Keeping this note short. I welcome you back to the journey in Fire Emblem. Now, this was a test run before, but I decided why bother with that. I've had this sitting around and I should be writing it with all the material I've planned out. Let's hit this one running!
This is but a tale of which the legends speak. Thousands of years ago, all worlds were once one. Harmony was all that was, with no end in sight to the prosperity of Gaia. The Beorc coexisted with the Laguz, Elves, Dwarves and all races, be they monstrous or cleansed. Conflict existed, but was always resolved in peaceful ways. The world was a bright force of light, that knew no inner geed, lust, pride, gluttony, sloth, envy, or wrath. This peace knew no end for thousands of years, and on the millionth year... darkness entered their perfect world. The people were terrorized by the evils that took over the hearts of their elected leaders, the continents splitting apart at first, but eventually a thousand years of darkness reigned.
However, heroes braver than any other rose with the weapons of light, fighting against the evil and chaotic forces of the Gods and Goddess' that had once cherished them, but grew jealous of their own creations. The Goddess' descended along side the Gods, and blood of all races soaked the grounds. The Goddess Ashunera, fought alongside her Beorc and Laguz's ancestors. The Goddess' of Power, Wisdom, and Courage took their people to a new home, and separated them into clans and tribes, to hide them from all chances of conflict. Many Gods and Goddess' did the same. Zues, took all of his people and shattered the one world and universe, into countless worlds and universes.
The People praised and worshiped their gods and goddess till the end of time, until the first God became saddened by its creations. The Gods and Goddess', one more felt the pain they wished to have vanish. Their people killed one another across these worlds, starved and even raped then tortured one another. All where heading to the final days, with blood soaked land and no true freedom left in the worlds.
The memory of the utopia vanished, but its legends survived on the wind's breathe. On a small world known as Earth, several tales are to begin. On the distant flooded world of Emblem, a war burns on as if from nowhere, and other homes lay within burning cinders. These select few, shall awaken to the world and see it for what it truly once was. A much larger and loving world, that cared for all things around it.
However... darkness exists in all hearts from birth.
The elders who remember are far and few, hidden from the worlds until a time comes when their knowledge is needed. What has become of these worlds and their people...? All have become mere myth. On a certain blue planet, stories of the other worlds are hidden within text, unknowningly by those who live there. The Elders wish, for the peace that once was.
Now, the tale has begun once more! The wheels of fate are turning once last time, and it is up to the few to determine the fate of the worlds. Will they burn... or live once more? This is the legend of the first world, the Fire Emblem.
The Sword of Promised Victory
It wasn't too late, was it? Father expected me back with the provisions for his next mission. I wish he would let me accompany him on a mission. I'm seventeen and father never allows me to go on jobs with him. Even Boyd is allowed to go, along with Rhys! It isn't all bad though, I know this. He keeps saying I'm not ready, even when my body feels I am. He keeps saying that until I am as strong as he was at my age, he won't let me go on mission that involves bandits or anything. The one time he did, I was just following Rhys to make sure he wasn't getting hurt.
We were near the back the whole time, and a bandit managed to sneak around Shinon's view and Titania's stampede. Father was locked in combat with the leader far at the back of town, and I drew my sword the moment I heard a heavy foot step. I quickly pushed Rhys down at the time and leaped over him, both of us barely missing the blade of the axe. I swear I almost lost my arm that day! I just managed to push-off Rhys then pin the bandit's axe on his back with my foot connecting to the bandits face. Shinon had seen us by then and put an arrow in him, and father said that was very reckless, but a well executed tactic. That was probably the only time I've had Shinon say anything decent about my ability. He claimed that is 'wasn't too half-assed' and then went right back to normal. I guess I can't impress everyone though, nor should I really have to.
