with little opportunity for the enemy to rally themselves to defend. Do we know where the ballistae are located?"

"One is directly north of us, but that position sits empty." Seth explains. "We arrived to quickly for them to send someone to man it. The other ballista lays on that wooded plateau east of Renvall. I expect that one to be manned."

I nod. "We send Neimi and Vanessa north to overtake the ballista, with Neimi manning it and Vanessa spotting. Gilliam, Joshua, and Natasha will remain behind to guard the convoy from reinforcements. The rest of us will make it a rapid forward march, advancing quickly to prevent any sort of concentrated defense. Once the plateau is within sight, we'll want to disable the ballista as quickly as possible. You and Franz will be our best assets there. Lute and Artur will be our best bets for taking care of those knights at the bridgehead, assuming that Neimi hasn't taken care of them first. From there, a straight shot up the bridges and to the rescue."

And then Orson will spring his trap, the bridge will be blown, and we'll be fighting in the keep. As we turn around to ready for battle, I sigh inwardly. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

* * *

With the troops rallied and the plan explained, we set out. The first batch of resistance, a pair of swordsmen. Franz and Seth make quick work of them, and we continue forwards. The next batch of resistance, slightly more problematic. Cavalier, axemen, and a mage. The cavalier charges in, and gets a solid-looking hit in on Garcia with his sword. Allister diverts to handle the cavalier with his brother. Meanwhile, Charsi and Lute are more than holding their own against the enemy mage. I move up against one of the axemen, and find my rhythm.

Dart in, swinging high and from the right in a hack at the left shoulder. Oh shit he's charging in! Sidestep, try to keep him in my range, cut at him as he passes. There's a jolt as he blocks with the axe. Fine. Thrust, thrust, slash, let him parry as I close, that's fine. I'm not trying to cut you yet. SMASH! There's an unusual satisfaction I'm feeling from that, I realize as I hack into his right shin, breaking it. Not from the fighting or the maiming, or the killing. I'm doing my best to keep my head on straight right now, without having to worry about that kind of thing. No, it's because I'm holding my own. I've come this far, and it shows.

* * *

Despite the urgency of the mission, getting through the forest is slow going. Climbing over trees, under trees, around trees... stupid trees. I don't envy Seth and Franz, having to guide their horses through this. If it weren't for my greaves, I'm pretty sure that the thorns currently trying to find purchase on my shield and shoulders would be ripping my shins apart.

I come out of the forest first, surprisingly. More surprisingly, Seth and Franz thunder out right behind me, rushing north to deal with the ballista. So, I move west.

Wow.

Neimi really went to work on them, didn't she? Three corpses, the two knights and a soldier. The knights got two shots each. The soldier only needed one. The meter-long, steel-tipped bolts drove a shiver down my spine. It's the kind of lethal efficiency I should probably expect from a hunter.

* * *

With that out of the way, it's onto the bridge. Cavaliers wait on the other side, near the gate of the keep. Two of them charge forwards immediately, brandishing... oh shit! Those are axereavers! Really glad it's the cavalry leading this charge, not our axe fighters. It's a quick exchange of blows from lances, one that I quickly bypass with Garcia and Colm as we move towards the gate.

I'd often wondered what it was about halberds that made them so effective against cavalry. Longswords, or Zanbatos, or whatever, those make sense... kinda. They're really big swords, probably for killing the mount outright. Horseslayers... I'd seen them up close. They look perfect for, again, killing the mount outright, only there it's probably a cleaner kill.

But watching the way Garcia used the halberd, everything kinda clicked. Murray (Seth told me that was his name earlier, on the march) charged Garcia, which was probably the exact wrong thing to do, considering it put his horse's legs within striking distance of Garcia's weapon. He swings, not at the rider, but _under_. There's a series of loud shrieks from the horse and disconcerting cracks from its legs, then it topples, bringing its rider with it. Then, Colm rushes in, steps away from Murray's sword, and drives his knives into Murray's mail, the slender points easily piercing the metal rings.

* * *

"My brother must be here somewhere." Eirika says. It's been about forty minutes since the start of this fight, give or take, and we're still keeping our momentum. We'd reconsolidated, and pushed forwards into the castle keep, after finding its gatehouse deserted. That was my first hint, and I think it was Seth's as well.

Whoa! Whatsthat! I draw my sword and go right into a fighting stance. Orson staggers out of the shadows, hand on the wall, no armor, no weapons I can see. Then, he collapses onto the ground.

"Orson!" Eirika cries, rushing forwards. Even Seth moves forwards to help him. If I didn't know that this guy was acting, I'd be convinced in a heartbeat.

