All things Suikoden are owned by Konami.
Prologue to something maybe
It is man's doom to forget.
History marked with the circle of war. One after another new wars are fought for the same reasons as the old wars before them. For our Country! For our Children! For our Land! For Peace! Sadly the ones driving the masses with theses chants rarely feel the harsh realties of battle and losing a loved one. In the Grasslands just a few short years after divining off Harmonian the once allies of Zexen and the Grassland Tribes fought once again.
Seven year old Anna Lightfellow held on tightly to her mother's back as the two rode slowly to Iksay. Along the way road Anna spotted something and slide quickly off the white horse and took off running.
"Anna don't go too far!" Chris called out as she dismounted her horse but it took her a bit longer as she was in full armor.
Soon Chris saw what had sent her daughter running off. A small field of white wild flowers.
"Look mommy, these flowers usual don't grow this close to Vinay del Zexay."
Chris knelt down next to Anna and started to help her make a crown out of the flowers. As Anna worked she started to sing a nameless little tune, it had a rich soothing melody so somebody most have wrote it. Yet Anna had never fond out who wrote it had or what the words were, that song had just been with her as long as she could remember.
"You really love those flowers don't you Anna."
"Yes, there so pretty. A lot of girls thing there plane but I lover them anyway and they smell so nice."
"You know those Flowers are wild and only grown near Karayan Lands. That's how they got their name, Karayan Wild Flowers."
"Are they bad flowers then? Because I hear a lot of people saying the Karayans are bad so maybe their flowers are bad too." Anna asked felling a bit worried.
Chris finished the ring of flowers and placed it Anna's head like a crown. "No, Karayan are people just like us so don't pay any mind to the people who tell you otherwise. Now come along we have to get moving."
Once again the mother and daughter where off to Iksay. They reached the small farming village just before sunset and headed right for the Inn. The Innkeeper and his wife personally greeted the famed Zexen hero and her daughter.
"You honor us with your presents Lady Chris."
"Thank you, I hope everything has been taken care of."
"We'll look out for Anna as if she was our own."
"Your not staying with me mommy?" Anna asked.
Chris shock her head. "Sorry baby but I have to try and stop this fighting before it become a total war."
"We're all grateful for your efforts Lady Chris. No one outside of the consul wants another war. Still even with your grate reputation can you stop a war by yourself?" The inn keeper asked as his wife help Anna down from the horse.
"I'm not alone Salmon and Percival well be with me as always. He will be there to…"
"You mean Hugo the Flame Champion?"
"Yes, I'm sure Hugo will push for peace on the Karayan side. Together I think we can avoid a needless war."
"Your so cool mommy! I want to be just like you when I'm grown up."
Chris laughed at her daughters praise. "You don't need to follow in my footsteps Anna. As long as your happy when you grow up I'll be happy too. Well I'm off but I should be back in a few days time. Behave yourself Anna."
"I love you Mommy."
"I love you too sweetheart."
Then Chris Lightfellow rode off to make the world a better place for her daughter.
-later that night-
Anna was asleep up stars when a loud ruckus from downstairs awoke her. Now awake she went downstate to see what all the racket was about. There was a group of Zexen knights who looked really beat up yelling with the innkeeper.
"What the hell happened?" The innkeeper asked.
"The peace talks were a trap! Just as we saw Hugo a huge fireball destroyed the front of our formation. Sir Salmon, Sir Percival and Lady Chris were all killed instantly. Before we could recover a swarm of monsters attacked and we barely managed to escape."
"YOU LIE! MOM CAN'T BE DIED!" Anna screamed at the knight. The innkeeps wife quickly ran up to Anna and tried to mover her way but the little girl would not go.
"It's true I didn't see Chris fall but I don't think even she could survive that."
The Innkeeper turned way for Anna and back toward the knights. "What about Brass Castle any word from them? Surely they not letting this stand?"
There was a harsh moment of silences before the head knight answered. "The East Gate has fallen and the Karayan and Lizard Clans now attack the keep itself."
"Goddess preserve us…"
"I think she abandon us in this dark hour."
Without losing a moment the people of Iksay made ready to leave their homes. It was only a matter of time before the fires of war reached there unguarded village. Wagons where loaded with the things people could not part with, family heirlooms and such. Every man women and child seem to have something important clucked in their hands.