Well, staring at the bag of vulnaries I had just bought for about three thousand gold, I nodded before asking the stall's owner for two elixer's just for when Rhys or Shinon needed them. Better to think ahead for people with lower defensive options, or so Soren tells me. Last I checked, Shinon actually kept a gladius on him. I guess father gave me eight thousand gold just to see if I would spend it wisely. Well, we do need some whetstones for sharpening our blades on the go, and Shinon complained about us being out of his 'Maple hewn bowstring' he needs to make a proper bowstring. I know he has a few, but as of late he's losing them faster and Rolf seems like he is sneaking about with items used for making arrows. Maybe Rolf is just taking the extras to him out of kindness.
I'm probably over thinking it. Either way, those two Elixer's cost me two-thousand more gold and now I have three thousand left. The blacksmith here has the best whetstones and even sells them to us cheap since we've stopped brigands from robbing the trader's caravan's that delivers most of his material's several times. Guess its time to head that way.
Waving to the stall owner, I start walking through the people in the trading district while putting all the Vulnaries and Elixers into the bag the stall owner gave me. It's a pretty popular trading point, and the owner's are great people. Being right in the middle of Crimea and even being on the road between the capital and the ports, it's not even a question why it's so popular. I've even seen Begnion knights come here for provisions at times during The Grand Exchange. The fish from the port is delivered the same day by war-horse caravan's personally guarded by the Crimean knights. Its amazing. Ah.. here's the blacksmiths.
Knocking on the stone slab next to the door with the smith hammer, I hear a call to enter from inside. I suddenly wonder if Mist and Gatrie are done with their own shopping but dismiss it as I push the door open to see Gatrie and Mist looking at the newly forged swords and the lances being tempered. I wave to Mist as she looks to the door as I enter, and he small body meets me half way to the smith with a hug. I hope she doesn't smell that blasted spice merchant's saracha peppers all over me. He had lost his grip and a small jar broke on my steel shoulder guard. Needless to say, I stink.
"Ike, you smell.. awful. Its burning my nose! What happened to you out there?! You're wet too! Did you take a bath in the fountain again? Haha!" Mist begins to question me, and I don't think I can avoid it since the blacksmith, Streven and Gatrie are smiling at my expense. Jerks. Gatrie motions with his hand that I stink, and Streven looks like he's just trying not to laugh since he knows he'd drop the hot lance-blade he's holding. "The spice merchant lost his grip on a small glass of his wares and it flew into my shoulder guard. The thing shattered an poured all down my arm. I had to go to the river and wash it over with a few buckets of water. And you are the one that shoved me into the fountain by that time!"
Honestly, she's my sister but she's such a pain at times. Its worse when she tries to cook though, and luckily Oscar doesn't let her anymore. It was so cold walking all the way back to the fort that time too, then she cooked for everyone. Ugh.
"Hahaha! I remember that, silly." Suddenly her blue eyes looked anything but amused.
"But you were the one who poured water on me that morning as a prank. You deserved it."
Touche.
"Ga! Ike! How go's the looking?" I can only assume the man this voice belongs to mean's looking at women. He apparently has his eye on Streven's daughter, Sera. Nobody in town knows, but he's a rather strong supporter of Sub-Humans. He wants peace between us and them, and his daughter is a Sub-human he found in the forest, beaten and bloody. He dragged her to the side, and sent his late wife off to us on their horse. Rhys, father and Titania quickly rode with her back. Apparently, she's part of the Heron clan. But.. Gatrie doesn't know that, and she avoids everyone but her father and formerly her mother Miss April who passed away.
"Gatrie... I'm not you."
"But you will soon be looking at women differently! I can assure you of that, my young friend! Pah! Just you wait! Even Shinon fell into my ways."
"Why is that something to be proud of?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"Gatrie, if my brother turns into you, I'm telling my dad you're the one who made him do it all as his superior."
...Thank you, Mist.
Gatrie's face fell, knowing how much displeasure such news would bring my father. He's even gone pale. Hmm. Mist, makes a good point. But there are simply no women in particular around here that seems attractive. I mean they're all nice women, but not for me. I just don't give it much thought.
"Father? Do we have guests?" I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Sera in the doorway, dressed in her light silk robes of a cleric with a book in hand. Soren had met her and she took to him a bit too easily. He's irritated by her persistence in being his friend, and has even cast spells on her before to knock her away. She says his past is the reason she wants to help and care for him, but I don't get it. She's.. a bit weird in the head at times, but its fine.
