Disclaimer: Like many other authors here, I am not part of the wonderful people who spent their lives making awesome video games like Fire Emblem as I have no knowledge whatsoever on coding.

Two years since the "Great Movement of Bern", although much of Elibe has begun to recover, few regions of the continent have yet to restore its past grandeur. In the city-state Lycia, because Ostia's Marquess Hector lost his life in the heat of battle against Bern's army, and Pherae's Marquess Eliwood continues to be tormented by his illness, new rulers are to be established. And so, the responsibilities for restoring Lycia are thrust upon their respective heirs, Lilina and Roy. Fortunately, through the aids of fellow countries of Bern and Etruria, while Lycia has yet to shine, poverty, at this point, has yet to be an issue. On the other hand, Bern, the "villain" of this "Great Movement", must bear the brunt of the damage, despite Queen Guinevere's distant relation with Etruria.

The story begins at a village near the foot of the mountains at Bern…

A stream of sunray enters the careless opening in the walls, shining right upon the eyelids of who appears to be a young man with teal-colored hair. And, while his features would resemble any person who walks on the streets of Bern, the fact that his skin is lightly tanned reveals that he is of a foreign birth, perhaps from Nabata, or quite possibly Sacae. Now, obviously irritated by the nurturing blades attempting to cut into his eyes, he lets out a groan and hides under the covers.

Not for long, anyway…

"Uther! Breakfast is ready!" On the other side of the door is the voice of a woman. Although her voice sounds deep due to her age, it is not enough to shadow its clarity like that of the flowing water. It is a loud yet gentle voice.

"Oh!" As soon as the lad lets out a muffling noise against the thickness of the blanket, he moves further away from the glaring light.

After what might seem like an eternity under the dark, it was interrupted by a few knocks on the door, "The food is getting cold. If you aren't coming out, I'm going to have to start without you, you know?" The woman continues, "I would rather not spend my time at breakfast all by myself, and Iris is going to be very sad if you can't come out, in three, two—" "Eeeek" The door slowly creaks open.

Uther lets out a yawn, "You know, you have to stop using that. You can't always guilt me into coming out."

"And yet it's worked all this time, hasn't it?" Before Uther stands a woman in a long, blue dress that has been dirtied by oil and dust, and her white bonnet covers top of her long, green hair. While age has certainly taken away her youth with her slightly wrinkled face, the bright blue of her eyes reveals that she must have once been a beautiful girl decades ago, "I can see that you still enjoy your life as a vampire."

"Yeah… Would seriously like to go back to bed."

"Ah ah! You can't do that. The world is out there for you. There're wonderful things for you to do that you can never do in your sleep."

"Where is Juge?"

"He is out already, probably doing the trades as usual." Still keeping a smile, the woman begins to look a bit unnatural.

"As usual." Uther gives her a glance. As he walks to the table, he stretches and yawns, "Must be hard having to wake up before sunrise…"

Taking a stroll along the road, Uther nonchalantly looks at his surroundings. The village was in shambles ever since Bern began that war. God knows why they fought in the first place. He remembers spending his entire childhood living in this little cabin in Araphen with his father. Well, he wasn't his father, and he didn't exactly make life easy at times, but since he practically raised him for as long as he could remember, that man might as well be considered his only family. It was a quiet life, at least it was quieter than when Bern finally launched their attacks on Lycia. The last time Uther talked to him, he had to go to his friend while Uther was to stay with this couple his father apparently knows quite well for the time being, which would be about three years by now. Juge and Iris. Strange names, can't stand how they'd tease him sometimes, but they are nice people, nonetheless. Much nicer than father, he's got to admit, and yet he misses his life with his father back in Lycia.

