Please read the author note at the end. Enjoy!

The clashing of steel and iron resonated within the sleeping forest. The once peaceful and serene forest of Celestia, once regarded as one of the seven wonders of Ylisse, has now become the host of a bloody and violent battle. Both sides never wavered as its followers met their bitter end at the hands of the other. Some would call it pure devotion to the cause, while others would argue it was a fight for survival. Whatever was their motivations, one thing was clear. Both fought like hell.

Shields clashed against shields as man literally threw themselves onto the enemy in an attempt to break the opposing sides line of defense meanwhile archers began picking off the careless and unsuspecting. Lance's would occasionally emerge from the sea of shields and swords and gut a man open. Axes would be used once a man had nothing else to lose or was simply filled with rage and wanted to vent his frustrations onto a poor soul. The sheer ferocity and devotion of both sides had caused a stalemate, though during the heat of the battle the opposing side of blue and silver knights slowly began to leave a gap between their formation. Noticing their success enticed the bronze and green warriors to push even harder as they noticed the small glimmer of hope. The bronze knights began to pile up and focus on this single opening, hoping to bring about a swift end to this bloody battle. Dread washed over the bronze knights in the front as they witnessed silver mounted knights galloping at high speeds from within the forest with their blue lance's at the ready. They attempted to turn tail and evade their death sentence, but unfortunately for them their comrades had no clue at what was about to transpire and as such they kept pushing forward. One bronze knight in particular attempted to turn back and avoid being skewered, but alas his own comrades determination and ignorance cost him his life. The speed and power of the horses trampled over the bronze knights who attempted to break the enemy's line, some would hang skewered on the mounted knights lance's and be dragged a few feet from where they were while others would be crushed underneath the horses overwhelming might. Ironically the bronze knights had indeed brought an end to the battle, though tragically they were on the losing side. With the help of the cavalry, the blue and silver warriors had managed to break the opposing sides line of defense and were now free to pick off the rest of the enemy. The bronze knights fought like rabid dogs who still clung to the false hope that they might still have a chance to turn the tide of the battle. They were sorely mistaken.

Having lost their line of defense, the bronze knights slowly began to scatter. Some realized their cause was a lost one and opted to live another day and tossed away their honor and pride like a dirty rag by scurrying into the depths of the forest with their tail in between their legs. The few who remained were oath-bound and decided if they were going to meet their end, it might as well be fighting for what they believed in. Alas, as expected, these brave man soon met their desired end as one by one they fell at the overwhelming forces and strength of the silver and blue warriors. Only one bronze knight remained standing in the end, worned down and tattered from all the fighting and killing. A sea of blue and silver had him completely surrounded and at this point were merely stalling the inevitable. At any given moment they could overwhelm the lone knight and be done with it, but this man deserved better than being stabbed from all directions. He had fought valiantly and honorably till the bitter end even though he knew that his efforts would be in vain, and yet his determination and loyalty to his banner never wavered. If they could they would have rather opted to capture him and take him prisoner, but that would be a disgrace and utterly humiliating for such a knight of his caliber. No, instead the blue faction chose one of their own and opted to give the bronze knight one final honorable duel.

The lone bronze knight paid respect to the banner he represented by wrapping it around his waist and over his shoulder. The fine writing alongside it's edge reading "Order of the Bronze Bear". He knelt down on one knee and prayed before resuming his stance. The silver knight that had been chosen by his comrades merely took off his velvet cloak and proceeded to kneel down and pray by resting his sword on both hands and lifting it high above his head. The crowd of his allies slowly began chanting in a foreign tongue and concluded once he stood up and readied his sword. Both knights circled each other in a clockwise pattern. The air was tense and made it increasingly difficult to breath with every passing moment. The onlookers would slowly bang their weapons in a rhythmic fashion and slowly built it up with each passing minute. Finally they all made one final thump as loudly as they could and shout in unison "For Yillise!", serving as a sign for their comrade to lunge forward with a diagonal slash. The final dual had begun.

