Chapter 1: Entry Level
"Who might you be?" The stoic guard asked me as he blocked my path into Castle Altea.
"Name's Glacia. I'm here to join the Altean army!" I could barely contain my excitement as I spoke. I've always had a grand dream of becoming Prince Marth's Royal Guard. Even now, as a "nobody", I was willing to throw my life into danger's way to protect our prince.
"Mm, alright. You better get in there quick, you're already running late." He moved out of the way, revealing the path. I walked down the path quickly, but not fast enough that I was running to my destination. My mind was racing at the thought of fighting for our prince.
"Almost there! I can see th-" The impact of my body on another stopped me mid-sentence. I staggered backwards as the stranger fell to the ground.
"Oh dear! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!" I rushed to help her get back up on her feet.
"Not to worry, I'm alright. I guess I should look where I'm going." she admitted as she steadied herself with my shoulder, "Who are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I'm Glacia. I'm hoping to join the Altean army and, if possible, become a Royal Guard!" I replied with enthusiasm.
"Nice to meet you... I'm Katarina and I wish to join the army as well."
"Oh, cool! If that's the case, we better hurry up and join the others!" I said as I led her in the direction of the large gathering of people. "Well, it looks like we're not too late, thank the heavens."
Cain, also known as The Bull, was in front of the crowd. "Every single one of you have the potential to become something greater! We have members of our own militia to help with your training today. You shall spar with them. Listen to what they have to say. They are soldiers for a reason." With that said, he walked off to the side to observe our performance.
"Oh... I'm scared..." Katarina whispered as she huddled closer to me.
"What's wrong? You can't fight?" I asked as the small crowd in front of us began to engage the soldiers.
"N-No... not at all. I'm more of a tactician than a fighter."
"Alright, don't worry. Stay behind me. I've got this." Katarina backed away as a soldier approached me. He was on horseback while I was still on foot. My grandfather had trained me in the arts of a cavalier, but I was unable to call to my horse at the moment. Blazemane was left in the stables outside the castle walls. For now, I'd have to fight like a myrmidon.
I unsheathed my blade as he readied his lance. We made eye contact for a moment and then we charged at each other. I went on a straight path towards him and jumped to the left before his horse crashed into me. Being on the ground, it was an easy task to avoid his lance. Realizing he had missed, he turned his horse around for another round. That was his mistake. I took advantage of the time needed to turn his horse around to run in and strike. I landed a clean blow to his horse's thigh. It whinnied in pain as it charged past me.
The soldier ran off into the distance, turned around, and charged, full speed, in my direction. I attempted to fake him out again, but he caught onto my plan. He commanded his horse to stop once he got close and put me within lance range. I swiftly reacted to the incoming weapon, but the lance was able to leave a small cut on my face. I recognized the opportunity. After taking the blow, I weaved under his lance and jumped up at him. A quick slash of my blade to his chest was enough to make him surrender. He ran away from the battle injured.
"A-Are you alright?" Katarina ran up to me, "That was... amazing... How did you learn to fight like that?"
"I was trained by my grandfather. We lived in the woods together after my parents were mysteriously killed." I quickly explained, "Let's keep moving. I don't want to be targeted by two soldiers while fighting on foot." We walked around the chaos that was taking place and I scanned the area for any horses that I could attempt to fight on.
"Hey, is that your horse out there?" Cain startled me as he approached me. I looked in the direction he was pointing and, sure enough, Blazemane was standing there.
"Indeed it is." I admitted.
"So you usually fight mounted, correct?"
"Correct, sir. I was unable to get him inside the castle with me."
"I saw your fight with that lone soldier. He's known for that reckless charge. Usually, it's capable of taking out multiple infantry units in one swoop." He scanned the chaotic crowd, looking for anyone else who stood out. "Open that gate and let your horse in. I want at least one round with you before we finish." My heart stopped. Cain, one of the many heroes of the War of Shadows, wanted to spar with me.
"Well, you can't turn this down can you?" Katarina asked softly, "I know you'll be able to win." She put on an innocent smile and melted my heart.
"Alright. I accept your challenge!" I exclaimed as adrenaline started to flow.
"I'm glad." He smirked at me and then began to address the crowd, "Everyone, stop your fights and put your weapons down! I believe I have found someone whose fighting strength is on par with my own. I ask for you all to be our audience and use our fight as an example for future fights." The chaos stopped as everyone gawked at me. Then, there were people whispering quite loudly about me as others turned to face us.