Right now, it is the princess who is now the ruler of Bern isn't it? Uther remembers how the villagers here spoke ill of her. How she stole the nation's treasures and usurped her brother's throne with the help of a foreign nation, by a lordling who goes by the name Roy. Uther himself can never imagine the princess to be a villain. Princesses are supposed to be the kind souls who are waiting to be rescued by the prince, right? Maybe her brother is the villain, and that Roy whom the princess decided to follow during the war is her prince. And she's proven that she's a good person well enough, and quite honestly, the villagers don't really seem to care who takes the crown at all. Two years after the coronation, the queen immediately uses whatever funds Bern have left to rebuild the homes for her people. Once the village has been restored, the villagers kept their mouths shut and return to their daily lives.

Like there never was a war in the first place.

"Ripples." Uther tosses a piece of pebble into the river and watches the wave disappearing from the surface, "fun."

"What are you doing here all by yourself again?" Startled by the voice behind him, Uther immediately turns around.

"Oh! Whew! Juge… Don't scare me like that!" Uther lets out a sigh. The man whom he calls 'Juge' is someone in a plain, brown set of clothes no different from any other villager in the area. Perhaps what would set him apart from the others is the fiery red hair that is rarely seen among the public.

"Just got to go back to give Iris some good news. How about you?"

"I got tired from reading, so I decided to take a walk." Uther scratches his head, "Well, it's not some big book, but I have to do something to keep myself busy."

"Could use some help in the business."

Uther shrugs, "Not exactly interested in trades."

"Is that so?" Juge takes a long look at the river behind Uther, "Figures. Nothing is better than this, isn't it?"

"Can get better." Sitting on top of the grasses covered in powder white, Uther starts drawing circles on the snow with his finger.

"Well, this place certainly isn't Araphen, but it's good that you're used to living near the mountains now." Juge also finds a seat next to Uther, "I suppose… you still miss your father?"

The moment Uther hears that last word, he quickly replies, "That guy," Uther gives out a scoff, "Let's see... I certainly DON'T miss how he's a miserable old man who can't cook and always drag me out of bed in the dark to beat me with a stick while all he gives me to guard myself with is a twig! And I—" Juge laughs before Uther can even finish, which in return, receives a glare from the teal-haired lad, "Not funny."

After the laughter dies down, something has crossed Juge's mind, "Ah! I almost forgot!" He takes out something wrapped by paper and strings, "Here! Souvenir! From your father in Araphen!"

Uther takes whiff, then turns to look at the little gift and quickly grabs it from Juge's hand like a rat stealing cheese from a mousetrap. Hurriedly unwrapping the papers, Uther uncovers something black and square-shaped, "Amazing! He still remembers! Roasted pork! It's dry, but, well, it's about the ONLY thing he knows how to make! Ha!" Uther takes a huge bite.

"He told me that he's finished his business with that old friend of his just a few months back, says he'll come and take you back to Araphen sometimes this week."

"Oh! He can take his time as much as he likes! Not like I'm in a hurry to leave!"

"Do you really hate him that much?"

"Mm mm!!" Mouthful of food, Uther shakes his head, "Well, I can't say that I like him! But, I'm okay here. Doesn't make a difference."

"Hmm?" Juge leans over and gives Uther an inquisitive look.

Uther takes a big gulp, "What do you want?"

"... Tsk tsk, bad kid. Not honest." Juge shakes his head and slaps the back of Uther's head.

"Ow! Why is it so hard to have a decent conversation with you without resorting to having to strangle you, anyway?" Rubbing his head, Uther gives out a heavy sigh and continues to stare at the river and the trees before him. The sharp contrasts between the ebony and the sieved white force the two to try to overshadow one another, but doing so seems to make them both brighter and more vibrant every passing second. Uther can get used to looking at it until his eyes give out. When they do, Uther droops his head and look at the snow that has been melting, and was dirtied by the earth.

Long before then, Juge has decided to leave the boy be and gone on his way back home, and Uther never—

"Hey, Juge!" Uther turns his head to where Juge used to sit, "Did you ev—"

—notices.

"That moron! He left without even telling me!"