The group of knights and some village men gather everyone by the gate and prepared to set out for the safety of Vile del Zexay. Before the order to move out was given a bestial cry split the night air.
"KUUUUEEE!" A frightening griffon with a young human passenger landed just in front of the gathered people of Iksay. The tension in the air was tangible as the human dismounted but even covered in a brown cloak everyone there knew who it was.
Hugo pulled the hood of his cloak off and ran a hand thru his trademark blond and brown hair as his deep eyes scanned the gathered people. The Zexen knights drew their swords and surrounded the Karayan hero.
"Monster! You'll pay for what you did to Lady Chris!"
Anger flared Hugo's deep teal eyes and maybe something else, sadness perhaps. "What is your duty Knight of Zexen?"
"You dare speak to me of duty!"
"Isn't your duty to protect the citizens of the Zexen Federation? You would do well to remember that and see the people of Iksay safely to Budehuc Castle. Or you could stay here and I'll spread your ashes on the wind."
The Knights held for a moment, their pride warring with their duty. In the end they choose duty. It took less then half an hour for the people of Iksay to flee their homes.
The Innkeeper drove a wagon with his wife next to him. The wagon was filled with stuff from their inn and little Anna Lightfellow was in the back as well.
"Goddess, I never thought I'd have to leave Iksay like this and just after we repaired the damage for the last war. Well we still have our lives. Are you ok back there Anna?"
When there was no response the Innkeeper looked back and saw that Anna had long ago left the safety of the wagon.
"Anna! ANNA! Where are you?" As the Innkeeper called out Anna's name, Hugo began to set fire to Iksay.
Dark smoke filled the air as house burned like big stacks of kindling. Anna Lightfellow pulled her way thru the smoke. The ring of wild flowers in one hand an a sword with it's tip dragging into the ground in the other. Tears cascaded down her face but she had been crying long before the fire stated. Her mother was dead and the monster who slain her was now in this village.
The smoke cleared as Anna headed toward the Iksay windmill and that's were she saw Hugo. He was calmly watching the world burn around him with his griffon by his side.
Anna took the sword in both hand charged forth wildly. Anna knew she could not beat Hugo but the hate she fell drove her forward. To face her mothers killer and confront him in someway. So she was really shocked where her blade hit something solid and human. Hugo easy caught the top of Anna's sword with is bare left hand and held it there. Blood trickled down the blade as Hugo quickly pulled it form Anna's grasp and threw it way.
"A sword is not a toy."
"Give her back! Give me back my mommy!"
Hugo walked over to Anna and too the ring of flowers she made with Chris from her. "Do you like there flowers?"
Anna couldn't speck she felt to many emotions to strong and to fast to put into words.
Hugo just shrugged and with a quick casting of a spell from his True Fire Rune sent waves of fire into the wheat fields of Iksay. The magic caused the flames to move faster then any natural fire. The fire was like some beast eating the fields and then itself. When it was over Hugo threw Anna's ring of flowers into the air and with a small hand gesture sent a small flame or it. That quick kiss of fire let the flowers released there seeds as the wind spread them over the rich Iksay soil.
"Right now this land is devastated and it will never be as it was. But the seeds of the wild flowers will sport and grow new flowers. Then one day this land to will be covered with beautiful wild flowers. You have a lot in common with thou seeds Anna Lightfellow. I hope you grow strong, beautiful and free, I'm sure Chris would want that too."
"How would you know what my mom would want?"
"You'd be shocked at how well I knew Chris." Hugo said as he took off his cloak and draped it over Anna. As Hugo took off his cloak Anna saw something on his hip, her mother's sword.
'It's true, he did kill mommy. She said she could trust the flame champion but he killed her!'
"You're the very image of you mother."
"She said I have my father's eyes and hair."
"Now that is something I would know nothing about." Hugo said as he mounted Fubar. Before leaving he looked at Anna one last time and then took to sky.
Alone in that cold burned out village Anna Lightfellow felt as if she had lost everything. Yet there was one thing she still had, one desire and she held on to it passionately. Anna would find Hugo again, she would find him and Kill him.
End.
Thank you for reading.
I don't really know if I should run with this idea or leave it at this so a review or two would help. I can't belive I pounded this out in one night on a caffeine buzz.