It was a chilly day in Pherae, the kind one might come to expect in late october. On this day, Ninian sat on the sofa, her hands folded delicately upon her lap.
Roy and Lillina sat on the sitting room floor, just under Ninian's feet, busily carving pumpkins. "Mine is better" Roy said, in a very absent sounding voice.
Lilina chose to ignore the comment, after all Roy could not truly make that statement until both pumpkins were finished. Eliwood and Hector would be the judge of that when they returned home.
"I think they are both looking very nice" Ninian replied, though her crimson eyes were fixed on Lilna's, which was decorated with a lovely picture of flowers.
Roy's pumpkin looked more traditional, with it's toothy grin and large triangle eyes staring back at all who looked at it.
The room fell silent after that, both children caught up in the finishing touches that needed to be done. That is when the sound of the door creaking echoed across the room, giving Ninian and the children a startle.
"Pumpkin carving and I was not invited!" Elbert teased, he limped into the room, his gaze shifting to both children, before he took a seat across from Ninian.
"Have you children ever heard the tale of the orange knight?" Elbert asked, looking at the children and then their pumpkins.
Both children shook their heads in unison, much to Elbert's surprise. The orange Knight was a story known well around the country of Pherae. It had been passed down for many years, at least in Pherae family and Elbert could hardly believe Eliwood hadn't told Roy yet.
"What is the orange knight?" Lilina asked, a look of wondermeant in her eyes.
"I am truly glad you asked, my child" Elbert was smiling now, as he settled himself into a more comfortable position.
Roy placed his pumpkin down and climbed onto the couch, beside his grandfather, Lilina following suit shortly after.
Once the two children were seated Elbert began the story.
*The Story*
It happened many eons ago, on the very first day of October. Long before anyone in Pherea even celebrated the month of the dead. Perhaps this is the reason why they ever started in the first place.
A chilly sort of day it was, with the wind howling and the trees rattling back and forth, it felt more then a bit eerie. Summer had been no better and the harvest was poor, though there was much in the way of pumpkins.
Nobody could ever need so many pumpkins and so the villagers began to cry out. "We cannot live off pumpkins alone" They stood outside the castle, crying out the words over and over again.
"I am trying everything in my power to fix this most terrible mess" Alavan replied, he was the head of the pherae royal family at the time and a very fine lord indeed.
The villagers did not care to hear his words, they were not what they wanted to hear. "We cannot make anything with pumpkins, save for pies and we do not have the funds for that.
Back then Pherae did not have the funds it has today and so Lord Alavan was no better off then his own people.
It went on like this for days, the villagers shouted and cried, they threatened with torchs and others things, yet Alavan remained strong and willing.
It was none to soon when a man clad in an orange cloak rode into town. His face was covered and his hands gloved, no skin could be seen through his outfit.
The man rode straight to the castle. He spoke with no one, nor did he make eye contect with the villagers that watched his every move.
"Is he our savior or a man to make things even worse?" They whispered loudly to each other, surely the man could hear their words, yet if he did he choose to ignore them.
The guards were quick to tell lord Alavan of this visitor, moments before he reached the castle. Alavan stood outside, waiting with his arms folded across his chest.
Then he moved closer, the words he spoke were soft and kind. "What have you come for?"
The man spoke for the first tme, his voice deep and ominous, if not slightly muffled from the cloak. "To save your village, for a great war is upon us"
That is when a great silence fell across them, the knights shifted their gaze to the lord, his gaze rested calmly upon the strange man and the words that followed were calm as well. "A great war? What makes you assume this my friend?"
"The goddess of harvest tells me so, she had blessed you with the power to fight. Yet you treat the orange knights as though they are no more then the plague" His words were no more then a riddle.
At this point Alavan was confussed, so he pressed the man farther, all the while keeping his tone the same. "We have had no new recruits as of late, what do you speak of?"
A growl escaped the man's lips, through his cloaked eyes of bright orange could be seen blazing anger. "The pumpkins you have harvested, the ones you have frowned upon and cried about" The words were unbelievable and thus making the knights laugh.
"Surely this man is crazy, milord" They chuckled, yet Alavan believed in them.
"And how are the pumpkins going to stop this war?" He then asked and to his surprise the man kept a serious face as he replied.
"Give them sight, give them a voice and in return they will protect you when the dead wage war upon your land. The war will last but a month, for this is the month of the dead"
Soon with the guidance from the man, the villagers began to carve images upon the pumpkin's round orange faces.
Some were carved with mean looking scowls, others had pleasant grins and sweet smiles.
When the pumpkins were finished, everyone looked toward the strange man, awaiting his next words. "Place one on each door step, when the time arrives, they will know what to do" Those were the last words he spoke before he was gone, never to be seen again.
Days soon passed and nothing happened. People began to question if the man was merely crazy or perhaps he was only playing a trick on them.
On a day, plagued with rain and thunder it happened. The bells rung out, sounding the battle alarm. Hoards of undead marched toward the town.
The knights readied themselves for the coming fight, it would be a battle hard fought but with the orange knights they would win.
Alavan lead his knights to the town's center, and drew his weapon. The hoard got closer and closer. The pumpkins did nothing. The people cried in fear. "He has lied, Pherae is going to fall" Children screamed and their parents cried.
Alavan stepped forward. "Knights of Pherae, attack!" He let out a loud battle cry and the knights charged. Then something strange happened.
Every pumpkin began to stir, they drew blades of green stems, with them they charged into battle, weapons drawn.
They give no mercy in the heat of battle and the undead began to move back. The pumpkins surrounded them, with slashing swords, being careful not to hit the dead. For they were people whom, once lived and were loved even after death.
The undead began to flee, back into the cemetery and the pumpkins took their places among the peoples porches once again.
There they stayed and kept watch over the town. And that children is why Pherae always puts orange knights on their porches.
Pherae sitting room
Roy and Lilina stared in awe at Elbert's story. "Lets finish our pumpkins and put them on the porch" Roy said, jumping from the sofa. Lilina remained, a questioning look in her large blue eyes.
"What about the strange man?" She asked, staring up at Elbert.
"Will, it is believed that he was the commander of the orange knights, a walking living pumpkin if you will." Elbert replied. With the question answered Lilina jumped down and grabbed her pumpkin.
"I am going to put mine on my own porch, back in Osita" She said, resuming her half finished carving.
Eliwood and Hector had been standing in the doorway, through most of the story and decided to make their arrival known. "Those are looking to be some fine protectors" Eliwood said, a smile curving his lips as he spoke.
Hector walked in after him, carrying a basket full of uncarved pumpkins. "Now, if you want our palaces protected you are going to need an army" He replied, placing the pumpkins down beside them.
"Perhaps I will carve one, Eliwood" Ninian said, in a soft voice. The story had giving her all the inspiration she needed.
Elbert too took a pumpkin, Eliwood and Hector too decided there was fun in the activty.
"Room for one more?" Eleanora asked, over the door's loud creaking.
Everyone laughed, as they looked toward the large pile of pumpkins making the answer very much obvious.
Eleanora sat down beside them and took a pumpkin of her own, and the room then fell silent as everyone worked on their orange knights. Pherae and Osita would be will protected this year.
THE END!