DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its elements. It belongs to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.
This is just a little oneshot I decided to throw in while I work on my current big project. These are the thoughts of Chris, my OC (or MyUnit. whichever you prefer), on what it means to be a soldier.
Yes, as you've probably already gathered, this does have ties to my first story. Whether or not this is a worthy tale to show, I'll let you decide that.
That said, let's get it going.
The Makings of a Soldier
Loyalty and patriotism…
The boy's parents always told him that those were two of the key components of being a knight. To take away those factors was to tear at the very fibers of a knight's sworn oath of servitude.
As a child, Chris had always wanted to be a knight of Altea. Almost every night, he always asked to hear the same story… the story of the destruction of the sinister Dark Dragon, and after hearing said story, he always dreamed about what it would be like to be a knight in those times…
Now however, he was a refugee and unofficial fighter in Prince Marth's ranks and the cold truth of war soon made itself known, with the death of his mother and father at the forefront on his mind. Many people died one century ago to ensure that the Dragon of Shadows never returned, and now that he was back, there would always be a chance that he would join his late family in the afterlife… if there was one to be had. Chris was always told that those who fought alongside the great hero, Anri, were loyal to him through thick and thin… but now that he was older, he began to ponder the wisdom of that kind of sense of duty.
A staggering amount of the enemy's soldiers held a fanatical loyalty to their respective nation, with only a select few deciding to join the cause of freedom from the empire. Chris suspected that it was all due to a sense of unyielding loyalty to their nation or liege…
He'd be lying if he said he held that same sense of absolute patriotism. If that was what it meant to be a soldier, to serve one's leader and country without any question whatsoever, then Chris wasn't sure he was up to the task on that.
Sure, he always believed in Prince Marth's ideals of how to fight, and he had maintained a close friendship with him as a child… but he highly doubted he could stand by and serve him if he were to do something unjust. That was why he continued to question whether or not the foes he was facing know they are in the wrong…
If a soldier knows his kingdom or his liege is in the wrong, would they not do anything to try and set them right? To serve a nation while knowing that they fight for evil intentions makes them no different than some pawn in the many chess games that Chris so often finds himself on the losing end of. Of course, he realizes (though he hates to admit it) that not everyone follows that line of thinking…
After a few hours, an elderly paladin in purple armor signaled the call to arms as another battle was about to begin. As the swordsman nodded at the paladin and drew his blade, one thought rested on his mind…
He still wants to be a soldier… not just to serve king and country, but to fight for what was the right thing to do.
It was surely what his family would've wanted from him.
FIN
Well, that's it for this one.
If you've any reviews or commentary, I'm willing to listen.
See you in the next story.