Firedude: Hello everyone, I'm back with a new story. I'm trying my hand at the Tellius continent this time, a year after the events of Radiant Dawn. The beginning's a bit slow I know, so I ask you to bear with me and please feel free to review and provide criticisms or ask questions if you have any. Also you can technically skip the prologue since it just establishes some more background to the story, but I do encourage you read it. But for now, please read and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Fire Emblem series or any of its characters.
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Prologue: Exile of Benevolence
"Judah… do you know why we called you here today?" The tension hanging in the air was almost tangible and threatened to suffocate the young man. The chamber was relatively dark, but the vast number of candles lining the walls provided a dim light. Through the slight illumination, Judah could make out the five old priests who formed the temple's council of elders. Very rarely were people called into the elders' chambers, and it was either for something outstandingly good, or unspeakably bad. Judah could not possibly think of anything he had done recently to fit either category, so he thought it best to keep his mouth closed.
"Judah…" The elder to the inner left grumbled impatiently, stroking him grayed beard. Detecting the priest's growing irritation, youth clenched his teeth and shifted his footing as he considered options.
"Um… well…" Judah mumbled, not sure of what to say.
"Stop torturing the boy Beril. He couldn't possibly know the reasons for his summons." advised the elder to the far right, Adam. He too spoke with an underlying hint of frustration, albeit directed at his colleague instead of the feiry haired youth before them. Beril grunted disapprovingly and refrained from further comment. The elder in the middle, a hunched bald man, clearly the oldest of the five spoke up.
"I suppose Adam's right; no one could have possibly predicted this chain of events… Judah."
"Yes high priest Midian?" Judah replied, still worried about the situation, but realizing silence would get him nowhere.
"You have been summoned here today, because it's time for you to leave."
"…Leave?" Judah said with a drop of disbelief and an avalanche of astonishment. He was almost certain he knew what they meant, but he simply couldn't fathom why so suddenly. "Do you mean leave-?"
"Leave the temple of rebirth, yes." Cut off Hol, the elder to the far left, with a solemn nod. "We've debated long and hard about this, but we believe it is time for you to travel forth from the temple and follow your destiny." Judah stood there in silence as the weight of the elder's words sank in. He was being told to leave his home, where he had been born, raised, and lived for the past twenty years. Judah stared down at the floor as he tried to formulate the right words in his head.
"How do you feel?" Judah shook his head at Adam's question and raised his head up.
"Too many feelings to say… I have so many questions though."
"Such as?" High elder Midian questioned curiously.
"I suppose the biggest question I have is why now? The other rebirths left the temple when they were eighteen like mandated, yet I've been held back for two years. And now with no further warning I'm being banished? I see no reason why I should be released, what's changed since two years ago?"
"Our reasons are our own boy and don't you forget that! You will do as you're told and leave-."
"Beril! That's uncalled for!" Adam snapped venomously, causing them to lock glares for a moment until elder Wize cleared his throat. "Judah, have you forgotten what we do here in the temple of rebirth?"
"Of course I haven't."
"Then you know why you're being released." stated Adam. "We created you with the express purpose of benefiting the land of Tellius; performing acts that will better this world as a whole. What those are… that's for you to determine when you leave this place." Judah took a few steps to his side, head clearly still swimming with thought.
"But you've told me, repeatedly, that I wasn't ready. That I was not properly prepared to carry out my destiny. Please, I must know what has changed so suddenly." The elders exchanged glances for a moment before finally turning to Midian. The hunched high elder gave a nod of approval and cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid we can't tell you all the details of why young Judah… but we will tell you this. A great hero has left Tellius behind him with faith that the continent has finally settled into peace… I'm afraid such an assumption was in vain however."
"Vain? But that goes against everything I was taught in the past year! Treaties have been settled, slavery abolished, countries stabilized, benevolent and unambitious rulers on the thrones, it sounds as though it's the perfect formula for peace!" Judah claimed, becoming a little flustered with disbelief at the implications of the high elder's words. Hol raised a hand to calm Judah as he elaborated further.
"That may be so, but this threat doesn't originate from political squabbles. The oracle has noticed a shadow moving throughout Tellius for the past decade. Up until now it has been small, moving quietly, largely unnoticed by the world. But in the year since Ashera's defeat, this… blotch has grown more confident, building in strength. We fear it will soon grow too powerful, and threaten the much needed peace that has finally come to Tellius."
"It's that serious? Why haven't you sent other rebirths after it?" Judah asked with his curiosity piquing.
"As Hol said, up until now it hasn't been considered a major threat." Wize added, adjusting his glasses carefully. "Only recently has the oracle started to recognize it as a cause of worry, mostly due to the lack of face to this menace." Noticing the confusion on Judah's face, Adam quickly picked up after Wize.
