David Snyder
Hey all of you Fire Emblem fans out there. I'm Zilver Hawk and this is the first story I've been brave enough to submit. It's a very random tale of the past of everyone's favorite priest, Rhys. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to review. I'm open to constructive criticism as well as comments so don't be afraid to say what's on your mind. ^-^
My name is Rhys. Among the Griel Mercenaries, I'm known as a mere priest, very shy and very fragile. For the most part, that's true, but almost every day, I live with in regret and fear of my dark, secretive past. If that secret was exposed, my very life could depend on it. This is my story.
It was a normal day, much like any other. I had finished teaching Mist and I was down by the river relaxing. The gentle sound of water flowing over the rocks always made me feel at peace with myself. I took off my boots and dipped my feet in the water. It was the middle of summer and the heat of the day. My robes were starting to make me sweat and I had even contemplated taking them off once, but decided not to. I was a priest after all and I liked to show it.
Even though everything seemed to be right with the world, something really didn't feel right. I peered down into the water and saw my reflection, my orange hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. I still looked the same, but something still made my skin crawl, like a nightmare you always tried to push towards the back of your mind.
"Hello there," said a voice from behind me.
I was startled to find a large man standing behind me. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt so every last one of his massive muscles could be seen. He had coal black hair that fell just at his shoulders and small round sunglasses that covered his eyes. He started to smile deviously as he started to walk towards me.
"C-can I help you?" I asked as I attempted to smile. This was no nightmare, I thought. This is real. Hopefully he wouldn't recognize me, but my hopes started to fail as his smile got bigger.
"You can help me by dropping the act," the man started. "I know who you are so don't play the helpless act with me. I think you know what I want…"
"I don't care what you want!" I screamed. I was surprised by the volume of my voice. "I'm not going back and no force in the world can make me." That was probably the worst thing I could say. I never really had a way with words.
"Want you back?" The man started to laugh uncontrollably. "You couldn't be further from the truth. You see my friend, to me, you're useless, now. For five years you've been hiding and what are the chances that I would find you out in the middle of nowhere, alone?"
I could feel myself getting paler as the man grabbed an axe he had strapped to his back. I was trapped in between him and the river and no one was around to help me.
"J-john," I stammered, "please don't do this. I never did anything to hurt you or anyone else. I did what I needed to do."
John dropped his smile and his voice got louder. "You quit on me and I lost big time. You kept me alive for three years and then you bailed! I lost everything."
"That's your own fault. You would have worked me to death. You're lucky I'm still alive!"
John shifted his axe from a resting position on the ground and held it in both hands, ready to swing at any moment. He took another step forward and stuck the blade right under my neck. I flinched as he pressed harder.
"You're right. I am lucky you're still alive. This way, I can kill you! You were weak then and you're even weaker now. That just makes my job easier. So, do you have any last words?"
Sweat was pouring down my face now and it wasn't because of the summer heat. I didn't want to seem weak, but that was very difficult with an axe to the throat. I thought quickly, but my throat was dry. I couldn't have said a word even if I had wanted to.
"So that's how it is." John smiled again. "I hope this hurts." He swung his axe and I closed my eyes. I waited for what seemed an eternity, and nothing happened. I finally opened my eyes and was surprised to see John in the exact same position he was in before. He fell to the side with an arrow stuck in his back. Rolf and Shinon popped out of a nearby bush.
"Are you okay?" asked Rolf with wide eyes.
"I-I'm fine," I said as I checked to make sure I still had all of my body parts.
"Is there something you'd like to say?" asked Shinon. He twirled his bow and leaned against a tree triumphantly.
"Oh, excuse me. Thank you for your help. That man would have killed me if you hadn't of come along."
"That's more like it," said the red-haired sniper.
"You don't look so good," said Rolf. He looked up at me with his big round eyes and took my hand. "You're really cold. I think you should go get some sleep."
I smiled and rubbed little Rolf's head. "Thanks for your concern, but I think I'll be fine."
"Sorry to interrupt," said Shinon, "but I think it might be a good idea to run along before more of those guys come along."
"Okay," I replied.
"I really hate guys like that," continued Shinon. "They think they're so high and mighty because they can beat up a poor defenseless priest. That makes me sick."
"Wow," said Rolf, "that's really sweet, Uncle Shinon."
"Whatever. Just don't tell anyone."
"Okay!" Rolf said.
"The same thing goes for you," said Shinon to me.
"O-oh," I replied. "Sure thing." I was lost in thought and didn't care too much about what Shinon had just said.
As we started to walk back, thoughts raced through my mind. If John had come looking for me, word might get out. I tried not to think about it, but I couldn't help it. That night, my fears came true without me knowing. My life would be changed forever.
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The next day I decided to go into town with Oscar. I browsed through the various shops and looked for anything I might need or want. Oscar was in the bar playing poker with some of his old paladin buddies. I didn't know what happened at those games, but he always came home with a small bag filled with gold.