"Her? Against Cain? I believe we're about to witness a murder."
"What did he see in her? I don't see anything at all!"
"Ready yourself!" Cain exclaimed as he mounted his horse and got into position. I opened the gate and Blazemane galloped in. She took a battle position in front of Cain before I was able to get onto her. Once I was situated upon her back, I grabbed the backup spear I have hanging from Blazemane's saddle. The match was a lance against another.
"Time to put my grandfather's training into practice." I said to myself as I tightly gripped the spear in my right hand. The crowd was silent and a pleasant breeze blew through our intense battle. Cain raised his spear as an indication of readiness. I did the same. I looked deep into his eyes, trying to read his first move.
The battle started with a swift kick from Blazemane, propelling us towards Cain at an alarming pace. He stood his ground as I charged at him. I swung my lance outward as we ran past him, but the blow glanced off of his crimson red armor. He took the opportunity to retaliate. Luckily, I was able to react in time and blocked the attack with my own lance. We backed off for a few feet before Cain charged in at full force. The sudden attack caught me off guard and I attempted to back away to avoid getting hit. My attempt was in vain as his lance slashed my arm. I made a retreat back to where I stood at the start of the battle. I had no time to care for my arm as he was already coming in with another reckless charge. Flight was no longer an option. I gripped my lance tightly as I charged at him. At this rate, the impact would determine the winner.
The deafening sound of hooves on dirt filled the air around me. I extended my lance outward on my right side. We were about to pass each other when I heard a faint yell from behind me.
"Aim higher!" the distant voice said. Instinctively, I raised my lance higher and braced for impact. I closed my eyes as we clashed. Our horses whinnied as our weapons hit their targets. I felt a slight nudge on my right side, but kept my grip on Blazemane's reins. A large cloud of dust covered the battle as Blazemane screeched to a stop. I opened my eyes and learned that I was still on Blazemane, even after our charges made contact. The dust began to settle and Cain's horse came into view. I noticed Katarina standing on the other side of the battlefield. She seemed to be distracted by something. I took my attention off of her when I heard the sound of shifting dirt. I dismounted Blazemane and walked in the general direction of the sound.
"Heh, not bad." Cain rose from the cloud of dust and leaned onto his horse's side, "Never thought I would get knocked down after my experience in the War of Shadows. I can already tell, there's something different about you." He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "You've proven yourself quite well. You're in." He gave me a small grin and went to address the crowd. They stared at him as he made his way to the front of the crowd. "Let's continue, shall we." He said as the remaining soldiers scrambled into a more orderly position. I led Blazemane back to her stable before coming back in to observe. The rest of the testing session was mostly a blur to me. Soldiers fell left and right. A majority of the crowd were not strong enough to scratch a piece of Cain's armor. I stood in the background watching the crowd's numbers dwindle.
"Hey, are you alright? You seem distracted." Katarina asked me, startling me somewhat.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, still holding onto my injured arm.
"I… I went to have a talk with Sir Cain just now."
"Oh? What about?"
"About… about getting into the army." She paused for a moment to stare at the ground, "I had to take a… non-physical test, b-but I got in!" Her entire face seemed to glow of excitement.
"That's great news!" I said. This increased her excitement and she suddenly gave me a hug.
"I'm so happy I can fight on your side!" Her lavender hair seemed to bounce as she embraced me. A moment later, Cain closed the testing session by announcing the names of those who have made it in. Afterward, he stated, "To those who have made it through, please gather in the central garden. Prince Marth wishes to address you all before the day ends."
After learning where the central garden was, Katarina and I made our way there. Everyone else either lagged behind or decided to take a different route there.
"I wonder… what will he talk about?" Katarina mumbled to herself as we passed by several decorative statues.
"I don't have a clue. Though, it would be an honor to see him with my own eyes." I walked through the quiet halls and remembered my days at my grandfather's cabin. He used to tell me the story of Marth's victory over the Shadow Dragon. I remember being fascinated with the story, remember wanting to learn the ways of the sword because of it.