"Milady, who is this?" I ask, feigning confusion as I sheath my sword.

"This is Sir Orson of Renais." Seth says. "My second-in-command. He is one of the people who was with Prince Ephraim." He turns back to Orson. "Sir Orson, why are you here? Where is Prince Ephraim?"

"We were captured." Orson says. "All of us. I just managed to escape my cell. It was my hope that I would be able to find my way back to Renais, to acquire aid enough to return and free His Highness..." He's good. I'll give him that. "A chance to escape. It's all that I could pray for."

"Sir Orson, are you well?" Eirika asks. "Your face is so pale, and your hands are shaking." Her voice hardens. "Don't tell me Grado's men have-"

Orson shakes his head. "No, your Highness, it is nothing. But enough worry for me. I left to get help, and here it is. You have companions?" He asks, looking at me.

She nods. "This is Andrew. He is a mercenary who has been accompanying us this last week in our quest to rescue you and Ephraim. We have others, as well."

Orson nods, and smiles what I swear is a genuine smile. "Good. There's still a presence in the keep itself. We'll need all of the help we can get." He straightens up. "Do you have a healer with you?"

* * *

Moulder gave Orson a quick heal with his staff, and he led the group quickly down the hall, and over a bridge. The group came to a halt at the far end of the bridge.

"Sir Orson, if I may ask, how long ago were you taken prisoner?" Seth asks.

Orson frowns. "Some two weeks past, I believe. Without the sun, I cannot be exactly sure, but the passage of meals seems to indicate it."

"Did you learn anything from your captors in that time?" Seth asks.

Orson shakes his head. "No. Our meals were brought by people from a nearby village. They were given strict orders not to utter so much as a word. We heard nothing from them." Orson's face shifts. "The war. Tell me, Seth, how does Renais fare?"

"Renais has fallen." Seth says. "King Fado... His Highness is dead."

Orson's eyes go wide, then his face falls, twisted like a knife in his heart. "Dead... My king..." Orson looks to Eirika. "Milady, I have failed you in my duties as a Knight of Renais."

Eirika shakes her head. "No, Orson. You're not to blame for that. We can't dwell on the mistakes of the past..." She trails off.

"Milady?" Orson asks. "If I may, why the sizable entourage?"

Eirika comes back to herself. "The Grado Army has hounded us at every turn. They hope to acquire my bracelet. That's why they were so earnest to capture my brother, as well."

Orson frowns. "Bracelet?" He closes his eyes. "Yes, I remember now. The Prince still has his bracelet." He opens his eyes. "Milady, if Grado is after the bracelets, perhaps you should entrust them to someone else."

Eirika frowns. "Perhaps you are right... but-"

Orson continues. "Milady, we shall ride to Ephraim's rescue, then we can take the bracelets to Frelia, to King Hayden. If the Empire wants your bracelets, then you are in great danger for as long as you have them." Orson's eyes flash. "Milady, please, for your safety. The Sacred Stone of Renais mustn't fall."

Eirika nods. "I understand what you say and why you say it, Sir Orson, but-"

Seth moves forwards. "Sir Orson, I do apologize for this, but I must ask you to relinquish your weapons."

Orson frowns. "Seth, I've been imprisoned here for the past two weeks. You think they'd let a prisoner have weapons?"

Eirika moves forwards. "Seth, what is the meaning of this?" She demands.

"If I am mistaken, then you shall have all due apologies." Seth says, ignoring Eirika. "However, there are too many questions that I cannot answer: why did no reinforcements emerge from the castle during our battle outside; why did you escape alone, leaving Prince Ephraim and the rest of your group in chains; why have we yet to be attacked by enemy soldiers that should be searching for an escaped prisoner such as yourself; how do you know of the tie between the bracelets and the Sacred Stone of Renais?"

Orson's eyes go wide. Busted. "Seth, there is a misunderstanding here. I-"

Seth shakes his head. "And why... why are you concealing a blade within your doublet?"

Orson smiles a sad smile. "Commander, you never miss a thing."

"Enough." A voice says. "You've done your part, Orson." A man in heavy, well-maintained armor walks forward, flanked by soldiers. "You've delivered my prey to me."

"I've done your dirty work, Tirado." Orson spits out. "Tell me where you've put my wife!"

Tirado smiles, and I go pale at his next words. "You'll find her corpse in an unmarked grave in your hometown."

"YOU BASTARD!" Orson screams, pulling a knife from its hidden scabbard. He goes quickly through the two flanking soldiers, only to be impaled on Tirado's spear. There's a scream and a yell from Eirika and Seth, then Orson slumps to the floor.

"I suppose they'll get to be together after all." Tirado says. Then he looks up to us. "My name is Tirado, loyal and talented aide to General Valter of the Grado army."

