Fire Emblem Exploits

Learning to Read

Series: Fire Emblem Heroes

Author's Note:
The Heroes one-shots are going to be pretty much random, so they aren't going to be following the in-game timeline.
The chapter art was drawn by my special friend! (*'ω'*)
Thanks for reading!
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A red-haired assassin silently made his way through the enormous castle that housed countless warriors from the various outrealms. While Jaffar was in no particular hurry, he was vexed by the disappearance of a certain young mage. He hadn't seen Nino all day and now his protective instincts urged him to search for his missing friend.

He checked the mage's room before heading to the training yard to see if the girl was just practicing. After thirty minutes of fruitless searching, the assassin reluctantly decided to ask the one person who always seemed to know what was going on in the castle: the Summoner.

Kiran was the wielder of an ancient...thing...that was responsible for summoning heroes from the different realms and, as such, he was dubbed the Summoner.

As Jaffar walked through the maze of a castle, he recalled the first time he met the quirky Summoner and how confused he'd been by the kindness the young man showed towards everyone despite their pasts. Even though his actions confused him, the assassin found that he could still admire the young man.

He had made his way to the hallway where he thought he remembered Kiran's room being when a young woman caught his attention. She wore a deep blue swordsman outfit that matched the cobalt hair that spilled over her shoulders. The assassin took note of the sheathed sword at her hip.

"You look lost. May I ask what you are looking for?" The woman asked.

He observed the formal way she presented herself and concluded that she was probably nobility or royalty.

"I'm...looking for the Summoner." He replied.

"Ah, his room is in the next hall over. I can walk you there if you want?"

Jaffar hesitated. While he knew that the majority of people who lived in the castle were heroes, he still had trouble openly trusting people. The Black Fang's Angel of Death didn't get his nickname by following complete strangers. Sometimes he wished he could be as open and trusting as Nino was, but years of experience taught him that it never hurt to be a little cautious. And yet, since he had joined Eliwood and Hector's little band, he had been exposed to what genuine sincerity and true friendship looked like, and now he sensed a similar aura from the woman in front of him.

"I will follow you." He replied simply. After all, it would be terribly awkward if he walked into some random person's room unannounced.

The cobalt-haired woman cleared her throat in an attempt to start a conversation. "My name is Lucina, princess of Ylisse. I recognize you from Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector's company, but I'm afraid I'm not very good with names..."

"Jaffar."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Jaffar." The princess smiled before stopping in front of a door that was slightly ajar. "This is Kiran's room. And don't worry, you won't be bothering him if you walk in."

The assassin nodded in thanks and started for the door as the young woman headed back down the hallway.

He slipped inside and quickly scanned the room for the Summoner before locating him by a pile of books and papers that had been knocked off a desk. He frowned at the frantic way the young Summoner ruffled through the pile, muttering to himself.