"Oh! There it is!" Katarina exclaimed, breaking my nostalgic trance. I looked in the direction she was pointing and noticed the large expanse that was the central garden. White cobblestone paths spanned across the verdant lawns. Bushes and trees ornament the sides and corners of the paths. A large balcony was in the center of the far side of the garden. It was adorned with Altean banners and a round, blue awning covered it from rain and sunshine. Fountains were placed in the corners of the garden and a large fountain was placed in the center of the entire garden. I walked to the center fountain and took a long look into the water. It was a beautiful shade of blue and I was able to see my own reflection. My blue hair shone in the sun and was even brighter in the reflection. The blue stones under the water seemed familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.
Katarina came to join me in staring at the water. "It's so pretty… isn't it?" she asked as she admired the blue stones. The stillness of the water was destroyed when the rest of the new soldiers arrived at the garden. Their collective voices filled the tranquil garden as they explored the beautiful landscape. A few minutes passed before someone called for our attention.
"Attention!" An elderly, well-armored man shouted from below the balcony. Everyone stopped what they were doing and slowly gathered around him. I recognized the man as Jagen, the veteran knight who protected Prince Marth at the beginning of the War of Shadows. "Prince Marth would like a few words before dismissing you all."
We looked up as a figure moved from the shadows into the sunlight illuminating the balcony railing.
"Oh, he looks so majestic!" Katarina stared in awe as Prince Marth appeared.
"Indeed." I was not able to muster any other words. He was just as I had imagined him to be. His blue hair reminded me of my own.
"I have come before you today to congratulate you all for making it into our army and I hope you will serve honorably." The crowd was dead silent as he spoke, "I was only able to win the War of Shadows with the help of my many friends and allies. I hope that I will be able to work with all of you in the same way. We're stronger… much stronger together than on our own. Good luck with training tomorrow." He looked down upon us with a warm smile before retreating into the shadows once more.
"Now, every one of you have a living quarters assigned to you. Check this billboard to learn where your temporary quarters are. Meet here tomorrow morning to find out which platoon you will be in. That is all." Jagen left us to figure out our rooms on our own.
"Did you find yours yet?" I asked Katarina as I stumbled over the people crowded around the billboard.
"Not yet. I'm still looking." Katarina replied as she squeezed in-between two people.
"Oh, I found us! We're not that far apart actually." I yelled as I came across our names. We studied the map provided on the opposite side of the billboard for a while before making our way to our rooms.
"So, we'll be across the hall from each other? This is great!" Katarina exclaimed, demonstrating her childlike excitement.
"You'll wake me up if I oversleep right?" I joked.
"Of course! And maybe we'll make some new friends tomorrow when we get assigned to a platoon!"
"That would be fun." I said as we got to our rooms, "I'm exhausted from today. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Alright! See you tomorrow!" She said as she entered her room. Katarina seemed like a sweet and friendly person. I hope I can get to know her better tomorrow, I thought to myself. I opened the door and entered the small room. The room was warm, lit by a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a bed to my right, multiple types of racks to my left, and a small window straight ahead. The baggage I had left at Blazemane's stable was already in the room. I frantically opened one of the bags and was instantly relieved that my necklace hasn't been stolen. The necklace was simple, with a large ice-blue stone dangling from the center. Grandfather told me it was very important to my mother that I kept it at all times.
"This stone is more special than you think. It holds a powerful secret. Don't ever lose it." I remembered him saying. I put the necklace back into its small bag and got onto the bed. Its brown covers were softer than they looked and the pillow provided was a bit on the hard side. I looked out the window to see that the sun had already set and night time has already begun. I heard a knock on the door. I opened it to see a cart being pushed by a soldier. He motioned for me to get one. I picked one at random and he left to knock on the next door. I peeked inside to find various sandwiches.
After having what I believe was my dinner, I settled into bed. The moment I pulled the sheets over myself, I fell into a deep sleep. As I slept, I dreamed of a fallen Altea. I stood there watching it burn as dragons flew all around me. I heard their ghastly cries as they breathed fire and destruction. One of them flew right at me and I woke up in a cold sweat. A knock on the door startled me.
"Hey, it's time to get up! You don't want to be late, do you?" It was Katarina.
"Hold on! I'm coming! Give me a minute." I replied as I scrambled to ready myself. I was so exhausted last night, I had forgotten to take off my armor. I grabbed my sword and my lance. With my sword properly sheathed, I opened the door and followed Katarina outside. I tried to stop thinking about the dream, but it wasn't possible. "What was it?" I wondered to myself, "What could it mean?"