"What Wize means, is that major threats to Tellius that had been forseen in the past were in positions of power, drawing the oracle to watch them more carefully and allow us a degree of preemption. However, this threat is from no noble lineage or political powerbase. She had no way of predicting that this would become such a prominent threat, much less the identity of this evil due to his or her secretive nature." Judah nodded slowly, understanding his mission better as it was explained.
"So you wish me to identify who or what this evil force is and stop it before it can throw Tellius into chaos? Not that I don't see the necessity of this mission, but I thought when I left the temple it was my job to carve my own path to good."
"And it still is." Hol corrected, "You may decide to pursue and stop this evil anyway you see fit. You may even decide when you leave here not to seek it out at all, but the oracle predicts sometime soon great power will be given to this shadow. This power will give the shadow the edge it needs to step out into the public eye and begin to eclipse Tellius. So even if you decide to avoid it, you will end up encountering it anyway. We simply figured you deserved fair warning." Judah nodding, the weight of this proposed mission finally clear to him in near full.
"I understand… if you truly believe that I will be best served combating this threat to our world, I will do whatever it takes to find and uproot this evil." Beril shook his head and hacked in bitterness.
"I still disagree with this decision. One ill prepared boy will not be enough to stop what is coming!" Judah felt his determination suddenly sap at the elder's outburst, but kept the sting masked, betraying no new expression. It was true that Beril had always treated Judah with disdain, but it had been Judah's destiny since rebirth to be sent out into the world and improve it. To be told on that day you had no hope to do so was surely crushing. Adam quickly jumped on his fellow priest as he had before.
"You were outvoted four to one Beril, and even the oracle herself approved of this course of action. You have no right to discourage him out of your bitterness!" Midian clenched his teeth and slammed a surprisingly powerful hand on the ground in anger.
"Enough of this! Beril, our decision will not be changed. Accept it and move on. Adam you've always stood up for the boy but now it's time for him to take control of his own fate. He needs to learn to stand up for himself and not have others fight his battles." The room marinated in silence for a few moments before Midian regained his composure and cleared his throat.
"Judah, I'm sure you've heard this hundreds of times by now, but as per our code we will now recite to you the five laws of rebirth. You are to follow these as if they were divine word and will never break them under any circumstances whatsoever." Midian looked down the line to Hol, who made eye contact and began.
"Hol's Law, you are to never reveal the existence of the temple or the concept of rebirth to anyone." He emphasized this with a finger held to his lips.
"Adam's Law, you are to never take an innocent life or stand idly by as one is snuffed out before you." The kindly Adam smiled, knowing for sure it'd be a law Judah would have no problem following.
"Beril's Law, you are to never return to the temple or attempt communication with either the priests or fellow rebirths." Judah scowled a little, noticing how Beril took a little bit too much joy in telling him that one.
"Wize's law, you are never to allow emotion to get in the way of the greater good." He said adjusting his glasses smartly, as if reflecting from experience.
"Midian's law, you are never to investigate who you were in your past life." The high elder stated firmly. Judah had heard these laws throughout his life and never questioned them, believing the elders knew best. However, the fifth one, Midian's law, always perplexed him. Judah couldn't even begin to comprehend how he would investigate his past life. The priests had always told him the new bodies that are created for the rebirths always look different from their previous lives. It mattered little though, for Judah had no interest in learning who he once was. Like all other rebirths, in his past life he was a person of great integrity and character and had led a life full of courage and heroism. As confidence boosting as it would be to know which hero he once was, knowing his past life would put even more pressure on him, raising the temple's already high expectations of him.
"You must abide by these laws and never compromise them. To do so will surely bring about ruination to your path of righteousness and forsake the destiny you were meant for. Do you have any protests?" Judah had many that were coming to mind, questions that had always floated around his mind about the five laws. However, the last thing he wanted to say now was the wrong thing, so opted to keep his mouth shut and simply shook his head.
"Excellent. You are to report to the front gate of the temple at sunset. Until then you have free range as always… May fate's hands guide you."
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Judah sat quietly on his bed, the bed he had slept in all his life. With tomorrow he would never see it again. Come to think of it, in a few more hours he would never see his room again either. His room… Judah had always cursed his room. With no window it had always seemed a little too dark, a little too small, and a little too lonely. He had always looked forward to the day he would be released from the temple and could say good bye to this room for good. But now that the day had finally come, it seemed as though it was cozier than it ever was in twenty years.
