Hey guys! Now, I know what you're think. 'Dude, where the hell have you been?! Are you dead?! What happened?!' Well, let me be the first to tell you that I'm not dead! Well, physically, I mean. You see, I lost my motivation for writing stories or writing new chapters for awhile, until something hit me. Like hard. I realized that I still had so many new ideas that I wanted to put into words and I didn't want any of you guys to be bored our of your minds. So I brainstormed a couple of ideas that I wanted to kick off, but none of them really just... you know 'hit' me. Until I saw the trailer for the new game 'Fire Emblem Warriors'. It seems like something out of a cliche, but I swear to you guys that something just lit a fire in my mind the minute I saw this trailer!

And so, this was the result of my long hiatus.

Now, keep in mind that college has already started for me and things are already going in flames as we speak. However, I'm not yet defeated by the flames of society as of yet! What I can do is hold off the flames for a while until then and continue to put my ideas into words. My schedule is light, but I wouldn't count on it being like this forever. Something unexpected will always be waiting around every corner. In any case, I will be working on the new chapters for this stories and for the other ones that I've done, so expect long periods of time between chapters.

With that said, thank you guys for your patience and the time for reading this story.

See you guys later!

P.S.- Also, you may critique this story if you wish. After all, the path to a great story lies within the reader.

P.P.S.- This story takes place before the Awakening story, not the one in Warriors. Just thought I cleared that up first.

Summary: An ordinary man enlisted into the army in hopes to gain the funds he needs to live his quiet and peaceful life. Instead, the very first thing that happens to him was something that even he doesn't expect to happen.

Do you crave for attention by chance? Do you want be known to the world for what you did? For the achievements that you've done for society, for the tasks that you've undertake or are you just some person that wants people to notice you? Do you want to go down in history as the person that has saved the world from utter destruction from a god or a deity that was hellbent on destroying mankind as we know it?

If so, then you're looking for the wrong type of guy to be reading about.

Me? I'm just a soldier. Just following my orders to the letter. I never did anything astonishing, awesome or anything like that to get attention. Sure, there are some people that go above and beyond the call of duty to do whatever it takes to serve their king or queen. Afterwards, they get rewarded for their heroic deed and are offered the most luxurious state that the king or queen might allowed. It might sound good and all, but to me, it's only a hindrance.

Now, all of you might be thinking to yourself, 'Where the hell is this going?' Please, calm yourself down and let me tell you something from my past.

Before I became a soldier, I was just a farmer living with my family in a village near the outskirts of the capital, Ylisstol. The only family I had was my mother and my sister. My father passed away when I was just five years old and my sister joined the militia before our father died. My sister wanted to go see the world and come back telling stories from her travels. However, after learning about our father's death, she didn't come back home in a while nor did she write us a letter. A year went by and a letter came by from our sister. Apparently, she was to be given nobility into some noble house for the great things she's done for the country. Naturally, she accepted the title of nobility and with the letter came a few gold coins to help us.

I've never seen my mother look so happy in my life.

Anyways, while my family is outgoing in a way, I've always been the reclusive one, never doing anything note-worthy nor did I do anything that would upset anyone. In fact, I've secluded myself from the others since the age of ten. The reason for this is because I wanted peace to do my work that my father left behind. You see, my father told me something important, something that I've taken to heart before his death.

'Peace is an elusive thing that all of us want. The only thing that stands between us and peace is ourselves.'

Now, my father wasn't well known in the village because he was always in that little shed that was next our home. Every day, my father would bring something from that shed and show it to me and I always was excited to see what he made. He'd promised me that he teach me how to make it, but obviously, he didn't. Instead, my father left behind several papers of different things on them and a notebook detailing what they were and how they work. I've spent the duration of my childhood learning about what's on the paper and learning how to make them with my hand. Soon enough, I've also learned how to make other things and used them for my own benefit.

"Seriously, where is this going?" Just shut up already! I'm getting there!

Few years went by and I became of age where I can go to the militia if I wanted to. I chose not to at first, but after my mother begging me to go join the militia, I had no choice but to go. There are exactly two reasons why I went to join the militia. The first reason was because of my mother as I didn't want to make her cry. The second reason… I needed money.

You see, while I was working on my projects, I came across a problem. Well, several problems in fact. I needed money for the materials for my projects. Without them, I can't get any of them to work without the required materials. At first, I thought of just forging some of the natural materials that was on the outskirts of the village, but I immediately perish that thought as I remember that sort of thing would attract attention to me and I didn't need that. Another thought came to mind as I could sell some of my projects to someone that was willing to buy them, but no one came to mind. I could just sell to them 'her', but she doesn't come around these parts as I've heard the rumors, so the only thing I could do is to join the militia.

Plus, I didn't want to make my mother sad, you understand that right?

In any case, I joined the military and went through the training course that they had us do on the day of recruiting. Afterwards, me and the other recruits were escorted to the capital, where we would be officially be made soldiers of Ylisstol. In my mind, I expect that my life would be mundane and peaceful, where I don't have any attention on me. .

After the inaugurations of the new recruits, we headed back to the mess hall that was next to the barracks for some lunch. I situated myself alone at a table that was well away from everyone else. From where I am sitted, I could see the soldiers that were inaugurated with me just chatting with each other, all of them doing so with a smile on their faces like nothing's wrong with the world.