I walked down the street to and past a small cart selling flowers. I was going to go to the local church to see how everyone was doing, but I felt something tug at my robes. I looked down and a small girl, maybe a little younger than Mist smiling brightly.
"Do you want to buy a flower?" she asked innocently.
"Sure," I replied. I wasn't in any hurry and I was always a sucker for little kids. I reached into my pouch for some money.
The little girl squealed with delight.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes…" Her face was starting to turn pink. "Would your name happen to be David?"
I froze. That name brought back memories that I had tried to get rid of the day before. The little girl giggled again.
"No," I said politely. "My name is Rhys."
I found the money I needed and handed it to her. She continued to smile as she held up her basket full of flowers.
"Which one do you want?"
I chose a wild lily out of the lot. The girl giggled one last time as I reached in the basket. As I started to leave, she tugged on my robes once again. I looked behind and saw that she was holding up a piece of paper and pen.
"Can I have your autograph, David?" she asked.
"I told you. My name is Rhys."
"No you're David Snyder. I can recognize you even without your blonde hair."
I slowly backed away. I really didn't want to attract any attention to myself, so I tried to ignore her. I pulled my hood over my head and hoped that no one would see me.
"Hey everyone," I heard the girl scream, "its David Snyder!"
Terror struck me as the sound of one hundred screaming girls filled my ears. I broke out running. Oscar was waiting for me outside the bar looking very confused as he saw the mob of crazy girls behind me. He hopped onto his horse sensing my distress and came to my rescue. He picked me up and rode off at full speed back towards the mercenary fort. I was happy when he didn't ask any questions.
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I didn't leave the safety of the fort after that incident. I couldn't afford to be mobbed by girls, not again. I wandered around the hallways endlessly. One day, I happened to hear Ike talking to Mist.
"Why do you still have that weird poster?" I heard him ask.
"It's not weird, it's dreamy," replied his sister. Look at his hair and his face. He's
so perfect. Nothing on earth is cuter than him."
"David Snyder was a shallow loser. He only cared about himself and then he dramatically disappeared. He wasn't even a good singer."
"He had the voice of one thousand herons!" exclaimed Mist in a rage of love sickness that only a young girl could feel.
"Girls are weird."
"Get out of my room you…DAVID-HATER!!!" Mist attempted to shove her brother out the door, but, considering he was twice her size, failed miserably.
As for me, Ike's words cut deep. Yes, I had been David Snyder, the David Snyder, but that doesn't mean I liked it. My manager, John Hasting was a criminal that heard me singing one day. From that moment on, I had taken up my fake identity and become the dreamboat rock star of the day. Even though I never liked the limelight, that doesn't mean I was a shallow loser. As for my blonde hair, I discovered the affect bleach had on color that day.
"Oh, and Ike," I heard Mist say, "David's back. My friend Crystal saw him in town disguised as a priest."
"That's strange," said Ike. "Oscar said he saw a mob of girls chasing Rhys the other day."
"Do you honestly think Rhys could be David Snyder?"
"You could always ask."
That was my cue to leave. I ran down the hallway as quickly and silently as possible. Finally, I reached Soren's room and ran in without bothering to knock.
"What are you doing here?" asked the sage as he put down a book he was reading.
"Please," I begged, "I need to hide for a little while."
"Why does everyone want to hide here?" he asked.
"No offense, but people don't usually like to come in here. I think they're afraid you'll fry them with fire magic or something like that."
"That's true for the most part." Soren thought for a moment. "Why should I let you hide here?"
"Girls keep mobbing me and Mist is looking for me." I probably sounded like a drunken idiot.
"Dare I ask why?"
I looked down and mumbled the five fateful words, "They think I'm David Snyder."
"Really?" Soren smiled deviously. "Are you?"
Well…" I did not want to finish that sentence.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Soren actually looked a little shocked.
"Funny story actually…Please don't tell anyone. I don't want to sing anymore."
Soren's eyes widened. "I won't tell but…Mist is right behind you."
I nearly jumped into the sage's arms and screamed. He wasn't lying. Mist stood directly behind me with eyes as big as the moon. Her mouth was wide open in a daze.
"You…" she stammered. "All this time you were him…and I didn't…I could have…have…David Snyder."
Out of nowhere, five more little girls appeared and before I knew it, I was once again running for my life. The rest of that day, I spent hiding and running. It was like a bad horror movie. Every time you thought you were safe, something or someone popped out of thin air.
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I woke up. It was the middle of the night and the moon was shining through my window. I looked at the glass of water next to my bed and remembered the last thing Shinon had said to me before I went to bed, "A good beer cures all of ones aches and pains."
"I don't drink," I had replied.
"Fine, then be a sour puss." He had given me a glass of water instead. Now I know why no one ever accepted food and/or drink from him.
"He spiked my drink!" I exclaimed to myself. "No wonder I had had such a strange dream." I dumped the glass of water out the window and tried to go back to sleep. Alcohol has always made me have weird dreams.