The gray stones that made up the construction of his room were barely visible, due to the book shelves that lined the walls. When he was old enough to first begin serious studies, the priests had told him by the time he left the temple he'd read every single book. Judah was at first intimidated by the task, in utter disbelief by what they expected. Hundreds upon hundreds of books, but sure enough he had read every single one of them. Not by choice mind you (though Judah would admit there were a number of them he enjoyed), he had been tutored him all his life, preparing him for his eventual life beyond the temple. The books ranged from things as mundane as weather and culture to heavier topics such as politics and warfare. He was proud to have made such an accomplishment, and yet the accomplishment was bitter-sweet.
Judah had been told all his life that one day he'd have to leave. He never shied away from the idea, eager at the prospect of being destined for greatness; but deep down Judah had a fear of leaving his home. In fact, on his eighteenth birthday Judah was actually a bit relieved when the priests told him he wouldn't be leaving. It was initially drowned out by unshakable anger and thick confusion, but when he cooled down he felt a touch of relief nonetheless. Now the time was actually here, and surely he was excited, but it was being overshadowed by strong feelings of fear and confusion. He had trained as much as (if not more) than any of the other rebirths could have. Yet that sting of doubt sat uncomfortably at the back of his brain.
"Dammit." Judah grumbled and he collapsed his head into his hands, cursing the situation.
"You seemed stiff." Startled, Judah looked up to his open doorway, to see elder Adam standing before him. "It was very unlike you." Judah couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
"You know as well as anyone else if all the elders summon you it means something serious. I just couldn't stop myself from acting that way." Adam nodded in understanding with a chuckled of his own.
"Of course, of course I would have too if Beril had placed me on the spot like that." Adam sympathized. Judah shook his head at not just the recent memory of the weasel faced elder's tough treatment, but of a whole life of Beril's scrutiny.
"He hates me doesn't he? I always knew he was the reason I was held back… why though? I never did anything to him!" Adam sat in silence in the face of Judah's claim. He eventually cleared his throat and stepped into the room.
"It was a terrible injustice keeping you here two years ago. As much as I loathe that rat Beril and would like to place the blame squarely on him, it was a mix of factors that weren't entirely in anyone's control. You know better than to dwell on the past though Judah, the day you've been waiting for has finally come."
"But why? Why can't you tell me the true reasons why I was kept back? Did I not have above average marks on everything I did? I scored better than most of the other rebirths I ever trained with on the tests. If anything I was in line to leave the temple a year early… instead I had to wait two years. No matter what way you cut it, I was robbed." Adam frowned and placed a hand on his worried ward's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Judah, I really wish I could tell you, but unfortunately it's beyond my decision. You must not let it weigh on you now though. If anything take solace! You've had an extra two years to sharpen your skills. Moreover you've been trusted by the oracle to take on a monumental responsibility. So keep your chin up Judah, you'll need all the morale and determination you can muster for the enemy you're about to face." Judah's expression refused to change, despite his spirits feeling lifted by Adam's words, there was still something bothering him.
"My enemy… the shadow you mean right? That's something else I don't understand, the oracle is supposed to be all knowing right? Then why is she being so vague about this enemy? It's one thing to withhold information about why I was kept at the temple, but to give me a mission of such importance with so little details just seems… well it seems cruel." Adam took a seat beside Judah, groaning softly as the aches of his age took its toll on him.
Settling down, Adam responded, "The oracle is not a god, she is not perfect and with such her far sight has flaws. We can't figure out why this shadow in Tellius is weakening her clairvoyance and why she can't see its true identity. So don't fret, the oracle has not forsaken you."
"…It still all just seems so weird. There's absolutely nothing else the oracle can do to help me?"
"Well…" A smile began to spread across elder Adam's face. "Why don't we go ask her?"
"What!"
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Judah and Adam stood outside a set of large silver doors in silence. Adam had offered the youth to open the doors and step through, but he had yet to make a move. Judah had passed by this door many times, admiring the absolutely beautiful designs that had been inscribed on it. To now be offered to finally pass through them and meet the oracle in person seemed tantamount to heresy.
"This… this doesn't feel right. Surely the oracle has more important things to do than waste time consulting a single rebirth." Judah turned and tried to start walking back down the corridor they came down, when Adam grabbed the collar of his robe to stop him.
"Relax; I don't want you being nervous like you were back in the elders' meeting. She's not going to bite off your head and no matter what you're leaving the temple today, so there's nothing bad that's going to happen." After a moment, Judah nodded and stepped up to the door. Without a word, he lowered his hand to the door knob and twisted it open slowly. When it clicked he pushed the door open and stepped into the large chamber.
