Author's Note:

Hello everyone and welcome to my first ever Fire Emblem story. Recently I've renewed my interest in FE 9 and 10 and I decided to create an AU around Boyd who's recently become one of my favourite characters. This AU will actually connect with a story I've started in the How to Train Your Dragon section and both of them are centred around Final Fantasy summonings existing in those universes. Basically, both stories will lead to a third one that will be something of a three-way crossover though how long it takes me to get there is yet to be seen.

This story goes AU after Greil is killed by the Black Knight so until that point, the story will be exactly the same as in the game. After that, things will divert and different characters will end up playing different roles. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

I do not own any aspect of Fire Emblem nor Final Fantasy.

Chapter 1

Boyd sat alone in the Gallian forest, much further from the fort than he should've been.

He hadn't intended to wander so far, he just needed space and quiet as he tried to process everything that had happened.

Commander Greil dead, Shinon and Gatrie deserting them, it was all collapsing upon them so fast he didn't know what to do and how Ike was managing to remain so calm and understanding he had no idea. When he'd gone after the archer and the knight alongside Oscar, he'd wanted to vent his anger by pounding them into the dirt but his brother had held him back. It had been more than rage at them leaving, it had also been anger at the one who'd killed the Commander and at himself. What if he'd been there alongside them? What if they'd all been there? These questions echoed round his mind and had driven him to solitude.

He never thought hard about things, he acted, diving in headfirst with recklessness and little planning. He spoke without thinking and it often made him appear dense (as pointed out by more than one person) but now, he couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop wondering how things might've been different.

He sighed sadly.

Commander Greil had taken him and his brothers in after their father died and Rolf's mother abandoned them, being a part of the Greil Mercenaries had helped them earn their living and given them a family, a life they'd never had lived otherwise. To lose the man hurt them all and Boyd knew it would take a long time to get used to the fact that Greil was no longer with them.

With another sigh, he stood.

He'd been gone for far longer than he'd meant to be and with everything that had happened, he was sure Oscar would be getting worried. The night's events had reminded them all of the dangers of their lives and he knew his older brother would be wanting to keep him and Rolf closer than usual, in all honesty, it put them all more at ease.

He was about to start heading back when instincts gained from a life of fighting caused him to stop and listen.

He was sure someone was in the surrounding trees watching him but he entirely lacked the skills to pinpoint where they were. He scanned the forest, trying to pick out a giveaway as to where his observer was, while mentally cursing the fact he'd left his axe at the fort.

A classic 'Boyd mistake'.

He should've known better than to wander so far unarmed but he just hadn't been thinking, hopefully it was just a worried Oscar who'd come out searching for him.

There was a rustling sound and Boyd fixed his eyes on its origin as a strange man skulked out into view.

He was dressed in the plain grey robes of a scholar but there was an air of malice and darkness about him. His long dark grey hair was untended and he had a small hunch to his shoulders, a heavy looking, ornately decorated book was under his arm and Boyd was sure it was a magic tome but not one he'd ever seen before. The man's malicious, beady eyes stared unnervingly at him and the young mercenary instinctively went on guard.

The man spoke in a grating voice, "Finally!"

"Who are you?"

Boyd nearly winced at the tremor of fear in his own voice, he didn't know what it was but there was something off about this man, something that scared him, whether he wanted it to or not.

The man cackled sinisterly, as if his question had been some amusing joke, "I am Izuka, and you have the honour of assisting me in my work of unparalleled genius!"

Boyd took a step back, whatever Izuka wanted, he was certain it wasn't anything he wanted to be a part of. Whatever was off about this man seemed to increase with that statement and he had to get away, with no weapon and the man holding an unknown tome, retreat was both sensible and desired.

Spinning around, the young fighter started to sprint away in the direction of the fort, trying to get as far away from Izuka as possible. As he ran, he heard the man shout one, commanding word.

"Stop!"

Boyd had no intention of stopping but as if ordered by that one word, his whole body froze, leaving him stuck mid-run like some bizarre statue. He tried to force his limbs to move but it was if something was keeping them in place, not even his eyes could move. He wasn't even breathing and nothing he tried got his body to do anything, it was as if it was frozen solid, with only his mind and senses still active.

He heard Izuka approaching, speaking as if he was delivering a simple lecture, "This is a special spell of mine that allows me to freeze a single target in place. While their senses remain active, their actual body is frozen in time, halting the need for all physical functions, though only very temporarily." The man stood in front of him, "This is only one of the myriad of effects I can inflict upon the fools I must suffer, I can also poison, petrify, paralyze, blind and many more. Spells that only a genius like myself can use effectively."

Boyd suddenly found himself able to blink and he felt his lungs instinctively start to breath, indicating that the bizarre spell was wearing off. He tried his best to hide it, hoping he could surprise Izuka and escape when he could move again but the man smirked, "I'm well aware of the fact that the spell is about to wear off boy and I have come prepared."

Suddenly, he was surrounded by a gang of hired thugs and the young fighter knew he was not getting away, the moment he was free from the spell, he was grabbed and held. He opened his mouth to yell, desperately hoping one of the others would hear him, but Izuka was prepared for that too.

"Silence!"

No matter how hard he tried, how wide he opened his mouth nor how much strength he put into it, he couldn't produce a sound, it was as if his very voice had been stolen. Izuka cackled again, "Yet another wonderful spell I've mastered! As even you can tell, this one prevents you from being able to use your voice but unlike Stop, it doesn't wear off unless it is cured."

Boyd's eyes widened in alarm at the thought of being mute permanently but he had no time to think on it further as Izuka was speaking once more, "Of course, I plan on returning your voice to you, this is simply a part of my brilliant plan to take you away from your allies. You're vital to my glorious schemes."

He turned away but continued speaking as if to himself, "Hah! That fool Ashnard believes the strong should rule but he has no inkling of what strength is. He doesn't know what lies beyond his war, beyond humans and sub-humans. My research confirms there are far greater things than what he knows and there is coming a breed of people that will make that all the more apparent." He waved his thugs away, "Get the boy out of here! I'm blazing a trail of greatness and we must get to work."

Obediently, the men roughly hauled Boyd away but as they dragged him off, the young fighter heard Izuka muttering behind him.

"Yes, a trail of greatness indeed, I'll show them all what is coming, what powers are about to be revealed. I'll show them your might Doomtrain!"

PS-So Izuka has appeared in a very different role from the game and events are heading in different directions. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update soon.