The lone knight managed to block the attack, but soon found himself being pushed back by a flurry of attacks. He took his chance when the silver knight lashed out with a single powerful heavy attack, which due to the slow nature of the blow, it had allowed him to successfully deflect it with ease. He directed the blade downwards and spun to his left while twirling his sword in an upward slash. Needless to say the acrobatic swordsman had taken by surprise the silver knight, though luckily for the knight his years on the battlefield had heightened his reaction time which allowed him to narrowly evade the swordsman's blade that had passed mere centimeters from his throat. Both knights took a few steps back in an attempt to regain their breaths and quickly formulate a plan to take the other out. Unfortunately for the lone knight, he barely even had time to regain his breath before the silver knight was already closing the distance between the two and had begun to unleash a relentless barrage of swift light attacks which quickly proved to overpower the acrobat. The lone knight attempted to parry an incoming attack, but the moment he did so the silver knight twirled around and hit him on the right side of his helm with the pummel of his sword, effectively stunning the lone knight and dazing him momentarily. This was all the silver knight needed as he firmly gripped the stunned knight by the shoulder and plunged his bastard sword deep within the swordsman's abdomen, slightly lifting him from his feet as he thrusted the sword deeper with great force. Blood slowly began dripping from the lone knight's mouth and slipping through the underside of his helm, effectively tarnishing the silver knight's pristine armor. The silver knight pressed against the chest of the lone knight with his free arm and slid him off of his sword; copious amounts of crimson ooze gashed from the gaping hole the sword had left as the limp body of the lone knight fell backwards. All he could hear was cheering from the crowd as he slowly faded in and out of consciousness. His opponent stood over him, looking him down with pity as he drowned in his own blood. This was the price the swordsman had to pay, but he did not regret it. He was oath-bound to his lord and his order and was happy to have served both of them well. His sight slowly hazed as he stared upwards at the falling leaves that slowly scattered around him and at the serene winds blowing against the trees that shielded him from the amiable warmth of the sun. His final thoughts were filled of his loved ones, and yet anguish overwhelmed him once he realized death was fast approaching. He let out a single disgruntled groan as he slowly succumbed to the eternal veil.

The silver knight slowly removed his helm, revealing deep blue spiked bangs combed backwards and a few loose bangs slightly covering his equally colored warrior-like eyes. He gave the bronze knight one final look before sheathing his sword. His comrades cheered at not only his victory, but at the battle they had also just won. The kingdom of Ylisse had been embroiled in a civil war against a few rebelling houses for the past four years. This battle was the decisive one as it opened a path for the Ylisseans to march deeper into the enemies lands, but more importantly, it brought them one step closer to unification and peace. Having lost numerous battles, the rebelling houses have run low on resources and able man and was only a matter of time before they surrendered. It was needless to say the Ylisseans where overjoyed at the prospect of their kingdom being united once more after years of conflict.

"Glory to Ylisse! May our enemies fall so peace may bless these lands once more!" A soldier proclaimed from within the crowd, earning a roaring cheer from the rest of his comrades.

"Ay, and may the Goddess Naga always guide our Lord commander's blade." One soldier added as he and his comrades turned their attention once more to the blue haired silver knight.

"For Lord Etzio, the future Exalt of Ylisse!" The sea of blue and silver warriors roared in unison, all blissfully cheering for their Lord and commander.

The cheering and excitement never subsided, on the contrary it became even louder as the sun began to set. Tents and fires were soon built as the moon and stars began basking the landscape with their ethereal light. Singing and drinking were abundant in the camp, causing many to laugh and dance alongside their comrades. It was a time of celebration for the winners. Some would take advantage of this short time of peace and use it to write letters to their loved ones in an attempt to ease their worries and reassure them they would return. Others would carve small trinkets for their children or younger siblings while longing to be reunited. One blue haired warrior in particular would use his time to formulate plans for the upcoming battle.

Etzio was never one to indulge in celebrations after a successful battle. He would immediately coup himself up in his tent and look over the geography of the sight of the next battle. He would come up with plans, tactics, formations, and back up's in case he may had overseen something. Such was the life of Etzio after he joined the war. Before the war, however, Etzio was mainly focused in politics and his studies. Occasionally he would spend some time with his siblings, though as time went by he began spending less and less time with them as the civil war slowly began gearing up. Such was the effect of the war in his personal life, and yet he set aside his own personal feelings and devoted himself entirely to the war effort. He was currently overlooking a map of the region that had small figurines laid on top, each blue one representing places the Ylisseans had its armies stationed. He couldn't help but notice that the next battle would be literally at the enemies doorstep. The war would soon end, that was a given, but it still felt so surreal to the young prince. Finally, after four years of fighting, he would be reunited with his family once again. How much could have Ylisse change in those four years? What about his siblings? Last time he saw Liliana she was but a small child; Arlo had barely turned fifteen when he last saw him and was teary eyed as he stood by their mother and father when Etzio departed with the Ylissean army.

"Milord, is everything alright?" A feminine yet stern voice called out to him, breaking him away from his train of thoughts.

"Yes yes, I'm quite fine, Helen. Sorry. My attention drifted elsewhere." Etzio surprisedly responded, slightly taken aback by his momentary trance.

"That's unnatural. What could have been so important that it caused you to ignore the majority of our debriefing about the upcoming battle?" A low gruff voice replied slightly irritated.

"You are speaking out of line again, Barca." Helen interjected. "Show your commander and lord some respect."

"Respect goes both ways, Sergeant. If he doesn't show it to us then we aren't obligated to show it to him either." Barca dryly replied as his golden pigmented eyes narrowed, causing the emerald eyed knight to feel challenged.

"How dare you-"

"That's enough, both of you." Etzio defiantly ordered both of his advisers. "Barca isn't entirely wrong. It's true, I did not show you both the respect you deserve, even after everything the both of you have done for this army and the Halidom."