Seth's glare looks like it could melt lead. From fifty yards. On a cold winter day. In Antarctica.

"You're that monster's-"

"And you are General Seth of Renais, yes? Funny, I'd thought to catch a minnow in my net, and it seems I've landed a shark."

"Where is my brother?" Eirika demands.

Tirado shrugs. "Not here. He escaped Valter's first trap and fled the castle, leaving an injured paladin behind. His tenacity is quite an annoying characteristic." He smiles. "It was my cunning that turned that blunder into a boon. I spread the rumors myself, making the villagers think that the prince was a prisoner. The perfect bait for his sweet little sister."

"My brother escaped?" Eirika asks.

Tirado shrugs. "Regardless, any touching, emotional reunion of yours will have to wait for the afterlife. But first."

My arms shoot out to either side as I steady myself. The sudden shaking is accompanied by a horrendous wrenching sound behind us, and a loud series of splashes as an entire section o the bridge collapses into the lake below.

Tirado turns and walks away, as soldiers begin flooding into the area. I draw my sword, and take one last look at Orson's bloodied corpse. A sad smile appears on my face, and I kneel to close his eyes.

"May your soul find peace in the life beyond." I whisper.


	8. Chapter 8

The pair of spearmen in front of us are the first to go. Ross and Lute pair up against the first one, while Neimi and Franz deftly handle the other. Colm and Joshua easily handle an attacking myrmidon, while Artur cleans up a knight from the north. Eirika's rapier finds the heart of an archer. The first wave defeated, the plan becomes one to split up, half to the north, and half to the west, and I go west.

An armored knight moves quickly to block our path, but Charsi easily casts him aside, her Flux spell ripping flesh and armor apart like paper. We arrive in a new corridor in time to see... what the fuck?

Alright, it's official, my presence here has seriously screwed up _something_! I know for 100% fact that there were no GENERALS on this level, save for Tirado! But that's alright, because Ephraim's Reginlief is OP, as he clearly demonstrates for us. No, really Ephraim, that thing just ripped past, like, 18 points of Defense and 50 HP in TWO HITS! Then, he just looks up, sees Eirika, and runs forward.

"Eirika, you're alright!" He says, a wide smile on his relieved face.

"Ephraim!" She rushes forward to hug her brother, and I move forwards, past them, to give them some space.

And to help Currently-Nameless-Knifemage to fend off a quartet of incoming cavaliers. I give a curt nod to the pair of Renais cavaliers, and move forward, past their mounts, to... what.

What?

_**WHAT!**_

MOTHERFUCKINGSUPERNATURALDEITIESOFCHANCESPACEANDTIME!

ISWEARTOYOUTHATIWILLKILLALLOFYOUFORTHIS!

I'm not just in a Sacred Stones Self-Insert, I'm in _my_ Awakening Self-Insert!

Alysia's paired knives flash as she parries a strike from a cavalier's sword, then she ducks under the lance of another, silver hair flowing behind her. I move forward, using my shield to intercept the sword of a third, and smile as Kyle and Forde finally realize that, oh hey, THERE'S FIGHTING TO BE DONE!

I cut out in front of my shield with my sword, then take a step forwards, keeping my shield up to block another stroke from the cavalier's sword. "My name's Andrew." I say to Alysia. "I'm with Eirika's force. I don't recognize you. What's your name?"

She sidesteps the lance of the cavalier in front of her, then rushes the rider, driving one of her knives into his horse's back as she levers herself up to drive the other into the rider's chest. "It's Alysia."

I nod, block another strike of my foe's sword, then deliver one of my own, cutting into his leg. He yelps in pain, and I deliver a second strike, this time a thrust to his stomach. I grit my teeth as my sword grates past his mail armor and into his gut, then retract it again. He falls from his mount and onto the stone floor. I take a glance around the room, and see that the would-be reinforcements have been defeated.

* * *

One impossibly long corridor crawl later, we arrive at the next batch of resistance. The shaman and archer prove to be especially annoying, but thankfully, we had Natasha on hand to heal up any injuries. And the General sitting in defense of the chest room ahead was no match for Reginlief. Once we find the cracked wall, it's simply a matter of smashing it in. Alysia produces a Lightning tome (technically, the game refers to it as a Thunder tome, but I refuse to call an electrical attack 'Thunder.') and blasts the wall out. We climb over bits and pieces of rubble and WHAT THE FUCK PALADIN! Shield!