Beautiful wouldn't even come close to describing the room. The chamber was huge, the stonework of the walls wrought with similar designs as the ones that had been on the door out front. The room wasn't dark, rather it basked in an ominous glow, but Judah was having trouble finding the source of the illumination. As they took a few steps further into the room he finally spotted it and was amazed. Situated in the center of the ceiling was a pond. Beneath the surface of the water, he spotted what appeared to be a large bright light shining down and providing the glow that lit the room. Judah could hardly believe the sight; gravity simply wouldn't allow such a feat to be possible.
"It's fascinating isn't it?" Adam asked with a smile as he too stared up at it. Judah nodded slowly, his mouth slightly agape at what surely was nothing short of a miracle. Adam tapped Judah's arm to get his attention and pulled a pebble out from his pocket. He motioned up towards the miraculous pond and offered the rock to him. "Go ahead, try it."
Judah looked down at the pebble and took it from Adam's open palm. He looked up at the strange sight and nodded. Taking a step, he threw the pebble straight up and watched to see the result. The rock broke the surface of the pond and rippled, confirming that it was in fact water. Part of Judah expected the pebble to drop back down seconds later and land on top of his head. However, the strange physics pulled the pebble into the light within the water and disappeared. "Wow." Judah commented in awe at the sight.
"Are you having fun boys?" A gentle voice asked from the back of the room. Both of them snapped their attention back down to find the source. Sitting in the rear of the room was who they had come to meet. Sitting in a big plush arm chair in the back of the room was a beautiful blonde with a slender body, hugged by a long white gown. Her skin was pale, much paler that Judah's light skin. Her eyes were covered by a white blindfold but even with her eyes blocked it was easy to tell that her face was very pretty. Last, and certainly not the least noticeable feature, was the large, silk pair of white wings that jutted from her back. The oracle was truly a sight to behold.
"Good evening Adam, young Judah."
"You… You remember me?" The oracle giggled in amusement at Judah's astonishment.
"Of course I do and my how much you've grown! Your voice has become so deep! Sometimes I forget how quickly time moves. It seems like just yesterday when I ran into you." Judah had only seen the oracle three times in his whole life, two of which were when she announced the occurrences of the Mad King's War and the goddess Ashera's awakening before the whole temple. There was one time though, when Judah was very young that he had run into the oracle up close. It was rare for the oracle to leave her chambers, but on that day she slipped out to inspect the rose gardens. Restless and bored, Judah had gotten away from his tutor that day and wandered into the rose gardens himself. There he had stumbled into the oracle; she had her blindfold off as she was looking over the roses. She was startled at first, but then she smiled warmly and picked the child up in her arms, carrying him back to his tutor. That day stuck out distinctly in his mind, not just because that was his first time meeting the oracle, but because no one had ever held him so, with such love and caring.
Judah smiled broadly, happy that she remembered him. "It's truly a pleasure to see you again ma'am." The oracle returned his grin with the warm smile that he remembered. Despite how happy the situation was however, two things were bugging Judah about the situation. One, the oracle didn't appear a day older than she was that day in the rose garden. It was strange that was nearly fifteen years ago, but then again there was a pond in the ceiling so there were clearly many things he didn't know about the seer. Two, the oracle had her blindfold on. Granted she never really removed it and that one time in the garden was a rare exception, but Judah wished he could see the beautiful green eyes that were hidden behind them once more.
"I'm sorry Judah that won't be possible. I must keep my blindfold on as much as possible to focus my far sight." The dark red haired rebirth blinked in shock and took a step back.
"Did… did you just read my mind?" The oracle chuckled again in amusement and nodded.
"One of the many gifts bestowed upon the heron clan, along with a long life of youth. Now Judah, I called you here for a very important reason." This new tidbit shocked him once more.
"You called me here?" Judah looked back at Adam who nodded.
"I didn't want to tell you since I figured you'd freeze up." Judah was about to respond when the oracle cut him off.
"We don't have much time; you'll be expected at the front of the temple in a matter of minutes. Judah, as I'm sure the other elders have told you by now, I've assigned you a grave responsibility. The shadow has remained a very minor occurrence, hidden for the past couple decades, but lately I've been plagued by visions of it gaining power, enough to destroy Tellius. What this shadow is and when it'll achieve this power… I'm afraid my far sight won't allow me to see, but one thing is clear, it must be stopped. Since the shadow has blocked my view of the future, I called you here hoping an individual prediction may provide us with more clues to help you on your path." The oracle motioned for Judah to step forward, he obliged willingly. "Kneel please". The young man dropped down onto one knee as she extended her hands and gently touched the sides of his head.