Honestly, it just pisses me off to see them like that.

They don't know what they're getting into and they have no idea on what the battlefield may be like. I'm no different from the rest of these guys, but even I know what I'm getting into when I joined the military. After I finished my lunch, I immediately left the mess hall and headed outside to where I can find a quiet place to work on my various projects. No one seemed to notice when I walked up and left nor did they seem to care. Either way, I considered a blessing in disguise.

We've been given the first day off to get the chance to look around the castle and the town as this is where we are to live for the duration of our time. I've taken the liberty to look for a place where I can work on my projects and soon enough, I found an abandoned shack that was just off away from civilization and where I can have my peace.

From there, I went to work.

Ever since he was recruited in the military, his life consists of guarding the entrance to the palace, going to the barracks to have lunch, coming back to the entrance and stood guard for a while and whenever he had a break, he would go to the shack and work on his projects in secret, only to be covered in soot when he got back. However, this came with a price as he could feel the stares behind his back. It didn't help that he was always wearing full armor wherever he walked. No one knew why he was covered in soot every time and rumors have speculated about him. One time, his captain had asked him why he was covered in soot and he would say that he was working on something, but never elaborate on it. The man did not wanted any more attention than he already on him.

As the weeks by, he could feel the stares of his fellow soldiers and the citizens around him, but he didn't pay them any mind. He knew that this was a small price to pay if he needed the funds for his projects.

However, he could feel the stares of everyone around him grow curiouser and curiouser as they were wondering what he was doing most of his time. It got to the point where he spent most of his break time in the shack than in the mess hall. Soon enough, everyone somewhat forgets about him. But one thing does remain that does talk about the man. A rumor, based on the activities of the man. That rumor was…

The Soulless Soldier.

That rumor was said to be that one soldier was always wearing a helmet never taking it off. If one should ever see him take off his helmet, they would forever be cursed by this soldier, never to feel anything again. When the rumor about the man spread through the castle, the man himself was furious that he was getting attention that he himself despise, but he calmed himself down as he reasoned that getting upset over something this small would only raise even more attention about him than ever and he didn't want that to ruin his projects. However, what he did not expect was someone to actively see what he was working on.

Turns out that person was a lot more important than he'd think.

"Haaa, as if the whole rumor deal is already bad enough, now I have endure more of the others stares at me. What happened to my normal life…?"

Currently, I'm walking towards the shack on the outskirts of the castle town, just about walking distance from the shack to the town. My peaceful like has been turned upside down as that rumor of me being a Soulless Soldier reached to practically everyone in the castle. Hell, even the royal family might have heard about that rumor by now.

Bah, nevermind them! I've got the money I need to help with my projects, I don't need any more attention on me than I already have! I've just managed to reach the shack when I saw a figure right outside of the shack. They had a cloak on, so I couldn't get a good look at their faces.

Gods be damn, has the rumor spread that far into the town already?!

Before they could see me, I quickly hid behind some bushes and peered over the bush to get a better look at the cloaked figure. Apparently, his stature looks to be of a young adult, but what kind of person are they, I have no idea. In any case, this could be a perfect opportunity to try out my latest creation. I quietly pulled out an object from my pouch and took one long look at it before I threw at the poor unsuspecting guy.

The object in question is nothing special. The design for the exterior was a wooden cylinder-shaped object with a short fuse at the top. It also had two blue stripes running sideways with the word 'FLASH' between the two. Using a match I dug out with the bomb, I quickly lit the fuse and threw it at the figure. When the bomb managed to land near the figure, they looked at the object that had landed near their feet before-!

BANG! "Gah!"

Using this opportunity, I quickly ran towards the figure, twisting their body towards the ground and grabbed their arm around their back, rendering them unable to move. They started to struggle against my grip, but a swift stab to the ground near their face shut them up. "Alright, listen up. I'm getting sick and tired of having everyone's attention on me. Especially with the rumor going on about me. So, here's what I want you to do. I'm going to let you up and you're going to walk away, pretending that you don't know, 'cause if you don't, there's a big chance where I will make you pretend. Understand?"

"B-But…"

That voice… it sounds familiar…

Taking no chance for them to speak, I forcefully made them stand on their feet and turned them towards me. What I saw just blew my whole damn mind. The one that was in the cloak and standing in front of the shack…

Was the capital's very own royal princess. In other words, Lady Lissa.

"Ah, crap."

Journal Entry #1

Finally, after being recruited into the military, I now have the funds I need to work on my projects. Sure I'll have to get used to everyone staring at me, but it's a small price to pay. In order for me to not get attention, I've decided to wear full body armor with a helmet to keep everyone's eyes away from me. Hopefully, it goes well.

I'm not sure what else to write down in this journal since it's only my first day here, so I'll have to keep this brief. However, I will say one thing. What my father said to me before he died… I still hold these words to my heart. Peace really is an elusive thing that all of us want, yet it's so far away from our reach. Until I reach my peace, I don't plan on dying just yet.

This is Joshua Normi, age 18. Before I joined the militia, I was a farmer and the son of a normal family.

Now, I'm a soldier to the country of Ylisstol.

Just a Soldier.