"SHIT THAT FUCKING HURTS!" Drop to a knee and clutch at the spot in my side where the rider's lance oh God that's fucking warm and wet. It wasn't just some stab, the bastard fucking tore a hole in my side! There's a chunk of my flesh sticking to DEAR GOD WHAT KIND OF LANCE IS THAT? There's no tip on that thing! It's like someone slapped a bunch of nails and razor blades on the end of a really long stick! And why the fuck does it have a slight glow to it?

Well, I get pulled back for Natasha to heal, but that shit fucking hurts! I shut my eyes tight and brace myself for OH SWEET JESUS THAT HURTS TOO! Oh God that hurt! Ow! I shudder and pick myself up, giving Natasha a smile and a "thank you" before heading back into battle. We meet back up with the rest of the group, and arrayed against us are three Generals. A barrage of magic helps to soften them up for Alexi, Garcia, and Ross to go toe-to-toe with them. As they handle that fight, the rest of us filter into the throne room, where Tirado waits with... is... is that a BRAVE SWORD?

Seth steps forwards, Silver Lance held firm in his hand. "Tirado, this is your time of judgment. For the deaths of King Fado and my brothers in arms... For the destruction wrought by Valter in Renais... For the suffering of Renais and her citizens!" Seth flourishes his lance, and reins back his horse. "For all of your evil and that of Grado!"

Seth's lance hits Tirado square on his chest, even as Tirado tries to block with his sword. Tirado grunts, and falls to the ground, as his blood begins to flow.

* * *

"Seth, are you alright?" Eirika asks.

Seth takes in a deep breath, and nods. "Yes, milady. I'm fine."

"And what of you, brother?" Eirika asks. "Are you well?"

Ephraim sighs. "I worried you, Eirika. And you as well, General."

Seth shakes his head. "Milord, we are just glad to see you safe."

Ephraim nods. "I don't see Orson among your number. Is he-"

"Milord?" I say, stepping forward. "My name is Andrew. I am a mercenary under the employ of Milady Eirika. Orson... Sir Orson is dead, slain by Tirado."

Ephraim blinks. "What."

"Milord, we encountered Orson in the gatehouse of Renvall. He led us here, into the keep, where we encountered Tirado. From what I could piece together from their brief exchange, Tirado was using Orson's wife as leverage to force him to aid him in a plot to capture Eirika. When Orson asked Tirado for his wife..."

"She is dead as well?" Ephraim asks.

I nod. "Tirado claimed she lays dead in their hometown."

Ephraim nods. "Sir Orson was a good knight and a loyal husband." He says. "After we escaped from Renvall the first time, Orson was badly injured. He told us repeatedly that his injuries were only slowing us down and draining our resources, but we refused to abandon him. One night, he left himself. It pains me to hear that this sacrifice of his was in vain."

"No, milord, it was not in vain." Seth says, moving forward. "You are alive. You have helped us, and you moved swiftly to come to our aid. It is because Orson left that you were able to move as quickly as you did. In a way, Orson saved us."

"Ephraim?" A girl walks forward, her indigo hair adorned with golden ribbons, her eyes a deep crimson that seems to stare into my heart and soul.

Ephraim turns to her. "What is it, Myrrh?"

"A black tide approaches," she says, "larger than the sea, more numerous than the sands, and stronger than any army in Magvel."

Ephraim nods, and turns back to us. "We should get out of here." He says.

Eirika frowns. "Who is she, brother?"

He shakes his head. "A long story. Right now, we must move. Let us just say that Emperor Vigarde is meddling in otherworldly powers beyond any of us. We must go now!"

* * *

After days of travel, we return to Castle Frelia. While Ephraim and Eirika are at a war council with King Hayden, I decide to have a little chat with Alysia. I find her on a training field, drilling with her knives. She sees me coming, and stops her drills. "Andrew, right?" She asks.

I nod. "Alysia. I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

She nods. "What about?"

"Just a friendly conversation." I say. "Where are you from?"

She hesitates. "I... I don't know."

I frown. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I've little memory of my past, beyond scattered dreams and flitting images." She says. "My earliest memory is of Ephraim rescuing me from a group of Grado soldiers."

I nod. "Amnesia. At least it doesn't seem to have hindered your fighting skills."

She laughs. "Indeed. Were it not for that or my mind, I doubt I'd have come this far with His Highness."

I raise an eyebrow. "Your mind? Now, miss, we've one self-proclaimed savant already."

She shakes her head. "Not like that. I... think fast. Develop strategies and tactics on the fly, working ones. Useful ones."

"A tactician, then?" I ask. "With a working knowledge of knives and magic?"

She shrugs. "Apparently."

I nod. "Well, I hope that you learn the truth about yourself."

She smiles, and nods. "Thank you, Andrew."


End file.

Fire Emblem, Adventure, Fantasy