"But, Milord-"

"That's enough, Helen." The young prince silenced the brunette knight once more. "As for you, Barca, I promise it won't happen again, though in exchange I expect you to not only show a bit more of respect for me, but for Helen as well given that the both of you will be working alongside each other again once this war is over."

"What do you mean by 'working alongside each other again', Milord?" Helen inquired.

"I'm going to make the both of you my retainers of course." Etzio admitted matter-of-factly.

The sudden revelation of Etzio's intentions left both knights speechless to say the least. Helen's mind raced with a million thoughts all at once. Was she worthy of such honor? Was this finally her big chance at rising through the ranks? What would this entail for her career as a knight? All these questions and more ran through her mind. Barca, on the other hand, had a completely different opinion all together.

"So you want us to go from being soldiers on the battlefield, risking our lives for the well-being of the people of Ylisse, to being your personal Maid and Butler? I'll have to decline. I'll stick to where I can serve the Halidom with pride." Barca quipped.

Helen looked like she could pounce at Barca at any minute, her emerald eyes sending daggers at the red head while Barca merely scoffed at the brunettes' attempt to intimidate him. Both stood defiantly, neither wavering in their conviction. How they managed to work alongside each other up until now remained a mystery to everyone. Etzio however had become used to this certain sort of events between the two knight. He couldn't necessarily get upset about it given his trusty advisers were key to the ongoing war effort. Helen was exceptionally well with relaying orders and formations as she was good with a Lance. Her combat prowess and quick thinking had earned her the respect of the soldiers under her command; Barca was the best at getting things done. No matter what order he was given he would do it without question nor hesitation. His exceptional talent with a bow and sword made him viable at both close and ranged combat, this alone brought him a great deal of respect from the rest of the soldiers in the army, though it was somewhat negated due to his imposing demeanor and cold attitude and his tendency in preferring to work alone. These two knights were the backbone of the army. Were it not for them, who knows how the war may had turned out. Though Etzio preferred to keep this to himself in an attempt to prevent the two knights from competing to see who was the better of the two. That, and to prevent them from acquiring an air of superiority. The last thing he needed was his advisers thinking they were better than the man and woman who fought and died for Ylisse.

The constant bickering of both knights slowly began to wane on Etzio, and as such he opted to take a walk outside and gather his thoughts a bit before heading back to bed. As soon as he stepped outside, he could have sworn he heard a horse neigh from above followed by the sound of wings flapping. A Pegasus knight adorned in regal armor slowly descended in front of him. The regal knight dismounted gracefully from her trusty steed and knelt down as soon as she had touched the ground.

"Milord," The Pegasus Knight greeted. ",I come to deliver an urgent message from the Exalted queen."

"From mother?" Etzio perplexed

"Yes, Milord. She instructs you to return to Ylisse. The war is over. We have won."

Those final words failed to register with Etzio. It seemed too good to be true. It boggled his mind to think that the war he had been a part of for the past four years had ended. The countless battles he participated in and the numerous man and woman he killed on the battlefield and the numerous soldiers who died for Ylisse, all of it would become forever engraved in him and become a distant memory. No more killing. No more mourning. Peace was finally achieved. He could finally come back home. Etzio remained silent. The messenger grew wary at the sudden silence of her lord, making her lift her head to check if her lord was still present. She was shocked as she witnessed a single sparkling droplet running down her Lord's cheek. The peerless warrior who never faltered and led man into the heat of battle and who overcame overwhelming odds, was crying.

"Milord?" The Pegasus Knight asked with a concerned face.

"I'm coming home…" Etzio managed to mutter from the overwhelming excitement that was slowly building up within him.

Thank you for reading! This has been a project in the works for a very long time. I had originally posted this fic over a year ago, but due to some unforeseen events I had to put it in hiatus. Now, after drawing inspiration from variou sources, I plan on finishing this story. I wasn't happy with the original chapters so I decided to rewrite the whole thing. I hope those of you have been following this story since the very beginning dont mind.

Barca (The Restless Drifter)

-IMPORTANT-

For those of you new to this story, I want to inform you this was originally a SYOC story, so you will be seeing a few characters created by other people. One thing that I was aiming for with this story was that I wanted the reader to be involved in some way, and so I opted to introduce choices in the story. Now you may be wondering how this will work. Well it's quite simple, In certain chapters you will be presented with a choice. I will be making a poll on here, on the Fire Emblem Amino app and will have a Straw poll link on my DeviantArt page. The choice with the highest votes by the end of the week will be used in the next chapter, giving y'all a sense of impact on the story. Now note that these choices will range from multiple things. (I.e. Character interactions, Character development, Relationships, who dies, etc.) The consequence of these choices will vary. I will leave it up to y'all to try and figure out which choice will have and effect/ impact in the story later on.

I've been rambling on for a while now. I'll take my leave for today. I hope yall have a wonderful day!