"Close your eyes and let us begin." Judah's eyes shut, Adam remained silent, and the oracle focused. After a few moments her lips began to move and mumble very softly. It was mostly inaudible, but the parts Judah had heard were melodious and pleasing. Eventually she fell silent once more and sighed. "It's as I feared."
"What is?" Judah asked, resisting the urge to open his eyes.
"Your path is fogged, which means you will surely encounter the shadow in your near future. I can make out some things though. …Dawn, I see Dawn… as well as Crimea… And then… followed… by a black fire… and a wing of white!" The oracle's grip suddenly tightened against the sides of Judah's head. A bead of sweat dropped down her forehead as she began to feel the physical strain of the process. "A mountain of blood… a giant of bone… a woman of red… a traitor freed… and then… the return…" The oracle trembled as her fingers began to slip down the sides of Judah's head. Adam peered in skepticism, having seen the oracle do predictions before and never seeing her move her hands in any of them. "A monster… foul mad man… cease! Hence you bring forth the void! How dare you-!" The oracle's fingers were about to clench around Judah's neck.
"My lady!" Adam yelled out, causing the oracle to snap out of her chance and pull away from Judah, horrified at what she was about to do.
"Oh my…" The oracle murmured as she rubbed her hands in worry. Judah's eyes were opened now and a look of puzzlement was on his face.
"Ma'am…? Are you okay?" The oracle smiled softly and nodded.
"Yes forgive me, the strain of the far sight is sometimes a little much for me… Do you remember my words?" Judah nodded. "Good, I'm sorry for them being so vague, but they will make sense in time…" Even though she was smiling, the oracle still appeared horribly shaken. Adam moved to her side with a look of worry.
"My lady, I think you need some rest." The oracle nodded in agreement with the elder's suggestion. She turned back to Judah and smiled.
"Judah, this may be the last time I see you. Good luck on your journey, I hope I was of some help. May fate's hands guide you."
"You were madam, I thank you. Please feel better." Judah quickly bowed and turned, walking back towards the door he came in. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. The oracle was lying back against her chair, whispering something to Adam. Judah took a moment to admire the ceiling pond once more before leaving the room behind him.
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Following the oracle's séance, Judah had returned to his room and bundled up everything of importance into a pack. He felt embarrassed when he nearly left out his sword, he probably wouldn't make it too far in Tellius without protection. It was then that elders Hol and Wize appeared at his doorway. "It's time."
They led Judah through the temple to the front, pushing out the doors and into the courtyard. They were greeted by a loud cheer, and a bright sunset. As per tradition, all the priests and priestesses of the temple had gathered to see him off. Many of them he knew personally, and others he recognized, but there was not a single one who was a stranger to him. Scattered throughout the crowd were children of all ages, they were fellow rebirths who one day would have to leave the temple as well. Seeing them took Judah back, remembering the plenty of times he had seen off rebirths over the years. Judah had always wondered why the rebirths looked so somber when they left the temple; he remembered thinking how he'd walk out with a broad smile, head held high, and ready to save the world. But now that he was actually the one leaving, he had a better understanding of why the rebirths leaving the temple never looked particularly happy.
He was about to leave his home behind forever. All these faces, he'd never see again. Ever. All the priests who had tutored him over the years, all the other rebirths he had made friends with, the elders, the oracle, Adam who was the closest thing he had to a father, and if he was being honest he'd even miss Beril, if only a little. And even though he was about to go into the world and save millions of people, at that moment he couldn't find much reason to smile.
Once he reached the end of the temple walkway, Midian, Adam, and Beril were waiting for him. Each of the five elders bid good bye to Judah. Midian, Wiz and Hol offered Judah warm smiles, firm handshakes and a last few words of encouragement and advice. When it came to Beril, the handshake was rather limp and the only words he had for the rebirth was a curt, "Good luck." Last, and the hardest to say goodbye to, was Adam. He had been the closest thing to a father to Judah in the past twenty years, to never see him again was truly a blow to his heart. The Elder was quiet at first, extending a hand to Judah, giving him a tight grip. He then caught Judah off guard however, and pulled him into a tight hug. After a minute, he drew away from the snow haired young man with sadness in his eyes.
"Goodbye Judah. May you conquer the obstacles that lie ahead of you, and find true peace in Tellius."
"I promise I will… good bye." Judah quickly turned and walked out the front gate, in fear that a moment longer would unleash the tears that were building up behind his eyes. If he really needed to, he'd cry later, a tough road laid ahead for him. Even though he was trying to put the temple out of his mind, he'd always remember the eerie chanting of the temple's inhabitants that followed with him into the sunset, "May fate's hands guide you!"
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Firedude: Hope you all enjoyed it, and if you didn't I promise it gets better! Anyway, please review if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. See you soon.