Owain always wanted to be a hero. Oh, not the class Hero. The hero he means is someone who saves the world from the forces of evil. And his ideal hero is someone like his uncle Chrom.
Who wouldn't be so inspired by what his uncle did? Wielding the prized Falchion, uncle Chrom defeated the Mad King of Plegia. The Mad King's death resulted to Ylisse's victory and the people lived happily ever after. Yup, Owain's standard hero is someone wielding a sword, goes on foot, and defeat bad guys.
And of course, there are other heroes besides his uncle. Uncle Chrom have the great tactician, Robin, who also happens to be the queen of Ylisse and mother of cousin Lucina, and his aunt. And let's not forget the real heroes whom he idolizes: mom Lissa and dad Frederick. They always give their support to uncle Chrom. Dad alway stays near to protect and report to uncle, and Mom always gives encouragement, happiness, and hope to everyone she meets.
Owain really wanted to be a hero. When he grows up, he's going to be a hero like his parents. And to become a hero, he needs to choose what class he must take as a stepping stone. But what class will he choose? This question bothers him because it clashes with his ideals.
His dad is a Great Knight, the strongest and bravest Great Knight of Ylisse. A Great Knight is cool, can use three melee weapons expertly and ride a horse. But a hero doesn't ride a horse and never uses any weapon except a sword, like uncle Chrom. And a hero dashing on foot is cooler than riding a horse. So Owain discards the Knight and Cavalier classes as his stepping stone in becoming a hero.
Mom is a Cleric, practicing the art of healing. Healing is good but Owain doesn't want to heal, nor use any forms of magic. He wants to wield a sword and kill bad guys. So he discards the Cleric class. He also discards the Mage and Archer classes.
The Pegasus Knight is cool too. Just imagine flying in the air, swooping down, and make a grand entrance. But it's only applicable to girls like his fellow Cabal Justice, Cynthia. There's also the Wyvern Rider class but Ylisse doesn't have wyverns. So Owain discards these classes, too.
The Fighter class looks nice, but wielding a sword is cooler than an axe. So Owain discards this.
There's the Mercenary class. A Mercenary uses a sword, which is a big point to Owain. With more experience, a Mercenary will become a Hero. Owain would have considered becoming a Mercenary but Dad is adamant about it, saying a Mercenary lacks techniques and discipline in combat. A Mercenary learns new techniques from the opponents he fought when he is old and wise, like the sell-sword, Gregor. Thinking about it, Owain concludes that dad is right, therefore he discards the Mercenary class.
The Tactician is the greatest class Owain knows: can use a sword and tome, think of a strategy to win a battle. Owain likes the idea of being a Tactician, only he's not going to use magic. But seeing his aunt Robin read piles of books, formulating new strategies, organizing things and people, Owain changed his mind. To become a Tactician, one must be diligent in studying. And what his aunt is doing looks so hard and stressful. So Owain discards this idea.
Over all, Owain doesn't know what class to choose. But one day, he found his choice of class as his stepping stone.
Owain is with his mother and they were walking through the halls of the castle, when Mom perked up. She hurries her steps as she holds Owain's hand to meet someone.
"Oh, hey, Lon'qu!" The cheerful Lissa greeted as she maintains a good distance away from the visitor. "Long time, no see!"
Owain looked at the visitor named Lon'qu. He is a tall man, perhaps taller than Dad, and wears strange clothes. He also looks so serious, always ready for battle because his hand is resting on the hilt of a strange-looking sword strapped at his hip. And man! He looks so cool!
Lissa continues to speak. "So, how's your wife, Lon'qu?"
Lon'qu gives a small smile. "...Olivia is fine."
"Does she still dance or do house keeping?"
"... She still dances per request of villagers, but not too often... I think." Lon'qu saw Owain before looking at Lissa. "... Your son?"
Lissa smiles widely. "Yup!" she looks at her son with love before looking back at Lon'qu. "His name's Owain. My little hero!" She said proudly.
"... Olivia and I are blessed with a son, too." Lon'qu gives Owain a small smile. "His name is Inigo and he's the same age as you... I think."
Owain wonders why this Lon'qu looks kinda sad. And what's with the 'I think'? He's not sure how old his son is? Owain wanted to ask but he's interrupted by Mom.
"Say, Lon'qu. Whatcha doing here?"
Lon'qu looks back at Lissa and becomes serious again. "I need to speak with the Exalt. I have urgent news from Khan Basilio."
"Sounds too important. Sorry in stopping you for a chat. Just go straight this way and you'll find Chrom in the throne hall."
"My thanks." Lon'qu looks at Owain again and nods his head before making a wide swath around Lissa, and making his way to the throne hall.
Owain watches Lon'qu until he disappears behind the door. Owain looks up to his mother. "Wow, Mom. He looks so cool!" He said in awe.
Lissa smiles. "Yeah, he is. You should've seen him in battle, too. He's fast and can strike down a bad guy in one stroke of his sword."
Owain's eyes rounded. "Really?"
Lissa nods her head happily. "Uh-huh. He even saved my life when he was my bodyguard."
"Wow. Does he use any type of weapon?"
"Nope. His specialty is using a sword. He once said that to master the blade, one needs discipline and train hard."
"Ohhh. Just like what Dad says. He said every knight needs discipline when it comes to training." With bright eyes, Owain happily said, "I think I know now what I want to be when I grow up!"
Lissa smiles widely, knowing what her son is talking about. "What is it you want to be, sweetheart?"
"When I grow up, I wanna be a... What is he?"
"He's a Myrmidon, sweetling."
"Okay. When I grow up, I wanna be a Myrmidon!"
"That's great, sweetie. Finally, you found your calling. Wanna find Dad and tell him about it?"
Owain nods his head happily. At long last, Owain knows what he wants to be.
Hi folks! I'm back again. I imitated some of the authors' writing style. Not going to mention pen names to avoid getting sued. Haha... Ha... (*cricket sounds*)
Anyway, this story happens during the Future Past, before Valm attempts to invade Regna Ferox. And what if Basilio retains his status as Head Khan? He'd send Lon'qu as his messenger. And this is why I developed the concept on how Owain is inspired to become a myrmidon.
Hope you like this story.