"Yes we do, Ike here just arrived and this little lady and her 'knight' have been asking about whetstones since her brother was late." The man gave me a knowing smile. Blast! I was late after all!
"Whetstones? We have ten or so left in the attic storage. How many were you looking for, Mist?"
Mist stared for a moment, and I don't think she believed that Sera was actually talking to her. She's apparently the one who had asked, so.. talk Mist.
"Uh..oh. We were going to get one for every active member, since all of ours worn down from overuse. Let's see.. that makes.." Mist began to think, and rubbed her head before answering and pulling out the gold for it.
"Five please, Sera! No seven! And.. they're eighty gold, right?"
Sera nodded and Mist took the total amount of gold before walking through the only door out of the room besides the door I came through. Speaking of whetstones, what happened to Gatrie's extra?
"Gatrie, didn't you have an extra whetstone before? I thought you carried two for when you or Shinon's wear out in battle."
Gatrie turned from looking at a lance he had gone over to and smiled before reaching to his belt and opening the small cut between the two sewed straps of leather. Oh. That's where he kept the extra.
"Of course I always carry a newer extra with me! Its right next to my dagger's sheath as always. Have to be prepared in case one of the ladies gets extra rowdy!"
"I can't help but wonder the kind of improvements you'd show if that energy was fueling your job instead." Gatrie gave me a dramatic hurt look while throwing his arms into the air.
"Oh Ike! Such cold words! Even so, I do put it into my job when on the job. I'm serious in battle. I've been thinking about trading my armor for something lighter after I master the ground capabilities of lance mastery and finding a good horse. But alas, I'm not ready yet."
Wow. Gatrie's thinking farther ahead in his lance mastery than I do with my swordsmanship. I should think of longer terms goals myself. I mean, of course beating my father is my last goal, but that's so far off. Hearing the old wooden door squeak open, I turn my attention to Mist who is taking the whetstones from Sera, who gives one to Gatrie before planting a small kiss on his cheek.
"Are you still taking me out tomorrow?"
"Of course my fine maiden! Not even your father could stop us from going out this fine night to be!"
Hearing a cough from the furnace, Streven has a very large blood-red axe in hand. Its his special, killing weapon. Nothing short of absolute precision cutting and cleaving with very flexible metals, or so he says. I don't understand why he has it out. He walks over to Sera who is smiling at him, and pats her on the shoulder before looking down at Gatrie. Oh, Streven is over two hundred and eighty centimeters tall. Just about seven-foot or taller in Daien. Another thing, why does Daien use a different measurement system?!
"Excuse me, boy? I trained Greil, Titania, Boyd, The King of Crimea and his brother in axemen-ship. Maybe I didn't hear you right. Did you say only I could stop you from taking her anywhere?"
"Y-yessir," Gatrie replies swiftly and with a gulp. Now you know how I felt when I asked her out for you. Suddenly I took notice of Sera leaning up to my ear and listened a bit closer since she started whispering.
"Ike? Thank you for contacting me for Gatrie before, I told my father is wasn't your fault and he said he'd make you a great sword when he see's you've mastered the way Greil is teaching you!"
I stared at her as she pulled away with a smile on her face, and then looked to old man Streven. He knew she had just told me, and smirked at me. Oh, I'll get there and you'll make that sword. I accept that challenge, but for now.. my sword is broken and I need a new blade.
"Streven do you have any swords ready? The rack is empty and I was thinking on what type is best for me. Something heavier and stronger?"
Hopefully, he has some idea of what is best for my father's student.
Here it is, the first chapter. Now I know most people start out with the character dropping in, but I like having a bit of flair to my stories. Now, I won't burdun you with Author's notes all the time, and really if I have one, its your choice not to read it. I won't blame ya'. I hate 'em too.
Please if you're taking he time to read this, leave an actual review. What do you like? What seems out of place? Its good feedback to have.
